Creativity Lesson: Ambiguity and Ocean Currents

*This lesson coincides with chapter 8 (Avoid Ambiguity) from Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech.

Suggested Books (paid link)

Lesson created by Justin Clark


Grade Level: 6 Science


Length of time to teach lesson: 8 Minutes

Overview of the Lesson:  This lesson could be used as a pre-assessment for students understanding of Ocean Currents. Providing a Paradox will begin the thought process and burst you students brain to think. Ocean currents move in a circular direction, have consistent patterns, always moving from Pole to equator, and carry energy during the whole paths (cold to warm and warm to cold). The students will be given a paradox starting the thinking as an introduction to “Ocean Currents” Chapter in the Unit of “Ocean, Atmosphere & Climate”.

Objective (Learning Target) of the lesson: Students will draw their ideas of ocean currents from a paradoxical statement. Examples: “Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth” “A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.”

Resources needed for the lesson: Paper, Markers (Blue = cold, Red = warm & Brown = continents). Word Bank: N/S Poles, Equator, Cold & Warm Currents, Continent, Pattern & Circular Movement.  Rubric.

Teaching Instructions for this lesson:


Paradox: “Are there cold ocean currents near warm areas?”
● Use your markers to draw how currents move around the Earth.
● Use the word bank to generate your ideas.
● What does the paradox mean to your table group?
         ○ Hand out 4-5 paradoxes for the groups to figure out what they mean.
         ○ Have students have group leaders (Speaker, Leader, Questioner, Clarifier, etc)
         ○ Table discussion of Paradox 5 Minutes.
         ○ Present to group.
● Handout the Science Paradox
         ○ Students discussion & brainstorm your drawing.

Assessment:  Use the rubric to give students feedback on the following questions:
● Did the student use all the words from the “Word Bank”
● Did the students show cold and warm currents?
● Did the students show circular motions/currents?
● Label North and South Pole, and Equator?
● Did the student show continents?
● Did they label where the cold currents pass by warm areas?

Meta-cognition:
● Before they get their critique and after student is finished with their thinking and drawing, show them a video about the “Great Garbage Patch” in the Oceans.
● Students make edits to their diagrams.
● Ask them what they added and why.
● Use a rubric to assess their prior knowledge of their thinking about Ocean Currents.

Additional directions for the students:
● Create a circular pattern in the oceans.
● Draw and Earth with North Pole and South Pole with the Equator.
● High Energy (Warm Area) & Low Energy (Cold Area).

Book Cover

Help Wanted on
Mont Vernon
This book combines history
and mathematics with
adorable characters to teach
kids about the many talents
of the first U.S. President.
 

Book Cover

The UnderAchievers:
Woven into a fun story, this
book provides excellent
math lessons for kids.  


Writing Across the Curriculum:
The NumberFix Project

 

Book Cover

 Wacky We-Search Reports:
A popular book on writing
across the curriculum.