Final Unit Plan - Melanie Poirier

Unit Overview Introduction Weather is an important aspect of daily life. Students should be provided with opportunities to realize that daily weather conditions are not the result of random occurrences, but rather are part of larger systems and patterns that can be predicted on both a short-‐term and seasonal basis. An important part of the study of weather is understanding the characteristics of air, its movement, and its ability to hold water. Students consider various aspects of weather such as temperature, wind speed, precipitation, and cloud formation, beginning to recognize the role these factors play in weather systems. Focus and Context The focus in this unit should be inquiry. Data collection and predicting are also processes to be developed. An appropriate context for this unit is the development and use of a school weather station. Students will have many opportunities to collect a wide variety of data on the weather using instruments they may have constructed. They will also interact with a variety of people and use a variety of sources to determine techniques, instruments, and indicators for predicting the weather.

Curricular Outcomes

• Describing and Predicting the Weather (300-‐13, 301-‐14)

• Sun’s Energy Reaching the Earth (303-‐21)

• Properties of Air (300-‐14)

• Movement of Air and Water (302-‐10, 301-‐13)

• Environmental Issues (301-‐11)

Measuring, Describing and Predicting the Weather

Unit Title: Earth and Space Science: Weather Lesson Title: Measuring, Describing and Predicting the Weather Contacts: Michelle Dutcher, Melanie Poirier, Kayla Jordan & Megan McBrine Curriculum Area (s): Science Grade Level: Grade 5 Time Required: One week of 35 minute classes Instructional Groupings: Groups of Four Methods/ Structures: Puzzle Pieces Students will be divided into groups for the elaboration part of the lesson using puzzle pieces. There are five puzzles depicting five different weather instruments (barometer, rain gauge, thermometer, wind vane and anemometer). Students are given a piece from a puzzle and are instructed to find those with pieces from the same puzzles. Those with pieces from the same puzzle will work as a group. The instrument featured in the puzzle will also be the weather instrument that the students make. Find pictures in additional resources. Curriculum Standards: 300-13 describe weather in terms of temperature, wind speed and direction, precipitation, and cloud cover. 301-14 describe and predict patterns in local weather conditions. NSES Standards: All students should develop an understanding of:

• Structure of the Earth’s System • Earth’s history • Earth in the solar system

Materials: Photo for KWL (weather station), KWL handouts, Weather bulletin board, Hilroy scribbles (one for each student), weather instrument puzzles (barometer, rain gauge, thermometer, wind vane and Anemometer)

Differentiation: Students are given the choice to accompany their presentation with a poster, brochure, podcast or skit. This allows students to create something of their interest and learning style.

The Science Learning Cycle

Engagement: Begin the lesson with a KWL.

• Create a three-column chart for the class with the titles KWL (What We Know, What We Want to Know and What We Learned). Students should also be given a copy.

• Show the class an image (weather station) and have them fill out the What We Know column of the chart individually. Once all students are finished, go over their ideas as a class and add them to the class chart.

• With the picture still on display, have students complete the What We Want to Know column of the chart. Once all students are finished, go over their questions as a class and add them to the class chart. Please see additional resources for KWL chart.

Exploration: At this point in the lesson, take the time to point out the weather bulletin board to the class. Introduce students to the bulletin board theme, information and activities. Just touch on the information and activities though as students should explore them in their spare time. Explanation: Hand each student a Hilroy notebook and introduce students to their weather journal assignment. For their journal, students will use the weather instruments (they will make these in the elaboration section of this lesson), local news forecast, internet to collect and record weather measurements for their area. Students should collect the weather data every day for a two-week period (minimum). Each entry should include the following:

• date • time • temperature • wind speed • wind direction • air pressure • precipitation • sky coditions • sunrise • sunset

Elaboration: For this part of the lesson students will build weather-measuring instruments (barometer, rain gauge, thermometer, wind vane and Anemometer). Begin by placing the materials and instructions for the instruments at five different stations (tables). Now divide students using the puzzle piece strategy (mentioned at the beginning of the lesson plan under Methods/Structure). Once students have found their group and the instrument they will build, have them find their station and begin making their weather instruments (instructions are attached). Once students have made their weather instrument, have them practice using it and research it. Evaluation: Finish the lesson by having students create presentations. In their groups students should present the weather tool they made. They must accompany their presentation with a poster, brochure, podcast or skit. Class time will be provided for preparation. Presentations should discuss the following:

• What the instrument is. • How it works. • Why we use it. • Brief history of the tool.

