| LU Title: Virtual Zoo | Author(s): Josephine Skiff |
| Grade Level: Three | School : Lisbon Central School |
| Topic/Subject Area: Computer Application | Address: 6866 County Route 10, Lisbon, NY 13669 |
| Email: lcs@northweb.com | Phone/Fax:315-393-4951/315-394-1029 |
OVERVIEW
This unit is designed to teach the students the process used in creating a Kid Pix 2/Slideshow presentation to simulate an exhibit as typically seen at the zoo. Students will use resources, both electronic and traditional, to investigate characteristics of a selected animal. Students will create a slide show to convey that information to their families as they visit the Virtual Zoo. This requires the creation of several slides in the painting program Kid Pix 2. Each slide can then have up to 30 seconds of audio recorded using the record sound command in Kid Pix2. The slides are then placed in order with transitions and sounds for the final presentation in the presentation program Slide Show (a companion program to Kid Pix 2 from Broderbund.)
CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
Declarative
Identify an animal's proper name and any commonly used nicknames.
Classify the animal in the animal kingdom.
Locate and record the sound that animal makes.
Create a food web including the animal's predators and prey.
Identify physical characteristics that help identify this animal.
Describe any unique characteristics that ensure survival.
Locate area of the world where this animal lives.
Name the biome in which the animal is found.
Describe the animal's habitat.
Identify the animal’s status in the wild.
Describe the arrival of offspring including how long is gestation or incubation and how many offspring arrive.
Create a script of four paragraphs. Each paragraph consisting full sentences that describe the collected information.
Create a slide show to clearly convey the information collected.
Procedural
How to access information using CD-ROMs and books.
How to use a graphic organizer to record information.
How to capture graphics and import them into Kid Pix 2.
How to record sounds with Kid Pix 2.
How to self evaluate oral recording.
How to create a presentation in Slide Show.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
When you visit the zoo, what kind of information do you see at each exhibit about the animal in that place? How is it presented? How can similar information be organized and presented as a virtual zoo?
CONNECTIONS TO NYS LEARNING STANDARDS
List Standard # and Key Idea #: Write out related Performance Indicator(s)
or Benchmark(s)
English Language Arts Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply and transmit information.
Technology Standard 2: Information Systems
Students will access, generate, process and transfer information using appropriate technologies.
INITIATING ACTIVITY
Introduce the students to the concept of a virtual zoo through discovery using the CD-ROM, The San Diego Zoo presents The Animals! Allow time for exploration.
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
In chronological order including acquisition experiences and
extending/refining
experiences for all stated declarative and procedural knowledge.
Through brainstorming, the students will create a list of the information they have seen included either at a real zoo or at the exhibits on the San Diego Zoo CD. As a class, similar ideas are grouped together to create a concept map relating the kinds of information the students feel are important to include.
The students are provided with a blank concept map that the teacher created using the computer program Inspiration. They use the Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia CD-ROM to research the animal of their choice.
The students save a copy of their animal's picture into their network folder, print the text for future reference and determine presence of a sample sound.
The students then read the encyclopedia text and place information on a graphic organizer. Further research with additional sources may be necessary.
Each branch of the graphic organizer will become a slide in their animal's exhibit.
The students use saved graphics from the encyclopedia and other sources to create the slides in Kid Pix 2 illustrating the results of their research. Four slides are prepared by each student, one slide per class period:
Slide 1 - Name and physical description
The students create a picture in Kid Pix 2 by opening the saved picture of the animal from the network folder, cleaning up unwanted portions, adding the animal’s name using the type text command. The slide is then saved as slide 1 in the student’s network folder.
Slide 2 - Where in the world, Habitat and Status in the Wild
Using the information recorded on the graphic organizer, the students use the encyclopedia CD to find the location on a world map where their animal lives. The students transfer the location to a paper copy of the world map. They then open a template of the world map in Kid Pix 2 and use stamps or the pencil tool to indicate the places in the world where this animal makes it’s home.
