UnitPlanTemplate
UnitPlanTitle: ExploringRainforests Curriculum-FramingQuestions EssentialQuestion: AreRainforestsworthsaving? UnitQuestions: Whatislifelikeintropicalrainforests?
Howdopeopleandanimalslivewithrainforests? UnitSummary: Studentswillresearchthemajorcharacteristicsoftropicalrainforests.Studentswillalsoresearchrainforestplantsandanimals.Usingthisknowledge,studentswillthendesignandcreatetheirownplantandinsectadaptedtoliveintherainforestandsharethesewithotherstudents.
Inaddition,studentswilldevelopanimaginaryresearchtriptotherainforest.Studentswilldesignanexperimentshowingthescientificmethod,design,draw,andscanaresearchstationandobservationplatform,andshowminimumimpactlivingskills.Studentswillthinkaboutwhatitwouldbeliketostudyintherainforestfortwomonths.
Asaculminatingactivity,studentswillusetheirknowledgeofrainforeststowriteapersuasivepaperagainstbuildingaroadthroughtherainforest. SubjectArea(s):(Clickboxesofallsubjectsthatapply) BusinessEducation
Engineering
HomeEconomics
LanguageArts
Music
SchooltoCareer
SocialStudies Drama
ForeignLanguage
IndustrialTechnology
Math
PhysicalEducation
Science
Technology Other:Art
Other:
Other: GradeLevel:(Clickboxesofallgradelevelsthatapply) K-2
6-8
ESL
GiftedandTalented 3-5
9-12
Resource
Other: StudentObjectives/LearningOutcomes: Studentswilldevelopanimaginaryresearchtriptotherainforest.
Studentswilldesignanexperimentshowingthescientificmethod.
Studentswilldesignaresearchstationandobservationplatform,andshowminimumimpactlivingskills.
Studentswillresearchplantsandanimalsoftherainforest.
Studentswilldescribethecharacteristicsoftherainforest,andwhererainforestsarelocatedintheworld.
Studentswilldesignandcreatetheirownplantandinsectadaptedtoliveintherainforest. TargetedStateFrameworks/ContentStandards/Benchmarks: Science
1.2Recognizethecomponents,structure,andorganizationofsystemsandtheinterconnectionswithinandamongthem
2.Thestudentknowsandappliestheskillsandprocessesofscienceandtechnology.
2.2Applyscienceknowledgeandskillstosolveproblemsormeetchallenges.
3.1Understandthenatureofscientificinquiry
Writing
2.Thestudentwritesinavarietyofformsfordifferentaudiencesandpurposes.
2.5Effectivelyuseaction,sound,and/orimagestosupportpresentations
Communication
3.2Workcooperativelyasamemberofagroup
Reading
1.5Usefeaturesofnon-fictiontextandcomputersoftware
3.1Readtolearnnewinformation Procedures: Beforebeginningthisunit,teachersshouldmakeafolderonthedesktopofeachof
thecomputersthatwillbeusedthroughouttheunitofrainforestWebsites.Thiswillallowstudentstoeasilyaccessqualityrainforestsites,andgivethemastartingpointforfindingadditionalinformation.Todothis,savetheaddressesoffavoritesitesintoafileonadisk,andthentransferthatfileontoeachcomputer.
Introducestudentstotheunit“ExploringRainForests”PowerPoint.Thiswillgive
studentsanoverallviewoftheunit.
Whatarerainforests?
ReadNatureScope’sOverviewofrainforestsandanswerquestionsonthehandout.Seestudentmaterials.
CompletethefollowingactivitiesinNatureScope:TropicalTriviaTrek,JungleJourney,RainforestPostcards,andLostintheJungle.
Newsletter–StudentsworkinsmallgroupsonMSPublishertomakeanewsletteraboutwhatrainforestsare,wheretheyarelocated,anduniquecharacteristicsoftherainforest.Seesamplenewsletter,andtemplate.
Whatislifelikeintherainforest?
ReadthebackgroundinformationinNatureScope–LifeinTropicalRainforestsand“LeafMeAlone”and“DesignerPlant”inRainForestbyTeacherCreatedMaterials.
