Week 9 Science
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Week 9, Day 41 TODAY THE STUDENT WILL: Demonstrate and describe how various types of weather impact materials on Earth Recognize the impact of natural forces Make straight forward predictions and justify their position Combine information, data, and knowledge from one or more of the sciences to reach a conclusion Lesson Preparation - none Key Vocabulary subduction zone – a zone, or region, where two tectonic plates meet and move Science Focus Question What is the impact of natural forces on our lives? Task 1: Getting Ready: The student will review some facts from past storms that have caused a great deal of damage. The student will more than likely be very interested with learning about storms. Storms are dangerous, so students often enjoy learning about them. Start the lesson by reviewing the storms listed in the text and by asking the student a few questions:
What is one example of a dangerous storm you have been through? Is there any kind of storm you would like to see? Which kind of storm interests you the most? Why? Text Questions:
Have you read about these events or others like them in the headlines of the paper?
Science Focus Question: Ask the student the main question for today. He may write it in his science journal or you may write in on a sentence strip and display it for today’s lesson. The student may not understand the word “impact.” Tell the student that the word impact is another word for affect. He needs to think about how events like these may impact our lives, and remind him that this his daily schedule, the home one lives in, how one is able to buy goods and services can all be affected by natural disasters.
What is the impact of natural forces on our lives? Task 2: Wacky Weather: The student will be reading a good deal of information about various storms today. The text is organized by the type of storm. The student should hold strong interest in today’s topic.
Tornadoes and their impact Tornadoes in the U.S. mostly occur in an area known as “Tornado Alley”. The main reason why tornados flourish in this region is because of the weather patterns commonly found in the middle of the country. This part of the country receives cold air from the north which meets up with the warm air from the south. Wind also can blow freely in this nearly treeless area.
Websites to visit: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/safety/tornadoguide.html http://www.tornadoproject.com/
Drought and its impact: Droughts occur when little or no rain falls from the sky for a significant period of time. The Earth dries up, which makes plants dry up, which then affects crop production. Another issue with droughts is the impact on human life. Humans use an average of 90 gallons of water a day. During a drought, water conservation guidelines are often posted for communities to save
water. Ask the student some ways he could save water during a drought.
Websites to visit: http://drought.unl.edu/kids/ http://drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html
Lightning / Impact of Lightning: The odds are better to be stuck by lightning than it is to win a local lottery! More people get struck by lightning than some may think. Each year there are more than 30 million lightning strikes in the U.S. each year. Lightning is a return stroke of electrical charges found on earth. The charges build up in the clouds due to the ice crystals hitting off each other during a bad storm. Those charges seek out the negative charges of an object on earth. Some things with a large number of charges are:
People, metal, tall items, such as trees, houses, tall buildings. Benjamin Franklin created the lightning rod. This invention was made to draw the lightening to the rod, not the house, and the rod was driven right into the ground. Lightning is associated with thunderstorms, and since thunderstorms are more predominate in the spring and summer months, one can expect to see more lightning strikes in the spring and summer months. However, there are many lightning strikes that occur in other months.
Websites to visit: http://science.howstuffworks.com/lightning.htm http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lightning/
Earthquakes / Impact of earthquakes: Earthquakes occur along faults. One major fault line is on the west coast of the United States, and many earthquakes occur in the state of California. Earthquakes are caused because of plate tectonics located deep in the
earth’s crust sometimes shift, causing everything above them to shift as well. Any structure on the ground can be damaged by earthquakes. Engineers have been working on new buildings that are considered “earthquake proof.”
Websites to visit: This site provides background knowledge about earthquakes: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/neic/ This site provides background knowledge about earthquakes. Also includes games for the student and a lot of interactive kid-friendly pages. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids//
Volcanoes are areas on earth where molten lava pours out from the mantle. This lava is very hot. Volcanoes have formed many of the islands we know of today. One volcano, Mt. St. Helens erupted in the year 1980. Some impacts from volcanoes can be the lava pouring into a neighboring town. The ash spewed from the top of the volcano can cause breathing problems and also issues with being able to see. http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/ (symbol for extensions) EXTENSION: View the following site for a visual of a subduction zone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subduction_zone
Websites to visit: http://www.volcanoes.com/ http://www.fema.gov/kids/volcano.htm
Tsunami waves are large waves caused by undersea earthquakes. The shock of the earthquake travels up through the water to create a large wave. A recent Tsunami in December 2006 off the coast of Thailand killed 283,000 + people. These waves are mostly common near the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Websites to visit: http://www.ess.washington.edu/tsunami/index.html http://www.fema.gov/kids/tsunami.htm
Hurricanes are compounded thunderstorms with immense low pressure that form in the ocean. Hurricanes are storms that start in the Atlantic Ocean. Meteorologists give each hurricane a name to keep track of them. In the Pacific Ocean, these storms are called typhoons. Some of the most damaging:
Hurricane Katrina – 2005 Great Miami Hurricane – 1926 Hurricane Andrew - 1992
Websites to visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ http://www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm
Task 3: Show You Know: Your Opinion: The student will now take some time to reflect on the storms learned about today. Here is the task as viewed in the student text: Here is a condensed list of the storms covered in today’s lesson:
Tornados, drought, lightning, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes
In your opinion, which of the natural forces do think are the most destructive? Which ones do you think are the least destructive? List the natural forces in order from most destructive to least. Support your answer. *The student should focus on one area of which he will base his opinion on. For example, he may want to base his opinion of the most destructive as to ___ the total amount of people killed by that storm ___ the total amount of people affected by that storm ___ the total amount of damage done to an area from that storm ___ the total amount of land area affected by that storm ___ the frequency of the storm occurring
Task 4: Thinking Ahead: Why does some water move and other water doesn’t? Journal Time: ____ Date ____ Natural Forces ____ Labeled drawings of natural forces ____Line of Learning: “Today I learned that…” ____ Thinking Ahead Questions and answers
Week 9, Day 42 TODAY THE STUDENT WILL: Explain why water moves or does not move Identify the lotic system (e.g., creeks, rivers, streams)
Identify the lentic system (e.g., ponds, lakes, swamps) Identify different kinds of wetlands Read simple graphs Lesson Preparation- none Key Vocabulary plankton: microscopic algae found in bodies of water organic: a characteristic of living matter decomposer: something that breaks down the cells of dead plants or animals
Science Focus Question Why do some bodies of water move and others do not? Task 1: Getting Ready: The student will learn about why some water stands still and why other water found on earth is moving. The student may start to think about different bodies of water found on earth. Ask the student to name some bodies of water. Here are some sample responses he may give: Oceans, Seas, ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, creeks, wetlands, puddles Ask the student more questions to get him thinking ahead about today’s topic:
Where are nonmoving bodies of water found? Where is the closest one to you? Where are moving bodies of water found? Where is the closest one to you? What is one way humans use nonmoving water? (Use a lake for an example) What is one way humans use moving water? (Use rivers for example)
Science Focus Question The student can write the science focus question in his journal. It can also be highlighted in the text. This is what the student should focus on throughout the lesson.
