Weather Means
Nancy Bissette
Morehead Elementary
5-1-02
Subjects included in this Lesson Plan: social studies, science, technology, and math
Brief Description: Each student was assigned a city in the U. S. as well as Raleigh. For a week we used the News and Observer weather page and recorded the daily high and low temperature of those particular cities. We recorded the data in a table. Then we found the daily average. Students also labeled their assigned city on a large U.S. map. After gathering the data we graphed the results in a double bar graph in the computer lab.
Approximate time required: 1 month
Standard Course of Study Goals and Objectives:
Math:
4.02 Explain the kinds of
decisions that need to be made in selecting and constructing
appropriate graphs including pictograph, bar, line plot, circle, and
line graph.
4.03 Systematically collect, organize, display and interpret data
both orally and in writing using information from a variety of
content areas
4.05 Determine the mean of a given set of data using a calculator
when appropriate.
Science:
4.03 Relate global atmospheric
movement patterns to local weather.
4.04 Compile weather data to establish climate trends.
Social Studies:
3.2 Analyze the impact of the
absolute and relative location of places on ways of living in the
United States, Canada, and Latin America.
Technology:
2.1 Use technology tools to
collect, analyze, and display data.
2.3 Use keyboarding skills to improve speed and accuracy.
2.7 Add and delete records in a database.
2.8 Create/modify and use spreadsheets to perform calculations
(+,-,*, /).
3.4 Select the most appropriate graph to display data and state
reason.
3.6 Participate in curriculum-based telecommunications projects as a
class activity.
Teacher's Lesson Goals/Objectives: The behavioral objective is to collect data and display it in a spreadsheet and then complete a double bar graph. The student will
collect the data in a table, compute the daily mean temperature for a week, locate
their city on a U.S. map, and use a spreadsheet to make a double bar
graph to display their data.
Materials/Resources Needed:
- News and Observer weather pages,
- United States map,
- calculators,
- computers
Pre Activities: Students will need to know some background on weather, how to read the weather page in the newspaper, how to calculate the mean , and how to locate places on a political map.
Activities:
- Record the daily high and low temperature for a week of their assigned U.S. city, as well as their capital city of Raleigh using the weather page of the News and Observer.
- Using a calculator each student will find the mean temperature of Raleigh and their other city and record this in a table.
- In the computer lab we will put this data in a spreadsheet format.
- Using a formula we then calculate the mean again on the computer.
- Then we will use the spreadsheet information to make a double bar graph so we can display the mean temperature of another city in the United States and the mean daily temperature of Raleigh and make our comparisons.
- We will locate each city on a map and conclude how the weather of each of
these other cities vary with that of Raleigh because of influencing factors such as bodies of water, land features, and latitude position.
Closure: Step 6 above was really our closure. Beside each identified city on our map we displayed our final graph results. Then we analyzed how locations from Raleigh had weather similar or different from us for that week and why.
Assessment:
Observation: This project was assessed through observation and the final result which was the completed graph that was displayed on the bulletin board next to their identified city on the U.S. map. Points were deducted if their final graph showed errors or incomplete data.
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