Maggie France LP8

Title: WeatherForecasting Weather Web Quest (PT 2) (Day 8)

Grade and Subject: 6th Grade Science

Goal: I want the students to understand the symbols on a weather map and the relationship they
have to atmospheric measures.

SOLs: 6.6 The student will investigate and understand the properties of air and the structure and
dynamics of Earths atmosphere. Key concepts include:

e)The relationship of atmospheric measures and weather conditions.

Objectives: The students will be able to:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Follow a web quest on weather.

Identify the symbols on a weather forecast.
Analyze isotherms, cold fronts, and warm fronts on a weather map.
Answer questions on a study guide in preparation for tomorrows test.

Warm-Up: (5 mins)

Weather report by selected student

View daily weather on WDBJ7

Lesson: (45 mins)

The class will go to the computer lab for the second half of a 2-day web quest. I will go
over the instructions for those who were absent. The students will work independently
and will receive assistance as needed from me, Mrs. Wade, or the aide.
As students finish up with the web quest, they will start working on the study guide. The
remainder of the study guide will be homework.

Materials:

Web quest worksheet

Computer Lab
Study Guide

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Assessment:

Discussion during warm-up

Web quest worksheet
Study Guide

Accommodations: Students will receive help reading and finding answers to questions in the
web quest, on the worksheet, and will receive a study guide with most answers filled in.

Total Time: 55 mins (each day for 2 days)

Sources:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/airmass.htm

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wamsorce/wamsorce.htm
http://research.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=45023
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es2002/es2002
page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization
http://www.climateandweather.net/world-weather/weather-fronts.html

http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~joel/g110_w08/lecture_notes/midlat_surface/agburt09_10c.jpg

http://www.atmos.illinois.edu/weather/tree/viewer.pl?launch/sfctmp

Weather Web Quest

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Directions: You will find the web quest on the school shared file which Mrs. Wade and Mrs.
France will direct you to. You will then click on the appropriate links and answer the questions.

Air Masses 1: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/airmass.htm

What is an air mass? ______________________________________________________

Air Masses 2: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wamsorce/wamsorce.htm

Use the map to find the name of the air mass (#6) that affects us most in VA.
________________________________________________________________________
Scroll down to the descriptions. What type of weather does the air mass bring us?
________________________________________________________________________

Fronts 1: http://research.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=45023
Where _____________________ ______________________ meet, there are
well-marked boundary zones called _______________________________. This is
where most ________________________________ and __________________________
occurs.
Warm-Front when a warm moist air mass _____________________ above a
______________________ air mass, a warm front forms. The gradient of the front is
very ____________________________. Warm fronts occur at the forward edge of the
______________________________ (a _____________-_______________________
system).
Cold-Front a cold front marks the advance of colder air ________________________
warm air. The gradient of the cold front is ___________________________ than that of

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a warm front, and the _________________________ is usually heavier.
__________________________________ sometimes form along a cold front.
Occluded-Front these occur when a ____________________ moving _____________
front overtakes a warm front and lifts the warm air away from the surface. Occluded
fronts contain the worst features of both warm and cold fronts: turbulent flying
conditions, _________________________ and/or continuous______________________,
poor visibility, and broad geographic extent.
Stationary-Front If air masses maintain their warm or cold identity but dont move.

Fronts 2:
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es2002/es2002
page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization
Click on the cold front and warm front animations. Fill in the table below with your
answers to the questions listed:
Cold Front

Warm Front

What type of air mass moves

forward?
Which air mass ends up on
top?
What type of clouds form?

Warm and Cold Fronts: http://www.climateandweather.net/world-weather/weatherfronts.html

Draw warm and cold fronts in the boxes below. Label air temperatures and use arrows to
show movement:

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Warm Front

Cold Front

For each of the follow please mark with C for cold or W for warm to indicate the front:

________ 1. The air behind the front is drier than the air in front.
________ 2. On a weather map, this front is represented by red semicircles pointing toward
colder air.
________ 3. Temperatures can drop more than 15 degrees per hour.
________ 4. Warm air is pushed almost straight up.

Occluded Fronts:
http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~joel/g110_w08/lecture_notes/midlat_surface/agburt09_10c.jpg

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Draw an occluded front in the box to
the left. Label air temperatures and
use arrows to show air movement.

