ESS2: Earth’s Systems
How and why is Earth constantly changing?

ESS2.D. Weather and Climate: What regulates weather and climate?

Learning goals by the end of grade 5: Weather is the minute-by-minute to day-by-day variation of the atmosphere’s condition on a local scale. Scientists record the patterns of the weather across different times and areas so that they can make predictions about what kind of weather might happen next. Climate describes the ranges of an area’s typical weather conditions and the extent to which those conditions vary over years to centuries.

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
How do Earth’s surface processes and human activities affect each other?

ESS3.B. Natural Hazards: How do natural hazards affect individuals and societies?

Learning goals by the end of grade 5: A variety of hazards result from natural processes (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, severe weather, floods, coastal erosion). Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts.

Ocean Literacy Principles

Principle 1: The Earth has one big ocean with many features.

Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concept: The ocean is an integral part of the water cycle and is connected to all of Earth’s water reservoirs via evaporation and precipitation processes. (OLP1f)

Principle 3: The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate.

Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concept: The interaction of oceanic and atmospheric processes controls weather and climate by dominating the Earth’s energy, water, and carbon systems. (OLP3a)

Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concept: Condensation of water that evaporated from warm seas provides the energy for hurricanes and cyclones. Most rain that falls on land originally evaporated from the tropical ocean. (OLP3d)

These concepts will be explored in this unit through the following activities and investigations: