1. Weather and Climate 7th Grade ESS 7.2 and LS 7.2

2. Engagement Why is weather important in Ohio?
Is climate important in Ohio?
Spend 2 minutes sharing your thoughts with 1 partner.

3. “Climate is what you expect; Weather is what you get
“Climate is what you expect; Weather is what you get.” ~Mark Twain “Weather is what you wear each day, and climate is what’s in your closet!”

4. Show video http://video. nationalgeographic

5. Vocabulary Terms Weather Radiation Absorption Meteorology Atmosphere
Convection Currents
Meteorology
Atmosphere
Forecast
Climate
Air pressure
Water Cycle
Fronts
Humidity
Temperature
Precipitation

6. How does the Sun’s energy drive our weather and climate systems?
Recognize that the Sun provides the energy that drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents;
How does the Sun’s energy drive our weather and climate systems?

7. Think-Pair-Share
The Sun warms the Earth’s atmosphere primarily because
The sunlight is absorbed by the atmosphere.
The sunlight and heat from the Sun are absorbed by the atmosphere.
The sunlight is absorbed by the land and oceans.
The sunlight and heat from the Sun are absorbed by the land and oceans.

8. Earth’s Radiation Budget
Visible Light
From NASA CERES brochure
The sun's radiant energy is the fuel that drives Earth's climate engine. As shown in the figure, the Earth-atmosphere system constantly tries to maintain a balance between the energy that reaches the Earth from the sun and the energy that flows from Earth back out to space. Energy received from the sun is mostly in the visible (or shortwave) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. About 30% of the solar energy that comes to Earth is reflected back to space. The ratio of reflected-to-incoming energy is called "albedo" from the Latin word meaning whiteness. The solar radiation absorbed by the Earth causes the planet to heat up until it is radiating (or emitting) as much energy back into space as it absorbs from the sun. The Earth's thermal emitted radiation is mostly in the infrared (or longwave) part of the spectrum. The balance between incoming and outgoing energy is called the Earth's radiation budget.
From

9. The solar radiation heats the surface of the Earth.
Ask students how the ground transfers heat to the air before clicking the animation.
Click to make the “molecules” appear.
Ask students “what happens when the molecules touch the ground?” (heat is transferred, molecules gain energy, molecule move faster)
Ask students ”what happens when the molecules become heated?” (they rise)
What type of energy does this show? (convection)
(Teacher Notes – the vocabulary is a review from previous years but you may need to go over it multiple times if they don’t seem to remember.)
Reviewing: slides from
Heat is transferred to air molecules that come in contact with the ground or ocean.

10. Convection As the Warmer Air Rises…
Cooler air is pulled in from other places
Cooler air is pulled in from other places
Read through parts of the slide as they appear.
Allow time for students to answer the question.
Reviewing: slides from
Convection

11. Where else do we see convection?
As long as there is gravity, convection occurs any time there is a fluid with heating and cooling; i.e., convection in the atmosphere that causes wind, convection in the ocean that causes ocean currents, & convection in the mantle. It even happens when you boil water in a pot on the stove…as the pan heats, it heats the water touching it…the warmer water rises to be replaced by the cooler, more dense water sinking.

12. Low Pressure WIND High Pressure
Convection current – the transfer of heat energy through a fluid due to gravity
Low
Pressure
WIND
Why does the warm air rise? – it is less dense (kids should remember this from the engage/explore activities)
The rising air leaves room for more air to move in from other locations (click)
As the air rises it cools and spreads out along the top of the ‘troposphere’ (click)
Cooler air is more dense and sinks creating an area of high pressure (click)
The air move from the area of high pressure to the area of low pressure…We call this wind (click)
This cycle of air is called a convection current (click)
Allow students time to write the definition, the next click will make it disappear. (click)
The part of a convection current that moves across the surface of the earth is called (click) wind.
The rising air creates an area of low pressure (click) Low pressure means there are fewer air molecules per unit volume (less density).
The more dense sinking air creates an area of high pressure (click). High pressure means there are more air molecules per unit volume (more density)
***NOTE: a FLUID is not a LIQUID but a LIQUID is a FLUID.
Fluid is matter that flows.
Liquid is a state of matter that has volume but no definite shape.
Reviewing: slides from
High
Pressure

13. Image from http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/atmosphere/

14. How does a convection current work? Why do we have wind?
Think, Pair, Share…
How does a convection current work? Why do we have wind?
CONVECTION CURRENT: Students should explain/diagram what they just learned.
WIND: Since the Earth is heated unevenly, we have areas of high and low pressure all over because we also have gravity. The air is going to flow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure…this flow of air is what we call WIND!

