Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 46069
Jet Stream and Weather
In this lesson, students will determine the definition of Jet Stream. Students will view four videos that show how changes in the jet stream impacted
weather in US History. This lesson is not intended as an initial introduction to these standards, but an engaging way to explore the concepts.
Subject(s): English Language Arts, Science
Grade Level(s): 6
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter,
Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD
Projector, Overhead Projector
Instructional Time: 40 Minute(s)
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: jet stream, weather, drought, la nina
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
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 define that the jet stream is moving air high in the atmosphere.
Students will describe how the jet stream has impacted weather.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Prior knowledge benchmark:
SC.5.E.7.3 : Recognize how air temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, and precipitation determine the weather in a particular place
and time.
Students should also have had practice pulling relevant information from a text and/or video to support research and personal reflections.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
These are questions to present to the class to see what they know and set up the topic. While there may be some discussion, students will discover the answers to
these questions when the read the live science article.
1. What is the jet stream? The jet stream is a moving mass of air high above the atmosphere. It pushes air masses around the planet and can affect weather and
climate.
2. Where can we find the jet stream? The jet stream is high above the atmosphere-(30,000 feet).
3. Can the jet stream affect weather? Yes. Usually the jet stream is moving and weather moves with it. If the jet stream is not moving, areas could suffer with a
certain kind of weather for a long period of time.
Videos from 1-4 show how the change in the jet stream affected the weather.
page 1 of 4 Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
1. Provide students with article about Jet Stream to discuss its definition. (The article can be viewed and discussed as a class or distributed to students. If you open
article in Safari, you can click reader button in the address bar and you will get a clean copy of the article without ads.)
2. What is the Jet Stream http://www.livescience.com/27825-jet-stream.html
Free Safari download http://support.apple.com/downloads/#internet
3. Students will find evidence in the live science article to define jet stream and answer other related questions in the Jet Stream Worksheet (attached). Questions can
be answered on the worksheet or students can write questions in their science journals and answer them there. It will be easier for the teacher to provide a
worksheet that can be collected to measure student's ability to find evidence in the text.
4. As students will be doing writing during the video, consider using a numbering or highlighting activity for students to answer the questions without having to write.
For example, students can put a #1 by all sentences that are supporting evidence for question #1. Same for 2,3,4,5 and 6. Students can also use a given color key
to use highlighters to highlight evidence. See accommodations section.
Jet_Stream_Student_Worksheet.docx
Jet Stream Student Worksheet - Answer Key
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
TEACHER NOTE: Go to PBS Learning to create a free account so that you have access to all videos: PBS Registration Link
1. Students will view four videos. All videos are located in PBS Learning. See note above. Each video represents a different year and talks about how the jet stream
impacted weather. The length of the video and the year discussed is given after the title. The videos are listed in sequential order by year. Total video time is about
12 minutes.
2. The teacher can show each video, allow time for discussion, allow time for students to respond on their Student Response Sheets.
1. Jet Stream-Student Response Answers.docx
2. Jet_Stream-Student_Response.docx
Then follow with the next video. Or the teacher can show all the videos and have students respond at the end.
1. The Effects of Jet Stream on Climate - Length: 2:03 Year: 1930
2. The Great Flood of 1993 - Length: 3:37 Year: 1993
3. La Nina and Tornado Outbreaks - Length: 2:24 Year: 2010
4. Sandy and climate change - Length: 3:12 Year: 2012
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
1. Students will view videos and complete student response form.
2. Form available in the teaching phase section of the lesson.
3. Before showing videos, teacher can distribute the form and tell students that after each video they will have time to respond to what they heard in the space
provided. After each video, the teacher says, "Now take about five minutes and respond to the question on your response form related to the video
we just watched."
4. For clarification, teacher should state which video they just watched. "We just watched video #1 please respond in the area under video #1."
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
1. Student response form integrates all the information students reviewed through the lesson.
2. Provide students with an open ended question and allow discussion for students to answer.
3. Students can work independently or in groups and can share answers with the class.
Example: "Should we study the effects of Jet Stream and it's connection to storms and damage? Why or why not?
Possible Responses: No: we should not study the jet stream and it's history because we cannot control the jet stream or the storms. Yes: Even though we
cannot control the jet stream, knowing what it is doing and how it may impact weather could help people prepare for storms and possible damage. Maybe
crops could be picked before drought or flooding. People could prepare for anticipated weather.
Summative Assessment
1. The teacher will collect specific feedback on their student's level of understanding (as done in the formative assessment section) so responses can be counted and
compared before and after the lesson.
2. Students revisit their science journals and rate themselves again explaining why their rating stayed the same or changed.
3. Students complete Post Assessment section of the assessment form (attached) to describe jet stream and how it can affect weather.
