Unit on Endangered Animals
· Unit Topic: Endangered Animals
· Grade Level 1st and 2nd
· Unit Objectives:
Students will demonstrate their ability to:
1. Define/recognize new vocabulary related to endangered species.
2. Identify geographical regions on world map where endangered animals are found.
3. Use the internet to find information about endangered species.
4. Illustrate the animals in their environment.
5. Explore why animals are becoming endangered.
6. Reflect upon and discuss what they have learned about endangered species.
7. Participate in fun learning activities.
· Day 1:
v Objectives:
1. Introduce the topic endangered species – front load information
2. Define and recognize new vocabulary
3. Access prior knowledge – What do you know about endangered animals?
4. Identify geographical regions on the world map where endangered animals are found
5. Use the internet to find information about endangered animals
v Materials:
1. Chart paper and easel
2. Markers
3. Vocabulary list
4. List of endangered species
5. Index cards with letters
6. Index cards with names of animals
7. World map
8. Zoo trip permission slips and cost information for parents
v Plan:
Front load information with a word splash. Use chart paper on easel. Write the words endangered species in the center of the chart paper. Volunteer students will come to the chart and write a word they associate with the topic. Present the vocabulary list for the unit. Do word study activity with index cards. Teach students to decode new words by recognizing initial, middle and ending sounds. Students will locate natural habitats of endangered species on the map. They will place an index card with the name of the animal in the area they identify.
v Activity:
Think, Pair and Share – Students will choose an animal from our list on endangered species and explore web site http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html to gather information. Then I will ask them to stop and think about information they learned. Then I will invite them to turn to a student seated next to them to share their thoughts and ideas. Next I will invite them to share a good idea that they have heard with the rest of the class.
o Assignment:
Take zoo trip permission slips home and return them tomorrow with money for the trip.
· Day 2:
v Objectives:
1. Identify endangered animals from the
story “Hey Get Off Our Train”
2. Choose an endangered animal to illustrate in that animal’s environment
v Materials:
1. Copy of “Hey! Get Off Our Train!” by John Burningham
2. Trade Books: Endangered Animals (ISBN# 0-516-01724-1), Will We Miss Them? (ISBN# 0-88106-488-2)
3. Conductor hat
4. Train whistle
5. Flip chart
v Plan:
Begin with an anticipatory set by wearing the conductor’s hat and blow the train whistle. Tell the class to “come aboard the reading rug,” while showing the students the book “Hey! Get Off Our Train!” Ask them to predict what they think the book is about based on the cover. Tell them you want them to listen carefully. You will be asking them what animals the story is about. Also, you will be asking them what the author is trying to tell the readers. Read the book aloud. Have the class join in on the pages that say: “Hey! Get Off Our Train.” After reading, ask the class if they could name one of the animals in the story, then ask the class why the animal wanted to come aboard the train. What did this animal say to the boy that persuaded him to let them on the train? List the animal and reason on a flip chart. Repeat for five animals in the book.
Animal / ReasonElephant / People are coming to cut off his tusks
Seal / People are making his water dirty and catching too many fish
Crane / People are draining the marshes and he can’t live on dry land
Tiger / People are cutting down the forest where he lives
Polar Bear / People want his fur to make a coat
Children will then explore the classroom research center to begin deciding which animal they would like to write about and illustrate. They will have access to the internet as well as various books. Also collect zoo trip permission slips and money.