Complete“JungleSleuths”inNatureScope.
Workinginsmallgroups,studentswillcreateaninformationalbrochureusingMSPublisheronrainforestplants.Studentswilluseteacher-directedsitesfromthedesktopfiletofindinformationandpicturesontheinternettoincludeintheirbrochure.Refertosteponefordesktopfile.Seeplantbrochuretemplate.
Again,workinginsmallgroups,studentswillcreateaninformationalbrochureonrainforestanimals.Thebrochurewillcontainsectionsfordifferentgroupsofanimals,includingmammals,birds,reptiles,insects,andfish.Studentswillusetherainforestfileontheirdesktoptobegintheirsearchforinformationandpicturesofrainforestanimals.Seeanimalbrochuretemplate.
Studentsdesignaplantthatisadaptedtolivingintherainforest.Seehandout.Theyaretomakeascientificillustrationwithlabels,itcanbesomewhatwhimsical,butshouldhavesomescientificfact.Studentsshoulddescribetheirplant,whichlayeritlivesin,andit’suniqueadaptationsthatallowittosurviveintherainforest.Plantsshouldbecolored.
StudentsaretoscantheirdrawinganduseitontheirWebpageabouttropicalrainforestplants.ThefirstpartoftheirWebpagewillintroduceanddescribetheplanttheydesigned,andthentheywillwriteashortparagraphaboutrealrainforestplantsandprovidelinkstoWebsitesabouttheseplants.SeesampleWebpage.
Reviewthebasicpartsofaninsect.Seehandout.Instructstudentstomakeanimaginaryinsect,similartotheirplant,whichisadaptedtolivingintherainforest,andhasallthepartsofarealinsect.Thedifferenceisthattheirinsectwillbemadeoutofhouseholditems.Itcanbeahodge-podgeofmaterials,arefrigeratorbug,(madeoutofonlythingsinthefridge),agaragebug,afruitbug,aveggiebug,candybug,orajunk-drawerbug.
Usingadigitalcamera,studentswilltakeapictureoftheirinsectanddesignaWebpageonrainforestinsects.SimilartotheirplantWebpage,thefirstsectionoftheirpageisapictureoftheirinsectandadescription,andthenwouldalsocontainabriefparagraphaboutrealrainforestinsects,andlinks.
SeeevaluationtoolsforaWebpagerubricandscoringguide.
Howdopeopleinteractwiththerainforest?
Read“PeopleandTropicalRainForests”inNatureScope.
Homeworkactivity:Studentsalongwiththeirparents,willusetheJunglePantrychecklisttobegintounderstandtheamountofproductsderivedfromtherainforest.
Assign“HeavenlyChocolate”and“PuzzlingProducts”fromRainForest–ExtendedThematicUnit.
UsingMSPowerPoint,studentswillcompletetheTreetopExplorerActivity.Seeplanninghandout.Inthisactivity,studentswillimaginetheywillbespendingtwomonthsintherainforestdoingresearchonacanopyflower.Theyaretodesignascientificexperimentthatincludesallthestepsofscientificinquiry,and“imagine”whatthedataandresultswouldbe.Thepurposeoftheexperimentistofindoutwhopollinatedanimaginarycanopyflower.Studentsshouldidentifyatleasttwo,realisticpollinators.Oneslide,atleast,wouldbedevotedtoeachstepofthescientificmethod.Oneslideforthepurposeorquestion,oneslidefortheyhypothesis,oneforprocedures,etc.Alongwiththeirexperiment,studentswilldesignandmakeanillustrationoftheirresearchandlivingstation,aswellastheirobservationplatform.TheseillustrationsaretobescannedintotheirPowerPointpresentations.Studentsmustalsoresearchanddecideminimumimpactbathroomfacilities.Studentsshouldusetheirchecklisttomakesuretheyhaveallthecomponentsbeforebeginningworkonthecomputer.Studentsshouldalsocompletestoryboardsoftheirpresentation.