Assessment Form
Formative Assessment
Provide a topic and students will indicate their level of understanding.
Topic: Jet Stream Levels of Understanding
1. I have never heard of it before.
2. I have heard of it but do not know what it means.
3. I have heard of it and I think I know what it means.
4. I have heard of it and I know what it means.
Personal Reflection: Tell students that they are going to rate themselves on their level of understanding about jet streams. In their science notebook, they will
rate themselves as a 1,2,3,or 4 and explain why they gave themselves that rating. Then the teacher can choose how to gather information visually by choosing one
of the options below. Responses can be gathered in many ways.
Two suggestions:
General Feedback: Students can hold up 1,2,3 or 4 fingers to indicate their level of understanding. The teacher scans responses to get a general idea of
student understanding.
Specific Feedback: (preferred - you can compare results after lesson) Create an area on the board, a poster or even four 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper. Label the
board or poster with sections 1,2,3,4. If using 8.5 x 11 paper, label one sheet with the number 1, and the others 2,3,4. Students can place a small colored dot
with marker, colored dots/stars from the store, or a small post it in the area they choose.
Whichever strategy you choose to use with your students save the results to refer to later. You can do this activity at the end of the lesson as well and see if there is
page 2 of 4 a difference in student understand (the hope would be there is, of course). This activity is great for initiating student discussion. Usually ones and twos will move to
threes and fours by the end of the lesson. This is very rewarding for students and teachers and non-threatening for students to be honest about their level of
understanding. At the end of the lesson, students should be directed to go back to their science journal and rate themselves again. They should also indicate why
their rating stayed the same or changed. Students complete Pre-Assessment section of the assessment form (attached) to describe jet stream and how it can affect
weather. Forms should then be collected. They will fill out the second part after all the lessons are completed.
Assessment Form
Feedback to Students
If using general feedback option, the teacher can address the class as follows, "It looks like a lot of students chose level 2-they have heard of it but don't
know what it means. We also had a few threes and fours. After we view information today, I am hoping we will increase our threes and fours."
If using specific feedback. The teacher can count students in each area and even post it. "I see we have ten on level 1, 5 on level 2 four on level 3, and only
one on level 4".
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
Depending on resources and learning styles-students can view videos and respond independently or in a group at their own computer station.
Some groups may be ready for viewing all videos and responding.
Other groups may need to respond after each video.
Response forms can be used as a guideline and not as a written assignment.
Jet Stream worksheet can be done without students writing answers-students can label sentences 1,2,3,4,5,6-on their article to show the evidence that answers a
question.
The teacher could have 6 groups-each is assigned one question. Each group has a highlighter-the group finds the answer and highlights everything that is evidence
for the question they were given, then each group shares with the class.
Students can use 6 different colored highlighters, crayons, or pens to underline evidence to answer the questions.
NOTE: The teacher will have to specify and make sure colors are available and provide a visible key.
For example: on the board write the numbers 1-6 and a color next to each so each group knows which color to highlight with.
Extensions:
Students could create "if then" statements using their notes from the videos and connecting back to their notes.
Example: If the jet stream stalls in one place then the same weather would stay for a long period of time. (flood of 1993)
Using a US Map, students can draw a sample of a jet stream and label how it would affect the weather in the area they live or another area. Here is a link to a U.S.
Map: http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/usphys.pdf
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD Projector, Overhead Projector
Special Materials Needed:
Teacher needs to create free account at pbs learning for video access http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/
For pre-activity-poster or sheets of paper and colored dots, markers, or post its for students to rate their level of understanding
Live Science Article available on overhead/projector for discussion or printed for students
Copies of response sheet prepared before class
Copies of Jet Stream Worksheet
Highlighters, crayons, colored pens if using highlighting activity with jet stream activity
Further Recommendations:
Preview all videos to decide how to implement response sheet.
Depending on students abilities the teacher can decide on additional directions needed.
Depending on time available, student needs, the teacher can decide how to instruct students to complete the jet stream worksheet.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
TEACHER NOTE: Be sure to queue videos past advertisement or download prior to the lesson.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Debra Fillingim
Name of Author/Source: Debra Fillingim
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Brevard
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
Description
page 3 of 4 Describe how global patterns such as the jet stream and ocean currents influence local weather in measurable terms
such as temperature, air pressure, wind direction and speed, and humidity and precipitation.
SC.6.E.7.3:
Remarks/Examples:
Florida Standards Connections: MAFS.K12.MP.5: Use appropriate tools strategically MAFS.K12.MP.6: Attend to
precision and, MAFS.K12.MP.7: Look for and make use of structure.
LAFS.68.WHST.3.9:
Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
page 4 of 4