Recipes for Disaster! (AIG IRP)

Stage 1: Engage

DAY ONE:
Project the “Recipe for Weather” (see below) so that it can be viewed by the entire class. Read the recipe aloud.  Point out the various parts of a standard recipe: the title (what is being made), the ingredients (what materials are needed), and the directions/procedure (how to combine the materials to get the final result).  Ask students what is missing from this recipe example-- or any lab procedure in science class. Students should recognize that there are no specified amounts for the ingredients.  Ask students why these ingredients would not have specific amounts included.  Students should be able to explain that the variation in the amounts of these weather factor “ingredients” result in the different types of weather that we experience. Explain to students that they will be creating a class recipe book entitled “Recipes for Disaster” in which each student will have contributed five different weather phenomena recipes.  Students will also be asked to provide a picture of the weather phenomena so that others can see the “final result” that is being made by following the recipe.  Just as this recipe did not include ingredient amounts, other recipes may not include such numbers; however, if it is possible to be specific or provide a range of amounts, students should be encouraged to add those details.