Earth's freshwater and atmosphere
Science - Fifth Grade
Atmosphere and Weather
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What is Weather?
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What is Weather?
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Weather Station
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Earth Inside and Out Interactive Activity
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Landforms Interactive Matching Activity
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Earth's freshwater and atmosphere
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Earth's freshwater and atmosphere
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Earth's freshwater and atmosphere
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Earth's freshwater and atmosphere
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Earth's freshwater and atmosphere
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Earth's freshwater and atmosphere
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Earth’s Freshwater & Atmosphere
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Study Guide Earth's freshwater and atmosphere
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EARTH’S FRESHWATER AND ATMOSPHERE The Rotating Earth Planet Earth (the planet on which we happen to live) spins on an imaginary line called an axis. One spin around on its axis is called a revolution. The Earth orbits around the Sun. The Earth’s axis always points in the same direction (which you can see in the diagram). So the Earth is moving in two ways. It is spinning on its axis, making day and night. And it is rotating around the Sun. One Earth’s spin on it axis, or revolution, completes in 1 day, which is equal to 24 hours. The Earth spins at a pace that causes day and night to happen in only 24 hours. It is day on the parts of Earth that face the Sun and night on the parts of Earth that are facing away from the Sun. One rotation of the Earth through its full orbit around the Sun takes a year. This pace of rotation creates temperatures on Earth that support life (not too hot and not too cold). Lesson Checkpoint: How long does it take the Earth to make one complete rotation? The Earth’s Temperature Changes As the Earth moves on its orbit around the Sun, the areas on Earth closest the Sun receive sunlight and are warmer than those further from the Sun. Of course, as the earth rotates, the areas facing the Sun slowly change, and that means the time of day and the temperatures change. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Look at the diagram below. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere (such as the United States) you can see how close and how far away the United States is from the Sun as the seasons change. Make up of Earth’s Atmosphere The air that surrounds the Earth is known as the Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere absorbs the energy from the Sun which the Earth uses in many ways to provide a planet on which living organisms can survive. The Earth’s atmosphere is mostly made up of nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases. Lesson Checkpoint: What gas is the biggest part of the Earth’s atmosphere? © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Five Layers of Earth’s Atmosphere The atmosphere is divided into five main layers: As you go UP from the Earth’s surface through each layer of the atmosphere, the temperature RISES due to the Sun's energy. As altitude increases the air pressure decreases too. Troposphere The troposphere begins at the Earth's surface and is about 8 to 14.5 kilometers high and is quite dense. Almost all weather occurs in this layer. Stratosphere The stratosphere is just above the troposphere and is about 50 kilometers high. This layer is dry and less dense than the troposphere. The ozone layer is a part of this layer. Mesosphere The mesosphere is just above the stratosphere and is about 85 kilometers high. Thermosphere The thermosphere is just above the mesosphere and is about 600 kilometers high. Temperatures in this region can reach above 1000 C. This layer is known as the upper atmosphere. Exosphere The exosphere begins at the top of the thermosphere and continues until it reaches outer space. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Lesson Checkpoint: In what atmospheric layer does all weather occur? The Ozone Layer The ozone layer absorbs most of the sun's ultraviolet light (known as UV rays), which is a good thing since that kind of light can be EXTREMELY harmful to us on Earth. Lesson Checkpoint: What is the ozone layer? © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Air pollution Air pollution is contamination of the air by smoke from automobiles, factories, etc. and harmful gases. Air pollution is dangerous to us people and to plants and animals too! What are some of the pollutants of our air? Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas. It is a highly poisonous gas and can cause death. This is why many people have carbon monoxide detectors in their homes. Carbon monoxide can come from cars, gas stoves, water heaters, furnaces, and space heaters. Carbon dioxide is also a colorless and odorless gas. You may know of carbon dioxide since it is the gas we breathe out and the gas that plants take in. It is also released into the air when coal, oil, and other natural gases are burned! Vehicles also release carbon dioxide into the air. How do we know how clean the air around us actually is? An Air Quality Index will tell you! This index uses numbers and colors to tell you about the quality of air around you. The lower the number, the healthier the air and GREEN is good!! Water can be polluted too! Where does water pollution come from? Pollution comes from wastes from industries, people dumping contaminants into the ocean, water run off from fields that contain fertilizers and chemicals, untreated sewage drains, and from air pollution. We need water that is NOT polluted. It’s a good thing water is recycled here on Earth!! © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Water, water everywhere: The hydrosphere includes all the water on Earth, 97% of which is salt water (the oceans). Salty water…good for surfing, not for drinking! Salinity is the measure of how salty water is. The Earth contains A LOT of salt water and not so much freshwater. Rivers contain freshwater and where rivers and oceans meet, there is low salinity. Oceans have high salinity! The Water Cycle The water cycle involves evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and water runoff here on Earth. The sun is the main energy supply for the water cycle. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
The Water Cycle Process Evaporation is when a liquid changes into a gas. Evaporation occurs when the sun warms the water on Earth and some of that water changes into water vapor. The water vapor then goes into the air. Transpiration helps the evaporation process. It is when plants give off water vapor through their leaves into the air. Condensation is the changing of a gas back into a liquid. This occurs in the clouds, when the water vapor from Earth becomes condensed into clouds. Precipitation moves the water from the clouds back to Earth. You know the kinds of precipitation: rain, hail, sleet, and snow. Water runoff is the water that flows over the ground, in fields and roads for example, and flows downward towards rivers, lakes, and oceans. Groundwater is water that soaks into the ground, below the Earth’s surface. Lesson Checkpoint: What are the steps to the water cycle process? I have heard of Aqua Man, but what is an Aquifer? An aquifer is a layer of rock and soil which holds groundwater. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Table Of Contents: Atmosphere and Weather
1. Atmosphere Overview
2.1. Composition of the Atmosphere
The layer of gases that surrounds our planet is called the atmosphere. The atmosphere is composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% other gases. Water vapor and tiny particles of dust, smoke and other chemicals are also found in the atmosphere.
2.2. Importance of the Atmosphere
The Earth is unique because it has an atmosphere that can support life. Oxygen and gases in the air are necessary for survival. The atmosphere also traps the sun’s energy to maintain moderate temperatures and forms a protective layer from the sun’s radiation.
2.3. Atmospheric Pressure
The force that atmospheric gases exert on a surface is called air pressure, or atmospheric pressure. This pressure is highest near sea level because gravity pulls the air molecules close to the Earth’s surface. As the altitude increases, the air pressure decreases.
2.4. Air Pollution
Humans add pollutants into the atmosphere every day. Natural sources of air pollution include volcanic ash, pollen and wildfire smoke. Air pollutants can travel great distances and impact environments around the globe.
2. Layers of the Atmosphere
3.1. Five Atmospheric Layers
The atmosphere is composed of five main layers—the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. Each layer has different characteristics.
3.2. Troposphere
We live in the troposphere. This is the densest layer, containing gas, water vapor, pollution and most weather elements. As altitude increases in the troposphere, the temperature gets colder.
3.3. Stratosphere
The stratosphere is above the troposphere. Higher altitudes of the stratosphere are warmer because they are heated by the sun’s radiation. The ozone layer that filters harmful ultraviolet radiation is found in the stratosphere.
3.4. Mesosphere
The mesosphere is the coldest layer of atmosphere, with some temperatures as low as minus 100 degrees Celsius. Meteoroids burn up in this layer and leave behind trails of glowing gases known as shooting stars.
3.5. Thermosphere
The thermosphere is located in the upper atmosphere, and the temperature gets warmer as the altitude increases. Air particles in this layer are not dense, but they move very quickly. The ionosphere is a part of the thermosphere that contains charged gas particles that create natural light displays called auroras.
3.6. Exosphere
The exosphere is the outermost layer of the atmosphere. Only very light gases, like hydrogen, helium and individual oxygen molecules are found here.
3. Pause and Interact
4.1. Review
Use the whiteboard tools to complete the activity.
4. Weather
5.1. What is Weather?
The condition of the atmosphere at a specific time in a specific place is known as the weather. The weather includes and is affected by temperature, wind, water and air pressure.
5.2. Weather and the Sun
Weather is driven by the energy from the sun. Energy reaches the Earth as electromagnetic radiation. Molecules in the atmosphere and on the Earth absorb this radiation and begin to vibrate, creating heat energy.
5.3. Global Winds
Global winds are created by the differences in temperature and air pressure between the poles and the equator. The curved direction of these winds is caused by the Earth’s rotation and is called the Coriolis effect.
5.4. Water Cycle
The water cycle is the movement of water from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back. The sun’s energy heats water, causing it to evaporate and form water vapor. When water vapor accumulates, clouds will form. Eventually water precipitates out of the clouds and falls back to Earth.
5.5. Humidity
The amount of water vapor in the air is called humidity. Relative humidity is the percentage of water vapor in the air as compared to the maximum possible humidity at a certain temperature. The dew point is the temperature at which the water vapor will condense to form water droplets or ice crystals.
5. Clouds and Precipitation
6.1. Cloud Formation
Clouds form when water vapor condenses and droplets of water or ice crystals accumulate in the atmosphere. Clouds are categorized by their shape and altitude. The three main types of clouds are cirrus, stratus, and cumulus. Each cloud type is associated with different weather.
