Wonders+of+Weather

Danielle Jacobson High School Algebra- 9-10th Grade Whether you realize it or not, weather plays a large role in our everyday lives. It may affect what we decide to do on any given day and could even have an impact on the mood we are in. Think about it, if you were to wake up to a beautiful sunny day, would you be more likely to stay inside or get out and do something? While exploring the impact of weather we will put the previously learned idea of correlation into play, and also use our continually practiced graphing skills. Once we find this data and discuss how the weather affects us, we will have the privilege of comparing and analyze our data we discover with students from around the world. These students will be our ePals.
 * __The Wonders of Weather __**
 * Introduction: **

__Instructional Materials Needed __

 * Calculator
 * Computers
 * Day 1 Handout
 * Meteorologist Interview
 * Project Rubric
 * Computer Program- Geometer's Sketchpad
 * Poster board
 * Markers
 * Glue
 * Scissors
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Construction Paper
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Pencils
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Graphing Paper
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Rulers

__<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Washington Technology Standards Addressed __

 * EALR 1-Students use technology within all content areas to collaborate, communicate, generate innovative ideas, investigate and solve problems.
 * ** Components **
 * ** 1.1: Innovate: ** Demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
 * ** GLE 1.1.2 ** Use models and simulations to explore systems, identify trends and forecast possibilities.
 * ** 1.2: Collaborate: ** Use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
 * ** GLE 1.2.1 **Communicate and collaborate to learn with others.
 * ** 1.3: Investigate and Think Critically: ** Research, manage and evaluate information and solve problems
 * ** GLE 1.3.2 ** Locate and organize information from a variety of sources and media.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">EALR 2 – Digital Citizenship **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Students demonstrate a clear understanding of technology systems and operations and practice safe, legal and ethical behavior.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Components **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">2.1 Practice Safety **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Demonstrate safe, legal and ethical behavior in the use of information and technology.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">GLE 2.1.2 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Practice ethical and respectful behavior.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">2.2 Operate Systems **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Understand technology systems and use hardware and networks to support learning.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">GLE 2.2.1 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Develop skills to use technology effectively.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">2.3 Select and Use Applications **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Use productivity tools and common applications effectively and constructively.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">GLE 2.3.1 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Select and use common applications.

<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">EALR 1
== <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Students will use the following GLE's in order to integrate the use of computers and software with mathematical ideas and communicating with students in other countries. ==

== <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1.1.2- Students will demonstrate creative thinking while creating posters of the information and graphs they have created throughout the week. They will develop graphs based on the information they have researched with Geometer's Sketchpad. ==

== <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1.2.1- Students will communicate with their peers in class and collaborate ideas with their ePals via email. Students will share the information they have researched and graphs they have made by attaching files to emails. They will be able to gain and incorporate information about weather in other countries from their ePals. ==

== <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1.3.2- Students will use information on weather predicting websites to create data. They will interview a meteorologist to gain knowledge of how weather is effected and how to predict weather in order to complete their projects. ==

<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">EALR 2
== <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Students will use the following GLE's to gain additional knowledge and understanding of using technology in the classroom. They will gain the knowledge of how to communicate and operate the system safely. ==

== <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">2.1.2- Students will use safe and ethical behavior while using the computer for research. Students will communicate respectfully with peers and ePals. Students will only provide appropriate information, keep passwords safe, and provide only pictures that are relevant to the assignment. ==

== <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">2.2.1- Students will learn to understand computers for the purpose of the project. They will use knowledge they already know and incorporate the lessons we do in class into that knowledge. ==

== <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">2.3.1- Students will use weather websites to gain knowledge about upcoming weather. They will use Geometer's Sketchpad to develop graphs for their posters and to share with their ePals. ==

__<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Activity __
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">**Day 2:** Today we will have a guest speaker from the local weather station that the students will be able to interview. We will spend the first ten minutes of class compiling questions to ask the guest speaker, who is a meteorologist. While students will be able to make some of their own questions, I will require the students to ask our guest meteorologist several questions. The answers to these questions, as well as the student's questions will be recorded on the [|interview handout]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">. This is simply being done so that students understand how math is involved in the weather and to establish importance of mathematics.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Day 1: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Bell work- Have students answer the following question: "How might correlations, scatter plots, and lines of best fit be applied to real life?" Students will be introduced to the project, which will involve applications of concepts that were on the test. They will be given the weather survey handout. This [|handout]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> will be filled out over the next three days. It must be done by Thursday.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">**Day 3:** Bell Work- Have the students complete the following task: Write the answer the meteorologist gave to question 2 of your handout yesterday as a fractions and ratios. Based on the information they gave would you be as equally dependent on a weekly forecast as a daily forecast? Today the students will be starting the posters they are required to make for this project. However, before they do this they will contact their ePals via Instant messaging. By going to <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">@http://www.iste-community.org/ teachers from other countries can be found to make arrangements for all students to participate in this instant messaging //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> In these messages the students will exchange and compare the weather in each country that week and how it affected the mood people were in. After students have finished exchanging information with their ePals, they will compare and analyze the data to make a decision about if and how weather affects a person’s mood. Once this task is accomplished students will begin working on their posters. These posters with be evaluated with the given [|rubric]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">. The rubric describes in more depth what the students are required to have on their posters. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">**Day 4:** Bell work- Have students combine data obtained in the handout given on day one into neat, readable graphs so it can be easily analyzed by their classmates. Today the students are required to have their Weather Questionairre handouts completely done. They will first get together in groups and combine the information that they graphed during bell work together. After that we will combine all of the data into master scatter plots (graphs). We will do a rough draft of this on the board and students will be required to make neat polished copies of each graph in Geometer's Sketchpad. If students are able to complete their graphs before class ends they may email them to their ePals. Once this is done they may continue working on their posters.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> **Day 5:** Bell Work- Have the students answer the following question: "How consistent was the information you obtained in your day one handout to the information we came up with as a combined class?" Today is the final day students will be working on their ePals/weather project in class. If students have not already emailed their polished graphs to their epals, they must do so at the beginning of class today. After exchanging polished graphs with their ePals, students must combine their ePal's information with the information in our class graphs. Student's must use all combined information to make polished graphs on Geometer's Sketchpad, just as we did yesterday. These are the graphs that must be on their posters. After this is done students may work on their posters. If the posters are not finished in class they must be taken home as homework and completed by Monday.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> In order to do this lesson students will need to understand several different levels of mathematics as well as know how to use the necessary technology. Students will be required to come up with their own data which will be relevant to their lives. This should provide for engagement. Students deal with weather every day, so being able to use technology to figure out weather predictions is will increase mathematical relevance. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> The rigorous part of this assignment will first come when they have to gather their own data. Once they actually gather this data they will have to analyze it on their own to create their own graph. In order to create these graphs they will have to have enough mathematical understanding to know what type of graphs to make and how to organize them using independent and dependent variables. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> After the students have gathered and analyzed their own data, the Web 2.0 part of this project will come into play. I will use a well known international teacher’s website to communicate with a mathematics teacher from another country. We will assign our students ePals who they exchange data with. Once this data had been exchanged, student will be required to evaluate it, creating a new graph, and compare their findings with the finding of their ePals. Being able to use this technology will increase rigor
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Reflection **