Note: A checklist and rubric is attached to help students prepare. After presentations, revisit the KWL Chart. Show students the image of the weather station again and go over the two filled in columns. Now have the students individually fill in the third column, What We Learned. Once all students are finished, go over their ideas as a class and add them to the class chart. This will bring the lesson to an end and help students reflect. References: KWL Picture (Weather Station): http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=12986 Weather Instrument Instructions: http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj2/en/docs/thermometer.shtml http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj2/en/docs/windvane.shtml http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj2/en/docs/anemometer.shtml http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj2/en/docs/raingauge.shtml http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj2/en/docs/barometer.shtml

Additional Resources: KWL Picture

Name: _______________________________

KWL

What We Know What We Want To Know What We Learned

Puzzle Pieces (to separate groups)

Make and Use an Anemometer to

Measure Wind Speed

Overview Wind is the horizontal movement of air. The instrument used to measure wind speed is called an anemometer, which is an indicator that will spin in the wind. The anemometer rotates at the same speed as the wind. It gives a direct measure of the speed of the wind. Wind speed is measured by using the Beaufort Wind Scale which is a scale of 0-12 based on visual clues. Depending on the ability of students, it is probably sufficient that they recognize calm air, and gentle, moderate, and strong breezes. For example, students can use a simplified scale such as the following:

Wind Speed (KmPH) Term Description 0-5 Calm Smoke goes straight up 6-20 Light Wind is felt on face; weather vanes turn, leaves

rustle 21-39 Moderate Raises dust; flags flap 40-61 Strong Large branches move; umbrellas turn inside out 62 or more Gale / Whole

Gale

Materials • 4 small paper cups • 4 plastic drinking straws • tape • scissors • straight pin • pencil with a new eraser • stapler

Procedure • This anemometer has four cups which catch the wind and

cause the anemometer to spin. The inward curve of the cups receives most of the force of the wind. That's what makes the cups move. The more spins per minute, the greater the wind velocity.

• Arrange four (4) plastic drinking straws to form a cross and tape them together at the center.

• Staple the top side of one drinking cup, such as the small

paper cups designed for bathroom dispensers, to the

end of each straw, so the open ends of the cups all face the same direction.

• Push a straight pin through the center of the straws into an

eraser on the end of a pencil. This provides the axle. • Mark one of the cups; this will be the one they use for

counting when the anemometer spins. NOTE: When using this anemometer, 10 turns per minute means the wind speed is about one mile per hour. If possible, it would very useful to use a commercial anemometer to determine an approximate determination. For example, "when our anemometer read 20 spins a minute, the commercial anemometer read 2 miles per hour."

• Blow on the anemometer or turn an electric fan on low to

make sure that it spins easily. How many times the anemometer will spin in one minute? Can you make a statement connecting the number of spins of your anemometer and the speed of the wind? (you can use the table below to record your practice trials).

Use an Anemometer to measure Wind Speed

Within your group, assign the following roles (optional): • One time keeper who will be responsible for timing one

minute for each trial. • One official "counter" for the day. The others may count

on their own, but the counter's readings will be the ones recorded.

• One holder who will hold the anemometer while the spins are counted; the holder should make sure that he holds the anemometer so that the wind is unobstructed.

Mount or hold the anemometer in a place that has full access to the wind from all directions. When the time keeper says "Go", the counter in each group will count how many times the marked cup passes them in one minute and write it down. If possible, repeat the above step four (4) times and record the average number of spins.

Make and Use a Barometer to Measure

Air Pressure

Overview Air pressure is the result of the weight of tiny particles of air (air molecules) pushing down on an area. While invisible to the naked eye (i.e. microscopic), they nevertheless take up space and have weight. For example, take a deep breath while holding your hand on your ribs and observe what happens. Did you feel your chest expand? Why did it expand? Air pressure expands because the air molecules take up

space in your lungs, causing your chest to expand. Furthermore, air can be compressed to fit in a smaller volume since there's a lot of empty space between the air molecules. When compressed, air is placed under high pressure. Meteorologists measure these changes in the air to forecast weather, and the tool they use is a barometer. The common units of measurement that barometers use are millibars (mb) or inches of mercury.

Materials

wide-mouthed glass jar or small coffee can balloon (recommended) or plastic wrap rubber band scissors drinking straw cardboard strip glue (recommended) or tape ruler and pen or pencil small piece of modeling clay shoe-box sized cardboard box

Procedure

1. Cut the narrow opening of the balloon off.

2. Cover the top of the jar with the balloon so that it is airtight and use the rubber band to hold it in place. IMPORTANT: the seal should be airtight (If you are using plastic wrap, it should make an airtight seal around the rim of the jar).

3. Place a small amount of glue in the middle of the

balloon and carefully place the side of one end of the straw on the glue so that the other side extends over the edge of the jar.

4. While the glue is drying, fold a piece of cardboard (see photo) so that it can stand on its own.

5. Carefully, mark lines .5 cm apart and write "Low

Pressure" at the bottom and "High Pressure" at the top.