Current Isotherms:

http://www.atmos.illinois.edu/weather/tree/viewer.pl?launch/sfctmp
The black lines on a map are called Isotherms. They connect areas on the map that all
have the same temperature. These are the current temperatures in the United States right
now. How many other states have the same temperature as Virginia? _______________
(follow the black lines or colors from Virginia)
Click on Animate at the bottom of the screen. Choose 24 frames. It may take a little
while to load. Be patient. When it loads, click on Forward slowly 24 times and watch
how Virginia changes over a 24 hour period. Explain what happened to the temperature:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Please comment on what you learned from this web quest. Did you like it? Why or why
not? __________________________________________________________________

Name: __________________________________________ Date:__________________ Period:______

WEATHER UNIT TESTSTUDY GUIDE

Multiple choice: Circle all that apply
1. When clouds form, the water condenses on ___________________________.
a). Nitrogen
b). Salt Crystals
c). Pollen
d). Trees
e). Dust specks
f). Carbon Dioxide
2. When bodies of water absorb heat energy from the sun, the water ________________
and forms______________________________.
a). condenses, snow
b). evaporates, rain

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c). evaporates, clouds
d). condenses, tornadoes
3. Air is mostly made up of ______________________________.
a). argon

b). carbon dioxide

c). nitrogen

d). methane

Fill in the blank:

4. Name the four types of fronts and draw their symbols:
a. _____________________________ symbol ____________________________
b. _____________________________ symbol ____________________________
c. _____________________________ symbol ____________________________
d. _____________________________ symbol_____________________________
5. If it was snowing outside that would be an example of a _________________ pressure
system.
6. If it was a sunny day outside, the perfect day for going to the beach, that would be an
example of a ______________________ pressure system.
7. Clouds are made up of ___________________________ (#) of tiny water droplets.
8. ________________________ are narrow belts of high-speed winds that blow from west
to east, between 7km and 16km above Earth.
9. Label the following with high, low, valley breeze, mountain breeze:

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10. Label the following with high, low, land breeze, sea breeze:

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11. ___________________________________ is the measure of how hot or cold something

and is measured with a _____________________________________.
12. Draw warm and cold fronts in the boxes below. Label air temperatures and use arrows to
show movement:
a. Warm Front
b. Cold Front
Matching:
Match the
vocabulary
term with the
definition
below:

________ Temperature
________ Thermal energy
________ Thermal expansion

________ Weather
________ Air Pressure
________ Clouds

________ Heat
________ Radiation
________ Wind
________ Global winds
________ Jet Streams
________ Local winds

________ Stratus Clouds

________ Cumulus Clouds
________ Cirrus Clouds
________ Fronts
________ High pressure system
________ Low pressure system-

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A. the measure of average kinetic energy of particles

B. wind systems that occur at or near the Earths surface over long distances (ex. Polar
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.

H.
I.
J.

K.
L.
M.
N.
O.

P.
Q.
R.

easterlies, Westerlies, Trade winds)

the condition of the Earths atmosphere at a certain time and place
force of air molecules pushing on an area
total kinetic energy of particles
the transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves
thick and puffy clouds; generally flat on the bottom; in a heap
a boundary formed between air masses
the increase in volume in response to an increase in temperature
warm air rises; rainy weather
look feathery; ends curl up; in wispy curls
the energy that is transferred between objects that are at different temperatures
collection of small water droplets or ice crystals that are suspended in the air
thin and flat clouds; edges not clearly defined; in layers
cool air sinks slowly down; clear weather
movement of air over short distances (ex. Sea and land breezes, valley and mountain breezes)
narrow belts of high speed winds that blow from west to east
the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure
Matching: Match the phrase on the left with the correct phrase on the right. Write the
corresponding letter on the line.

1. _________ When air or water is heated . . .

A. The movement of air

2. _________ Convection

B. a transfer of thermal (heat)

energy that produces weather.

3. _________ Wind

C. The cycle in which hot air or

water is forced upward,
becomes cooler and denser as
it rises then sinks back down.

4. _________ When air or water is cooled . . .

D. the molecules move faster

and farther apart, reducing
their density and causing
them to rise.

5. _________ Heat Energy

E. The molecules move

slowly, and are denser,

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causing them to sink.
6. _________ Convection Currents

F. This energy powers the

global circulation of our
atmosphere and our oceans.