Unit 7 — Weather and Climate
Description
What factors interact and influence weather and climate? This unit is broken down into three sub-ideas: Earth's large-scale systems interactions, the roles of water in Earth's surface processes, and weather and climate. Students make sense of how Earth's geosystems operate by modeling the flow of energy and cycling of matter within and among different systems. A systems approach is also important here, examining the feedbacks between systems as energy from the Sun is transferred between systems and circulates though the ocean and atmosphere. The crosscutting concepts of cause and effect, systems and system models, and energy and matter are called out as frameworks for understanding the disciplinary core ideas. In this unit, students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in developing and using models and planning and carrying out investigations as they make sense of the disciplinary core ideas.
Essential Questions
- What are the processes involved in the cycling of water through Earth's systems?
- What is the relationship between the complex interactions of air masses and changes in weather conditions?
- What are the major factors that determine regional climates?
Learning Objectives
- Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
- Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
- Explain how variations in density result from variations in temperature and salinity drive a global pattern of interconnected ocean currents.
- Use a model to explain the mechanisms that cause varying daily temperature ranges in a coastal community and in a community located in the interior of the country.
- Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
Supplemental Resources
- Graphic organizers for the water cycle and weather patterns
- Printed weather maps and diagrams for analyzing air masses
- Chart paper for displaying climate patterns
- Index cards for sorting weather conditions
- Sentence strips for labeling water cycle stages
Earth and Space Sciences
Students cite textual evidence from science and technical texts, write arguments and informative/explanatory texts focused on discipline-specific content, gather and evaluate information from multiple sources, and draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis and research across all units. Reading standards for science and technical texts (RST.6-8.1, RST.6-8.2, RST.6-8.7, RST.6-8.8, RST.6-8.9) and writing standards (WHST.6-8.1, WHST.6-8.2, WHST.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.8, WHST.6-8.9) are explicitly referenced throughout all units. Speaking and listening standards support collaborative discussions and multimedia presentations.
Students use ratio and rate reasoning, summarize numerical data sets, represent relationships between variables using graphs and equations, and apply mathematical practices including reasoning abstractly and modeling with mathematics. Mathematical standards 6.SP.A.2, 6.SP.B.4, 6.SP.B.5, 6.EE.C.9, 6.RP.A.3, and Standards for Mathematical Practice MP.2 and MP.4 are explicitly referenced across units to support data analysis, statistical reasoning, and quantitative thinking in science contexts.
Formative Assessments
- Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
- Model the ways water changes its state as it moves through the multiple pathways of the hydrologic cycle.
- Collect data to serve as the basis for evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions.
- Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
Summative Assessment
Quiz; Test; Lab Reports; Water Cycle Project/Portfolio
Benchmark Assessment
STAR 360/ MAP Testing; SGO Testing
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through a labeled diagram or visual model of the water cycle with teacher support, oral explanation of key processes, or completion of a partially filled-in graphic organizer showing energy flow and water state changes. Sentence frames and vocabulary word banks may be provided to support written or oral responses.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students with IEPs may benefit from graphic organizers and partially completed diagrams to scaffold their model-building when representing systems such as the water cycle or atmospheric circulation. Providing labeled visual supports and sentence frames can help students articulate cause-and-effect relationships between Earth's systems during discussions and written lab reports. Teachers should consider allowing oral explanations or annotated diagrams as alternative output modes when students are asked to demonstrate understanding of density-driven ocean currents or regional climate patterns. Breaking multi-step investigations into sequenced, numbered steps with checkpoints will support processing and task completion across longer activities.
Section 504
Students with 504 plans should be given extended time on quizzes, tests, and lab reports to ensure access to assessment tasks that require synthesizing information across multiple Earth systems. Preferential seating near instructional displays or demonstration areas will support engagement during modeling and investigation activities involving weather patterns and ocean circulation. Providing a printed copy of any diagrams, directions, or data tables displayed on the board reduces copying demands and keeps students focused on scientific thinking.
ELL / MLL
Multilingual learners should have access to a visual word wall or illustrated glossary featuring key content vocabulary such as evaporation, condensation, air mass, salinity, and convection, with support in their home language where possible. Teachers should pair verbal instructions for investigations and modeling tasks with clear visual demonstrations and diagrams so that language demands do not obscure students' ability to engage with the science. Simplified directions and sentence frames for recording observations and explaining models will help students participate meaningfully in data collection and collaborative discussions about weather and climate patterns.
At Risk (RTI)
Students who need additional support should be introduced to the unit's core concepts—such as the water cycle and air mass interactions—through concrete, hands-on demonstrations that connect to observable, everyday weather phenomena before moving to abstract modeling tasks. Partially completed models, diagrams, or data tables provide accessible entry points and reduce the cognitive load of beginning tasks from scratch. Teachers should check in frequently during investigations to reinforce connections between prior knowledge and new content, helping students build confidence as they work toward understanding how Earth's systems interact.
Gifted & Talented
Students who demonstrate early mastery of weather and climate concepts can be challenged to investigate the feedback loops between Earth's systems at a deeper level, such as exploring how changes in one system—like melting polar ice—may amplify or dampen circulation patterns in the ocean and atmosphere. Encouraging these students to evaluate real-world climate data or research how regional climate variations are projected to shift over time pushes their thinking beyond the unit's core models. Teachers might also invite gifted students to design their own investigation questions or propose refinements to class models, fostering the kind of abstract, systems-level reasoning characteristic of scientific inquiry.