Why do some bodies of water move and others do not? Task 3: Read the Science Text: Bodies of Water: The student will read multiple paragraphs focusing on the lentic and lotic systems of our earth. It is recommended that the student read the text out loud and discussion takes place after each task in the text. Here is some background knowledge of each system.
Lentic systems are non-flowing bodies of water. The ecosystems surrounding a lentic system varies greatly from a lotic system, where the water is constantly moving. In a lentic system the life that exists within and around it commonly stays with that system. Examples of these bodies of water include: Ponds, Lakes Extension site about ponds and lakes: http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/lakes/index.htm
Lotic systems are examples of flowing bodies of water. Some examples include streams, rivers, and creeks. Extension site about rivers and streams: http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/rivers/index.htm
When Water and Life Meet The student will be reading about how animals have made adaptations in order to survive in moving water. The adaptations are separated in a few categories, including behavioral adaptations and physical adaptations. Here is a review of these terms: Behavioral Adaptations: Behavioral adaptations are ways the animal
has changed its way of life. When you think of behavioral adaptations, think about the migration of birds. This is a change in where they stay during the seasons. Physical Adaptations: Physical adaptations are changes that occur on the body of the animal due to something in the environment. One example to keep in mind is the chameleon and its color changing abilities. This adaptation has helped the chameleon survive. At the end of this section, the student will need to look at a picture of a trout hiding in the plant life under the water and will need to write about the adaptation the trout has made. Here is a sample answer for this: What adaptations has this organism made?_The trout blends in with its surroundings so it is not easily hunted.
Task 3: Show you know: For this review portion of the text, the student will be completing a few tasks. Be sure the student follows the directions for each section. 1. The student will label each of the following terms as lentic or lotic. Lake lentic Creek lotic River lotic Pond lentic Puddle lentic
2. Venn Diagram: The student will make a Venn diagram showing the characteristics of the lentic and lotic systems. Here are the directions as seen in the text: Use the information you have learned about lentic and lotic systems to make a Venn diagram. You will be showing a comparison of information about both systems. These items should be included on your Venn diagram: ____ Title ____ Label each circle correctly ____ 3 Details about the Lotic System ____ 3 Details about the Lentic System
____ At least one thing similar to both.
Lentic systemWater is still Lakes and oceans Many living organisms
Lotic SystemWater is moving Streams and rivers Some living
Similarities include: Both are bodies of water, both have life, both collect rain, both can have plants near them.
3. Make a Drawing: The student will be drawing an example of a lentic system and a lotic system. In the space below draw an example of each system and the plant and animal life one might find in these two ecosystems. In the Lentic system, don’t forget the three zones: shallow, open, deep water zones.
Lentic Ecoystem
Lotic Ecosystem
Task 4: Thinking Ahead: What is weathering? (insert picture of a lake) Journal Time:
(insert picture of a river)
____ Date ____ Water Systems ____ Lentic System definition ____ Lotic system definition ____ Line of Learning: List examples of Lentic and Lotic Systems ____Thinking Ahead Questions and answers
Week 9, Day 43 TODAY THE STUDENT WILL: Identify and describe how freezing, thawing, and plant growth reshape the land surface by causing the weathering of rock Record local weather information on a calendar or map and describe changes over a period of time (barometric pressure, temperature, precipitation, cloud conditions) Explain the water cycle Lesson Preparation: a rock, 2 Styrofoam cups, 3 inches of soil, plaster of Paris, a Popsicle stick, a small amount of Vaseline, and a green balloon.
Key Vocabulary weathering: any chemical or mechanical process which makes rock decompose
mechanical weathering: the breaking down of rock because of
natural occurrences, such as storms, water erosion, or wind erosion
Science Focus Question Describe how the weathering of rock can reshape the land surface. Task 1: Getting Ready: Rock Talk The student will take a rock and attempt to change the way it looks. He can try many things to change the appearance. Ask the student some questions after he attempts to change the appearance of the rock:
Why was this task difficult? What do you think can change the appearance? Pretest Time The student will take a pretest of his knowledge today. This is a good way to open a lesson because the student will see how much information about a topic he already knows about and he will see some areas of which he needs to gain a stronger understanding of.
Pretest:
Agree
Disagree 1. Are plants able to shape the Earth in different ways? ____
____
2. Are plant roots strong enough to break cement?
____
____
3. Are cracks in sidewalks caused by people walking on them?
____
____
4. Can plants break apart rock?
____
____
5. Freezing and thawing can cause rock to weather.
____
_____
Task 2: Science Focus Question: At this time the student needs to refocus on the focus question. Post the question for today’s lesson for easy viewing.
Describe how the weathering of rock can reshape the land surface.
Task 3: Read the Text: Weathering is a natural occurrence. Weathering will change the shape of the land. It is caused by wind and water erosion. Sand is a perfect example of a result from mechanical weathering. While sand is made up from mostly quartz, other types of sand can be found on shore lines of rivers and lakes. It is there because of the mechanical weathering of rock. Read the text with the student. Then visit these websites to build background knowledge: http://www.geography4kids.com/files/land_weathering.html http://www.geosci.unc.edu/faculty/glazner/Images/Weathering/weatheri ng.html
Task 4: A Search for Local Weather: The student will have an opportunity to fill in a table showing his own observations of weathering in the neighborhood of which he lives. This part of the lesson can be done at a later time if the current weather is not desirable for a walk. Try to have the student observe many things while outside. Here are some suggestions: A wooded area – A sidewalk – A stream – An area that sees flooding often – ground under roof gutters – driveways – A river
What weather What I saw
Where it was
How do I think it
conditions caused
happened?
this
Task 5: Investigation Read through and complete the investigation with the student. Here is a copy of the investigation from the text:
Materials Needed: 2 Styrofoam cups, 3inches of soil, prepared plaster of Paris (make just before using), a Popsicle stick, small amount of Vaseline, and a green balloon. (insert pictures modeling the steps) ·Fill one cup with 2 inches of soil ·Pour ¼ inch of plaster of Paris on top ·Use the spoon to smooth the plaster over the top of the cup to model an asphalt street. ·Rub some Crisco on the plastic spoon and push the greased end of the spoon down into the plaster to simulate a roadway. Try not to expose the soil. Leave the spoon in the plaster for about 30 minutes, and then gently remove the spoon. ·It will leave a small indentation where the spoon was. ·Trim the cup to the bottom edges of the plaster to show ground level. ·Fill the crack with water and place in the freezer overnight. ·Observe how the plaster looks tomorrow. If it has not cracked, repeat adding water and refreezing.
Answer Questions: The student will now answer some reflection questions since the experiment is completed. Here are the questions: 1. How does the plaster look in the cup after freezing? _the plaster should be cracked.______
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ 2. What changes do you think will be visible after four hours? (possible responses) It may look more cracked, wet _____________________________________________________
(After waiting four hours, write what you see.)
Answers will vary. _____________________________________________________
3. If this process was repeated each day for a month, what would the “roadway” look like? _there would be a lot of cracking/ cracks would widen / possible breaking of plaster. ___________________________________________________________________________ _______
4. What could cause a crack in a roadway to grow? _Repeated freezing and thawing ______________________________________________________
Task 6: Weathering Part 2 Extend the Investigation: The student will read a small portion of text about weathering then will complete the extension of the investigation. Here are the steps the student will need to follow at this point: You are going to repeat some of the steps of the previous investigation, but change a few things. (insert pictures showing each step next to it) □Blow up the balloon slightly and tie □Fill one cup with 2 inches of soil
□Place the balloon on top of the soil with the tied end facing up. This will represent the plant’s stem. □Pour the prepared plaster around the balloon. The buried part of the balloon represents the roots of the plant What happens to plants when they get plenty of sunshine and water? They grow. □Untie the neck of the balloon and continue to inflate the balloon, watch as the sidewalk begins to crack as the roots grow and expand through the cement. □Do not repeat any other steps. Compare the two cups. Were the results on the two sidewalks the same? Or were they different? Why do you think this happened?
Task 7: Show You Know: Today, you learned about weathering and how its forces break down rock. One example of weathering is freezing and thawing of rock, plant roots growing, Weathering shapes and reshapes our land on a daily basis. Plant roots and freezing are all examples of mechanical_ weathering
Posttest: The student will now take a posttest of the information taught in the lesson. The posttest is the same as the pretest that the student completed earlier in the lesson. When the student is done with the posttest, compare the tests to see what information was learned. Here is an answer key for this pre/post test:
Task 8: Thinking Ahead: How do heat, cold, light, and chemicals change things? Have you been remembering to collect weather data on your cities?
Journal Time: ____ Date
____ Weathering ____ Name a state where weathering takes place ____ Write how weathering takes place there ____ Line of Learning: “Today I learned” ____Thinking Ahead Questions and answers (symbol for reteaching / extensions) RETEACHING / EXTENSIONS Here is an extension website to view with the student. The focus is on chemical weathering. http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0067-chemicalweathering.php This site contains EXCELLENT VISUALS AND EXAMPLES of mechanical weathering: http://www.kidscantravel.com/familyvacationdestinations/whitedesert/f unstuffkids/index.html
Week 9, Day 44 TODAY THE STUDENT WILL: Recognize change as fundamental to science and technology concepts Describe the change to objects caused by heat, cold, light, or chemicals Employ simple instruments such as rulers, magnifiers, and thermometers to systematically gather, record, analyze, and interpret data, Provide clear explanations that account for observations and results (How water flows through the
water cycle) Lesson Preparation 10 sugar cubes jar with a lid 10 pieces of gravel 2 small pieces of steel wool 2 small plastic bags
Key Vocabulary mechanical weathering: the breaking down of rock because of natural occurrences, such as storms, water erosion, or wind erosion
wedge: to squeeze, or force chemical weathering: the breaking down of rock because of chemical processes
Science Focus Question How does heat, cold, light, or chemicals change objects? Task 1 Getting Ready: The student will learn more about mechanical and chemical weathering today. So far the student has only explored mechanical weathering. Review material from the previous lesson. Here are the main points to review with the student: ____ Mechanical weathering is physical weathering ___ Weathering is the breaking down of rock ____ Mechanical weathering is caused by storms, waves, running water
Science Focus Question: Ask the student the science focus question. Have the student separate the question into four different answer parts, like shown: How does heat, cold, light, or chemicals change objects? Heat:
Cold:
Light: Chemicals:
Task 2: Read: Heating Up and Cooling Down Wedging Frost Wedging Salt Wedging Root Wedging Chemical Weathering · Carbonation: This is the process where dissolved carbon dioxide in rainwater or moisture in the surrounding air forms carbonic acid and reacts with the minerals in the rock. As the structure of the rock is weakened, it begins to break apart. ·Hydrolysis: This type of chemical reaction occurs when minerals in the rock react with hydrogen in rain water. ·Oxidation: A process where water, oxygen and the minerals in the rock such as calcium and magnesium combine. A reddish-brown iron oxide is formed when iron reacts with oxygen. The iron-oxide crust crumbles easily and weakens the rock. ·Solution: When minerals in rocks are dissolved directly into the water. ·Hydration: Minerals in the rock absorb water and expand. This places stress on the make up of the rock and causes it to begin to disintegrate.
Task 3 Investigate! Here are the directions as shown in the student text: In the last lesson you modeled mechanical weathering by breaking up a “sidewalk” through mock winter weather conditions and a growing plant. Today you will continue to investigate how chemical and mechanical weathering work! As you work through these two investigations, think about what type of weathering is taking place. in
Investigation #1
Take one baggie and label it “dry.” Label the other one “wet”. Place a small amount of steel wool in the dry bag and seal it. Wet the other piece of steel wool, put it in the other baggie and seal it. Make a prediction. What do you think will happen?
Let the bags sit for 3 days. Stop the investigation here. After three days, carefully examine both bags. In the box draw what you observe. On the T chart below, write your observations in words.
Observations:
Dry Bag
Wet Bag
Draw what the steel wool Draw what the steel wool from the dry bag looks Examine both bags. In what ways are the bag same/different? fromthey the wet looks like. like
Dry Bag
Wet Bag
ommon
Working over a piece of white paper, take the steel wool out of each bag one at a time. Describe what it looks and feels like.pes of chemical weathering are oxidation, hydrolysis and carbonation. more susceptible however, because they have a greater amount of surface area.
Chemical reactions break down the bonds holding the rocks together, causing them to fall common in locations where there is a lot of water. This is because water is important to many of the chemical reactions that can take place. Warmer temperatures are to chemical weathering. The most common types are oxidation, hydrolysis and carbonation. Describe what the steel Dry Bag wool from the dry bag looks like. The steel wool looks exactly the same
Describe what the steel Wet wool from the wet bag looks like. The steel wool is **
Bag
brittle, rusty, falling apart, it feels
sharp between your fingers. What has fallen off Gently roll each piece of steel wool of the steel wool?
