2012 Political Map Center

Political Blog Preparation

Students,

This week in "The 'New Social'" we will be focusing our energies around Election 2012 coverage and the upcoming Presidential Debate in Colorado this Wednesday.  Let the political preparation begin!

Blog #9:  "Political Blog" - (Monday & Tuesday)
A)  Browse:  http://magazines.scholastic.com/election-2012/faqs-election
      Create a  list of 10 "Did You Know" facts based on evidence from the article listed above.
B )  Browse - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/issueengine/issueengine.html
* Categorize the above 18 political issues that reflect issues that are:
                IMPORTANT                  SEMI-IMPORTANT               NOT IMPORTANT

Physical & Thematic Maps

EarthBuzzers,

You will create a 7-Line poem about a country of your choice.  Choose any country you like.  Follow the format below to write your poem or rap.  You will use information from physical and thematic maps  and www.factmonster.com

Line 1:  Country name
Line 2:  One PHysical feature located in your country
Line 3:  Two adjectives describing your country's climate
Line 4:  Two details about your country's vegetation
LIne 5:  Two adjectives describing your country's population density
Line 6:  Two details about land use or resources in your country
Line 7:  Region Name

1.)  You must include 3-5 images of any of the above descriptions
2.) Add colorful and creative touches to decorate your poem or rap

3.)  You will upload this to your blog!

CNN Student News

CNN Student News "Shout-Out!"

CNN Student News

Each day we begin class viewing "CNN Student News" and become informed about national and international issues facing us today.  This is an excellent forum for students to apply skills that we are learning in Geography to real world scenarios and settings.

To date, news stories have covered an array of topics from Election 2012, Mars, Curiosity Rover, Endangered Species, conflict in Syria, Afghanistan, political jargon busters, texting and driving, among many stories!  Aside from the daily "Shout-Out," (this is our favorite portion of the news segment!), we enjoy the news stories that feature information on animals.  Did you know that there are only 1600 Pandas in the wild?  To learn more about this segment on Pandas and other topics, click on the link above or listen to the library of podcasts!

Our class has become registered with CNN Student News and have placed a "Shout-Out" to be recognized on a future webcast.  Wish us luck!  We will post the report IF this happens :)

"The New 'Social'"

Bloggers,

On your mark, get set, go!  Wait, we have already been up and running with these blogs for nearly two weeks (Can you believe we just started our 3rd week of middle school?!)!  Already, you have authored two blog posts providing insight into pieces of your personal culture and sharing with us your first selection for a new story.   I have been able to watch individual personalities come out through article choices, writing styles, blurbs of personal expression, creative design of blog templates, and clever responses to other posts.   To say the least, we have definitely begun our journey of blogging in a new social environment.  

Where does this all this blogging take us?  What comes next?  What is the purpose of our writing?  Who is our audience?  What would you like to be the purpose in a relative short amount of time?  Why is it important to share and initiate dialogue, news stories, and personal interests with classmates?  What will you gain from this experience and how will impact you as learner in a digital world of the 21st century?  

We will begin to explore these questions in the days and weeks ahead.

Here is the criteria for Blog Post #3:
1.)  Browse any of following blogs:  Nat Geo Kids, Denver Post, Scholastic,
      & Denver Public Library Blog
2.)  Select two-three authors from any of the above combination of blogs. 
3.)  Can you identify the blogger, audience, and purpose of each blog you select?
4.)  Title your blog post based on one of the author's interest!
5.)  Create a review of 2-3 bloggers from the below hyperlinks that includes:
       a.) Identify the name of blog:  Ex. Global Bros
       b.) Hyperlink the blog:           
http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/globalbros/2009/11/global-bros-highlights-from-the-road.html
       b.) Identify the name of blogger (author(s))    Ex. Tyler & Stefen
       c.) List the projected audience of this blogger:    Ex.  Young travelers
       d.) List the purpose of this author's blog:   
       Ex. Share information about different locations on Earth and learn more about different cultures. 

National Geographic For Kids Adventure & Book Blogs:
http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/
http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/dogeared/meet-our-bloggers.html 

Scholastic Blogs:  Current Events For Kids!
http://blog.scholastic.com/

All Things Colorado Sports:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/sports/

Denver Public Library Blogs:
http://denverlibrary.org/Blog

Looking forward to Blog Post #3,
Ms. Donahue :)

Global Climate Change: Fishbowl Discussion :)

Bloggers,

You will be preparing for tomorrow's academic "Fishbowl" discussion by blogging!  Every student has been assigned a small team of 3-5 students and you will be asking and responding to student-generated questions to build knowledge around "Global Climate Change."

