Grade Level: 2-5 grade
Created by:
Team Purple Moose
Kelly Saber:
Erik Johnson:
Heather Chinavare:
Beth Lewis:
Michigan Curriculum Framework References:
MCF I, CS1, E2: Generate questions about the world based on observations
MCF V, CS1, E6: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
MCF IV, CS2, E3: Constructing simple objects that fulfill a purpose
MCF II, CS1, E3: Describe ways in which technology is used in everyday life
MCF I, CS1, E5: Develop strategies and skills for information gathering
MCF III, CS2, E1: Compare and classify organisms based on observation
MCF III, CS5, E3: Describe basic requirements for living things (food, habitat, etc)
MCF IV, CS1, E4: Identify different forms of energy
MCF V, CS1, E1: Describe major features of the Earth’s surface, including rivers.
MCF I, CS1, E1: Students will generate questions based on observations.
MCF III, CS2, E1: Students will be able to classify living things.
MCF IV, CS4, E1: Describing motion of wheeled objects.
MCF IV, CS3, E2: Forces
MCF V, CS2, E2: Precipitation
MCF IV, CS 1, M1: Measure physical properties of objects or substances.
MCF IV, CS 1, E2: Measure weight, dimensions, and temperatures of appropriate objects and materials.
Table of Contents
Lesson Order / Lesson Title / Overview of Activities / Science Area and Type of Lesson1 / Mammal Mania / Discover mammal characteristics through observations of real animals. / Life
Centers
2 / Leap Frog / Students learn about frogs by observing real frogs and dissect frogs using computer software / Life Science
Technology/stations
3 / Under the Sea / Discover how aquatic creatures breath by observing live animals / Life
Stations
4 / Just Around the Riverbend / Six stations that demonstrate different aspects of rivers and how the environment affects them and they affect the environment / Earth
Stations
5 / Got Energy? / Discover how power plants create energy by creating their own power plants. / Physical
Technology
6 / Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head / Students learn about precipitation by creating a water cycle and a barometer / Earth
Technology
7 / R-Cubed / Discover what pollution is and its effect on the earth, as well as ways to prevent. / Earth
Children’s book
8 / Let’s Race / Students discover the effect of speed, distance, and time on velocity by racing cars down various ramps, and creating rollercoasters. / Physical
Technology
9 / A Trip Through the Tunnel / Students discover how tunnels work by creating their own, and testing under various conditions. / Physical
Technology
10 / Curious George Discovers Detroit’s Salt Mines / Students learn about salt through observations and hands on activites. / Earth
Stations
11 / Curious George’s Lunch / Students discover the digestive system through stations. / Life
Stations
12 / Play Ball / Discover how wind effects how far a person can throw a ball by throwing a ball under various conditions / Physical
Children’s book
Unit Plan Planning Guide
Curious George Goes to Detroit
- There will be many changes to the environment of the classroom during our unit. We will section off parts of the wall with each topic from our lessons. There will be pictures and various items in that section that pertain to the topic and more will be added as that lesson is covered. For example, on the lessons where Curious George goes to Comerica Park, we will have Tiger’s gear set on a table, along with many posters and pictures of the stadium and team. There will also be information about forces, since that is the main topic of the Comerica Park lesson.
- The introductory activity for our unit will take about two hours out of the day. The teacher will dress up as the man with the yellow hat and bring in a stuffed animal of Curious George. The teacher will then proceed to explain what the new unit theme is and will read a Curious George book about George’s paper route. At the end of the book there is an activity on how to make a paper hat so the students will make a newspaper hat, which will then become their “discovery hat”. They can then where them whenever they are doing explore activities. Finally, the students will watch the Curious George movie and take note of the hands on museum at the end because it will pertain to the unit later on.
- The closing activity for the unit will have the students making their own hands on museum in the classroom. In partners, the students will be responsible for a specific topic/exhibit that was covered during the unit. They will become experts on their topic and create and exhibit reviewing what they learned. The classes will then go through each station and see what their classmates did. After the class goes through, other classrooms will be invited to go through the museum and students can teach others about what they learned.
- The summative assessment for the unit will have the students creating their own Curious George book reflecting upon everything they have learned during the unit. It will follow Curious George as he travels through Detroit and stops at all the different places that each lesson covered. The book will include at least one page on each topic that was covered and pictures on every page. A rubric will be provided.
- Here is a list of other resources we found that can pertain to our lessons:
Museum Rubric
Exhibit focuses on type of science assigned / 5 pointsExhibit information is correct and shows understanding of topic / 20 points
Exhibit allows students to explore the topic through hands on activities. / 20 points
Students’ explanation of exhibit is correct and helpful to other students. / 10 points
Total / 55 points
Summative Assessment (Curious George book) Rubric
Colorful/creative / 5 pointsKnowledge of Earth Science demonstrated
Each lesson worth 5 points / 20 points
Knowledge of Life Science demonstrated
Each lesson worth 5 points / 20 points
Knowledge of Physical Science demonstrated
Each Lesson worth 5 points / 20 points
Curious George is included in each topic / 5 points
Total / 70 points
Name: Kelly Saber
Contact Information:
Type of Lesson: Centers/Stations
Lesson Title: Mammal ManiaGrade level: Grade 4
Materials:
The Lion King movie, TQPDAC, animals (hamster, goldfish, rabbit, turtle, mouse, snake, chinchilla, gecko, ferret, parakeet), photographs and random facts of animals, paper, markers, pencils, research materials (computer, internet access, library books, posters, magazines, any other research materials in the classroom), T-Chart worksheets, crayons, googly eyes, feathers, yarn, toilet paper rolls, cardboard, glue, tape, construction paper, etc, rubrics
References:
-The Lion King movie
-
Science Process Skills:
-Observing, classifying, communicating, inferring, interpreting data, constructing models, questioning
MCF and Science Topic:
-MCF I, CS1, E5: Develop strategies and skills for information gathering
-MCF III, CS2, E1: Compare and classify organisms based on observation
-MCF III, CS5, E3: Describe basic requirements for living things (food, habitat, etc)
Lesson Objective:
-The learner will be able to compare and contrast mammals versus other animals
-The learner will be able to describe the characteristics of a mammal
Key Question:
What are mammals?
Common Misconceptions:
-Only large land mammals are animals
-Behavior and habitat are criteria for classification
Set up Prior to Lesson:
-Lion King video
-Have all the animals for the explore activity out and ready
-Make copies of the TQPDAC, the rubrics, and the T-charts
-Have the supplies out for each center
-Center 1: Paper and markers
-Center 2 and 3: Computers on, research materials laid out
-Center 4: All materials such as markers, glue, scissors, cardboard, etc laid out
Task / Description / Theories/MethodsEngage
Activity / -Curious George wants to go to the Detroit Zoo to see lots of different animals. However, Curious George would really like to see some animals that are most like himself.
-To get the students engaged in the topic of mammals, they will watch a video clip from the beginning of The Lion King.
-The students will observe the circle of life and all the different animals that are shown
-What animals did you see?
-Do you know what type of animals those were? Ex: mammals, reptiles, amphibians, etc
Key Question: What are mammals? / -Choice Theory: The students are having fun and being entertained
-Multiple Intelligences Theory: Involves the visual intelligence and the musical intelligence
-Theory of Higher Order Thinking:
Students are using higher level thinking when discussing the movie- recalling, analyzing, describing, categorizing
Exploring
Activity / In small groups, students will compare and contrast various mammals with other types of animals to try and discover what characteristics make up a mammal.
-TQPDAC
Animals used will be:
- Hamster vs. Goldfish
- Rabbit vs. Turtle
- Mouse vs. Snake
- Chinchilla vs. Gecko
- Ferret vs. Parakeet
-What do they look like?
-What color are they?
-What is their habitat like?
-How many legs do they have?
-Do they have hair?
-What do their teeth look like?
-Tables will also contain photographs of the animals for students to look at, along with some random facts about the animals, but nothing that gives information away. / -Guided Inquiry: There are questions given to help guide students thinking
-Constructivism: Students are figuring out answers on their own through observations and discovery
-Cooperative Learning: Students are working together in a small group
Processing Activity / Notes for ALL 4 centers:
-Students will be traveling in the same group of 4-5 students for all centers
-If it starts getting too loud, they will get an “X” on the board. If they get 3 “X”s, they will lose a privilege for the day.
-Each center will be timed with a small kitchen timer (25 min each). When the timer goes off, students will know that they have 5 minutes to clean up. When they are done, they will raise their hands so the teacher knows everything is clean, and then everyone will switch at the same time.
-If students finish early, they may clean up their area and go to a place in the room that will be set up with various books and magazines about mammals. They may read until it is time to switch.
-Centers will be set up in different corners of the room. This way none of the groups will disturb each other
-If students don’t finish one of the centers, they will take it home for homework and turn it in the next day of class.
