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Science Minutes DVD
Episode 5: Weather
Focus Question: What causes the weather?
Standards
National Science Standard
- Content Standard D: Earth and Space Science (Grades 5-8)
Next Generation Sunshine State Standard
| Grade 5: | SC.5.E.7 Earth Systems and Patterns |
| Benchmarks SC.5.E.7.2, SC.5.E.7.3, SC.5.E.7.4 | |
| Grade 6: | SC.6.E.7 Earth Systems and Patterns |
| Benchmarks SC.6.E.7.2, SC.6.E.7.5, SC.6.E.7.6 |
Vocabulary
Climate the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region; determined by the average temperature and amount of precipitation in an area over a series of years
Precipitation falling products of condensation in the atmosphere, as rain, snow, or hail; results from air cooling and condensing water in the atmosphere
Temperature the degree or intensity of heat present in an object or substance, often shown on a comparative scale like a thermometer or perceived by touch
Weather the state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc.; caused by the different rates that the Earth’s surface heats up and cools down from the equator to the poles
Wind air in natural motion, as that moving horizontally at any velocity along the earth's surface; caused when hot air rises and cold air sinks in the atmosphere
Classroom Activity
Supplemental Links
- Check the weather in your area, www.weather.com
- Annenberg Media’s Learner.org, http://www.learner.org/interactives/weather/
Further Investigation with Online Activities
- Discovery Education: Understanding Weather,
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/weather/ - Discovery Education: The Big Wet,
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/thebigwet/
Oral Assessment
Transcript
Kasey
Doesn't it seem like we are always checking the TV and internet for weather updates? We want to know what the weather's going to be like in the next few hours or even the next couple of days. We even talk about the weather when there's nothing else to talk about.
The weather is important to us for a few different reasons. First of all, we want to be prepared for tomorrow. Will it be hot, cold, rainy, windy? Keeping track of the weather helps us to prepare for our day to day lives.
For example, if we know it's going to be nice and sunny tomorrow, we can plan on spending all day outside, maybe at the beach.
Or, if we know it's going to be cold and rainy all day, we might want to think about doing something inside like watching our favorite movie.
But what causes the weather. Believe it or not, it's temperature. That's right, temperature. Not only does it help us to plan our day, it has everything to do with how weather forms.
You see, the different rates that the earth's surface heats up and cools down from the equator to the poles causes our weather. As the sun shines down on the earth, the ocean or land warms up, heating up the air above it.
I am sure that you've heard that hot air rises and cold air sinks. When this happens winds are formed either by air moving in to replace the rising hot air or getting pushed out by the sinking cold air. These winds carry moist air around the atmosphere and when warm and cold air meet, we get weather.
Water also evaporates into the atmosphere as it heats up. When the air cools, water vapor condenses to form preciptation, otherwise know as rain, hail, sleet or snow. These thunderstorms formed when warm moist air rose into the atmosphere and began to cool off causing the moisture to condense and form raindrops.
Believe it or not, the amount of precipitation in an area combined with the average temperature determines what types of plants and animals that live there. That's because the average temperature and preciptation in an area determines the climate.
Now that I've told you what causes the weather I am going to see what tomorrow will bring. I am hoping for a movie day.
Get a sneak peek of Science Minutes. Watch the entire Episode 3: Weather on YouTube.