1.)  Please write your  3 questions on the blog thread of your team.
Example, If you are a member of Team #1, you will blog only on Team #1's blog thread!!!!

2.)  Respond to the question(s) presented using ACE responses and cite your source.
Example, Paragraph 16 or Paragraphy 21 or Page 77  or Page 84

3.)  Cite evidence: When you cite evidence, please mention the paragraph number or page number you cited from!!!!!
     * Article - "Climate Change Debate: Man vs. Nature"
     * Textbook - pages 74-77
     * Textbook - pages 83-86

4.)  Finish this statement on your team blog:  Tomorrow, I want to learn more about....

5.) Finish this statement on your team blog:  What do you think is the difference between dialogue and debate?!

6.) .)  Questions/Support:   See Ms. Donahue at conference table. 

7.)  Expectations: Be a reflective and thoughtful thinker and blogger about a global issue facing us in the 21st century.  You may only use thoughtful and kind words when responding to each other with no disrespectful words or responses to any member of your small team.  Remember, you are blogging to deepen your understanding of the global climate change discussion and to learn about different perspectives and positions to this complicated issue.


Good luck!!! Ms. Donahue :)

Create a National Weather Report!

Morey Junior Meteorologists,
Essential Question:  Why are climate and weather important for how we live in the 21st century?!

Your fist task today is to deepen your understanding of elements that influence weather & climate!

1.) You have the choice of programs to demonstrate your knowledge of elements of weather, please select one program to use to create weather report

• Mircrosoft Word - Write a paragraph: 7-9 sentences
• Mircrosoft PowerPoint - Show a sequence of 8-12 slides
• Popplet - Create a mindmap/infograph that links ideas together: Infograph
• Prezi - Create a mindmap/infograph that links ideas together:  Infograph
• KidBlog - Any combination of the abo e

2.)  Open these two links to learn about the weather conditions of the US for 4/6/12.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/fronts/latest-fronts-systems.htm
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/nationalforecast/

3.)  Please create a national weather report for 4/6/12 using one of the above technology programs.  You must include at least 15/25 words in your report

1. air temperature
2. precipitation
3. air mass
4. high pressure air mass 
5. low pressure air mass 
6. humidity
7. wind 
8. sun
9. cirrus
10. cumulonimbus
11. stratosphere
12. troposphere
13. weather
14. climate
15. meteorologists
16. climatologists
17. condensation
18. water cycle
19. radar
20. satellite
21. weather maps
22. wind speed
23. wind direction
24. precipitation
25. barometric pressure

Challenge Word:
*dew point
*hygrometer
*anemometer
*future weather forecast

CRITICAL THINKING

1.)   What is the difference between weather and climate?

2.)   How does average yearly temperatures vary with latitude?

3.)   What is the water cycle and describe each step

4.)   How are clouds formed?

5.)   How does temperature affect air pressure?

6.)   How do meteorologist make observations of the weather? (radar, satellites, radiosondes)

7.)   What advantages are there in looking at the world from space to observe weather?

8.)   What is an isotherm?

9.)   What is an isobar?

10.)Why does air pressure always decrease upwards in the atmosphere?

11.)What is the difference between a warm front and a cold front?

12.)Why is the weather in high-pressure areas usually fair?  Why is the weather in low-pressure areas usually cloudy and stormy?

13.) Why do you think weather reports vary over any given area?

14.)What is some of the information is detailed in weather report?

15.)Why does wind blow?

16.) How are clouds formed?

17.)What are three general classifications of clouds & where are they found in the atmosphere?

18.)What is a vertical cloud?

Weather Instruments:

WEATHER INSTRUMENTS

Weather Instrument		What Does It Measure?		Metric Unit of Measure		Customary Unit of Measure
thermometer		temperature		Degrees Celsius (C)		Degrees Fahrenheit (F)
hygrometer		humidity
wind vane		wind direction		north, south, east, west		north, south, east, west
anemometer		wind speed		kilometers per hour (kph)		miles per hour (mph)
rain gauge		precipitation		centimeters (cm)		inches (in.)
barometer		air pressure		pascal (Pa) or newton/m2		inches of mercury or in millibars (mb)

4.) Resources/Help/Support:
This is a chance for you to demonstrate your understanding of elements of climate and weather and use the vocabulary in a way.   If you are unsure of the meaning of any of the above words, please use the following resources: Science Journal and/or Textbook

Good luck!

