OpenSciEd Unit 6.3 · Lesson 15 · 15.A
Look for: Cold and warm air sections on the map shift o…
From Teacher Edition
Facilitation guidance from the lesson plan — what to notice in student thinking and how to respond while teaching.
Building towards
15.A Use graphical displays of temperature, humidity, and radar data to identify temporal and spatial patterns as air masses interact in a large storm system.
What to look / listen for
- Cold and warm air sections on the map shift over time. The cold and warm sections are really big.
- It is colder first in the places north and west, and that cold air shifts to the east later in the storm.
- Humidity seems to get lower when the air gets colder.
- Temperature and humidity are shifting over time during the storm.
What to do
It might be challenging for students to figure out air masses using the raw temperature and humidity data on the maps, but classifying data by color will help them notice shifting patterns as large air masses move across the country during the storm. Prompt students to notice one distinct type of air mass by asking, How would you describe the air in _____(a place on the map)? Is that similar or different than _____(another place)?
Exit ticket. Display slide H. As students finish the gallery walk, pose the question, How do we know where one air mass ends and another begins? Give students a minute to consider this question and jot down their thinking.