Language Arts Activity: How does climate affect your environment? (APRIL - MAY)

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Overview
Students will gather information about their school building such as its structure, etc. and submit this to the Discussion Area. As other schools submit their information, select several and read the descriptions they have provided about their schools to your students. Students can then try to determine both the general locations of the participating schools based on their school architectural descriptions and then determine how climate conditions affect their living environment. Have your students include their findings in your final report that is submitted to the project Discussion Area. Final Reports will be published at the completion of this project and will be posted in the Student Area.

Objectives
Students will:

Develop an understanding of patterns and relationships and will use them to represent and explain real-world phenomena. Acquire a geographical understanding by studying the world in spatial terms. Understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment. Apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

Time
Approximately one 45 minute class period.

Materials

Computers with Internet access Notebooks and Pencils Large wall-size world map with latitude and longitude lines Push pins, sticky dots/stars, different color pens, etc. for plotting the schools If students plot the schools individually, the following free downloadable world maps are available from National Geographic if they do not already have one: Small World Map (.gif format) Large World Map (.pdf format) Printable Student Worksheet (Optional)

Teacher Preparation

All students should research and describe their school however only one letter should be posted to the Discussion Area. Therefore you might find it helpful to review the following: Implementation Assistance Strategies

Assessment Suggestions
Since students will be collaborating as a class when  plotting the general location of each of the schools on a world map, the students' participation in the activity can be used for assessment. You can also assess the students' conclusions in Step 4: Look for Patterns on their content (e.g. Do they include all the necessary information?, Is the information more or less accurate?, etc.)

Procedure

	Language Arts Activity: How does climate affect your environment? (APRIL - MAY) Geography How does climate affect your environment? Cultural Exchange Materials: List of Participating Schools Large wall-size world map with latitude and longitude lines Push pins, sticky dots/stars, different color pens, etc. for plotting the schools. Optional: the following free downloadable world maps are available from National Geographic: Small World Map (.gif format) Large World Map (.pdf format) Printable Student Worksheet (Optional) Instructions: Research and describe the architectural style of your school. Things to think about include: How many stories does it have? Is there a heating system? If so, what is it? Is there a cooling system (i.e. air conditioning)? If so, what is it? What is the exterior of the building made of (e.g. stucco, wood, brick, etc.)? What are the recreational facilities at the school (e.g. ice rink, pool, playing fields, etc.)? What year was the school built?   Prepare the above information into a letter and submit to the Language Arts conference of Discussion Area. Unlike the Letter of Introduction, you should NOT include your city, country, latitude, etc. so the other classes can determine where your school is located solely on the above school information.   Return to the Language Arts Conference of the Discussion Area and read at least 2 - 3 other letters posted there. Try to plot their general location of each of the schools on a world map solely based on school information (architectural style, etc.) included in the letter. After you have identified the locations, return to the Discussion Area and post any other questions to confirm their location.   Look for Patterns: Compare your school building to those of other schools. Try to determine how climate affects the design of the school (i.e. if there is any pattern or relationship between latitude and style or perhaps distance from the equator and style).   Include what you have learned about how temperature and/or climate affects the way you live in your community and the way others live in their communities in your final reports. Optional Activities Find a Partner School Choose a partner school and share more information about the effects of climate on your daily lives. You might want to discuss transportation, dress, recreational activities, or favorite sports just to name a few. What else in your life is affected by temperature and climate?   Describe your Typical Day Write a short story chronicling a typical day and how the weather influences your style of dress and daily activities. You can post your story in the project Discussion Area for other schools to read.