In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), teams will be given the task of ranking weather tools for a weather station kit. Students will read an informative supplemental reading about the factors that influence weather so students can determine the relation to the tools that measure these factors. Once teams have ranked the tools, they will respond to the client in a letter with their choices. The client will respond by asking that ease of use be considered as a factor and will request that students respond with a second letter with a revised ranking.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx