| I used to think... | But now I know... |
|---|---|
To download printer-ready figure (above) in Word format
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
(1 Day)
Encourage students to share what they may already know about Antarctica and then read
aloud pp. 6-11 of The Poles (Stonehouse, 2001). Use the foldout poster to encourage discussion
and promote questioning about the birds and mammals that are pictured. Record questions on
chart paper.
After the discussion, have students locate Antarctica on a flat map and then on a globe. (You may want to discuss why the landform looks different on the two maps.) Then have students click on http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/Antarctica/ to view Antarctica from space. Have the students describe the shape and then try to sketch the landform from memory. Compare the sketch to the map and make revisions to improve accuracy.
(2 Day)
Return to the questions charted on day 1 and read aloud pp.12-15 of The Poles (Stonehouse, 2001).
Check-off questions as they are answered and record new ones as they occur in discussion.
Referring to the "Key to the Fold-Out" found on pp. 20-21, have the children pair-up to quiz themselves, seeing how many creatures they can identify.
(3 Day)
Print copies of the first four paragraphs of text found on
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/Antarctica/Animalprintouts.shtml. This will be the
children's reading material. Depending on the reading skill level of the group, either read
the text together, in pairs or individually. Discuss comprehension questions such as
At appropriate times over the next days, provide students with opportunities to investigate the additional information and the links on land and sea animals found by scrolling down at http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/Antarctica/Animalprintouts.shtml. The children will also enjoy sharing the jokes and riddles found at http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/Antarctica/.
(4 Day)
Investigate "Glacier Basics" by following the procedure and links found at
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-3834.html.
Instead of evaluating with a written paragraph, children can report conclusions
orally and the teacher can record them on a chart for future reference.
(5 Day)
Begin a study of penguins by reading aloud The Emperor Lays an Egg (Guiberson, 2001).
Discuss the fact that from the time an egg is laid, until it hatches, penguin parents share
in the care and nurturing of their chick. Then provide other books and articles on penguins,
inviting the children to choose one or more to read with a partner. Some suitable titles
are: Penguin Chick (Tatham, 2002) available in paperback; Penguins (Raatma, 2001);
Life Cycles: The Emperor Penguin (Noonan, 2003). Grade appropriate text can also be reproduced
from
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/printouts/Penguincoloring.shtml.
After reading, suggest that a good strategy to keep track of new information is to organize it in a chart. Distribute copies of a graphic organizer where students can reflect on how their thinking is changing as the study progresses. Label the columns:
| I used to think... | But now I know... |
|---|---|
Have children work in pairs to complete the graphic. This will ensure that they discuss their
thinking and review the information they read together. At the end of the lesson, children can
share their entries in groups of four or six.
(6 Day)
(7 Day)
Encourage children to begin keeping science journals of their own. If possible, distribute notebooks to each child for that purpose. Allow class time several times a week for students to share their entries and sketches.
(8 Day)
Ask students to speculate about what might happen if it became so warm that the ice in the Arctic
and Antarctic melted. Ask them to jot some ideas in their notebooks and share their thoughts with
a partner.
Then conduct the demonstration found at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/world/meltingice.html. Have children revise or confirm their predictions based on the demonstration.
(9 Day)
(10 Day)
By visiting http://www.kinderstart.com/frame_for_links.php?redirect=http://www.glacier.rice.edu&id=17759&query=antarctica
and clicking on "News From the Field," students can read the journals of three teachers
currently studying in Antarctica. The journals are loaded with images and they are simply written for young scientists. Students can read entries independently, or the teacher can read them aloud to the class. Discuss how the scientists proceed with their work, including
the challenges and surprises that are part of their investigations.
Begin reading aloud Meredith Hooper's Antarctic Journal: The Hidden World of Antarctica's Animals (2000). This book was written while the author spent the summer at Palmer Station. It will take several days to complete this book, as it is dense with facts and information.
Note the careful, detailed drawing that accompanies the text.
Remind students that more than 99 percent of Antarctica is covered with ice and that it contains about 70 percent of the world's fresh water. Also remind them that the global climate seems to be warming. (More background information is available at http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/antarctica%20environment/whats%20it%20like%20in%20Antarctica.htm.
As an assessment tool, have the students create a classroom mural of Antarctica. In the mural, they should include the birds and animals that are part of the environment, as well as the humans and their activities. The mural can be illustrated with drawings or with pictures cut out from nature magazines. Students should label all illustrations and, depending on the ability of the group, write scientifically accurate captions to accompany their artwork.
To wrap-up, allow time for the class to talk about the aspects of the project that they found most exciting or challenging. Also invite students to share their contribution to the classroom mural.
Classmates might ask questions or add additional information to each presentation.
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
Use the rubric below to assess students' proficiency with the unit activities. Evaluate whether
students' skills are improving or where they need additional support or instruction.
Scoring
|
| Name | Score |
| Understands major concepts and ideas presented | ............... |
| Uses pictorial information (maps, drawings, photos)
to enhance understanding |
|
| Comprehends texts read aloud | |
| Independently reads appropriate texts
(both online and hard copy) to developknowledge |
|
| Participates in discussions and activities | |
| Records information (graphics, sketches, notes, journal) | |
| SUBTOTAL | |
| Divide subtotal by 6 to get Overall Score |
|
Science
National Research Council of the National Academy of Science
|
|
|
|
Social Studies
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
|
|
Technology
Technology Foundation Standards for Students:
|
|
Guiberson, B. (2001). The emperor lays an egg. New York: Holt.
Hooper, M. (2000). Antarctic journal: The hidden worlds of antarctica's animals.
Washington, DC: National Geographic.
Noonan, D. (2003). Life cycles: The emperor penguin. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House.
Raatma, L. (2001). First reports: Penguins. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books.
Stonehouse, B. (2001). The poles: Explore the natural world of the antarctic and
arctic regions. New York: Crabtree Publishering Company.
Tatham, B. (2002). Penguin chick. New York: Harper Collins.
