Common Core. Math.MP.2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Ask the students what they know about climate
NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas. MS-ESS2.D – Weather and Climate. Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns.
read about the projections for different regions of the United States.
C3 Framework. Dimension 2. Geography.2.6-8. Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions, and changes in their environmental characteristics.
ask groups to share at least one thing they discovered through their group’s journey
NGSS Crosscutting Concepts. 1 – Patterns. MS. Patterns may be used to identify cause and effect relationships.
Ask groups to present their final exhibits to the class
Common Core. ELA-Literacy. SL.6.4, SL.7.4. Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
Have groups write responses to the following questions in their lab journals or on scrap paper
Common Core. ELA-Literacy. W.6-8.1. Write arguments focused on discipline content.
Invite groups to create posters, maps, or other visual representations to summarize and share their findings
Common Core. ELA-Literacy.SL.6.5. Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
Have groups work together to develop a plan for their exhibit
Common Core. ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
have them use the balance and the graduated cylinder to find the density
Common Core. Math.7.EE.B.4. Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.
If you were to randomly place your finger on a map of the world, with what certainty might you predict the climate of the place you land?
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. 6 – Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions. MS. Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students’ own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe nature operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.