Catastrophic EventsProfessional Development

Introduction:Michelle Meeks

• Education: – B.S. Elementary Education, Temple University– M.S. Educational Technology, Chestnut Hill College

• Teaching Experience:– Philadelphia School District

• Small Learning Community Leader• USI Participant

– Upper Moreland School District• Teacher• Framework Participant

• Additional Experience– Science Curriculum Specialist Library Video & Safari

Participant Introduction

• Please share:– your name – what you teach– and something you hope to get out of today

• Background on programs used in the past

My Experiences with STC kits

• Student Population: – Gifted to Learning Support– Students tracked by Math

• All students learn best through “doing”

• True inquiry based vs. guided

My Experiences with STC kitsModify Labs for Learning Support

• Directions– Regular

• Reflections– Regular

• Directions– Modified

• Reflections– Modified– Additional

Modifications

My Experiences with STC kitsEnhance for Gifted

• Journals

• Extensions in TG

• Allow students to redesign experiments.

• Allow opportunity for additional research using library resources.

Assessment

• Journals

• *Reflections

• Quizzes

• Section Test

• Projects

Let’s Dig In…

The Teacher Guide!Each lesson begins with…

• *Concepts

• Student Objectives (similar to SG)

• *Overview (summary of lesson)

• Background

• Reading Selections (what they are about)• Materials: (teachers; students are in the SG)

• Preparation: (Step by step directions)

The Teacher Guide!“Getting Started” Each Inquiry

• Begins with directions for introducing Inquiry

• Procedure (step by step instructions for conducting inquiry)

• Reflections (suggested responses given)

• Homework• Extensions (cross curricular)

• Assessment

Safety Contract

• Do you have one?

• Ensuring safety during labs– Give clear directions– Set expectations– Boundaries– Jobs

PART 1PART 1

STORMSSTORMS

Lesson 1Thinking About Catastrophic

Events• Inquiry 1.1

– Walk through student guide– Students create a group concept map

• Inquiry 1.2– Pre-Assessment chart and map– Group puts stickers on maps– Article “How Scientists Study the Earth” is a

good opportunity to teach how to take notes.

Lesson 2Introducing Storms

• Inquiry 2.1– Students will make a model of a vortex and observe movement

with in it.– Define vortex– Identify characteristics of thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and

Hurricanes (Active Reading Strategy)

• Hints: Snip off the remaining plastic around bottle neck to prevent leaks.

• Suggestions– http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/interactive/

index.html– United Streaming “Introduction to Storms”– National Hurricane Center

Active Reading Strategies

• Preview• Activate Prior

Knowledge• Set a purpose• Vocabulary• Chunk• Title and sub-titles• Multiple Readings of

same text

• Summarize• Graphic organizers• Link new and prior

knowledge

Lesson 3 Heating Earth’s Surface

• Inquiry 3.1– Students investigate to learn how soil and water heat and cool.– Relate to natural world– Graph using excel– Guided Reading

• Discuss Lab sheets vs. text

• “The Atmosphere” Foldable

• Do I have to do each reading?

Lesson 4Heat Transfer and the Movement of Air• Conduct Labs – 4 groups 2/2• Inquiry 4.1

– Students investigate how surface temperature affects air temperature.

• Inquiry 4.2– Students investigate how warm and cold air move

• Reflect• **Air masses p.49• EMPHASIZE smoke allows us to see the air

moving!

Lesson 5Convection Currents in the Air

• Conduct Lab

• Inquiry 5.1– Students conduct lab to learn about

convection currents in the air.– HINT: wrap end of punk stick with foam to

hold in place– Readings pgs. 59-67

Lesson 6Temperature, Pressure, and Cloud Formation

• Conduct Labs 6.1/6.2• Good opportunity to design own

experiment• Inquiry 6.1

– Students observe evaporation and condensation

– HINT heat water on lowest setting

• Suggestion – United Streaming video on hurricanes; supports pg. 72 reading

Lesson 6Temperature, Pressure, and Cloud Formation

• Inquiry 6.2– Students conduct lab to learn that air pressure affects

cloud formation.– HINT heat water on lowest setting; use a small

amount of smoke

• Inquiry 6.3– Reading weather maps– May want to incorporate mini lesson on types of

clouds.– Tracking Hurricane Andrew

Lesson 7Ocean Currents and Global Climate

• Inquiry 7.1– Demo: Shows how the sun heats the earth

unequally. Globe can’t be too close to thermometers

– Part 1: Teacher demonstration on overhead– P.84 Ocean Currents: create a graphic

organizer– Part 2: Conduct?

