ALCA Members PLC Domains Data Standards Map Plan Curriculum Assessment Strategies

How Fast Is the Snow Falling? Copy

This activity is designed to enable students to collect data on the weather, use their math skills on it, and transfer it into information that a meterologist would report, i. e., mean (average) snow fall rate.

Engaging Questions

  • What is the mean amount of snow fall among the pairs of students?

  • What is the mean amount of snow fall from the front of the building vs the back of the building?

  • What is the overall mean for all the pairs of students?

Teacher Goals

  • Students will be able to measure the amount of snow on the ground.

  • Students will be able to measure the time it has taken for the snow to fall.

  • Students will be able to use the data they have collected to calculate the mean (average) snow fall rate.

Required Resources

    • Students must note when the snow began.
    • Paper
    • Pencil
    • Yard Stick

  •  

    Snow Rate Form
    Provide the following information as indicated.

  • Checklists (Rubrics)

    Fill in the rubric with correct information.

Steps

  1. Divide

    Students will divide into pairs. One will do the recording, one will do the measuring.

  2. Take note

    Tthe time the snow began to fall must be recorded.

  3. Measure

    Once outside the school building, the recorder will note the time and the measurer will begin to measure the snow in 5 different places along that side of the building.

  4. Measure again

    You will then move to the opposite side of the building and measure in 5 places along that side.

  5. Calculate Means

    You will return to the class room.

    1. a. Each group of two students will calculate the mean amount of snow fall with the data it has collected. See select tool.
    2. b. Calculate an overall mean using all the data the class has collected.

  6. Time Lapsed

    To calculate time lapsed:

    • Subtract the time the snow began from the time the measurements began and convert the time lapse to minutes.

  7. Divide Mean Snow Fall by Time Lapsed

    To obtain the final results, the class mean snow fall will be divided by the amount of time that has lapsed from the beginning of the snow fall until the measurements of the snow began.

  8. Share

    Share your results by entering them into the data form Snow Rate.

Teacher Notes

  • It should be noted which way the wind is blowing. Wind direction will be used in a disscussion on the differences between the measurements in the back vs the front of the building.

  • This activity could be done each time it snows. Allowance will have to be made if there is old snow on the ground.

Learner Notes

  • You should note which way the wind is blowing so that later it may be discussed as a factor on the different amounts of snow that were measured.
     

  • You will need to make allowance for any old snow that is on the ground.

Mentor Notes

  • Your son or daughter should note the way the wind is blowing. This will help to explain why there is a difference between the mean amount of snow at the front of the building vs the back.

  • If there is old snow on the ground allowances will have to be made for this.

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