Glaciation+Activity+Full+Version


 * __Title:__** Glaciation in New York City

__**Teacher:**__ Ms. B. Ostrander

2. Students will be able to find and document examples of evidence of glacial movement in Central Park. 3. Students will develop and share a presentation on the evidence they found while on the trip in Central Park. S4a- Demonstrates understanding of big ideas and unifying concepts. S5c- Uses evidence from reliable sources to develop descriptions, explanations, and models. S7d- Explains a scientific concept or procedure to other students.
 * __Learning Context__:**
 * Purpose:** 1. Students will be able to describe the evidence of glacial movement that can be found in Central Park.
 * Learning Standards:** S3b- Demonstrates understanding of Earth's history.
 * Prior Knowledge:** Students should have prior knowledge of the three main types of rock (ie Sedimentary, Metamorphic, and Igneous). Students should also have knowledge of how glaciers are formed.

__**Cultural Institution:**__ Students will be visiting Central Park in New York City to complete the field work for this activity.

__**Assignments:**__ This activity can start with the Pre-Test to assess how much students can recall. Once the pre-trip lesson is complete, the students should make a prediction about what evidence they think they will find in central park. Then, the students will be collecting data on their worksheets to help them find the evidence they need. They will also be taking photographs of the evidence they find on the trip. If they did not have access to a camera, they can sketch the evidence they find while on the trip. The final assessment of this assignment is a group presentation of the evidence they found while on the trip. They will have to do some research and collaborate with their own group, as well as other groups in the class. This presentation will have a visual aspect and an oral presentation. The visual piece can be completed on a poster or as a PowePoint Presentation. The rubric for this presentation is on the following link. []

__**Procedure:**__ Day 1: Teacher will use the PowerPoint Presentation entitled Pre-trip Lesson to introduce students to this topic. Students will take notes in their science notebooks on the evidence that is commonly found to determine glacial movement through an area. Also, teacher can share images in the "Evidence of Glacial Movement" page with the students. This way they have a model to follow before they go off to find their own evidence. The students will complete this lesson by making predictions in their science journals about what evidence they wil find in Central Park.

Day 2: This is when the class will go on the trip. Make sure to follow all of the field trip guidelines for your school, including permission slips, coverages, etc. While the students are on the trip, they will be taking their own photographs of the glacial evidence they find in Central Park. The students can break up into small groups according to how many chaperones are present on the trip. These will be the same groups that will complete the presentations together, therefore, it is a good idea to have the groups previously determined. While the students are on the trip, they will also complete a short [|worksheet]. The students should also be given a map of Central Park.


 * Link to [|Worksheet for on-trip data collection]****

Day 3: This day will be the day of the presentation given by the student groups. They will be assessed by using the rubric on the following link, []

__**Resources (Materials and Supplies):**__
 * 1) Science Notebooks
 * 2) Science Journals
 * 3) Computer and Internet access
 * 4) Computer projector
 * 5) Permission slips for trip

__**Modifications:**__ Using a lot of visual models that are included in this lesson will help students understand the topic and assignment more fully. Also, the teacher may want to use the resources in the "links to other activities" page on this Wiki to extend this activity.

This is a presentation based activity, therefore, it may take a few days for the students to develop the presentation. However, the Pre-trip lesson will take one class period. The field trip will take one school day to gather evidence.
 * __Time Frame:__**

__**Reflection:**__ This learning experience is a wonderful way to show students how scientists gather information about the world and natural phenomena. Even though there is no glacier covering New York City today, we can use clues that are embedding in Central Park to prove glaciers were once present. The students are also given the opportunity to share their findings with their peers in a presentation. This is very similar to how information is passed and gathered in the scientific community. This topic is also very interesting to students because the evidence is there in the rocks, where they can clearly see it and touch it. I have learned how to easily spot this evidence when I see rocks. This is very exciting and I enjoy sharing this knowledge with my peers and students. This connects to real life situations because the students can observe the evidence of glacial movement throughout most of the United States and world. They are also practicing collaborating with peers and presenting information with other groups. This is a skill they will use throughout their education and work experiences.