Three students around a computer show "SUBMITTED" on GLOBE.gov; one in a wheelchair, others focused. A conclusion in science is an answer to a question about something in nature that has happened. An explanation tells you why or how something happens. Together, conclusions and explanations are central to the GLOBE research process.

The general GLOBE guideline for constructing explanations can help students move from just describing what they did and what they found to explaining what that means. For students, this can be one of the biggest steps. It's a lot to synthesize across different pieces of evidence.

The example we provide focuses on the phenomenon of UHIE. Constructing Explanations for UHIE can address a variety of phenomena ranging from surface temperature to tree coverage. This video segment from the 2022 GLOBE Annual Meeting - Student Showcase shares how students can explain how the presence (or absence) of trees has an effect on the surface temperature of a land area, based on their research.

🏃🏾‍♂️ Action Step

Review one of the two student group presentations in the video below, and consider what explanations and conclusions these students generated throughout their projects.

7:45 - 23:30 for student group 1
23:30 - 45:30 for student group 2

[Transcript]

✍🏽 Journal

Take a few minutes to consider what supports your students might need to successfully construct explanations in your class(es). Go to your Journal (in the Navigation Bar) and jot down one or two ideas.

Leticia: Linking Curiosity to Future Careers

Leticia became even more curious as she looked at the data that her team had collected. She had noticed important patterns when she compared surface and air temperature data from different communities, even just looking at simple graphs of the GLOBE data. This led her to conclude that the lack of plants and shade may have contributed to the heat. Her teacher was also able to find diabetes data from the county and the class noticed similar patterns. This made Leticia wonder if the heat was making it less fun for kids to be outside and exercise and might contribute to future health outcomes. Even though she was still young, her idea of becoming a scientist or a doctor started to feel more exciting.

Going Deeper on Constructing Explanations from Evidence

The UHIE Story Map
Green Roofs Research
MyNASAData Introductory Lesson Plan for Building Claims from Evidence
Argumentation

We’ve shared this resource before, and we’ll share it here again! The UHIE Story Map is in the 5E format, which means there is a specific section (Explain) that can help your students develop the skill of Constructing Explanations. Check it out, and perhaps think about how students in your class might reason about UHIE.

UHIE Story Map