Thepresentationwillbescoredmoreonthedesignandwrite-upoftheexperimentthantheresearchstationandplatform.SeethestudentexampleforTreetopExplorers.Seealsothecorrespondingrubricandscoringguide.Anoptionalformatforthepresentationisinjournalform,wherestudentswriteinjournalformatabouttheirstayintherainforest.Thiscanbeusedastheculminatingactivityfortheunit.
OptionalCulminatingProject:BigBucksElectricCompanywouldliketobuildamajorroadwaythroughtheVeryFragileRainyForestareainBrazil.WriteapersuasivepaperonwhyorwhynotBigBucksshouldbeallowedtobuildtheroad.
ApproximateTimeNeeded:(Example:45minutes,4hours,1year,etc.) 4to8weeks
Note:Becausethisisanintegratedunit,itcanbetaughtinathematicblock. PrerequisiteSkills: FamiliaritywithMSPublisher,MSPowerPoint,MSWord,InternetExplorer,Encarta MaterialsandResourcesRequiredForUnit Technology-Hardware:(Clickboxesofallequipmentneeded) Camera
Computer(s)
DigitalCamera
DVDPlayer
InternetConnection LaserDisk
Printer
ProjectionSystem
Scanner
Television VCR
VideoCamera
VideoConferencingEquip.
Other: Technology-Software:(Clickboxesofallsoftwareneeded) Database/Spreadsheet
DesktopPublishing
E-mailSoftware
EncyclopediaonCD-ROM ImageProcessing
InternetWebBrowser
Multimedia
WebPageDevelopment
WordProcessing
Other: PrintedMaterials: Drawingpaper
Pencils–drawingandcolored Supplies: Studentswillneedtousesuppliesfromhometocreatetheirinsects. InternetResources: http://www.mysteries-megasite.com/main/bigsearch/rain-1.html
http://passporttoknowledge.com/rainforest/main.html
http://www.biopark.org/Plants-Amazon.html
http://www.pbs.org/tal/costa_rica/rainfacts.html
http://kids.osd.wednet.edu/Marshall/homepage/tropical.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/rainforest/ Others: NatureScope’sRainForests:TropicalTreasuresNationalWildlifeFederation1989
RainForestIntermediateThematicUnit,TeacherCreatedMaterials,Inc.TCM-674
TheRainforestThemeUnit,InstructionalFair,Inc.,GrandRapids,MIIF8856
AccommodationsforDifferentiatedInstruction ResourceStudent: PairResourcestudentsupwithotherstudentswhenworkingonthemultimediaprojectsandothertasks.Orhaveresourcestudent’sworkasagroupontheprojectswiththeiraideifapplicable.
GiftedStudent: HavethemhelpyoufindandbookmarkappropriaterainforestWebsites.
Allowthemtomaketheirpublicationswithoutthetemplates,theycandesigntheirown.
Actastechnologyassistantsthroughouttheprojects,aswellascompletingtheirownprojects.
Giftedstudentscanalsomakemoreindepthbrochures,addmorepagestotheirnewsletter,ormoreslidestotheirPowerPointpresentation.
Pairupyourgiftedstudentswithyourresourceroomstudents.
ESLStudents:StudentswhospeakandunderstandminimalEnglishcanbepairedwithastudentwhospeaksbothEnglishandSpanishifpossible. StudentAssessment: Studentswillbeassessedtraditionallyforthewrittenassignmentsandactivities.Forthecomputerapplicationprojectstheirpeersandtheteacherusingscoringguidesandrubricswillassessstudents.Inaddition,theWebpagesincludearesponseformforfeedbackfromtheInternetcommunity.ThepersuasivepaperwillbeassessedusingtheBurlington-EdisonSchoolDistrict’swritingassessment.Seecorrespondingevaluationtools. KeyWordSearch: rainforest,canopy,research,experiment,scientificmethod,insect,animals,observation,flower,emergentlayer,understory,forestfloor,bat,hummingbird
Intel?TeachtotheFuturewithsupportfromMicrosoft ?2000IntelCorporation.AllRightsReserved. 1
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