Because I live next to the ocean many of the topics discussed in this week's module were already familiar to me. Here are a few of the things I related to:
The cultural connections between seasons and the lifestyles of indigenous peoples, many of my students go to Dog Point Fish Camp during the summer months where virtually all of hte resources are taken out of the ocean. In march the whole town of Sitka turns out to watch the herring opener.
The discussion on specific heat capacity immediatly made me think of the thick fog that hangs over the channel on clear nights - moisture condensing between the cold land and the warm ocan currents.
The unit about latitude and heat brought to mind a conversation between my friend and I on the opening of moose season - I was up and Fairbanks in 20 degree weather in the daylight while my buddy hunted in Wrangell in the twilight at close to 50 degrees.
Extend:
These materials that I came across in this unit are not those that will probably use in my classroom, but the concepts are - expecially those involving ocean currents becasue that is somthing that we focus on here (each year the Paths across the Pacific Conference is held here - focusing on human migration and the ocean currents.
Evaluate
The study of the ocean is very relevant at all levels, but at grade three I have to be careful not to overload them. It is time like these where I wish that I taught higher level kids. Still - a slight change in ocean temperature would be disasterous for the fishing stocks where many of my kid's parents make their money...
Three "C"
I commented on Allison's Blog
I commented on Janet's blog
I commented on my buddy Matt's Blog (and I have to give him credit for showing me how to get this infernal machine to make links).
The study (with your dad) that you talked about sounds very interesting. I would be interested in reading more about it.
ReplyDeleteI also teach third grade so I was thinking of how I could use some of these resources without it being completely over their heads.
Tyler,
ReplyDeleteNice shot of your dad and the bath toys. You really have contributed a lot of data to that study. I've always enjoyed perusing your collection.
You ought to look up adiabatic heating. I think it will interest you, specifically how things cool as they expand. It explains a lot about the clouds around our mountains and why the cold air from the mountains sometimes reaches town as such a warm breeze. Fascinating stuff.
Matt
I find my reaction to the bathtub toy mishap a little annoying - I smiled. It's just such a happy sounding mess. I wrote in my blog of the problem with plastic bottles.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of plastic bottles littering the Pacific - makes me irrationally annoyed.
The idea of plastic bathtoys littering the Pacific - makes me irrationally smile.
Just a random thought...
Tyler makes an excellent connection between the jet stream and food. The newspaper predicts the jet stream location will change, which affects the weather which affects the deer which affects the food supply. Quite a connection in our daily lives that we normally don’t think about. I also like the fact that Tyler mentions using the NOAA weather and satellite information for hunting. It’s a great way to show students that all this science stuff can be very useful, even to the point where your life may depend on it.
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