SPA: Regional Climates
Assessment
This Short Performance Assessment (SPA) addresses the following NGSS PE: MS-ESS2-6 Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the 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 of atmospheric circulation is on the sunlight-driven latitudinal banding, 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 outlines of continents. Examples of models can be diagrams, maps and globes, or digital representations. Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the dynamics of the Coriolis effect. This assessment was adapted from a Greenwich Public Schools exemplar. At this time no answer key is available.
PART 1: Background Information Stowe is a town in Northern Vermont. It is nicknamed The Ski Capital of the East, with a popular ski resort on Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in Vermont. ![A mountain and a map.]530 Portland is a city set on the coast of Southern Maine. The waterfront features old fishing warehouses that have been converted to restaurants and shops. The fishing and commercial shipping industry still plays an important role in the city’s economy. ![An image of a seaside town and a map.]530 Click Next to continue.
Topics and standards: Earth Science, MS-ESS2-6, ESS2.C, ESS2.D, Weather & Climate, Developing & Using Models, Systems & System Models, Grades 6-8, 3D Science Tasks, Hosted Greenwich SPA, TEKS Science 8.10.A, TEKS Science 8.10.C, 6-ESS2-1, 6-ESS2-2, 6-ESS2-3, Assessment, 3.3.6-8.I