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Data in the Classroom: Understanding Sea Level
https://dataintheclassroom.noaa.gov/content/sea-level

NOAA Data in the Classroom

This module contains five activities, in increasing complexity, that focus on understanding how to interpret and manipulate sea level data, using real data from NOAA.

Students first need to understand how to access and interpret sea surface height and tide data. To understand how to interpret these data, students will review and practice computing mean values. Along the way, they will learn how different factors, such as storms, affect tide levels and how to measure them. The goal is for students to become experienced with these kinds of data and the tools for accessing them so that, by the end of the module, they can continue to explore data sets driven by their own inquiry.

This activity contains five separate classroom activities that each take a minimum of 1 instructional hour - likely more.

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Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

  • Working in small groups and class discussions will help students with different learning styles.
  • Students could be broken into groups to learn about one type of graph and then gather real data. The students could then present their findings and how to read their graphs to the other groups.
  • Heavy math (map reading/mean calculation). Educator will want to ensure those topics have been covered or time is allotted for review.
  • While lessons incorporate internet access in the instructions, many of the maps included in the teaching guide are static and any instruction to manipulate data in real time online could be modified to incorporate the static copies.
  • A curriculum guide and resources support the educators, students, and the website resources.
  • Academic vocabulary is not always defined (deviation, magnitude, frequency, amplifying) and may need to be provided during instruction.

About the Content

  • Using NOAA data, activities explore sea level - how it is measured, how it changes when influenced by factors such as tides and storm effects.
  • Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

  • The activities are organized as a pathway, with five levels of increasing sophistication. Various levels could allow for differentiated instruction.
  • Computer models have a good "check for understanding" quiz.
  • Includes simple classroom demonstrations to establish baseline knowledge, national education standards for each activity level, and relevant ocean literacy principles.
  • Teacher download provides sample questions (and possible answers) for leading discussions.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

  • Classroom demonstrations and student hands-on activities use easily accessible materials.
  • Several components require internet access in order for students to manipulate data in real time.
  • Online interfaces are easy to use and straightforward.
Entered the Collection: October 2015 Last Reviewed: October 2015

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