Dry Steel Wool _ Nothing has fallen off, some small pieces or flakes of the dry steel wool __________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Wet Steel Wool_ The wet steel wool will fall apart as soon as you start to touch it. Rusty color will be on hands. Heavy metallic smell ___________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Are they different? _ Yes. Wet steel wool has changed, dry stayed the same What caused the changes in the wet steel wool? _ A chemical reaction between steel wool, water, and air What type of weathering is this? _ Chemical _______________________________ _________________________________________________________ Draw a conclusion about the interaction between the steel wool, water, and air inside the bag. When water, oxygen and steel are present together, a form of chemical weathering called oxidation takes place. This combination begins to rust or break down the chemical make up of the steel.
Explain how this type of weathering could happen to a rock. If a rock contained a large amount of iron, then when it rained the oxidation would begin between the iron in the rock, water, and oxygen.
Task 4 Investigation #2
Sugar cubes and gravel.
What does the sugar cube look like?________
__ Sugar cube is a 3-D cube, white, _________________________________ ___________________________________
1. Put the sugar cubes in a jar. Draw a picture of the sugar cube 2. Put the lid on and shake 10 times. 3. Pour the contents out on a piece of paper, separating the smaller pieces from the larger pieces. Questions: How have the sugar cubes changed in appearance? _ Some of the sugar cubes have broken into smaller pieces, some into crumbs __________________________________________________ Are the changes caused by physical or chemical weathering? (HINT: did the sugar change in physical appearance or did the chemical make-up change?) _ Physical weathering ___________________________________________________ What evidence do you have to support your answer? _ The cube does not look like it did when it was originally put in the jar. The physical appearance has changed. _____________
Return the sugar cubes to the jar, and shake 10 times again. 4. Pour the contents out on a piece of paper, separating the small sugar grains from the clumps of sugar.
Do the cubes look more worn?___ Yes _____________________________ Are there any whole cubes left? _ There should not be many whole cubes at all. Each cube should have broken up into smaller pieces ____________________________________________________
Return the sugar cubes to the jar, and shake 20 times again. ·Pour the contents out on a piece of paper, separating the crumbs from the chunks. Do the cubes look more worn?__ Yes ______________________________ Are there more, less, or about the same amount of crumbs as before? __ More crumbs, fewer large pieces ___________________________________________________
Task 5 Wrapping it Up Read this portion of the text with the student.
Task 6: Thinking Ahead Did you ever wonder what types of instruments meteorologists use to collect data and predict the weather?
(symbol for reteaching / extensions) RETEACHING / EXTENSIONS This site reviews the different chemical processes on Earth that cause erosion. http://library.thinkquest.org/20035/chemical.htm
Week 9, Day 45 TODAY THE STUDENT WILL: Record local weather information on a calendar or map and describe changes over a period of time (barometric pressure, temperature, precipitation, cloud conditions) Make an observation about the weather describing how the temperature feels like and what they see Show the steps taken and the results (Tracking
evaporation results) Analyze a series of events and/or simple daily or seasonal cycles Describe the patterns and infer the next likely occurrence Formulate instructions and communicate data in a manner that allows others to understand and repeat and investigation or experiment. Lesson Preparation: none Key Vocabulary: none Science Focus Question: Does weather show a pattern? Task 1 Getting Ready: The student will reflect on the data taken daily on three cities. If the student missed a few days of data collecting, have him use what he has for today’s review. Here are a few of the tasks in the textbook and sample responses: The student will make the city he lives in “CITY #1” The city located to the west is “CITY #2” The city located to the south is “CITY #3”
The student will first describe the overall weather. Here are a few key words the student can use when describing weather:
Calm / Warm / Cold / Windy / Hot / Snowy / Rainy / Stormy / Sunny / Cloudy / The student will also answer two questions about the data:
How was the weather the same or different in any of the 3 cities? The student should choose two cities that either had something in
common or something that was very different between the two.
Can you think of any reason the weather would be the same or different? The student needs to reflect to the first question. If he focused on how the cities were similar, then he will tell why they were similar now. If he focused on how the cities were different, he will write about reasons why they showed different data. One reason why two cities would have different weather is that they may be in two completely different parts of the country and weather patterns have a common flow across the United States.
Science Focus Question: Ask the following question to the student:
Does weather always show a pattern?
Task 2 Weather Variables The student will be making some graphs to show the data he collected. Here are the directions for each task as shown in the student text: Temperature/Wind Direction: A line graph is a good way to chart changes in temperature/wind direction over time. ·Draw and label 3 line graphs for your cities showing Temperature over Time. Label the x- axis with your dates, the y-axis with degrees F. ·Chart the temperature readings for each day ·Label the wind direction for each day at the same point for the temperature of each day.
Cities
#1 #2 #3
This graph does not have the wind direction. It shows the temperature over a five day period for all three cities.
Sky Conditions: Bar graphs are an easy way to compare data and illustrate changes over time. Place your data on the bar graph. Here is what you will need to do: 1. Label the horizontal axis with these sky condition terms: Sunny Cloudy Clear 2. Label the vertical axis with numbers 1-7 to show the days of the week. 3. Make a key for the three cities you have tracked. Represent each city by a different color.
Precipitation: Circle graphs are a good way to show parts of a whole. Use the prepared circle graph to chart the data. 1. Label each graph with the name of your city.
2. Shade in the number of days with precipitation for each city.
Task 3 Analyze Data The student will now look at the graphs he just made and fill in a table with some additional data. Making the graphs first is an important step because the student now has a visual to refer back to. Here is a look at the chart the student will be filling in: Temperature
City Up down same
High Temp./Date
Low Temp./Date
Average
Here are some questions the student will answer based on his data: Sky Conditions and Temperatures Student answers will vary. 1.Which city had the most sunny days? _______________________ 2.Which city had the most cloudy days? _______________________ 3.Which city had the most rainy days? ________________________ 4.Was there any relationship between the condition of the sky and temperature? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________
Precipitation: Look at your data. Compare the three cities. Write your answers in mm.
City ___________________
Most_____ Least_____ Total _____
City ___________________
Most_____ Least_____ Total _____
City ___________________
Most_____ Least_____ Total _____
Task 4 Culminating Activity: The student will make a prediction of the weather for the three cities based on the data that was just collected. In the student’s report, he should include: _____The name of the city _____ What the sky will look like _____ Precipitation Type _____ Any warnings _____ Suggestions for what someone should do in that weather Introducing meteorologist___________________ (student’s name) Based on all the data you have collected and analyzed from the past week, please make a prediction of what the weather will be like in each of the 3 cities for tomorrow. Support your report based on specific trends you observed in each city.
