Mississippi Science E.1.9A.3
The Standard
- E.1.9A
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the patterns of weather by describing, recording, and analyzing weather data to answer questions about daily and seasonal weather patterns.
Construct an explanation for the general pattern of change in daily temperatures by measuring and calculating the difference between morning and afternoon temperatures.
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Earth’s Systems and Cycles
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students measure the temperature in the morning and afternoon. They find how many degrees it changed and use the readings to explain the pattern they notice.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student records both readings, counts the degrees between them, and says which time was warmer. They explain that afternoons are often warmer after the sun has warmed the ground and air.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may add the two temperatures instead of finding the gap between them. They may think every afternoon must be warmer, even on a day when the readings show otherwise.
How to Assess It
- Show readings of 60°F at 9 a.m. and 70°F at 2 p.m. Ask: How many degrees warmer was the afternoon? What might explain the change?
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Place an outdoor thermometer in the same shady spot at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.; record both readings and count the difference.
Ask partners, “Why might our afternoon reading be higher?” Have them use both readings in their answer.
Give pairs temperature cards marked 60°F and 70°F; have them place the cards on a number line and count the gap.
Check a local weather forecast for morning and afternoon temperatures; decide whether a sweater would help at morning recess and explain why.
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Related Standards
- E.K.8A.1
Construct an explanation of the pattern of the Earth's seasonal changes in the environment using evidence from observations.
- E.4.9B.2
Construct explanations about regional climate differences using maps and long-term data from various regions.
- E.7.9A.4
Construct an explanation for how climate is determined in an area using global and surface features (e.g. latitude, elevation, shape of the land, distance from ...
- E.4.9B.1
Analyze and interpret data (e.g., temperature, precipitation, wind speed/direction, relative humidity, or cloud types) to predict changes in weather over time.
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