Animal Reports

Target Grade: 2nd

Approximate time: middle of January through end of February

Unit Goals: The students will:

1. Understand the difference between fiction and nonfiction literature.
2. Be able to differentiate between fiction and nonfiction literature as well as locate and differentiate between examples of each.
3. Use the Big 3 research skills to create a report on an animal of their choosing.
4. After collecting the data (using the Big 3 approach) write a report on a selected animal.
5. Produce a descriptive product about the animal information learned.

Curriculum Goals:

Library Standards Addressed:
Standard 1—The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and
effectively.
Indicator 1. Recognizes the need for information.
Indicator 4. Identifies a variety of potential sources of information.
Indicator 5. Develops and uses successful strategies for locating information.
Standard 2—The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and
competently.
Indicator 1—Determines accuracy, relevance, and comprehensiveness.
Indicator 4—Selects information appropriate to the problem or question at hand.
Standard 3—The student who is information literate uses information accurately and
creatively.
Indicator 1—Organizes information for practical application.
Indicator 2—Integrates new information into one’s own knowledge.
Indicator 3—Applies information in critical thinking and problem solving.
Indicator 4—Produces and communicates information and ideas in appropriate formats.
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.
Indicator 2—Respects intellectual property rights.
Indicator 3—Uses information technology responsibly.

Science Standards Addressed:
Understand that animals eat plants or other animals for food and may also use plants (or even other animals) for shelter and nesting. Know that all living things have structures that provide the basic needs for survival.

Understands the characteristics, structure, and functions of organisms.

Understands the relationships among living things and between living things and their environments. Understand that living things have life cycles. Arrange and label parts of a cycle.

Writing Standards Addressed:
Understands writing process.

Use writing process to produce informational text in the form of a report.

Uses standards of good writing identified for focus in 2nd grade (ideas and content, organization, conventions).

National Educational Technology Standards Addressed:

Technology Foundation Standards for Students (from http://cnets.iste.org/currstands/cstands-netss.html).
1. Basic operations and concepts
* Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
* Students are proficient in the use of technology.
2. Social, ethical, and human issues
* Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
* Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.
* Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.
3. Technology productivity tools
* Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
* Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.
4. Technology communications tools
* Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
* Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.
5. Technology research tools
* Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
* Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
* Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.
6. Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools
* Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.
* Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.

OUTLINE OF SPECIFIC LESSONS:

Defining Lessons: Background knowledge and conceptual learning needed to start project.

1. Which do people read more, fiction or nonfiction?
a. To introduce unit and review information versus fiction texts I would start with Lesson 1 Defining done for module 3 of this class.
b. Make a list of what students see people reading daily. Could brainstorm possibilities (newspapers, textbooks, environmental print, e-mail, fact books, story books, etc.) Could give the students the assignment to tally number of times each type of reading is observed over a one-day period (Saturday or Sunday). Then graph results. Expect nonfiction to be read more often. This should be the staple of our reading as it is what we need to know how to read most in our daily life.
2. Why do people need to know how to read nonfiction text? Generate list which should include the following (from Harvey, 2002):
a. to satisfy curiosity
b. to enhance understanding about the world
c. to achieve insight
d. to acquire information
e. to answer specific questions
f. to understand new concepts and expand vocabulary
g. to make connections to our lives and learning
h. to write good nonfiction
i. to have fun
3. What are the ways authors of informational texts provide support to readers? I modified and listed the information below from McCall, 2002.
a. For this age I would probably use the enlarged Weekly Reader article from before and point out the differences in a series of defining lessons taking as much time as needed to introduce and practice finding the following supports built into nonfiction texts.
i. Print is used to draw attention of reader to main information: bold print, colored print, italics, etc.
ii. Generally organized in chronological/sequential order: table of contents listing main headings, if a series of books generally follow same outline from book-to-book (e.g. Checkerboard books about animals)
iii. Uses more technical language and specialized vocabulary, calling for a slower rate of reading with more careful attention to comprehension
iv. Uses text features such as introductions, titles, headings, subheadings, bullets or lists, tables of content, glossaries, pronunciation guides, indexes and summaries to support the reader in finding information
v. Uses a combination of photographs, maps, diagrams, charts and graphs to convey information with text features to help in getting information such as labels, captions, fact boxes, sidebars
vi. Other organizing methods including tables, maps, timelines, cross-section or cutaway diagrams, etc.
vii. Topic sentences and summary statements. These will take a lot of time to get the students to be able to understand and identify.
Make a T-chart as we go along to show the text feature and the purpose it fulfills in supporting the reader. See sample below:

