Unit Introduction: Anchoring Phenomenon

Pre-Water Festival Lesson Anchoring Phenomena

Clouds

https://youtu.be/68A_Azsqqg4?feature=shared 

Engage: Pause the video at 0:55 to have the students try it for themselves. You can end the video at 2:28.  

Take some time to discuss what you saw in the video. Give the students a chance to think about how water moves and changes form. Ask them to write down three questions that they have about the phenomena. If you are able to give the students sticky notes - create a public board of questions to refer back to during the unit. 

Explore: Invite students to observe clouds and participate in a Cloud Scavenger Hunt over the course of the unit.

Explain: Use the linked websites to learn about clouds, investigate how they are formed and which ones we see most often in the Arizona sky. Use Clouds Notes organizer to obtain, evaluate and use information to make an argument from evidence. 

Elaborate: 

Make a Cloud in a Bottle

 https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/resources/project/make-a-cloud-in-a-bottle/ 

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Citizen Science Student Project https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/resources/project/the-types-of-clouds-and-what-they-mean-2/

Anchoring Phenomena: Clouds Lesson Plan

Investigative Question:

  • What are clouds?
  • How and why do clouds form?

Reference: 

  https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/clouds

https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/clouds/cloud-types

https://www.weather.gov/source/zhu/ZHU_Training_Page/clouds/cloud_development/clouds.htm 

Time Frame: 50 minutes

Cross Cutting Concepts Demonstrated:

  • Cause and effect
  • Matter and energy
  • Stability and change

Science and Engineering Practices Integrated:

  • Ask questions and define Problems
  • Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information
  • Engage in argument from evidence

Materials Needed:

  • Clouds scavenger hunt
  • Clouds Notes Page
  • Websites

Downloads:

Post-Water Festival Lesson Anchoring Phenomena

Sustainability and Stewardship

PBL Opportunity - If you have time to do a solutions project, choose the phenomena you think best suits your project. You could talk about droughts, floods, changes in the Colorado or local rivers, groundwater overuse or pollution, desalination, water reclamation, or water purification. 

https://www.arizonawaterfacts.com/do-we-have-enough 

https://www.arizonawaterfacts.com/tips-resources