Weather
Black Mesa: Where the Rocky Mountains Meet the Short Grass Prairie
Students read about the history, topography and environment of Black Mesa, develop experiments to demonstrate erosion and formation of a mesa, find land features on maps and research related topics.
- "The Dust Bowl" (interdisciplinary curriculum produced by Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts and written by Dust Bowl Survivor Dr. V. Pauline Hodges)
- The Dust Bowl in the Classroom (PBS site based on the Ken Burns series, The Dust Bowl)
- Oklahoma Studies Lessons and Resources
Circles in the Landscape: Irrigating Oklahoma Crops
Students examine transpiration, evapotranspiration and water balance, learn the reasons for irrigation, analyze Oklahoma weather information and use geometry and other math skills to design an irrigation system.
Crickets on the Hearth
Students design and conduct investigations with crickets.
Dark Days on the Prairie
Students write descriptive paragraphs based on pictures from the Dust Bowl, label a map showing the Oklahoma counties and surrounding states affected by the Dust Bowl, and research climatic conditions of the area.
- "The Dust Bowl" (interdisciplinary curriculum produced by Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts and written by Dust Bowl Survivor Dr. V. Pauline Hodges)
- The Dust Bowl in the Classroom (PBS site based on the Ken Burns series,The Dust Bowl)
- Oklahoma Studies Lessons and Resources
A Garden in a Mailbox
Students will examine seed catalogs and find information about plants, growing seasons, etc.
Harvest the Wind
Students read about wind power and wind farms, make a pin wheel and develop their own inventions for harvesting wind power.
Preparing for Drought
Students form subcommittees to research drought management and relief.
Snowball Fight
Students will learn how snow helps crops grow and play a game using facts and words about snow.
Timing is Everything: The Harvest Depends on the Weather
Students will play a game to determine how much wheat a section of land will yield based upon a series of setbacks caused by weather, insects, etc. Students will read about the impacts of weather on wheat production. Students will use online resources to find statistics about wheat production and annual precipitation in Oklahoma. Students will graph the information.
Weather Matters
Students will read about the effects of weather on agricultural production and explore the Oklahoma Mesonet site to find and graph local rainfall data. Students will examine weather-related works of art.
What is Drought?
Students conduct an experiment to explore the effects of drought.
When the Sun Stands Still
Grades 3-5: English Language Arts, Math, Science
Students will discover the history of evergreen trees in celebrations of the Winter Solstice and how those traditions carry over into present-day observations. Students will engage in hands-on activities that illustrate how the earth’s tilt on its axis creates not only the shortest day but the seasons.