6. Once completed, place the barometer and the scale in the shoe-box sized cardboard box so that the end of the straw with the clay just reaches without touching the scale. Tape both the barometer and the scale into place so they cannot move.

How does this measure air pressure?

Use a Barometer to measure Air Pressure by placing the completed barometer and scale in a shaded location free from temperature changes (i.e. not near a window as sunlight will adversely affect the barometer's results).

High pressure will make the balloon seal dip causing the straw go up. Low pressure will make the balloon puff up causing the straw to go down.

Make and Use a Rain Gauge to Measure Precipitation

Overview Students can use tap water to practice reading the measurement of the rain gauge in the classroom. They will be taking measurements to the nearest 1/4" (5mm). If there is a safe spot outside, the students can leave the gauge outside and take a reading after each rainfall, remembering to empty the jar after each reading. If the gauge can't be left outside, the students should place it outside on each rainy day. Materials • Clear plastic ruler • Cylinder shaped clear jar (e.g. an olive jar) • Rubber band • Funnel • Transparent tape

Procedure

1. Remove the jar's label.

2. Attach the ruler to the outside of the jar with the rubber band; make sure that the bottom edge of the ruler is even with the bottom of the jar. Or secure the ruler inside the jar so it is standing vertically with the end at the base of the jar/bottle. Tape the ruler in place so the numbers can be read from the outside of the jar/bottle.

Note: As an alternative to a ruler, you can use a permanent marker to mark the inches/centimeters on clear tape affixed vertically to the outside of the jar/bottle beginning at the base to the outside of the jar/bottle. Cover the marks with a second piece of clear waterproof tape.

3. Place the funnel in the top of the jar. The top end of the funnel should cover the entire mouth of the jar.

4. If you would like, you can practice filling the jar with water and measuring the total amount.

Use a Rain Gauge to measure Precipitation

Put the jar out in the rain. Read the ruler to determine how much rain was collected. Note: the rain gauge should not be put it near or under trees or too close to buildings which may block the rain.

Use a Thermometer to measure Temperature

Overview Temperature is measured with a thermometer usually made of a glass tube with colored alcohol. As the air gets hotter, the level of the liquid rises and, as the air gets cooler, the level falls. The temperature of the air is always changing. Air temperature is a very important part of weather measurement. It is recommended to begin by giving each group a thermometer and let each student practice reading the indoor temperature. Students should look straight at the thermometer at eye level. Materials • Rubbing Alcohol • Water • Cylinder shaped clear jar or bottle (bottles with a narrow

neck work best) • 1 straw • Modeling clay • Food coloring

Procedure

1. Remove the jar's label.

2. Remove the top from the jar make a small hole (just big enough so the straw can fit in).

3. Pour equal amounts of cold water and rubbing alcohol

into the jar/bottle, filling it to about 1/4 of the container.

4. Add two - three drops of food coloring.

5. Close the bottle and make a small hole in the lid (just big enough to insert the straw).

6. Place the straw in the jar/bottle so that the bottom of the straw is submerged in the liquid but not touching the bottom of the container.

7. Seal the top of the bottle with the modeling clay so that it has a tight seal and so the straw stands upright.

8. Test your thermometer

a) Grasp the jar/bottle with your hands and hold on for 5 five minutes. What happens

b) Place your thermometer in a pan of cold water. What happens?

c) Place your thermometer in a pan of hot water. What happens?

Use a Thermometer to measure Temperature

Unfortunately the thermometer you just made will not be able to provide accurate measurements so you may have to purchase an actual thermometer.

Go outside and wait two minutes before you take a reading. This is to allow the thermometer to adjust to the outside air temperature.

Make and Use a Wind Vane to determine Wind Direction

Overview Knowing the direction of the wind is an important part of predicting weather because wind brings us our weather. A wind vane, also called a weather vane, is a tool for measuring wind direction and was probably one of the first weather instruments ever used. To determine wind direction, a wind vane spins and points in the direction from which the wind is coming and generally has two parts, or ends: one that is usually shaped like an arrow and turns into the wind and one end that is wider so that it catches the breeze. The arrow will point to the direction the wind is blowing from so if it is pointing to the east, it means the wind is coming from the east. Additionally, wind direction is where the wind is blowing from. Therefore a west wind is blowing from the west. To use a wind vane, you must know where north, south ,east, and west are.

Materials • Tag board or manila file folder • Straight pin • Scissors • Glue • Pencil with a new eraser • Plastic drinking straw • Modeling clay • Paper plate

Procedure

1. Cut out an arrow point 5cm long.

2. Cut out an arrow tail 7cm long.

3. Make 1cm cuts at the ends of each straw.

4. Slide the arrow point and the arrow tail into the cuts in the straw.

5. Push a straight pin through the middle of the straw and

into the eraser end of the pencil. 6. Stick the sharp end of the pencil into a lump of

modeling clay; this will be your base.

