TeacherWeb

Mrs. Novak's G/T Zone
Home   | General Information  | Mrs. Novak  | Contact  | Important Dates  | Is It a Cheetah?  | Projects  | Schedule  | LINKS  | Grade 1  | Grade 2/3  | Grade 4  | Grade 5  | General Information. 

Top Divider

  

Grade 1

 Unit of Study #1 - Texas Performance Standards Project
Animal Nation
 
Students will study different animals to learn about their basic needs and ecosystems in which they live. Students will choose an animal to observe, describe, and research, determining its basic needs and how they are met. Students will then discuss different outcomes for their animals if their needs are not met (e.g., become extinct, adapt). Their learning will culminate in an “animal report” in which they will predict their animals’ future if their needs are not met and present their predictions to the class.
THE ANIMAL INVENTOR
 
In this project, students demonstrate what they know
about animals by applying their knowledge to invent new animals. Students
act
as zoological advisers who create imaginary animals for a science fiction
movie. In the script, scientists have discovered a mysterious planet in our
solar system - one with a climate and geology just like Earth's. Because the
sun is always directly between Earth and this planet, nobady has ever known
of its existence. Explorers discover the planet and encounter its animal
inhabitants.

The movie's director has asked zoological experts to create animals for the
movie. She's asked that the new animals belong to the same classes as Earth
animals but be different from any creature found on our planet. In other
words, the new planet has mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, crustaceans,
and
arachnids -  but they are like no animals ever seen!
THINKING SKILLS
Students will be introduced to pictorial or symbolic analogies. In this way,
young students can practice the same logical thinking skills that are
usually
introduced in verbal analogies. This thinking exercises are aimed at
developing visual discrimination and critical thinking skills necessary in
all areas of learning. The essence of the activities is the observation of
relationships and the application of pattern. The activities provide both
challenges and opportunities for success.  Students are required to visually
determine a relationship between two pictures and use that relationship to
solve the corresponding problem.  These visual analogies give students the
opportunity to practice the following critical thinking skills required for
problem solving in real world. Logical thinking, analyzing, classifying,
perceiving patterns and relationships, creative thinking. 
http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm - Optical Illusion

Bottom Divider
TeacherWeb
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 15, 2009
©2010 TeacherWeb, Inc.