Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 128922
Earth, Wind, and Fire?
This lesson will develop understanding of the causes of global wind patterns and apply this understanding to hypothesize about how this motion
might effect life on Earth.
Subject(s): Science
Grade Level(s): 6
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Interactive Whiteboard
Instructional Time: 3 Hour(s)
Keywords: global wind patterns, heat transfer
Resource Collection: FCR-STEMLearn Earth Systems
ATTACHMENTS
sosglobalwind.docx
ReviewQuestionsforDayTwo.docx
GlobalWindsrubric.docx
AnticipationGuideforAtmosphericMotion.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to:
explain the causes of global wind patterns
explain patterns found in the atmosphere
apply understanding of the interaction among air masses and other matter to an authentic real-world event
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students will need to understand:
Cooler air results in higher pressure and warmer air results in lower pressure causing warmer air to rise.
Air moves from high pressure areas to low pressure areas.
Heat transfers through conduction, convection, and radiation.
Latitude and longitude.
Land heats unevenly; land heats faster than water. (This is the last part of this benchmark, but may need to be taught first for students to understand the effect of
the sun’s uneven heating of the atmosphere.)
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
LEQ: How does energy from the Sun affect weather on Earth?
(At the end of the lesson, students should be able to explain the Sun's role in creating wind patterns and explain how the wind patterns behave.)
Day 1
page 1 of 5 How does the distance away from the Sun affect the heating of Earth?
Listen for: The amount of the Sun's energy that the Earth receives is related to the amount of direct/indirect rays it receives. The equator will receive more
direct rays and therefore be consistently warmer.
How does the distance from the Sun affect how air moves in our atmosphere?
Listen for: The amount of the Sun's energy that is received by each area of Earth heats the air above it unevenly and cause air at the equator to rise due to its
lighter pressure, and air at the poles to be cooler and more dense creating a convection current.
What method of heat transfer results in air in Earth's atmosphere being heated?
Listen for: Application of previous knowledge of conduction, convection, and radiation. Most of the air around the globe is heated through conduction as the
Sun's energy heats the surface and is then transferred to the air above it. The heated air then transfers energy to other air molecules through convection. It
could be argued that some of the air is heated in the process of the Sun's energy passing through the atmosphere in the process of heating the Earth's surface,
but this is not the predominant cause.
Why is air cooler farther up in the atmosphere?
Listen for: The farther away from the source of heat, the cooler the temperature. (This should help students understand conduction/convection as the main
process of heat transfer in the atmosphere.)
Where would high and low pressure areas on Earth be found in a model of a single convection cell?
Listen for: Air at the equator is warmer and results in less pressure areas while air at the poles is cooler and results in higher pressure areas.
Day 2
What causes a convection cell?
Listen for: Uneven heating causes convection cells - The air at the equator is warmer and has less pressure so it rises. The air at the poles is cooler and has
greater pressure so it sinks. As warm air rises, the cooler and more dense air rushes in to take its place.
How is this demonstration related to Earth's motion?
Listen for: The rotation of the Earth results in the Coriolis effect, causing wind to appear as though it is curving to its right. (application of prior knowledge)
Where would the Earth be moving faster: at the equator, or nearer the North Pole?
Listen for: The air is moving faster near the poles because it has less distance to travel.
How is theCoriolis effect related to these zones of the atmosphere?
Listen for: The uneven heating, Coriolis effect, and wind speeds results in different wind zones between 0° and 30° latitudes, 30° and 60° latitudes, and 60°
and 90° latitudes.
Will the Earth's rotation also affect how air moves?
Listen for: The Earth's rotation will cause winds between 0° and 30° latitudes to result in a convection cell in which the winds curve from the east to the west.
The winds between 30° and 60° latitudes result in a convection cell that curves from the west to the east. The winds between 60° and 90° latitudes result in a
convection cell that curves from the east to the west.
Day 3
What would happen to the radioactive material from the blast: would it be carried very far, or would it be too heavy and fall?
Listen for: Radioactive material from the Fukushima blast would move over the Pacific Ocean toward California because of the motion of the winds in the
Westerlies.
Would the people in California have been concerned when this accident happened? Why or why not?
Listen for: Students may respond in different ways. Be sure their responses are related to evidence collected during this lesson. For example, if students say
yes, they would relate their understanding of the motion of wind in the Westerlies. If students answer no, they may relate that to the dispersal of the
radioactive material over the ocean and perhaps being too heavy to carry such a great distance, so it may fall into the ocean.
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
Day 1
Activating Strategy – Give students the anticipation guide. They will answer questions before the lesson in the first column and will answer questions again
strategically throughout the lesson.
Post a large piece of black poster/chart paper in a strategic spot so observations will be easy to make. With the lights off, turn on a flashlight and shine it at the black
paper from about 3 meters away. Ask students: What do you observe about the intensity of the light? Shine the light at the black paper from a farther distance (about
6 meters). What do you observe about the light's intensity now? How does distance affect the intensity of light? After a brief discussion, have students answer the first
question from the anticipation guide again in the second column. (Move to guided practice)
Day 2
Activating Strategy - Review the following questions with a Kahoot or Socrative app. (If technology is unavailable, a four corner activity could be used for students to
respond to the questions)
1. What happens to air when it is heated? (It rises, resulting in a low pressure area)
2. Which method(s) of heat transfer cause the atmosphere to be heated? (All of them)
3. Why is the equator consistently the warmest area on Earth? (Its closest to the Sun)
Display an image of a convection cell or draw one on the board. Review that air around the equator is warmer and becomes less dense so it rises. Air at the pole is
cooler and more dense so it sinks. The cooler air rushes in to take the place of the warmer air as it rises creating motion called a convection cell. Discuss the same
thing happens in the southern hemisphere; the warmer air rises and the cooler air sinks. Point out the orientation may be different, but the same action is at work.
Ask students to turn to their shoulder buddies and explain what causes a convection cell.
Tell students this model demonstrates what happens to air as it is heated by the Earth, but...Will the Earth's rotation also affect how the air moves? (Move to guided
practice)
Day 3
page 2 of 5 Activating Strategy - Give students an index card. Tell them to write a question about an idea included in this benchmark. Give them a short time and travel to three
different partners and share their questions. Listen to the conversations for any misconceptions that still may be lingering.
Show students the website "UKDivers.net: Trade Winds." Review the global wind belts and how the air moves. (Move to guided practice)
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
Day 1
Shine a flashlight onto a globe. Guide students to recognize the equator has the most direct rays because it is closest to the Sun. The poles have the most indirect rays
because they are farther away from the Sun. Ask: How does the distance away from the Sun affect the heating of the Earth? (Students should recognize the Equator
will be consistently warmer because it is closer to the Sun, while the Poles will be consistently cooler because they are farther away from the Sun.)
How does the distance from the Sun affect how air moves in our atmosphere? Ask student pairs to think about what they already know about the Sun's interaction
with Earth and how heat travels. Use this information to predict how air moves around the globe by drawing models on interactive whiteboards (such as Stage or
Insight 360) or physical whiteboards. After a short time, ask these groups to choose the model that best fits what they know. Ask a few volunteers to present their
ideas. Through ideas presented, lead students to recognize since air is warmer at the equator and cooler at the poles, the warm air at the equator rises and the cool
air from the poles sinks. Draw arrows on the board showing how the air from the equator rises and cooler air rushes in to take its place (single convection cell).
Students answer second question on anticipation guide. (Move to independent practice)
Day 2
Give students two different colored round dot stickers and a ruler with a hole in the center. Ask them to place one colored dot on the one inch mark and the other
colored dot on the five inch mark near the center hole. Instruct students to now put their pencil in the center hole.
Ask students to predict which dot, if any, will go faster than the other when the ruler is pushed and rotated around in a circle, or will they both travel at the same time.
Tell them to count the number of rotations in 5 seconds. Students will recognize both stickers are making the same number of revolutions, but speed is calculated by
measuring the distance and dividing by the time it takes to travel that distance (mph). Ask a volunteer to report their data and calculate the speed for the students.
