Weather Tracking

1
Weather Tracking

• John P. Holland Elementary School
• Dorchester, MA

2
Weather Tracking Project

• Software Needed
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Internet Explorer

• Hardware Needed
• Computer with Internet Access
• Printer
• Floppy Disk

3
Overview of the Unit

• Essential Question
• How do weather conditions affect our daily life?
• Grade 3 students access the Weather Channel
  website to retrieve daily weather conditions in
  select cities.
• Students record and save their findings in a
  Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that has previously
  been created by the teacher.
• Students write a weekly paragraph about the
  effects of weather in their selected city on
  daily needs including clothing, shelter and
  recreational activities.
• Students utilize Microsoft Word to process their
  writing.
• Students share their weekly paragraph with the
  entire class.

4
Notes for Instructors

• The unit has been a collaboration of myself, the
  technology specialist, and grade 3 homeroom
  teachers. Students utilized the computer lab to
  access the Weather Channel daily and weekly to
  word process their essays. For those teachers
  that wish to complete this unit and only have 1
  computer in their classroom here is a link to
  article addressing needs and suggestions of the 1
  computer classroom.
• http//www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech092.shtm
  l
• The length of unit can be decided by the
  individual teacher, however I recommend a minimum
  of one month or 4 week cycle.
• Students select or are assigned a different city
  each week.
• Time constraints and scheduling were the most
  difficult obstacles to overcome.

5
Rubric for Narrative Essay

• Use of five-step process of prewriting, drafting,
  revising, editing publishing.
• Use of knowledge of punctuation, (i.e. commas,
  apostrophes, capitalization, etc).
• Use of knowledge of spelling.
• Writes with clear focus, logically related ideas
  to develop it and adequate supporting details.
• Sticks to the topic.
• Includes a strong beginning and closing sentence.
• Includes a strong conclusion that brings the work
  to summation and leaves the reader with a strong
  impression.

6
Rubric for Word Processing

• Enter, edit and delete text.
• Exercise proper spacing and punctuation.
• Exhibit knowledge of when to use the Return key
  when entering text.
• Utilize electronic spell checker.
• Save document to a data disk.
• Print file.

7
Rubric for Spreadsheet

• Open the teacher created file from the hard
  drive.
• Collect and organize data using Excel.
• Enter, edit and delete data into columns, rows,
  and cells.
• Save changes to a data disk.
• Print newly created Excel file.

8
Teacher Created Spreadsheet
9
Curriculum Frameworks

• Massachusetts Department of Education
• Strand 1 Language Strand...
• Grade 3 Standard 1. The student engages in
  effective discussions. S/he...
• 1.1 speaks with appropriate loudness, clarity,
  speed, and phrasing
• 1.2 asks clear questions (and answers them),
  using full sentences
• 1.3 exchanges ideas and opinions
• 1.4 respects the turn-taking rights of others
  during discussions
• 1.5 makes contributions in class and group
  discussions (e.g. recounts personal experiences,
  reports on personal knowledge about a topic,
  initiates conversation)
• 1.6 asks and respond to questions
• 1.7 follows rules of conversation (e.g. takes
  turns, raises hand to speak, stays on topic,
  focuses attention on speaker
• 1.8 provides feedback and confirmation when
  listening to others
• 1.9 contributes to discussions about their
  reading on aspects of fiction such as plot,
  characters, and sequences of events, and on
  aspects of nonfiction, such as sequence, logical
  relationships, and viewpoint

10
Curriculum Frameworks

• Grade 3 Standard 2. The student makes effective
  presentations. S/he...
• 2.1 takes part in creative responses to texts
  such as dramatizations, oral presentations,
  fantasy play, etc.
• 2.2 establishes a clear purpose
• 2.3 reads grade-level material aloud
• 2.4 speaks with fluency and proper emphasis
• 2.5 uses eye contact
• Grade 3 Standard 3. The student understands,
  analyzes, evaluates, and responds effectively to
  oral presentations.
• 3.1 asks key questions for clarification and
  additional information
• 3.2 exchanges ideas and opinions
• 3.3 uses languages and behaviors that are polite
  and respectful
• 3.4 summarizes and paraphrases the previous
  speakers' key points
• Recognizes most primary word families and
  patterns
• Applies basic word families and patterns to
  unfamiliar words when reading or writing
• Is familiar with how words can be derived from
  the following 37 word families -ack -ain -ake
  -ale -all -ame -an -ump -ank -ap -ash -at -ate
  -aw -ay -unk -eat -ell -est -ice -ick -ide -ight
  -ill -in -ine -ing -ink -ip -ir -ock -oke -op -or
  -ore -uck -ip

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Curriculum Frameworks

• Strand 3 Strand 3 Skills Integration (Grades 1
  2)/Writing (Grades 3, 4 5)
• Grade 3 Standard 1. The student understands the
  structure of written language and employs this
  structure effectively, in their stories, reports,
  poems, letters, essays, and all other writings.
  S/he...
• 1.1 uses standard spelling for the majority of
  commonly used words
• 1.2 uses cursive writing (unless working on a
  word processor)
• 1.3 punctuates sentences properly, including
  commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, periods,
  exclamation points, and question marks
• 1.4 capitalizes correctly
• 1.5 composes complete simple sentences
• 1.6 composes declarative, interrogative,
  exclamatory sentences
• 1.7 writes well-developed, 3-5 sentence
  paragraphs organized in a logical order
• 1.8 identifies and use parts of speech nouns,
  verbs, adjectives, verb tenses present, past,
  future
• 1.9 uses a dictionary when necessary

