OpenSciEd Unit 6.3 · Lesson 17 · 17.A
Look for: The low-pressure center moves from west to ea…
From Teacher Edition
Facilitation guidance from the lesson plan — what to notice in student thinking and how to respond while teaching.
Building towards
17.A Analyze data using maps of air pressure recorded over the country at different points in time and forecasts (temporal and spatial relationships) to identify patterns (the movement of low-pressure systems) and the relationship between this (patterns) and the location of fronts and precipitation.
What to look / listen for
Students will record the patterns they notice on Air Pressure Prediction and Map Analysis and include their analysis of data in their first two responses on Explaining Patterns and Predictions in the Forecast. As you check these handouts you should see patterns and responses that include these ideas:
- The low-pressure center moves from west to east over time.
- The movement and location of warm and cold fronts appear to be connected to this low-pressure center.
Precipitation tends to fall along the line of the cold front and warm front and behind the low-pressure center
What to do
If students are struggling with determining which data to assign a particular color on their pressure maps, pair students up to work on producing the first map that they work on together.
Reference the Previously Used Mechanisms poster. Say, Question 3 will ask you to develop an explanation of the patterns you saw in the forecast. When we first explored this forecast we considered whether this set of ideas (reference the Previously Used Mechanisms poster) could explain the related phenomenon associated with it. We also brainstormed additional mechanisms that we thought might be needed to explain it. The investigations we have done since then helped us determine what those are. Use this poster and all the new mechanisms you figured out over the past few lessons when you develop your explanation. Let’s watch the portion of the video you will be explaining one more time before you start your explanation.
Show the video a second time. But this time only show from 0:20 to 1:02 https://youtu.be/NlriliiyWmI
Develop explanations. Give students the remaining time to complete Explaining Patterns and Predictions in the Forecast