Download The Orlando Eye

The Orlando Eye
Teacher Resource Guide
Grades 6-8
“A Look A-Round Florida”
Arrival and Entry
Please allow ample time for parking and
obtaining tickets. To book a FREE
education workshop with your trip,
please contact our call center at 866-2286444. Workshops must be booked in
advance.
Safety
To have the best adventure possible,
please abide by all safety precautions
posted and given by our staff. If you have
any questions during your experience,
please speak to any member of our team.
Additional Information
For information on The Orlando Eye and
our FREE education workshops, visit our
website: www.officialorlandoeye.com
Contents:
Introduction
1
Ferris Wheel vs. Orlando Eye
2-3
An “Eye” on Physics
4-7
A Look “A-round” Florida
8-12
Sample Responses
13-14
Relevant Standards
15-16
Directions
We are conveniently located at I-Drive 360.
Please use our east entrance found on
Universal Boulevard.
8401 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
Educational Objectives:
Students will be able to…
•
Contrast the differences between a
Ferris wheel and an Observation wheel.
•
Identify types of Florida landforms they
can see from the Orlando Eye
•
Discuss formation processes behind
topographic features
•
Analyze human impacts on Florida
landforms and ecology
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The Orlando Eye
History of the Observation Wheel
200 B.C. - The large, circular wheels used to lift water for irrigation
may have inspired the earliest designs of wheels used for amusement
rides.
1620 - Peter Murphy visited a small town celebration in Turkey. One
of the rides included two vertical wheels (about 20 feet across) that
were held off the ground by a large post on each side. The ride was
called a "pleasure wheel."
1728 - In England, small hand-turned wheels were called "ups-anddowns" and had four passenger seats.
1848 - Antonio Maguino established a pleasure wheel to draw crowds
to his rural park and picnic grounds in Walton Spring, Georgia. The
wheel was made of wood and powered by two men.
1860 - A French pleasure wheel existed that could carry 16
passengers. Men would climb a ladder to the top and turn it by hand!
1893 - The race for larger wheels culminated when American bridge
builder and engineer, George Washington Gale Ferris, began building
a 250 foot wheel for the 1893 Colombian Exposition in Chicago.
Designed like a bicycle wheel, with a stiff steel outer rim hung from
the center axle by steel spokes under tension, the wheel could carry
as many as 1,440 passengers at a time in 36 enclosed cars. The
giant wheel opened on June 21, 1893, and drew more than 1.4 million
paying customers during the 19 weeks it was in operation.
2014 - Since the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel, there have
been nine world’s tallest-ever Ferris wheels. The current record holder
is the 500 foot High Roller in Las Vegas, Nevada, which opened to
the public in March 2014.
May 2015 - The Orlando Eye opens to the public, providing
breathtaking views of Central Florida. At 400 feet in height, it is the
tallest observation wheel on the East Coast of the U.S.A.
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The Orlando Eye
Reinventing the Wheel
What is the difference between a Ferris Wheel and an Observation Wheel?
The Orlando Eye, as well as the London Eye, are considered Observation Wheels, and differ
from Ferris Wheels in the following ways:
Ferris Wheels:
•
Feature free-swing passenger
gondolas or carriages
suspended from the rim
• Supported by two towers on
each side of the axles
• View can sometimes be
obstructed by the wheel itself
Observation Wheels:
•
•
•
Feature enclosed passenger
capsules designed to remain
stable throughout the rotation
Supported by an A-frame
support
Offers a 360° unobstructed
view
See the difference in the pictures below:
Ferris Wheel:
The Orlando Eye:
Can you observe any other differences?
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A Look “A-round” Florida
Florida’s Amazing Landscapes
More than just a day at the beach…
When people think about Florida, they generally picture
our world-class resorts, swaying palms, white sands, all
under a tropical sun. What most don’t realize is that
Florida actually has a wide variety of unique and vibrant
landscapes. From grasslands to wetlands, cypress
groves to sandy shores, Florida is so much more than
just a day at the beach.
As you ride the Orlando Eye, you will be able to see
these landscapes from a new perspective, and get a big
picture of many of the natural wonders that Florida has
to offer, and even glimpse the slow and powerful forces
that shape them.
What do you know?
Use your prior knowledge about Florida landscapes to answer the following
questions. (SC.6.E.6.1; SC.6.E.6.2; SC.7.E.6.6)
1. Other than the ones mentioned in the text above, what kinds of natural
landforms have you heard of?
2. What forces are you aware of that shape natural landscapes in Florida?
3. How do you think Florida’s landscape has changed in the past 50 years?
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Key Terms
Florida Topography
•
Anthropogenic: something that is the result of the
influence of human beings on nature
•
Coastline: area where the land meets the ocean
•
Deforestation: the permanent destruction of forests
in order to make land available for other uses, such
as farms, ranches, or urban use
•
Deposition: the geological process in which
sediments, soil, and rocks are added to a landform or
land mass
•
Erosion: the action of surface processes, like wind or
water flow, that remove soil, rock, or dissolved
material from one location to another
•
Hill: a naturally raised area of land that is lower than
a mountain
•
Lake: a large body of water surrounded by land
Coastline
Erosion
•
Limestone: a sedimentary rock created from the
remains of tiny sea creatures
•
Pollution: the presence or introduction of a harmful
or poisonous thing into the environment
•
River: moving body of water that flows in one
direction
•
Topography: the physical or natural features of an
area or land
•
Urbanization: the process of city growth
•
Wetland: An area of land that is saturated with water
enough of the time to support water-loving plants
Pollution
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A Look “A-round” Florida
Florida’s Amazing Landscapes
Where am I?