7. Mark north, south, east, and west on the paper plate.

8. Put the clay on a paper plate.

Test out your Wind Vane Place the paper plate on a flat surface and put the wind vane on the plate. Blow on the vane and make sure that the arrow can spin freely.

Name: _______________________________

Brochure Checklist

o What is the theme of my brochure? Do all the items included in my brochure support that theme?

o Is the information in my brochure accurate?

o Does my brochure have a title? Does the title reflect the theme?

o Are my sentences properly punctuated and all words spelled correctly? When in doubt, look it up. This applies to names too!

o Do I have a good balance of graphics and text?

o Have I included my references for my information resources and any borrowed images?

o Have I checked my work at least one time for errors?

Name: _______________________________

Podcast Checklist

o What is the theme of my podcast? Do all the items included in my podcast support that theme?

o Is the information on my podcast accurate?

o Does my podcast have a title? Does the title reflect the theme?

o Are the voices in my podcast clear and enthusiastic?

o Have I included my references on a separate piece of paper for my information resources and any borrowed images?


Name: _______________________________

Poster Checklist

o What is the theme of my poster? Do all the items included in my poster support that theme?

o Is the information on my poster accurate? Are at least seven facts displayed?

o Does my poster have a title? Does the title reflect the theme? Is the title easy to read from six feet away?

o Are my labels easy to read? Can they be read from three feet away?

o Are my sentences properly punctuated and all words spelled correctly? When in doubt, look it out. This applies to names too!

o Do I have a good balance of graphics and text?

o Have I included my references on a separate piece of paper for my information resources and any borrowed images?


Name: _______________________________

Presentation Checklist

o What is the theme of my presentation? Do all the items included in my presentation support that theme?

o Is the information in my presentation accurate?

o Does my presentation have a title? Does the title reflect the theme?

o Have I included my references for my information resources and any borrowed images?

o Have I practiced my presentation at least once?

o Are the presenters’ voices clear and enthusiastic?

o Is our body language appropriate?

o Is my powerpoint, posterboard, etc. free from errors and easy to read? (optional)

The Sun’s Energy Reaching the Earth Unit Title: 4 Earth and Space Science: Weather Lesson Title: Sun’s Energy Reaching the Earth Contacts: Megan McBrine, Kayla Jordan, Melanie Poirier, Michelle Dutcher Curriculum Area (s): Science Grade Level: Grade 5 Time Required: One week of 35 minute classes Instructional Grouping: Groups of Four Curriculum Standards: 303-‐21: Relate the transfer of energy from the sun to weather conditions NSES Standards: 5-‐8 Earth and Space Science Standards All students should develop an understanding of:


Materials: Chocolate Chips, Metal Pan, Video Cam, Stopwatch, Beakers, Water, Top Soil, Medium Sized Rocks, Lamps, Chart Paper, Markers, SmartBoard, YouTube, Materials for students presentations Overview: Students will explore the powers of the sun’s energy and how it affects our world. They will gain an understanding of how the sun transfers energy to different objects and how they are affected differently. Differentiation: Students will have the choice in how they decide to create their presentation

The Science Learning Cycle Engagement: First the teacher will show two videos to students:

1. “Ice-‐cream Melting Time Lapse” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx2zcqZ6fLk

2. “Time Lapse of Snow Melting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODjNolIHPGQ Next the teacher will ask the students: (While making a chart on the SmartBoard)

• What is happening in the videos • What are similarities between both videos

For the final part of the engagement the teacher will do a short demo showing students how the sun’s energy can transfer to another object. (chocolate)

• The teacher will set up this experiment by placing some chocolate chips on the metal pan and turning the lamp on directly over them. (The teacher should use some kind of video cam that hooks up to the SmartBoard so everyone can see.)

• Before the experiment takes place the teacher should be ask engaging questions such as:

o What does the lamp represent? o What do you think will happen to the chips? o How long do you think it will take for the chips to melt?

§ Get everyone in the class to write down their estimation and name on a piece of paper.

o What would happen if I moved some of the chips aside away from the lamp?

• Do the experiment and time it. • Who came the closest to guessing the correct amount of time it took.

Exploration:

• Students will work in small groups (3-‐4) and compare the differences in temperature between water and soil when exposed to a lamp for the same period of time.

• Students will be required to fill out a chart for this experiment and shall include: hypothesis, observations, and conclusions.

• Students will conduct the experiment and see what happens to both the water and the soil when they are left under the lamp for the same amount of time.

• They will be able to recognize which items changed their temperature the most from transferring the sun’s energy.

