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Air Masses & Fronts StudyJam

Classroom Resource Information

Title:

Air Masses & Fronts StudyJam

URL:

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/weather-and-climate/air-masses-and-fronts.htm

Content Source:

Other
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/

Type:

Audio/Video

Overview:

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe how the interactions of air masses can cause a variety of weather events in the atmosphere. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

Content Standard(s):

Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: 6
Earth and Space Science

12 ) Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information (e.g., weather maps; diagrams; other visualizations, including radar and computer simulations) to support the claim that motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions.

a. Use various instruments (e.g., thermometers, barometers, anemometers, wet bulbs) to monitor local weather and examine weather patterns to predict various weather events, especially the impact of severe weather (e.g., fronts, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, ice storms, droughts).

Unpacked Content

Scientific And Engineering Practices:

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information; Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect

Disciplinary Core Idea: Earth's Systems

Evidence Of Student Attainment:

Students:

Support the claim that motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions using qualitative scientific and technical information.
Monitor local weather using a variety of instruments.
Examine weather patterns to predict various weather events, especially the impact of severe weather.

Teacher Vocabulary:

Integrate
Qualitative scientific information
Technical information
Weather map
Radar
Visualization
Weather
Air mass
Temperature
Pressure
Humidity
Precipitation
Wind
Uniform
Temperature
Moisture
Landform
Current
Probability
Atmosphere
Monitor
Instruments
Predict
Weather patterns
Severe weather
Temperature
Moisture
Pressure
Humidity
Precipitation
Wind
Atmosphere

Knowledge:

Students know:

Qualitative scientific and technical information may include weather maps, diagrams, and visualizations, including radar and computer simulations.
Qualitative scientific information may be obtained through laboratory experiments.
Weather is the condition of the atmosphere as defined by temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, and wind.
An air mass is a large body of air with uniform temperature, moisture, and pressure.
Air masses flow from regions of high pressure to low pressure, causing weather at a fixed location to change over time.
Sudden changes in weather can result when different air masses collide.
The distribution and movement of air masses can be affected by landforms, ocean temperatures, and currents.
Relationships exist between observed, large-scale weather patterns and the location or movement of air masses, including patterns that develop between air masses (e.g., cold fronts may be characterized by thunderstorms).
Due to the complexity and multiple causes of weather patterns, probability must be used to predict the weather.*Local atmospheric conditions (weather) may be monitored by collecting data on temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, and wind.
Instruments may be used to measure local weather conditions. These instruments may include, but are not limited to, thermometers, barometers, and anemometers.
Weather events, specifically severe weather, can be predicted based on weather patterns.
Severe weather may include, but is not limited to, fronts, thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, ice storms, and droughts.

Skills:

Students are able to:

Make a claim, to be supported by evidence, to support or refute an explanation or model for a given phenomenon, including the idea that motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions.
Identify evidence to support the claim from the given materials including qualitative scientific and technical information.
Evaluate the evidence for its necessity and sufficiency for supporting the claim.
Determine whether the evidence is sufficient to determine causal relationships between the motions and complex interactions of air masses and changes in weather conditions.
Consider alternative interpretations of the evidence and describe why the evidence supports the claim they are making, as opposed to any alternative claims.
Use reasoning to connect the evidence and evaluation to the claim that motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions.
Use instruments to collect local weather data.
Monitor local weather data.
Use patterns observed from collected data to provide causal accounts for weather events and make predictions.

Understanding:

Students understand that:

The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the atmosphere, determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and currents, are major determinants of local weather patterns. Because these patterns are so complex, weather can only be predicted based on probability.
Instruments may be used to monitor local weather.
Weather patterns can be used to predict weather events.

AMSTI Resources:

AMSTI Module:
Understanding Weather and Climate (for both 12 and 12a)

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards

AAS Standard:
SCI.AAS.6.12- Recognize interactions of air masses as the cause of changes in weather.
SCI.AAS.6.12a- Distinguish which scientific instrument would be used to measure weather conditions (i.e., temperature, wind speed, and air pressure); identify weather conditions including sunshine, clouds, rain, ice storms, and blizzards.

Tags:

air masses, air pressure, fronts, humidity, temperature, weather

License Type:

Custom Permission Type
See Terms: http://www.scholastic.com/terms.htm
For full descriptions of license types and a guide to usage, visit :
https://creativecommons.org/licenses

Accessibility

Comments

The test may be completed as a whole group or independently on student devices.

There is a printable available that includes a short synopsis of the video and definitions of the vocabulary words. This could be used as a notetaking sheet for students as they watch the video.

This resource provided by:

Author:

Hannah Bradley

ALEX Classroom Resource

Air Masses & Fronts StudyJam