West Nile weather
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=270
A lesson plan for grade 8 Science
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In this Science Update, students explore how scientists predict how severe each year’s West Nile virus outbreak might be. According to Ken Kunkel, an atmospheric scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey, hot summers and rainfall patterns mean a higher risk for West Nile virus. Science NetLinks provides a link to the audio file, a written transcript, and questions to engage students in discussion about which mosquitoes carry West Nile virus, how rainfall might affect the prevalence of West Nile virus, and the possibility that other diseases might be affected by global warming. This activity also contains links to the Centers for Disease Control, Rutger’s University’s site on mosquito biology, and a lesson plan from the New York Times Learning Network.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grade 8
- Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
- Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
- Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
- explain observations.
- make inferences and predictions.
- develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
- Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
- Communicate findings.
- Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
- Describe strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, and/or data.
- Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
- Research.
- Gather and analyze data.
- Visualize data.
- Disseminate findings to others.
- Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
- Scientific text.
- Articles.
- Events in the popular press.
