HamiltonJHSB7

Title: Birthday Weather and News

Grade Level: 8

Subjects: Language Arts, Math, and Science

Learner Outcomes:

The student will use his/her listening skills as the visiting local TV weather person explains how he/she prepares a weather report and tells how to present a weather report on the air.
The student will conduct an Internet search on various aspects of the weather and search for significant events occurring on or around his/her birthday.
The student will utilize the weather data gathered in science and averaged in math and use his/her speaking skills to present a Power Point presentation in a TV weather report format.

Duration Of The Lesson:

This lesson should take from seven to ten days depending on class size and computer availability. While some students are doing their research and preparing their Power Point presentations, the students not working on computers should be working on another lesson as directed by the teacher.

Materials:

Computers with Internet access
Computers with Power Point capability
TV Weather person
Data collected from science class
Data averaged in math class

Technology Tools:

Computers with Internet access
Computers with Power Point capability
TV with a scan converter

Teacher Notes:

Invite the local TV Weather person to speak to your classes.

Special Needs students may need extra help with the Power Point presentation.

Students need to take advantage of computers in public libraries, and school and classroom labs.

No safety or health concerns apply.

No special requirements apply.

Check to see if all students are cleared to use the Internet.

Procedures:

Ask the students what they know about the different duties a weather person performs on the TV news.
Review the rules for being a polite listener.
Encourage the students to be respectful to and to ask questions of the weather person.
Find out some background information about the weather person before he or she speaks to the class.
Demonstrate how to create a Power Point presentation if the class has not already done one.

(The report will be based mainly on weather conditions and significant events occurring on or around the student's birthday.)

Explain what the student is to include in his/her report.

1. An introductory slide with a picture or an example of Clip Art of a weather scene.
2. Weather data collected in science class.
3. Weather data averaged in math class.
4. The high and low temperature on their birthday.
1) Go to National Weather Service Summary of the Day
2) Select: Display One Parameter for One Station for a Specified Time Frame
3) Set the state to your state and click on the continue button
4) Select your city and time frame covering the year of your birth by highlighting it
5) Select the parameter you want to find out about - such as daily maximum temperature by highlighting it
6) Enter in the year of your birth - use four digits (i.e. 1986)
7) Enter in the month of your birth in both windows
8) Scroll down to the Submit Graph Values button and click on it to see the graph
5. The name of a famous author who was born on or near the student's birthday. (Find this at: Daily Almanacs)
6. The name of a famous author who died on or near the student's birthday. (Find this at: Daily Almanacs)
7. A significant historical event occurring on or near the student's birthday. (Find this at: Daily Almanacs)
8. The top song on the Hit Parade during the week of the student's birth. (This can be found at Charts - Official and Unofficial - 80's Music Site)

1) Scroll to “Number One Hits of 1980, 1981, etc. to find the month and week of your birthday.

2) Scroll to the month and week of your birthday.

Modifications:

Special needs students may need extra help with the Power Point presentation.

Enrichment Activities:

Students are encouraged to do more Internet research on authors that they have found, to read some of these authors’ books, and to share their findings with the class.

Evaluation And Assessment:

Formative:

Ask students what qualities a good listener exhibits.
Ask those students who have given a Power Point presentation previously to explain what they know about them.
Ask students what qualities a good speaker exhibits.
Ask students to review Classroom Visitor Rules with you.

Summative: