Third Grade Math and Science DBQ Weather and Climate/Representing and Interpreting Charts and Data A document based question (DBQ) is an authentic assessment where students interact with content related texts. Much like a DBQ in social studies, students analyze documents, gather information, and fill in short scaffolded responses. Then students assimilate and synthesize the information from the documents, and write to an overarching prompt, by using information from the documents as well as integrating background knowledge they may have brought to the topic. In this math and science version of a DBQ, the documents include text, visual models, diagrams, illustrations, videos, etc., all examples of resources a scientist or mathematician might use in research and/or in the field. This DBQ is aligned with the third grade NGSS standard 3-ESS2-1 (Weather and Climate) as well as the third grade Common Core Math Standard 3.MD.B.3 (data). It is meant to accompany an integrated unit focusing on these standards. This DBQ can replace or support EnVision Math, 3 rd Grade, Topic 7 if desired. Notes for each math lesson are included throughout. With prompting and support, the students will review the series of documents to write to a final prompt. Helpful vocabulary: meteorologist graph table chart data predict/predictions forecast communicate weather climate precipitation pattern pictograph bar graph compare typical gather represent interpret analyze conjecture Culminating Task: How do meteorologists gather and use data to predict future weather and communicate their forecasts to the public? Use at least four of the vocabulary words. Use evidence and/or knowledge gained from each document. Use your background knowledge about this topic. Developed by Jillian Welch, Kate Smith Elementary School, 2018
Math and Science DBQ Weather and Climate/Representing and Interpreting Charts and Data Name: Helpful vocabulary: meteorologist graph table chart data predict/predictions forecast communicate weather climate precipitation pattern pictograph bar graph compare typical gather represent interpret analyze conjecture Culminating Task: How do meteorologists gather and use data to predict future weather and communicate their forecasts to the public? Use at least four of the vocabulary words. Use evidence and/or knowledge gained from each document. Use your background knowledge about this topic. Developed by Jillian Welch, Kate Smith Elementary School, 2018
Document A What Causes Weather? Weather and climate are different. Weather is a day-to-day description of the air in an area measured by temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, and other factors. In other words, weather is what you see and find every day whereas climate is an average of that weather. There are many types of weather phenomena such as rain, snow, heat, tornado, hurricane, etc. 1. All weather happens in the lower level of the Earth s atmosphere. 2. Because the Earth is round and not flat, the Sun s rays don t fall evenly on the land and oceans. The sun shines more directly near the equator, bringing these areas more warmth. 3. Daily changes in the weather are due to winds and storms which is movement of warm and cold air from place to place. 4. Seasonal changes are due to the Earth revolving around the Sun. The interaction between the Earth s air, water, land, and the sun cause the changes to weather. What Causes Climate? Climate is usually defined as the weather conditions in an area over a long period of time and is the average of the conditions of that area. Climate is determined by one or more of the five causes of climate: latitude, elevation, ocean/wind currents, closeness to large bodies of water, and terrain. There are 12 different types of climate found on Earth. Climates in the same category share characteristics and usually are found in the same area. 1. Latitude: how close a place is to the equator - usually the closer it is to the equator, the warmer it is 2. Elevation: how high the land is above sea level - usually the higher the elevation, the cooler it is 3. Ocean/Wind Currents: hot water and air rises, cool water and air sinks - this creates currents that move heat around our planet 4. Closeness to large bodies of water: this can increase precipitation and affect the temperature depending on where the water is and how big it is 5. Terrain: mountains can change how much rain or sun you get, the north side of a mountain usually has a different climate than the south side Climates change over time, usually the change is very slow, and many different factors cause climates to shift and change. What is a Meteorologist? A meteorologist is a scientist who uses scientific principles to explain, understand, observe, or forecast the earth's atmospheric phenomena. Meteorologists look at long-term weather patterns and data to help predict future climate trends and past climate data. Meteorologists also develop and use new instruments and tools with computers and mathematical methods in order to forecast the weather. Forecast: to predict or estimate a future event or trend (verb) a prediction or estimate of future events (verb) to happen in the future (noun) a conjectured estimate of a future event (noun)
1. Compare the terms weather and climate. What do they have in common? What differences do they have? Make brief notes in each section. Similarities: Weather Climate
Document B Reno, NV - 10 Day Forecast 1. Name at least 3 facts about the information in the graph.
2. What patterns do you see in the data? 3. Is this chart representing weather or climate data? Explain your thinking based on Document A. 4. How do meteorologists decide what the weather forecast will be? 5. Based on this forecast, what would you predict the weather to be for the following 10 days?
