You Got a Job at the Zoo!!!
Teresita Bradley
ESL
Introduction
Wow!! Your county has decided to open up a zoo in your area and you have been hired to help develop its educational program for school children as well as to decide on what animals to include in the zoo. Good luck!!
Tasks
Red Team Member You are in charge of creating a paragraph to educate kindergarteners and first graders about a particular group of animals. See your evaluation
Blue Team Member You are responsible for creating an essay to instruct fourth and fifth graders about a particular group of animals. See your evaluation
Red Team Member + Blue Team Member Together you will create a photo slide using photo story to show pictures of animals that belong to your category and you would like to include in your zoo exhibition. See your evaluation
Red Team Member + Blue Team Member Don't forget to complete the chart including the main characteristics of your group of animals to be handed out to students as they enter the zoo! See your evaluation
Red Team Member + Blue Team Member Together you will be asked to present the information learned about your group of animals and main characteristics in front of your coworkers for final approval See your evaluation
Red Team Member + Blue Team Member You will be asked to take notes and complete the attached chart based on the information presented by your coworkers See your evaluation
Process
- Your teacher will assign you a partner
- With your partner select the group of animals you would like to investigate (mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, insects). Click on the animals to find your information.
- Collect information and complete the chart indicating the characteristics of your group of animals (where they live, how do they reproduce, how do they breathe, cold/warm blooded, etc
- Red Team Member Using the four square model you will collect information to create a paragraph about your group of animals
- Blue Team Member Using the four square model you will collect information to create an essay about your group of animals
- Red Team Member Write a paragraph to be included in the zoo’s brochure
- Blue Team Member Write an essay to be included in the zoo’s brochure
- As a team collect at least 10 pictures of animals to represent your group and display them in Photo Story. You must include at least one endangered animal for your group
- Present information to coworkers for approval (you can use your chart and four square model notes)
- Take notes on your individual chart about the other groups of animals presented by your coworkers
- As a whole group you will select the animals that will be included in your zoo
Evaluation
Rubrics showed above
Conclusion:
After completing this project you would have learned a lot about the different groups of animals. Hope you keep searching in the near future for other groups of animals to include in your zoo!
Teacher Notes
New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
Standard 5.5 (Characteristics of Life)
All students will gain an understanding of teh structure, characteristics, and basic needs of organisms and will investigate the diversity of life.
1. Develop a simple classification scheme for grouping organisms.
Standard 8.1 (Computer and information literacy)
All students will use computer application to gather and organize information and solve problems
English Language Proficiency Standards
Listening
Students will be able to aurally comprehend spoken English in both social and school setting.
3.4.4.A.1 listen actively for a variety of purposes (e.g., enjoyment and obtaining information).
Speaking
Students will be able to speak English in both a social and school setting.
3.3.2.D.3 Talk about a given topic.
Reading
Students will be able to read (decode and comprehend) texts for recreational and academic purposes.
3.1.3.G.11 Participate in creative responses to texts (e.g., role-play, oral presentations).
Writing
Students will be able to write for personal and academic purposes.
3.2.1.A.2 Observe and reproduce teacher-modeled writing.
3.2.3.A.3 Use graphic organizers to assist with planning writing.
3.2.4.B.6 Write sentences of varying lengths and complexity, using specific nouns, verbs, and descriptive words such as adjectives and adverbs.
3.2.4.C.4,5 Use capitalization and punctuation correctly in sentences