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

Lesson Plan: 6th Science: Air Currents and the Uneven Heating of the Earth's Surface Lara Landry National University

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

AIR CURRENTS & THE UNEVEN HEATING OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE 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 paper pencils sand tap water salt water beakers light source thermometers 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 process Text resources Digital resources Rule of 3 to teach 10 interdisciplinary words

AIR CURRENTS & THE UNEVEN HEATING OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE 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 There is more energy concentrated at the polar regions. There is more energy concentrated at the equatorial regions. It is the balance of incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation that keeps the Earth's surface temperatures stable. Air that is close to Earth's surface is heated by convection. Air that is close to Earth's surface is heated by conduction. Radiation from the sun heats Earth's surface unevenly. Cold air rises and hot air sinks. Hot air rises and cold air sinks. Density causes hot air to rise and cold air to sink. Convection currents distribute thermal energy True False True True False True True False True True 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.

AIR CURRENTS & THE UNEVEN HEATING OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE Tier-Two Interdisciplinary Vocabulary: visible absorb transfer capacity contrast absorb transfer Tier-Three Subject Specific Words wind updraft downdraft Coriolis effect jet 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.

similar temporarily effect expanding inversion circulate

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?

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

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

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

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

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.