15. How does the Sun’s energy drive ocean currents?
Information at
Image from Windows to the Universe

16. Visuals of Currents and Winds

17. The Wind Result of uneven heating of the Earth’s surface
causes differences in air pressure to develop (cold air
near the poles,
warm air near the
Equator)
Molecules always move from areas of
high pressure to areas of low pressure
Image courtesy of NASA.
Student notes
Ask students if they like being under a lot of pressure (think stress). Explain that the air doesn’t like high pressure because it doesn’t like being pushed down into the ground so it flows to a less dense area.
ANALOGY:
Think of a hill of dirt next to a hole that’s the dirt came from. Call the hill high (more dirt) pressure and the hole since its missing the dirt low pressure. Place a hose on the hill and turn on the water slowly…what does the water do? It FLOWS from the Hill (AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE) to the Hole (AREA OF LOW PRESSURE).

18. Frontal Boundaries Leading edge of an air mass 4 kinds of fronts:
Cold front
Warm front
Stationary front
Occluded front
front boundary

19. Weather Terms/Symbols
Cold Front: mass of cold air moving into area of warmer air
Warm Front: mass of warm air moving into area of cooler air
Stationary Front: masses of cold & warm air meet from opposite directions and stop moving
Occluded Front: mass of cold air overtakes mass of warm air moving in same direction
Emphasize shape and color of each symbol
More information about fronts can be found on the NOAA web site: Surface Fronts and Boundaries [

20. Image courtesy of http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/?n=education-airmasses
Cold Front
mass of cold air moving into area of warmer air
cold air forces warm air up & over the cold air; often creating storms
Most (not all and not always) severe weather is associated with a cold front entering the area.
Note: the leading edge of the cold air mass is the “FRONT” of the air mass…therefore, the COLD FRONT (keep reviewing what an ‘air mass’ is (mass of air with similar temperature and humidity throughout)
More information: AND (PhysicalGeography.net)
Aslo a basic animation: warm air ahead of front is lifted up and over
Image courtesy of

21. Image courtesy of http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/?n=education-airmasses
Warm Front
mass of warm air moving into area of cooler air
As front enters, rain showers, then light rain, then clearing and warmer
More information: (PhysicalGeography.net)
Image courtesy of

22. Stationary Fronts air masses are not moving against each other
forms when a cold front or warm front stops moving
may stay put for days
often cloudy with rain or snow
Image from

23. Occluded Fronts forms when a cold air mass overtakes a warm front
Light to moderate rain before and during
Clearing and cooler after
Image courtesy of the

24. Oceans
Show movie

25. Where does weather take place?
The Earth has 4 layers within its atmosphere. Almost all of the weather that occurs on Earth takes place in the lowest layer of the atmosphere known as the troposphere.

27. Lower Layers of Atmosphere
Troposphere: lowest layer – extends up to 10km; contains 99% of the water vapor and 75% of the atmospheric gases.
The troposphere is the first layer above the surface and contains most clouds (we live here).
Most weather occurs in this layer.
Most of the layer’s heat is from Earth.
Temperature cools about 6.5 degrees Celsius per kilometer of altitude.

28. Lower Layers of Atmosphere
Stratosphere – directly above troposphere, extending from 10 km to about 50 km above Earth’s surface
Portion of the upper layer contains high levels of a gas called ozone. The ozone layer absorbs harmful rays from the Sun.
Many jet aircrafts fly in the stratosphere because it is very stable.

29. Upper Layers of Atmosphere
Mesosphere – extends from the top of the stratosphere to about 85 km above Earth
Coldest layer. Meteors burn up in the mesosphere.
*Ionosphere* is found here – layer of charged particles
The ionosphere and exosphere is housed within the Thermosphere.

30. Upper Layers of Atmosphere
Thermosphere – thickest atmospheric layer found between 85 km and 500 km above Earth’s surface
The thermosphere is a layer with auroras, known for its high temperatures.
Warms as it filters out X-rays and gamma rays from the Sun
*Ionosphere* here, too – help carry radio waves.

31. Upper Layers of Atmosphere
*Exosphere* – The upper part of the Thermosphere that merges into space. The exosphere is the upper limit of our atmosphere and is extremely thin.
Outer layer where space shuttle orbits.

33. World Biomes

34. What is a Biome?
Scientists have developed the term Biome to describe areas on the earth with similar climate, plants, and animals.
The plants and animals that live in a specific biome are physically well adapted for that area.
Plants and animals that live in a specific biome share similar characteristics with other plants and animals in that biome throughout the world.
The types of biomes that will be explored during this exercise include: Tundra, Deserts, Grasslands, Taiga, Temperate Forests, and Rainforests

35. Click on the Biome you wish to explore
World Biomes
EXIT
Click on the Biome you wish to explore
Tundra
Desert
Temperate
Forest
Taiga
Rainforest
Grassland
Biome Activity
Go to Specific Activity Question

36. Tundra Deserts Grasslands Taiga Temperate Forests Rainforests
Group Project
Tundra
Deserts
Grasslands
Taiga
Temperate Forests
Rainforests