Reflection: I feel by writing a science lesson plan I had the opportunity to express what I had learn in my inquiry science class this semester. I believe this lesson showcase my understanding and knowledge of the ACEI standard 2b. Science- Candidates know, understand, and use fundamental concepts on the subject matter of science-including physical, life, and earth and space sciences-as well as concepts in science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives, the history of nature of science, the unifying concepts of science, and the inquiring processes scientist use in discovery of new knowledge to build a base for scientific and technological literacy.
Date of Lesson May 4, 2009 Time 60 minutes Length of lesson 2 30 minute class
periods
Curriculum Area _Science_ Content Area: Life science, Earth science, or Physical science
Title of Lesson (identify concepts taught) Introduction to the ocean
Age/Grade level 6th grade Teacher’s Name Kristy Stas
1. Learning Objectives (What the student must do or demonstrate [action verbs])
a) Students will be able to explain how the water cycle affects the ocean.
b) Students will be able to explain that water is in the ocean evaporates into the atmosphere and comes back down as precipitation.
2. New York State Learning Standards (Science, Math Art, Language arts, etc…as needed)
Standard 4, Science, Physical setting: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.
Key idea 2: Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth
involve interactions among components of air, water, and land.
Students explain how the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), and lithosphere (land) interact, evolve, and change.
Key idea 3: Matter is made up of particles whose properties
determine the observable characteristics of matter and its reactivity.
Students develop their own mental models to explain common chemical reactions and changes in state of matter.
ELA Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.
Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances, relate texts and performances to their own lives, and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation.
ELA Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.
3. Materials (for the lesson)
· Large zip-lock bags
· Water
· Food coloring
· Thermometer
· Colored pencils
· Student journals
· Computers with access to the internet
4. Lesson Process
(A) Engage / Introduction (10 minutes)
Day 1
To engage the student, I will start the lesson with a question to get them thinking. Do you think that the ocean has the same amount of water all the time? As the
students respond to the question I will write their answers on the chalkboard.
I will also go over the water cycle with the students and discuss the major parts of the water cycle; they are evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
After we have discussed the students’ answers and the water cycle, we will start the experiment.
(B) Explore / Learning procedures relating to objectives (20 minutes)
Now I will tell my students they will be setting up an experiment that will help them answer the question, do you think the ocean has the same amount of water all the time? Some of the students may already understand that water evaporates from the oceans; this experiment will be a good review. The students will be divided into groups of four or five. I will have each group do their own experiment. Each group will read the whole activity and follow the procedure. I will have the students document their observations and temperatures of the water in their journals.
Attached is the direction sheet for the experiment.
The students will complete the experiment and allow for their baggiess to sit overnight, this will be the end of day 1.
Day 2 (10 minutes)
To start the lesson for the second day, I will have my student observe their baggies and talk to their group about what they have observed. I will have them write their observations in their journals.
(C) Explain / Conclusion (20 minutes)
To start the lesson we will discuss the experiment and talk about the students observations.
Next we will review the water cycle; they have learned this in 4th grade.
Next I will be hand out ocean facts that they students will complete during the lesson.
Attached is a completed fact sheet of the information that I will have taught my students during the lesson.
After the lesson I will have my students do a creative writing assignment. They will be given time at the end of the class and possible finish as homework if needed. They will be describing the journey of a droplet of water. They can write the story in first person as if they were the drop themselves or in third person. I will encourage my students to be creative, the drop of water can exist anywhere and could feasibly travel anywhere, but the students have to describe how.
(D) Extend, Expand, or Elaborate / “If time”/ extensions
If time allows I will have students going on the “Ocean Alive” website to help broaden the scope of my students’ understanding of the ocean. They will be able to learn currents, wind, and waves.
(D) Evaluation / Assessment
(a) I will collect the students’ journals to evaluate how they have responded to the experiment and assigned tasks of the lesson. The essays should be an indicator of the students understanding from the lesson. The students should be able to use the water cycle to describe the journey of a water droplet. By the end of the lesson, my students should be able to understand that water in the ocean evaporates into the atmosphere and comes back down as precipitation.
(b) Students will be able to explain the water cycle and how if affects the ocean. Students will be able to describe the water in the ocean evaporates into the atmosphere and come backs down as precipitation. Students understand that the ocean is allows losing and gaining water, it’s a never-ending process.
(c) Method of assessments used in this lesson (example attached)
I will evaluate the students’ fact sheets at the end of the lesson. Also have the student complete a creative writing assignment.
(d) Differentiation (of expected outcomes)
Differentiation of activity is to be provided and described throughout the lesson plan to ensure that children’s individual learning needs are met. You must describe how this will be done. You may do this in chart form.
(a) Differentiation:
(i) Low level students
Be able to describe the process of the water cycle and that water evaporates in to the atmosphere then comes back down as perception, this is process is continues.
(ii) Higher level students
They will be able to describe that sunlight can’t reach the deepest parts of the ocean. They will be able to describe the different zones of the ocean and what life forms are found in each zone.
(e) Lesson modifications
(i) Low level students
I will read the directions for the experiment. If needed, I will give them extra time to complete the experiment. I will have the students that need to dictate their observations and essay to me and I will write it. I will give these students the chance to use the computer to write their essay. Also I will give these students completed fact sheets at the end of the lesson, so they have all the information needed.
