MS-ESS2-6

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Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

Clarification statement: Emphasis is on how patterns vary by latitude, altitude, and geographic land distribution. Emphasis is on the sunlight-driven latitudinal banding causing differences in density that create convection currents in the atmosphere, the Coriolis effect, and resulting prevailing winds; emphasis of ocean circulation is on the transfer of heat by the global ocean convection cycle, which is constrained by the Coriolis effect and the coastlines of continents. Examples of models could include diagrams, maps and globes, or digital representations.

Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include the dynamics of the Coriolis effect.

Performance Level Descriptions

PLDs communicate the knowledge and skills expected of students to demonstrate proficiency in each Learning Standard. NYS assessments classify student performance into one of five levels.

Level 4Level 3Level 2Level 1

Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and the rotation of Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates, and explain how a change in this model can be used to predict future climate changes.

Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

Given a model, identify one way unequal heating of Earth surfaces and/or the rotation of Earth cause patterns of atmospheric or oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

Given a model, identify a pattern in the atmospheric or oceanic circulation that determines a regional climate.

Resources

Examples and discussion of resources for the learning, teaching, and assessment of MS-ESS2-6.

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Assessment

What assessment of MS-ESS2-6 might look like on a NY state exam.

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NGSS Dimensions

Performance expectation MS-ESS2-6 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:

Science and Engineering Practices

• Developing and Using Models
  • Develop and use a model to describe phenomena.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

• ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes
  • Variations in density due to variations in temperature and salinity drive a global pattern of interconnected ocean currents.
• 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.
  • The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the Sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents.

Crosscutting Concepts

• Systems and System Models
  • Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions—such as inputs, processes and outputs—and energy and matter flows within systems.

Connections to Other Standards

MS-ESS2-6 connections to ELA, math, and other science standards as outlined by the NYS Education Department:

Page contributors: Caroline Leonard, Conrad Richman, Shirley Shameen

MS | MS. Weather and Climate