Weather vs. Climate Inquiry

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Weather vs. ClimateInquiry

• Nicole Glen
• Bridgewater State College
• nglen_at_bridgew.edu

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Research Focus

• How does Bostons weather in February 2009
  compare to its weather in 2008 and 2007?
• What factors influence Bostons weather
  climate?
• How does Bostons climate compare to (x
  location)? What factors influence (x locations)
  weather climate?
• The third questions are a general guide.
  Students will actually choose their own research
  question (Now Im wondering) after learning
  about Bostons weather and climate. They will be
  encouraged to explore something outside of the
  Boston area and/or relate it to something in the
  Boston area.

3
Context

• This topic is important because
• many students dont know the difference between
  weather and climate
• many students dont know why the area in which
  they live receives the weather it does
• it will increase students knowledge of other
  geographical locations
• it will provide ideas for social studies and
  geography integration in science

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Method

• This lesson will follow the 5 Es, followed by
  students conducting their own related inquiry
  project.
• Engage (pre-assessment brainstorming)
• When you hear the word weather what do you
  think? When you hear the word climate what do
  you think?
• What influences Bostons weather? What
  influences Bostons climate?

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Method

• 2. Explore
• Students will research the current days weather
  using the website www.wunderground.com . They
  will discuss whats important to them when
  reading the days weather.
• Students will research the past weeks weather
  using the website www.wunderground.com . They
  will record the information they think is
  important for understanding what happened the
  past week. They will discuss what they notice
  about the weather today and for the past week.
• Next, I will model an inquiry question I wonder
  how this weeks weather compares to the same time
  last year? Or the year before? Discuss what
  kind of information would be needed to answer
  this question.

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Method

• 2. Explore (cont.)
• I will provide students with data tables from the
  National Weather Service of February or March
  2008 and February or March 2007 (month will
  depend on when I do this project with them).
• Help students understand what the column headings
  mean. Ask them for ideas of what to do with the
  data.
• Possible Have small groups of students deal with
  a small portion of the data (i.e., one group does
  temperature, one does precipitation, etc.)
• Remind them of the question How does it compare
  to today and this past weeks weather?

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Method

• 3. Explain
• Students will explain their answers (claims) to
  the question How does the weather from the past
  2 years compare to today and this past weeks
  weather? They must show what data they used and
  how they used that data to produce their claim
  (evidence).
• Using the data from the present and the past, we
  will discuss the difference between weather and
  climate.

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Method

• 4. Elaborate
• Next, students will determine the factors that
  are influencing Bostons current weather and
  forecasted weather. We will look at local,
  regional, and national radars and the forecast
  discussion from the National Weather Service.
• Then, we will discuss if these same things
  influence Bostons climate in February or March.
  Students will brainstorm ideas. I will also
  guide them by showing maps on Google Earth of sea
  surface temperatures, land surface temperatures,
  topography, etc. Other possible areas of
  discussion include latitude and longitude and
  seasons.
• To end this 5 E lesson, I will read the
  childrens trade book titled On the Same Day in
  March. (I like to model literacy integration as
  much as possible!)

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Method

• 5. Extend
• Now, students will begin their own inquiry
  project based on something they are wondering
  about now based on the 5 E lesson they just
  experienced.
• I will guide them through the following inquiry
  features
• creating an investigable question (something they
  need to use data to answer) and predicting an
  outcome
• planning how they will answer their question and
  resources they will use
• collecting data (what to collect, where to get it
  from) and representing data
• analyzing their data and using it to make claims
  that attempt to answer their research question
• making conclusions, implications, and reflecting
  on their research
• Students will present their research and findings
  through the means of a creative project (choices
  may include nonfiction book, script, newspaper
  article, etc.)

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Data Summary

• During the explore, I will use weather data
  archived on the Weather Underground website
  www.wunderground.com
• During the explore, I will use weather data
  archived on the National Weather Service website
  http//www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfobox
  I will use the data table as its presented on
  the website, but I will help them understand what
  the column headings mean and that they dont have
  to use all of the data.

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Data Summary

• During the elaborate, I will use radar loops and
  the forecast discussion from the National Weather
  Service.
• During the elaborate, I will use sea surface
  temperature maps and land surface temperature
  maps from http//neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/Search.html
  ?pg3datasetIdMOD11C1_M_LSTDAgroup19
• During the extend, for students own inquiry
  questions, I will help them find the information
  they need to answer their question. Much of the
  information they need might be found on the same
  websites mentioned on the previous and this slide.

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Assessment

• Students have science notebooks where I can
  have them write about their understandings of
  weather vs. climate. These notebooks are a
  record and assessment of their process and
  learned concepts.
• Students inquiry projects will be assessed based
  on their accurate, organized, and creative
  communication of their claims and evidence to
  answer their research question. They must also
  cite any resources they used. (A rubric will be
  used to assess this.)
• Finally, students will write a personal
  reflection on the implications of this project
  for their elementary classroom, including the
  inquiry skills their students will need guidance
  with, changes they would make, connections to MA
  Science Standards, connections to MA Social
  Studies Standards, etc.

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Educator Implications

• Uncertainty with how to find appropriate data or
  what data to collect.
• Modifications Guide them to frame questions that
  have data they can gather and/or find.
• Understanding how to analyze the data.
• Help them represent it in different ways (tables,
  graphs, charts, diagrams, means, medians, etc.)