Lesson topic/Title: LET'S GO TO THE ZOO

Author: Laura Bazant

Introduction: This lesson is for average 4^th and 5^th graders who have an understanding of animals and how to use a computer.

Content Area(s) and grade Level: science, language arts and technology and is for 4^th and 5^th graders

4.4.1 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of the characteristics of living

things.

4.6.1 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of technological design.

4.7.4 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of how science and technology

helps communities resolve problems.

Objectives: Students will be able to:

• Use available links to sort needed information for their assignment
• Be able to use all gathered information to create their own advertisement for the zoo

Materials/Technologies:

Paper

Ability to go on a field trip to the zoo

Video Camera or Digital Camera

.

Explanation: I chose this activity because it uses the use of a Web Quest and it gets the students to decipher what information is really needed. I also like that after they do all of their given assignment over the zoo, they are given a chance to visit it and see what they have learned about.

Lesson topic/Title: Plants and Animals

Author: Laura Bazant

Introduction: This activity is for the average student who can maneuver around the Internet. The student also needs to be able to sort information out by watching an Internet movie

This activity is for 4^th and 5^th grade and uses science and technology

NCTM Standards:

In grades K-4, the mathematics curriculum should include experiences with data analysis and probability so those students can--

• collect, organize, and describe data;
• construct, read, and interpret displays of data;
• formulate and solve problems that involve collecting and analyzing data;
• Explore concepts of chance.

Nebraska Standards:

4.5.1 By the end of fourth grade, students will collect, organize, represent, and interpret numerical and categorical data and clearly communicate the findings

National Educational Technology Standards:

3. Technology Productivity Tools

• Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote learning

• Students will be able to get into BrainPop.com and bring up the 5 kingdoms on the Internet.
• Students will understand the vocabulary that goes along with the 5 Kingdoms,

The students will be shown examples of monera and protista and explained to that they will be watching a video on the different 5 kingdoms.

The teacher needs to have ready the screen so that the movie will be shown on one screen, she also needs to have copies of the activity sheet ready.

1. We will go to the computer lab and have them get to Brainpop.com
2. Click on ScienceMovies
3. Go to 5 kingdoms
4. As a group the movie will be shown on the screen
5. After the movie on the computers they should click on play quiz, where they will answer the quiz questions and work on their activity sheet.
6. After the quiz and activity sheet are done the answers should be answered as a group

The students will go over the video and will in a group be shown different examples of the five kingdoms and asked to identify them.

The teacher will be able to assess the students by their answers on their activity sheet.

I choose this activity because I think it is important for children to be able to receive exposure to different learning types. By watching an entertaining movie they are becoming interested and having to use their activity sheet to correspond the information together.

Author: Laura Bazant

Introduction: This lesson is for the average 4^th or 5^th grade student who is being taught about the cycles of nature. They need to have a good understanding of science.

Content Area(s) and grade Level: 4th and 5th

Integrated Disciplines: Language, Science, Art, and technology

• To develop Language skills
• To learn about balance in nature, using the life cycle of the butterfly as an example

• THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLER
• Toilet-paper tube
• Tongue depressor or ice cream stick
• Heavy paper
• 6" piece of pipe cleaner, folded in half
• Markers or crayons
• Scissors and glue
• Poem CATERPILLER by Lillian Vabada
• Computer and access to the following website

The students will first sit on the floor and read THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR and discuss the changes of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

1. Read and discuss THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLER by Eric Carle
2. Go over the changes of a caterpillar into a butterfly

1. Listen and digest what the teacher is saying
2. Go to the computer lab and go to the above website, then click on butterfly and look at the scale of the butterfly
3. Read the information about the butterfly wing and discuss it with neighbor
4. Next, make butterfly puppets based on what they learned on website
5. Cut out and color butterfly from heavy paper. Use any colors but make both have looked the same. Put a small hole at the top of the butterfly's head
6. Color the toilet paper tube to look like a chrysalis
7. Take a piece of pipe cleaner and shape it like the letter V. Put one point through the little hole in the butterfly's head and twist it to look like antennae. Butterflies use these feelers to learn about their environment
8. Glue the butterfly to one end of the tongue depressor. Let the glue dry
9. Curl the butterflies wings and slide them into the chrysalis
10. Read the poem CATERPILLER by Lillian Vabada

CATERPILLER

Fuzzy, wuzzy, creepy crawly

Caterpillar funny

You will be a butterfly

When the days are sunny.

