Students studied weather and learned to use instruments such as the thermometer,
barometer, hygrometer, wind meter, and compass. They learned how to record
temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction
and to observe cloud cover. They also learned to interpret weather data
in a local newspaper. They were then given the opportunity to use these
skills in a field study wherein they collected and recorded weather data
outdoors for five consecutive school days. Each student team was then asked
to choose weather factors and represent each factor visually using appropriate
charts or graphs of their choice. The students reflected on their experience
through narrative writing. While the narratives are not intended to be conclusive,
they do reflect understanding of key concepts.
| This sample of student work was produced under the following
conditions: |
| alone |
in a group |
| in class |
as homework |
| with teacher feedback |
with peer feedback |
| timed |
opportunity for revision |
 c
Earth Sciences Concepts: The student
produces evidence that demonstrates understanding of changes in Earth
and sky, such as changes caused by weather….
 
 The chart, bar
graphs, and narratives provide evidence that the children have used
weather instruments to collect quantifiable data outdoors.
 a
Scientific Tools and Technologies:
The student uses technology and tools…to gather data and extend
the senses.
 
The students used instruments (thermometer, barometer, hygrometer,
wind meter, compass) to collect data. They described their work with
these instruments in their narratives.
b
Scientific Tools and Technologies: The
student collects and analyzes data using concepts and techniques in
Mathematics Standard 4, such as…data displays…[and] graphing.
The students collected
and analyzed data and used the information to construct graphs.
 a
Scientific Communication: The
student represents data and results in multiple ways, such as numbers,
tables, and graphs…and technical and creative writing.
The students completed charts and generated graphs based on the collected
data. On two of the graphs (Temperature of the Week and Relative Humidity)
students added extra numbers to the y axis so that they could accurately
interpret and display the data they collected, indicating a clear
understanding of the incremental organization of the graph formats.
Note that the Wind Speed graph has a minor flaw in that the bars are
not all an equal width, and on the Temperature of the Week graph the
increment between 0 and 10 is different, however this does not detract
from the students’ accurate representation of the data collected.
In the narratives, the students describe their work with various instruments
and their surprise at some of their results. In 
, for example, the student explains how a hygrometer works. The writing
contains some spelling and grammatical errors, but these do not detract
from the quality of the students’ narratives. |
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