Math and Science Day 2010: Severe Weather and Emergency Preparedness

To start the day we looked over our KWL chart that we had already create about water in our science journals.
Then we lead the students in math journal. The math journal was…

On the river there was a lot of pollution and it was making the animals sick. Our class decided we could help clean up the river. When we began picking up trash we found 12 soda cans, 5 plastic bags and 3 oil cans. How much trash did we find in all?

Then we put the three trash items in order from least to greatest numbers, whole group.
On Compass Odyssey Program we went in under comparing numbers “A Day at the Beach” We watch the lesson on ordering numbers, greater, less than and equal to. Then we played the game “A Day at the Beach” using the Air liner. This game would take objects from the beach and compare the amounts and find missing numbers.

The next activity I learned from Project Wet, it is titled “Sum of the Parts.”
I had the students work in peer groups of two. Then I gave them a piece of paper that had a river water line and a number with top or bottom written on it. I told them they inherited a piece of property on a river and they could build anything they wanted on their property or they could keep it natural with trees and vegetation.

After they completed their drawings I would place them on the board. 1 top and 1 bottom below it, 2 top and 2 bottom below it, and so on. Then each pair would come up and tell about the property and what they built. As whole group we would then discuss how much pollution their property would be producing and what impact the property would have on the whole river and their neighbors.

For an extension I had my groups write out a plan to decrease the amount of pollution
their property is producing and how this would better impact life on the river.

I also had Kaylie Kushner from Southwest Florida Water Management District come to teach a lesson on water conservation and the water cycle. She brainstormed all the things that need water and then read a story Drip Drop. After that she showed the globe and we discussed how much of the Earth is water.

Then the students made water cycle wristbands that had beads that stood for the parts of the water cycle.

When we returned to the room I read Water Dance by Thomas Locker. This book is about water and all the things water is and the voyage water goes on, the water cycle.

Mrs. Scott the reading and writing teacher had the students begin a writing web about our science and math day. The students will evaluate the day and do a reflection writing piece on what they learned and what they still want to learn so we can improve on our activities for next year. We enjoy the math and science day and plan on more collaborative activities to enhance all learning.