Penguin Pals

Penguin Pals

Curriculum
Positive Behavior Intervention Support Program
Writing/Speaking/Listening skills
Science
Technology
Integrated Art

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.5 With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects utilizing technology

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1a Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1b Build on others’ talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.5 Create audio/video recordings; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Overview
To establish a classroom community of good citizens with emphasis on teaching gratitude, kindness, compliments, introductions, respect, manners, responsibility, and respecting oneself first – enabling respect for others as my students build a foundation of manners. Dyslexic and struggling readers have difficulty with rhyming words, writing, and speaking.

Objectives
For students to accept individual differences in their peers, while implementing good citizenship in their everyday lives to enrich their classroom community of successful learners.
To incorporate multi-sensory, hands on, integrated themed curriculum activities, for my reluctant readers and writers, so they will practice and become more proficient independent learners.
To incorporate technology, for my techno students of the 21st century, providing differentiated instruction, across-the-board access, fostering engagement and enthusiasm, and offering personalized learning.


Materials
The book, The Proper Penguin – The Story of B Polite, Bentley (beanie baby), binder for student weekend writings, pencils and markers, Crisco, large Ziploc bags, stop watch, 6x6 canvas, acrylic paints (black, orange, white), acrylic paint brushes, paint palettes, paint smocks, iPad, computer stations, video camera.

Readiness Activity
Whole group lesson, read aloud the book of rhyme The Proper Penguin – the Story of B Polite by Cynthia Grosso; establish class motto – “Our Keys to Success” (each student identifies a key to being a good friend and writes it on chart paper); use website www.properpenguin.com for games, activities, and song with words about B Polite.

Strategies/Activities
Create “Our Keys to Success” chart to post in classroom. Go to the Scholastic/SeaWorld’s/Antarctica Empire of the Penguin website to observe the live penguin webcam to gain an in depth understanding of penguins. Research penguin informational facts, using computer station, to create lap books to share with other classes. (Lap booking is educational scrapbooking for any subject you would like. The student records information, through drawing or writing, into fun little mini-booklets. Those mini-booklets are then glued into specially-folded file folders. Each time the student shows and explains the contents in the lap book, he/she will be continuing to learn the information within it and not even realize it! Lap books are motivating for the reluctant learner and writers.)
Incorporate technology project (use iPad apps, computer stations)– using research information about various types of penguins, cut and paste penguin picture and type two facts, print and display. Explore and More science project – Blubber Glove. (via hands on experiment, students will explore how Antarctic animals stay warm in bone-chilling water and how blubber is used as a food reserve). Students will record their wonderments and discoveries in their Science journals and video their findings for a whole class digital story of penguins. Students will take turns taking Bentley (beanie baby penguin) home each weekend. They will write answers to guided questions about penguin life and write a creative short synopsis of their weekend activities with an illustration for our class binder. The caption of the illustration has to include one rhyme. Each Monday, the student will share with the class their weekend adventure, and what good citizenship characteristics you and Bentley displayed with others.


Culminating Activity
Using a 6x6 canvas and acrylics, students will paint their own individual version of Bentley, the character in The Proper Penguin. They will write a 5 sentence paragraph describing which good citizenship characteristic their Penguin Pal is going to practice in everyday life and why. For my struggling writers, I will be their scribe, so all will be successful. They will share their writings (create video/audio recordings using iPad/video camera to use as a listening station) and Penguin Pal with classmates.



Evaluation
Students will evaluate their peers on a student created rubric. Criteria will be based on their views of good citizenship interpretation to have a successful community of learners in our second grade classroom, writing criteria, and speaking skills. Students will share/discuss their evaluations with small groups. Display binder of Bentley’s weekend adventures, lap books, technology projects, discovery writings of hands on science experiment, and paintings with interpretive writings.

15 days/ongoing