Explanation:

• Students will collaborate as a group to determine why they think certain objects (water, soil, or rock) heated up and why some didn’t.

• Students will write their final answers down on a piece of chart paper and share their ideas with the class.

Elaboration:

• Students will go a little deeper into the concept of the sun’s energy and create

a short presentation in groups (3-‐4) to share with the class. • Students can decide to create this presentation on either:

o Showing positive benefits of the sun’s energy (Solar Power) o Showing negative impacts the sun’s energy can have (Melting Icecaps)

• Student’s can choose to complete these presentations via: a Poster Board, PowerPoint, News Paper Article or a News Cast

Evaluation:

• The teacher will collect the student’s charts from the exploration portion of this lesson and check them for understanding.

• The second form of evaluation for this lesson will be the presentations done by the students in the elaboration portion of this lesson. The teacher should use a rubric for evaluating the student’s work.

Properties of Air Unit Title: Earth and Space Science: Weather Lesson Title: Properties of Air Authors: Melanie Poirier, Kayla Jordan, Megan McBrine, Michelle Dutcher Curriculum Area (s): Science Grade Level: Grade 5 Time Required: 3-‐4 days of 35 minute classes Instructional Grouping: Students working in groups of three or four. Curriculum Standards: 300-‐14 Describe situations which demonstrate air takes up space, has weight, and expands when heated. (300-‐14) 206-‐5: Draw a conclusion, based on evidence gathered through research and observation, about the patterns of air and/or water flow that result when two air or water masses of different temperature meet. NSES Standards: NSES Standards: 5-‐8 Earth and Space Science Standards All students should develop an understanding of:


Materials: Balloon, apparatus with room temperature water, apparatus with warm water, same amount as room temperature water, apparatus with cold water, same amount as other two (student experiments have materials listed) Overview: In this lesson students will explore situations that demonstrate when air takes up space, has weight and expands. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to draw conclusions, based on their evidence, about the patterns of air and/or water flow that result when two masses of different temperature meet. As a result of this lesson, students will understand the properties of air. Differentiation: Differentiation of this lesson will be demonstrated by allowing students to choose which of the student experiments they want to complete.

The Science Learning Cycle Engagement: Question: Can you think of any situations in which air can expand? What do you think will happen if you place a balloon in warm water, room temperature and cold water? The teacher will pose the above question at the beginning of class. Students will then respond, and then there will be a short discussion of their answers. After this there will be a teacher demo of how air expands when it is heated or contracts when it is cooled. Heated Air Experiment: Materials: • balloon • apparatus with room temperature water • apparatus with warm water, same amount as room temperature water • apparatus with cold water, same amount as other two. What to do: • Blow up a small balloon. • Completely submerse it in water of room temperature. • Mark the water level with the balloon submersed. • Then, using an identical amount of warm water, submerse the balloon again, wait

a few minutes. • Ask the students to comment on what they think is happening. • Mark the water level with the balloon submersed. • It should take up more space when it is warm because the volume of air has

increased. • Using the third apparatus, place the balloon in cold water. • The water level will drop because the volume of the balloon decreases. After this demo, have the students brainstorm in groups why they think this happened? Have a class discussion to find out their answers. Exploration: Students will now explore the properties of air on their own. Have students conduct the following experience in groups of two. They can choose which one of the following experiences they want to do, however they must remember to complete the Scientific Method of prediction, observation and conclusion for whichever experiment they choose. Experiment Choice #1: Lift a box by blowing into a plastic bag that has been placed under its corners. Materials: plastic bag, and box.

Experiment Choice #2: Try to fill a bottle with water by submerging it in a large tub of water (Note: the air bubbles have to escape before the bottle can fill) Materials:bottle, water, tub of water. Experiment Choice #3: Students can find the mass of uninflated balloons, and then find the mass again when they are full of air to demonstrate air has mass. Materials: balloons, scales Experiment Choice #4: Changes in the mass of air can also be illustrated by examining differences in air pressure at various heights above the surface of the Earth. This can be modelled by stacking paper in progressively larger piles to show how the mass increases. Similarly, air has a greater pressure closer to sea level because of all of the air “stacked” on top of it. Materials: paper Experiment Choice #5: Materials: • plastic wrap • jar • pan with hot water • pan with ice-‐cold water Experiment for students: • Place plastic wrap over a jar and secure with an elastic band. • Place the jar in a pan that contains hot water. • After three minutes, record your observations of the plastic wrap. • Repeat the process with the pan filled with ice-‐cold water. • What happens to the air as it heats up? • What happens to it as it cools down? Explanation: After the students have conducted their own experiments in pairs, they will share their results with their classmates. In order to do this, the students will teach fellow groups in a One Stay, Two Stray method. One person from each of the experiment groups will stay at the table and take notes, while the two/three other group members will circulate and teach the other students what the results of their experiments were. Once students have shared their results in the One Stay, Two Stray method, the person that stayed will share with the two that strayed what the other groups found. There will then be a short class discussion about what students concluded based on these experiments. The properties of air to be discussed during this are as follows: • air has weight

