Lesson10PrecipitationandStorms

OverarchingQuestion:Whydoweneedtolearnaboutweather?
LessonQuestion:Whatarethetypesofprecipitation?Whathappensduringastorm?
PofSConnections:
LessonObjective: Students will learn about the different forms of precipitation
and relate them back to the clouds that we discussed earlier. Students
will understand what happens within a storm cloud to make lightning
and thunder as well as precipitation.
PrelessonConsiderations:

Remembertimeconstraints,pacethediscussion
Keepinmindtheneedtoencouragequestionsfromstudentsatalltimes.

Materials:

Accesstoweathervideo
Worksheets

Setup:

Haveworksheetsprintedandreadyforhandout
Havevideoloaded,andvolumeadjusted
HaveacopyofplanforBrenda

LessonContent:
Introduction:
Time est: 7 min
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ngs/index.html?
ID1=&action=v&video=introductiontoweatherps_wiw&clip=?
ID1=&action=v&video=introductiontoweatherps_wiw_forms.smil
Beforestartingthevideo,
Startthevideoat6:05,endat9:47
Alsoremindstudentstopayattention,astheinformationinthisvideowillguidefurther
discussions.
Transition:Atthecloseofthevideo,callstudentsattentionfrontwardandfocusthemtotheboard.
Body - P1
Time est: 15 min
On the first slide, explain the different forms of precipitation, and how they
occur:
o Dew formed when the air cools down at night, causing water in the
air to condense and settle on the ground, plants, etc.
o Mist formed when the air cools rapidly, causing the vapour to
condense
o Fog formed when there is a large difference in temperature between
the earth and the atmosphere
o Rain formed when droplets in clouds collect and get heavy, falling to

the earth
Hail formed when the air causes ice crystals to rise and fall rapidly,
over and over again, forming balls of ice
o Snow formed when the air is too cold for falling ice crystals to melt
o Sleet formed when snow melts and then re-freezes as it falls
On the second slide, explain how the rising and falling air causes molecules
to collide and create electricity, and then the difference in energy between
the cloud and the ground attracts the electricity from the cloud to the earth,
aka lightning. The lightning is so hot that the air explodes, creating thunder.
Transition:Clarifythateveryoneunderstandstheseprocessesbeforecontinuing.
Body P2
Time est: 20 min
Onthethirdslide,explainhowthecombinationofmovementsofseveraldifferentwindpatterns
oftenmixestocreatetornadoesintornadovalleyintheUS.
Onthenextslide,explainhowthewindscombinewithstrongupdraftstocreatethefunnelcloud
withinthecumulonimbuscloud
Onthefifthslide,explainhowhurricanesbeginoverwarmwater,collectingtherisingwaterfrom
oceanstocreateatropicalstorm.Asthewatercollects,itcirculatesandeventuallycreatesthe
hurricane.Thecold,descendingairfromtheatmospherekeepstheeyeclearofanystorm.
Onthesixthslide,explainhowduststormsarecreatedbyhighwindstossingdustintotheairand
circulatingitoverandoveragain.
Transition:Clarifythatstudentsunderstandtheinformationandhavenoquestionsbeforecontinuing.
Havethesupplyleadershandouttheworksheet.
Timeest:20min
Body P3
Havestudentsworktogethertocompletethisworksheet.Havethemrecallourdiscussionsduring
class.
Havestudentshandintheseworksheetsafterclass.
Timeest:10min
Conclusion:
Attheendofthelesson,brieflydiscusstheconnectionbacktoourdiscussionsaboutwind,
updrafts,heat,andcondensation.
Timefillers:Havethekidsworkontheirweatherwordfindiftheyfinishearly.
Tornadovideoforifclassrunsshort http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101videos/tornadoes
101
o