Subject: Sciences- Life Science
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Estimated Time: 1-2 Days
Lesson Topic: Environment, weather/climate, seasonal changes
Title: Living Things and Their Environment
Learning Goals/Objectives:
•To interpret everything in an environment as connected
•To recognized the difference in climate and strategies for survival in harsh climate
•To distinguish survival strategies such as hibernation etc
• To determine adaption and changes in climate for living things including self
Technology that you are going to use and rationale
•Smart Board technology
•Computers/Internet
•Experiment Tools: 2 large bowls filled with Ice, Cooking Shortening, Large Plastic Sandwich Bag, Thin Plastic Gloves, Rubber Band
A scenario of how students use the technology in the lesson:
Students will use the internet before results are recorded/assessment portion of the lesson. After students have learned that living things within an ecosystem must find ways to secure food and water. They must avoid several dangers such as being eaten by using strategies to survive such as camouflage ad mimicry. They will adapt to survive harsh climates and seasonal changes.
Students will read along digital copies on smartboard and print copies of:
1)What Color Is Camouflage? By Carolyn B. Otto (HarperCollins Juvenile Books, 1996)
2)Why do Bears Sleep All Winter?: A Book about Hibernation by Mary Englar.
We will then explore Kids National Geographic and view a few videos online:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/nat-geo-wild/shows-1/expedition-wild/ngc-built-to-survive.html
Depicting different strategies on how animals adapt to various environmental conditions.
Post activity and final results to classroom blog. Additional Activities: Students will complete a science experiment titled “Keeping Warm”.
How student learning will be assessed:
Students will complete a “Record Sheet” of based on their experiment results. The record sheet they will answer different questions that assess them on the learning objectives and complete the sheet by drawing. We will post everyone’s results on a classroom poster board.
Our end result is to determine that some animals that live in cold environments such as sea lions, bears, wolves, etc. Students will be able to tell their group partners why and how animals adapt. Example: Whales have a layer of blubber/fat due adapt to cold climate.
Students will also be able to discuss on strategies we must follow during the winter. In example, we wear coats, gloves, hats to keep warm. Our parents might use a fireplace or a heater. Students will be able to discuss in their circles why we must wear these types of clothing. What happens to us if we don’t wear appropriate clothing (ex: we contract illnesses). Students must make a correlation on how all living things adapt to the environment including us!
Possible Extension: On a bulletin board, create a food chain using pictures and yarn. Begin with the sun which leads to a green plant, which also leads to a plant-eating animal, a meat-eater, a scavenger, a decomposer, and then another new plant growing from the soil
Classroom to Home Extension: Send suggestions home to parents on possible articles online they can explore with their children. Also encourage parents to take their children to their local library to ‘explore’ books on this topic with a few suggestions on titles.
VOCABULARY INTEGRATION: Camouflage, Environment, Mimicry
READING CORRELATION: Books mentioned above by Englar and Otto
Great post. It is amazing that technology can be incorporated at all grade levels.
ReplyDeleteThere are many hands on activities in the lesson. You need to have interactive activities with small children. It is neat to see that you can use technology at all levels. I see that you also included vocabulary and this is a big part of language developments. Good work.
ReplyDeleteNice way to get the parents involved in their childs' education. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt is great to see that kindergarten children are being taught to be digital natives at such a young age. I guess it is never to early to teach children how to effectively use technology. The world is being driven more and more by technology every day. It is important to prime our students to be able to compete in the real world. This project is indubitably "planting the seed" for future endeavors.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting and fun for the students. I had the opportunity to work with students at this age level and it's amazing how excited they get with activities such as this one.
ReplyDelete