(ii) Higher level students
I will have these students make a picture book of the journey of a drop of water. Have these students work in the learning center. Have these students answer the following question by exploring the Ocean Alive! Website, Can sunlight reach the bottom of the ocean?
5. Assessments of lesson
I will collect the students’ essays to see how they have responded to the task. The essays should demonstrate what sort of understanding students have gained from this lesson. Since the assignment is the “journey” of a water drop, the water must get caught in a current, evaporate, and precipitate, or even travel to the depths of the ocean.
6. Student work Attach any worksheets used during / after the lesson.
Attached are the worksheet of the experiment and the fact sheet.
7. Learning center Provide the directions, worksheets as needed, and a list of materials.
Attached is the directions and list of materials for the learning center. Water Current, this is a hands-on activity on currents that has the students demonstrate the differences in temperature and density play an important role in shaping the oceans current.
8. References (Resources / sources used in creating lesson plan)
AAAS. (2009). Science netlinks. Retrieved April 2, 2009 from
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com
Proujan, C., Martin, S., & Knowles, M. (2005). Sciencesaurus. Wilmington, MA: Great
Source Education Group, 187, 193-197.
The Museum of Science. (1998). Ocean alive! Retrieved April 2, 2009 from
http://www.mos.org/oceans/index.html
Learning center:
Water on the Move
Current Events
Water Currents
Purpose:
· To demonstrate that ocean currents are influenced by changes in water density
· To observe how temperature and salinity affect water density
Materials:
· Food coloring
· Ice cube tray
· Fish bowl, small aquarium or any glass bowl of similar size
· Salt
· Test tube or small cup
· Hot tap water
· Thermometer
Background:
Ocean water is salty and, in general, cold. Most ocean water is less than 36 degrees F (2.2 degrees C). But in the tropics, surface water may reach 82 degrees F (28 degrees C), and water can be much hotter near underwater volcanoes. Differences in water density associated with temperature and salinity play an important role in shaping ocean currents.
Procedure:
Set up:
Several hours before you need to begin the experiment, add 5-7 drops of food coloring to a small amount of water. Pour the colored water into an ice cube tray to make 1 colored ice cube. Make sure the color is dark.
Temperature (part 1)
1. Fill a fish bowl or glass container to the rim with room temperature water. Let it stand for about a minute so that the water will have a chance to settle before you start.
2. Place the colored ice cube into the water very gently and observe for 1 minute or more. Record you observations. Do not disturb the tank until after the ice cube has completely melted. Observation again and record your observations.
3. Describe your findings and explain why this happened.
Temperature (part 2)
1. Empty the fish bowl or glass container and then refill it with fresh water at room temperature.
2. Run hot water until the temperature is at least 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Fill a test tube or small cup half full with this water. Add 5-7 drops of food coloring until the color is very dark. Very gently our colored hot water into the tank. Observe for a minute or more. Record you observations.
3. Describe you findings and explain why this happened.
Salinity
1. Empty the fish bowl or glass container and then refill it with fresh water at room temperature.
2. Fill the test tube or cup half of colored salt water; use 5-7 drops of food coloring to give it a dark color and ½ teaspoon of salt. Very gently pour the colored salt water into the tank and observe. Record you observations.
3. Describe your findings and explain why this happened.
Going Further
Where in nature might you find conditions similar to those in the three different demonstrations? How do they interact with one another?
Name________________________ Date__________
Ocean Fact Sheet
The colored water at the bottom of the baggie is heated by the sun. Some if this water receives enough energy to evaporate into water vapor, particles of pure water too small to be seen. The water vapor rises up in the warm air. When the water vapor comes close to the cooler sides of the baggie it cools and condenses onto the baggie. As more water vapor condenses onto the baggie, droplets form and eventually grow big enough to precipitate down to the bottom. The droplets that condense out onto the sides of the baggies are not colored like the water in the bottom of the jar. The larger food coloring particles are left behind just as salt and pollutants are left behind when water evaporates from oceans.
There were no oceans on the planet millions of years ago. The surface of the water was so hot that is would just boil away. However, volcanoes poured huge amounts of steam into the atmosphere and as the Earth cooled the steam turned to water vapor that condensed as droplets and began to fall as rain. This downpour lasted for many thousands of years filling great hollows in the land and thus forming the world’s first seas.
Today, the oceans are always losing and gaining water in a never-ending process called water, or hydrologic cycle. They lose water when the sun and wind lift tiny particles of moisture from the ocean surface. These invisible particles of water vapor mix with air. It the air cools, vapor particles join up as water droplets that form clouds. Clouds shed rain or snow, about 77% of all precipitation falls back into the sea. Melted snow and rain that fall onto land run into rivers that follow back into the sea. Therefore, ocean will never dry up.
Water plays a part in weather formation, such as El Nino. Warm surface water temperatures associated with El Nino lead to alterations in the movement of air masses and the development of irregular ocean currents. Changes in the normal formation of weather conditions are the result, and the entire world is eventually affected.
Building a model of the water cycle
Purpose of experiment:
1. Is to have the students be able to identify the elements of the water cycle
2. Is to have students be able identify the sun as a source of power
Materials:
- Large, zip lock plastic baggie
- Water