MS.ESS3.5: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that may have caused…
Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that may have caused a change in global temperatures over the past century.
The South Dakota Science Standards (2024) outcome MS.ESS3.5 (Earth and Space Sciences) for Grades 6–8 says: “Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that may have caused a change in global temperatures over the past century.” This Fieldbook unit teaches it hands-on, with everyday materials and a printable teacher guide and student sheet for every lesson. Official wording: South Dakota Science Standards (2024).
Climate Clues Grade 6 · partly supports this outcome
Tree rings, old weather records and what your own town's numbers say. Three lessons on how scientists tell climate apart from a cold week.
- Is this winter colder than when your grandparents were kids? 50–60 min
Students compare January temperatures from the 1960s with the last ten years, using their own town's records. They find out why memories and single years can mislead, and how averages show the real pattern.
- What can a tree ring tell us? 50–60 min
Students count and measure the rings in a real slice of tree, match ring widths to rainfall, and compare old and new photographs of a glacier. They explain how nature keeps records of past climate long before anyone owned a thermometer.
Printable practice for MS.ESS3.5
These pages practise a closely related idea; the match to MS.ESS3.5 is partial.
- Climate Clues workbook included with the unit
3 practice pages, 3 readings, 2 English-support pages, 1 word wall, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.
Need just this outcome? Build a custom pack from these pages, with its answer key, in about a minute. Custom packs come with All-access and school licences.
Compared with NGSS: MS-ESS3-5 (partial).
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