Center 1:
Each student will make a colorful drawing of a mammal
-Rubric will be provided
-They will clearly label all of the characteristics that make up a mammal
Ex: They have hair, give live birth, have different sized teeth, etc. / -Multiple Intelligences Theory: Involves the intrapersonal intelligence and visual/spatial intelligence
-Brain Research Theories: One way students learn best is by writing things down
-Choice Theory: Students have the freedom to draw whatever mammal they would like to
Further Investigation / Center 2:
In groups of 4-5, students will research the habitat of various mammals
-They will look at wildlife habitats vs. zoo habitats
-Materials that will be used for research are the internet, library books, posters, magazines, and any other research materials in the classroom
-They will write down their findings on a T-Chart/pre-made worksheet
Center 3:
In groups of 4-5, students will research the food eaten by various mammals
-They will look at food eaten in the wild vs. food eaten in the zoo
-Materials that will be used for research are the internet, library books, posters, magazines, and any other research materials in the classroom
-They will write down their findings on a T-Chart/pre-made worksheet / -Theory of Higher Order Thinking: Students are using higher thinking skills when researching and writing down their findings
- Cooperative Learning: Working together as a small group to do research
-Inquiry: Students are asking questions and trying to find the answer through research
Applications / Center 4:
Each student will create their own creature
-Rubric will be provided
-They can use any materials available to them such as crayons, markers, googly eyes, feathers, yarn, toilet paper rolls, cardboard, glue, tape, construction paper, etc
-Students must tell if it is a mammal or not. They must then explain why it is, or isn’t, using everything they have learned about mammals during their exploration activity / -Brain Based Research: Students learn best when doing hands-on activities
-Choice Theory: Students have the freedom to make what they want, they are having fun
-Multiple Intelligences Theory: Uses kinesthetic intelligence and intrapersonal intelligence
Assessment / -TQPDAC, drawing with labels, 2 T-Charts, creature with description / Multiple Intelligences Theory: Interpersonal, intrapersonal, visual/spatial
Handouts and Visual Aids / -Clip from the Lion King, all animals used to compare and contrast, TQPDAC, 2 T-Charts, 2 rubrics
What are Mammals?
Think First!: What do you know about mammals?
Question: What characteristics make up a mammal?
Procedure:
- Teacher will split the class up into groups of 3-4 students
- Students will go from table to table observing the different animals set up
- Students will take notes on the characteristics they observe in the animals and they will compare and contrast them
Data:
Hamster vs. Goldfish
Rabbit vs. Turtle
Mouse vs. Snake
Chinchilla vs. Gecko
Ferret vs. Parakeet
Analysis:
What characteristics did these animals have?
Hamster / Goldfish / Rabbit / Turtle / Mouse / Snake / Chinchilla / Gecko / Ferret / ParakeetColor
Legs
Hair
Teeth
What was similar/different about the mammals?
What was similar/different about the non-mammals?
Conclusion:
Answer the original question
We have explored many different types of mammals and their characteristics.
Create a colorful drawing of a mammal of your choice. Then label all the characteristics that make that animal a mammal. You must label at least 3 mammal characteristics for full credit. The rubric is listed below.
Example:
Grading Rubric for Mammal Drawing
-At least 3 major mammal characteristics displayed10 Points______
-Mammal characteristics correctly labeled10 Points______
-Neatness/Colorfulness 5 Points______
Total Score25 Points______
You have already learned what characteristics make up a mammal, but you don’t know what type of habitats mammals live in.
At this center, you will research the habitats of various mammals. You will compare and contrast wildlife habitats vs. zoo habitats by using the T-chart provided. The materials that you will be using for research are the internet, library books, posters, magazines, and the various other resources laid out on the table. Write down your findings on the worksheet to gain credit for this center.
You have already learned what characteristics make up a mammal, but you don’t know what type of food mammals eat.
At this center, you will research the food eaten by various mammals. You will compare and contrast the food eaten by wildlife mammals vs. mammals that live in the zoo by using the T-chart provided. The materials that you will be using for research are the internet, library books, posters, magazines, and the various other resources laid out on the table. Write down your findings on the worksheet to gain credit for this center.
At this center, you will create your own creature!
You may use any of the materials that are on the table to make your creature. Be creative when putting it together. Once your creature is made, you must write a paragraph stating whether or not your creature would be considered a mammal. You must also provide 3 supporting reasons as to why it would or would not be considered a mammal. The rubric is listed below.
Grading Rubric for Creature
-States whether creature is a mammal or not5 Points______
-Provides at least 3 accurate supporting reasons as
to why it is a mammal or not 15 Points______
-Creativity3 Points______
-Neatness2 Points______
Total Score 25 Points______
Grading Rubric for Mammal Drawing
-At least 3 major mammal characteristics displayed10 Points______
-Mammal characteristics correctly labeled10 Points______
-Neatness/Colorfulness 5 Points______
Total Score25 Points______
Grading Rubric for Creature
-States whether creature is a mammal or not5 Points______
-Provides at least 3 accurate supporting reasons as
to why it is a mammal or not 15 Points______
-Creativity3 Points______
-Neatness2 Points______
Total Score 25 Points______
Mammal Habitats
Wildlife Habitat / Zoo HabitatOther interesting facts about mammal habitats:
Mammal Food
Food eaten in the wild / Food eaten in the zooOther interesting facts about what mammals eat:
Name: Beth Lewis
Type of Lesson: skimpy
Contact Information:
Lesson Title: Leap Frog!
Grade Level: 2-5
Materials: Computers with Froguts CD-Rom, several different species of frogs in tanks, some aspects of natural habitats, TQPDACs, paper, crayons, marker, scissors, etc.
References: Froguts CD-Rom
Science Skills: Observing, communicating, questioning
MCF and Science Topic:
MCFIII, CS2, E1 Students will be able to classify living things.
MCFI, CS1. E5. Students will learn how to gather information.