Elementary GLOBE A K3 Science Unit from GLOBE

Elementary GLOBE A K-3 Science Unit from GLOBE

Goals of Elementary GLOBE • Provide science content while introducing Earth as a System • Connect literacy, math, and art skills with science content • Prepare students for participation in GLOBE • Include age appropriate Learning Activities • Feasible way to implement science in the classroom

Development Process • Brainstorm with elementary science education experts (GLOBE staff, partners, teachers, scientists) • Development of draft storyboard • Development of associated learning activities • Initial review • Field test in classrooms • Additional review and revisions • Final review by appropriate GLOBE PIs • Ready for dissemination

Earth as a System Unit Five books and Learning Activities aligned with Current GLOBE Investigation Areas 1. General overview of Earth System Science (under development) 2. Atmosphere - Do You Know That Clouds Have Names? (draft) 3. Soils - The Scoop on Soils (draft) 4. Phenology - (under development) 5. Hydrology - (under development)

Three Cloud Learning Activities • Cloud Fun • To Spread or Not to Spread • Cloudscape

Purpose • To help students identify some of the characteristics of clouds • To enable students to observe clouds, describe them in a common vocabulary, and compare their descriptions with the official cloud names Scientific Inquiry Abilities • Identify answerable questions • Use Cloud Chart to identify cloud type • Develop descriptions and explanations using evidence • Communicate procedures and explanations Overview Time Using information from the Elementary GLOBE Reader Do You Know that Clouds Have Names? and their own observations, students construct a sky scene with trees and buildings as reference points on the ground and cloud types ordered by altitude in the sky. Students will describe clouds using their own vocabulary and will then correlate their descriptions with the standard classifications of cloud types used by GLOBE. Level Student Outcomes Students will be able to identify cloud types using standard cloud classification names. They will know that the names used for the clouds are based on three factors: their shape, the altitude at which they occur, and whether they are producing precipitation. Earth and Space Science • Weather can be described by qualitative observations • Weather changes from day to day and over the seasons • Clouds form by condensation of water vapor in the atmosphere • Clouds affect weather and climate Geography • The nature and extent of cloud cover affects the characteristics of Earth’s physical geographic system Two 30 -minute class periods, or 60 minutes total, will be needed to complete this activity. Primary (most appropriate for gr. K-3) Materials and Tools • GLOBE Cloud Chart • Elementary GLOBE Reader Do You Know That Clouds Have Names? • Cloudscape Student Activity Sheet • Blue poster board or rolled paper for a bulletin board • Cotton pillow batting (buy the kind that is sold by the yard), wax paper, torn white sheets, sheer white fabric • Yellow and white strips of paper (big enough to write labels for clouds) • Crayons or markers (especially washable black and gray markers), white chalk • Glue sticks

Cloud Fun • Help students identify cumulus clouds • Help students make connections between clouds and weather

To Spread or Not to Spread • Help students identify the three different types of contrails • Help students understand that contrails are human made and sometimes become clouds in the sky

Cloudscape • Help students identify some characteristics of different clouds • Enable students to observe clouds, describe them with a common vocabulary, and compare their descriptions with the official cloud names

Three Soil Learning Activities • Getting to Know Soil • Soil Treasure Hunt • We All Need Soil

Getting to Know Soil • Provide students with the opportunity to ask questions and make observations about soil • Introduce students to the properties of soil and to the concept of soil profiles and horizons

Soil Treasure Hunt • Help students learn what things are commonly found in the soil and how those things impact how the soil looks and feels • Introduce students to the concept of decomposition

We All Need Soil • Introduce students to the importance of soil and why it needs to be studied • Help students understand how much soil is available on Earth for human use • Help students understand the connection between soil and the living things that use soil

Next Steps • Develop Implementation tips • Continue efforts on Elementary GLOBE Readers in progress • Five book Earth System Science Unit ready for distribution Spring/Summer 2006 www. globe. gov/elementaryglobe

Thank you! Contact: Becca Hatheway hatheway@globe. gov

Clouds: Teacher might want to use the book after doing some kind of engagement activity. Challenge for students to estimate heights in meters (examples might be misleading) Teacher will have to help students learn new vocabulary to learn science terms. Consistent with the references to clouds. Will other images of clouds from other biomes around the world be included? Could the online version be translation friendly?

The Latin roots might help translate the adjectives used as descriptors. Add Linn Chambers web site to the contrails page of the book. The graphic on latitudes for cloud height is helpful.

The Scoop on Soils: Start with an engaging activity before the book to help understand the soil profile. Introduce different substances or soils that feel differently would be useful to convince them that different soils feel differently. What does “gritty” mean? Picture of the soil profile looks too nice and kids might do this more informally with a ruler.

Introduction could be shorter. Explain the difference between the hole that Scoop digs and an actual soil profile. Translations for silt, sand, clay. Order of the text and illustration might be reversed. A white page or place for students to write in the book might be fun. The illustration of the critters might be confusing.

Zoom into the hole for detail so the kids can see inside rather than so many pictures of the hole in a landscape. Introduce the phrase soil profile and some type of clue to orient the students to the top and bottom of the profile. Include student questions…why are there differences between the holes Scoop dug or ask what do you think you will find in the hole?

Granular structure in the meadow chart is too technical for the grade level. Forest chart is not consistent with the other chart.