Weather Tracking

1. Weather Tracking John P. Holland Elementary School Dorchester, MA

2. Software Needed: Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Internet Explorer Hardware Needed: Computer with Internet Access Printer Floppy Disk Weather Tracking Project

3. Overview of the Unit • Essential Question: • How do weather conditions affect our daily life? • Grade 3 students access the Weather Channel website to retrieve daily weather conditions in select cities. • Students record and save their findings in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that has previously been created by the teacher. • Students write a weekly paragraph about the effects of weather in their selected city on daily needs including clothing, shelter and recreational activities. • Students utilize Microsoft Word to process their writing. • Students share their weekly paragraph with the entire class.

4. Notes for Instructors • The unit has been a collaboration of myself, the technology specialist, and grade 3 homeroom teachers. Students utilized the computer lab to access the Weather Channel daily and weekly to word process their essays. For those teachers that wish to complete this unit and only have 1 computer in their classroom here is a link to article addressing needs and suggestions of the 1 computer classroom. http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech092.shtml • The length of unit can be decided by the individual teacher, however I recommend a minimum of one month or 4 week cycle. • Students select or are assigned a different city each week. • Time constraints and scheduling were the most difficult obstacles to overcome.

5. Rubric for Narrative Essay • Use of five-step process of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing & publishing. • Use of knowledge of punctuation, (i.e. commas, apostrophes, capitalization, etc). • Use of knowledge of spelling. • Writes with clear focus, logically related ideas to develop it and adequate supporting details. • Sticks to the topic. • Includes a strong beginning and closing sentence. • Includes a strong conclusion that brings the work to summation and leaves the reader with a strong impression.

6. Rubric for Word Processing • Enter, edit and delete text. • Exercise proper spacing and punctuation. • Exhibit knowledge of when to use the Return key when entering text. • Utilize electronic spell checker. • Save document to a data disk. • Print file.

7. Rubric for Spreadsheet • Open the teacher created file from the hard drive. • Collect and organize data using Excel. • Enter, edit and delete data into columns, rows, and cells. • Save changes to a data disk. • Print newly created Excel file.

8. Teacher Created Spreadsheet

9. Curriculum Frameworks • Massachusetts Department of Education • Strand 1: Language Strand... • Grade 3 Standard: 1. The student engages in effective discussions. S/he... • 1.1 speaks with appropriate loudness, clarity, speed, and phrasing • 1.2 asks clear questions (and answers them), using full sentences • 1.3 exchanges ideas and opinions • 1.4 respects the turn-taking rights of others during discussions • 1.5 makes contributions in class and group discussions (e.g. recounts personal experiences, reports on personal knowledge about a topic, initiates conversation) • 1.6 asks and respond to questions • 1.7 follows rules of conversation (e.g. takes turns, raises hand to speak, stays on topic, focuses attention on speaker • 1.8 provides feedback and confirmation when listening to others • 1.9 contributes to discussions about their reading on aspects of fiction such as plot, characters, and sequences of events, and on aspects of nonfiction, such as sequence, logical relationships, and viewpoint

10. Curriculum Frameworks • Grade 3 Standard: 2. The student makes effective presentations. S/he... • 2.1 takes part in creative responses to texts such as dramatizations, oral presentations, fantasy play, etc. • 2.2 establishes a clear purpose • 2.3 reads grade-level material aloud • 2.4 speaks with fluency and proper emphasis • 2.5 uses eye contact • Grade 3 Standard: 3. The student understands, analyzes, evaluates, and responds effectively to oral presentations. • 3.1 asks key questions for clarification and additional information • 3.2 exchanges ideas and opinions • 3.3 uses languages and behaviors that are polite and respectful • 3.4 summarizes and paraphrases the previous speakers' key points • Recognizes most primary word families and patterns • Applies basic word families and patterns to unfamiliar words when reading or writing • Is familiar with how words can be derived from the following 37 word families: -ack -ain -ake -ale -all -ame -an -ump -ank -ap -ash -at -ate -aw -ay -unk -eat -ell -est -ice -ick -ide -ight -ill -in -ine -ing -ink -ip -ir -ock -oke -op -or -ore -uck -ip

11. Curriculum Frameworks • Strand 3: Strand #3 Skills Integration (Grades 1 & 2)/Writing (Grades 3, 4 & 5) • Grade 3 Standard: 1. The student understands the structure of written language and employs this structure effectively, in their stories, reports, poems, letters, essays, and all other writings. S/he... • 1.1 uses standard spelling for the majority of commonly used words • 1.2 uses cursive writing (unless working on a word processor) • 1.3 punctuates sentences properly, including commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, periods, exclamation points, and question marks • 1.4 capitalizes correctly • 1.5 composes complete simple sentences • 1.6 composes declarative, interrogative, exclamatory sentences • 1.7 writes well-developed, 3-5 sentence paragraphs organized in a logical order • 1.8 identifies and use parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, verb tenses: present, past, future • 1.9 uses a dictionary when necessary

