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WP 1.2

By Jose Moreno
Last updated almost 2 years ago
12 Questions

WP 1.2 Welcome to the Weather Patterns Unit

Objective: KWBAT gather evidence from a sim investigation to explore the relationship between surface water and rainfall.

Part 1: Warm Up

Welcome to your new unit! Starting today, and throughout the next few weeks, we are going to investigate how water vapor, temperature, energy transfer, and wind influence local weather patterns and the severity of rainstorms.

Directions: Use the diagram below to answer the following questions.

1.

You may have seen a diagram like this before. What does this diagram show?

2.

Where do you see water as a solid, liquid, and gas in the diagram above?

Sentence Starter:
I see water as a solid in....
I see water as a liquid in...
I see water as a gas in...

3.

Which of the following is not an example of weather?

4.

Frida served herself a cup of water and placed it on a table outside. When she returned, she noticed that half of her water evaporated from her cup. The water was warm.

How did/could the water evaporate?


Part 2: Introducing the Mystery of Galetown Storms

In this unit, you will play the role of student forensic meteorologists. All meteorologists study weather, but a forensic meteorologist uses data to study weather that happened in the past.
5.

You will be taking on the role of forensic meteorologists. What is a forensic meteorologist?

6.

What do you think might be causing the severe storms in Galetown?

7.

Explain why you think that claim causes the severe storms in Galetown.

Sentence Starter:
I think Claim _ explains why there are severe storms in Galetown because...


Part 3: Exploring the Weather Patterns Simulation

The people of Galetown want to know if building the lake had an effect on the severity of rainstorms. You will use the Sim to investigate the effect of the lake, using the surface water feature.
  • Watch the intro video here.
  • Launch the simulation.
  1. Go to Regional Weather 1 mode.
  2. In Build, set the level of surface water.
  3. Decide on a level of sunlight (this should stay the same for both test 1 and 2).
  4. Switch to Run, press Pause when the temperature turns red.
8.

  • Record the amount of water vapor at that moment. (If needed, go to Analyze and use the time slider to rewind the Sim.)
  • Repeat with a different amount of surface water. (Remember the level of sunlight should stay the same.)

9.

How did the level of surface water affect the amount of water vapor in the air?

(hint: what's the connection between the amount of surface water and water vapor in the air)


Part 4: Exit Ticket

10.

Categorize the water cycle steps into their correct term.

  • the process by which a liquid changes into a gas
  • water as a gas
  • the process by which a gas changes into a liquid
  • water falls as a liquid or solid
  • Evaporation
  • Water Vapor
  • Condensation
  • Precipitation
11.

The image containts water in three different phases: liquid, solid, and gas.

Directions:

Place a SQUARE on when water is a solid.
Place a CIRCLE on where water is a gas.

(Click on the shapes button on the menu from the left).

12.

In the picture of the lake above, if the amount of water in the lake increased, how would it affect how much rain will form?