Animal/Biome Webs

Animal/Biome Webs

Author(s):
Carlee Jackson
Section: 19017


Grade Level:
2nd grade

Timeframe:

This lesson should last for five 30 minute periods (Three to four periods will be used for instruction/work time and the last day is to be used for presentations.)

Lesson Description or Explanation

At the beginning of our animal study unit, we will study animals based upon their habitats. We will try to look for commonalities related to where the animals live. As the students become more familiar with the content, they will create a web with the specific biome/habitat as focus and what animals are found in that specific habitat. The class will be divided into research groups based upon a biome that they randomly drew. (Rainforest, Taiga, Tundra, Temperate, Desert, Grassland, Freshwater, and Marine) At the end of the lesson, students will use the SMART board to present their webs they made by using Inspiration or Kidspiration®.

Indiana Curricular Standards

Science:
2.4.1 Observe and identify different external features of plants and animals and describe how these features help them live in different environments.
2.4.4 Recognize and explain that living things are found almost everywhere in the world and that there are somewhat different kinds in different places

English:
2.2.3 Use knowledge of the author's purpose(s) to comprehend informational text
2.2.7 Interpret information from diagrams, charts, and graphs.

ISTE Standards

Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
• apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
• create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
• use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
• identify trends and forecast possibilities.

Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:
• understand and use technology systems.
• select and use applications effectively and productively.
• troubleshoot systems and applications.
• transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.

Assessments
Formative/Summative

Formative:
The teacher will hold a daily conference with each group during the work period. The goal of the conferences is to make sure the students are staying on track and to answer any specific questions the group may have on their area of study.

Summative:
Each group’s web (separate from the presentation) will be graded based upon a rubric created by the teacher. Each group will be leveled from the following categories: master, journeyman, apprentice, and novice. The four indicators that will be considered are: content, completion, cooperation, and communication. Then, each group member will be graded as pass/fail based upon their class presentation. Also, “Thinking Further” questions will be completed in their science journal and assessed at the end of the week.

Prior Knowledge

Curricular Knowledge or Skills:
Based upon what the children learned in first grade about animals, the students should be able to recognize that what an animal eats determine its habitat and vice versa. We will have a read aloud (And So They Build by Bert Kitchen) at the beginning of the lesson that will exemplify the different animals that will be introduced. Also, the students will continue on with their research using non-fiction books.

Technology Knowledge:
Students should be familiar with working on computers. They should also have some previous experience with using the program Inspiration or Kidspiration®. Students will be somewhat familiar with a SMART board, as they have seen teachers give presentations on it in the past.

Technology

Internet Resources: (please list URLs)
• N/A for the research
o http://www.britannica.com/
o http://babelfish.yahoo.com/ This is to be used ONLY for ENL learners!
• Possibly our classroom website so families can view the students work

Hardware:
• Laptop Cart with internet access (Computers On Wheels)
• SMART board

Software:
• Inspiration or Kidsipration®

Materials:
• Science journals
• Library access

Procedure

Day 1:
• Teacher will introduce the lesson by reading aloud, And So They Build by Bert Kitchen.
o As a group, we will go over noticings about the book. (i.e. the different types of homes animals have, why they have them, and the resources that they use to build the homes.)
• The students will then draw for groups based on different biomes in which animals live.
o Rainforest, Taiga, Tundra, Temperate, Desert, Grassland, Freshwater, and Marine
• Also, introduce the different ways in which the children will be researching the information: encyclopedias, non-fiction text, etc.

Days 2 & 3:
• Open work time with another read aloud
• Somewhere Today by Bert Kitchen (Day 2)
• The Little Island by Golden MacDonald (Day 3)
• The students will use this time to work collaboratively and research their biome/habitat.
o They will have specific resources available for their research: encyclopedias, non-fiction text, etc.
• The teacher will conference with each group to go over what they are working on and make sure that they are gathering enough resources in order to create an effective web.

Day 4:
• Groups will meet with the teacher one last time to have any last minute questions cleared up.
• Students work on creating their biome/animal web by using Inspiration/ Kidspiration®

Day 5:
• Each group will present to the class their web using a SMART board.
o They will have to explain each animal that they included in their web as well as talk about what makes it so special to that biome.
• When finished, the students will have “Thinking Further” questions to answer in their science journal.
o Do you notice any similarities between the animals on your web?
o What kind of food do you think they eat based upon the place they live?
o Do you think they could live in a different biome? If so what biome and why?

Differentiated Instruction

ESL
For ESL learners, the teacher may have them do their research using an online encyclopedia and use a translator such as Babel Fish to aid them with their study.

Challenge/Extend
To extend this lesson, the teacher would have the students take the “Thinking Further” questions into consideration when creating their web. They might be able to find commonalities between animal to animal; rather than just biome to animal.

Special Needs
The teacher may utilize any other adult supports that are available in the classroom to work one-on-one. Also, since we are using heterogeneous grouping, classmates may help each other out. Blind/deaf students may us adaptive technology to aid in their research.