12. Curriculum Frameworks • Strand 3: Strand #3 Skills Integration (Grades 1 &2)/Writing (Grades 3, 4, & %) • Grade 3 Standard: 2. The student's writing is focused, coherent, and well-organized drawing on a variety of strategies as needed to generate and organize ideas. S/he... • 2.1 considers audience and purpose when writing for a variety of audiences • 2.2 clearly states main idea, purpose and/or thesis statement • 2.3 provides details to support the main idea • 2.4 organizes events and thoughts in a logical order, including a clear beginning, middle, and end • 2.5 sticks to the topic • 2.6 writes simple informational reports and genres (e.g., fables, fairy tales) • 2.7 uses conventional formats for written products (e.g. left and right hand margins, adequate spacing between words and lines, paragraph indentation, sufficient "white space") • 2.8 uses conventional formatting for friendly letters and letters of invitation

13. Curriculum Frameworks • Strand 3: Strand #3 Skills Integration (Grades 1 & 2)/Writing (Grades 3, 4, & 5) • Grade 3 Standard: 4. With some guidance, the student uses the five-step process of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and "publishing" in the process of completing any writing assignment. S/he... • 4.1 uses thinking, recalling, brainstorming and graphic organizers when preparing to write • 4.2 uses knowledge of punctuation (e.g., end marks, capitalization, paragraph breaks), usage (e.g., subject and verb agreement), sentence structure (e.g., fragments, run-ons) to edit their writing (with teacher help) • 4.3 thinking about logical order students revise sequence of events if necessary • 4.4 discusses one another's word choice and engages in peer editing

14. Curriculum Frameworks • Strand 9: 9.Probability and Statistics: Statistics and probability are important links to other content areas, such as social studies and science. They also reinforce communication skills as children discuss and write about their activities and their conclusions. Within mathematics, these topics regularly involve the uses of number, measurement,estimation, and problem solving. • Grade 3 Standard: 2. Collect, organize, and describe data. • 2.1 Students use tally marks, charts (T-charts, frequency charts, tables, & graphs, pictographs, bar graphs) to collect, organize, & describe data • Grade 3 Standard: 3. Construct display, read and interpret a given set of data. • 3.1 Students understand sorting or organizing data into visual displays (charts & graphs) is essential to data analysis • 3.2 Students read and use data to predict patterns of outcome • Grade 3 Standard: 4. Apply knowledge on how to use data to predict outcomes to solve real life problems. • 4.1 Students understand the relationship between data and outcome • 4.2 Students connect data to mathematical representations & operations

15. National Educational Technology Standards • Use keyboards and other common input and output devices (including adaptive devices when necessary) efficiently and effectively. • Discuss common uses of technology in daily life and the advantages and disadvantages those uses provide. • Use general purpose productivity tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, remediate skill deficits, and facilitate learning throughout the curriculum. • Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. • Use telecommunications efficiently and effectively to access remote information, communicate with others in support of direct and independent learning, and pursue personal interests. • Use telecommunications and online resources (e.g., e-mail, online discussions, Web environments) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities for the purpose of developing solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.

16. Boston Public Schools Technology Competencies • Computer Operations • Use appropriate terminology (cursor, desktop, disk) in both written and oral communication. • Observe sale and practical operation of technologies. • Identify important parts of the computer and related peripherals (CD-ROM, monitor, hard drive, printer). • Utilize software properly. • Operate input devices (keyboard, mouse). • Uses instructional software in various content areas. • Launch and Quite programs and applications. • Point & click utilizing mouse. • Identify desktop components. (hard drive, My Computer) • Utilize arrow keys. • Use pull-down.drop-down menus. • Demonstrate knowledge of special keys (caps lock, shift, enter). • Utilize desktop menu (trash/recycle, file, open). • Start up and shut down hardware. • Navigate programs, applications using scroll bars, arrow keys and special keys. • Save a file to the desktop, the hard drive, and a data disk.

17. Boston Public Schools Technology Competencies • Open a file from the desktop, the hard drive, and a data disk. • Print a file. • Understand window operations (scroll, zoom, maximize, minimize). • Understand the difference between File/Save and File Save As. Keyboarding Competencies • Recognize the layout of the letter and numbers keys on the keyboard. • Use the letter and number keys appropriately. • Use special keys (enter, backspace, space bar, shift, arrow keys, etc.). Word Processing • Understand the concept of a word processor. • Enter, edit and delete text. • Exercise proper spacing and punctuation. • Know when to use the Enter key when entering text. • Format text with respect to size, spacing, style, justification and font. • Utilize an electronic spell checker when appropriate. Spreadsheet • Understand the concept of a spreadsheet. • Understand spreadsheet terminology (column, row, cell). • Enter and.or edit data into a spreadsheet. • Collect and organize data using spreadsheet software. • Use spreadsheet to organize and calculate data.