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What this lesson includes
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Real-World Example
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Coding Tutorial
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Assessment
Overview Accordion
Learning Goals
- Understand the relationship between sea level rise and global ice melting
- Explain how satellites collect and transmit data about sea-level changes
- Analyze real-world satellite data to observe trends in sea-level rise
- Build a satellite that:
- Uses the breakout board, sonar sensor and touch sensor from the Climate Action Kit
- Measures the change in water level before and after ice melts
Preparation Accordion
Materials
- Climate Action Kit
- micro:bit V2
- Computer with access to Microsoft MakeCode
- Watertight container
- Ice
- Two different temperatures of water
- Saran wrap
Get to Know the Content
- Make sure you've completed our 'Getting Started with the Climate Action Kit' course
- If it has been a while, review the kit components featured in this lesson:
- Breakout Board
- Touch Sensor
- Sonar Sensor (optional challenge for Modify and Create activities)
- micro:bit Data Logger Extension
- Review the lesson, particularly the following thinking routines from Project Zero (Harvard Graduate School of Education):
Activity Accordion
Big Idea (15 minutes)
Learn more about satellites' role in collecting data about our oceans to take climate action against rising sea levels.
Students will:
- Analyze real-world, historical sea level data from satellite missions
- Discuss how climate change impacts sea level rise
- Explore the ways technology can monitor sea level rise
Take Action (60 minutes)
Students will learn how water temperature influences the speed at which ice melts and the relationship between ice melting and climate change. Then, they will build their satellite to measure sea level changes with the Climate Action Kit!
We've provided 3 ways students may build the project to support scaffolding and differentiation in your classroom: 'Use', 'Modify', and 'Create'.*
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Use |
Students will follow a step-by-step tutorial to build & use their satellite to measure the rate of ice melting in a container using visual graphing on the micro:bit. Success CriteriaI can...
ResourcesTutorialFinal Code |
| Modify |
Students will follow a step-by-step tutorial to build their satellite to measure sea level changes. After this, they will modify the code to log data for two experiments: cold and hot water. Finally, they will analyze and chart the datasets in a graph. Success CriteriaI can…
ResourcesTutorialFinal Code |
| Create |
Students will work in a small group to design, build & code their satellite for sea level monitoring Success CriteriaI can build a satellite with the Climate Action Kit that can:
And uses at least:
ResourcesBlank Project |
*Irene Lee, Fred Martin, Jill Denner, Bob Coulter, Walter Allan, Jeri Erickson, Joyce Malyn-Smith, and Linda Werner. 2011. Computational thinking for youth in practice. Acm Inroads 2, 1 (2011), 32–37.
Assessment Accordion
Use the following criteria to assess student learning. Students can:
Conversations
- Describe the relationship between ice melt, thermal expansion and climate change
- Describe how satellites collect data
- Describe the main functions of satellite (Use, Modify, Create)
- Explain the purpose of each smart component and building block in the main build (Use, Modify, Create)
- Explain how the variables in the starter code allows the satellite to visualize data (Use, Modify, Create)
Observations
- Make predictions about what certain segments of the code are responsible for and test those predictions (Use, Modify)
- Methodically test and debug their code to ensure it functions as intended (Modify, Create)
Products
- Add comments to the code to demonstrate their understanding of each block (Use, Modify, Create)
- Track the impact of water temperature on the rate of ice melting (Use, Modify, Create)
- Add features to their code to visualize the collection of data (Modify, Create)
- Add features that improve data collection, such as adjusting the measurement frequency (Modify)
- Design their own satellite to monitor sea level change that satisfies the provided criteria (Create)
Standards Accordion
Next Generation Science Standards
Grade 6-8
MS-PS3-4 Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
MS-ESS3-3 Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
MS-ESS3-5 Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
MS-ETS1-1 Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
MS-ETS1-2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
MS-ETS1-3 Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
MS-ETS1-4 Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
Computer Science Teachers Association Standards
Grade 6-8
2-CS-03 Systematically identify and fix problems with computing devices and their components.
