East Detroit Public Schools
Lesson Design

Author: Eric L. Fillar
Subject: Social Studies
Grade: 4th Grade
Course: Michigan Social Studies
Title: The Lake Effect

Length of Lesson: Approximately 5 hours
Materials Needed:
Power Macintosh G3 computers
large monitor
printer
2 two-galon tubs
2 cookie sheets
Warm and cold water
Software:
ClarisWorks for Kids ®
Encarta® Encyclopedia 96 (or newer)

Standards-Based Outcomes (MDE):

Social Studies:

II. Geographic Perspective

Content Standard II, 4: All students will describe and compare characteristics of ecosystems, states, regions, countries, major world regions, and patterns and explain the processes that created them. (Regions, Patterns, and Processes)

V. Inquiry

Content Standard V, 1: All students will acquire information from books, maps, newspapers, data sets, and other sources; organize and present the information in maps, graphs, charts, and timelines; interpret the meaning and significance of information; and use a variety of electronic technologies to assist in accessing and managing information. (Information Processing)

Content Standard V, 2: All students will conduct investigations by formulating a clear statement of a question; gathering and organizing information from a variety of sources; analyzing and interpreting information; formulating and testing hypotheses; reporting results both orally and in writing; and making use of appropriate technolgy. (Conducting Investigations)

Science:

V. Use Scientific Knowledge from the Earth and Space Sciences in Real-World Contexts

Content Standard V, 2: All students will demonstrate where water is found on Earth; describe the characteristics of water and how water moves; and analyze the interaction of human activities with the hydrosphere. (Hydrosphere)

Content Standard V, 3: All students will investigate and describe what makes up weather and how it changes from day to day, from season to season, and over long periods of time; explain what causes different kinds of weather; and analyze the relationships between human activities and the atmosphere. (Atmosphere and Weather)

Prior Knowledge:

The students must have basic computer skills as well as know the following concepts and facts:

• five Great Lakes
• latitude and longitude
• weather (temperature and precipitation)
• climate (weather over a long period of time)
• phases of matter (gas-vapor, liquid-condensation, solid-freezing)
• cardinal directions
• westerlies (eastward winds)

Cue Set:

Using two tubs of water and two metal cookie sheets, the teacher performs the following:

• Fills tub 1 with hot water and tub 2 with cold water. Labels accordingly.
• After labeling them, chills cookie sheet 1, and slightly warms cookie sheet 2.
• Has student volunteers hold the labeled cookie sheets over their respective tubs at slight angles so that the other children can see the formation of moisture on the undersides.
• Reminds the students to observe and note what is happening to the cookie sheets. During discussion, expects statements relating to changes in temperature and the formation of moisture.
• States that tub 1 represents the Great Lakes in the winter and tub 2 in the summer. Explains that the moisture forming on the cookie sheets mimics the formation of clouds and the beginning of precipitation (rain and snow). States that cookie sheet 1’s temperature should increase, thus demonstrating how the water, when warmer than the air, affects the air temperature. Explains that tub 2 should demonstrate the opposite temperature change, however, still causing precipitation.

Best Shot Instruction:

1. The students use a map of the U.S. and identify the states that lay between the 40&Mac251;N and 45&Mac251;N latitudes. They list the states. (Likely responses should include Michigan, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.)

2. Together the teacher and students discuss some influences on climate. Many will state distance from the equator as the primary factor of temperature.

3. The students then identify which states are located east of a large body of water (i.e. Pacific Ocean, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron).

4. Pairs of students then select three states in addition to Michigan.

5. Using Encarta® Encyclopedia the student pairs do the following tasks.

a. Select the section called “Experiment: Interactive Activities”.
b. Select “Climate Chart.
c. Select “Show Chart”.

1. Use the arrows to select four states along the bottom of the chart. (Each state will list two cities that vary in latitude. This information can be used for enrichment. However, the students shoud be encouraged to concentrate on one city per state of the same color label for consistency.)
2. Each pair of students should record the average July high, average January low, and average annual snowfall for the cities in each of the four states.
3. After checking that they recorded this information correctly, the students close Encarta® .

6. Next they open and use ClarisWorks for Kids® to create three graphs for reporting their findings regarding the average temperature highs and lows and annual snowfall. First the students open “Graphing Pad” and select “Bar Graphs”.

7. The teacher models on the large monitor the procedure for highlighting the appropriate fields and typing in the correct labels.

8. The students should save each of the three created graphs according to their titles.

9. Once the students have printed and checked their graphs, the teacher facilitates a group discussion about how to read, analyze, and understand (interpret) information from graphs.

10. Next the students work with their partners to write observations of their graphs. The teacher provides them with guide questions according to how the lessons have been constructed. (e.g. Using the information from your graph, why do you think Detroit and Portland, Oregon have warmer January temperatures than Cheyenne and Milwaukee? If Portland, Oregon and Muskegon, Michigan are both located near large bodies of water, why does Muskegon get so much more snow?)

11. Finally, using the writing process, the students compose conclusions of their findings. They use available word processing software. The teacher reminds them to: a) consider the size of the Pacific Ocean compared to that of Lake Michigan, and b) consider that because of the direction of the Earth’s rotation, the weather generally travels from west to east (the westerlies).

Reteaching and Enrichment:

• Each group designs a display board containing their graphs, written observations, and conclusions.
• When the students have all finished their reports, a “trade show” is staged where the students display their work. Each pair showcases and explains their outcomes to each other pair as a means of communicating and teaching their understanding of the lake effect’s influence on Michigan’s climate.

Review and Closure:

The teacher uses the “trade show” forum as an opportunity to conference with each pair. Since he/she has made observations and been involved with the students’ progress throughout the process, he/she spends this time asking comprehension questions specific to the outcomes that have been determined.

Assessment:

Since this is a highly involved project with many assessable outcomes, it can be used as an integrated lesson that combines concepts and skills from mathematics, language arts, science, and social studies. The prime outcome objective, however, must remain the understanding of the lake effect’s role in Michigan’s climate.

A rubric based on reasonable expectations for each specific class must be developed, previewed, and posted.
Included are the following:

1. effort and attention to the task
2. cooperation of the students in each pair
3. ability to explain verbally, literally, or physically the lake effect.

Notes:

• Using Encarta® Encyclopedia may prove difficult for some pairs. If so, an atlas may be used as an alternative source of average temperatures and precipitation.
• If the students have been taught the basics of HyperStudio®, they could create a multimedia presentation instead of a poster display for their “trade show”.
• The teacher is to be highly involved with this project. This can feasibly be done in under five days, but the children must be allowed adequate time to work. Considerable material must be covered and many tasks completed because several learning standards are integrated into one project. As long as the teacher is available to guide the students through the process, their enthusiasm will remain high.
• The teacher and the children will have moments of frustration. The most profound learning, however, will result from working together to overcome these obstacles and complete this challenging project.

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