Aquarius Lesson Plan
Focus / Aquarius Underwater Habitat Blog and PictureGrade Level / 5th Grade Language Arts
Focus Question / What did/will we see underwater while at Aquarius?
Learning Objectives: / NC Common Core Standards This Meets:
5.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
5.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
5.W.7 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
5.V.2 Apply creative and critical thinking skills to artistic expression.
Write a narrative of an imaginary experience and tell of what they saw and experienced; they will also be able to visualize their experience by drawing and coloring it.
Materials / Computer Lab, Construction Paper, Markers, Glitter, Crayons, Glue, Scissors
Audio/Visual Materials / Computer- I will show the youtube video of Aquarius, Students will need to be in a computer lab or have lap tops
Teaching Time / approximately 5 minutes to show the youtube video, 10 minutes to explain activity, the rest of the time, I will be a facilitator
Seat Arrangement / Any
Maximum Number of Students / 35
Key Words / Aquarius, Blog, Picture
Background Information (Prior Knowledge) / The Aquarius Video on Youtube will explain
Opening Activity / We will get started with this activity by watching the youtube video on Aquarius then I will explain the activity we are about to do.
(12-15 minutes)
Learning Procedure ( Activity) / After we watch the video, I will explain the activity which consists of two parts:
A) For part A, we will be in a computer lab. The students will write a blog as if they were an Aquanaut (This will need to be four paragraphs long); the first paragraph will be about what they will bring with them to go underwater, the second paragraph will be about what they see in the submarine, the third paragraph will be about what they see underwater outside of the submarine, and the fourth paragraph will require them to do a little research; they will have to research and tell about the history of the Aquarius underwater facility and they will have to give the location and tell what it is near. After we have written our blog and research paragraph, we will print them and put them on blue construction paper. (50-60 minutes)
B) For part B, we will return to the classroom and incorporate artwork into our activity; the students will draw create a piece of artwork that represents what they saw underwater- they can draw the actual Aquarius submarine or they can draw some of the underwater sea creatures they saw (50-60 minutes)
**The two of these activities can be split up into two days, or they can be done in the same day**
Connections to Other Subjects / The students will be connecting this to science (marine biology) by telling what kind of life they saw underwater. They will be connecting this to history and geography by giving a brief explanation of Aquarius and its location. They will also be connecting this to the arts because they will get to draw or create artwork that shows what they “saw” underwater.
Closing Activity and Assignment / We will wrap up our lesson by letting the students share either their blog or their artwork (their choice).
Assessment / How will you verify that students have accomplished your objectives and met the standards (your assessment)?Attach assessments and rubrics to be used in this lesson.
When the students share their stories and pictures, I will be able to tell if they grasped a solid understanding of Atlantis by the amount of detail they provide. If they complete all parts of the writing portion, they will meet the three language arts standards and if they complete the drawing portion, they will have met the visual arts standard.
Other Links and Resources / http://aquarius.uncw.edu/live/
-We will watch the Aquarius Exterior and Helmet Cam videos
and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwy0hU6nb-M