Surfing+U,S.A.

= Surfin' USA      = > **Grade Level and Subject: 6th Grade, Science** > **Summary of Project:** This unit focuses on the study of waves with a concentration on sound and light waves. > **Curriculum Framing Questions:** > **The project idea-real world connections, authenticity** > Visual Ranking > Seeing Reason  > Showing Evidence  >
 * **Essential Question -**
 * Why can’t things stay still?
 * **Unit Questions -**
 * How far can you surf a wave?
 * How can you hear the radio?
 * How many colors does Crayola really have?
 * Are there really optical illusions?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">How do waves affect us?
 * **Content Questions -**
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">How do sound and light waves travel?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">How do waves interact with each other?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">What is the purpose of sound and light waves?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">How does a wave change?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">What are the properties of sound?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">What are the properties of light?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">How does light affect color?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">What is sound?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">What is light?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">What is color?
 * **List your idea for using Visual Ranking in your unit.**
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">How loud is that noise?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Students will rank common sounds from the loudest to the softest. The purpose of this activity is to allow the student to think about the different Decibel Levels of sounds they hear frequently.
 * **List concerns you have using Visual Ranking in your unit.**
 * Using the Visual Ranking tool as a springboard for discussion and the thinking process is excellent, but I'm concerned that it will not always be an authentic tool for every unit.
 * I am also concerned about having access to enough computers to allow all of my students access to this activity.
 * **List your idea for using Seeing Reason in your unit.**
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">What do you see? <span style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">List the causes and effects of issues realated to vision, including problems, factors, and improvements.
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">This Seeing Reason project allows the students to think about the different things that can cause vision loss.
 * **List concerns you have using Seeing Reason in your unit**
 * This tool does not naturally fit into my unit. I can see that it has benefits for other areas I teach.
 * I think I will have to model this with my students before they will be able to complete it on their own.
 * **List your idea for using Showing Evidence in your unit.**
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">If at first you don’t succeed, should you try, try again?
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Students will decide whether or not failure is a reason to give up. They will base their opinion on research collected on a variety of scientists who studied the properties of light. They will have to prove each claim based on their research about a particular scientist or invention. They will respond to the prompt: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Failure is a reason to give up.
 * **List concerns you have using Showing Evidence in your unit.**
 * The Showing Evidence tool is user friendly, but it is time consuming. I will definitely have to prepare my students with information ahead of time. I can see how this would easily lend itself to students pursuing an independent research project or paper.

Surfing USA Unit Plan: [[file:Surfing USA Unit Plan.doc]]
Assessment - Science Lab Rubric: