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I. Unit 1: Monster Storms:
A. Mission 1: Profiling the Suspects-Trouble Brewing in Earth’s Atmosphere
1. Operation: Monster Storms Mission 1 Pre-Test
Pre-Test for Mission 1
Mission 1 - Lesson 1: Introduction and Pre-Assessment of Mission 1
Generate interest in the concepts that will be presented in Mission 1 and gain an understanding of student readiness for the learning objectives of the mission.
2. Mission 1 - Lesson 2: Defining a Storm and Other Extreme Weather Events
Define a storm and other extreme weather events.
3. Mission 1 - Lesson 3: How Energy Gets From the Sun to the Earth
Understand how energy gets from the sun to the Earth.
4. Mission 1 - Lesson 4: The Greenhouse Effect vs. Global Warming
Recognize the difference between the greenhouse effect and global warming.
5. Mission 1 - Lesson 5: Air and Air Pressure
Identify the components of air and understand how air pressure changes.
a. Mission 1 Lab 1: Measuring Weather: Air Pressure, Precipitation, and Temperature As you read in the Mission Briefing, air pressure decreases as you move higher in the atmosphere. How do you think air pressure affects athletes who compete at higher elevations? How do you think air pressure affects athletes who compete at sea level?
6. Mission 1 - Lesson 6: Collecting and Interpreting Community Weather Intelligence
Collect and interpret weather intelligence for your community.
7. Mission 1 - Lesson 7: Pushing Up with Pressure
Identify the components of air and understand how air pressure changes.
a. Mission 1 Lab 2: Pushing Up with Pressure
Using your knowledge of air pressure, explain what happens as you drink through a straw.
8. Mission 1 - Lesson 8: Heat Flowing in the Atmosphere
Describe how heat flows through the atmosphere.
a. Mission 1 Lab 3: Observing Convection
Earth receives more heat at the equator than at the poles. How do wind currents result? What is the overall effect of winds on Earth?
9. Mission 1 - Lesson 9: Weather Data in the Field
Collect and interpret weather data in the community.
a. Mission 1 Field Assignment: Profile of a Storm
Wind that flows over land is easily disrupted by buildings, hills, trees, and other large objects. How do you think these obstacles change wind patterns on land? How could these “wind breaks” be used to protect people and property? In contrast, wind that flows over water is relatively undisturbed when it reaches shore. What can coastal residents do to deal with wind that flows unimpeded over open water?
10. Mission 1 - Lesson 10: Assessing Mission 1 Concepts
Review the mission and assess students’ understanding of the concepts presented in the mission.
11. Operation: Monster Storms Mission 1 Post-Test
Post-Test for Mission 1
B. Mission 2: The Plot Condenses-Air and Water
1. Operation: Monster Storms Mission 2 Pre-Test
Pre-Test for Mission 2
Mission 2 - Lesson 1: Introduction and Pre-Assessment of Mission 2
Give an overview of the mission and assess students’ understanding of the concepts that will be presented in the mission.
2. Mission 2 - Lesson 2: The Structure of the Atmosphere
Understand the molecular structure of air and investigate the structure of the atmosphere.
3. Mission 2 - Lesson 3: Phase Changes of Water
Define the phases and phase changes of water. Describe the water cycle.
4. Mission 2 - Lesson 4: Understanding the Water Cycle
Describe the water cycle.
a. Mission 2 Lab 1: Energy and the Water Cycle
Considering the concern over global warming and the human contribution to it, what can we do to lower the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere? How could you find more information? How could you inform others of what you find?
5. Mission 2 - Lesson 5: Clouds, Dew, and Fog
Explain how clouds are indicators of upcoming weather. Know how dew and fog form. Tell how dew point and humidity indicate the amount of water in the atmosphere.
6. Mission 2 - Lesson 6: Creating Clouds
Explain how clouds are indicators of upcoming weather. Know how fog and dew form.
7. Mission 2 - Lesson 7: Water Vapor in the Atmosphere
Tell how dew point and humidity indicate the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere.
a. Mission 2 Lab 2: Clouds in a Bottle
Now that you know how clouds form, how do you think this knowledge helps Robbie understand monster storms?
