Pendleton Elementary School STEM Action Plan (4th Grade)
July 28, 2015
Big Idea
How weather patterns affect landforms, structures, and the lives of people who live there.
Essential Question: How can you design a levee that will not be permeated by water?
Goals and Objectives
Students will design and create a project based on a book study. Zane and the Hurricane
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Students will read and participate in book discussions.
Students will study hurricanes and how they affect the coastal region, as well as, our own area.
Students will use weather maps to track Hurricanes for the 2015 season.
Students will analyze the levee system and discuss how they played a role in the Hurricane
Katrina disaster.
Students will keep a reading response journal along with an engineering journal.
Science Standards
4.E.2B.1 Analyze and interpret data from observations, measurements, and weather maps to describe
patterns in local weather conditions (including temperature, precipitation, wind speed/direction,
relative humidity, and cloud types) and predict changes in weather over time.
4.E.2B.2 Obtain and communicate information about severe weather phenomena (including
thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes) to explain steps humans can take to reduce the impact of
severe weather phenomena.
4.E.2B.3 Construct explanations about regional climate differences using data from the long term
weather conditions of the region.
Math Standards
4.MDA.1 Convert measurements within a single system of measurement, customary (i.e., in., ft., yd., oz.,
lb., sec., min., hr.) or metric (i.e., cm, m, km, g, kg, mL, L) from a larger to a smaller unit.
4.MDA.2 Solve real-world problems involving distance/length, intervals of time within 12 hours, liquid
volume, mass, and money using the four operations.
4.MDA.3 Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles.
4.MDA.4 Create a line plot to display a data set (i.e., generated by measuring length to the nearest
quarter-inch and eighth-inch) and interpret the line plot.
4.MDA.6 Measure and draw angles in whole number degrees using a protractor.
4.MDA.7 Solve addition and subtraction problems to find unknown angles in real-world and
mathematical problems.
4.MDA.8 Determine the value of a collection of coins and bills greater than $1.00.
Timeline
This project will take place during the fall and will be related to the Hurricane season.
Assessments
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Formative assessments will be given to monitor student progress.
Group Assessment
Rubrics for weather maps and project
Resources
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WYFF 4 Weather Tracker Maps
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Scholastic Hurricane Katrina
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/hurricanekatrina/
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History Channel – Hurricane Katrina http://www.history.com/topics/hurricane-katrina
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National Geographic – Levees http://education.nationalgeographic.com/encyclopedia/levee/
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Teaching Engineering Unit https://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/cub_/activities/cub_weath
er/cub_weather_lesson05_activity1.xml
Materials
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Levee Design Worksheet, one per group
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rectangular plastic container or tub
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scissors, to poke holes in cups
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$10 worth of fun money (for example, strips of paper that each represent one dollar or
Monopoly® money)
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levee building materials:
- sand or gravel (about 2 cups)
- duct tape (about 1 ft)
-8-10 cotton balls
1 plastic sandwich bag or square of Saran® wrap
-1 sponge
-8-10 popsicle sticks
-8-10 plastic drinking straws
-paperboard (1 sheet, such as from a cereal box)
-small paper cups (note: remember to update the Levee Design Worksheet with any changes made)
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Access to water to test the levees
Learning Experiences
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Students will examine the effects of flooding by creating a landscape and then pouring water
into it to simulate a flood.
Students will by test earth materials to see if they are permeable.
Students will design and construct a levee system to protect their landscape.