Lesson Plans for the week of March 17-21, 2014
Standards for the week
MS-LS2-3
Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and non living
parts of an ecosystem. [Clarification statement: emphasis is on describing the conservation of matter
and flow of energy into and out of various ecosystems, and on defining the boundaries of the system.]
[Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the use of chemical reactions to describe the
processes.]
MS-ESS3-5
Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over
the past century. [Clarification Statement: Examples of factors include human activities (such as fossil
fuel combustion, cement production, and agricultural activity) and natural processes (such as changes
in incoming solar radiation or volcanic activity). Examples of evidence can include tables, graphs, and
maps of global and regional temperatures, atmospheric levels of gases such as carbon dioxide and
methane, and the rates of human activities. Emphasis is on the major role that human activities play
in causing the rise in global temperatures.
Crosscutting Concepts
Stability and Change
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Stability might be disturbed either by sudden events or gradual changes that accumulate over
time.
Ask questions to identify and clarify evidence of an argument. (MS-ESS3-5)
Monday (17)
SNOW DAY
Tuesday (18)
LT I can use scientific data to construct an argument about earth’s climate and can use the data to
support my claim.
Students will continue to complete their poster arguments in class. Students will have 20 minutes to
prepare the poster and themselves for a poster presentation. In this portion of the activity, if a group
has 4 students, then one student will stay and the other three will split up and move to another
poster where they will listen to a different presentation. Students will be asked to critique the poster
and argument presented by the speaker. Students will use a prepared checklist to guide their
critiques. After about 5-7 minutes, students will switch roles so that each student will have an
opportunity to present as well as critique.
Formative Assessment: Poster presentation
Media/Technology: None
Special Needs Strategies: None
Wednesday (19)
LT I can use scientific data to construct an argument about earth’s climate and can use the data to
support my claim.
Students will finish their poster presentations and discussions. Students will begin the next section of
the presentations about climate. Students will be asked the following questions in their journals:
What is/are the most likely cause(s) of the recent trends in climate change? After responding to the
questions, students will share what they know about climate change. The students will be given the
following data:
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The Keeling curve
Earth’s surface temperature changes, 1880-2003 in degrees Celsius
Fossil Fuel CO2 emissions
Photo of sunspots
Solar Radiance data from NASA’s GISS (temp) and Max Planck Institute (solar radiance) since
1885
Formative: Argument plan on paper
Media/Technology: None
Special needs Strategies: Small group
Thursday (20)
Students will be assigned to small groups of 3 or 4 students. Students will be asked to share their
individual responses to the questions they answered on Wednesday with their group members. Next,
students will be asked to construct an argument following a template as a guide. Students will be
given the same rubric for the first set of arguments to go by.
Formative: Argument plan on paper
Media/Technology: None
Special Needs Strategies: Small group
Friday (21)
LT – I can use scientific data to construct an argument about earth’s climate and can use the data to
support my claim.
Students will continue to complete their poster arguments in class. Students will have 20 minutes to
prepare the poster and themselves for a poster presentation. In this portion of the activity, if a group
has 4 students, then one student will stay and the other three will split up and move to another
poster where they will listen to a different presentation. Students will be asked to critique the poster
and argument presented by the speaker. Students will use a prepared checklist to guide their
critiques. After about 5-7 minutes, students will switch roles so that each student will have an
opportunity to present as well as critique.
Formative Assessment: Poster presentation
Media/Technology: None
Special Needs Strategies: None