A template for inquiry lesson plan design

Lesson Title: Weather Maps

Teacher Name: S Wyatt

Grade Level: 8th

Unit Topic: Climate Controls

Time Frame: 2 class periods (90 min blocks)

Targeted TEKS/Scopes & Sequence

8.10 B. identify how global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather using weather maps that show high and low pressures and fronts..

Learning Objectives/Big Ideas:

This lesson has students consider how various parts of the world and the United States are affected by climate controls such as world air currents. They will read about climate controls and will create maps showing how these controls affect the climate in various places around the country.

Grabber (5E: Engagement):

Have students read the Climate Controls section of the Creative Climates activity, and hold a brief class discussion on the different types of climate controls that are mentioned, using a world wall map as a reference.

Case Study and Simulated Research Activity (5E: Engagement):

Guiding Questions (5E: Exploration, Explanation, & Elaboration):

Have students look at the world climate map and predict what the weather might be like in the following cities: Juneau, Alaska; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Jakarta, Indonesia.

Student Activitiesthat Engage

Give each student a blank world outline map. Have them refer to the video clip of world air currents in the Family Xpeditions Xtras section of Creative Climates, and a physical world map (available at MapMachine). Ask them to mark areas on the outline map that they think might be affected by the climate controls they have read about (except for latitude, which is the obvious one).

Students in Scientific Practices (5E: Exploration, Explanation, & Elaboration):

Scientific practices has these key features: (1) pose, refine and evaluate questions that guide scientific investigations,(2) designing and conducting scientific investigations, (3) use representations, models, and mathematics to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems, (4) formulating and revising scientific explanations using logic and evidence, and (5) communicating and defending a scientific argument

After students have had a chance to label some places on their own, discuss what they've done and ask them to label the following places in the United States that are definitely affected by climate controls: coastal California, California and Nevada deserts, the Rocky Mountains (and other mountain ranges).

Have students look carefully at their maps, and discuss the ways in which they think each of the regions they have mapped is affected by climate controls.

Assessment (5E: Evaluation):

Have students write captions to go with their maps describing the factors that control the climate in each place they have labeled. As an option, have students research one or two of these places to find out about the effects of the climate controls on vegetation, animals species, and human life in these areas.

(Extension) Also, have the students research the places from their guided activity on the Internet and/or in print materials to see if their predictions were accurate. Ask them to find out about each city's weather, including its temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and seasonal variations.

Additional Resources/Documents:

checklist for your Inquiry lesson Plan
Learning objectives:
  • What are specific objectives of this lesson aligned with TEKS?
/ □
Research questions:
  • Do you have a research question (s) that can be answered through scientific investigations in the lesson?
/ □
Grabber:
  • What grabber activity (e.g., a demonstration, video, question or mini activity) at the beginning of class might engage them with the research question?
/ □
Design Scientific Investigation:
  • How will you guide scientific investigations (such as formulate questions, design investigations, execute investigations, interpret data, use evidence to generate explanations, propose alternative explanations, and critique explanations and procedures)?
/ □
Simulated Research Activities:
  • Do you use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data (such as data set analysis, hands-on activity, evidence evaluation, simulation, verbal design)?
/ □
Description, Explanations, Predictions, and Models
  • How will you guide students to develop description, explanations, predictions, and models by students?
/ □
Mathematics
  • How will you use mathematics to ask questions, to gather, organize, and present data, and to structure convincing explanations?
/ □
Evidence
  • How will you guide what evidence should be used to formulate scientific explanations?
/ □
Alternative Explanations
  • How will you guide students to recognize and propose alternative explanations (or predictions)?
/ □
  • How will you guide students to communicate alternative explanations (or predictions) with other students?
/ □
Communication:
  • Do you provide opportunity for students to show what they have learned through discussions, predictions, presentations, or written assignments? And what ways?
/ □
Use of technology:
  • What specific technology is most appropriate for this inquiry?
/ □
Assessment:
  • How will you assess the learning objectives though meaningful manner?
/ □
  • How will you determine whether or not the learning objective has been achieved?
/ □

Microsoft Project Basics Workshop by: Kenneth Steiness, PMP