p. 87 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Objective: I will identify the components and
importance of the atmosphere.
Use words and illustrations to brainstorm
words associated with air or the atmosphere.
Glue the data table below. Get a pair of goggles.
p. 88 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Components & Importance of the Atmosphere
Atmosphere—The blanket of gases that surrounds Earth
Weather --is the daily condition of the Earth’s atmosphere in one place at one
time
deals with exact measurements
Composition
a. 78% Nitrogen
b. 21% Oxygen
1. Ozone—3 oxygen atoms
2. Released by plant photosynthesis
c. Carbon dioxide & other fuels
1. Burning fossil fuels increases CO2 in the air
d. Water vapor
1. varies greatly and it is an important weather factor.
e. particles
Importance of Earth’s atmosphere:
1. Traps energy from the sun and warms Earth
2. Heat allows water to be in liquid form
3. Protects living things from radiation
4. Prevents surface from being hit by most meteoroids.
p. 89 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Objective: I will identify layers of the
atmosphere.
Watch a video clip on the atmosphere. List
and describe a layer of the atmosphere.
Create a mnemonic to help you remember the
order of the layers of the atmosphere.
p. 91 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Objective: I will identify properties of air.
Properties of Air mini-labs
Activity Observations
1. Balloon in flask
2. Balloon and straw in flask
Look at a barometer. Draw and label what it
looks like. Fill in the data chart for the rest of
the week. Air pressure
Date and Time inches of Hg millibars Weather conditions
1.
2.
3.
p. 92 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Three Properties of Air p 516-520 Discovery DVD viewing:
1. Mass (amount of matter)
2. Density—amount of mass in a given volume
1. Air is denser at lower altitudes
3. Air pressure—weight of volume of air pushing down.
1. Pushes in all directions
2. Air pressure is greater at lower altitudes
3. Measured with a barometer in units:
inches of mercury or millibars
Air pressure decreases as altitude increases.
As air pressure decreases, so does density.
Higher air pressure gives fair, dry weather
Lower pressure indicates cloudy, rainy weather
p. 93 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Objective: I will identify how heat is transferred in Earth’s atmosphere.
Watch the brainpop on heat and temperature. Record one fact from
each video.
1.
2.
Read pages 550-551 in your textbook. Illustrate and explain how
Earth’s atmosphere is heated.
p. 94 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Heat in the atmosphere p. 550
Temperature—average amount of energy of motion of each particle of a
substance.
Heat—transfer of thermal energy from a hotter object to a cooler one.
• Radiation -A way in which energy is transferred from place to place in the form of a wave. • Process by which energy travels across space.
• Convection - The movement heat by currents in liquids or gases. • The process of heat transfer through fluids by means of rising currents.
• Conduction - The transfer of heat energy through a substance or from one substance to another by direct contact
Convection currents—upward movement of warm air and downward movement
of cool air
p. 95 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Objective: I will identify what causes wind.
Record today’s weather. Be sure to include temperature, barometric
pressure, wind speed, and wind direction.
Draw a diagram labeling the global winds and their position on Earth.
Describe each wind.
p. 96 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Winds p 552-558
Wind—horizontal movement of air from area of high pressure to area of low pressure.
Caused by:
differences in air pressure due to the unequal heating of the Earth’s surface!
Winds form when the sinking, colder air moves in to fill in the gaps left by the
rising warmer air
Measured with: anemometer or wind meter (speed) and a wind vane (direction)
Types:
1. Local breezes
Sea breeze—wind comes in from sea to land during the day
Landbreeze—wind moves from land to sea @ night
2. Global winds
• Created by giant convection currents
1. Warm air rises from Equator 3. Cold air sinks from poles
2. Air moves to poles 4. Air moves to Equator
Coriolis Effect —Earth’s rotation deflects air from N-S to E-W
• In the N. Hemisphere, winds curve to the right
• In the S. Hemisphere, winds curve to the left
p. 97 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Objective: I will identify how moisture affects the atmosphere.
Record the weather. Include temperature, barometric
pressure, wind speed, and wind direction.
Date dry bulb temp wet bulb temp difference dew point relative humidity
Use a psychrometer to measure relative humidity. Illustrate it
below, label the parts, and describe how it is used to determine
relative humidity.
p. 98 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Moisture in the Atmosphere
Water cycle—movement of water between atmosphere & surface
Evaporation Condensation Precipitation Runoff
Humidity-- amount of water molecules in the air
Warmer air holds more water molecules
Colder air holds less water molecules
Relative humidity --amount of water air is holding at a certain temperature compared
to what it could possibly hold at that temperature
It is measured by a percentage (%)
TOOL: PSYCHROMETER
CLOUD types
p. 99 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Objective: I will identify 4 types of fronts and how they form.
Use weather underground to report the weather. Use at least 6 pieces of
data.
Use page 583 in your textbook to draw and explain an
example of a stationary and an occluded front.
p. 101 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Objective: I will track and predict severe weather.
Watch video from jason .org. Record four
interesting facts about hurricanes.
1
2
3
4 What would you tell people who live along the coast
(or inland) where a hurricane is approaching?
What do you think cities should do before the storm to
help protect their citizens?
p. 102 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Hurricane Notes
Hurricane—tropical cyclone with winds over 119 km per hour or more.
Formation:
Tropical depression/disturbance Tropical Storm Hurricane
1. Low pressure area forms over warm ocean water (28 C or
higher)
2. Hot, humid air rises forming clouds.
3. Winds spiral inward around lowest pressure area; the lower
the pressure, the faster the winds blow Anatomy:
Eye --- quiet, clear, calm
Eyewall --- surrrounds eye; heavy wind and rain
Hurricanes destroyed by:
• High wind sheer
• Movement over cooler, less moist air
• Movement over land
p. 103 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Objective: I will identify factors that influence climate.
Discuss which location, A or B, is receiving direct or
indirect sunlight. Explain how this sunlight affects
Earth at each location.
Follow the directions to create your own imaginary continent.
Complete the chart when you are finished.
Earth in Space #4
R. Bryant 2008 WSMS – Based on “Science Starters” by T. Trimpe at http://sciencespot.net
p. 104 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Factors that influence climate p 614-621
Climate—the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature,
precipitation, winds, and clouds in an area.
Temperature Precipitation
Factors Factors
1. Latitude: tropical, temperate, polar 1. prevailing winds: winds that
2. Altitude: higher = cooler move over water will
3. Distance closer = makes temp less have more water vapor
from water extreme 2. Mt. ranges: rain falls on
4. Ocean either cools or warms areas windsward side of mountain; little
currents based upon temp of current rain falls on leeward side of mt.
3. Seasonal winds: monsoon winds
created when humid sea breeze
continuously blows inland over
long period of time.
p. 103 Atmosphere and Weather 8th Grade ISN
Objective: I will identify factors that create storms.
Imagine a storm. Describe what you would see, hear, and feel.
Use in your textbook. Describe how tornadoes and blizzards form.
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