Introduction | Task | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conculsion

 

Link to Endangered Species

 

PROCESS

 

 

Concepts:

 

1.  Animals are important to our environment, and we should save them.

 

2.  Several factors contribute to reducing the population of these animals.

 

3.  The actions of humans can restore the populations and remove them from the endangered lists.

 

4.  Government, business, and individuals make the decisions, and we can influence them. 

 

 

     Class, we will embark on a two-week journey to answer these questions.  Every day, we will add more to our knowledge and to our wall.  You can see that our room already looks very different than it did last Friday.  We will continue to add to the decor with new materials as we delve deeper into this topic! 

 

        We will be reading the book Watership Down throughout the entire two week unit.  You will have an assigned number of pages on the board every day for homework.  We will discuss the reading as it relates to habitat loss and other species survival issues at the beginning or end of each class period.  We will also enjoy the book together by delving into the characters and plot as the story unfolds. 

 

 

Day 1        

 

• Reading Material:  We are going to go over the chapter on Biodiversity in our science textbook, pp. 496-513.  Textwalk:  We will briefly discuss pictures, captions, vocabulary, and the organization of the textbook.

 

• Vocabulary: You will receive a vocabulary list, and you can click to the Vocabulary link. Watch and listen for vocabulary words as we review the chapter and discuss the topic. These words are necessary to understanding the subject, and they will reappear throughout your webQuest. Notice how they are related. Link to Vocabulary list.

 

• Homework:  Your assignment tonight will be to thoroughly read the chapter we explored. Also, bring in your own and a friend's email address for use in an upcoming activity.

 

• Movie:  We will watch the first half of the movie Over the Hedge.  Pay attention to the subject, loss of habitat, in the movie as you will write about it tomorrow for homework.

 

                                       

 

Day 2

 

• Groupings:  I will be putting you all in pairs and small groups to complete the following graphic organizer  

 

• Graphic Organizer:  Link to Graphic Organizer.  This graphic organizer will help you summarize the chapter and pull out the key points. 

 

• Discussion:  When you are through, we will discuss the chapter as a class and create a minimum of five sentences to put on this chart paper.  The chart paper will go on our wall as a chapter summary. 

 

• Movie:  The last half of the class period will be spent finishing the movie we started yesterday, Over the Hedge. 

 

• Homework:  Your assignment tonight will be to summarize key points from the movie relating to habitat loss. 

 

                                    Day 3                           

 

• As a Class:  We will click on the following link and read the red and white questions.  Link to Endangered Species Act of 1973.
   
   
• In Groups:  Click on the link above and read the first two paragraphs to the passenger pigeon picture.

 

• Vocabulary Work:  See how many words you know the meaning of and can write the definitions for.  Link to Vocabulary list.

 

• Dictionary:  Use the Dictionary of Nature to make your own glossary.

 

• Word Wall:  I will occasionally choose groups to grab a 5" by 7" card with a word already on it, off of our word wall for you to fill out.  Tape it back on the wall once you write the definition on it.

 

Day 4   

 

• Lecture:  Discuss concept questions again.  Discuss animal project.  Each student will be choosing two animals to research. 

 

• Readings:  When you are in Group 2, you will get to choose books from our new classroom library.  You will have 45 minutes to spend in each group.

 

Group 1

 

• Small Groups:  In your teacher made groups, click on the following link and explore the site. Link to Enature
   
   
• Quiz:  Take this online quiz and print the results.  Link to enature quiz 
   
• Flashcards:  Find something you didn't know about two animals.  Write it down.  Link to enature flashcards
   
• E-Card:  Print an e-card you type for a classmate and the teacher with the information you wrote down about two animals.  If you brought your email and a friend's email address you may email the card.  Link to enature e-card

 

Group 2

 

• Reading:  Choose from the new books available in our classroom.  The topic of each has something to do with animals or our environment.

                           Day 5             

 

• Class Activity:  Scroll through the remainder of the article after the pigeon picture and discuss how to summarize.  Link to Endangered Species Act of 1973.
   
• Group 1:  Fill out the following outline while reading through the article in your teacher-made groups.  Link to Outline. 

 

• Group 2:  Choose from the new books available in our classroom.  The topic of each has something to do with animals or our environment.

 

Days 6-8

 

• Explorers:  You will have time to explore each animal site on your own!  You will narrow your animals down to 2 and learn as much as you can about those two animals. 
   
• Sharers:  Choose one or more of the following graphic organizers to help you collect information on the animals, and compare and contrast your two animals.  You will also share what you have learned with others in the class.  
   
• Readers:  You will continue to read and add to your information with our class library.

 

Explorers

 

• Click on the following links to learn as much as you can about the animals. 
   

Polar Bear

 

Grizzly Bear

 

Gray Wolf

 

Bald Eagle

 

Bat

 

Florida Manatee

 

 

• Print and begin to fill out the graphic organizer(s) that you chose. 

 

Venn Diagram

T Chart

Wheel

Cluster

 

Also explore these links. 

 

• This takes you directly to Bald Eagle information, but you can search for other animals in the "Choose a Fact Sheet" scroll bar on the right. Link to Defenders of Wildlife
  Link to Fish & Wildlife Service Kidspage
  Link to Kids Planet
  Link to Adopt an Animal

 

• Use the information you have compiled and organized on your graphic organizer(s) to write a report discussing your findings.

 

Sharers

 

• I will rotate you off the computer in 30 minutes to share with the others who have been working on the computer.

 

• You may add other classmates information to your graphic organizer(s) or other note-taking device (notebook).

 

 

Readers

 

• I will rotate you out of the sharing group in 30 minutes.
   
• You will continue to explore the classroom library. 

 

• You may add information you find in books to your graphic organizers/notebooks as well.

 

             Days 9 and 10                

 

 

• E-card- Send another e-card about your animal, or print a card to send to a lawmaker or other influential person. Include more facts and be more persuasive. Print a copy for me.

 

 

• In teacher-assigned pairs or groups, choose an activity you would like to do together. All projects will be shared with the class in an informal presentation or discussion session.

 

Activity 1- Letter to the President

 

• Read proposal and draft a letter to the President.
   
• Read the Endangered Species Act of 2007.  Link to Endangered Species Act of 2007 
   
• Click on the last link on page FY 2008, President's Budget.
   
• Read the President's proposal and write a letter to him responding to his plan to cut the budget for saving wildlife.

 

Activity 2 - Take Action through Defenders of Wildlife

 

• Explore your options and choose one action. Write a summary of your action, or submit a copy of any persuasive letter you sent.  Link to Defenders of Wildlife Action Page

 

Activity 3 - Library of Congress Research

 

• Link to Library of Congress
  Under "Search Bill Text" enter "Endangered Species Act"

  Choose a Bill/Act to explore.

   
• Click on Bill summary and status. Suggested acts to investigate:
   

  1 . Endangered Species Reform Act of 2007 (Introduced in Senate)   S.658.IS

   

  2 . Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2007 (Introduced in House) H.R.1422.IH

   

  3 . Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2007 (Introduced in Senate) S.700.IS

   

  4 . Habitat and Land Conservation Act of 2007 (Placed on Calendar in Senate) S.223.PCS

   

   

  Whereas the bald eagle was designated as the national emblem of the United States on June 20, 1782, by our country's Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress; (Introduced in House) H.RES.341.IH

   

• What does it do?
   
• Would it be (is it) effective/helpful?
   
• What is its status?
   
• What have you learned about Congress from tracking this Bill/Act?

 

• Write a summary of what you have discovered.