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Earth science · Grades 6–8

Map a Schoolyard Microclimate

Which schoolyard features are linked to warmer air?

The lesson

What students do

A school wants cooler outdoor gathering places. Compare locations and recommend where shade may help.

  1. Choose schoolyard sites with different shade or surfaces.
  2. Measure air temperature at the same height.
  3. Record surface, light, time, and temperature.
  4. Compare sites measured within a short time.

For teachers

Standards connections

This short investigation supports parts of these standards. It does not cover the full standard by itself.

MS-ESS2-6Connect unequal heating to local patterns while using a small set of observations.

PracticeAnalyze and interpret spatial results.

Big ideaPatterns

Included results

Where the results came from

Classroom model readings included with ConductClass

These are model schoolyard readings, not readings from a named school.

Science source: U.S. EPA: Heat Islands

Included

Ready for one class period.

Student instructions Included results Chart choices and calculations Teacher notes and review guide

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