v Websites Related to Endangered Species
1. http://www.teachertidbytes.com/Web_Lesson_Plans/A_Hotlist_on_Endangered_An.html
2. http://www.imagineanimals.com/
3. http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html
v Books Related to Endangered Species
1. Endangered Animals, Lynn Stone ISBN# 0-516-01724-1
2. Will We Miss Them? , Alexandra Wright ISBN# 0-88106-482-2
3. Alejandro’s Gift, Richard Albert ISBN# 0-8118-1342-8
4. Welcome to the Green House, Jane Yolen ISBN# 0-399-2233-5
5. The Great Kapok Tree, Lynne Cherry ISBN# 0-15-200520-x
6. Sally and the Limpet, Simon James ISBN# 0-74-45207207
7. Dear Green Peace, Simon James ISBN# 0-74-4530601
8. The Paper Bag Prince, Colin Thompson ISBN# 0-09-9933209
9. Yohance and the Dinosaurs, Alexis Obi ISBN# 1-87-0516346
10. The Night the Animals Fought, Jesus
Zanton ISBN# 0-94-7679871
11. The People Who Hugged Trees,
Deborah Rose ISBN# 0-91-1797807
12. Save Our Playground, Leon Rosselson
ISBN# 0-00-6748503
13. Forest Secrets, Arthur Dorros ISBN# 0-
439-06394-9
14. Brother Eagle, Sister Sky, Chief Seattle
ISBN# 0-14-054514
· Day 3:
v Objectives:
1. Students will compare and contrast using a Venn diagram the book, “Hey! Get Off Our Train!” and the film “The Animal Train”.
2. Students will finalize the selected animal to research and represent them on the animal train posters
3. Students will create an illustration of the animal of choice in its environment and write a piece of information they found in research at the bottom of the poster.
v Materials:
1. Film “The Animal Train”
2. Flip chart for Venn diagram
3. Train tickets
4. Train whistle and hat
5. More internet sites for research at
research center
http://www.amnh.org/Exhibition/Expedition/E ndangered/ http://www.Endangeredspecie.com/
http://www.kidskonnect.com/Animals/Endangered%20Animals.html
6. Books Related to Endangered Species
v Plan:
Anticipatory set – blow train whistle and announce to the children that they will soon be boarding the reading rug. They must have a ticket to ride. Have one child wear the conductor’s hat and give all students a ticket. When all of the children have “boarded the rug” they will look at the cover of the film jacket and predict what the film is about. After watching the film, the children will develop a Venn diagram by comparing the book “Hey! Get Off Our Train!” read the previous day and the film. They will then be instructed to finalize their selection of an animal to research. The students will use the books and internet sites listed from Day 2 to research their endangered animal and its environment. Then they will choose a fact and write a rough draft sentence about the animal. They will then edit and publish the sentence either by hand or on the computer (with aid). They will illustrate the animal of choice in the habitat that they live. The sentence will then be attached to the illustration and it will become a car attached to the train on the bulletin board to be shared with other classes.
· Day 4:
v Objectives:
1. Summarize our endangered species unit
2. Do hands-on activities that the zoo offers encouraging further examination of what we have learned
v Materials:
1. Chaperones
Ø Zoo requires 1 chaperone to every 10 students
2. Confirm buses
Ø Bus drivers receive free Zoo admission
3. Zoo tickets
4. Set up chaperone groups and buddy lists
5. Give out name tags
6. Bag lunches
7. Digital camera
8. Zoo journals
v Trip to the Philadelphia Zoo, http://www.phillyzoo.org. Buses leave the school at 8:15 AM. Take children to Independence School House lesson at the zoo – “Going, going, gone!” – A close look at the alarming reality of why wildlife is disappearing from the face of the Earth. Groups break up and explore zoo. Take class photos and well as individual photos to be posted on the classroom/school web pages for parents and relatives to enjoy. Upon return to school, children will sit with their group and write about the animals they saw and what they enjoyed about the trip in their zoo journals.
· Day 5:
v Objectives:
1. Have students think about and discuss what they have learned about endangered species
v Materials:
1. Zoo journals
2. Flip chart
3. Markers
4. “Hey Get Off Our Train”
5. Conductor hat and whistle
6. Charades slips with names or pictures of endangered species
v Plan:
Each group will take turns while wearing conductor hat and share their zoo journals with the other groups. We will discuss which animals we saw at the zoo that were also in our book, “Hey Get Off Our Train.” Reflections – students discuss what we learned about endangered species using a web organizer.
v Activity:
Species Charades – Each child will pull a slip of paper from the conductor’s hat and they will mimic the behavior of the animal on the slip of paper. The other children will guess which animal they are portraying.
· Additional Hotlinked Reference Sites:
http://www.cheetahspot.com/
http://www.eelink.net/EndSpp/
http://www.kidinfo.com/Science/Endangered_animals.html
http://www.endangeredearth.com/
GROUP MEMBERS: Jill Schrader, Allison Beard, Shelly Zager