Draw a line to match images of Florida landforms visible
from the Orlando Eye to their description on the right.
Then, give an example of where that landform type
occurs in Florida (does not have to be the one pictured).
The first one has been completed for you. (SC.6.E.6.2)
Coastline
Example: Cape Canaveral, FL
Wetland
Example: ______________________
River
Example: ______________________
Hill
Example: ______________________
Lake
Example: ______________________
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A Look “A-round” Florida
Florida’s Lakes
A Land of Lakes
Did you know that there are more than 7,000 natural lakes in Florida? These lakes
come in many shapes and sizes, from huge Lake Okeechobee to Lake Eola in the
center of Downtown Orlando. Most are formed when water dissolves the soft
limestone that makes up most of Florida’s bedrock, creating an open sinkhole or
reservoir. This fills with water from rain or groundwater, like that in the Florida
aquifer.
1. What is the name of a lake that you can see from the Orlando Eye? (SC.6.E.6.2)
2. Draw a picture of a lake that you can see from the Orlando Eye : (SC.6.E.6.2)
3. How is the way that humans create lakes different from the way they form
naturally? (SC.6.E.6.1; SC.7.E.6.6)
4. Which do you think would cause more erosion: a small lake or a small river?
Explain your reasoning. (SC.6.E.6.1; SC.7.E.6.6)
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A Look “A-round” Florida
Florida’s Wetlands
What makes a wetland?
True to their name, wetlands are exactly that – “wet lands.”
However, to be considered a wetland, the ground does not
always have to be saturated with water. Wetlands must be wet
for at least part of the year and produce aquatic or water-loving
plants like cattails, mosses, or lily pads. They come in many
different forms, including swamps, bogs, marshes, pine
warrens, and sawgrass meadows.
Wetlands are incredibly important ecosystems, and are
sometimes compared to rainforests in their diversity. They are
home to thousands of different species of crustaceans, fish,
plants, mollusks, and birds. In addition, they act as natural
water filters. Between 80-90% of suspended solids and toxins
in the water is filtered out by the stems and roots of wetland
plants as it travels through. Though they may look, and
sometimes smell, a little strange, wetlands actually keep our
water clean and healthy!
Great blue heron –
a common wetland
inhabitant
1. How is a wetland different from a lake? (SC.6.E.6.2)
2. What is the largest wetland in Florida? (SC.6.E.6.2)
3. Since Florida became a state, humans have destroyed more than 44% of the state’s
wetlands to create farmland and cities. How do you think this impacts Florida’s wildlife
and ecosystems? (SC.7.E.6.6; SS.8.G.5.2)
4. Think about it: What is one way that you can help Florida wetlands? (SC.7.E.6.6)
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Sample Responses:
Page 3:
Accept any reasonable answers
Page 4:
1. Accept any reasonable answers. Examples: lakes, rivers, deltas, mountains, etc.
2. Accept any reasonable answers. Examples: erosion, hurricanes, floods, wind,
dissolution, etc.
3. Accept any reasonable answer, should discuss expanded urbanization in some way
Page 6:
Accept any reasonable examples for each landform
Coastline
Wetland
River
Hill
Lake
Page 7:
1. Accept any reasonable answers. Examples: Big Sand Lake, Lake Eola, etc.
3. Humans create lakes by digging them out using machinery or by blocking waterways
(dams). Natural lakes are made by erosion or the dissolution of rocks, such as
limestone
4. A small river because it has a stronger current to carry sediments away from their
original location.
Page 8:
1. A lake is a large area of water. A wetland doesn’t need to be covered in water year
round and is rich in aquatic plant life.
2. The Everglades
3. Accept any reasonable answers. Example: The destruction of wetlands can increase
the amount of particulates and chemicals found in freshwater and lower species
diversity by causing habitat destruction.
4. Accept any reasonable answers. Example: Picking up litter, recycling, writing to
politicians, etc.
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Relevant Sunshine
State Standards:
SIXTH GRADE Relevant standards include:
•
(SC.6.E.6.2) Recognize that there are a variety of different landforms on Earth's
surface such as coastlines, dunes, rivers, mountains, glaciers, deltas, and lakes and
relate these landforms as they apply to Florida
SEVENTH GRADE Relevant standards include:
•
(SC.7.E.6.6) Identify the impact that humans have had on Earth, such as
deforestation, urbanization, desertification, erosion, air and water quality, changing
the flow of water.
EIGTH GRADE Relevant standards include:
•
(SS.8.G.5.2) Describe the impact of human modifications on the physical environment
and ecosystems of the United States throughout history.
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