(symbol for re-teaching / extensions) RETEACHING / EXTENSIONS Here is an extension site providing information about meteorology: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/home.rxml
Week 9 Recap:
subduction zone – a zone, or region, where two tectonic plates meet and move Plankton : microscopic algae found in bodies of water organic : a characteristic of living matter decomposer: something that breaks down the cells of dead plants or animals
weathering: any chemical or mechanical process which makes rock decompose
mechanical weathering: the breaking down of rock because of natural occurrences, such as storms, water erosion, or wind erosion
Wedge: to squeeze, or force chemical weathering: the breaking down of rock because of chemical processes
What is one example of a dangerous storm you have been through? Is there any kind of storm you would like to see? Which kind of storm interests you the most? Why? Text Questions:
Have you read about these events or others like them in the headlines of the paper?
Science Focus Question: Ask the student the main question for today. He may write it in his science journal or you may write in on a sentence strip and display it for today’s lesson. The student may not understand the word “impact.” Tell the student that the word impact is another word for affect. He needs to think about how events like these may impact our lives, and remind him that this his daily schedule, the home one lives in, how one is able to buy goods and services can all be affected by natural disasters.
What is the impact of natural forces on our lives? Task 2: Wacky Weather: The student will be reading a good deal of information about various storms today. The text is organized by the type of storm. The student should hold strong interest in today’s topic.
Tornadoes and their impact Tornadoes in the U.S. mostly occur in an area known as “Tornado Alley”. The main reason why tornados flourish in this region is because of the weather patterns commonly found in the middle of the country. This part of the country receives cold air from the north which meets up with the warm air from the south. Wind also can blow freely in this nearly treeless area.
Websites to visit: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/safety/tornadoguide.html http://www.tornadoproject.com/
Drought and its impact: Droughts occur when little or no rain falls from the sky for a significant period of time. The Earth dries up, which makes plants dry up, which then affects crop production. Another issue with droughts is the impact on human life. Humans use an average of 90 gallons of water a day. During a drought, water conservation guidelines are often posted for communities to save
water. Ask the student some ways he could save water during a drought.
Websites to visit: http://drought.unl.edu/kids/ http://drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html
Lightning / Impact of Lightning: The odds are better to be stuck by lightning than it is to win a local lottery! More people get struck by lightning than some may think. Each year there are more than 30 million lightning strikes in the U.S. each year. Lightning is a return stroke of electrical charges found on earth. The charges build up in the clouds due to the ice crystals hitting off each other during a bad storm. Those charges seek out the negative charges of an object on earth. Some things with a large number of charges are:
People, metal, tall items, such as trees, houses, tall buildings. Benjamin Franklin created the lightning rod. This invention was made to draw the lightening to the rod, not the house, and the rod was driven right into the ground. Lightning is associated with thunderstorms, and since thunderstorms are more predominate in the spring and summer months, one can expect to see more lightning strikes in the spring and summer months. However, there are many lightning strikes that occur in other months.
Websites to visit: http://science.howstuffworks.com/lightning.htm http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lightning/
Earthquakes / Impact of earthquakes: Earthquakes occur along faults. One major fault line is on the west coast of the United States, and many earthquakes occur in the state of California. Earthquakes are caused because of plate tectonics located deep in the
earth’s crust sometimes shift, causing everything above them to shift as well. Any structure on the ground can be damaged by earthquakes. Engineers have been working on new buildings that are considered “earthquake proof.”
Websites to visit: This site provides background knowledge about earthquakes: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/neic/ This site provides background knowledge about earthquakes. Also includes games for the student and a lot of interactive kid-friendly pages. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids//
Volcanoes are areas on earth where molten lava pours out from the mantle. This lava is very hot. Volcanoes have formed many of the islands we know of today. One volcano, Mt. St. Helens erupted in the year 1980. Some impacts from volcanoes can be the lava pouring into a neighboring town. The ash spewed from the top of the volcano can cause breathing problems and also issues with being able to see. http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/ (symbol for extensions) EXTENSION: View the following site for a visual of a subduction zone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subduction_zone
Websites to visit: http://www.volcanoes.com/ http://www.fema.gov/kids/volcano.htm
Tsunami waves are large waves caused by undersea earthquakes. The shock of the earthquake travels up through the water to create a large wave. A recent Tsunami in December 2006 off the coast of Thailand killed 283,000 + people. These waves are mostly common near the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Websites to visit: http://www.ess.washington.edu/tsunami/index.html http://www.fema.gov/kids/tsunami.htm
Hurricanes are compounded thunderstorms with immense low pressure that form in the ocean. Hurricanes are storms that start in the Atlantic Ocean. Meteorologists give each hurricane a name to keep track of them. In the Pacific Ocean, these storms are called typhoons. Some of the most damaging:
Hurricane Katrina – 2005 Great Miami Hurricane – 1926 Hurricane Andrew - 1992
Websites to visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ http://www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm
Task 3: Show You Know: Your Opinion: The student will now take some time to reflect on the storms learned about today. Here is the task as viewed in the student text: Here is a condensed list of the storms covered in today’s lesson:
Tornados, drought, lightning, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes
In your opinion, which of the natural forces do think are the most destructive? Which ones do you think are the least destructive? List the natural forces in order from most destructive to least. Support your answer. *The student should focus on one area of which he will base his opinion on. For example, he may want to base his opinion of the most destructive as to ___ the total amount of people killed by that storm ___ the total amount of people affected by that storm ___ the total amount of damage done to an area from that storm ___ the total amount of land area affected by that storm ___ the frequency of the storm occurring
Task 4: Thinking Ahead: Why does some water move and other water doesn’t? Journal Time: ____ Date ____ Natural Forces ____ Labeled drawings of natural forces ____Line of Learning: “Today I learned that…” ____ Thinking Ahead Questions and answers
Week 9, Day 42 TODAY THE STUDENT WILL: Explain why water moves or does not move Identify the lotic system (e.g., creeks, rivers, streams)
Identify the lentic system (e.g., ponds, lakes, swamps) Identify different kinds of wetlands Read simple graphs Lesson Preparation- none Key Vocabulary plankton: microscopic algae found in bodies of water organic: a characteristic of living matter decomposer: something that breaks down the cells of dead plants or animals
Science Focus Question Why do some bodies of water move and others do not? Task 1: Getting Ready: The student will learn about why some water stands still and why other water found on earth is moving. The student may start to think about different bodies of water found on earth. Ask the student to name some bodies of water. Here are some sample responses he may give: Oceans, Seas, ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, creeks, wetlands, puddles Ask the student more questions to get him thinking ahead about today’s topic:
Where are nonmoving bodies of water found? Where is the closest one to you? Where are moving bodies of water found? Where is the closest one to you? What is one way humans use nonmoving water? (Use a lake for an example) What is one way humans use moving water? (Use rivers for example)
Science Focus Question The student can write the science focus question in his journal. It can also be highlighted in the text. This is what the student should focus on throughout the lesson.
