Felines Around the World (K-2)

Project GLAD

FELINES AROUND THE WORLD (K-2)

By Jen Analla & Patricia Pate, Scott Lane Elementary School

IDEA PAGES

I. UNIT THEME – Sub-themes/content areas:

·  Introduction to habitats around the world through the study of felines

·  Cross-cultural sensitivity theme: Destruction of habitats eliminates animal species; we need to care for our world.

·  It is every person’s responsibility to take care of the Earth.

II. FOCUS/MOTIVATION

·  Inquiry chart

·  Read aloud: big book & literature

·  Poems & chants

·  Observation charts

·  Realia

·  Super Scientist Awards

·  Signal words

III. CLOSURE

·  Process charts

·  Share big books and personal explorations

·  Team task presentations

·  Class made big book

·  Student/teacher made test

IV. CONCEPTS – California State Standards

HISTORY/SOCIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS

Kindergarten

K.4.2. Distinguish between land and water on maps and globes and locate general areas referenced in historical legends and stories.

Grade One

1.2.1. Locate on maps and globes their local community, California, the United States, the seven continents, and the four oceans.

Grade Two

2.2.2. Label from memory a simple map of the North American continent, including the countries, oceans, Great Lakes, major rivers, and mountain ranges. Identify the essential map elements: title, legend, directional indicator, scale, and date.

2.3.2.Describe the ways in which groups and nations interact with one another to try to resolve problems in such areas as trade, cultural contacts, treaties, diplomacy, and military force.

SCIENCE STANDARDS

Kindergarten

K.2.a. Students know how to observe and describe similarities and differences in the appearance and behavior of plants and animals (e.g., seed-bearing plants, birds, fish, insects).

K.2.b. Students know stories sometimes give plants and animals attributes they do not really have.

K.2.c. Students know how to identify major structures of common plants and animals (e.g., stems, leaves, roots, arms, wings, legs).

K.3.a. Students know characteristics of mountains, rivers, oceans, valleys, deserts, and local land forms.

K.4.b. Describe the properties of common objects.

K.4.d. Compare and sort common objects by one physical attribute (e.g., color, shape, texture, size, weight).

K.4.3. Communicate observations orally and through drawings.

Grade One

1.2.a. Students know different plants and animals inhabit different kinds of environments and have external features that help them thrive in different kinds of places.

1.2.b. Students know both plants and animals need water, animals need food, and plants need light.

1.2.c. Students know animals eat plants or other animals for food and may also use plants or even other animals for shelter and nesting.

1.2.d. Students know how to infer what animals eat from the shapes of their teeth (e.g., sharp teeth: eats meat; flat teeth: eats plants).

1.4.a. Draw pictures that portray some features of the thing being described.

1.4.b. Record observations and data with pictures, numbers, or written statements.

1.4.c. Record observations on a bar graph.

Grade Two

2.1.e. Students know objects fall to the ground unless something holds them up.

2.1.g. Students know sound is made by vibrating objects and can be described by its pitch and volume.

2.2.a. Students know that organisms reproduce offspring of their own kind and that the offspring resemble their parents and one another.

2.2.c. Students know many characteristics of an organism are inherited from the parents. Some characteristics are caused or influenced by the environment.

2.2.d. Students know there is variation among individuals of one kind within a population.

2.4.b. Measure length, weight, temperature, and liquid volume with appropriate tools and express those measurements in standard metric system units.

2.4.c. Compare and sort common objects according to two or more physical attributes (e.g., color, shape, texture, size, weight).

2.4.d. Write or draw descriptions of a sequence of steps, events, and observations.

2.4.e. Construct bar graphs to record data, using appropriately labeled axes.

2.4.g. Follow oral instructions for a scientific investigation.

V. VOCABULARY

feline habitat desert

taiga forest grasslands

savanna carnivore retractable

prairie rainforest tropical

Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn poacher

Equator prey nocturnal

mammal adaptation conservationist

endangered solitary pride

canine environment camouflage

swamp hemisphere diet

continent species

VI. ELA/ELD STANDARDS

**Use appropriate standards that correspond to ELA standards to address the needs of the students in your classroom

VII. MATH/SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS

SOCIAL STUDIES

·  Expressing ideas orally

·  Group/partner discussions

·  Organizing

·  Comparing/contrasting

·  Map skills

·  Inferring and predicting

·  Hypothesis

SCIENCE

·  Observing properties

·  Graphing

·  Problem-solving

·  Communicating

·  Comparing/contrasting

·  Organizing, classifying, sequencing, grouping

·  Developing hypotheses

MATH

·  Graphing

·  Measurement

VIII. RESOURCES AND MATERIALS

Watching Desert Wildlife by Caroline Arnold

Wild Cats! by Diane Muldrow

Big Cats by Joyce Milton

Cougar: Lion of the Mountains by Allan Fowler

Deserts by Darlene R. Stille

Cactus Poems by Frank Asch and Ted Levin

Dentro de la selva tropical by Diane Willow and Laura Jacques

Grasslands by Darlene R. Stille

Tropical Rain Forests by Darlene R. Stille

Wildlife Explorers by International Masters Publishers

Cascade Cougar by Julian May

Tigress by Helen Cowcher

Dear Children of the Earth by Schim Schimmel

http://www.enchantedlearning.com

http://users.netropolis,net/nahury1

Lions &Tigers by Joanne Mattern

Endangered! Lions by Amanda Harman

In the Wild Lions by Claire Robinson

Tigers by Susan Schafer

Saguaro Cactus by Paul Fleisher

Endangered! Leopards by Amanda Harman

Endangered! Cheetahs by Shona Grimbly

Lions by Kevin J. Holmes

Endangered! Tigers by Amanda Hartman

The Snow Cats by Phyllis J. Perry

What Is a Biome? By Bobbie Kalman

Project GLAD

FELINES AROUND THE WORLD (K-2)

By Jen Analla & Patricia Pate, Scott Lane Elementary School

UNIT PLANNING PAGES

I. FOCUS/MOTIVATION

·  Inquiry chart- What do we know about felines? What do we want to know about felines?

·  Read aloud: big book & literature

·  Observation charts

·  Realia

·  Super Scientist Awards – felines with text

·  Golden Pen Award

·  Scientist Notebook

·  Bookmark

·  Signal words with Cognitive Content Dictionary

II. INPUT

·  Pictorial input – world map with habitats of felines

·  Pictorial input - cheetah

·  Narrative input – Tigress

·  Poetry

·  Venn Diagram – Cheetah vs. Lion

·  Exploration report –plants from different habitats

III. GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE

·  T-Graph and team points

·  Chants/poetry

·  Sentence Patterning Chart (Farmer in the Dell)

·  Picture file card sorting & classifying

·  Personal interaction

·  Mind map

·  Expert groups

·  Process grid

·  Team tasks

IV. READING/WRITING ACTIVITIES

A. TOTAL CLASS MODELING

·  Cooperative Strip Paragraph

·  Story Map

·  Found Poetry

·  Cognitive Content Dictionary/Picture Dictionary

·  Farmer in the Dell sentences

·  Flip chant

·  Strip book

·  Poetry frame

B. SMALL GROUP

·  Group Frame – ELL group

·  Cooperative Strip Paragraph – emergent readers

·  Clunkers & Links – top group

·  Ear-to-ear reading

·  Guided reading/flexible grouping

·  Expert groups

·  Team tasks

C. INDIVIDUAL

·  Learning logs

·  Interactive journals

·  Reading/Writing Choice

·  Research Center

·  Listen & sketch

·  Silent Sustained Reading

D. WRITER’S WORKSHOP

·  Mini-lesson

·  Independent writing—free choice

·  Conferencing

·  Closure/Author’s Chair

·  Publishing

V. EXTENDED ACTIVITIES FOR INTEGRATION

·  Team task presentations

·  Home/School Connection

·  Science exploration – devastation of habitats (oil spill)

·  Poster advocating for conservation of a feline/habitat

·  Visit zoo

·  Dioramas of different habitats

·  Drama

VI. CLOSURE/EVALUATION

·  Process all charts

·  Team evaluation

·  Class-made big book

·  Student writing: expository, narrative, poetry

·  Write letters to government officials advocating for conservation of felines and their habitats

·  Student/Teacher made test

·  Portfolios with rubric

Project GLAD

FELINES AROUND THE WORLD (K-2)

By Jen Analla & Patricia Pate, Scott Lane Elementary School

SAMPLE DAILY LESSON PLAN

Day 1:

FOCUS/MOTIVATION

·  Super Scientist Awards – standards

·  Observation Charts

·  Big Book – Habitats: Where Felines Prowl

·  Inquiry Charts – What do we know about felines? What do we want to know about felines?

·  Poetry – Felines Here

·  Portfolios – colored dots

INPUT

·  Poetry

·  Narrative Input – Tigress – conflicts between the needs of the tiger and the needs of man – predicting

·  10-2 lecture – primary language

·  sketch different endings in learning log

·  Strip book – total class

·  Pictorial Input – world map

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE

·  T-graph – team points

·  Picture file activities – one sentence

·  Invite teams to come up with team names/discuss issue team wants most to learn about

·  Person interaction: ending from narrative you liked best

READING/WRITING/LANGUAGE ARTS

·  Interactive journals/Teacher Models

·  Writer’s Workshop

·  Mini-lesson

·  Authentic literacy events

·  Strip book

·  Author’s chair

·  Flexible group reading

·  Guided reading

·  Team tasks

·  Team banner

·  Team name

·  Team picture

·  Team mind map

·  Team key

CLOSURE

·  Re-read inquiry chart, poetry and input charts

·  Home-school connection: Discuss Tigress with family, what do they think the tigress will do?

Day 2:

FOCUS/MOTIVATION

·  Poetry

·  Flip chant

·  Poetry booklet – ear to ear reading

·  Read aloud – Cascade Cougar

·  L1 inquiry chart

·  Review of narrative input with word cards

·  Review of world map with word cards

·  Home/School Connection – partner share

INPUT

·  Read aloud

·  Pictorial input – cheetah – 10/2 with primary language

·  Learning log

·  LEP review

·  Poetry

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE

·  Personal interaction – Who’s needs are most important, the tiger or man?

·  Farmer in the Dell – felines

·  Word cards – take to making “interesting” sentences and read

·  Flip chant

·  Exploration Report

READING/WRITING/LANGUAGE ARTS

·  Journals

·  Reading/Writing Workshop

·  Add unit theme books, pocket poetry, retelling of narrative, etc.

·  Author’s chair

·  Flexible grouping

·  Guided reading of poetry booklet

·  Team tasks

·  Team flip chant

·  Team Farmer in the Dell

·  Team sentences from Farmer in the Dell

·  Team listening center (poetry booklet on tape)

CLOSURE

·  Review charts

·  Home-School Connection – What do your parents know about felines?

Day 3:

FOCUS/MOTIVATION

·  Highlight poetry

·  Add to graphic organizer – word cards – L1 review

·  Farmer in the Dell

·  Listen and sketch – Tiger Trek

·  Phonemic awareness chant

·  Process Home/School Connection

INPUT

·  Expert groups – specific felines

·  Team tasks

·  team graphic organizer

·  team story map of narrative

·  team exploration report

·  team world map

·  team cheetah

·  Process grid

·  Group Frame or Cooperative Strip Paragraph

READING/WRITING/LANGUAGE ARTS

·  Respond, revise and edit coop strip paragraph

·  Journals

·  Reading/writing workshop

·  Flexible group reading

·  Coop strip paragraph (emergent readers)

·  Modified SQ3R (top group)

·  Team tasks

·  Team process grid

·  Pocket poetry

·  Team add to walls

·  Team mind map

·  Team cooperative strip paragraph

CLOSURE

·  Review charts

·  Home School Connection: City animal search

Day 4:

FOCUS/MOTIVATION

·  Add to process grid

·  Phonemic Awareness Chant

·  Read the Walls

INPUT

·  Venn Diagram of Lion and Cheetah

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE

·  Picture file cards

·  Strip book

·  Story Map of Narrative

READING/WRITING/LANGUAGE ARTS

·  Farmer in the Dell – trading game

·  Revise Coop Strip Paragraph - topic sentence, Editing checklist

·  Found Poetry

CLOSURE

·  Team task presentations

·  Home/School Connection: Explain endangered to your parents and give examples of endangered felines. Draw them.

Day 5:

FOCUS/MOTIVATION

·  Process inquiry charts

·  Poems

·  Process grid

·  Focused reading

·  Real aloud

INPUT

·  Letter to Greenpeace

·  How can we help?

·  Action plan

READING/WRITING/LANGUAGE ARTS

·  Letter home

·  Reading/Writing Workshop – mini-lesson on Editing Checklist

·  Cross age reading

·  Flexible groups

·  Team tasks

·  Story map

CLOSURE

·  Read Aloud – Dear Children of the Earth

·  Class made Big Book

·  Student/Teacher made test

·  Home/School Connection: Evaluation letter to parents, take home portfolio and share the contents. Parents write comments.

Habitats

Where Felines Prowl

By Patricia Pate

The important thing about felines is that they live in many habitats.

But the most important thing about felines is that they live in many habitats.

Tropical rainforests are found near the equator. There, Earth receives direct sunlight most of the year, so temperatures are always warm. The climate of tropical rainforests is also very wet. It rains almost every day. The strong sunlight and warm, wet climate provide ideal growing conditions for a variety of plants. The many plants provide excellent cover where jaguars, tigers and leopards can feed and hide its kill. The plants also act as a screen when felines stalk their prey.

Big cats live on the continent of North America, South America, Africa and Asia. From humid rainforests to dry deserts, open grasslands to rocky mountains, felines can be found roaming almost anywhere.

If you visited an East African savanna, you would surely see some leopards, cheetahs and a pride of lions. Among the tall brown grass, felines are camouflaged well by the color of their fur, as well as their rosettes. The flat open land increases their possibilities of catching their prey. Although few trees are found in the grasslands, there is plenty of grass. Herds of animals such as zebras and gazelles come to graze. This makes it an ideal habitat for these carnivores.

Bobcats and cougars can be found prowling the deserts of North America. With as little as ten inches of rainfall per year, deserts are very dry places. Although some deserts are sandy and flat, the landscape of most deserts is rocky or mountainous. During the day, temperatures can soar above 100°F! This is why many animals of the desert do their hunting at night when it is cooler.