1. 6th Grade FCAT 2.0 Review
Weather vs. Climate

2. WHAT MAKES WEATHER DIFFERENT FROM CLIMATE?

3. Engage: Class definition of weather and climate
Definition of Climate:

4. Explore:
Arrange the cue cards into a category:
Weather
Climate

5. Explore:
After the card sort, identify each term as (C) for climate and (W) for weather.:

6. Explain: 1. Explain what “rule” or reason you used to sort the cards.
2. Describe the climate in Florida.
3. Describe today’s weather.

7. Elaborate
The Earth can be described in terms of the spheres that make it up and how these spheres interact to determine the weather patterns and climate of a particular location.

8. Elaborate geosphere hydrosphere atmosphere
The spheres making up Earth include: the ____________ (land), __________ (water), cryosphere (ice), ___________ (air) and biosphere (living things).
geosphere
hydrosphere
atmosphere

9. Elaborate
Weather
_________ describes the conditions in the atmosphere at a particular time and place.
Weather only occurs in a small part of the atmosphere known as the __________.
troposphere

10. Elaborate
This is the layer of the atmosphere nearest Earth that contains more than half of the total air in the atmosphere.
The air temperature decreases as you move away from Earth because it is heated from warmth that radiates from the surface of Earth.

11. Elaborate
The weather can be defined in terms of 4 factors: heat energy/temperature, air pressure, winds and moisture.
Changes in these factors determine the kind of weather you experience.
All of these factors are influenced by the ________ energy.
Sun’s

12. Elaborate
The water on Earth is continuously moving between the surface and the troposphere.
Water ________ as it is heated, _______ as it cools in the atmosphere and _________ back to the surface.
evaporates
condenses
precipitates

13. Elaborate
Air pressure and winds are also influenced by the temperature of the air.
As the temperature of air decreases the air pressure ________.
When there is a difference in pressure air moves as _________.
increases
wind

14. Elaborate
The winds that blow across Earth, such as the ___________, can steer weather in certain directions.
Weather does not occur in the layers of the atmosphere beyond the troposphere, but they do play important roles in supporting and protecting life on Earth.
Jet Stream

15. Elaborate ozone Just above the troposphere is the stratosphere.
This layer contains a protective layer of ________ that shields living things from much of the harmful radiation emitted by the sun.
Temperature increases with altitude in the stratosphere.
ozone

16. Elaborate
The mesosphere is the coldest layer of the atmosphere where meteors burn up and radio waves are reflected to Earth.
The thermosphere is the hottest layer and the location of auroras which are curtains of light.
The exosphere is the outermost layer of the atmosphere where satellites orbit.

17. Elaborate
Climate
________ is the general weather of an area over a long period of time, and includes seasonal changes in the weather.
Climate is usually described by the average ________ and average precipitation of an area.
temperature

18. Elaborate Several factors affect the climate.
Areas that have higher latitudes, farther from the _____________, generally have lower temperatures.
As elevation increases, temperatures decrease.
equator

19. Elaborate
Areas that are close to large bodies of water have more mild climates because the water helps to keep air temperatures from changing a lot over nearby land.
Climate can also be influenced by the topography of an area, global winds and ocean currents.

20. Evaluate What makes weather different from climate?
Answer the essential question using evidence from reading and activity
What makes weather different from climate?

21. Evaluate 2. In what sphere does weather occur? troposphere
3. What factors determine the climate of an area?
troposphere
Ocean currents, latitudes, elevation, proximity to bodies of water, global winds