Why do some bodies of water move and others do not? Task 3: Read the Science Text: Bodies of Water: The student will read multiple paragraphs focusing on the lentic and lotic systems of our earth. It is recommended that the student read the text out loud and discussion takes place after each task in the text. Here is some background knowledge of each system.
Lentic systems are non-flowing bodies of water. The ecosystems surrounding a lentic system varies greatly from a lotic system, where the water is constantly moving. In a lentic system the life that exists within and around it commonly stays with that system. Examples of these bodies of water include: Ponds, Lakes Extension site about ponds and lakes: http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/lakes/index.htm
Lotic systems are examples of flowing bodies of water. Some examples include streams, rivers, and creeks. Extension site about rivers and streams: http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/rivers/index.htm
When Water and Life Meet The student will be reading about how animals have made adaptations in order to survive in moving water. The adaptations are separated in a few categories, including behavioral adaptations and physical adaptations. Here is a review of these terms: Behavioral Adaptations: Behavioral adaptations are ways the animal
has changed its way of life. When you think of behavioral adaptations, think about the migration of birds. This is a change in where they stay during the seasons. Physical Adaptations: Physical adaptations are changes that occur on the body of the animal due to something in the environment. One example to keep in mind is the chameleon and its color changing abilities. This adaptation has helped the chameleon survive. At the end of this section, the student will need to look at a picture of a trout hiding in the plant life under the water and will need to write about the adaptation the trout has made. Here is a sample answer for this: What adaptations has this organism made?_The trout blends in with its surroundings so it is not easily hunted.
Task 3: Show you know: For this review portion of the text, the student will be completing a few tasks. Be sure the student follows the directions for each section. 1. The student will label each of the following terms as lentic or lotic. Lake lentic Creek lotic River lotic Pond lentic Puddle lentic
2. Venn Diagram: The student will make a Venn diagram showing the characteristics of the lentic and lotic systems. Here are the directions as seen in the text: Use the information you have learned about lentic and lotic systems to make a Venn diagram. You will be showing a comparison of information about both systems. These items should be included on your Venn diagram: ____ Title ____ Label each circle correctly ____ 3 Details about the Lotic System ____ 3 Details about the Lentic System
____ At least one thing similar to both.
Lentic systemWater is still Lakes and oceans Many living organisms
Lotic SystemWater is moving Streams and rivers Some living
Similarities include: Both are bodies of water, both have life, both collect rain, both can have plants near them.
3. Make a Drawing: The student will be drawing an example of a lentic system and a lotic system. In the space below draw an example of each system and the plant and animal life one might find in these two ecosystems. In the Lentic system, don’t forget the three zones: shallow, open, deep water zones.
Lentic Ecoystem
Lotic Ecosystem
Task 4: Thinking Ahead: What is weathering? (insert picture of a lake) Journal Time:
(insert picture of a river)
____ Date ____ Water Systems ____ Lentic System definition ____ Lotic system definition ____ Line of Learning: List examples of Lentic and Lotic Systems ____Thinking Ahead Questions and answers
Week 9, Day 43 TODAY THE STUDENT WILL: Identify and describe how freezing, thawing, and plant growth reshape the land surface by causing the weathering of rock Record local weather information on a calendar or map and describe changes over a period of time (barometric pressure, temperature, precipitation, cloud conditions) Explain the water cycle Lesson Preparation: a rock, 2 Styrofoam cups, 3 inches of soil, plaster of Paris, a Popsicle stick, a small amount of Vaseline, and a green balloon.
Key Vocabulary weathering: any chemical or mechanical process which makes rock decompose
mechanical weathering: the breaking down of rock because of
natural occurrences, such as storms, water erosion, or wind erosion
Science Focus Question Describe how the weathering of rock can reshape the land surface. Task 1: Getting Ready: Rock Talk The student will take a rock and attempt to change the way it looks. He can try many things to change the appearance. Ask the student some questions after he attempts to change the appearance of the rock:
Why was this task difficult? What do you think can change the appearance? Pretest Time The student will take a pretest of his knowledge today. This is a good way to open a lesson because the student will see how much information about a topic he already knows about and he will see some areas of which he needs to gain a stronger understanding of.
Pretest:
Agree
Disagree 1. Are plants able to shape the Earth in different ways? ____
____
2. Are plant roots strong enough to break cement?
____
____
3. Are cracks in sidewalks caused by people walking on them?
____
____
4. Can plants break apart rock?
____
____
5. Freezing and thawing can cause rock to weather.
____
_____
Task 2: Science Focus Question: At this time the student needs to refocus on the focus question. Post the question for today’s lesson for easy viewing.
Describe how the weathering of rock can reshape the land surface.
Task 3: Read the Text: Weathering is a natural occurrence. Weathering will change the shape of the land. It is caused by wind and water erosion. Sand is a perfect example of a result from mechanical weathering. While sand is made up from mostly quartz, other types of sand can be found on shore lines of rivers and lakes. It is there because of the mechanical weathering of rock. Read the text with the student. Then visit these websites to build background knowledge: http://www.geography4kids.com/files/land_weathering.html http://www.geosci.unc.edu/faculty/glazner/Images/Weathering/weatheri ng.html
Task 4: A Search for Local Weather: The student will have an opportunity to fill in a table showing his own observations of weathering in the neighborhood of which he lives. This part of the lesson can be done at a later time if the current weather is not desirable for a walk. Try to have the student observe many things while outside. Here are some suggestions: A wooded area – A sidewalk – A stream – An area that sees flooding often – ground under roof gutters – driveways – A river
What weather What I saw
Where it was
How do I think it
conditions caused
happened?
this
Task 5: Investigation Read through and complete the investigation with the student. Here is a copy of the investigation from the text:
Materials Needed: 2 Styrofoam cups, 3inches of soil, prepared plaster of Paris (make just before using), a Popsicle stick, small amount of Vaseline, and a green balloon. (insert pictures modeling the steps) ·Fill one cup with 2 inches of soil ·Pour ¼ inch of plaster of Paris on top ·Use the spoon to smooth the plaster over the top of the cup to model an asphalt street. ·Rub some Crisco on the plastic spoon and push the greased end of the spoon down into the plaster to simulate a roadway. Try not to expose the soil. Leave the spoon in the plaster for about 30 minutes, and then gently remove the spoon. ·It will leave a small indentation where the spoon was. ·Trim the cup to the bottom edges of the plaster to show ground level. ·Fill the crack with water and place in the freezer overnight. ·Observe how the plaster looks tomorrow. If it has not cracked, repeat adding water and refreezing.
Answer Questions: The student will now answer some reflection questions since the experiment is completed. Here are the questions: 1. How does the plaster look in the cup after freezing? _the plaster should be cracked.______
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ 2. What changes do you think will be visible after four hours? (possible responses) It may look more cracked, wet _____________________________________________________
(After waiting four hours, write what you see.)
