Learn more about our new material, Pressure Variations Puzzle – Complete Set. Atmospheric pressure is the force the air around us exerts on everything it touches. It may seem invisible, but it affects many aspects of our lives, such as the weather, the climate, and even how we breathe. Learning atmospheric pressure can help elementary learners develop curiosity, observation, and critical thinking skills. It can also create connections with related phenomena such as the formation and movement of glaciers, the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth. In addition, it helps explain the adaptation and distribution of animals and plants, how some animals can survive under high pressure in the ocean, or how some plants can grow above the tree line on mountains!
One of the best ways to learn about pressure variations on Earth is by using our hands-on materials that allow learners to explore, experiment, and discover. Our complete set traditionally comprises Montessori-aligned components such as a puzzle with movable parts, research cards, and task cards. They are based on the principles of self-directed learning, concrete experiences, and individualized pace. They also provide feedback and control of errors so learners can check their own work and learn from their mistakes. In this blog post, you will learn more about the way the materials are organized, and its potential outcomes!
Materials
- Pressure Variations Puzzle – Complete Set
- Pressure Variations Puzzle
- Pressure Variations Research Cards
- Pressure Variations Task Cards
Related materials: Glaciers and Glacial Landforms Puzzle with Nomenclature Cards (6-9) (Printed), Oceanic Landforms Puzzle with Nomenclature Cards (6-9), Seafloor Spreading Puzzle with Nomenclature Cards (6-9)
Pressure Variations Materials and Outcomes
Our puzzle on Pressure Variations comes with wooden labels and a control chart. It depicts a realistic representation of the earth’s layers: atmosphere, land, and ocean. The puzzle serves as an infographic, which is a graphical representation of concepts and of patterns of information and data: Loss of pressure, data in millibar, data in kiloPascal, altitude in kilometers, depth in meters, pressure in hectopascal. A red line helps learners understand the relation between altitude and depth and pressure. At the highest altitude, we observe a drastic loss of pressure close to none: 0.1%. At the lowest depth, the pressure is enormous: 10 times the pressure at ground level! Only a well-organized graphic can explain this phenomenon. All factors must be gathered and presented together for learners to make internal connections. Manipulating the puzzle parts and arrows helps learners organize the flux of information in a meaningful and durable manner.
Our Research Cards contain definitions such as pressure, pressure variation, graph line of pressure indication, snow line, tree line, Alpine zone, and foothill zone. These definitions provide information to prepare learners to understand the relationship between pressure and other observable factors such as ice formation, vegetation growth, thin air in high altitude, etc… Other research cards explain atmospheric and oceanic pressures at various depths or altitudes. Learners are encouraged to use their mathematical skills to understand the relation between location on earth and pressure. They also work with scientific units such as kilometer, kilopascal, and millibar.
Our Task Cards will ensure that your learners have a chance to put their newly acquired knowledge to work. The first section requires learners to recall and explain basic concepts such as pressure variations or snow line. The second and third sections focus on engaging learners with the data and reading the graph. They are required to collect data on the atmospheric and oceanic pressure variations. For example, one of the task cards asks, “At what distance is the atmospheric pressure , about 1% of what it is at ground level?” The fourth section aims to develop critical thinking through a series of real-life word problems, for which learners must find a possible explanation: “If you keep blowing air into a balloon, what will happen? Research and Discuss it with your classmates.” This section also includes a collaborative component, requiring learners to work together!
By learning about atmospheric and oceanic pressure and its effects, your learners can gain a deeper understanding of the physical world and the interconnections among its components. This also reinforces their appreciation for the diversity and complexity of nature! For more science materials, make sure to visit our website regularly!
