Welcome to Bringing Writing and Reading into Your Earth

Science Classroom – Innovative Assessment Ideas

Welcome to Bringing Writing and Reading into Your Earth

Science Classroom – Innovative Assessment Ideas

Jennifer Bergman jenjoy@ucar.edu

David Mastie mastie@umich.edu

Roberta Johnson rmjohnsn@ucar.edu

Randy Russell rrussell@ucar.edu

A Little Help for Teachers…A Little Help for Teachers…BACKGROUND INFORMATION:Realistic Points in the Movie• - Depiction of enormous power released during a composite volcano eruption.

- Explosive eruption with lots of tephra.- Hot springs exist near volcanic activity.- Town’s water supply became contaminated.- Volcano became restless quickly (within one week of first signs of activity). Earthquakes do occur.- NASA tested a robot named “Dante” at volcanoes in Alaska and Antarctic.- Lakes near volcanoes can become acidic enough to be dangerous to people (pH of water was tested initially).- Seismograph readings.- Carbon dioxide can kill trees and wildlife.

Unrealistic Points in the Movie • - Can be deadly for helicopters to fly in areas with dense ash in the air.

- Lava flows were too fluid! (looked like mafic magma). Should be thick and slow moving (Cascades = felsic).- Temperature of hot spring near volcano changes more slowly than shown (increase takes days, weeks to develop).- Water supply probably contaminated too quickly.- Earthquakes associated with eruptions rarely exceed 5.0 (not big enough to destroy houses, roads, and buildings).- Robots are not used by the USGS to monitor earthquakes. They rely on observations and measurements taken in the field and with satellites.- Unlikely that acid lake would dissolve the metal boat in minutes.- Seismographs were not real. . .patterns not reflective of earthquake shown.- Driving across lava flow! Whatever! 2000 degrees C! Rubber tires melt, gas tank ignites. . .

Examples of Student Questions for Rubber Ducky Article

Examples of Student Questions for Rubber Ducky Article

What was the main advantage of the ducks getting dumped into the ocean?

a) To bump Princess Di off the front pages of British newspapers.

b) To study ocean currents and wind currents.

c) To study the climate.

d) To study what weather has to do with oils spills.

The toys were dumped into the ocean:

a) Because people were angry.

b) By a careless sailor.

c) In a crazy, unexpected storm.

d) As they were going onboard.

A similar thing happened in 1990 whena) Barbie dolls went overboard….ahhhh!

Splash!b) Nike shoes were lost at sea.c) Hot, new clothes made in Taiwan got

knocked into the ocean.d) A year’s supply of dust rags disappeared

from the ship.

Weather patterns are very interrelated with:a) Pollution patternsb) Solar radiation patternsc) Ocean current patternsd) Fish migration patterns

What is being used to track the plastic ducks, turtles, frogs and beavers?

a) A computer modelb) Aircraft and satellites flying over the regionc) Small fishing boats using fish trackersd) Hunting dogs with flippers on…

Examples of Student Questions (Continued…)

Examples of Student Questions (Continued…)

Which is false?A) The ducks were most recently on the beaches of Sitka and KodiakB) Studying the ducks help scientists predict what salmon may do

when they come backC) There were a total of 3,000 toysD) The toys needed no flotation devices

• Why did the toys need no flotation devices (as scientific instruments in the ocean would normally need)?

• Write a letter to the intended destination point for the toys explaining why “all is not lost” and how what happened will actually be good for their community and good for others…

Windows to The Universewww.windows.ucar.edu

Windows to The Universewww.windows.ucar.edu

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Three Levels of Content in Two Languages

Three Levels of Content in Two Languages

Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels roughly correspond to elementary, middle and high school.

Windows to The Universe JournalWindows to The Universe Journal

• Allows users to create reports that document their learning. These reports can be private, shared with teacher or shared with the class.

• Allows teachers and students to use this tool in their coursework or research.

• Teachers’ version with assessment options coming soon!

View Journal PageView Journal Page

• Journal can have several pages.

• Journal can contain:

- Text- Links- Images

Creating and editing a journalCreating and editing a journal

• Users who know HTML can use it to customize the appearance of their journal pages.

• Users can insert images from the site and links to pages they are currently browsing (no HTML needed).

Scientist Project VideoScientist Project Video

Please join us at other Windows to the Universe Workshops

Please join us at other Windows to the Universe Workshops

Today!• NESTA Share-a-thon 3:30-4:30pm, Baltimore Conv

Center, Room 308• NESTA Rock Raffle 5-6pm, Baltimore Conv Center,

Room 308• Watershed Explorations, 5-6pm, Wyndham, INTL E11/4• Aha, It’s Just a Stone’s Throw Away 9:30-10:30am,

Wyndham, INTL D• Water, Air, Land, Life and Space (WALLS!) 11-

12pm, Wyndham, INTL C