Where in the United States is Awenasa? Lesson Plan

Overview

This lesson, "Where in the United States is Awenasa?" is a data analysis activity that presents maps of NASA Earth satellite data  for a variety of locations across the United States for four months throughout the year.  Each location represents a real science camp that is actively using NASA and GLOBE data to explore the environment.  Learners use clues in the environmental data to locate the camp where Awenasa travels to over the year.  This lesson is based on the GLOBE lesson, Where in the World...?".

The intention of this activity is to provide four different environmental variables that can be presented either separately or in conjunction. Educators may also prefer to facilitate learning through a Jigsaw activity to have different groups of learners work on different variables (Clouds, Precipitation, Surface Skin Temperature, Vegetation) or four different months of the year (January, April, July, October). 

Materials Required

• Educator Presentation
• Learner Sheets
  • Image Sheet (Google Doc)
  • Data Sheet: Surface (Skin) Temperature (Google Doc)
  • Data Sheet: Normalized Vegetation Difference Index (Google Doc)
  • Data Sheet: Cloud Coverage (Google Doc)
  • Data Sheet: Precipitation (Google Doc)
• Optional: 
  • Map Cube and Questions (PDF) or Google Forms (link)
  • One large world map to display on the wall or screen

Procedure

We highly encourage learners to complete the "Awenasa Goes to Camp!" lesson prior to conducting this activity.  

1. Present the map below to the learners.  Have learners generate research questions about the parks' environmental characteristics.

2.  Assign learners to one of the 11 the different camp locations to work in pairs and brainstorm how the data values of the featured variable vary over the year.  

• (For advanced learners, have them create a hand drawn line graph showing how they think the data values would change over the following months: January, April, July, and October.  Have them label their graph with the title of the variable they are brainstorming.  Keep this posted in the classroom as a reminder of their first predictions.) After the groups have finished, ask what problems they experienced in determining the shape of the data. What additional clues might be valuable? Help them to understand that location or geographic distribution – where these camps are located relative to each other – could be useful.

3.  Display/distribute the maps of the appropriate variable/s to the groups and the learner data sheet for the said variable/s. 

4.  Learners work in groups to analyze the maps and answer the questions on the data sheets. (Note: They are no longer assigned to any particular location.) The groups should work independently to estimate the data values for the locations (based on the color bar on the maps).

5.  Discuss as a class how well these data fit into their original ideas (or graphs, for advanced learners).   Advanced learners sketch out a new graph based on the data values offered on the maps.  Discuss as a class how well these data fit into their sketched graphs. 

6. Discuss how scientists make predictions based on previous knowledge and then incorporate new information as it becomes available into their predictions, making them more accurate. Explain that, through collecting data, GLOBE schools and partnering locations (like camps) can help enhance science models used by scientists to better predict Earth system phenomena. 

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