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Goal: Students review information from a concept map to identify possible causes of greenhouse gas emissions and choose one factor on which to focus their research.
Objectives: Students will:
- Use a graphic organizer
- Review factors that influence greenhouse gas emissions
- Choose the factor that they feel is the largest contributor in their town
- Write a research question on that topic
Materials (For a class of 30):
- Possible Causes Student Concept Map
- 30 Writing Research Questions Student Sheet
- 1 Writing Research Questions Teacher Sample
Time: 50 minutes
Standards Met: G3, G5, S7, LA6, LA7, LA8, LA11, LA12
Procedure:
- Have students get out their completed concept maps.
- Review possible contributing factors and student ratings.
- Introduce students to the steps of writing a research question by using the teacher sample.
- Pass out student sheets.
- Allow students to complete student sheets.
Writing a Research Question - Teacher Sample
STEP 1 - Identify the possible causes
Use your completed concept map.
Choose one factor on which to focus your research
Example: Middle School kids fart on the bus.
STEP 2 - Determine what is already known.
Example: Farts contain methane.
STEP 3 - Define or clarify any unknown or vague terms.
Example: What is methane?
Methane is an odorless, colorless, flammable gas, CH4, the major constituent of natural gas that is used as a fuel and is an important source of hydrogen and a wide variety of organic compounds
STEP 4 - Determine how that cause could create the problem. (i.e., does that increase greenhouse gas in the atmosphere?)
Example: Middle School kids fart frequently, releasing methane into the atmosphere. Methane is a greenhouse gas.
STEP 5: Write a working hypothesis that combines one possible cause with one way it could create the problem.
Example: Millions of middle school kids are farting regularly and releasing methane into the environment.
STEP 6: Write a research question that will support or not support your hypothesis.
Example: Are farts from middle school students increasing the methane in the atmosphere, raising the Earth's temperature?
Writing a Research Question - Student Sheet
STEP 1 - Identify the possible causes
Use your completed concept map.
Choose one factor on which to focus your research
STEP 2 - Determine what is already known.
STEP 3 - Define or clarify any unknown or vague terms.
STEP 4 - Determine how that cause could create the problem. (i.e., does that increase greenhouse gas in the atmosphere?)
STEP 5: Write a working hypothesis that combines one possible cause with one way it could create the problem.
STEP 6: Write a research question that will support or not support your hypothesis.
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