Introduction

The idea for this lesson came from an inspiring PowerPoint presentation on temperature by Philip Molebash.  We wanted to integrate math and science concepts, and felt that this lesson would provided an ideal way to explore both.  The internet is a wonderful medium for weather information so we thought this would be a great topic for WebQuest.

In our lesson, the students will examine how elevation and latitude affect average temperature in different cities around the globe.  The mathematical concepts that they will be learning are:  conversion factors, rate of change, slope intercept form of the line, and best-fit lines.  We found a direct correlation between temperature and latitude, but not necessarily one between temperature and altitude.

Content Area and Grade Level

This lesson could be used in either science or math classes.  We specifically targeted 8th grade gifted students because many of the tasks require a developing understanding of higher math concepts.

Curriculum Standards - California Standards

We have provided a link to the California Math Standards.  By gathering data, entering it in a spreadsheet, and graphing it, the students learn to interpret trends and explain their findings in writing.    With models they will predict and explain temperatures based on given elevation and latitude.
 
This lesson is intended to give students a chance to collaborate, working together as a team.  Gathering data, making a spreadsheet and creating models force communication and discussion based on observation and exploration. The students learn to take responsibility, make inferences regarding the relationship between temperature and elevation or latitude, if there is one.  This challenges students to think critically by combining what they know and the result of their work in order to problem-solve.
 
 

Implementation Overview

This lesson is intended for an eighth grade gifted math class implementing general science.  The students will need to have access to the Internet.  The class will meet once a day for an hour long.  For this whole project to be completed it’ll take about one week, two days of instruction and three days of students’ independent team work.  The teacher can monitor or guide students who need help.
 
 

Resources Needed
 

The following resources will be need:
 

• ·  Computers with access to the Internet (Link to Weatherbase)
•     An atlas or world map
• ·   Spreadsheet program
• ·   One teacher
•     Links:  www.weatherbase.com, www.dictionary.com, www.askdrmath.com
•     To see an example of the spreadsheets and graphs, click here.

Entry Level Skills and Knowledge
 

Prior Knowledge:  The students are expected to:
 

• Be comfortable working with computers (Link to Weatherbase)

• Be familiar with x-y coordinate plane, how to convert values, the slope-intercept form.

• Teachers are expected to be fluent with computers and familiar with a spreadsheet program, our recommendation is Excel.

Evaluation
 

Each partner will be graded separately on his or her spreadsheet for a total of 30 points possible.  The essay will be worth 70 points based on its analysis and each partner will receive the same grade.
 
 

Possible Variations

You may have the students present their analysis instead of writing an essay.  Also, you may want the entire class to pool their data and lead a discussion about what the variations are in the findings.  This could shorten the assignment to only a couple of days.  We

Conclusion

This project will allow students to use math in a real-world setting rather than the typical way it is taught, i.e. sterile, with no applications.  We hope that this helps the students to see the relevance of math in everyday life.