Declarative

• concept that we can learn by observing nature
• identify resources to help locate info on a specific topic: people, places, internet
• life cycles of the butterfly, the frog, the bird, the cat and the horse
• stages of growth and development during the life cycle
• role of the life-cycle in perpetuating the living environment

Procedural

• using a graphic organzier to outline learning
• generating questions using various question forms
• locating information using the library and other resources
• using information to draw conclusions and make generalizations
• observing clues
• gathering data
• recording and organizing data
• using clues and data to make predictions
• following directions

CONNECTIONS TO STANDARDS

STANDARD

KEY IDEA

INDICATORS

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design as appropriate to pose questions, seed answers and develop solutions.

• Students will develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing creative process.

• Students will test proposed explanations using conventional techniques and procedures.

• Students will gain new insights through analysis of observations

• Ask why questions in attempt to seek greater understanding of objects and events they have observed
• Question explanations they hear or read about, seeking clarification
• Comparing explanations with their own observations and understandings
• Construct descriptions of objects or events based on their observations

• Explore phenomena through direct observation.

• Organize observations of events through classification and the preparation of simple charts and tables
• Interpret organized observations, recognizing patterns, sequences, and relationships
• Share their findings a with others
• Adjust their explanations and understandings of events based on their findings and new ideas

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical developments of ideas in science.

• Students will understand that living things are both similar to and different from each other and nonliving things

• Students will recognize that the continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development

• Describe the life processes common to all living things

• Describe the major stages in the life cycles of selected plans and animals

Students will generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

• Students will use technology to retrieve, process, and communicate information.

• Use a variety of equipment to display and communicate information.
• Access information from printed media, electronic data bases, and community resources.

Students will apply technology and skills to design, construct, use and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human environmental needs.

• Students will understand that technological tools should be selected based on availability and appropriateness

• Use appropriate graphic and electronic tools and techniques to process information

STUDENT

TEACHER

• will guess by touch what is under a blanket
• will have an opportunity to view object and continue making guesses about the object
• will discuss dinosaurs, revealing current knowledge
• will guess where the track was made
• will guess how the track was made

• will provide a plaster dinosaur track
• provide structure for the discussion and questions

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

EXPERIENCE

STUDENT

TEACHER

Experience #1

Objective: Introduce the topic of life cycles using a story about a dinosaur.

• will use observations skills to compare the track with a picture of various dinosaurs
• will draw a logical conclusion about the type of dinosaur that made the track
• will attend to a fictional story about the life of a dinosaur
• will create a flow chart of cycle chart showing the stages of the dinosaur’s life (students can work individually or in teams to draw pictures of each stage of life)

• Have a poster or pictures of various dinosaurs available
• Will ask students to compare the track with the various dinosaurs in the pictures
• Will provide opportunities for the students to identify which dinosaur might have made the track
• Will read the story about the life of a dinosaur
• Will divide up the responsibilities among the class for charting the life cycle of the dinosaur

Experience #2

Objective: Share the goal and focus of study

• Share knowledge form previous class
• Generate ideas for a KWL chart about the life cycles of…

…a cat

…a bird

…a frog

…a butterfly

…a horse

• Review the life-cycle of the dinosaur
• Introduce that the focus of study will be the life-cycle of various animals
• Guide students through the KWL activity

Experience #3

Objective: Students will be introduced to the observation process and note taking strategies.

• Describe what’s happening in the aquarium and the observation box.
• Record their first observation in their journal using one of the methods modeled by the teacher.
• Use a self-evaluation rubric to assess the content and quality of their journal entry.

• Continue to record their observations in their journal based on the schedule established by the teacher. This will continue over a 3 – 4 week period.

• Introduce students to the aquarium with the tadpoles and the observation box with the butterfly larvae.
• Explain that the students will be doing observations and taking notes about what they see.
• Model different note taking styles – draw a picture, draw a picture with a caption, use a Polaroid camera to take a picture, take a picture and add a caption.
• Indicate on a wall calendar on which days students must observe and record their observations.
• Post a checklist students can use to indicate that they’ve completed their observations on each of the observation days

Experience #4

Independent Learning Groups

Objective: Students will use the library to gather information on a specific animal

Guided Learning Groups

Students will share information with others.

• Will independently read and follow 3 to 4 simple directions instructing them to locate information on the life-cycle of a specific animal

• Can ask questions if they need help
• Go and locate information/book on their own

• Will read directions with the teacher
• Will follow a step-by-step process outlined by the teacher to locate information
• Will locate information/book with the assistance of the teacher

• Learning groups will share the information they learned about the lifecycle of a specific animal
• Information shared will be used to add to the KWL charts

• Will provide each group with a task card

• Will identify a resource person who can help students if they get stuck
• Will check for understanding before sending groups off on their own
• Will observe and assess student’s ability to independently locate information.

• Will read the directions with the students
• Will provide a model of the steps in the process of locating information
• Will accompany the students to the library and assist with the data gathering process

• Record information on KWL charts

Experience #5

Objectives:

• Use drama to express their knowledge.

