Interdisciplinary Planning Wheel UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AIKEN 741 UNIVERSITY PARKWAY AIKEN, SC Gregg Spence EDRD 518 Content Reading and Writing Dr. Thomas Smyth

Introduction This Interdisciplinary Planning Wheel is for Grade 6 and focuses on weather and climate and the factors causing them. The Science class carries the basic them with technical vocabulary and various descriptions of climate and weather patterns. In Social Studies, students will study how the climate affects the culture of certain areas. In ELA, they will write a script for the current local weather forecast. In Math, students will use mapping skills to plot points on the coordinate plane using latitudinal and longitudinal lines.

South Carolina State Educational Standards South Carolina Department of Education, (2014). Science 6.E.2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the interactions within Earth’s systems (flow of energy) that regulate weather and climate. 6.E.2B: The complex patterns of changes and movement of water in the atmosphere determined by winds, landforms, ocean temperatures and currents, and convection are major determinants of local weather patterns and climate. Technology has enhanced our ability to measure and predict weather patterns. 6.E.2B.4 Construct explanations for how climate is determined in an area (including latitude, elevation, shape of the land, distance from water, global winds, and ocean currents). Social Studies Standard 6-1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the development of the cradles of civilization as people moved from a nomadic existence to a settled life Explain the emergence of agriculture and its effect on early human communities, including the domestication of plants and animals, the impact of irrigation techniques, and subsequent food surpluses.  Identify and explain multiple causation and multiple effects.  Compare the locations of places, the conditions at places, and the connections between places. Essential Question- How does the weather patterns and climates affect people’s movement and settlement.

South Carolina State Educational Standards South Carolina Department of Education, (2014). Math 6.NS.8 Extend knowledge of the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems involving rational numbers. a.Plot points in all four quadrants to represent the problem. b.Find the distance between two points when ordered pairs have the same xcoordinates or same y-coordinates. c.Relate finding the distance between two points in a coordinate plane to absolute value using a number line ELA Inquiry-Based Literacy Standards (I) Standard 3: Construct knowledge, applying disciplinary concepts and tools, to build deeper understanding of the world through exploration, collaboration, and analysis. 3.4 Organize and categorize important information, revise ideas, and report relevant findings. Writing 2.1 Write informative/explanatory texts that: a. introduce a focused topic; b. use relevant information from multiple print and multimedia sources; c. use definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect structures to organize ideas, concepts, and information.

Climate &Weather Patterns Science ELA Math Social Studies Students will construct explanations for how climate is determined in an area (including latitude, elevation, shape of the land, distance from water, global winds, and ocean currents). In Social Studies, students will study how the climate affects the movement, settlement and culture of certain areas. In Math, students will use the longitudinal and latitudinal co- ordinates to locate various places on Earth and describe the climate there. In ELA, students will analyze local weather maps to write a script for a local weather forecaster.

I. Pre-reading strategies Pre-reading strategies help students understand what they are about to read. These strategies in effect “set the mood” and tone before the student reads new text or is presented new information. These methods have multiple purposes in all disciples. They explore prior knowledge of the subject matter, provide students with tips before the reading, set a purpose for reading, and preview the content to the students. Certain strategies may help or appeal to students in individual fields:

I. Pre-reading strategies (cont.) Science: Students will answer questions in group discussion concerning weather and climate. Social Studies: Students will complete a crossword puzzle with terms to describe various climate situations. ELA: Students will observe a video of a recent local weather forecast. They can discuss what important information was given. Math: Students will practice using x- and y- coordinates to position a point on a graph.

II. Guided reading strategies Various reading guides can/should be used in order to focus students' attention on relevant facts and information to assist them in formulating informed opinions based upon fact, to be active readers, and to get them actively thinking about what they are reading while they are completing a reading assignment. Science: I provide note guides for the students to fill out as we discuss different topics. Social Studies: Students will use the internet to gather information about the climate of a certain area. ELA: A graphic organizer with vocabulary describing air masses will be used. Maps with weather information will be provided. Math: Students will learn how latitude and longitude are similar to x and y coordinates.

III. Post-reading strategies Science: Students are to write a paragraph summarizing their notes from the lesson. Social Studies: Students will choose a country and describe its climate. They will also tell how the climate affects the culture there. ELA: Students are to write a script of the current local weather forecast using terms and information from local weather maps. Math: Students will practice using coordinates on a globe to locate places around the world.

References South Carolina Department of Education, (2014). State Standards retrieved at Learning/ McKenna, Michael C. and Robinson, Richard D. (2014) Teaching Through Text: Reading and Writing in the Content Areas. Boston, MA. Pearson Inc.