Unit Overview
Will there be more frequent and more intense severe storms in the future?
In this unit, students figure out the processes that cause weather phenomena, and they make qualitative claims about how climate change can affect storm frequency and intensity. To do this, they use a variety of physical and computer models related to these weather phenomena to explore the cause and effect relationships among variables such as temperature, water vapor, and air pressure; analyze and interpret national and global weather and climate data to find spatial and temporal patterns; construct explanations about what causes these types of storms; and engage in argument based on evidence from models and the data about what might happen in the future.
Performance Expectations:
HS-ESS1-7, HS-ESS2-8, HS-ESS3-5
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Unit Storyline
Unit Opening
Moon Phases and Tides (Optional)
Blizzards
The Paths of Severe Storms
Hurricanes
Unit Closing
Will there be more frequent and more intense severe storms in the future?
What is air like in the atmosphere? Is it the same everywhere in the atmosphere?
How do severe winter storms form? What causes wind and precipitation?
Why do all the storms we see move in the same way? Where are they coming from, and why are they going in that direction?
How do hurricanes form? Why do hurricanes exhibit patterns in the time of year they occur?
How do hurricanes form? Why do hurricanes exhibit patterns in the time of year they occur?
In addition to the unit Performance Task, this unit includes a mid-unit formative task designed to serve as individual assessments that are part of a broader assessment system. Request access to these assessments or learn more about our assessment system using the buttons below.
Essential Documents
A collection of printable materials required for activities, rubrics, and work samples for the unit.