Instructional Materials - Unit 3.2 Weather & Hazards

Do you have a favorite fruit or vegetable you enjoy year-round? Have you noticed that common fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas are always available, even in winter? At the start of the unit, students reflect on their favorite fruits and examine school menus to explore how these fruits are available year-round. They ask, How can we get these fruits all year at our school? Through investigations, students analyze precipitation and temperature data to determine where and when fruits grow best. Using weather patterns and climate data, they predict where other fruits and vegetables might thrive. They gather evidence to support an argument for how apples, bananas, and oranges remain available throughout the year. Later, students shift focus to how storms can damage fruit plants. They research weather-related hazards and explore engineering solutions to protect crops. By designing, building, and testing windbreaks, they collect data on effectiveness. Finally, they evaluate multiple designs and use evidence to argue for the best windbreak solutions, applying their findings to help address real-world weather challenges. The material is distributed in accordance with the CC BY-NC. See details at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/