Lesson 7Ocean Currents and Global Climate• Inquiry 7.2

– Students explore the ocean’s surface currents.

Lesson 8Storms Assessment

• Excellent performance assessment

Lesson 9Anchor Activity

• Students choose a catastrophic event to research

• Consider making this an inter-disciplinary project with Literacy

PART 2PART 2

EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKESUSGS WebsiteUSGS Website

Lesson 16Lesson 16Introducing EarthquakesIntroducing Earthquakes

• Inquiry 16.1– Access prior knowledge p.116 #1– Predict where earthquakes occur on sticker

map– Define earthquake– Quake video not very good

Lesson 11Lesson 11When the Earth ShakesWhen the Earth Shakes

• Inquiry 11.1 Conduct lab– Students explore waves– Note: See page 127

• First two types of waves explore represent s and p waves moving toward earth’s surface. When observing tape, this wave represents surface waves.

• Inquiry 11.2 – Quake proof house– TLC and National Geographic

Lesson 12Lesson 12Recording Earthquake WavesRecording Earthquake Waves

• Inquiry 12.1 Conduct– Students model the recording of seismic

waves.

• Inquiry 12.2– Students learn to read seismogram– August 24th Virginia Earthquake

• Inquiry 12.3– Students learn how to find the epicenter.– Virtual earthquake

Lesson 13Lesson 13Plotting EarthquakesPlotting Earthquakes

• Inquiry 13.1– Students will plot earthquakes to identify

patterns in their location.– HINT: Have students work in groups to plot 5-

6 quakes on transparencies. Then overlap transparencies. Use with additional transparencies to identify the Ring of Fire.

Lesson 14Lesson 14Using Earthquakes to Study Earth’s Using Earthquakes to Study Earth’s

InteriorInterior

• Inquiry 14.1– View images on the CD-ROM to learn more

about Earth’s interior– Create foldable using page 167– Reading pgs. 168-169 better for higher level

thinkers.

Lesson 15Lesson 15Investigating Plate Movement and FaultsInvestigating Plate Movement and Faults

• CD-ROM “The Theory of Plate Techtonics”

• Inquiry 15.1 Conduct– Students model plate movement with foam

pads representing denser oceanic plates and lighter/less dense continental plates.

– Foldable: Convergent, Divergent, & Transform Faults

– Skip plotting earthquakes

Lesson 15Lesson 15Investigating Plate Movement and FaultsInvestigating Plate Movement and Faults

• Inquiry 15.2– Not recommended. CD-ROM models well.

• Inquiry 15.3a– Students explore and classify objects as brittle or

ductile. Suggest including room temp and refrigerated taffy.

• Inquiry 15.3b Conduct– Students measure the force released between plates

during a simulated earthquake.– Good time to use a class average due to variables.

Lesson 16Lesson 16Convection in the MantleConvection in the Mantle

• Inquiry 16.1 Conduct– Students observe a model of convection in

the mantle.

Lesson 17Lesson 17Earthquake AssessmentEarthquake Assessment

• Good performance assessment, but time consuming.

• Our teachers revised test.

PART 3PART 3

VolcanoesVolcanoes

Lesson 18Lesson 18Introducing VolcanoesIntroducing Volcanoes

Inquiry 18.1Inquiry 18.1– Accessing and building knowledge about Accessing and building knowledge about

volcanoesvolcanoes– Mt. Pinatubo video and Geothermal Mt. Pinatubo video and Geothermal

videovideoMay consider finding different videos.May consider finding different videos.