FEATURE PURPOSE

Labels help the reader identify a picture
or photograph and/or its parts

Photographs help reader understand exactly
what something looks like


b. Do a few (between 3 to 5) lessons using read-aloud informational texts and have the students use the knowledge gained above to point out the built in supports in each book (suggestions from McCall, 2002). Use “Reading Non-Fiction Text” worksheet/checklist if desired to help the students focus. This can be found at www.time4teachers.com/ThisMonthPage.htm.
i. Thinking About Ants, by Barbara Brenner. Text supports: cross-sections, cutaways, labels, illustration guide, poetic text
ii. Waiting for Wings, by Lois Ehlert. Text supports: page size increases as the butterfly develops, identification charts, diagrams, labels, poetic text, supplemental information pages
iii. Rabbits, by Gail Gibbons. Text supports: diagrams, labels, headings, cross-sections, how-to charts, comparison charts, fact boxes, supplemental information
iv. Animals in Flight, by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Text supports: captions, italics, size and shape comparisons, diagrams, sequenced diagrams, labels, supplemental information pages, bibliography
v. It’s a Frog’s Life: My Story of Life in a Pond by Steve Parker. Text supports: diagrams, labels, bold print, captions, headings, lists, bullets, map, timelines, fact boxes, table, newspaper clipping, glossary, joint format.

Copyright/Plagiarism Lesson: Explaining about ethical research practices.

I would read the short section from Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary about Ramona accusing Susan of copying her art project, chapter 5, “Owl Trouble,” pp. 75-96. This always evokes a lively discussion with the children about whether it is right or wrong to copy. I would extend that discussion with the question, “How can an author protect his/her writings from getting copied by others?”

After discussing this as a group, I will direct their attention to the publishing information page of the book and point out the copyright symbol. I will explain what that symbol means and how it helps protect the author’s creative work. I would then handout a worksheet for us to complete with a partner. The worksheet comes from the website http://www.teachervision.fen.com/page/28847.html. Together we would fill out the information on Ramona the Brave. The partners would then complete the project by filling out the information on their worksheet for two of the four books they looked at.

We will address how to give credit and paraphrase information as we collect the data pertinent to our reports.

Locating Lessons: The research project and where to look for information.

1. Class introduction to existing library sources. We have many checkerboard books about animals and will show the students where those are located. Will allow time to explore collection and discuss with others animals of possible interest.
2. I also want the students to know that there are two other sources in the library they might access: magazines (our choices are limited to Ranger Rick, National Geographic, and Zoobook) and encyclopedias. The magazines might be helpful but are not easy to locate specific information in and the encyclopedias are too hard for the majority of the students to read independently. If I have enough helpers I send them to the library to help students select sources and read the information with the student.
3. However, I also want the students to know information can be obtained on-line as well. See Lesson 2 Locating done for module 4 of this class.
4. After adequate time to explore the library resources and EBSCO database, the students will select an animal to research and report on.
5. The students will then find at least two separate sources containing information about their selected animal.

Selecting and Analyzing Lessons: The data collecting and writing part of the report.

1. I would introduce this section with the children’s book Lizard’s Song by George Shannon. We would read it together and learn the song after enjoying and discussing the book. We would start making a list of important things to know about animals by looking at what Lizard wanted to find in the book.
2. I would introduce looking up the needed information by using the lesson plan located at http://www.big6.com/kidsshowarticle.php?id=217. This helps walk the children through how to find information. It introduces the first three steps of the Big 6: Plan—What do I need to do?, Do—Where can I find what I need? What can I use to find what I need? Where can I find what I need? What information can I use? How can I put my information together?, and Review—How will I know if I did well?
3. In addition can use the Super 3 Song at http://www.big6.com/kidsshowarticle.php?id=216 to reinforce concepts and questions. Using the coloring pages at http://www.big6.com/kidsshowarticle.php?id=226 and the question sheets at http://www.big6.com/kidsshowarticle.php?id=166 together will make a chart to put up to remind the students of the steps and questions in Plan, Do, and Review.
4. Model how to fill out the required information cards by using Lesson 3 Selecting/Analyzing done for module 5 of this class. This lesson focuses on physical attributes.
5. Using the above lesson outline look for the habitat of the animal. This allows the students to practice what they have just learned.
6. Continue doing this collecting information on physical characteristics, enemies, babies, food, life cycle, and miscellaneous (at least two other interesting facts about this animal). More information is encouraged. These are the minimal requirements and with the rubric we discuss expectations.

Organizing and Synthesizing Lessons: The data organizing and writing part of the report.

1. Use Lesson 4 Organizing/Synthesizing done for module 6 of this class. This lesson focuses on taking data collected on animals and crafting sentences without copying word-by-word from the source.
2. Following the same basic outline in Lesson 4, model putting the sentences together to create paragraphs. Use transparencies of p. 138 from Information Literacy Toolkit by Ryan and Capra (2001). Have the students create a paragraph for each of the topics researched. Be sure to provide additional adult assistance during these work times.
3. By the time we are done with these lessons, the students will have a final written report. However, this will need to be transferred into an alternative descriptive format about the selected animal. These are the minimal requirements and with the rubric we discuss expectations.

Creating/Presenting: Produce a visual display about the selected animal.

1. Students will be given an option of possible completed projects to highlight their animal. Because of the varied ability levels of 2nd graders, one project does not always address each student’s needs. Also, allowing a choice of projects helps accommodate multiple intelligences. The project is to be completed individually. However, most 2nd graders will share freely with others what they are doing and ask for ideas and help (intrapersonal). Only one presentation project is required. It can feature the information learned on any of the subheadings (life cycle, habitat, food, etc.). More capable students might want to choose a project for each subsection of information about their animal. Less capable students might want to choose a project with more built-in supports to help them focus. Use the rubric to discuss expectations.
2. Possible project choices:
a. Prepare a poster (could follow outline on p. 170 from Information Literacy Toolkit by Ryan and Capra (2001). (Visual Spatial)
b. Transfer the written report into an informational book format with nonfiction text features and labeled diagrams, pictures or photographs. (Linguistic)
c. Write a realistic fiction story incorporating the facts learned about your animal noting the patterns in the animal’s life/environment. (Mathematical/Logical).
d. Act out the life cycle of the animal. (Body/Kinesthetic)
e. Create a song or rhythmic poem or chant to teach others about your animal. (Musical/Rhythmic)
f. Create a journal/diary a scientist observing your animal might keep. (Naturalist)
g. Student may suggest a different project based on one of the intelligences outlined above with teacher agreement.
h. Student may create a slide show in KidPix to share information learned.
3. Generally at the end of a large project like this, the class and I plan a presentation evening when we will invite friends and families in to share our celebration of completing our unit. This is sometimes an evening with a program and sometimes an open house displaying our projects with the students acting as docents. We often do a “practice run” beforehand by inviting other classes to view our work so we can practice being guides before our evening venture.

Evaluating Lessons and Rubric: Evaluating the report.

1. See Lesson 5, Evaluating created for this class. This deals with each student completing a self-evaluation form about his or her work in the animal report unit.
2. Lesson 5 also contains a checklist developed for students to use to evaluate the unit and give feedback to the teacher. The rubric was developed for teacher use in evaluating learning and participation. The guidelines would be shared with students so they have an understanding of what is expected. It could be shared with parents as well.

References:

Brenner, Barbara. Thinking About Ants. New York: Mondo, 1997.

Cleary, Beverly. Ramona the Brave. New York: Scholastic, 1975.

Ehlert, Lois. Waiting for Wings. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2001.

Gibbons, Gail. Rabbits, Rabbits & More Rabbits. USA: Holiday House, 2000.

Harvey, Stephanie. "Nonfiction Inquiry: Using Real Reading and Writing to Explore the World." Language Arts 80.1 (2002): 12-23.

Harvey, Stephanie. Nonfiction Matters: Reading, Writing and Research in Grades 3-8. York, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 1998.

Jansen, Barbara A. A Home for Toad. 11/07/2004. Website. The Big 6. 11/20/2004.

Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. Animals in Flight. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2001.

McCall, Jan. "Nonfiction Reading and Writing in a Balanced Literacy Program." Columbia County Inservice Day, 9/27/2003. St. Helens, Oregon, 2002.

Parker, Steve. It's a Frog's Life: My Story of Life in a Pond. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Children's Book, 1999.

Shannon, George. Lizard's Song. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1981.