"On the Air"

Weather Watchers

A WebQuest for Second Grade (Science)

Designed by: Mrs. Christine Borgman
 borgchri@shenet.org 

   

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits

Lesson Plan

 

Introduction

The local radio station in Clifton Park has drowned in a major flood.  Our community has no way of receiving important weather information.  Because Okte Elementary School has a new weather station, we were selected to become the community's weather reporting station!  You are now a group of weather forecasters for Okte.  You are our community's only resource for reporting the weather.  Everyone is depending on you to get the job done!  Good luck!

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The Task

Your tasks are:

*Gather weather related information from various Internet sources and enter the data in Microsoft Word.

*Enter morning weather forecast on Weather Chart located by the elevators between rooms 5 and 6.

*Graph the data using thermometer bar graphs (graph template available from teacher).

*Summarize the data results for the week into a type-written script using Microsoft Word.

*Produce a radio broadcast of the week's weather using an audio program called Audacity that will be made available to the Okte community and world at large.

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The Process

1.  First you'll be assigned to a team of 4 students who will be responsible for gathering weather data for the week.

2.  Your teacher will assign you to one of the following roles:  Data Collector, Mathematician, Script Writer, or Radio Announcer.

 

Data Collector - Your job is to check the local weather report on the WWW and collect the previous day's high and low temperatures.

    a)  Go to the link www.weather.com and enter 12065 in the zip code text box.

    b)  Click on the "Yesterday" tab to view the weather from the day before.

    c)  Use the data sheet link to enter yesterday's date and high and low temperatures.

 

     

Mathematician - Your job is to use the data sheet log to graph the high and low temperatures for the previous day.

    Find the weather graph template and graph the data from yesterday's high and low temperature readings.  Use a red Vis-A-Vise marker for the high temperature and blue for the low temperature.  Make sure you have added both high and low temperature lines for each thermometer.  *Hint - use a ruler to make straight lines.

 

 

Script Writer - You have two jobs. 

    a)  Work with the radio announcer and go to Okte's Weather Station Link to find the current temperature.  Post the temperature on the Morning Weather Chart by the elevator between rooms 5 and 6.

    b)  Using the data collected over the past week and the weather script template, create a script for the radio announcer to read on his/her weekly broadcast. 

 

 

Radio Announcer - You have two jobs.

    a)  Work with the script writer and go to Okte's Weather Station Link to find the current temperature.  Post the temperature on the Morning Weather Chart by the elevator between rooms 5 and 6. 

    b)  Rehearse and record the weather report using the Audacity software program.

 

 

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Evaluation

Your group will be evaluated based on the team rubric below. 

 
Exceptional

4

 Proficient

3

 Not Yet Proficient

2

 Not Proficient

1

 Score
 

Data Collection

 

Data was accurately entered on data log for all days.

Data accurately entered for most days.

Data was not accurately entered for most days.

Data was either not accurate on all days or not entered.


 
 

Graphic Representation

 

 

Data was accurately graphed for all days.

Data was accurately graphed for most days.

Data was not accurately graphed for most days.

Date was either not accurately graphed or not graphed at all.


 
 

Daily Report of Current Temperature

 

 

Temperature data was retrieved and represented correctly for all days.

Temperature data was retrieved, but may not have been represented correctly for all days.

Temperature data was retrieved, but was not represented correctly for most days.

Temperature data was either not retrieved or not represented at all.


 
 

Script

 

Script was completed accurately and with no grammatical and/or mechanical errors.

Script was completed accurately with few grammatical and/or mechanical errors.

Script either was not completed accurately OR contained many errors.

Script was not completed.


 
 

Broadcast

Voice is audible with good intonations.

Voice is audible with some intonations.

Voice is somewhat hard to hear and/or understand.

Voice is difficult to hear and understand.


 
 
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Conclusion

You have provided a valuable service to our community.  You have collected data, graphed the information, and reported it to the community "On-Air."  Think about other ways our community receives information.  If you had the opportunity to produce a longer radio news show, what pieces of information might you provide for our community members?

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 Credits & References

Graphics provided by:

 

 

A huge thank you to  Mrs. Gail Pietrafesa, Shenendehowa's Lead Teacher for Instructional Technology.  Together, we were able to create a WebQuest that is aligned with our district's curriculum guides to use with second graders at Okte Elementary. 

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Click below to view the lesson plan for this WebQuest:

 

Last updated on March, 2008. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page