Students are expected to collect and graph weather data, then analyze historical averages to develop an understanding of the difference between weather and climate.
3-ESS2-2 Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world. Clarification Statement: none Assessment Boundary: none
This resource was not designed to build towards this performance expectation, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.
Comments about Including the Performance Expectation To explicitly align to this Performance Expectation, the lesson would need to be extended to include the study of climates in different regions of the world. Understanding the difference between weather and climate and using data gathered from conditions in the students' own region is an important first step in analyzing climate data. Following this introduction, students should use data from other regions to describe climates in different parts of the world.
This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this science and engineering practice.
Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice Students will create a graph of the weather data collected. From this data they are asked to identify any patterns and relationships they see between the temperature and other weather elements measured. In order to analyze climate data from diverse climates, students may contact people in other areas, as suggested in the lesson extensions, or they may use climate data from the resources above.
This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea.
Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea By contrasting daily weather and typical climate in a particular place, students will develop a better understanding of the terms. Several of the links referenced on this resource are no longer valid, but the following websites and resources may be used in their place: National Drought Mitigation Center: http://bit.ly/DroughtCenterClimatographs - US Climate Data:Â http://www.usclimatedata.com/ - NASA Education Climatographs: http://go.nasa.gov/2iQjuWG
This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this crosscutting concept.
Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept By looking at weather patterns that students collect through the week and comparing them to climate patterns, students can attempt to predict the weather. They may not be very accurate, but they should be able to see what temperatures are more likely to occur. Students may also be able to connect prior learning about the concept of seasons with their explorations of climate and weather to describe what weather would be expected, based on seasonal patterns.