– Reading pgs. 206-209 help identify the Reading pgs. 206-209 help identify the positive and negative effects of positive and negative effects of volcanoes. volcanoes.

Lesson 19Lesson 19Volcanoes Change the LandscapeVolcanoes Change the Landscape

Inquiry 19.1 ConductInquiry 19.1 Conduct– Students use model magma to Students use model magma to

investigate how the temperature of the investigate how the temperature of the magma determines how an eruption magma determines how an eruption affects the land.affects the land.

– I do this lab as a demonstration. I do this lab as a demonstration. Preparation is very time consuming.Preparation is very time consuming.

Lesson 19Lesson 19Volcanoes Change the LandscapeVolcanoes Change the Landscape

Inquiry 19.2 Inquiry 19.2 – Students investigate how lava creates Students investigate how lava creates

new landforms by pouring 4 layers of new landforms by pouring 4 layers of wax over the same slope.wax over the same slope.

– Teacher models how lava behaves when Teacher models how lava behaves when it pours into cool water; pillow lava.it pours into cool water; pillow lava.

– Page 221: Article on Island FormationPage 221: Article on Island Formation– Consider showing video of lava flows.Consider showing video of lava flows.

Lesson 20Lesson 20Viscosity and Volcano TypeViscosity and Volcano Type

Introduction: classify volcano cardsIntroduction: classify volcano cards Inquiry 20.1 ConductInquiry 20.1 Conduct

– Consider using different temperature Consider using different temperature model magma.model magma.

– Article pgs.229-231 Identify the Article pgs.229-231 Identify the characteristics of each type of volcano.characteristics of each type of volcano.

Lesson 21Lesson 21Igneous RockIgneous Rock

Inquiry 21.1Inquiry 21.1– Students will examine the Students will examine the

characteristics of 5 igneous rocks.characteristics of 5 igneous rocks.– Complete chart.Complete chart.

Lesson 22Lesson 22Exploring Igneous Rock FormationExploring Igneous Rock Formation

IntroductionIntroduction– Students will examine 3 more igneous rocks.Students will examine 3 more igneous rocks.

Inquiry 22.1Inquiry 22.1– Student will investigate how the cooling rate of Student will investigate how the cooling rate of

the magnesium sulfate solution affects the size the magnesium sulfate solution affects the size of the crystals.of the crystals.

– HINT: Access to a refrigerator will facilitate HINT: Access to a refrigerator will facilitate successful lab.successful lab.

– Apply what was learned in lab to granite, Apply what was learned in lab to granite, basalt, and rhyolite. basalt, and rhyolite.

– Rock Cycle ArticleRock Cycle Article

Lesson 23Lesson 23Volcanic AshVolcanic Ash

IntroductionIntroduction– Students examine two pieces of pumice Students examine two pieces of pumice

by breaking off fragmentsby breaking off fragments Inquiry 23.1Inquiry 23.1

– Students will examine volcanic ash and Students will examine volcanic ash and ash in water to draw conclusion about ash in water to draw conclusion about how it affects people and environment.how it affects people and environment.

Lesson 24Lesson 24Effects of Ash FallEffects of Ash Fall

Inquiry 24.1Inquiry 24.1– Students will simulate an eruption by Students will simulate an eruption by

blowing ash into the air.blowing ash into the air.– I don’t do lab; if you do, consider I don’t do lab; if you do, consider

conducting outside. conducting outside.

Lesson 25 Lesson 25

Performance AssessmentPerformance Assessment

Written AssessmentWritten Assessment

Thank YouThank YouContact InformationContact Information

http://carolina-meeks.wikispaces.com/http://carolina-meeks.wikispaces.com/

http://ummsmeeks.wikispaces.comhttp://ummsmeeks.wikispaces.com

Michelle MeeksMichelle Meeks

email: mmeeks@umtsd.orgemail: mmeeks@umtsd.org

mobile: 267-879-3514mobile: 267-879-3514