TREES AND
TEMPERATURE
by
GEOGRAPHIC
QUESTIONS:
·
What
is the spatial distribution of trees, soil and air temperature on the campus?
·
How
does the presence of trees impact the air and soil temperature of the urban
school campus?
NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS:
(#8) The characteristics and spatial distribution
of ecosystems on Earth’s surface.
(#1) How to use maps and other geographic representations,
tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a
spatial perspective.
(#4) The physical and human characteristics of a
place.
OREGON
BENCHMARKS:
·
MATH
MEASUREMENT-BENCHMARK #2: Select the
appropriate units and tools to measure length, perimeter, weight, area, volume,
time, temperature, money, and angle.
·
SOCIAL
STUDIES-BENCHMARK #2: Use maps and
charts to interpret geographic information.
GRADE
LEVEL: Fifth grade through middle school, with
applications for special education students.
OBJECTIVES: The students will:
·
gather
data on air and soil temperature in four settings
·
organize,
graph, and chart data
·
write
and present a report on their findings using visual aids
MATERIALS:
·
outline
map of urban school setting
·
tape
measure
·
orange
cones
·
colored
pencils/pens/markers
·
butcher
paper
·
air
thermometer
·
soil
thermometer
·
graph
paper
PRESENTATION
STEPS:
1.
Anticipatory
set: Teacher will present for
discussion where students expect the temperatures to be the warmest and the
coolest on a school campus and whether they expect the results to vary as to
time of day and the presence or absence of trees. Pre-teach and review vocabulary needed for this lesson.
2.
Students
will be presented with the two geographic questions.
3.
Students
will pace a distance of 25 feet in order to create a grid.
4.
Review
air/soil temperature gathering protocols.
5.
Students
are introduced to the “The Geographic Process.” (Ask a question, gather data, organize data, data analysis, and
answer the question.)
6.
Student
teams are assigned to different 100 foot x 100 foot areas pre-marked with
cones.
7.
Students
will divide areas into grids of 25 foot x 25 foot and assign letter names and
numbers.
8.
Students
will draw locations of trees on grid map.
9.
Students
will gather data (air and soil temperature) and organize in charts and graphs,
write reports.
10.Students address second geographic question
regarding impact of the presence of trees on soil and air temperature.
11.Students will create three-fold cardboard display.
12.Students will compare findings to original
discussion and offer conclusions. (Data
Analysis)
ASSESSMENT: Students will prepare a three-fold cardboard display
on how the presence of trees impacts the air and soil temperature of the urban
school campus. The display to include
data collected on a variety of species.
Oral
and written presentations will be scored using the state scoring guides for
specking and writing.
ADAPTATIONS: This lesson can be adapted for special needs
learners by reducing the tasks required for this lesson. Peer mentoring within groups would also
facilitate learning.
EXTENSIONS:
1.
Students
gather data on native versus non-native species.
2.
Students
can collect data on other physical environmental features.
3.
Students
can collect data to see if the impact is the same for all species of trees.
4.
Students
can compare tree height and width over an extended period of time and predict
future tree growth.
Student Name________________
Date________________
Period________________
THREE-FOLD CARDBOARD DISPLAY
SCORING GUIDE
GRID MAP:
TITLE ____
ORIENTATION ____
AUTHOR ____
DIRECTIONS ____
SCALES ____
TOTAL POINTS ______
(25)
NEATNESS:
USE OF COLOR (5)
___________________
CLEAR, EASY TO READ ___________________
TOTAL POINTS ___________________
(25)
ACCURATE DATA:
GRID __________
SOIL __________
AIR __________
TOTAL POINTS __________
(50)
TOTAL PROJECT
POINTS: ______________________
(100)