Name Melissa Camacho
Submitted on 10/31/2005 8:23:22 PM
Topic: Any2
Chia, David T. (1998). Weather Mathematics: Integrating Science and Mathematics. Teaching Children Mathematics 5, v 1, 19-22.
Summary
Weather Mathematics is about integrating science and math to teach children about the weather changes. In doing this the author has the students graph out the weather conditions for the whole school year, starting with September until May. During this time the author has a student look at the weather outside and then posts the weather on the calendar using a weather picture. The common weather conditions used include sunny, partly sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy and later introducing windy and stormy. The author explains the difference between sunny and partly sunny and begins the bar graph with the students. For the beginning of each month the students make predictions about the number of days will be that certain type of weather condition. For each week the students collect data and chart it in a math log using a bar graph. Also, the students add new data and compare it to their predictions for each week and month. As the months go by the author brings in new types of graphs for the students to compare their data such as pictographs, circle graphs and line graphs to record the types of weather for each day. For the last month of school the students get into groups and show the different weather conditions from their graphs during the school year.
Reaction
I thought this activity is excellent for elementary grade levels and can be modified for early grade levels as well. It is a great hands-on activity that uses weather to learn about graphs. The activity engages the students to predict what they think the weather for the days of the week might be and be able to construct a graph about their predictions and actually be able to make a new graph of the actual weather conditions and compare the data. I feel that it captures the interest of the students to wonder if their predictions will be accurate or even close to accurate using math to graph the weather conditions.