• air takes up space • air expands when heated • air has temperature Elaboration: After the class has discussed what happened in this experiment and the properties of air the teacher will give each student an exit slip. On the exit slip students will answer the following questions • What are the properties of air? • Based on our experiments why is air pressure greater at sea level than it is at the

top of a mountain? Draw a picture to support your explanation. • What could you do to show that air takes up space? Evaluation: Students are required to explain what happened in their experiment. Here, the teacher can use the following checklist as a way to assess if students understood the lesson. Did the students experiment work? Were the students able to articulate what happened in their experiment? A way to evaluate this lesson, the teacher will collect the Exit Slips. This will inform the teacher if the students understood this discovery based lesson on the properties of air (check for understanding) and if they need to create another lesson to supplement it. Additional Resources: Have a video of the engagement experiment incase something is faulty with the experiment in class. References: New Brunswick Curriculum Document: http://www.gnb.ca/0000/publications/curric/grade5science.pdf

Movement of Air and Water

Unit Title: 4 Earth and Space Science: Weather Lesson Title: Movement of Air and Water Curriculum Area (s): Science, Language Arts, Mathematics Authors: Kayla Jordan, Melanie Poirier, Megan McBrine, Michelle Dutcher Grade Level: Grade 5 Time Required: One Week of 35 Minute Classes Instructional Grouping: Groups of Four Curriculum Standards: 302-‐10: identify patterns in indoor and outdoor air movement 301-‐13: relate the constant circulation of water on Earth to the processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation NSES Standards: NSES Standards: 5-‐8 Earth and Space Science Standards All students should develop an understanding of:


Materials: Fan with different speed levels (slow, medium, fast), Feathers (5 sets of 4), Wind Vane (5), Anemometer (5), Hand Sanitizer (3 small bottles), Dixie Cups (30), Ziploc Bag (30), Tape, Water, Tornado in a bottle set up, Prediction sheet (30), Plastic Bottle, Hot Water, Air Pump, Electric Kettle (Optional), 2 paper dolls (male and female), Paper Clothing (27 pieces), Envelope containing weather forecasts, Interactive SmartBoard Lesson: The Water Cycle, Presentation Materials (Depending on Student Choice), Chart Paper, Exit Slips Overview: This lesson will occur throughout one week of classroom time. Students will be exposed to air and water movement, five learning cycles to further explore the movement of water and make connections to The Water Cycle and the present their findings of the learning centers to the rest of the class. We will finish this lesson by participating in an Interactive SmartBoard lesson and having the students complete an exit slip to check for understanding.

Differentiation: The lesson will be differentiated by giving students the choice of what kind of graph to make for their hypothesis and conclusions as well as how they wish to present their information to the class.

The Science Learning Cycle Engagement: Air Movement Question: how does air move inside and outside of the classroom? What You Will Need: Fan with different speed levels (slow, medium, fast) Feathers (5 sets of 4) Wind Vane (5) Anemometer (5) What To Do: Before examining how air moves inside and outside of the classroom, brainstorm (on chart paper) how students believe air moves inside and outside of the classroom. Explain that we will see just how air moves and see if any of their theories are correct. Students will be grouped into groups of four using the strategy: Numbered Heads.

1. Turn fan on lowest setting 2. Have students come up by group and throw four feathers in front of the fan.

Repeat this process by changing the fan speed and continuing to throw four feathers in front of it each time.

3. Students should mark down their observations so they may compare their hypothesis with the results at the end of the demonstration.

Once this part of the engagement is concluded, have students brainstorm new ideas about if the wind moves differently outside of the classroom than inside. Create brainstorming chart and record student’s thoughts.

4. Take students outside of the school and have them explore the wind outside of the classroom. Each group receives on wind vane and one anemometer and they record the different ways the air moves outside of the classroom. Students can easily feel the wind, and can use a wind vane to measure its direction at various times of the day, and an anemometer to measure its speed).

5. Bring students back inside of the classroom and prepare for discussion. Discuss As a Class:

• Patterns of indoor air movement are far more subtle than outdoor patterns of movement.

• Outdoor air movement is much more pronounced. Students can easily feel the wind, and can use a wind vane to measure its direction at various times of the day, and an anemometer to measure its speed.

• As air and water are considered fluids and behave similarly investigations

regarding airflow patterns can be shown more easily by experimenting with water.

