Lesson Plans Selected by
Christine Lord

Lesson Plan 1

Weather Anomalies

Description: Students will be able to answer the question: What are the similarities and differences between the phenomena El Nino, La Nina and Global Warming and what regional impact do these anomalies have on different regions of the world.

Lesson Plan 2

Newton's Laws Internet Lab

Description: Understanding Newton's three laws of motion can be difficult for students. Students try to apply the second law to situations where there is no net force and have a hard time conceptualizing the third law. This lesson uses available Internet resources and student directed learning to help students overcome these and other confusions related to Newton's three laws of motion. Students will learn about Newton's laws of motion at a variety of web sites selected by the teacher. Students will use a worksheet prepared by the teacher to guide them through these web sites. Students will be given a chance to work as many practice problems as they need to master concepts. Students will then use what they learn about Newton's laws of motion to design and execute their own original experiments. This laboratory work will be written up using the standard laboratory write-up format used in this class. The lesson format includes the following: ? Overall goals and objectives for the project. ? Specific assignment expectations. ? Examples of student work. ? Rubrics for assessment of student's original lab report. ? Template for individual student lab report

Lesson Plan 3

The Metric System: A Study of Change

Description: Students will create their own lessons to give the class and give presentations that cover all the areas of interest and questions to be answered about the Metric System (SI System). Since each group of questions requires a different approach to the topic, students are able to choose to work on either a question of their choice that they find themselves curious about, or they may choose their topic by the activities that will assist them in teaching those concepts. This encourages students to feel motivated and confident in their first class projects, by allowing them to choose activities that they feel confident in doing at a time when they are just settling into a new class.

Lesson Plan 4

Graphing Sunspot Cycles

Description: Lesson summary: The student will be able to determine existing patterns in sunspot numbers. The student will be able to plot sunspot numbers to determine these relationships. The student will be able to use these relationships to determine the approximate number of sunspots for a year in the near future.

Lesson Plan 5

Probes, Exploration, and Application

Description: Lesson summary: This lesson incorporates the learning cycle format with space science material. The lesson examines some of the benefits of the space program to our life on Earth. This lesson consists of an exploratory lab, concept development questions and STS application lab to reinforce the concept of radar mapping and probes.