Science

1. Science A sense of place

2. Overview/Purpose • The series of lessons and activities are designed to help students develop a sense of connection to the world and to the community. In addition the students will examine city planning and the effect that it has on natural resources. • The activities will incorporate subjects across the curriculum.

3. Lesson 1 • Objective .: • Using pictures from a slide show the students will make observations about each and answer questions related to the experience. • Materials: • pictures, pencil paper, questionnaire • Procedure: • 1.Study each picture for several minutes and record findings using questions from handout. • 2.Rank questions. • 3.Discuss/Share • Evaluation: • Teacher classifies information at board as students compare and contrast results.

4. Handout • Directions: • . Rank each picture from one through seven from most to least comfortable. • Questions: • 1.Which picture made you feel happiest? • 2.What influenced your comfort level? • Why did you rank the locations the way that you did? • 3.What influences the comfort level of plants? • 4.What similarities are there between what plants and humans find most comfortable? • 5.What differences are there between what plants and humans find most comfortable?

5. Lesson 2 • Objective: • The students will write poems and create memory boxes which describe themselves. • Materials: • poem ”Who I Am”, shoe box ,pencil, paper, found and precious items. • Procedure: • 1. Teacher reads poem ,and shares sample student poems. • 2. Class discussion about what can be learned about someone from their “verse”. • 3.Using personal items students create web using words to describe what they like ;sports, food; what they hear ,feel, smell ,taste,and,favorite color,etc. • 4. Students create poem “Who I Am”,share and discuss with class. • 5. Students create memory boxes ,attaching poems to box. • *Boxes and poems are usually on display for Back to School Night!

6. Lesson 3 • Objective: • The students will examine and understand the ‘built” environment, and its relationship to the natural environment. • Materials: • Maps of Philadelphia, still photographs of city old and new • Procedure: • 1.Students use maps of 1940 southwest Philadelphia and compare to 2005/6 Philadelphia building density • 2. Using maps students locate and highlight water and sewage stations. • 3. Students predict the ability of stations to provide for population. • 4.Students research prediction in library, share with class. • Assessment: • Students create graphs which represent housing and population patterns for 1940 and 2005/6.

7. Lesson 4 • Objective 1 : • Students identify a drainage basin. • Materials: • drainage basins, vests, road cones, clipboards • Vocabulary: • Drainage basin • Procedure: • 1. Students role play raindrops moving across landscape . • a. follow path of raindrop. • b. stop as they converge at one or two points • c .repeat and place cones at point of origin • d.. discuss and answer following questions • Assessment 1: • 1.How do you know which path the raindrops will take? • 2. Do all raindrops reach the lowest part of the drainage basin/ • 3. What role does evaporation, vegetation, and, groundwater play in dictating the flow of water in a drainage basin? • 4. What is a drainage basin? Drainage divide? • Assessment 2: • Students measure distance rainwater traveled to basin using footsteps .Results are posted on class graph at board.

8. Objective 2: • Students create Haiku about rain. • Materials: • photographs in nature ,pencil, paper • Vocabulary: • Haiku • Procedure: • 1.Teacher reads several poems and asks children to identify characteristics of each. • 2.Teacher defines Haiku • 3.Class creates poem at board . • 4.Students create individual poems.