TEC Lesson Plan
The Arctic

Contributor Information
Name: Donna Sellman
email address:
School: University of South Florida student
Date: July, 1999
Modified by: Kay Pravda
TEC writer

Standards

Sunshine State Standards

Strand(s): reading, science,writing, social studies, technology
Standard(s):
Benchmark(s):
Reading
Standard 2: The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts.
LA.A.2.2.1 The student reads text and determines the main idea or essential message, identifies relevant supporting details and facts, and arranges events in chronological order.
LA.A.2.2.8 The student selects and uses a variety of appropriate reference materials, including multiple representations of information such as maps, charts, and photos, to gather information for research projects.
Writing
Standard 2: The student writes to communicate ideas and information effectively.
LA.A.2.2.4 The student identifies specific personal preferences relative to fiction and nonfiction reading.
LA.B.2.2.4 The student uses electronic technology, including word-processing software and electronic encyclopedias, to create, revise, retrieve, and verify information.
Science
How Living Things Interact with Their Environment
Standard 1: The students understand the competitive, interdependent, cyclic nature of living things in the environment.
SC.G.1.2.2 The student knows that living things compete in a climatic region with other living things and that structural adaptations make them fit for an environment.
SC.G.1.2.5 The student knows that animals eat plants or other animals to acquire the energy they need for survival.
Standard 2: The student understands the consequences of using limited natural resources.
SC.G.2.2.1 The student knows that all living things must compete for Earth’s limited resources; organisms best adapted to compete for the available resources will be successful and pass their adaptations (traits ) to their offspring.
SC.G.2.2.2 The student knows that the size of a population is dependent upon the available resources within its community.
SC.G.2.2.3 The student understands that changes in the habitat of an organism may be beneficial or harmful.

NET Standards

Technology T.1.2.1 1.Basic operations and concepts
1.Use keyboards and other common input and output devices (including adaptive devices when necessary)efficiently and effectively.
T.2.2.2 2.Social, ethical, and human issues
2. Discuss common uses of technology in daily life and the advantages and disadvantages those uses provide.
T.3.2.5 3.Technology productivity tools
5.Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.
T.4.2.6 4.Technology communications tools
6.Use telecommunications efficiently and effectively to access remote information, communicate with others in support of direct and independent learning, and pursue personal interests.
resources to accomplish a given task.

Lesson Plan

Title: The Arctic

Technology Resource Requirements:

• access to the Internet
• HyperStudio (optional)
  

Subject Area(s): science

Grade Level: 3-5

Short Description:

The goal of my unit of practice is to teach students about the Arctic. Known for its frozen ocean, beautiful animals, desolate landscape and exciting history of exploration, the Arctic offers an opportunity for students to explore the unknown. This unit is important because it shows students how climate can control man and nature’s very existence. The unit is designed as part of an interdisciplinary winter theme unit for intermediate students. It is designed to foster and develop comprehension and application skills. It covers geography, language arts, science, and visual arts. Expansion plans include content in mathematics.

The unit on Arctic animals will focus on the following areas of study:

• Where in the World is the Arctic?
  
• The Arctic and Its Animals
  
• Adapting an Arctic Way of Life
  
• Arctic Expeditions
  
  
  

Approximate Time Required:

Gain Attention:

The goal of my unit of practice is to teach students about the Arctic. Known for its frozen ocean, beautiful animals, desolate landscape and exciting history of exploration, the Arctic offers an opportunity for students to explore the unknown.

My goal is for students to be able to identify and provide examples of animals that inhabit the Arctic region. They will employ computer skills to locate information and answer questions related to Arctic animals. They will also be able to identify and describe ways that Arctic animals adapt to their environment.

This unit is important because it shows students how climate can control man and nature’s very existence. The unit is designed as part of an interdisciplinary winter theme unit for upper primary students. It is designed to foster and develop comprehension and application skills.
The students will be shown an introductory PowerPoint program.

Tasks:

The unit on the Arctic will begin with the introduction:
• Where in the World is the Arctic?
• The Arctic and its Animals
• Adapting an Arctic Way of Life
• Arctic Expeditions

The student’s tasks consist of an activity titled: "Puzzling out Key Facts." In this activity the students will create an illustrated book about Arctic animals. Students will work in pairs and choose one arctic animal to research and study. Students will be supplied with information from two web sites from which they will be supplied the information and the support they need to explore the animal they selected. Students will create an informative paragraph, which contains only the key facts about the animal. The students will then draw a picture of the animal. The picture will be photocopied and enlarged. The students once again extract the key facts from their paragraph and write them in phrases on the different parts of the animal. The larger picture is then colored, with the appropriate background included. The students should then take another piece of paper and write the topic sentence of their paragraph across the top. On the same sheet they should duplicate the outline or silhouette of their animal in the same shape and size of their enlarged illustration. The large picture will be laminated with the key facts. Also, take the smaller illustration and the descriptive paragraph and laminate them on one side of a page, with the topic sentence and outline pasted to the back. The students will then take the laminated picture, with the key facts written on the different animal parts, and cut it up into various shapes, creating a puzzle. Each piece of the puzzle should have one key fact on it. Students will position their puzzle pieces using Velcro tabs inside of their animal’s outline. The students will share their animals with the class during whole group discussion. The animals can then be bound into one book.
The students will use the Internet web sites to gather their information. There will also be books provided in the class library, as well as access to the school library. Students will also have access to the Arctic web site that I will have created.

The students will work in pairs throughout the activity. This will enable both students to have hands on performance related to the activity. Students learn more when they have hands on experience. They will have someone to collaborate with, but the interaction will keep students on task as much as possible. The teacher’s role is mainly to facilitate the activity. The students will be responsible for obtaining their own data and creating their puzzle piece. I will circulate consistently and help students locate appropriate material on the Internet, as well as provide computer support. I will laminate the puzzle pieces.

The database will be incorporated after the students finish the task. The database has as its fields the following: Animal, Latin Name, Size, Weight, Habitat, Distinguishing Feature. See sample. Each pair will add the information pertaining to their animal on the database. The database will have approximately 15 – 17 Arctic animals identified. Students can then use this information in a later project.

Interactions:

The students will work in pairs throughout the activity. This will enable both students to have hands on performance related to the activity. Students learn more when they have hands on experience. They will have someone to collaborate with, but the interaction will keep students on task as much as possible. The teacher’s role is mainly to facilitate the activity. The students will be responsible for obtaining their own data and creating their puzzle piece. I will circulate consistently and help students locate appropriate material on the Internet, as well as provide computer support. I will laminate the puzzle pieces.

Situations:

Students will have the opportunity to visit the classroom library or the school library as part of the introduction of the unit. The total time allotted for the unit is approximately 50 – 70 minutes per day for 5 – 6 days. The first two days will be devoted to compiling information and writing the paragraph. The third day will involve the students drawing their animal. The teacher will return the enlarged illustration on the fourth day and the students will continue to complete the project in the next two days. On the final day the students will present the work to the class and work with the teacher to bind the puzzle pieces into a book format.

Tools:
The students will use the Internet web sites to gather their information. There will also be books provided in the class library, as well as access to the school library. Students will also have access to the Arctic web site that I have created.

Internet sites that pertain to The Arctic:

http://tqjunior.advanced.org/3500/animals.htm

http://www.pbs.org./kratts/world/ant

http://www.seaworld.org/arctic

http://www.education-world.com

Resources:
Conforth, Kellie. 1991. A Picture Book of Arctic Animals. Troll Associates.

Hargreaves, Pat., 1981. The Arctic. Wayland Publishers Ltd.,

Johnson, Sylvia, A., 1976. Animals of the Polar Regions. Lerner Publishing Co., Minneapolis.

Hodge, Deborah. 1997. Bears: Polar Bears, black bears and grizzly bears. Kids Can Press Ltd.

Stone, Lynn M., 1985. The Arctic: A new true book. Children’s Press.

Assessments:

The students will be evaluated on participation with their partner and their performance related to listening, following directions and representation of accurate facts on the puzzle. The spreadsheet is where I will compile my grading information. There will be five specific areas that I will evaluate: Behavior, Attention, Participation, Respect, and On Task. See rubric example.