8. Mission 2 - Lesson 8: Assessing Mission 2 Concepts
Review the mission and assess students’ understanding of the concepts presented in the mission.
a. Mission 2 Field Assignment: Modeling Atmospheric Signatures
Why is Robbie Hood’s research important for other scientists who study hurricanes?
9. Operation: Monster Storms Mission 2 Post-Test
Post-Test for Mission 2
C. Mission 3: The Chase-On the Run in Tornado Alley
1. Operation: Monster Storms Mission 3 Pre-Test
Pre-Test for Mission 3
Mission 3 - Lesson 1: Introduction and Pre-Assessment of Mission 3
Give an overview of the mission, and assess students’ understanding of the concepts that will be presented in the mission.
2. 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)
a. Mission 3 Lab 1: It's Not Just the Heat, It's the Dew Point!
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?
3. Mission 3 - Lesson 3: Lightning and Thunder
Understand lightning and its association to monster weather. Understand the relationship between lightning and thunder. Estimate the distance to a thunderstorm, and to determine if a storm is approaching or receding. (Lab 2: Distance to a Thunderstorm)
a. Mission 3 Lab 2: Distance to a Thunderstorm
Tim is doing research to determine how lightning forms. Based on the Mission Briefing you’ve been reading and the Connection article “Lightning: A Monster Transfer of Energy,” what data must Tim collect to help him solve this mystery?
4. Mission 3 - Lesson 4: Tornado Formation
Understand the formation of tornadoes. Appreciate the relationship between thunderstorms and tornado formation. Learn about Tim’s tornado atmospheric data probe. Understand the Fujita and EF-Scale and apply them to inferring tornado wind speeds.
5. Mission 3 - Lesson 5: Modeling Tornadoes
Learn about Tornado Alley and appreciate the role played by geography in tornado formation. Understand dry line and its association to the development of tornadoes. Identify similarities between the classroom vortex model and that of a tornado (Lab 3 – Modeling Tornadoes). Learn about Doppler radar and other tools used to forecast and study tornadoes. Learn of future challenges to tornado science.
a. Mission 3 Lab 3: Modeling Tornadoes
Tim’s probes record data near the bottom of the tornado. Why do scientists find such data particularly important?
6. Mission 3 - Lesson 6: Interpreting Weather Map Data
Interpret a weather map and develop predictions from the information contained in the map.
a. Mission 3 Lab 4: What's in a Map?
How do you think people were affected by much less accurate weather predictions before the tools we use today were invented?
7. Mission 3 - Lesson 7: Predicting Severe Weather
Design and document a procedure to collect weather intelligence. Enter weather intelligence in a data collection chart online or on paper. Develop a local weather forecast for severe storms for the next few days. Report weather predictions to the class or school community.
a. Mission 3 Field Assignment: Predicting Severe Weather
What should people think about before they build homes and businesses or plan activities in places where monster storms are common? Explain your answers.
8. Mission 3 - Lesson 8: Communicating Weather Data
Operationally define how graphs communicate weather data. Compare and analyze tornadoes based upon their graphed data sets. Graph the pressure changes associated with a passing tornado.
9. Operation: Monster Storms Mission 3 Post-Test
Post-Test for Mission 3
D. Mission 4: The Hunt-Flying Into the Eye
1. Operation: Monster Storms Mission 4 Pre-Test
Pre-Test for Mission 4
Mission 4 - Lesson 1: Introduction and Pre-Assessment of Mission 4
To give an overview of the mission and assess students' understanding of the concepts that will be presented in the mission.
2. Mission 4 - Lesson 2: Tropical Cyclones
Describe the structure and dynamic nature of tropical cyclones.
3. Mission 4 - Lesson 3: Where Hurricanes Get Their Energy
Explain where a hurricane gets its energy, identify the conditions necessary for a hurricane to form, and explain what causes hurricanes to weaken.
a. Mission 4 Lab 1: Wind Shear in Hurricanes
Describe the decay of a hurricane, using what you have learned from your reading and your experiments
4. Mission 4 - Lesson 4: Studying Hurricanes
Describe how scientists study hurricanes.
a. Mission 4 Lab 2: Interpreting Hurricane Data
What would you tell people who live along the coast (or inland) where Rita is approaching? What do you think cities should do before the storm to help protect their citizens?
