Lesson+2

** ﻿ Lesson # 2 - Are We There Yet? - Maps Tell Us Time!** **Description of lesson: ** In this lesson we will explore the use of the "scale" on maps to determine true distances. As we know, a map is a representation of a larger/smaller area and the scale helps to determine the actual distances in "real life." Additionally, we investigate time and its relationship with distance. How long does it take to travel to school? This is an exercise we will look at in class. Students will chart the distances of their routes to school and we will practice drawing conclusions from that data. More so, students will be introduced to potential factors that can alter that time it takes to travel somewhere (i.e. traffic, terrain, mode of transportation, etc.). This lesson will make a strong personal connection regarding how maps play an active role in our daily lives. **In Class** ** Assignment: "Help Us Get to School" - ** media type="custom" key="9185440" align="right"

 During class students will works in groups to complete three activity stations. The first station will be finding the distance (using the scale) of five points on a large map of Denver. At the second station students will be asked to find how far they live from school. They will use the GoogleMap (example on the right of the screen) to draw their route to school and note the distance and time it takes to travel. At the final station, students will upload their personal route data on a graph. Once all the stations are complete we will review the different data from each station and draw a series of conclusions (i.e. Who lives the closest? What is the average travel time? etc.). Additionally, we will discuss how different factors can influence your travel. Traffic, terrain, walking versus driving - these all affect how we use maps and the validity of their information. media type="custom" key="9185804" Homework Assignment:  Challenge Me! - After discussing how factors can influence travel time, students will be asked to write about media type="custom" key="9186286" width="126" height="126" align="right"a time when they overcame a challenge or had to problem solve in order to accomplish something. What happened that made them have to change their plan? How did that make them feel? What things did they think about when figuring out a new plan to meet their goal?  They can choose to create a journal entry or visual representation of their story (i.e. poster, comic, flow chart, power point, etc.). They will present their challenge stories throughout the week at the beginning of class to start they day off with positive and helpful strategies to overcome obstacles we may encounter throughout the day ! <span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Resources/Materials Needed: <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Computers, large map of Denver, paper or presentation tool. <span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Technology Reflection: <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">For this lesson I have used three Web2.0 tools to add an exciting and interactive application for the class lesson. The use of the GoogleMaps exercise allows students to see an immediate representation of their actual route to school. The website allows them to see how walking, biking, cars, and traffic all affect the route they could take. The site also allows the class to build a comprehensive illustration of the distances from school in a very easy to use and speedy way. This tool also provides practice in looking up directions and increasing their internet skills, as GoogleMaps is a very common, "every day" tool outside of the classroom. The second Web2.0 tool, ChartGizmo.com, allows the students to very quickly compile and organize their mileage in one place. While Excel is a great tool, this just as easy to use and great for simple data. The last Web2.0 tool I have used is Wordle. This is a quick, easy to use and exciting medium for students to use for their homework assignment. It is visually very interesting and allows the students to think about key words or ideas to summarize their story. It is a great alternative to present key ideas to a group and provides talking points for the student when they share with the class. <span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Evaluation: <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">I do not have too many concerns for this lesson currently. By breaking the in-class activities down into groups there should not be too many students at a computer at one time. Additionally, the actual "online" activity is not very intensive nor time consuming, so students should be able to work quickly and rotate easily. It does require at least two computers, so that is one concern depending on classroom access. Another concern I have surrounds the use of students' homes as the data for this activity. It will be important to ensure everyone is comfortable sharing where they live. If not, students could opt to use an alternate location or favorite place (i.e. park, ice cream store, sports arena) as their location. This may require students to do an additional bit of research to determine the address; however, it will be good practice for their online research skills.