Display it on the board for each of the two stickers. For example: Using s = d/t, if there were five revolutions in five seconds, then the speed of the sticker at the one
inch mark would be 0.2" per second, and the speed of the second sticker would be 1" per second. Ask: How is this demonstration related to Earth's motion? Where
would the Earth be moving faster, at the equator or nearer the North Pole? Will the Earth's rotation also affect how air moves?
Using a map, tell students because the temperature and wind speeds are so different, air does not move in one convection cell, but instead changes where the
differences are greatest. Introduce the change between 0° and 30° latitudes, 30° and 60° latitudes, and 60° and 90° latitudes. But, it is more difficult to understand
what is happening if we draw the motion of the atmosphere on the map, so we will draw a straight line on the board with divisions of 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° to
represent these zones. Students will also need this model. Identify that 0° represents the equator and 90° represents the North Pole. Have students identify where
high and low pressures are in the first zone. Have them recall air moves from high pressure to low pressure. Draw a convection cell between 0° and 30° with an L at
0° representing the low pressure area and an H at 30° representing the high pressure area. Draw arrows showing how the air moves. Indicate when the air hits the
ground it spreads out in two directions. Continue in this manner for all three zones. Check for understanding by asking students to point in which direction the wind
might be traveling as each zone is discussed. You might show them an illustration of global convection cells. Tell students each of these zones is named for the
direction in which the air is moving. From a list of the three names on the board, have students choose which one seems correct.
Ask: Will the Coriolis Effect be related to these zones of the atmosphere? Lead students to recognize the relationship between air pressure and prior learning of the
Coriolis Effect by drawing arrows on a map that show the direction the wind is traveling in each zone.
Day 3
Ask students to hypothesize about what it might be like at the equator where the winds move in different directions. Use students' ideas to introduce that at the 5
degree latitude in both hemispheres there is an area known as the doldrums. There is not a lot of wind there, but there is moist air. During the time of the Spanish
explorers, sailors avoided this area. Using the website, add the Westerlies to the map. Ask students to consider what it might be like where these two air masses
meet. Again, use students' ideas to introduce this small region is known as the Horse Latitudes and has very little wind. Sailors avoided this area, too. It got its name
from merchants carrying horses to trade that got caught in this area. If they did, they may be here for weeks or months. They may run out of food or water, so they
would throw their horses overboard to lighten their load.
Ask students to briefly discuss why understanding the motion of the atmosphere might be important. Allow a few volunteers to share their ideas. Introduce an example
such as the explosion at the 2011 Fukushima Power Plant explosion in Japan. Show the brief YouTube video "Fukushima Japan Nuke Reactor #3 Explosion (Full view)"
by ThickShadesNews. Ask what would happen to the radioactive material from the blast: would it be carried very far, or would it be too heavy and fall? Show Japan's
location on a map and ask if the people in California may have been concerned when this accident happened? Why or why not? Remind students the purpose of
science is to understand how the natural world to make life better. (Move to independent practice)
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
Day 1
Ask: What method of heat transfer allows the air to get heated? Have individual students write the method on their whiteboard. Ask students to explain their choices.
You may need to ask a reflective question: Why is the air cooler farther up? (mountain tops often have snow, and air is cooler there) Students may not recognize the
air is heated mostly by conduction between the Earth’s surface and the air above it. Draw a diagram on the board demonstrating how radiant energy from the Sun
travels through space and our atmosphere heating the surface of the Earth. All three methods are present, but the interaction between the air and land is the
predominant method at work. The air touching the ground is the warmest. This warmer air is now less dense. Where would the high and low pressure areas be found
in the model? Students answer the third question on the anticipation guide.
Day 2
Students will apply understanding of how air moves on a world map drawing the direction the air travels for each cell and label them. Students will draw arrows
showing direction the wind is traveling in each zone.
page 3 of 5 Day 3
Introduce the summative assessment to students. Review the directions and provide a due date. Students could use resources from this lesson to begin their
assignment.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
Day 1
Ask students to complete an "SOS" for the following statement: "The air at the equator is less dense because it is cooler." An SOS begins with a statement (S),
followed by their opinion (O), and concluding with support for the opinion (S).