Wiggling, flinging, dancing, springing

Butterfly so yellow,

You were once a caterpillar,

Wriggly, wiggly, fellow

By, Lillian Vabada

Closure: The lesson will end with every student using his or her butterfly to act out the poem

Assessment: The will discuss the stages of the butterfly to see if they understand them

Explanation: I chose this lesson because the butterfly scale is very neat to look at and it is very important to know the stages of nature, and all children love butterflies.

References:

Where do butterflies come from?

Caterpillars to butterflies

Content Area(s) and grade Level: 4^th and 5^th grade

4.6.1 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of technological design.

4.7.4 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of how science and technology

helps communities resolve problems.

Integrated Disciplines: Science, Art, and technology

The student will be able to follow instructions given and play the frog game

Students will be able to follow simple origami from instructions and make their own frog.

• Origami paper
• Computer with internet access
• Origami frog sheet

Spring Board: The students will see a live frog and let it jump around in its cage

What teacher is to do: The teacher needs to have the following origami frogs sheet printed out and provide origami paper for the students. The teacher will also first go over the game with the students.

This activity is to go along with a frog unit

1. The student needs to read the following instructions and then go to the following address

The goal of the Jumping Frog game is to accumulate as many "frog lives" as possible. This is done by eating as many flies as you can (without

getting too heavy) and by jumping in to the pond (to avoid predators). The more flies you eat and the more predators you evade, the more frog

lives you get, as shown in the frog lives box:

When you see a fly buzzing in front of you, you can eat the fly by clicking on it when it is nearby (that is, within

Tongue's reach). If at first you miss the fly, you can keep clicking until you get it (but not after it flies over your head). When you catch it, you

Will hear a slurping sound.

Some frogs (such as desert frogs) can go for long periods of time without water. However, most frogs (especially pond frogs) need a lot of

Water to survive.

The way to accumulate frog lives is by jumping into the pond.

However, you need to have enough energy stored in your muscles, as depicted by the "Force-O-meter".

You can jump by simply pressing the jump button.

Careful though! In order to jump into the pond, you have to make sure you have enough energy stored to generate enough force to reach the

Pond. If you miss the pond, you will splat onto the ground, and will most surely be eaten by a predator. To make

Sure you jump into the pond, you have to set your jump angle correctly so that your jump trajectory will end up in the pond. You can set your

Jump angle using the angle dial.

If you set the angle too shallow (near zero), your jump will short and not very high. Likewise, if you set your angle too steep (near 90 degrees),

Your jump will be high, but not very long. You will have to experiment with the jump angle to find out what is the appropriate setting for the

Amount of force you have stored up (as shown in the "Force-O-meter").

2. After the game is played students will make origami frogs by following the given sheet.

Closure: The students will be able to have races with their frogs and show off how they did them.

Assessment: The score on the games and how well the frog is made will prove as an assessment.

Explanation: This lesson was picked because I think that frogs can provide a lot of information. By letting children act and play games like frogs they can get a better understanding of them.

Lesson topic/Title: OWLS

Author: Laura Bazant

Introduction: this lesson is for average students

Content Area(s) and grade Level: grades 4^th and 5th

4.2.1 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop the abilities needed to do scientific inquiry.

4.3.1 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of the characteristics of objects

and materials. 4.4.1 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of the characteristics of living

things. 4.4.2 By the end of fourth grade, students will develop an understanding of the life cycles of living things.

Objectives:

• To further students understanding of a simple chain
• Have a better understanding of the interdependency of all living things in an ecological system
• Reconstruct a rodent
• Have a better understanding of bone structure

Materials/Technologies:

• Owl pellets from:

Project Wild

PO Box 59

Portland, OR 97207

• Tagboard, cut into 12"squares
• Toothpicks or dissecting tools.
• Glue
• Health text book showing different bones of the body
• OWL by Rebecca Stenfoff

Spring Board:

The teacher needs to have plenty of owl pellets for the class and have the owl book

Divide the students into small groups of three or four. Give each

Group an owl pellet. (Precaution--it's a good idea to have frozen

The owl pellets prior to the activity.)

Students can then take apart the owl pellet being careful to

Separate all the tiny bones from the fur. It's useful at this

Point to have a health textbook available with pictures of the

Various bones.

Once all the bones are separated the students can then start

Reconstructing their rodent onto the tagboard.

Closure:

Upon completion of this activity students

Can observe the different rodent's owls have consumed. A

Comparison can be made to which group had the most complete

Skeleton. These tagboards of animal skeletons make a very

Interesting display.

Assessment: The assembled tagboard will be the assessment for this project

Explanation: The use of showing owls and then actually having the students dissects the owl a pellet is a lot of fun and it really shows how the owls function in their life.