Date: May 1998
Grade Level(s): 4, 5, 6
Subject(s):
The lesson topics are Weather and Geography. The lesson incorporates cooperative learning (the class will be split into 3 groups with each being responsible for accessing and recording data on a particular city) and cross-curricular study (math, science, and social studies).
Goals:
The purpose of this lesson is to "do science" the spreadsheet allows the students to spend a greater percentage of their time being a scientist and less time calculating and graphing.
Objectives:
A. Each student will access The Weather Underground: Current Conditions via Internet.
B. Each student will utilize The Weather Underground: Current Conditions to obtain the temperature, cloud cover, and wind speed for a given city.
C. Each student will enter obtained weather data into a spreadsheet.
D. Each student will use a spreadsheet to calculate averages and create X-Y line charts.
E. Each student will utilize information obtained from a spreadsheet and/or line chart to rank order cities with regards to temperature, cloud cover, and wind speed.
F. Each student will record five questions (such as "Why is Phoenix warmer than Fargo? or "Do the Great Lakes effect cloud cover in Syracuse?") that if answered, might explain relationships between collected weather data and the physical location/geography of various cities.
Background Information for the Teacher:
The educational computing tools I have chosen to use in this lesson are the Internet and spreadsheets. A more traditional way of carrying out this lesson would incorporate obtaining data from a newspaper, figuring averages by hand or with a calculator and then graphing the data by hand.
I believe the Internet is superior to the newspaper for data collection of this type (and many other types) because weather information is so fluid. Most students will seek out weather information in the future and this lesson provides them with exposure to the most efficient way to access the most current information. I also want to have my students experience collecting data in a way that approximates what a scientist would do in a similar situation.
I am incorporating the spreadsheet because, again, I want my students to experience collecting and analyzing data in a way that approximates what a scientist would do in a similar situation. The spreadsheet also facilitates the efficient transformation of numerical data into highly stimulating visual data.
Materials or Equipment List:
Students will need a computer workstation that includes an Internet connection, spreadsheet software, a printer, an atlas and various books about weather and geography. The teacher will need transparencies and an overhead projector (in order to display averages and composite X-Y linecharts).
Procedures:
1. Students will complete objectives A - C
the teacher introduces what the class will be doing, why they are doing it and how they will do it students are randomly split into three groups and each group is assigned to collect data on either Fargo, ND; Syracuse, NY; or Phoenix, AZ (or any other diverse group of cities) every day, for a period of six weeks, a member of each group accesses the The Weather Underground: Current Conditions http://www.wunderground.com/ via the Internet at a given time in the target city and enters the temperature, cloud cover (which will be calculated on a numerical scale where overcast = 4, mostly cloudy = 3, partly cloudy = 2, scattered clouds = 1, and clear = 0) and wind speed into a spreadsheet. An Example:
If the chosen cities are Syracuse, Fargo, and Phoenix, data collection is being conducted in the eastern time zone, and the given time in the target cities is 1:00 PM, the group assigned to Syracuse would collect their data at 1:00 PM, the group assigned to Fargo would collect their data at 2:00 PM, and the group assigned to Phoenix would collect their data at 3:00 PM
2. Students will complete objective D
at the end of the six week period, each student will utilize the spreadsheet their group developed to determine the average temperature, cloud cover, and wind speed for the city their group was assigned each student will utilize the spreadsheet their group developed to create X-Y line charts depicting each of the variables for the city their group was assigned each group will turn in one copy of a computer disk containing their group's data, calculations and charts
3. Students will complete objective E
the class analyzes teacher made transparencies listing the average temperature, cloud cover and wind speed for each city the class analyzes teacher made transparencies depicting composite X-Y line charts for the average temperature, cloud cover, and wind speed the class rank orders cities with regards to average temperature, cloud cover, and wind speed
4. Students will complete objective F
the teacher introduces and together with the class discusses how physical location/geography can impact weather based on available data, classroom discussion and print weather and geography reference materials each student will record five questions (such as "Why is Phoenix warmer than Fargo? or "Do the Great Lakes effect cloud cover?") that if answered, might explain relationships between collected weather data and the physical location/geography of various cities.
Assessment:
The main purpose of the evaluation will be to have students demonstrate whether or not the stated objectives have been met. This will be accomplished in a variety of ways including observing the students during classroom discussions and observing the students perform various procedures. Written work will also be taken into consideration. The six objectives will be specifically addressed as follows:
Objective A. Each student will demonstrate the ability to access The Weather Underground: Current Conditions via Internet.
Objective B. Each student will demonstrate the ability to utilize The Weather Underground: Current Conditions to obtain the temperature, cloud cover, and wind speed for a given city.
Objective C. Each student will demonstrate the ability to enter obtained weather data into a spreadsheet.
Each student will have to demonstrate the above procedures. If they are unable to, they will review the procedures and make another attempt. This process will continue until each student has demonstrated each of the procedures.
Objective D.
Each student will demonstrate the ability to use a spreadsheet
to calculate averages and create X-Y line charts.
Objective E. Each student will utilize the information obtained from a spreadsheet and/or line chart to rank order cities with regards to temperature, cloud cover, and wind speed.
Each student will be given a set of weather data for each of three different cities and be required to utilize a spreadsheet to determine averages and create X-Y line charts for each city. They will then be asked to rank order the cities for each particular type of data. If they do not demonstrate 90% proficiency they will be given an additional set of data and asked to repeat the procedure.
Objective F. Each student will demonstrate the ability to record five questions (such as "Why is Phoenix warmer than Fargo?" or "Do the Great Lakes effect cloud cover in Syracuse?") that if answered, might explain relationships between collected weather data and the physical location/geography of various cities.
Each student will be asked to produce a list of questions. The teacher will check each list and each student will receive a score of one through five. Then the class will discuss and try to answer representative questions from the lists the students produced. Finally, students that received a score of less than five on the original list of questions they produced will be given an opportunity to create a second list.
Useful Internet Resources:
Required:
Enrichment (Weather):