Answers will vary. _____________________________________________________
3. If this process was repeated each day for a month, what would the “roadway” look like? _there would be a lot of cracking/ cracks would widen / possible breaking of plaster. ___________________________________________________________________________ _______
4. What could cause a crack in a roadway to grow? _Repeated freezing and thawing ______________________________________________________
Task 6: Weathering Part 2 Extend the Investigation: The student will read a small portion of text about weathering then will complete the extension of the investigation. Here are the steps the student will need to follow at this point: You are going to repeat some of the steps of the previous investigation, but change a few things. (insert pictures showing each step next to it) □Blow up the balloon slightly and tie □Fill one cup with 2 inches of soil
□Place the balloon on top of the soil with the tied end facing up. This will represent the plant’s stem. □Pour the prepared plaster around the balloon. The buried part of the balloon represents the roots of the plant What happens to plants when they get plenty of sunshine and water? They grow. □Untie the neck of the balloon and continue to inflate the balloon, watch as the sidewalk begins to crack as the roots grow and expand through the cement. □Do not repeat any other steps. Compare the two cups. Were the results on the two sidewalks the same? Or were they different? Why do you think this happened?
Task 7: Show You Know: Today, you learned about weathering and how its forces break down rock. One example of weathering is freezing and thawing of rock, plant roots growing, Weathering shapes and reshapes our land on a daily basis. Plant roots and freezing are all examples of mechanical_ weathering
Posttest: The student will now take a posttest of the information taught in the lesson. The posttest is the same as the pretest that the student completed earlier in the lesson. When the student is done with the posttest, compare the tests to see what information was learned. Here is an answer key for this pre/post test:
Task 8: Thinking Ahead: How do heat, cold, light, and chemicals change things? Have you been remembering to collect weather data on your cities?
Journal Time: ____ Date
____ Weathering ____ Name a state where weathering takes place ____ Write how weathering takes place there ____ Line of Learning: “Today I learned” ____Thinking Ahead Questions and answers (symbol for reteaching / extensions) RETEACHING / EXTENSIONS Here is an extension website to view with the student. The focus is on chemical weathering. http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0067-chemicalweathering.php This site contains EXCELLENT VISUALS AND EXAMPLES of mechanical weathering: http://www.kidscantravel.com/familyvacationdestinations/whitedesert/f unstuffkids/index.html
Week 9, Day 44 TODAY THE STUDENT WILL: Recognize change as fundamental to science and technology concepts Describe the change to objects caused by heat, cold, light, or chemicals Employ simple instruments such as rulers, magnifiers, and thermometers to systematically gather, record, analyze, and interpret data, Provide clear explanations that account for observations and results (How water flows through the
water cycle) Lesson Preparation 10 sugar cubes jar with a lid 10 pieces of gravel 2 small pieces of steel wool 2 small plastic bags
Key Vocabulary mechanical weathering: the breaking down of rock because of natural occurrences, such as storms, water erosion, or wind erosion
wedge: to squeeze, or force chemical weathering: the breaking down of rock because of chemical processes
Science Focus Question How does heat, cold, light, or chemicals change objects? Task 1 Getting Ready: The student will learn more about mechanical and chemical weathering today. So far the student has only explored mechanical weathering. Review material from the previous lesson. Here are the main points to review with the student: ____ Mechanical weathering is physical weathering ___ Weathering is the breaking down of rock ____ Mechanical weathering is caused by storms, waves, running water
Science Focus Question: Ask the student the science focus question. Have the student separate the question into four different answer parts, like shown: How does heat, cold, light, or chemicals change objects? Heat:
Cold:
Light: Chemicals:
Task 2: Read: Heating Up and Cooling Down Wedging Frost Wedging Salt Wedging Root Wedging Chemical Weathering · Carbonation: This is the process where dissolved carbon dioxide in rainwater or moisture in the surrounding air forms carbonic acid and reacts with the minerals in the rock. As the structure of the rock is weakened, it begins to break apart. ·Hydrolysis: This type of chemical reaction occurs when minerals in the rock react with hydrogen in rain water. ·Oxidation: A process where water, oxygen and the minerals in the rock such as calcium and magnesium combine. A reddish-brown iron oxide is formed when iron reacts with oxygen. The iron-oxide crust crumbles easily and weakens the rock. ·Solution: When minerals in rocks are dissolved directly into the water. ·Hydration: Minerals in the rock absorb water and expand. This places stress on the make up of the rock and causes it to begin to disintegrate.
Task 3 Investigate! Here are the directions as shown in the student text: In the last lesson you modeled mechanical weathering by breaking up a “sidewalk” through mock winter weather conditions and a growing plant. Today you will continue to investigate how chemical and mechanical weathering work! As you work through these two investigations, think about what type of weathering is taking place. in
Investigation #1
Take one baggie and label it “dry.” Label the other one “wet”. Place a small amount of steel wool in the dry bag and seal it. Wet the other piece of steel wool, put it in the other baggie and seal it. Make a prediction. What do you think will happen?
Let the bags sit for 3 days. Stop the investigation here. After three days, carefully examine both bags. In the box draw what you observe. On the T chart below, write your observations in words.
Observations:
Dry Bag
Wet Bag
Draw what the steel wool Draw what the steel wool from the dry bag looks Examine both bags. In what ways are the bag same/different? fromthey the wet looks like. like
Dry Bag
Wet Bag
ommon
Working over a piece of white paper, take the steel wool out of each bag one at a time. Describe what it looks and feels like.pes of chemical weathering are oxidation, hydrolysis and carbonation. more susceptible however, because they have a greater amount of surface area.
Chemical reactions break down the bonds holding the rocks together, causing them to fall common in locations where there is a lot of water. This is because water is important to many of the chemical reactions that can take place. Warmer temperatures are to chemical weathering. The most common types are oxidation, hydrolysis and carbonation. Describe what the steel Dry Bag wool from the dry bag looks like. The steel wool looks exactly the same
Describe what the steel Wet wool from the wet bag looks like. The steel wool is **
Bag
brittle, rusty, falling apart, it feels
sharp between your fingers. What has fallen off Gently roll each piece of steel wool of the steel wool?
Dry Steel Wool _ Nothing has fallen off, some small pieces or flakes of the dry steel wool __________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Wet Steel Wool_ The wet steel wool will fall apart as soon as you start to touch it. Rusty color will be on hands. Heavy metallic smell ___________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Are they different? _ Yes. Wet steel wool has changed, dry stayed the same What caused the changes in the wet steel wool? _ A chemical reaction between steel wool, water, and air What type of weathering is this? _ Chemical _______________________________ _________________________________________________________ Draw a conclusion about the interaction between the steel wool, water, and air inside the bag. When water, oxygen and steel are present together, a form of chemical weathering called oxidation takes place. This combination begins to rust or break down the chemical make up of the steel.
