I had a conversation with a 5th grade social studies
teacher a few years back which led to the Temperature and Latitude study.
The social studies teacher said that he wished his students had more opportunities
to work with latitude (and longitude), and he asked specifically that his
students concentrate on the United States.
In the Temperature and Latitude study, students
have the flexibility of choosing cities within the US that are at least
5 degrees apart in latitude, and are required to find average temperatures
in each city for the months of January through June. In coaching
the project, I ask students to make predictions, reflect in the middle
of the project, and write a post-reflection. Occasionally, students ask
if they can extend their models beyond the United States, to compare temperatures
of cities that are in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
The spreadsheet becomes a Mindtool in this study
as students use their mapping a research skills to construct content domains
and define the relationships between them. The process of selecting cities
based on their line of latitude, and entering corresponding temperature
averages lends meaning to what the differences in latitude may suggest.
In writing their post-reflections, I encourage students to summarize the
impact of temperature differences in their study. Topics include but are
not limited to outdoor activities, farming, bird migration, and the impact
of climate on the tourist industry. Students are required to use reference
material when writing their summaries.
1 Jonassen, David H. (1999). Computers as Mindtools for Schools: Engaging Critical Thinking, 2 Edition.