Water Round Table

Students,

You will be assigned a group and will complete the tasks below.  You will have 30 minutes to learn about your topic and will be presenting your tasks in a "Water Round Table Discussion" at the end of class.  Based on the topic you have been assigned you will be writing the following:

* Write To Read Practice - Part IV
* Write a well-written paragraph in 7-9 sentences that explains what you feel is the most important part and why
* Cite Evidence from the text
* EXPLAIN, ELABORATE, EXPLAIN
* Connect this story to our world, our country, your life!

1.) Melting Glaciers:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/12/1112-melting-glaciers-mean-double-trouble-for-water-supplies/

2.) Tap Water vs. Bottled Water
http://www.rd.com/health/rethink-what-you-drink/

3.) Colorado's Water History:
http://www.waterinfo.org/indian.html

4.) River Dams:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/11/111128-google-earth-dams/

Challenge Question: Water Series Infographics
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/embedded-water/

Challenge Question2: Rain Forests vs. Grasslands:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/120320-grasslands-rain-forests-species-diversity-environment/

http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/

Infographics In Action - H2O Experiments!

Water Usage In My House on Prezi

Water Usage on Prezi

Water Usage @ Home Experiment

Did you know that the average American uses between 80-100 gallons of water each day?   How much water does your family use per day, are you above, below, or within the average range? 

The current 6th grade science students (HGT and HS) are in the middle of a water use project that will have them measuring water use in their home for the next 7 days.  Students should be counting each of the following ways they use water in their house including number of minutes the sink and shower are used in 30 sec increments, the number of toilet flushes, the number of loads of laundry, cycles of the dishwasher and times the bath tub is filled.  Students will then be calculating the gallons of water used per day on average.  It would be extremely helpful to them in double checking their work if they had access to a water bill if possible.  Students will be expected to blog at least 3 times during this process and share experiences while conducting this experiment on KidBlog!  Good luck in your quest to collect water usage data in your home :) 

Here are the rough estimates for water sources.  Again, please consult owner manuals if you feel like usage is greater or less than that listed below.  
Toilet 3.6 gallons per flush
Low Flow Toilet 1.5  gallons per flush
Sink – 1.5 gallons per minute
Shower – 2.5 gallons per minute
Dishwasher – 25 gallons (10% of that if Energy Star product)
Washing Machine – 35 gallons (14 gallons if Energy Star product)

Students will be expected to create an infograph (visual representation that transforms data into information) of their water experiment which will include: Students need to tell the story in a visual manner of the finding of their experiment and what they learned.(More details to come on Wed/Thurs!)
Title
Hypothesis
Procedures
Data Collection
Daily H2O Totals
Weekly H2O Average
Conclusion
* What did you learn by conducting this experiment?
* How will this experiment impact your future water use?
* How will this experiment impact your family's water use?

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1186/
http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=3F93145A-1
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/hydrogeo/visualizations/watersheds.html
http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/ccr/index.cfm

Thank you,
Ms. Donahue

Khan Academy: Future of Education?!

Students,

What are your thoughts about this approach to learning and teaching?  Do you like the idea of a "flipped classroom" where you complete your homework at school and schoolwork at home?!  Would it make a difference in your learning?  Do you like the idea of these short tutorial videos to support new learning topics or strengthen what you already know?  If you have thoughts on this go to KidBlog and give us your opinion?!  Ms. Donahue :) 
Khan Academy Link!

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7401696n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel

Current Event Blog Day!

Students,

Today you will research current events through EarthBuzz's links on the right side of our website.  After you have selected an article, please navigate to KidBlog for a report on your news story.  Your report must include the following (Rubric):
1.)  Summary:  7-9 sentences that includes a topic sentence, "In the article.... written by...."
2.)  6 Vocabulary Words:
3.)  2 Higher-Level Questions: 
4.)  Connection:  Connect your news story to international, national, local, or personal perspective in 2 sentences!
5.)  Include an image/picture/video:
6.)  You  must respond to at least 2 other news stories from your classmates!

Here is an example story highlighting crocodiles that live along the Nile River basin in Africa!  Did you know that this massive species can grow in length up to 20 feet?!   

 http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/nile-crocodile/?source=hp_dl3_animals_crocodile20120227

Adventure Into Africa!

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/


http://www.factmonster.com/

http://kids.yahoo.com/reference



Today you will adventure into Africa!

Land Use Conflict in the Amazon!

Students,

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT RAINFORESTS ON EARTH?

Adventure into the Amazon Rainforest and report out on new findings about this unique area on Earth and other tropical rainforests!  You will blog your findings in KidBlog - see Ms. Donahue if you need your password!

http://www.pbs.org/journeyintoamazonia/enter.html