Meeting Times

Since I didn't hear back from you guys about meeting up this morning, I think Sunday is our only other opportunity... I will probably get back to kzoo around the early afternoon, so what do you say to 2:00 on Sunday? We really, really need to meet, even if it's only two of us together. There is a ton of work to be done and its easier to all be together to share ideas.

meeting

When did you guys want to get together to finalize everything?

Task Stream Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan #1 (Tornadoes)

http://lesson.taskstream.com/lessonbuilder/v.asp?LID=u2cxhshuh9elzhfp


Lesson Plan #2 (Precipitation)

http://lesson.taskstream.com/lessonbuilder/v.asp?LID=kbf4cyc1cff5chfk

lesson plans

Lesson Plan #2: http://lesson.taskstream.com/lessonbuilder/v.asp?LID=f6evhxcvhmz0hmza

Lesson Plan #1: http://lesson.taskstream.com/lessonbuilder/v.asp?LID=pafpcohxcmzmzhfp

Wed. 10 am

Hey I got called into work this morning so I can't meet up. Can you just email me anything that you guys decide on? brad.j.prater@wmich.edu

Thanks

Web Site

Okay, I have gone through all of the older web sites and placed them and I have placed mine and Courtney's new web sites. I will type up a list for everyone, so you know exactly what is going on your particular page. I'm working on the Standards pages at the moment. I will see you guys Wednesday morning at 10:00! :)

Final

Concept map 3 is posted so all we have left is our final project.

Monday

Hey guys, I just started a new job and found out I have to work on Monday from 3-7:30 so I don't think we would be able to meet up unless you guys could do it right after our lab. Otherwise, is there any other times that you guys would be able to meet up and finish up our website? Let me know, sorry!

New Web Sites

My three new websites are below:

-http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/primer/primer.htm
-http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0114-precipitation-types.php
-http://skydiary.com/kids/

Website

Project-based learning unit: weather

http://www2.davidson.k12.nc.us/pbl/eett/pblfiles/varner/PBL-weather.pdf

Concept Map #3

New Project

For my new project, I'm going to make a movie using Moviemaker on different types of clouds. It will go on my content area page along with the precipitation lesson plan and snowflake movie. To keep us on task, I think we should make the due date for next Monday, the 19th. That way we can all stay on the same page.

hello

The layout looks good. THANKS! I'll reserve the room in library for next Monday so we can get together in there

Web Site Layout

I organized all of our information that needs to be on the web site and I think I have come up with a tentative plan that will work for everyone. Things can always be moved around and changed, but this is just an idea of how we can start :)

Main Page (Collaborative)
-Intro to project
-What's on the web site
-Concept Map
-Standards
-Image
-WMU Logo
-Link to Blog
-Podcast (with description)

Content Page #1 (Chelsie)
-Brad's LP #1 - precipitation
-Chelsie's Movie - snowflakes
-Image
-1-2 new ideas
-Snowflake project

Content Page #2 (Chelsie)
-Chelsie's LP #1 - tornadoes
-Brad's Movie - Tornadoes
-Courtney's Movie - Storms
-Image
-1-2 new ideas
-Tornado experiment

Skype Video Chat Page (Brad)
-epals & google map (with description)
-Image
-1-2 new ideas

Data Collection (Brad)
-All LP #2's (with descriptions)
-Image
-1-2 new ideas

Involving the Community (Courtney)
-"Meet the Meteorologist" Classroom visit
-Courtney's LP #1 - predictions
-Image
-1-2 new ideas

Big Bang Page (Courtney)
-Info. describing our big bang
-1-2 new items
-Image
-Link to Edutopia video about weather from class?

Within the Web Site:
*Evaluated web sites (with description)
*3 new web sites each (with description)
*1 new project each (powerpoint, movie, etc.)
*Label each page with name and contact info.
*Particular set-up of pages

~We can always switch this up and move things around if they fit better :) The meeting on Monday sounds fine to me, should be meet in Sangren Library and see if we can use the same room again?

We got 100% on our podcast! whoop whoop! I'm not sure how to upload it as an MP3 though, so I will bring my computer to class on Monday to have her help me. Yeah I'm down for meeting next Monday when we would normally have our lecture to try to knock out our final project. Sorry again about yesterday, it's been about a week so I'll be feeling good enough by next Monday!

Final Project

I would be up to meeting for our final project. If we did it might be best to meet at our normal lecture time.