2-AP-11 Create clearly named variables that represent different data types and perform operations on their values.
2-AP-13 Decompose problems and subproblems into parts to facilitate the design, implementation, and review of programs.
2-AP-14 Create procedures with parameters to organize code and make it easier to reuse.
2–AP-18 Distribute tasks and maintain a project timeline when collaboratively developing computational artifacts.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
Grade 6
Understand that positive and negative numbers are used together to describe quantities having opposite directions or values (e.g., temperature above/below zero, elevation above/below sea level, credits/debits, positive/negative electric charge); use positive and negative numbers to represent quantities in real-world contexts, explaining the meaning of 0 in each situation.
6.EE.B.6 Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.
Display numerical data in plots on a number line, including dot plots, histograms, and box plots.
Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context, such as by: (A) Reporting the number of observations, (B) describing the nature of the attribute under investigation, including how it was measured and its units of measurement.
Grade 7
7.EE.B.4 Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.
Grade 8
Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities. Describe patterns such as clustering, outliers, positive or negative association, linear association, and nonlinear association.
Common Core Technical Career Standards
STEM Cluster: Engineering & Technology Career Pathway
ST-ET 3.1 Use knowledge, techniques, skills and modern tools necessary for engineering practice.
ST-ET 3.2 Describe the elements of good engineering practice (e.g., understanding customer needs, planning requirements analysis, using appropriate engineering tools, prototyping, testing, evaluating and verifying).
ST-ET 3.4 Illustrate the ability to characterize a plan and identify the necessary engineering tools that will produce a technical solution when given a problem statement.
ST-ET 4.1 Explain why and how the contributions of great innovators are important to society.
ST-ET 4.2 Explain the elements and steps of the design process and tools or techniques that can be used for each step.
ST-ET 4.3 Describe design constraints, criteria, and trade-offs in regard to variety of conditions (e.g., technology, cost, safety, society, environment, time, human resources, manufacturability).
ST-ET 5.1 Apply the design process using appropriate modeling and prototyping, testing, verification and implementation techniques.
ST-ET 5.2 Demonstrate the ability to evaluate a design or product and improve the design using testing, modeling and research.
ST-ET 5.3 Demonstrate the ability to record and organize information and test data during design evaluation.
STEM Cluster: Science and Math Career Pathway
ST-SM 1.1 Apply science and mathematics concepts and principles to resolve plans, projects, processes, issues or problems through methods of inquiry.
ST-SM 1.2 Use the skills and abilities in science and mathematics to access, share, and use data to develop plans, processes, projects and solutions.
ST-SM 1.3 Use the skills and abilities in science and mathematics to integrate solutions related to technical or engineering activities using the content and concepts related to the situations.
ST-SM 1.4 Explain the role of modeling in science and engineering.
ST-SM 1.5 Explain the use of models and simulation in hypothesis testing (i.e., the scientific method).
ST-SM 1.6 Communicate with others on inquiry or resolution of issues/problems in the global community.
ST-SM 2.1 Demonstrate the ability to recognize cause and effect when faced with assigned projects or issues.
ST-SM 2.4 Predict the outcomes based on data collected in a project or experiment.
ST-SM 2.9 Analyze change as a result of data differences and changing environmental values.
ST-SM 3.1 Evaluate the impact of science on society based on products and processes used in the real world.
ST-SM 3.2 Evaluate the impact of mathematics on society based on products and processes used in the real world.
ST-SM 3.3 Research how science and mathematics influence the professions and occupations supported by the STEM Career Cluster.
Information Technology Cluster: Programming & Software Development Career Pathway
IT-PRG 4.1 Employ tools in developing software applications.
IT-PRG 6.1 Explain programming language concepts.
IT-PRG 6.3 Demonstrate proficiency in developing an application using an appropriate programming language.
IT-PRG 6.4 Explain basic software systems implementation.
IT-PRG 7.1 Develop a software test plan.
IT-PRG 7.2 Perform testing and validation.