• Learn to use the digital camera

• Plan and organize a short skit about the life cycle of an animal
• Present skit to other students in class
• Use digital camera to take pictures of another student during that student’s skit
• Use step-by-step directions to download pictures
• Discuss how the camera could be used as a tool in class

• Provide instructions and time for organization of skits
• Model how to use the digital camera
• Supervise each student that’s using the camera
• Model how to download pictures
• Provide step-by-step directions for students to follow

Experience #6

Objective: Use another source to gather information on the life cycle of specific animals

• Identify information in the video they already knew
• Share something new they learned from the video
• Add new information to the KWL charts

• Order videos "The Pond"; "The Lifecycle of a Frog"; "Butterflies"
• Initiate discussion
• Record new information on KWL chart

Experience #7

Objective: Use journal notes to make generalizations and draw conclusions about their observations

• Review their journals
• Identify changes they have observed in the tadpoles and the butterfly larvae
• Discuss how their observations compare to the information they’ve learned from other sources
• Write a short composition describing two changes they noticed in the tadpoles and two changes they noticed in the butterflies

• Model how to use observations to make generalizations or draw conclusions
• Use one of the student’s journals to identify a change the teacher notices
• Engage students in a discussion of the other changes that are evident in their journals
• Provide students with the writing assignment
• Use a rubric to assess their written work

Experience #8

Objective: Compare the similarities and differences between animal life cycles

• Use resources available in classroom

• Identify stages that are similar between two animal life cycles
• Identify stages that are different between two animal life cycles

• Work in collaborative pairs. Complete a Venn diagram comparing the life cycles of two animals

• Label and post Venn diagram
• Model using charts and resources to make comparisons about two different animals
• Engage students in the process of using the resources available to make comparisons

• Group students into collaborative pairs
• Provide instructions and materials
• Assist with the process when necessary.

Experience #9

Objective: Prepare students for culminating performance

• Finalize the "Learn" section of the KWL chart
• Review knowledge they have acquired
• Discuss the sequence of events in the life cycle of an animal
• Identify resources they can use to complete task

• Explain the culminating performance
• Guide them through the process of gathering and organizing their information
• Pose though provoking review questions.

CRITERIA/SCALE

COMPREHENSION

PERFORMANCE

PROBLEM-SOLVING

4

Can paraphrase the directions

Follows the directions correctly be self

Recognizes he/she made a mistake – corrects mistake be self

3

Needs help with 1 or 2 vocabulary words – can paraphrase directions

Needs 2 –3 guided questions to complete the task

Recognizes he/she made a mistake or is confused – needs 1 or 2 guided questions to correct mistake or clarify confusion

2

Needs help with 3 or more

vocabulary words

Needs guided questions to explain the steps in the task

Needs a detailed or visual step-by-step checklist with teacher intervention to complete task

Recognizes he/she made a mistake – needs 1-to-1 intervention and supervision to correct mistake

1

Needs directions read and explained

Needs direct 1-to-1 teacher intervention to complete task

Needs errors identified by teach

Requires 1-to-1 intervention and supervision to correct mistake

CRITERIA/SCALE

ORGANIZATION

USE OF DETAIL

LANGUAGE

MECHANICS

4

You did an outstanding job of planning your composition

You have a clear focus

Your composition has a beginning, middle, end

You use a lot of excellent details

You used many real life examples

You made connections to your knowledge

You used some advanced words

Your language is descriptive

You used a variety of sentences

Your composition is interesting to read

You remembered to use capital letters and periods all of the time.

You also use commas and question marks appropriately

3

You did a good job of planning you composition

You are focused through most of the composition

You attempted to organize the content

You used many good details

You have some examples from real life

You made some connections to your knowledge

Your used mostly basic words

Your used mostly simple sentences

Your composition is easy to read

You remembered to use capital letters and periods all of the time

2

Your plan is clear enough for a reader to understand the message

Your composition gets off track several times

You need to work on the organization of you thoughts

You used some details

You have very few examples from real life

You made no connections to your knowledge

You used very basic words

You used only simple sentences

Your composition is difficult to read

You remembered to use capital letters and periods appropriately most of the time

1

You need to work on your plan

Your composition is off track and confusing

Your composition is not organized

You have very few details

Your examples are not relevant

You used simple words

Some of your words are incorrect

Your sentences are incomplete

You repeat information

You used capital letters and periods appropriately only a few times

CRITERIA/SCALE

4

3

2

1

Content

Addresses all elements of the task.

Includes a lot of excellent details.

Incorporates original ideas.

Addresses most elements of the task.

Includes some details.

Addresses some basic elements of the task.

Includes very few details.

.

Addresses only a few elements of the task.

Details are minimal.

Accuracy

Life cycle stages are correct.

Correctly includes additional drawings to depict changes within each stage.

Stages are in the correct order.

Life cycle stages are correct.

Depicts only the basic stages in the life cycle of the animal.

Stages are in the correct order

Missing stages in the life cycle of the animal.

Most of the stages depicted are correct.

Some stages are out of order

Missing stages in the life cycle of the animal.

Only a few of the stages depicted are correct.

Most of the stages are out of order.

Presentation

Creative

Colorful

Grabs the readers attention

Easy to read

Writing is neat and legible

Used a variety of colors

Interesting to reader

Somewhat fluent

Writing can be read with out difficulty

Used only a few colors

Attempted to make book interesting

Difficult to read

Writing includes some cross outs, eraser marks, and words that are difficult to decode

Used no color

No attempt to grab reader’s attention

Very difficult to read

Writing includes numerous cross outs, eraser marks, and words that are difficult to decode.