Edt Final Presentation

We are scheduled to present on April 26, which is the Monday of Finals Week. Our time is 11:00! Let's get to it :)

Class

Hey guys, I'm so sorry that I won't be able to make it to class today. I have pneumonia and bronchitous and haven't really gotten out of bed in 5 days. I was hoping to feel good enough to come but that isn't the case so please just let me know ANYTHING i can do to make it up or if you guys decide who is doing what pages, just let me know which ones I need to do. I'm so sorry again and if you guys want to meet at all later in the week let me know. Thanks and sorry

Website Ideas

Ok, since we have 3 people in our group, we are going to need to each do 2 pages on the web site. Some ideas I had for page setup is

1. Home Page
2. Goals and Intent
3. Material Content (Courtney's video could go here)
4. Experiments and Data Collection (Mine and Brad's videos could go here)
5. Resources and Skype Project
6. Final Project
7. Standards

There are a lot of different options we could do. We'll have to pool all of our thoughts and information together and think of the layout in lecture on Monday :)

Podcasts

Great Ideas! We will discuss everything on monday so I can begin with the intro and conclusion. Are we still planning on meeting after lecture on monday?

Big Bang

Ok, so apparently our big bang at the end of our lesson will be the students completely making their own forecasts, without any help from the teachers. For our podcast, I will be explaining how we have taught the students how to observe weather, collect data, enter data into Excel and make graphs, and how to forecast weather from a field trip to a local meteorologist. I will then explain the students must decide how they want to forecast their weather, when they want to do it, and how they will come up with the weather forecast they will be presenting. I will say the students decided they wanted to try to do their forecast over the morning announcements and arranged a time with the principal every Monday. The students have also arranged time to go over the weather observations and predictions they have together as a group during Connections period.

This is all just an idea based on what Sharon told me. Anything can change so if you guys have anything that sounds better or should be added/taken out let me know!!!!

Podcast: Book Ideas

For the podcast we have to choose two concepts from our "Reinventing Project-Based Learning" Text. Based on our Weather Monitoring Topic and the objectives we want to accomplish, I have found two concepts that should work well. They are:

Student Collaboration (Chapter 2, pg. 29)

-With this section I want to focus on how we are encouraging students to work together to obtain answers or create more questions about the topic.
-Students work together to complete experiments.
-Students consult each other with questions.
-Students bounce information and idea off of one another.
-Students work together to complete tasks for the overall project.

Gathering Resources (Chapter 5, pg. 76)

-This section focuses on the resources that are necessary to complete the project and ensure that students are taking the right information using the correct equipment.
-Students use scientific equipment to participate in experiments (beakers, rain gauges, etc.).
-Students use calculators for math investigations.
-Students access technology resources (skype, the internet, microsoft programs, etc.).
-Students also use the services of trained professionals (meteorologists, teachers, scientists).

Podcast Ideas

I think our main goal of our Podcast is to inform Parents of the activities we plan to undergo, their purposes, and what we plan to accomplish with them, along with introducing our project with others that are interested.

We should come up with an overview statement of what our intent is and this can be our introduction.

Some ideas we could highlight in our Podcast could include:

-Experiments: Tornado in a Bottle (How does this work? Is it safe for kids? Why do it?)
-Materials Used: Weather Videos, Internet Research, etc.
-Everyday Usage: Incorporation into the classroom (Word Walls, etc.)

We should find one particular aspect of the project that we each find really interesting or important and that can be each of our personal pieces, along with splitting up the introduction and conclusion.

Concept Map

Lesson Plan #2

My second lesson plan on taskstream is going to be monitoring the accumulation of precipitation. The students will chart changes in rain guage readings. This should be successful, since Spring tends to be rainy.

Concept map #2

Is our assignment 2 part B an assignment we all due or one of us? If it is only one of us have we decided who will complete that portion?

Taskstream #2

I am doing the second taskstream assignment on temperature readings over time. Data collection will include present temperatures at the different times of the day for a period of time.

Spring Break assignments

Hey im just trying to figure out what has to be done while were on spring break. Im on vacation and just trying to see what must be done by friday. Thanks

Snowflakes Project

I found a fun project that has to do with snowflakes. I doesn't really explain why or how snowflakes form, but it's a neat little art project that kids can do that we can hang around the room. Below are the materials and instructions to the project.

Crystal Snow Art

What you need:
white construction paper
red constructions paper
black construction paper
white glossy paper
4 plastic containers
water
alum
pickling salt
epsom salts
white granulated sugar
q-tips

What to do:

Put 1/2 cup of water into each of the 4 containers.

Add 2 tablespoons of each of the following to each of the containers. (Alum, pickling salt, white granulated sugar, epsom salts.)

You should have four containers containing 1/2 cup of water and one of the ingredients.

Guess which of the colored papers will make the best snow art picture. Write your answer on a piece of paper if there are several children taking part in the experiment.

Dip a Q-Tip in one of the containers and draw a picture on the black paper.

Using another Q-Tip dip it in a different container and draw on the red construction paper. Do the same with the remaining containers and paper.

Let your projects dry completely. Use a magnifying glass to view the crystals and geodes made by the salts, sugar and alum.

I found this project at:

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/science_for_kids/111983

Nevermind!

I think I would rather do thunder storms if that does not interfere with your movies!

Movie Maker!

For my movie I am going to focus on snowflakes. I am going to find all kinds of images, since no two snowflakes are alike! I am going to include how they form, what temperature it has to be for them to fall, and they can be dangerous if a lot of snow falls.

Movie ideas

I think I will make my movie on deserts and the weather associated with deserts! I'll post anything if I change my mind

ePals

Weather

lesson plan

For my lesson I will have students research the past weather history at this time of year and make predictions of what they think the weather will be. Then, we can have a meteorologist come in and make his/her own predictions and see how it compares to the students predictions.

Lesson Plan

I think I'm going to do my lesson plan on precipitation. I will be including "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and locating how different areas of the world experience vastly different types of precipitation.

Lesson Plan Ideas

I think I will do my lesson plan on Tornados. Included will be ideas of how tornados form, what areas can be affected by tornados, what time of year tornados are most likely to happen, and I will also include the homemade tornado experiment that I placed on here from before.

Hey sorry guys but I'm a little bit lost after missing Monday on what exactly I should be doing for our assignment due on Friday. Will you guys be attending the open lab at all? If not could one of you just call me or post what I need to do. Sorry, I feel really bad I missed it!

Class 2-8

I've started assignment 3 and hopefully everyone has received my invite to the weather folder/document. If not let me know so I can make sure we all have access.

Google Map

Here's the link to Mt. Washington Elementary School:


View My Saved Places in a larger map

Tornado Experiment

I found some directions on how to create a tornado, like we had talked about. The site I found it on was:

http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/weather.html

Tornado in a Jar

Need: tall plastic jar (pop bottle), 4 to 6 small balls of aluminum foil, clear liquid soap, water, blue food coloring.

Place a teaspoon (5ml) of clear liquid soap in your plastic container. Drop into the jar 3-4 vary small pieces of aluminum foil rolled into balls. The foil should be folded and pressed so that it will sink. Fill the jar to the top with water. Add 1 to 2 drops of blue food coloring.

Rotate the container and a swirling effect should be produced. It may take some practice. Set the container up on the table and watch. The force of the foil at the bottom should keep the water in motion. The action resembles the motion set up as circular rotations of air in the atmosphere form a tornado.

Stranded

Hey guys, I'm stranded in Ann Arbor (locked my keys in my car) and won't be able to make it back to Kalamazoo for our class. If you guys do group work just let me know what I can do to help or whatever I need to do! See you guys next week or in class tonight...

3 websites

1. http://www2.davidson.k12.nc.us/pbl/eett/pblfiles/varner/PBL-weather.pdf
2. http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/weathernot/weathernot.html
3. http://www.proteacher.org/c/105_Weather_Unit.html#

websites

I'm looking at:
1. http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
2. http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/
3. http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/k_2theme/weather.htm

for my 3 websites

Thanks!

Thank you for putting those up! They all look like good ideas. I'm not positive if I will be coming to class tomorrow, I'm pretty sure I either sprained or tore some tendions in my foot so if I do not make it I'm sorry and just let me know what I need to do to make up for what I missed. Thanks again!

Brainstorming Ideas

Activities Leading Up to Field Trip:
1. Observations (current daily weather)
2. Experiments (creating tornados, etc.)
3. Data Collection (rain guage, inches of snow, etc.)
4. Predictions (using previous & current weather)
5. Media (internet, kid-friendly websites, www.weather.com)
6. Guest Speakers (meteorologists, nature center staff, etc.)
7. Vocabulary (word wall, spelling lists, one word per week)
8. Movies/Videos (Bill Nye, etc.)
9. Research (library, internet, books, encyclopedias, weather books)
10. Local Contacts (further information for lesson plans)

Final Field Trip Possibilities:
1. Trip to a local Weather Station
-Have students visit the Weather Center
-Have students talk to weather team
-Learn how to use the green screen
2. Create Own Weather Program
-Video tape their own weather channel
3. Trip to a Museum
-Visit weather exhibits

Post #1

Weather Monitoring! :)

First Post

First Post, 1-25-10

Hi

contact info: 517-388-0020