Relative Humidity

Karen Mahaffy

National Science Standards

• D. Earth and Space Science - Earth and space science focuses on science facts, concepts, principles, theories, and models that are important for all students to know, understand and use.– h. The atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen,

and trace gases that include water vapor. The atmosphere has different properties at different elevations.

– i. Clouds, formed by the condensation of water vapor, affect weather and climate.

Common Core Math Standards

• CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.3 Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.– CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.3d Use ratio reasoning to

convert measurement units; manipulate and transform units appropriately when multiplying or dividing quantities.

Supporting Curriculum Materials

• What is relative humidity?• Why is it important to study relative humidity?• Relative humidity and it’s impact on agricultur

e.• Relative humidity in museums.• How do you calculate relative humidity?

Relative Humidity Activities

• Online Interactive Weather Maker• Relative Humidity Lab• Measuring and Charting Relative Humidity• Relative Humidity Math Connection-

worksheet• Relative Humidity Lab-Enrichment

Relative Humidity Activity 1

Online Interactive Weather Maker• Goal-Students will learn that changes in relative humidity can

effect the feel of the temperature.• Students will know temperature towards the poles (either north

or south) must always be less than the temperature towards the equator.

• Students will understand relative humidity alters the feel of the temperature.

• Students will manipulate the weather using the interactive weather maker.

• Teacher role: Teacher will circulate the room as students create various climates to adjust temperature and relative humidity.

Activity 1-Accomodations

• Struggling learners will receive modified notes with less language from the weather facts handout.

• Students will work with partners.

Relative Humidity Activity 2Relative Humidity Lab• Goal-Students will learn that relative humidity can be calculated in a classroom.• Students will know that you must use a wet and dry bulb thermometer to

determine the relative humidity.• Students will understand that you can calculate the relative humidity by

calculating the difference between the wet and dry bulb thermometers and use a relative humidity chart to locate the difference and the temperature of the dry bulb on the chart. See attached.

• Students will calculate the relative humidity of the classroom using the given materials.

• Teacher role: Teacher will introduce the lab with a whole class discussion about predictions of relative humidity of the class. Students will circulate as students conduct experiment and ask questions for students to consider regarding their whole class hypotheses.

Activity 2-Accomodations

• Struggling learners will be given calculators to assist with calculations.

• Struggling learners will be given highlighters to help read the relative humidity chart.

Relative Humidity Activity 3

Measuring and Charting Relative Humidity• Goal-Students will know that measuring shrinking wet hair simulates

the the use of a hygrometer.• Students will know a hygrometer is used to measure relative humidity. • Students will understand the more the hair shrinks the less water it

contains.• Students will compare the shrinkage of various hair lengths and

textures.• Teacher role: Teacher will introduce the experiment with a class

discussion on how the weather can cause a ‘good’ hair day or a ‘bad’ hair day. As students work the teacher should circulate and ask the students to explain why the different textures yielded different results.

Activity 3-Accomodations

• Struggling learners will compare the shrinkage of two pieces of hair, not four.

• Struggling learners will receive a partially completed relative humidity weather chart to offer guidance and examples.

Relative Humidity Activity 4• Relative Humidity Math Connection • Goal-Students will learn that math is essential when calculating

the relative humidity.• Students will know how to use the heat index chart to determine

the relative humidity.• Students will understand that there is a correlation between heat

and relative humidity when determining the heat index.• Students will use the heat index chart to answer math questions.• Teacher role: Teacher will model how to use the index chart to

the whole class. Students may work with partners and as the students work the teacher should circulate to check for understanding.

Activity 4-Accomodations

• Struggling learners will answer less questions. • Struggling learners will be able to use a

calculator.• Struggling learners will receive a worksheet

with the questions and heat index chart on the same page.

Relative Humidity Math Connection

Heat Index Chart for Math Connection Worksheet

Heat Index Table for Math Connection

Relative Humidity Activity 5• Relative Humidity Lab Graphing Activity• Goal students will learn there is a relationship between temperature

and the amount of water vapor a fixed volume of air can hold. • Students will know how to determine the relative humidity? • Students will understand how different parts of the world may have

differences in relative humidity at various seasons.• Students will be able to calculate the relative humidity when given

the temperature and dew point. • Students will discuss Teacher role: Since this is the last activity, the

teacher should give little instruction and circulate the room as the students work. Upon completion of the activity, the teacher should ask the students to share their results and how they compare to the hypothesis.

Accommodations-Activity 5

• Struggling learners may use a calculator.• Struggling learners will be strategically

grouped with high achieving students.• Struggling learners may choose to determine

the relative humidity of an additional location.

Math Vertical Curriculum Map

CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.D.10 Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories. Solve simple put-together, take-

apart, and compare problems1 using information presented in a bar graph.

CCSS.Math.Content.1.MD.C.4 Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in

each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.

CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.C.6 Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using

matching and counting strategies.1

CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.3c Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of a quantity means 30/100 times the quantity); solve problems involving finding the whole, given a

part and the percentCCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.3 Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number

line diagrams, or equations.CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.3d Use ratio reasoning to convert measurement units; manipulate and

transform units appropriately when multiplying or dividing quantities.

CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.A.3 Solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-number answers using the four operations, including

problems in which remainders must be interpreted. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness

of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.

Math Vertical Curriculum Map-Continued

Science Vertical Curriculum Map

2.3.a. Soils can be described by their color, texture and capacity to retain water.

1.2.a. Animals need air, water and food to survive. 1.2.b. Plants need air, water and sunlight to survive.

K.3.a. Daily and seasonal weather conditions affect what we do, what we wear and how we feel.

Science Vertical Curriculum Map-continued

6.3.a. Local and regional weather are affected by the amount of solar energy the area receives and the proximity to a large body of water.

5.3.a. The positions of the earth and moon relative to the sun explain the cycles of day and night, and the monthly moon phases.

4.2.a. When the environment changes, some organisms survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations.

4.3.a. Water circulates through the earth's crust, oceans and atmosphere.

3.1.a. Heating and cooling cause changes in some of the properties of materials.

References• References

• Common core state standards. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2014, from http://www.corestandards.org/• Humidity. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2014, from http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.humidity• Measuring relative humidity. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2014, from https://www.teachervision.com/tv/

printables/Moutran_0876283024_158-159.pdf• Prekindergarten – grade 8 curriculum standards and assessment expectations. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2014,

from http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/science/pk8_science_curriculumstandards2011.pdf• Rain forests and high humidity: How to measure relative humidity? (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2014, from http://

www.education.com/science-fair/article/rain-forest-humidity/• Relative humidity. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2014, from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/

relhum.html• Relative humidity and temperature. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2014, from http://www.collectioncare.org/cci/

ccier.html• Understanding humidity. (n.d.). Retrieved January 7, 2014, from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/

whumdef.htm• Weather watch. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2014, from http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/

investigate/weather_maker.htm• What is relative humidity. (n.d.). Retrieved January 8, 2014, from http://8redscience.wikispaces.com/file/view/Lab

+10+What+is+Relative+Humidity+SG.doc• What is relative humidity and how does it affect how I feel outside? (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2014, from http://

science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/meteorological-terms/question651.htm