12
Curriculum Frameworks

• Strand 3 Strand 3 Skills Integration (Grades 1
  2)/Writing (Grades 3, 4, )
• Grade 3 Standard 2. The student's writing is
  focused, coherent, and well-organized drawing on
  a variety of strategies as needed to generate and
  organize ideas. S/he...
• 2.1 considers audience and purpose when writing
  for a variety of audiences
• 2.2 clearly states main idea, purpose and/or
  thesis statement
• 2.3 provides details to support the main idea
• 2.4 organizes events and thoughts in a logical
  order, including a clear beginning, middle, and
  end
• 2.5 sticks to the topic
• 2.6 writes simple informational reports and
  genres (e.g., fables, fairy tales)
• 2.7 uses conventional formats for written
  products (e.g. left and right hand margins,
  adequate spacing between words and lines,
  paragraph indentation, sufficient "white space")
• 2.8 uses conventional formatting for friendly
  letters and letters of invitation

13
Curriculum Frameworks

• Strand 3 Strand 3 Skills Integration (Grades 1
  2)/Writing (Grades 3, 4, 5)
• Grade 3 Standard 4. With some guidance, the
  student uses the five-step process of prewriting,
  drafting, revising, editing, and "publishing" in
  the process of completing any writing assignment.
  S/he...
• 4.1 uses thinking, recalling, brainstorming and
  graphic organizers when preparing to write
• 4.2 uses knowledge of punctuation (e.g., end
  marks, capitalization, paragraph breaks), usage
  (e.g., subject and verb agreement), sentence
  structure (e.g., fragments, run-ons) to edit
  their writing (with teacher help)
• 4.3 thinking about logical order students revise
  sequence of events if necessary
• 4.4 discusses one another's word choice and
  engages in peer editing

14
Curriculum Frameworks

• Strand 9 9.Probability and Statistics
  Statistics and probability are important links to
  other content areas, such as social studies and
  science. They also reinforce communication skills
  as children discuss and write about their
  activities and their conclusions. Within
  mathematics, these topics regularly involve the
  uses of number, measurement,estimation, and
  problem solving.
• Grade 3 Standard 2. Collect, organize, and
  describe data.
• 2.1 Students use tally marks, charts (T-charts,
  frequency charts, tables, graphs, pictographs,
  bar graphs) to collect, organize, describe data
  
• Grade 3 Standard 3. Construct display, read and
  interpret a given set of data.
• 3.1 Students understand sorting or organizing
  data into visual displays (charts graphs) is
  essential to data analysis
• 3.2 Students read and use data to predict
  patterns of outcome
• Grade 3 Standard 4. Apply knowledge on how to
  use data to predict outcomes to solve real life
  problems.
• 4.1 Students understand the relationship between
  data and outcome
• 4.2 Students connect data to mathematical
  representations operations

15
National Educational Technology Standards

• Use keyboards and other common input and output
  devices (including adaptive devices when
  necessary) efficiently and effectively.
• Discuss common uses of technology in daily life
  and the advantages and disadvantages those uses
  provide.
• Use general purpose productivity tools and
  peripherals to support personal productivity,
  remediate skill deficits, and facilitate learning
  throughout the curriculum.
• Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring,
  presentation, Web tools, digital cameras,
  scanners) for individual and collaborative
  writing, communication, and publishing activities
  to create knowledge products for audiences inside
  and outside the classroom.
• Use telecommunications efficiently and
  effectively to access remote information,
  communicate with others in support of direct and
  independent learning, and pursue personal
  interests.
• Use telecommunications and online resources
  (e.g., e-mail, online discussions, Web
  environments) to participate in collaborative
  problem-solving activities for the purpose of
  developing solutions or products for audiences
  inside and outside the classroom.

16
Boston Public Schools Technology Competencies

• Computer Operations
• Use appropriate terminology (cursor, desktop,
  disk) in both written and oral communication.
• Observe sale and practical operation of
  technologies.
• Identify important parts of the computer and
  related peripherals (CD-ROM, monitor, hard drive,
  printer).
• Utilize software properly.
• Operate input devices (keyboard, mouse).
• Uses instructional software in various content
  areas.
• Launch and Quite programs and applications.
• Point click utilizing mouse.
• Identify desktop components. (hard drive, My
  Computer)
• Utilize arrow keys.
• Use pull-down.drop-down menus.
• Demonstrate knowledge of special keys (caps lock,
  shift, enter).
• Utilize desktop menu (trash/recycle, file, open).
• Start up and shut down hardware.
• Navigate programs, applications using scroll
  bars, arrow keys and special keys.
• Save a file to the desktop, the hard drive, and a
  data disk.

17
Boston Public Schools Technology Competencies

• Open a file from the desktop, the hard drive, and
  a data disk.
• Print a file.
• Understand window operations (scroll, zoom,
  maximize, minimize).
• Understand the difference between File/Save and
  File Save As.
• Keyboarding Competencies
• Recognize the layout of the letter and numbers
  keys on the keyboard.
• Use the letter and number keys appropriately.
• Use special keys (enter, backspace, space bar,
  shift, arrow keys, etc.).
• Word Processing
• Understand the concept of a word processor.
• Enter, edit and delete text.
• Exercise proper spacing and punctuation.
• Know when to use the Enter key when entering
  text.
• Format text with respect to size, spacing, style,
  justification and font.
• Utilize an electronic spell checker when
  appropriate.
• Spreadsheet
• Understand the concept of a spreadsheet.
• Understand spreadsheet terminology (column, row,
  cell).
• Enter and.or edit data into a spreadsheet.