The Eighth Wonder of the World

Title: The Eight Wonder of the World

Essential Questions: How do physical settings and geographical forms affect living things; survival in their environment and habitats?

Learning Context: This experience fits in with the Language Arts, Social Studies and Math-Science-Technology curriculum.

Learning Standards:

ELA-Standard #1: Language for Information and Understanding-Students will read, write, and speak for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Benchmark #1: Listening and Reading-Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas; discovering relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and using knowledge from oral, written, and electronic sources.

SS-Standard #1: Geography-Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live-local, national, and global-including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth's surface.

Benchmark #1-Geography can be divided into six essential elements which can be used to analyze important historic, geographic, economic, and environmental questions and issues. These six elements include: the world in spatial terms, places, and regions, physical settings (including natural resources), human systems, environment and society, and the use of geography.

MST-Standard #1: Information Systems: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Benchmark #1: Information technology is used to retrieve, process, and communicate information and as a tool to enhance learning.

Procedure:

1. The students will need to know;

1. How to use an encyclopedia
2. Use the index informational books-other than encyclopedia/atlas
3. Use search engines on the Internet
4. Have prior note taking skills
5. Knowledge of paragraph writing

During the students study of various continents, we discussed and other geological features peculiar to that country or continent studied. Early on in the year, students were shown how to take notes and outline by teacher modeling. Also they were given work independently to do regarding notetaking, outlining, and writing paragraphs. This work was reviewed, students were conference with, and work revised each time.

Subject area-non-fiction, periodicals, and encyclopedias were provided by the teacher and media center. Also students were able to retrieve information from the Internet.

I asked students to recall various "Wonders of the World", we have discussed in our previous studies. Then I asked, what they thought the 8^th Wonder of the World might be in Australia. I provided hints, sea sheets, pictures of various sea animals, and last of all pieces of Coral. Once students had guessed, I showed them a picture book of the Coral Reef.

The students were given a list of Coral Reef animals. Each student was to select an animal of his or her choice to research. Research materials, (books, CD-ROM encyclopedia, tradebooks), were provided including the Internet.

The students were asked to describe the animal's physical appearance, eating habits, sleeping habits, way of protecting itself, and any other interesting facts.

Once notes were taken they were to create an outline based on their notes, and finally write a paper. This paper was to have an introduction sentence, a well constructed paragraph, and a good conclusion.

All work was to be done independently.

*Rubrics were given before hand so students knew how they were to be assessed.

Instructional/Environmental Modifications:

The physical structure of the room was changed. Desks were grouped together to form research areas. Various materials were used in each area (i.e. non-fiction books, encyclopedias). Students may go to center to center and can share materials at various centers.

Any students who have learning disabilities would be assisted by the teacher or another student. A good reader might be able to read some information to one who needed help.

IEP's would be followed.

Time Required:

Planning-Varies depending on how much material you have on hand-or if you have to go the Library or use the Internet to get sites.

Time Required-2 to 4 (40 minutes) sessions

Resources:

No unique resources are required

Assessment Plan:

Assessment-correcting by the teacher upon students completion of this activity. Paper will be graded and teacher will conference with students to review the work.

Rubric:

Student Work:

The students' work I selected reflected the acceptable ranges of the rubric. There were no papers that were unacceptable.

Reflection:

This was given at the end of the year to see if the students achieved the necessary skills needed to enter fourth grade. I found that the students enjoyed this learning experience. They stated that it was fun and educational.

I was pleased to see that the students have mastered the skills satisfactorily with very little direction or assistance and expressed pride in their final product. The students chose to read their papers to the class and enjoyed answering questions that their classmates posed about the animal they chose to research.

Next year I will ask a marine biologist from a local college to speak to the class about the Coral Reef.