OpenSciEd 6.3, Lesson 21: Pacific Northwest and Gulf Coast Storm Pathways Data Task
Task
Use this Data Task during OpenSciEd Unit 6.3, Lesson 21. Tuva has digitized the static data maps and graphs in Part 2 to provide opportunities for students to deepen their ability to process and analyze data. This Data Task is not a standalone lesson. Use it in tandem with the OpenSciEd Teacher Edition to guide overall instruction and collaborative sensemaking. How it Fits into the Storyline This Data Task is just a small part of the larger lesson. It will come into play on Day 1. Students will begin the day with the Navigation Routine. In revisiting the prior days, they will surface the lesson phenomenon: there is less precipitation further inland in the Pacific Northwest than further inland from the Gulf Coast. When to Use Tuva When you are ready to begin Part 2, Analyze Pacific Northwest and Gulf Coast data, project slide B, and have students open the Data Task on their computers. Students will use the Tuva Tools to dynamically explore the data. They will create graphs to surface patterns in their data, annotate their graphs with "What I See" and "What it Means" labels, and share these graphs with their groups. What Happens Next? Encourage students to refer back to the graphs they made later in the lesson, during Step 3 (modeling) and Step 6 (the consensus-building discussion). **Teacher Tips This Data Task closely follows the Part 2 of the original lesson; it just uses Tuva's visual tools instead of hard copies of maps and data. You could use both simultaneously to differentiate for students with different needs. Some learners may benefit from the highly visual environment Tuva provides, whereas others may do better with the paper tables, graphs, and visuals.
Last class, you noticed heavy precipitation along the Pacific Coast near Seattle and the Gulf Coast near New Orleans. However, precipitation patterns differ further inland. Today, you will try to figure out why the Pacific Northwest has less inland precipitation than the Gulf Coast. Air masses do not move randomly. Prevailing winds guide them along common pathways across each region. In this Data Task, you will use maps and data from these pathways to investigate what happens as the air masses travel inland. Click Next to get started.
Topics and standards: Earth Science, MS-ESS2-5, MS-ESS2-6, MS-ESS2-4, MS-PS1-4, Grade 6, OpenSciEd, 3.2.6-8.B, 3.3.6-8.H, 3.3.6-8.I, 3.3.6-8.J