Document C 1. Name at least 3 facts about the information in the graph. Make brief notes. 2. Which month received the most number of days with precipitation? 3. What month received the least number of days with precipitation? 4. What is the difference in days with precipitation between the most number of days and least number of days?
5. Which months have the same number of days with precipitation? Based on your knowledge of climate, why do these months have the same number of days with precipitation? 6. What patterns do you see in this data? Make brief notes. 7. Predict the amount of precipitation for November. 8. Is this graph representing weather or climate data? Explain your thinking based on Document A.
Document D Average Snowfall in Reno, Nevada Months November December January February March April Inches of 3 5 10 5 2 1 snowfall Use the data table and the key to create a pictograph of the average number of inches of snowfall in Reno. In your pictograph, you may use whole and half pictures for each inch of snowfall. Create a bar graph based on the data given. 10 8 6 4 2
1. Make 3 statements about the information in the graphs. 2. What patterns do you see in the data? 3. Predict the snowfall for May. 4. Are these graphs representing weather or climate data? Explain your thinking based on Document A.
Document E 1. The pictograph shows the number of hours of sunshine for each month. Complete the table to show how many hours of sunshine there are for each month. Average Hours of Sunshine in Reno Months Hours of Sunshine November December January February March April 2. Which 2 months, when added together, equal the same amount of sunshine as the total in April? Write the names of the months as well as the number equation (sentence).
3. Compare the number of hours of sunshine. Solve for the number of hours in May, June, July, and August. a. There are 40 more hours of sunshine in May than in April. b. There are 110 more hours of sunshine in June than in March. c. There are 220 fewer hours of sunshine in January than in July. d. There are 200 fewer hours of sunshine in February than in August. 4. Use your answers from question 3 to complete the table to show how many hours of sunshine are in May, June, July, and August. Average Hours of Sunshine in Reno Months Hours of Sunshine May June July August 5. Use the data table from question 4 to complete the bar graph.
6. What patterns do you see in the data? 7. Is this graph representing weather or climate data? Explain your thinking based on Document A.
City 1 Document F Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Average High (Fahrenheit) 46 51 58 64 74 83 92 91 82 69 55 46 Average Low (Fahrenheit) 25 29 33 38 46 52 58 56 49 39 31 25 Average Precipitation (inches) 1.02 1.02 0.75 0.47 0.47 0.51 0.2 0.24 0.35 0.51 0.83 1.02 Number of Days with Precipitation 6 6 6 4 5 3 3 2 2 3 4 6 1. What patterns do you notice for this city? City 2 Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Average High (Fahrenheit) 80 80 81 83 85 87 88 89 89 87 84 81 Average Low (Fahrenheit) 66 66 68 69 71 73 74 75 74 73 71 68 Average Precipitation (inches) 2.32 2.01 2.01 0.63 0.63 0.28 0.51 0.55 0.71 1.85 2.4 3.23 Number of Days with Precipitation 14 11 13 12 11 12 14 13 13 13 13 15 2. What patterns do you notice for this city?
City 3 Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Average High (Fahrenheit) 23 27 34 44 56 63 65 64 55 40 28 25 Average Low (Fahrenheit) 11 14 19 29 40 48 52 50 42 29 17 13 Average Precipitation (inches) 0.75 0.71 0.59 0.47 0.71 0.98 1.81 3.27 2.99 2.05 1.14 1.1 Number of Days with Precipitation 7 6 7 4 5 7 11 15 15 11 8 7 3. What patterns do you notice for this city? 4. Which months show seasonal weather patterns? 5. How was the weather the same or different in each of the three cities? For example, which location seemed the warmest? Coldest?
6. Which climate zone is each city located in? City 1: City 2: City 3: 7. Can you think of any reasons why the weather is similar or different to each other?
8. In February, which city would you want to vacation in? Why? 9. Are these tables representing weather or climate data? Explain your thinking based on Document A.
Document G Meteorologist presentation: How do meteorologists gather and use data to predict future weather and communicate their forecasts to the public? DATA PREDICT COMMUNICATE
Name: Culminating Task: How do meteorologists gather and use data to predict future weather and communicate their forecasts to the public? Use evidence and/or knowledge gained from each document. After a piece of evidence from a document, put the document letter in parentheses. For example, Meteorologists study the weather carefully to determine climate information (Doc. A). Correctly use at least four of the vocabulary terms. meteorologist communicate compare graph table chart data predict/prediction forecast weather climate precipitation pattern pictograph bar graph typical gather represent interpret analyze conjecture