Brief Description

This real time data lesson will introduce students to a website that will enable them to research the distance in miles between their hometown and a city located in the country they are studying.  Students will also be able to check the daily weather and compare it to the climate that they live in.  Prior to this lesson, students will already have chosen a specific country and begun research with the goal of presenting their findings to the class in a well-organized, informative and entertaining oral presentation.  Due to the nature of this lesson, students can access the website and research data for their individual countries prior to the presentation and incorporate it into their speech, or may choose to access the website during their presentation and display it on the classroom monitor as a visual aid.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 1T-E2 Demonstrate increasingly sophisticated operation of technology components
• 3T-E2 Use a variety of technology tools for data collection and analysis
• 6T-F1 Use technology resources for problem solving, self-directed learning and extended learning activities

Academic

• Working individually on a computer, student will enter information about his/her location and country and decipher the information gained from the website.
• The student will decide if the data will be included in the presentation, or if s/he will access the website for up to the minute, real time data during actual class presentation.
• Student will share findings on distance and climate while presenting to the class either by incorporating data into presentation, or by accessing website and going through the steps as it is displayed on classroom monitor.

• Individually using the Internet, students will access a real time data website and enter information in order to collect calculated data marking distance from point A to point B.
• Additionally, students will save data that marks differences in temperatures and climate between two different geographical locations.

• Students will have typing skills and the ability to navigate the Internet.
• Students will be able to search for specific information and open a Microsoft Word document and type information that they find useful.
• Student will bookmark the website if it will be used as a visual aid during presentation.
• Students will know how to use classroom television monitor to display the website using a TV converter or AverKey television converter.

1. Students will have access to a computer with Internet access.
2. Students will have an assignment sheet with the criteria outlined.
3. Students will have an oral presentation rubric from Rubistar. (http://rubistar.4teachers.org/view_rubric.php3?id=579341)

Accommodations for Special Needs

Special Education students will be assigned a country to research.  While working with a buddy on the Internet, students will locate three facts using a search engine of their choice.  Students will type notes in an open Word document.  Students will then access weather and distance website  (hard copies of directions should be available and highlighted if appropriate) and locate the current temperature in the capital city of their country.  This may also be typed in their open Word document and notes may be used during oral presentation.  Additional computer time may be used if necessary.

Gifted students will not only locate the distance in miles from Tucson to their country’s capital, but also must locate latitude and longitude readings in degrees. They must compare and contrast their country with Tucson in writing.

Procedures

One week before oral presentations are due, this lesson will be taught in class using one computer and one classroom television monitor with a converter.  Students will be close to having their research completed, and their presentation mapped out.  At this point, a real time data site will allow them to not only customize their research, but make it as current as possible.

1. Turn on computer, television monitor and converter.
2. Access website (http://www.indo.com/distance/) and explain line by line the procedure to entire class.  Make hard copies of directions taken from website available.
3. Type in hometown and ask a student for a city.  Look at the results and discuss latitude and longitude readings.  Have students locate the countries in their map packets.
4. Switch to weather website (http:www.indo.com/tips/weather.html) and click appropriate boxes and experiment with several cities.
5. Enter a city and discuss the immediate results.  How does the weather compare to ours?  Is their weather what you expected?  Is it colder or hotter?  Do the seasons differ from ours?  Are they the same or opposite?  Encourage students to be asking themselves these types of questions when they are gathering data for their reports.
6. Explain that students are expected to include data on the distance in mileage and the current weather in their oral presentations.  Students should understand that they may either present their findings verbally, or may use the classroom computer as a visual aid to access the most current information during their presentation.
7. Explain and review the oral presentation rubric that students will use to self-evaluate their oral presentations.  Remind them that it is very similar to the rubrics used for their posters, as well as, the Six Traits of Writing rubric.

1. The teacher will determine if students accessed the correct website, and located and interpreted real time data to use in oral presentations?
2. Using an oral presentation rubric from RubiStar (a website that they are familiar with), students will self-evaluate oral presentation.  Rubric can be accessed at (http://rubistar.4teachers.org/view_rubric.php3?id=579341).
3. Teacher will use the same rubric to evaluate the oral presentation and the use of real time data gathering by using the Internet.