Unit Outline

The unit will last three weeks and will be taught collaboratively by the classroom teacher and the library media specialist.

Students will:

Standards

Indiana's Academic Standards

Second Grade Science

2.2.5   Draw pictures and write brief descriptions that correctly portray key features of an object.

2.4.1   Observe and identify different external features of plants and animals and describe how these features help them live in different environments.

English/Language Arts

2.2.1   Use titles, tables of contents, and chapter headings to locate information in text.

2.2.2   State the purpose for reading.
Example: Compare similar stories from different cultures, such as Little Red Riding Hood and Lon Po Po (Chinese version). Read an informational text about pets to decide what kind of animal would make the best pet.

2.2.4   Ask and respond to questions to aid comprehension about important elements of informational texts.
Example: After reading a short account about the first man on the moon, ask and answer why, what if, and how questions to understand the lunar landing.

2.2.5   Restate facts and details in the text to clarify and organize ideas.
Example: Summarize information learned from a text, such as detail about ant colonies stated in Ant Cities by Arthur Dorros or reported about spider webs in Spider Magic by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent.

2.6.2   Distinguish between complete (When Tom hit the ball, he was proud.) and incomplete sentences (When Tom hit the ball)

Information Literacy Standards (AASL/AECT)

Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.

Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.

Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.

Standard 5: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.

Standard 6: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation.

Standard 8: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and practices ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology.

Standard 9: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

Day 1

Introduction - Taught by Classroom Teacher

Read picture books featuring animals with environmental adaptations, The Camel's Lament by Charles Santore and Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer. Discuss where the animals lived, and what features they had that helped them survive in their environment. Introduce the vocabulary words "adaptation" and "habitat."

Display a large color photo of an animal in its natural habitat (for example, a picture of a lion in tall grass) and lead students in brainstorming where the animal might live and what features they see that might help it survive. Discuss their ideas as a class and make a web of the ways adaptations aid survival (i.e., defense, getting food or water, regulating temperature, moving through environment, etc.)

Day 2

Step 1 (PLAN) - Taught by Classroom Teacher

Watch a short video about animal adaptations, All About Animal Adaptations.

Assign partners for project and ask them to choose an animal to research. Animals with obvious adaptations, such as those listed below, are recommended, but all animals have adaptations of some kind. Allowing time for students to browse an assortment of age-appropriate non-fiction books about animals will help them choose.

Display a poster with the three steps of the Super 3 inquiry model (Plan, Do, Review) and discuss each step briefly.

Distribute modified KWL charts to each student and explain that using what we already know is part of planning for research. Have each student fill out the "What I Know" section of the chart about his or her animal. Emphasize that it's okay if we don't know much yet, because we will find out.

Model filling out a chart on the overhead projector with the help of the students.

Day 3

Step 1 (PLAN) - Taught by Classroom Teacher

With help of students, brainstorm questions to explore. Write them on chart paper and display them in the room. At this age, students have probably not had much experience with inquiry-based research. It may be too much to ask them to construct their own essential research questions. However, instead of simply giving the students questions to answer, I would guide the students, through class discussion and brainstorming, to arrive at their "big questions" as a group. This will allow them to buy into the importance of the questions by feeling involved in their selection. I would aim for questions such as:

  1. Which features help your animal survive?
  2. Which feature do you think is the most important to your animal's survival? Why?

Day 4

Step 1 (PLAN) - Taught by Media Specialist with the assistance of the Classroom Teacher

Media specialist teaches a lesson on the parts of a book. This introduces how to use the title to determine whether the book will meet the user's needs, and how to use the table of contents and chapter headings to find information in a book. Practice on real books.

Students choose books and magazines from those selected by the teacher and media specialist. They practice their new skills as the teacher and media specialist walk around the room giving feedback and help as needed. Students use quiet reading time to conduct background reading on their animals.

Student groups choose a presentation format from a list of suggestions or develop their own, with teacher approval. The only stipulation is that presentations must describe at least three physical adaptations, see product checklist.

Suggestions:

Day 5

Step 1 (PLAN) - Taught by Media Specialist

Lesson on note-taking (see complete lesson plans in the teaching materials section)

Day 6

Step 2 (DO) - Taught by Media Specialist

Lesson on citing sources (see complete lesson plans in the teaching materials section)

Students select the best sources from their background reading and begin reading for note taking. Remind students to read for answers to the "big questions."

Day 7

Step 2 (DO) - Taught by Classroom Teacher

Students continue reading for note taking. Remind students to read for answers to the "big questions."

Provide assistance to students as they take notes and cite sources. Conference with students to assess their understanding of the research process and their progress.

As the research progresses, partners should work together to decide on the most important information, discuss any differences found between sources, and plan for their final product.

Day 8

Step 2 (DO) - Taught by Media Specialist

Media specialist models creating complete original sentences from the fact fragments by working through the chimps example with the students on the overhead projector.

Have students practice turning their fact fragments from the whale exercise into complete sentences. Return the original fact fragment papers to the students and have them write sentences underneath their fact fragments or on the back of the paper.

Day 9

Taught by Classroom Teacher

Distribute the critical and creative thinking exercise, Answering the Big Questions. Have students write about what feature the believe is most important to their animal's survival and draw a picture of what the animal would be like without it.

Day 10-12

Step 2 (DO) - Taught by Classroom Teacher with assistance from Media Specialist on technology, if needed.

Distribute product checklist to guide students through creating their product and to allow for self-assessment.

Student groups work on products.

Lesson on editing for punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

Day 13

Step 2 (DO) - Taught by Media Specialist

Media specialist teaches a lesson on creating a simple bibliography. Students turn the author, title, and page number information on their note cards into a list of sources.

Students edit written portion of final product and create a final draft.

Day 14

Step 2 (DO) - Taught by Classroom Teacher and Media Specialist

Student groups present their products to the class.

Teacher and media specialist take digital photos of the products.

Day 15

Step 3 (REVIEW) - Taught by Classroom Teacher

Students reflect on their own learning and performance and assess their partner, their classroom teacher, and the media specialist.

Students reflect by filling in what they have learned on their KWL sheets and discussing their learning experience in a conference with the classroom teacher.

Students are shown the pictures or electronic versions of their products on the class website.

Other Optional Lessons and Activities