DDN Curriculum Unit Components and Clarification:

 

Unit of Study Title-Influences on Climate

 

 

Topic Area-Geography

 

 

Grade Level -Seventh Grade

 

 

Time Frame- Ten days.

 

 

Key Words:-Climate, Weather, Latitude, Longitude, Tropics, Polar regions, Equator, Meridians, Parallels, Prime Meridian, International Dateline, Time Zones

 

 

Unit Designer Name-Bill Marquardt

 

 

Unit Designer E-mail-Bill Marquardt

 

 

Peer Reviewer Name

 

 

Peer Reviewer E-mail

 

 

Link to SD Content Standards-Social Studies 6-8

 

 

SD Content Standard Indicators

Seventh Grade

  1. use maps, globes, and other geographic tools to analyze the human and physical features in order to recognize the different map projections and explain the concept of distortion; explain the characteristics, purposes, and differences among maps, globes, aerial photographs, geographic models, and satellite images; apply the concepts of scale, orientation, latitude and longitude; create and compare political, physical, and thematic maps (e.g., choropleth maps, cartograms) of countries and regions; and create and interpret charts, graphs, and diagrams.
  2. study the basics of climate in order to understand the physical settings of this region by identifying the factors that influence climate such as latitude, ocean currents, winds and mountains, elevation, and nearness to water.

 

 

SD Content Standard Benchmarks

study the basics of climate in order to understand the physical settings of this region by locating the different climate zones (North and South Temperate zones, the Torrid Zone, and the North and South Frigid zones).

 

Other Content Standards (provide the source and complete standard)

  1. explain how earth/sun relationships shape climate and vegetation patterns; and produce day and night, time zones, seasons, and major climatic variations.
  2. study the basics of climate in order to understand the physical settings of this region by identifying ways in which climate influences people.

 

 

Brief Summary of Unit (Include curriculum and unit goals.)- This unit will focus on the factors that influence a region’s weather and climate.  Much of the unit will involve the study of latitude/longitude and the primary influence on climate (latitude).

 

 

Students will understand? (What enduring understandings are desired?) – Primary and secondary influences on weather and climate, and determining absolute location.

 

 

What essential questions will guide this unit and focus teaching and learning?-Why do we have the weather/climate that we do?   

 

 

What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit? –finding absolute location using latitude/longitude, knowledge of time zones and primary and secondary influences on weather/climate.

 

 

 

 

Assessment Plan – Subjective assessment of oral report, Jeopardy power point and essay portion of the unit test.  Objective assessment of unit test questions, digital curriculum quiz, and latitude/longitude quiz.

 

 

Learning Activities-  Class discussion of  latitude/longitude, equator, tropics, polar and temperate regions, prime meridian, international dateline, time zones, secondary influences on climate, etc.

 Digital Curriculum video on “Weather”, Latitude/longitude activity on “Teacher at Sea” web site, research and oral report on weather disasters, Jeopardy power point prepared by student group, and my power point as a unit review.,

 

Notes

 

 

Internet Resource Link
http://wm001.k12.sd.us/default.htm

 

Peer Reviewer Comments

 

 

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