Exploration: Learning Centers Students will be allowed to choose their groups for the portion of the lesson. They will be working in groups of 4 and will participate in learning centers around the classroom. There will be 5 learning centers throughout the classroom and students will be asked to record their hypothesis and their findings/conclusions. They are the following:

1) Make Your Own Cloud In A Jar Materials:

• Plastic Bottle • Hot Water • Air Pump • Electric Kettle (Optional)

Directions: 1. Add very hot water to the plastic bottle (just enough to cover the bottom),

you can get your water from the tap (or electric kettle). 2. Add the stopper in the top of the plastic bottle and hold it tight. 3. Using the foot-‐pump pump air into the plastic bottle until you can’t pump

anymore in. 4. Remove the stopped, squeeze the bottle and see what happens.

Explanation: Pumping the bottle forces the molecules to squeeze together or compress. Releasing the pressure allows the air to expand, and in doing so, the temperature of the air becomes cooler. This cooling process allows the molecules to stick together – or condense – more easily, forming tiny droplets. Clouds are nothing more than groups of tiny water droplets!

2) Create Evaporation Materials:

• Hand Sanitizer Directions:

1. Pour hand sanitizer on your hands and rub them together (as if you were washing your hands).

2. Your hands are now wet and should feel cooler. 3. After a few seconds your hands should feel dry! 4. Now, try rubbing the sanitizer on your hands and wave them through the air.

What happens? Explanation: The hand sanitizer evaporated off of your hands and they felt cool. This shows how evaporation is a cooling process! When you move your hands through the air, it simulates the wind, which makes the evaporation process happen faster. The wind causes moisture on your skin to evaporate at a faster rate, making you feel colder.

3) The Water Cycle Materials:

• Dixie Cup • Ziploc Bag • Tape • Water

Directions: 1. Put a small amount of water in the pixie cup. 2. Put the pixie cup in a baggy and close the baggy. 3. Tape the baggy with the cup of water inside of it to a window that the sun

comes in. 4. What happens?

Explanation: With the heat of the sun, the water evaporates from the cup, which you cannot see and condenses on the inside of the bag into little water droplets. These droplets eventually drip down to the bottom of the bag. This is what happens to the water in our creeks, streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. The water evaporates into the air and rises with the heat of the sun. It condenses into small droplets into what we see as clouds. When the droplets become too heavy, they fall to the ground as rain or snow.

4) Dress for the Weather Materials:

• 2 paper dolls (male and female) • Paper Clothing (27 pieces) • Envelope containing weather forecasts

Directions: 1. Choose a card from the envelope 2. Read your card 3. Select a doll and dress him or her for the weather

Explanation: This activity helps students learn how to properly dress for the weather depending on different temperatures.

5) Tornado in A Bottle Materials:

• Tornado in a bottle set up • Prediction sheet

Directions: 1. Make predictions among your group members about what you think is going

to happen when you turn the bottle upside down. 2. Make sure all of the water is in one of the two pop bottles. 3. Turn the bottles upside down so that the water is now on the top. 4. As soon as the bottles are turned over, turn the bottle with water in a circular

motion quite fast then let it go. 5. Let the water flow through to the bottom.

6. Watch what happens! Explanation: The swirling motion of the water in the bottle forms a vortex. This is an easy way to create your own tornado. This experiment shows water moving through a small hole in a manner that simulates the spiraling behavior of the tail of the tornado. The condensation funnel, or tail, cause great destruction for anything in its path, as it touches the earth and sweeps objects and debris up into its vortex (the spinning center). Explanation: Center Presentation Students will present their hypothesis and conclusions to the class concerning the learning centers. Each group’s hypothesis and findings will be recorded. Students will then take all of this information and decide what type of graph can accurately display the classes’ information. Graphs will be collected from each group for evaluation. Elaboration: The Water Cycle Review Teacher will make connection that water and air movement relay on a bigger scale within our world as the Water Cycle. An interactive SmartBoard lesson on the Water Cycle will be presented in the class and students will be encouraged to participate (see attached resource). After the interactive SmartBoard lesson is complete, students will be presented with an exit slip and answer the following questions:

1. How is air and water movement related? 2. What learning center interested you the most and why? 3. What are the five parts of the water cycle?

