Constructing and Using Models
Patterns
Energy and Cycles
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
Students viewed two different types of irradiance maps and wrote down what they noticed and wondered about each one. Students then shared what they wrote with a partner. Students then came together as a whole group to better analyze the maps. This information helped launch the subsequent investigation.
Students noticed major differences between both maps. As Sample A shows, students attended to the source of sunlight and how different amounts of sunlight hit different continents. Many questions were raised by noticings as seen in the far right column. Not shown, but shared by the teacher was that students were fixated on the idea that only clouds could divert sunlight. The teacher conducted another investigation using Google Earth to show that indirect sunlight could be caused by other sources.