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Title
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Mission 3 - Lesson 2: It's Not Just the Heat, It's the Dew Point
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Type
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Primary: Lesson Plan
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Operation
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Monster Storms
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Mission:
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Mission 3: The Chase
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Subjects
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Science
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Grades
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5 | 6 | 7 | 8
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Keywords
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lesson plan, dew point, measuring, temperature, teacher resources
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Duration
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00:00:00 (HH:MM:SS)
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Audience
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Teachers
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Created On
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9/5/2007
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From: Monster Storms Mission 3: The Chase |
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Mission 3 - Lesson 2: It's Not Just the Heat, It's the Dew Point Appreciate the role and adrenaline-pumping experience of Tim Samaras as he uses probes to study tornadoes. Understand the formation and dynamic structure of a thunderstorm. Measure dew point data to determine the impact this temperature has on weather. (Lab 1: It’s Not Just the Heat, It’s the Dew Point) |
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Prepare |
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Time required: 90-120 minutes (depending upon sampling site proximity for data collection)
- Obtain the Mission 3 Briefing Video and test your playback system to insure an uncompromised viewing experience.
- Create a transparency of the Frontal Thunderstorm from the master that appears in the online Mission 3 Teacher Resources.
- Obtain sealable plastic bags that will be used with the Teaching with Inquiry activity.
- Familiarize yourself with the construction and operation of the dew point tool as shown on page 114.
- Obtain a set of classroom materials needed for Lab 1: It’s Not Just the Heat, It’s the Dew Point.
- Make sure all Internet connections are functional and access to the suggested URLs is not blocked by the local server.
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View
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All the transparencies you'll need for Mission 3. |
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Motivate |
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- Poll the class to uncover which students would volunteer to assist Tim in placing probes in the path of tornadoes. Discuss the attraction of adrenalin-pumping experiences.
- Encourage students to share their own experiences with observing thunderstorm formation.
- Probe students’ familiarity and understanding of the term dew point.
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Teach |
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View
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Join Tim Samaras, a scientist and storm chaser, as he uses his specially-equipped truck to gather data from a forming tornado. Learn how he uses special probes to measure wind speed, wind direction, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity within the tornado while making video recordings of the tornado passing over the probe. |
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- Discuss how illustrations are models that help communicate concepts. Supply students with construction materials and have them model thunderstorm formation and dissipation. Have groups of students use their models to communicate this process to classmates.
- Review the role of dew point and dry line in the formation of thunderstorms.
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In this lab activity, students measure dew point, then design an experiment to gather information about the relationship between dew point, air temperature, and weather. |
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To go with Mission 3, Lab 1. |
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You know that dew point is the temperature at which the air is saturated (cannot absorb more water), and that relative humidity is the percentage of how saturated the air is for a measured air temperature. Why would scientists use dew point, rather than relative humidity, to determine where storms might be found? |
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Reflect And Assess |
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- Assess students understanding by evaluating the effectiveness of their models in communicating the stages of thunderstorm formation. If models have not been assembled, challenge the students to show what they know by creating a series of diagrams.
Discuss the students’ responses to the questions posed throughout the lab. Use the answers as supplied within the margin notes as a guide to enriching their understanding of dew point and dry line.
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Follow-up |
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- For homework, have students use a thermometer to measure the temperature found in different locations in their home. Then record this collected data on a floor plan of the rooms surveyed. For an extension, have them complete the Teaching with Inquiry activity on page 51 and present their findings to the class at a later date.
- Review the Teaching with Inquiry section presented on page 53. Have students share their inquiry designs with other classmates.
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