Slide 3 - Role in food web
The students use the information on their graphic organizer to create a three-item food chain including their animal, an animal that is its enemy, and something that their animal eats.
Slide 4 — Offspring
The students create a slide illustrating a typical setting for their animal and the number of babies typically present.
Once all slides are created, the students use their notes on the graphic organizer to write a four-paragraph script that includes all the information collected related to each slide. The first paragraph is to include all information collected about the animal's physical appearance. The second paragraph describes the animal's home, habitat, and location in the world. The third paragraph will cover the role in the food chain. The fourth paragraph will describe the how the offspring arrives (alive or in an egg), how many arrive, and after how long.
The students then record themselves orally explaining each slide using the record sound command in Kid Pix 2. Once that is complete, the students then use Slide Show organize their slides and add transitions.
The students create invitations for their families to come and visit our virtual zoo in the computer lab.
CULMINATING PERFORMANCE
Include rubric(s)
Invention Rubric
|
Category |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Completion of Graphic Organizer |
Organizer completed with all parts complete and accurate. |
Organizer completed with all parts complete but some inaccurate information |
Organizer partially completed with accurate information. |
Organizer partially complete with inaccurate information. |
|
Quality of Individual Slides |
Text and pictures creative, informative and appropriate for all four slides. |
Close, but not quite there as far as creative or informative or appropriate text or pictures. |
Has some information or pictures that are appropriate, but could use much more. |
Needs major information added or has no pictures. |
|
Quality of individual oral recording |
Recording is clear, fluent, and grammatically correct. |
Minimal mistakes that do not interfere with communication |
Mistakes start to interfere with communication |
Too many mistakes that interfere with product |
|
Production of Slide Show |
All slides are linked correctly and transitions are present for all. |
All slides are linked correctly but some transitions are missing. |
Slides and/or transitions are missing. |
Little or no attempt made to link slides in slideshow |
Scores of 14-16 receive the grade excellent.
Scores of 8-13 receive the grade satisfactory.
Scores below 8 receive the grade unsatisfactory.
Note: The classes I teach are more focused on the mastering of skills using the computer. Although the scale indicates the possibility of receiving scores below 8, I am very adamant that all the basic requirements be fulfilled before the product is graded. More time may be necessary for some students to reach that goal.
PRE-REQUISITE SKILLS
Familiarities with using an electronic encyclopedia and with the drawing tools available in Kid Pix 2 are helpful.
MODIFICATIONS
Teacher assistance may be provided as information is gathered if necessary.
UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN
This project required nine 42-minute class periods in the computer lab. Time required per student varied as ability varied and teacher was available to assist.
TECHNOLOGY USE
The use of technology is a central focus of all my classes because I teach computer skills to elementary students. As part of this project the students will use a painting and presentation program, a CD-ROM encyclopedia, and a word processor. They will also have their first experience using the computer to record their voices.
TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES:
Kid Pix 2 and Slide Show software (now available are The New Kid Pix (3.5" floppy) or Kid Pix Studio Deluxe(CD)) from Broderbund Software, Inc. (www.broderbund.com/education/programs/kidpix/)
Inspiration software from Inspiration Software, Inc. (www.inspiration.com)
ClarisWorks v.4.0 software for word processing (Any word processor will do)
Grolier's 1996 Multimedia Encyclopedia CD-ROM Software from Grolier Incorporated (Any encyclopedia will do)
The San Diego Zoo presents The Animals! CD-ROM Software from Mindscape (an older software title available in some software catalogs and through reseller's on the internet)
Funk and Wagnall's Wildlife Encyclopedia vol. 1-22 (A classroom set I have for students to use when the library is unavailable. Any appropriate resource could be used.)
Other various research books available in the classroom and library.
The software descriptions are available at the indicated websites. Comparison shopping with other vendors (both online and in software catalogs) is recommended for the best price.