| << Chapter < Page | Chapter >> Page > |
• Wind Vane (1)
• Thermal Glove (1)
• Cloud Charts
• GLOBE Data Sheets
• Computer
• Projection Screen
• Access to Brainpop.com
• 101 Cloud Activities
• Cotton Balls
• Various Art Supplies
| Instructor Activity | Student Activity |
| Measurements. Take your students outside and conduct the GLOBE protocols. Students should set up the ozone strip, take the air and surface temperature, observe the sky for clouds, and measure humidity and wind direction. | Students take measurements. |
| Review. Take a few minutes to review what students have already learned about the atmosphere (e.g. its importance, layers, temperature, and wind). | |
| Discussion. Next, introduce students to the 5 main gases that make up the atmosphere (nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water vapor, and carbon dioxide), using information from the “Background Information” section. You can have students pretend to be different types of air molecules to visualize ratios of molecules (for example, about one-fifth of air molecules are oxygen). Explain the concept of a “cycle”, and point out that we’ll be discussing cycles that affect three of the main gases: water, oxygen, and carbon. | Students answer journal question: (p.1) |
| Water Cycle Video and Discussion. Introduce the water cycle with the Brainpop.com video: Water Cycle (Optional: accompanying Brainpop quiz and activity). Explain the processes of evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration. Ask students for examples of types of precipitation. | Students watch video (and participate in optional quiz and activity), participate in discussion, and fill out journal questions (p. 2) |
| Humidity Discussion. Ask students to recall the Water in Three States Demonstration from Lesson One (or, repeat the demonstration). Remind them that the water that condensed on the glass came from water vapor in the air. Explain that humidity is a measure of how much water vapor the air contains. Hold up the GLOBE hygrometer to remind them of how they are measuring humidity. | Students answer journal questions (top of p. 3) |
| Clouds discussion. Give a short lecture about clouds. Teach the students about the different types of clouds, how they are formed, and where they are found. Students should be somewhat familiar with recognizing clouds, as they have already done a bit with the GLOBE protocol. | Students answer journal questions: (bottom of p. 3) |
| Pick 1 cloud activity to do with the class, from the 101 Cloud Activities in the GLOBE kit. Students may split into smaller groups to do the activities and play the games. | Students complete cloud activity. |
| Art Activity (optional): Ask the class to draw a model of the water cycle. Make sure that they can name all parts of the cycle. Cotton balls can be used to create the clouds, and they should be able to differentiate between different shapes of clouds. You can hang these models up in the classroom for future reference. Students may use construction paper, markers, crayons, glue and scissors to create the model. The following parts of the water cycle should be clearly shown and labeled on the model: evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration. The following types of clouds should be created with the cotton balls: cumulus, stratus, cirrus, cumulonimbus. | Students complete art activity. |
| Discussion of oxygen and carbon cycles. Explain to students the importance of the oxygen cycle and carbon cycle and the key processes in each. Point out how the two cycles are very closely related, with photosynthesis and respiration playing important roles in each. | Students answer journal questions (p. 4-5). |
| Give students 3 minutes to complete the worksheets. | Students answer journal question (p. 6) |
| Take your class outside, and scan the ozone strip. Also, retake the surface and air temperature, and the humidity so that students can take the average of these measurements in order to supplement their ozone measurements. | Students take measurements. |
Notification Switch
Would you like to follow the 'Rice air curriculum' conversation and receive update notifications?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|