6.2. Three Main Types of Clouds
Cirrus clouds are thin, wispy clouds that form at high altitudes and are composed of ice crystals. Stratus clouds form in layers that spread across the sky and often bring continuous rain or snow. Cumulus clouds are large, puffy clouds that are typical of fair weather.
6.3. Other Types of Clouds
A cumulonimbus cloud is a very large cumulus cloud that is responsible for thunderstorms and extreme weather. Altocumulus and altostratus clouds form in the middle of the atmosphere, above 6,000 feet. Stratus clouds that form close to the ground are called fog.
6.4. What is Precipitation?
Precipitation is water that has condensed in the atmosphere and falls to the Earth. Rain, sleet, snow and hail are different forms of precipitation. The type that falls depends on the temperature.
6.5. Rain, Sleet, Snow and Hail
Rain typically falls from stratus clouds in the form of a drizzle or mist. Sleet is a mixture of water and ice, while snow is basically water that has crystallized. Hail forms during a thunderstorm when water droplets move through a cycle of rising, freezing and falling inside a cumulonimbus cloud.
6. Weather Patterns
7.1. Air Masses
Air masses are large bodies of air that have similar temperatures and water content throughout. Air masses and their movements determine the regional weather.
7.2. Types of Air Masses
Air masses are named and characterized by the regions where they come from—arctic, polar or tropical. Continental air masses are typically dry and originate over continents. Maritime air masses are wet and originate over oceans.
7.3. Movement of Air Masses
In the United States, wind belts called the westerlies move air masses from west to east. When air masses move and interact with each other, the weather changes. Warm air is less dense, and it will rise when it meets cooler air.
7.4. Cold and Warm Fronts
A weather front is the boundary where two different air masses meet. A cold front occurs when a cold air mass runs into a warm air mass and creates clouds, rain and storms. A warm front occurs when warm air moves into a cold region, causing drizzly rain or light snow and an increase in the humidity.
7.5. Stationary and Occluded Fronts
A stationary front forms when two different air masses meet and show little movement. This can cause several days of precipitation. An occluded front occurs when a warm air mass is caught between two cold air masses. The warm air that moves upward is cut off from the ground and may form clouds.
7. Pause and Interact
8.1. Review
Use the whiteboard tools to complete the activity.
8.2. Cloud Types
Click on the Terms button. Then click and drag each term to the correct box. Use the reset button to clear the terms and start over. Use the gear button to customize the draggable terms.
8. Severe Weather
9.1. Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms are small high-energy weather systems that create heavy rain, wind and lightning. These storms form when rapidly rising warm air condenses into an electrically charged cumulonimbus cloud. Lightning occurs when electricity is discharged from the cloud.
9.2. Tornadoes
Tornadoes are funnels of high-speed, rotating winds that often develop in cumulonimbus clouds. Tornadoes form when there is a drastic change in wind direction with increasing altitude.Tornado alley is a region in the central United States that has a high frequency of tornadoes.
9.3. Hurricanes
A hurricane is a large, tropical rotating weather system. A hurricane forms when winds moving in different directions collide over warm ocean water. As long as a hurricane is over open water, it has the potential to grow in strength.
9.4. Winter Storms
Winter weather occurs when moisture-rich air masses encounter cold, polar air masses. A snow belt exists in the northern United States along the Great Lakes, where warm water vapor mixes with cold air masses and creates lake-effect snow.
9. Pause and Interact
10.1. Types of Severe Weather
Follow the onscreen instructions.
10. Predicting Weather
11.1. Forecasting the Weather
Meteorologists are scientists who study and predict weather. They use charts, images, computers and weather instrument data to prepare weather forecasts. In the United States, most weather information comes from the National Weather Service.
11.2. Weather Technology
Advances in technology have improved the accuracy of weather forecasting. Doppler radar allows meteorologists to track the location, movement and intensity of precipitation in a region. Weather balloons and satellites provide large amounts of information that is quickly processed by sophisticated computers.
11.3. Weather Maps
Meteorologists use symbols on maps to indicate weather fronts, air pressure, precipitation, and more. Fronts are indicated with a line that has a triangle or half circle pattern. Areas of equal atmospheric pressure are shown using isobar lines and the symbol H or L.
11. Vocabulary Review
12.1. Atomsphere and Weather Vocabulary Matching
Meteorologists are scientists who study and predict weather. They use charts, images, computers and weather instrument data to prepare weather forecasts. In the United States, most weather information comes from the National Weather Service.
12. Virtual Investigation
13.1. Weather Forecasting
In this virtual investigation you will collect weather information, write a weather report and make a weather forecast. To gather weather data, you will explore and read instruments found at a weather station. Observations of the sky and cloud types will also be used as predictors of the weather.
13. Assessment
14.1. Atmosphere and Weather
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