Lesson Plan for Week of September 6-10
7th Grade Science

2010 Benchmark:   1(ad) – Design and conduct a scientific investigation utilizing appropriate process skills and technology.   4c – Describe the causes and effects of heat transfer as it relates to the circulation of ocean currents, atmospheric movement, and global wind patterns (DOK2).  4h – Predict weather events by analyzing clouds, weather maps, satellites, and various data (DOK3).

Tuesday

1.	Bellwork:  Question from MST Sample Test

2.	Vocab “Air mass” - step 5 – Write a paragraph explaining what type of air mass has the greatest affect on weather in Mississippi.  Support your answer.

3.	Vocab “Front” - step 5 – View a series of weather maps (flipchart) and predict what kind of weather Mississippi and other geographic locations will experience based on location of fronts.

4.	Discuss different types of symbols used on weather maps including isobars and isotherms.   (Glencoe p. 135)

5.	Working in groups, students will be given several different types of weather maps and asked to answer questions based on the information on each map.

6.	HW:  Cloud Journal – Due Wednesday

Wednesday

1.	Bellwork:  Question from MST Sample Test

2.	Take up cloud journals for grading.

3.	Record weather observations for the day as a class.  Discuss possible weather predictions based on data so far.  Compare to www.weather.com. 

4.	Vocab Lesson – Trade Winds – Intro, define, draw

5.	Discuss the origin and movement of local and global winds (global wind patterns, trade winds and the jet stream pp) 103-107.  Use of video from Learn 360 – Winds on Earth.

6.	Vocab Lesson – Jet Stream – Intro, define, draw

Thursday

1.	Bellwork:  Question from MST Sample Test

2.	Lab:  Making Clouds

3.	Vocab – Trade Winds step 5 – Discuss how airline pilots might use the trade winds to their advantage.

4.	Vocab – Jet Stream step 5 – View video clip on Great Flood of 1993.  Discuss the impact the jet stream had on this time period.

Friday

1.	Bellwork:  Question from MST Sample Test 

2.	Discuss how oceans stabilize Earth's temperatures.  Discuss ocean currents that affect our weather (gulf stream, California stream, Peru stream & El Nino).  p. 149-150, pp 157-159  

3.	Discuss the effect of thunderstorms on temperature.  Analyze data to determine when a thunderstorm most likely past through an area.

4.	Record weather observations for the day as a class.  Discuss possible weather predictions based on data so far.  Compare to www.weather.com.