Chapter 2 Introduction "Describing the Earth"

Materials:

• A Globe (for student and classroom teacher discussion)
• Graph Paper for the Community Connection.

Objective:

• Students will be introduced to the chapter 2, "Describing the Earth."

Anticipatory Set:* Students will be shown these pictures as they are describe the following:

	Find out what students know about this picture of the earth. Ask the following questions: Is it sunny on earth everywhere at the same time? Why is half of this picture light blue and the other half dark blue? How does daylight move across the surface of the earth?		Show this picture and ask the following: What is happening in this picture? Can you see where you live?
	Have the students describe what they see in this picture?		Have the students describe what they see in this picture?
	Discuss with the students the idea of seasons. Based on this animation If the sun is behind the teacher is what season is it where you live? If the sun is behind you what season is it?		You can see the lighted side of the earth. What season is it where you live?
SpinningGlobe.mov	Have the students discuss this animation and what season it is for Earth in this animation.	http://www.worldtimezone.com/datetime.htm	Have the students view this site and discuss what it is showing. Which way will the light move? How many hours earlier do I see the sun than the students do? (trick question)

Teacher Input:* Students will take a look at this globe Have the students try to describe the location of where they live. First, Are they on the north side or the south side? Are they on the East Side or the West Side? What are those divisions called? Hemispheres. Is there a more exact way we can describe our location on Earth? Show them the different grid lines. (Latitude, Longitude)

Guided Practice:* Describe to the students the structure of the chapter, Organize Your Thoughts on Page 25. Then Go through the goals for what we are going to learn in this chapter. Does anyone already know any of these goals?

Independent Practice:* Complete the Community Connection Worksheet, "Mapping Your Neighborhood" Student should use a full sheet of graph paper instead of the little space provided on the worksheet.

Check for Understanding:* Judge the work of the Independent practice and the responses during discussion.

Duration:

30 minutes + 10-15 for Independent Practice (Could be longer if taken for homework).

Alaska Performance Science Standards Addressed in this lesson:

• A.3 Universe
  Collect and analyze data to create a model to explain motions of objects within our solar system and in relation to the Milky Way.
• A.4 Earth
  Conduct research and make predictions about tides, weather, seasons, and phases of the moon and correlate these natural events to the motion of the Earth within our solar system.
• A.7 Processes that Shape the Earth
  Use models to explain how large scale movements within the Earth's interior cause changes on the Earth's surface
• A.15 Local Knowledge
  Conduct research to learn how the local environment is used by a variety of competing interests including local plant and animal populations, individual families, the local community, and outside sources such as oil and mining companies, hunting groups, and tourists.