Evaluation: Presentation of Findings, Graphs, and Exit Slips Checklist of Presentation of Findings • Basic knowledge of groups hypothesis and conclusions • Evidence of participation within the center • Clarity of Presentation • Creativity

Checklist for Graphs: • Represents findings and hypothesis correctly • Correct use of information • Neatness

Collect Exit Slips (Student Understanding): The questions will prove beneficial to the teacher as they show student learning from each part of the overall lesson plan. Exit slips will be assessed and returned so that the teacher and student know where we need to go from here and what may need a little more revision. Reference: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-‐experiments.htm

SmartBoard Resource:

Environmental Issues Unit Title: Earth and Space Science: Weather Lesson Title: Environmental Issues Authors: Melanie Poirier, Megan McBrine, Michelle Dutcher & Kayla Jordan Curriculum Area (s): Science Grade Level: Grade 5 Time Required: One week of 35 minute classes Instructional Grouping: Groups of four Curriculum Standards: 105-‐1: Students will be expected to identify examples of weather phenomena that are currently being studied. 108-‐1: Identify positive and negative effects of technologies that affect weather and the environment. 106-‐4: Describe how studies of the depletion of the ozone layer, global warming and the increase in acid rain have led to new inventions and stricter regulations on emissions from cars, factories, and other polluting technologies. 302-‐11: Describe the key features of a variety of weather systems

NSES Standards: NSES Standards: 5-‐8 Earth and Space Science Standards All students should develop an understanding of:


Materials: Materials needed for experiment (lemon juice, vinegar and three pieces of regular white chalk). Materials for each group project will be determined once groups pick their presentation medium. Overview: This lesson will occur throughout one week of classroom time. The lesson will start off with an engagement activity where the teacher will present an experiment revolving around the unit: Weather and more specifically: Environmental Issues. Students will then be broken up into groups of four where they will research and explore subtopics within Environmental Issues. Students will then take what they have learned and compile a group presentation in either a brochure, PowerPoint,

podcast/video or a model of their Environmental Issue. Students will present their creations in class the following week. Differentiation: This lesson will be differentiated by giving students the choice of how they want to present their Environmental Issue to the class. Students will pick their top two presentation topics and the teacher will then try to fit as many interests as possible. This will allow students to be comfortable with their choice and excited about their learning within the classroom.

The Science Learning Cycle Engagement: Question: What is the long term effect of environmental issues such as: acid rain? Acid Rain Experiment Students will be engaged through an acid rain experiment. It will go as follows: What you need: Lemon juice Vinegar Three pieces of regular white chalk What to do: 1. Place one piece of chalk in a glass of lemon juice. Note: for each glass, the chalk should be about three-‐fourths submerged in the liquid. 2. Place the other piece of chalk in a glass of vinegar. 3. Place the last piece in a glass of plain tap water. 4. Check back on the glasses over the next few days. *The experiment will be started several days in advance. This lesson will be focused on the outcome of the experiment. Discuss as a class: When carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere dissolve into raindrops, it causes the rain to become a natural acid. It can dissolve and break down rocks. For example, erosion can turn boulders into sand. Volcanoes and the natural decay of plants create some of these gases naturally. But the pollution humans create can cause rocks to erode faster than usual. Now examine the experiment outcome and discuss what is happening? • Lemon juice and vinegar are acids. Chalk is made of rock called limestone, which

contains a chemical called calcium carbonate. • Acids react quickly with the limestone, breaking apart the calcium and the

carbonate to form calcium and carbon dioxide gas. • Acid rain is a much weaker acid than vinegar or lemon juice but since acid rain

falls week after week, year after year, it can eat away at rocks, eroding them. * Could also add: “When humans burn coal with sulfur in it, rain makes the smoke turn into powerful sulfuric acid. This human-‐made acid rain can be very tough on a forest.” Experiment found at: http://www.eh.uc.edu/cares/kids/games/images/AcidRainExperiment.pdf Exploration: After this experiment there will be a class discussion about environmental problems where students can express their thoughts and opinions about the topic. Students will pick their top two presentation topics and the teacher will then try to fit as many interests as possible. Students will then be grouped into four and given time to research their topic area. Topic ideas for presentations: Deforestation, Global Warming, the ozone hole, El Niño or La Niña, volcanic emissions. Steps to Exploration:

1. Choose a topic 2. Research topic idea using textbooks, teacher approved Internet websites 3. Choose topic presentation format from the follow: brochure, PowerPoint,

podcast/video or a model of their Environmental Issue. 4. Develop presentation with group members.

Explanation: Students will be asked to present their group project in front of their peers. Students will also explain to their peers why they chose their specific presentation format. This will give students the chance to share their knowledge of their chosen subject matter and allow others to learn about them. Elaboration: After the groups have presented their Environmental Issue, the teacher will give each student an exit slip. On the exit slip students will answer the following questions • Which presentation interested you the most? • What are three things you learned about environmental issues from these

presentations? • What is one question you have about any of the environmental issues presented? Evaluation: Checklist for Project/Presentation • Basic knowledge of Environmental Issue. • Evidence of research • Clarity of Presentation • Creativity

Collection of Exit Slips following the presentations, check for student understanding. Additional Resources: Have a video of the engagement experiment incase something is faulty with the experiment in class.

Documents

Final Unit Plan - Melanie Poirier