The anticipation guide used throughout the lesson can also serve as a summary of the lesson.
Day 2
2+1: Students summarize by writing two causes of the motion of global winds and one comment about the Coriolis effect.
Day 3
Add the doldrums and horse latitudes to the maps created yesterday.
Summative Assessment
Students will describe the patterns found in global wind belts.
Students will predict the movement of pollutants in the air based on patterns of air movement.
Formative Assessment
Day 1
Students will complete a brief anticipation guide. The teacher can poll the class to check for understanding. They will also answer the questions after learning
experiences have occurred to check their thinking.
Day 2
Listen as students explain to shoulder buddies what causes a "convection cell."
Observe students' diagrams as discussion continues for each convergent zone. Ask students to point in which direction the wind might be moving for each zone as it
is introduced.
From a list of the three names on the board, students choose which one seems correct (tradewinds, westerlies, polar easterlies).
How is the Coriolis Effect related to these zones of the atmosphere?
Common Misconceptions:
The Sun heats all areas of the Earth in a consistent manner.
Wind is totally unpredictable.
Winds in one area do not affect any other places on Earth.
When gases expand there are more gas molecules (or the molecules get larger rather than the space between them increases).
Global wind patterns move in the same way in both the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
Students will create a question about an idea in this lesson and quiz other students. Listen for any misconceptions that may still be present.
Students will apply previous learning to an authentic situation. Check to make sure students have mastered the concepts from the previous two days as students are
working independently.
Feedback to Students
Debriefing should occur at various stages throughout the lesson to clarify any misconceptions as well as verify correct thinking.
On day 1, there are three points in which feedback should be specific. The teacher should be circulating through small groups during the guided practice stage of this
lesson.
Be sure students understand the difference between direct and indirect rays from the sun. (For example, you may listen to make sure students understand that the
farther light has to travel, the more it spreads out.)
Air at the equator is consistently warmer than air at the poles because it has less distance to travel from the sun.
Warm air is less dense than cool air, causing it to rise, while cooler air is more dense, causing it to sink. This results in a convection cell.
On day 2, students should be able to identify two causes of the movement of air in the atmosphere (temperature difference and rotation speed) and explain how air
circulates in each zone. Be sure students understand:
Temperature affects how air moves.
Earth's rotation causes wind to move to its right.
There are three main global wind zones in each hemisphere.
On day 3, circulate while students are working on a summative assessment making sure they have mastered the concepts from the previous two days and can
demonstrate the causes of global wind patterns and their effects. Be sure students understand:
The convergence zones in between wind belts have special properties.
Doldrums and Horse Latitudes have little wind because they are convergence zones.
page 4 of 5 It is important to understand interactions between the Sun and Earth and their effects because it can help make decisions about man's actions.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
Students who have attention difficulties may benefit from having the anticipation guide cut into strips of single questions.
Struggling students may benefit from:
working with two capable partners during the guided practice activity
a labeled diagram for the explanation of how radiant energy from the Sun travels through space to Earth's surface
ELL students may benefit from:
illustrations of the three types of heat transfer during independent practice
opportunity to draw diagrams or pictures on the anticipation guide and SOS activity
Extensions:
An extension activity could be to research how elevation affects temperature. A student-driven activity can be found at Exploring Earth: Variations in Temperature.
Suggested Technology: Interactive Whiteboard
Special Materials Needed:
Anticipation guide
Black poster paper and a flashlight
White boards and markers or interactive whiteboard such as Stage or Insight 360 (both on iTunes and Android)
Globe on an axis
Teacher-drawn diagram demonstrating how the Sun's energy travels to Earth and is radiated back to space.
Copy of SOS for each student
Further Recommendations:
This lesson is anticipated to take three 50 minute periods to complete.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Darcy Cleek
Name of Author/Source: Darcy Cleek
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Pasco
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
SC.6.E.7.5:
Description
Explain how energy provided by the sun influences global patterns of atmospheric movement and the temperature
differences between air, water, and land.
Remarks/Examples:
Florida Standards Connections: MAFS.K12.MP.7: Look for and make use of structure.
page 5 of 5