Explain how this type of weathering could happen to a rock. If a rock contained a large amount of iron, then when it rained the oxidation would begin between the iron in the rock, water, and oxygen.
Task 4 Investigation #2
Sugar cubes and gravel.
What does the sugar cube look like?________
__ Sugar cube is a 3-D cube, white, _________________________________ ___________________________________
1. Put the sugar cubes in a jar. Draw a picture of the sugar cube 2. Put the lid on and shake 10 times. 3. Pour the contents out on a piece of paper, separating the smaller pieces from the larger pieces. Questions: How have the sugar cubes changed in appearance? _ Some of the sugar cubes have broken into smaller pieces, some into crumbs __________________________________________________ Are the changes caused by physical or chemical weathering? (HINT: did the sugar change in physical appearance or did the chemical make-up change?) _ Physical weathering ___________________________________________________ What evidence do you have to support your answer? _ The cube does not look like it did when it was originally put in the jar. The physical appearance has changed. _____________
Return the sugar cubes to the jar, and shake 10 times again. 4. Pour the contents out on a piece of paper, separating the small sugar grains from the clumps of sugar.
Do the cubes look more worn?___ Yes _____________________________ Are there any whole cubes left? _ There should not be many whole cubes at all. Each cube should have broken up into smaller pieces ____________________________________________________
Return the sugar cubes to the jar, and shake 20 times again. ·Pour the contents out on a piece of paper, separating the crumbs from the chunks. Do the cubes look more worn?__ Yes ______________________________ Are there more, less, or about the same amount of crumbs as before? __ More crumbs, fewer large pieces ___________________________________________________
Task 5 Wrapping it Up Read this portion of the text with the student.
Task 6: Thinking Ahead Did you ever wonder what types of instruments meteorologists use to collect data and predict the weather?
(symbol for reteaching / extensions) RETEACHING / EXTENSIONS This site reviews the different chemical processes on Earth that cause erosion. http://library.thinkquest.org/20035/chemical.htm
Week 9, Day 45 TODAY THE STUDENT WILL: Record local weather information on a calendar or map and describe changes over a period of time (barometric pressure, temperature, precipitation, cloud conditions) Make an observation about the weather describing how the temperature feels like and what they see Show the steps taken and the results (Tracking
evaporation results) Analyze a series of events and/or simple daily or seasonal cycles Describe the patterns and infer the next likely occurrence Formulate instructions and communicate data in a manner that allows others to understand and repeat and investigation or experiment. Lesson Preparation: none Key Vocabulary: none Science Focus Question: Does weather show a pattern? Task 1 Getting Ready: The student will reflect on the data taken daily on three cities. If the student missed a few days of data collecting, have him use what he has for today’s review. Here are a few of the tasks in the textbook and sample responses: The student will make the city he lives in “CITY #1” The city located to the west is “CITY #2” The city located to the south is “CITY #3”
The student will first describe the overall weather. Here are a few key words the student can use when describing weather:
Calm / Warm / Cold / Windy / Hot / Snowy / Rainy / Stormy / Sunny / Cloudy / The student will also answer two questions about the data:
How was the weather the same or different in any of the 3 cities? The student should choose two cities that either had something in
common or something that was very different between the two.
Can you think of any reason the weather would be the same or different? The student needs to reflect to the first question. If he focused on how the cities were similar, then he will tell why they were similar now. If he focused on how the cities were different, he will write about reasons why they showed different data. One reason why two cities would have different weather is that they may be in two completely different parts of the country and weather patterns have a common flow across the United States.
Science Focus Question: Ask the following question to the student:
Does weather always show a pattern?
Task 2 Weather Variables The student will be making some graphs to show the data he collected. Here are the directions for each task as shown in the student text: Temperature/Wind Direction: A line graph is a good way to chart changes in temperature/wind direction over time. ·Draw and label 3 line graphs for your cities showing Temperature over Time. Label the x- axis with your dates, the y-axis with degrees F. ·Chart the temperature readings for each day ·Label the wind direction for each day at the same point for the temperature of each day.
Cities
#1 #2 #3
This graph does not have the wind direction. It shows the temperature over a five day period for all three cities.
Sky Conditions: Bar graphs are an easy way to compare data and illustrate changes over time. Place your data on the bar graph. Here is what you will need to do: 1. Label the horizontal axis with these sky condition terms: Sunny Cloudy Clear 2. Label the vertical axis with numbers 1-7 to show the days of the week. 3. Make a key for the three cities you have tracked. Represent each city by a different color.
Precipitation: Circle graphs are a good way to show parts of a whole. Use the prepared circle graph to chart the data. 1. Label each graph with the name of your city.
2. Shade in the number of days with precipitation for each city.
Task 3 Analyze Data The student will now look at the graphs he just made and fill in a table with some additional data. Making the graphs first is an important step because the student now has a visual to refer back to. Here is a look at the chart the student will be filling in: Temperature
City Up down same
High Temp./Date
Low Temp./Date
Average
Here are some questions the student will answer based on his data: Sky Conditions and Temperatures Student answers will vary. 1.Which city had the most sunny days? _______________________ 2.Which city had the most cloudy days? _______________________ 3.Which city had the most rainy days? ________________________ 4.Was there any relationship between the condition of the sky and temperature? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________
Precipitation: Look at your data. Compare the three cities. Write your answers in mm.
City ___________________
Most_____ Least_____ Total _____
City ___________________
Most_____ Least_____ Total _____
City ___________________
Most_____ Least_____ Total _____
Task 4 Culminating Activity: The student will make a prediction of the weather for the three cities based on the data that was just collected. In the student’s report, he should include: _____The name of the city _____ What the sky will look like _____ Precipitation Type _____ Any warnings _____ Suggestions for what someone should do in that weather Introducing meteorologist___________________ (student’s name) Based on all the data you have collected and analyzed from the past week, please make a prediction of what the weather will be like in each of the 3 cities for tomorrow. Support your report based on specific trends you observed in each city.
(symbol for re-teaching / extensions) RETEACHING / EXTENSIONS Here is an extension site providing information about meteorology: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/home.rxml
Week 9 Recap:
subduction zone – a zone, or region, where two tectonic plates meet and move Plankton : microscopic algae found in bodies of water organic : a characteristic of living matter decomposer: something that breaks down the cells of dead plants or animals
weathering: any chemical or mechanical process which makes rock decompose
mechanical weathering: the breaking down of rock because of natural occurrences, such as storms, water erosion, or wind erosion
Wedge: to squeeze, or force chemical weathering: the breaking down of rock because of chemical processes
