MAT 671 Assignment 4.2 Air Currents and the Uneven Heating of the Earth's Surface

AIR CURRENTS & THE UNEVEN HEATING OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE

Lesson Plan: Air Currents and the Uneven Heating of the Earth's Surface

Lara Landry

National University

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Abstract

The following paper is an interdisciplinary content standards-based lesson

plan for sixth grade science on Air currents and the uneven heating of the Earth's

surface that uses a 21st century problem-solving model. Three appropriate student

engagement strategies are used in the lesson; physical response, jigsaw cooperative

discussion, and learning by doing. The rule of 3 is used to teach 13 interdisciplinary

vocabulary words and 5 content standard words. Both text and digital resources are

used; a standards-based sixth grade textbook and a Youtube video. Students engage

in a problem solving activity in which a strategic question is posed and answered.

The activity allows for three additional critical thinking and three additional

creative thinking questions.

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Lesson: Air Currents and the Uneven Heating of the Earth's Surface

Grade Level: Sixth Grade

Subject: Science

Lesson Objective: Students will be able to explain why water temperature does not change at

the same rate as the temperature of sand. Students will be able to describe the main factors that contribute to the

uneven heating of Earth's surface.

Content Standards:3.d. Students know heat energy is also transferred between objects by radiation (radiation can travel through space).4.b. Students know solar energy reaches Earth through radiation, mostly in the form of visible light.7.c. Construct appropriate graphs from data and develop qualitative statements about the relationships between variables.

Materials:Resources:Focus on Earth Science textbook

Supplies:lined paperpencilssandtap watersalt waterbeakerslight sourcethermometers

Technologies:Youtube video "The Weather Front Song"

Strategies Used:Critical thinking questions (3)Creative thinking questions (3)Problem solving activity/method Strategic question as part of the problem solving processText resourcesDigital resourcesRule of 3 to teach 10 interdisciplinary words

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Student engagement strategies (3)

Instruction:Part One:The teacher reviews with the class previously learned material through a physical response engagement activity. She asks the students true/false questions based on information they have already learned about energy from the sun. The students clap twice if the answer is yes and once if they answer is no. This makes each student accountable for their responses rather than relying on a classmate and engages them in a physical activity in order to make them active in the learning process.

Review Questions:Solar radiation warms the water, air, and land on Earth's surface TrueThere is more energy concentrated at the polar regions. FalseThere is more energy concentrated at the equatorial regions. TrueIt is the balance of incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation that keeps the Earth's surface temperatures stable.

True

Air that is close to Earth's surface is heated by convection. FalseAir that is close to Earth's surface is heated by conduction. TrueRadiation from the sun heats Earth's surface unevenly. TrueCold air rises and hot air sinks. FalseHot air rises and cold air sinks. TrueDensity causes hot air to rise and cold air to sink. TrueConvection currents distribute thermal energy True

The teacher introduces the subject-specific and interdisciplinary vocabulary words to the students before introducing the lesson on the uneven heating the Earth's surface. The teacher builds background by conducting a discussion on the meanings of the words. The students are instructed to fold a piece of lined paper vertically and write each word at the left margin, skipping five lines between each word. The teacher uses Word Recognition as the Rehearsal method. The students match the words to the correct definition or synonym and write the definition down on the left side of the fold of the paper. They then rehearse the word and definition by telling the meaning of each word to a partner. Contextual Meaning is used as the Analyze method. The students derive the meaning of the words in various contexts that relate to the science standard as well as other disciplines. They write down two sentences for each word under the definition, using each in two contexts.After the students have used the words in context, they will create a Visual Representation for the Produce method for each word in the space under each in the right column (the right of the fold). The pictures should help the students recall the definitions and the correct use of the words.

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Tier-Two Interdisciplinary Vocabulary:visibleabsorbtransfercapacitycontrastabsorbtransfer

similartemporarilyeffectexpandinginversioncirculate

Tier-Three Subject Specific WordswindupdraftdowndraftCoriolis effectjet stream

At the close of the class period, the teacher plays the Youtube video, "The Weather Front Song" to give the students a sneak peak into the next part of the lesson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD4hSW2mys0

Part Two:"The Weather Front Song" is played for the students again and they are invited to sing along to the lyrics.

The students complete a jigsaw cooperative discussion engagement activity for Lesson 3 Air Currents in Chapter 9 of their Focus on Earth Science textbooks. The class is divided into groups of five and each student is given one of the five sections of the lesson; Local Winds and Eddies+ Uneven Heating of Earth's Surface, Updrafts+ Downdrafts+ High Pressure to Low Pressure, Air Currents Around Earth+ The Coriolis Effect, Global Convection Currents, and Jet Streams. Members of the teams with the same subtopic meet together in expert groups. The experts work together to summarize the important information in their sections using bullets. The experts return to their jigsaw teams to teach what they have learned to their peers. The team members take notes on the information being taught.

"The Weather Front Song" is played for the students again at the end of the class period and they are encouraged to sing along to the lyrics.

Guided Practice:The teacher introduces the next activity by asking; how many students have ever had their feet burned by the sand at the beach on a hot day? and how was the temperature of the water different?

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Students are presented with the strategic question; "If sand and water both absorb energy from the sun, why do they feel so different?"

The students will conduct an experiment to solve the problem. They participate in the engagement activity, learning by doing, by conducting the experiment. They are divided into groups and are given the materials needed to complete the experiment; sand, tap water, salt water, beakers, light source, thermometers. The students are instructed to make a prediction whether sand or water will heat up equally as fast and explain why they think they will heat up at the same speed or at different speeds. The students measure 100 g each of tap water, salt water, and sand, and place each material in a separate beaker. They place each beaker beneath the light source so that all three beakers receive the same amount of light. They measure the temperature before turning on the light source and once every minute for 12 minutes once the light is turned on. The turn the light off and record the temperatures every minute for an additional 12 minutes. They record their data in a graphic organizer. They create a bar graph from their data. They then evaluate their results and make inferences from the data collected. Students answer the strategic question, explaining why the ocean is cooler than the sand.

Based on their data, students answer three critical thinking questions:1. Which had the highest temperature and which had the least change?2. What is happening to the air over the different materials?3. What do you know about the properties of water that contrast to the

properties of other Earth's surfaces?

Independent Practice:The teacher provides the students with three creative thinking questions for the students to answer on their own based on the reading from the textbook and the experiment conducted in class:

1. How else could you test the same concept? What other materials could be tested? What other energy sources could be used?

2. How does this experiment help in understanding convection currents?3. What do convection currents have to do with wind and weather patterns?

The students are encouraged to view "The Weather Front Song" and for extra credit can sing it solo or in a group in front of the class.

Assessment:The four written pieces of the lesson are collected by the teacher and graded for completion and accuracy; the vocabulary graphic organizer, the jigsaw expert summary and the notes from the lessons taught to the group, The three critical thinking questions concluding the experiment, and the three creative thinking questions are completed for independent practice.

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Reflection:

Designing a lesson that incorporates all of the most important aspects of the

Best Practices Method requires a lot of thought and preparation of the teacher,

however the added time in planning will ensure the higher level and deeper

thinking we want from our students. Critical thinking questions are important in

assessing comprehension, pointing to only one solution and excluding others.

However, Best Practice teaching should also include creative thinking questions that

generate multiple paths to a solution. These creative questions are important in

engaging students' intuitive process of the right brain. These creative questions

cause students to think outside of the box and give them experience in problem

solving needed in the Conceptual Age we are in today (Ventriglia, 2009).

The problem solving method of Best Practices is also greatly effective in

developing higher level and deeper thinking. It ties together the best of the linear

thinking process with the right brain intuitive creative thinking process. To

demonstrate to the students that the conclusion or solution to a problem is really

just the jumping off point for more questions and the generation of more ideas is

extremely beneficial in preparing students for the 21st century workforce. Although

it is true that there are some problems that only have a single solution and require

linear logical thinking, many problems lend themselves to creative possibility

thinking. The What if questions at the end of this problem-solving method move

students' thinking from the mundane to the possible (Ventriglia, 2009).

Interdisciplinary vocabulary should be taught across all disciplines in order

to give students multiple exposures to words and to enhance student achievement.

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By teaching interdisciplinary words as well as subject specific words across

disciplines, students are able to increase their word knowledge and reading

comprehension across subject areas. The rule of three provides an effective

approach in teaching vocabulary. It gives students the multiple practice

opportunities needed to develop and strengthen their word knowledge and reading

comprehension skills because it includes rehearsal opportunities, word analysis

using contextual and structural information, and depth of word processing using

elaboration activities (Ventriglia, 2012)

Incorporating Best Practice methods ensures student engagement, the

development of student ideas, discussion, and collaboration. The elements of Best

Practices more adequately prepares students for the work force and inspires

creative processes such as design, a critical element to higher order and deeper

thinking.

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References

Focus on earth science. (2007). Columbus, OH: Glencoe/McGraw Hill.

Grade Six: Focus on Earth Science. Science content standards for california public

schools: kindergarten through grade twelve. Retrieved from

http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/sciencestnd.pdf

Ventriglia, Linda D. Ph.D. (2009). Best practices 21st century questioning and problem

solving: Infolinking. Mexico: Younglight Educate.

Ventriglia, Linda D. Ph. D. (2012). Best practices interdisciplinary vocabulary

development: The rule of 3. 10th edition. USA: Younglight Educate.

Ventriglia, Linda D. Ph.D. (2010). Best practices motivation and student engagement.

8th edition. Mexico: Younglight Educate.

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MAT 671 Assignment 4.2 Air Currents and the Uneven Heating of the Earth's Surface