5. Mission 4 - Lesson 5: The Saharan Air Layer
Understand what the Saharan Air Layer is, and its effects on hurricanes.
a. Mission 4 Lab 3: Saharan Air Layer
6. Mission 4 - Lesson 6: Tracking Hurricanes
Describe how scientists track hurricanes.
a. Mission 4 Field Assignment: What's a Storm to Do?
Do you think that scientists should try to influence the formation, track, or intensity of hurricanes? Explain your answer.
7. Mission 4 - Lesson 7: Assessing Mission 4 Concepts
To assess students' understanding of the concepts learned in Mission 4.
8. Operation: Monster Storms Mission 4 Post-Test
Post-Test for Mission 4
E. Mission 5: The Recovery-Living with Monster Storms
1. Operation: Monster Storms Mission 5 Pre-Test
Pre-Test for Mission 5
Mission 5 - Lesson 1: Introduction and Pre-Assessment of Mission 5
To give an overview of the mission, and assess students’ understanding of the concepts that will be presented in the mission.
2. Mission 5 - Lesson 2: The Hazards of Hurricanes
Understand the hazards of hurricanes.
a. Mission 5 Lab 1: Risk Assessment
How do human activities, such as land use and urban growth, factor into the damage that can result from a monster storm?
3. Mission 5 - Lesson 3: Emergency Planning Before, During, and After a Hurricane
Explain the difference between hurricane watches and warnings. Study emergency planning and responses before, during and after a hurricane.
a. Mission 5 Lab 2: Storm Surge!
Describe some of the conditions that limit a city’s ability to prepare for storm surge. Why are these conditions limiting?
4. Mission 5 - Lesson 4: Emergency Planning for Severe Weather Events
Investigate emergency planning and response for other weather events.
a. Mission 5 Field Assignment: Build a Better Building
Although they live in areas prone to storms such as hurricanes and tornadoes, many people continue to live in homes that are not built to withstand high winds and water. What can be done to protect these people and minimize the damage before, during, and after a storm?
5. Mission 5 - Lesson 5: Assessing Mission 5 Concepts
Complete an action plan for emergency response before, during, and after a storm. To assess students’ understanding of the concepts that were presented in the mission.
6. Operation: Monster Storms Mission 5 Post-Test
Post-Test for Mission 5
II. Unit 2: Resilient Planet:
A. Mission 1
1. Operation: Resilient Planet Mission 1 Pre-Test
Pre-test to assess student understanding of Mission 1 concepts.
Mission 1 Lesson 1: Mission Introduction
Generate interest in the concepts that will be presented in Mission 1 and gain an understanding of student readiness for the learning objectives of the mission.
2. Mission 1 Lesson 2: Close Encounters of an Unknown Kind
Students will become familiar with the research of Russell Cuhel.
3. Mission 1 Lesson 3: Battle of the Mussels
Students will begin learning the basics of ecology through the Mission Objectives.
a. Mission 1 Lab 1: Dichotomous Key
Scientists use dichotomous keys to identify different species in the ecological community. In addition to knowing what kinds of organisms make up the ecological community, what other abiotic and biotic factors does a scientist need to study to understand the ecosystem? Explain.
4. Mission 1 Lesson 4: Major Ecosystems of the World
Students will understand the major ecosystems of the world.
a. Mission 1 Lab 2: Ecosystems from Above
Evaluate a printed atlas as a tool for studying ecology. Support your evaluation.
5. Mission 1 Lesson 5: Energy Flow
Students will understand how energy flows through a system, such as a food chain/web.
a. Mission 1 Lab 3: The Food Web Game
Why do ecologists use models in addition to observations and direct measurements? How would data collected through models be useful to ecologists?
6. Mission 1 Lesson 6: Earth's Cycles
Students will investigate the connection between the biotic and abiotic components of the Earth through cycles.
a. Mission 1 Lab 4: Cycling Carbon
How could you test carbonated beverages to show that the dissolved gas was carbon dioxide?
7. Mission 1 Lesson 7: Field Assignment
Students will interpret, collect, and analyze abiotic and biotic data.
a. Mission 1 Field Assignment: Exploring Ecosystems
Research how alien species, such as the zebra and quagga mussels, are introduced into a new environment. What conditions are necessary for the alien species to become successful in its environment? How do the aliens affect the abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem?