Unit Topic: Koala: A Native Australian Animal unit
Curriculum Link: Science and Technology
Yr Level: Stage 2 Year 4
Lesson Number: 1/10
Lesson Topic: Unit Introduction
Learning Area(s): English and Science and Technology
Unit Aim: For students to be able to identify and describe the structure and function of a Koala and the ways in which a Koala interacts with other living things and its environment
Lesson Focus: In this lesson students will identify and become aware of the high frequency words that may be used throughout the unit. Student will practice reciprocal reading to increase their comprehension of a given multimodal text as a form of informal formative assessment. while they experience a range of multimodal features that can contribute to an information report.
Lesson Outcome: Science & Technology LT S2.3 Identifies and describes the structure and function of living things and ways in which living things interact with other living things and their environment. · Identify and describe the habitat of a Koala · Identify and describe the appearance of a Koala · Identify and describe the diet of a Koala · Identify and describe the life cycle of a Koala English RS2.5 Reads independently a wide range of texts on increasingly challenging topics and justified own interpretation of ideas, information and events · Contributes to a class summary after reading or viewing · Retells and discusses interpretation of text read or viewed, with attention to main ideas and supporting details in factual texts
Resources: - Class roll with designated reading groups (four students per group) - Upper primary school dictionaries, picture dictionary, bilingual dictionary - http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/animals/facts-koala.htm accessed on Interactive Whiteboard or classroom computers - Print out copies of this web page, or to have the webpage available on a computer screen. - Clipboards and pencils - Butchers paper and large post it notes - Digital camera - Poster paper one per group - Glue, markers, scissors - Reciprocal reading cue cards, 1 per group
Lesson Outline
Introduction: Setting the scene The lesson will begin with the students sitting on the floor in front of the teacher. The teacher begins the lesson by mentioning to students that they will be starting a new unit on ‘Koalas: The native Australian animal’. The teacher explains that by the end of the 10 week unit, students will be required to create a 6 slide PowerPoint presentation on Koalas. The teacher explains that before we can do this, we need to learn about Koalas in detail. The teacher asks the students ‘Can someone tell me anything that they know about Koalas?’ It is here that the teacher will gain an insight into what the students previously know before the unit commences. The teacher then shows the students an introductory segment of a Koala at San Deigo Zoo (from Youtube), via the Interactive Whiteboard (3mins) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl3ZXVlh5Sc&p=BBD54C1821AF42C8&playnext=1&index=55. After viewing this YouTube clip, the teacher will ask the students the following questions: ‘What is unique about the features of a koala?’ ‘How does a Koala interact with other living things?’ ‘How does a Koala interact with its environment?’ body features, and how do they relate to their environment and other living things? The teacher writes in the center of the white board ‘what we you want to learn about Koalas? The teacher will write the appropriate terminology in brackets next to the students suggestions, for example: I want to learn about what Koalas eat (diet) I want to learn about where it lives (habitat) The teacher will then write up a word bank on a large piece of butchers paper to be displayed in the classroom. The teacher will write the following terms on the paper: marsupials, appearance, lifecycle, adaptations, burrowing, reproduction, diet, eucalyptus, nocturnal, poisonous, habitat, wildlife, ecosystem, fur, paws, claws, concept. This will be the students spelling list for the week. Modeled reading The teacher will then show the students the following website “Koalas” on the Kids World Almanac: http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/WAKI-ViewArticle.aspx?pin=wwwwak-118&article_id=39&chapter_id=1&chapter_title=Animals&article_title=Koala. This website will be read by the teacher. In reading this website, particular attention is given to comprehending the relevant information. The teacher will show the students how to explore this website when searching for information, including the side bar, hyperlinks, the sound icon as well as the title. Here it is a good opportunity to point out the difference between other text genres and a factual report. In this way, the teacher will point out that the website provides factual information, which is a necessity in an information report (information reports will be further explored in the following lessons). The teacher will then ask the students the following Hidden, Here and Head questions in reference to the reading of this website: Here: · What is the habitat of a Koala? · Identify and describe the diet of a Koala · What do Koala look like? Hidden · What are some unique features of a koala? · What are some reasons the koalas maybe threatened? · Why would baby koalas feel more secure in blanket pouched when Zoo keepers work with them? · What does a koala sound like? Head · What are the threats to the koala population? What evidence tells if they will become endangered? Do you think that they are likely to be endangered why or why not?
Teaching strategy/LearningActivity:
Students will …… Students will be seated on the floor with their clipboards and with the print out version of the web page (or view the webpage on the computer depending on the availability of the schools resources). Each group will be assigned certain areas of the webpage to read and report to the class. This will be followed by time given to students to write and record their own individual summary of what they have learned in a few sentences. For students with additional needs sentence stems such as those below can be used. I have learned the strategy of(name of strategy) to help me….(what the strategy does) I was having difficulty with…(some part of learning this that kept you from getting it right) and this was because…(name of what was wrong) Next time I will try…. I particularly like the word(s)(name of word or word family) because it is (name of something special about this word). After reading and writing, students will work together to create a word bank with the difficult words they came across in the text. Students present their difficult words to the class. Students remain in their groups. Each group creates a poster using the website information given to them. However, students are allocated one of the five headings (Appearance, Habitat, Movement, Diet and Lifecycle) to create a poster by writing basic information about that heading and draw an illustration that supports their written text. During this activity the teacher can provide additional support to student who may be struggling with the material. A picture dictionary, or bilingual dictionary can be used to assist ESL learners. The supplementary web page http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/WAKI-ViewArticle.aspx?pin=wwwwak-118&article_id=39&chapter_id=1&chapter_title=Animals&article_title=Koala From the Kids World Almanac can be used as an alternative or additional article for practice.
Teacher will… The teacher groups children into groups of four. The teacher will give each group a print out version of the information article from the website just observed (this will be the reciprocal reading material). It is assumed that the teacher has had a few prior reciprocal reading lessons where she/he has facilitated explicit instruction in the procedures and behavioral expectations of reciprocal reading. Facilitate reciprocal reading procedures according to the cue cards. A different nominated volunteer group member for each step of the process will lead the small group in reading and completing their worksheet. Dictionaries can be used for reference. 1. Predicting 2. Reading 3. Questioning 4. Summarizing The teacher will then ask each group to share their difficult words with the class. The teacher will discuss these difficult words with the class and then add them to their class word bank on the butchers paper (only words that have not been listed already). The teacher then scaffolds how she/ he could organize this information under five main headings. The teacher then writes the following 5 headings on the whiteboard and explains that these will be our headings to categorize the information we find on Koalas. The 5 headings: Appearance, Habitat, Movement, Diet and Lifecycle. It is these headings which will relate to the units indicators: · describe the appearance of a Koala · describe the habitat of a Koala · describe the diet of a Koala · describe the movement of a Koala · describe the lifecycle of a Koala
Concluding strategy: As a whole group, students report and present their posters to the whole class. The teacher refers back to the introductory clip of Koalas and the pre-reading predictions to demonstrate how the class has provided information or facts about the key concepts habitat, appearance, diet, lifecycle. These posters will be stapled together to create a class book on Koalas to be displayed in the classroom.
Assessment: Teacher systematically observes students throughout the lesson making mental notes/ writing on a post it note about their performance and participation of students. Teacher observes which students were able to work in groups, engage in reciprocal readings and create a poster that related to one key heading.
Self-reflection - Did the students enjoy and engage with the activities in the lesson? - Were the time frames accurate? - Were there any areas of the lesson the students struggled with? - What area/s could be modified to improve the lesson? - Did the lesson meet the learning abilities of the students?
For students to be able to identify and describe the structure and function of a Koala and the ways in which a Koala interacts with other living things and its environment
In this lesson students will identify and become aware of the high frequency words that may be used throughout the unit. Student will practice reciprocal reading to increase their comprehension of a given multimodal text as a form of informal formative assessment. while they experience a range of multimodal features that can contribute to an information report.
Science & Technology
LT S2.3 Identifies and describes the structure and function of living things and ways in which living things interact with other living things and their environment.
· Identify and describe the habitat of a Koala
· Identify and describe the appearance of a Koala
· Identify and describe the diet of a Koala
· Identify and describe the life cycle of a Koala
English
RS2.5 Reads independently a wide range of texts on increasingly challenging topics and justified own interpretation of ideas, information and events
· Contributes to a class summary after reading or viewing
· Retells and discusses interpretation of text read or viewed, with attention to main ideas and supporting details in factual texts
- Class roll with designated reading groups (four students per group)
- Upper primary school dictionaries, picture dictionary, bilingual dictionary
- http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/animals/facts-koala.htm accessed on Interactive Whiteboard or classroom computers
- Print out copies of this web page, or to have the webpage available on a computer screen.
- Clipboards and pencils
- Butchers paper and large post it notes
- Digital camera
- Poster paper one per group
- Glue, markers, scissors
- Reciprocal reading cue cards, 1 per group
Setting the scene
The lesson will begin with the students sitting on the floor in front of the teacher. The teacher begins the lesson by mentioning to students that they will be starting a new unit on ‘Koalas: The native Australian animal’. The teacher explains that by the end of the 10 week unit, students will be required to create a 6 slide PowerPoint presentation on Koalas. The teacher explains that before we can do this, we need to learn about Koalas in detail. The teacher asks the students ‘Can someone tell me anything that they know about Koalas?’ It is here that the teacher will gain an insight into what the students previously know before the unit commences.
The teacher then shows the students an introductory segment of a Koala at San Deigo Zoo (from Youtube), via the Interactive Whiteboard (3mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl3ZXVlh5Sc&p=BBD54C1821AF42C8&playnext=1&index=55.
After viewing this YouTube clip, the teacher will ask the students the following questions:
‘What is unique about the features of a koala?’
‘How does a Koala interact with other living things?’
‘How does a Koala interact with its environment?’
body features, and how do they relate to their environment and other living things?
The teacher writes in the center of the white board ‘what we you want to learn about Koalas? The teacher will write the appropriate terminology in brackets next to the students suggestions, for example:
I want to learn about what Koalas eat (diet)
I want to learn about where it lives (habitat)
The teacher will then write up a word bank on a large piece of butchers paper to be displayed in the classroom. The teacher will write the following terms on the paper:
marsupials, appearance, lifecycle, adaptations, burrowing, reproduction, diet, eucalyptus, nocturnal, poisonous, habitat, wildlife, ecosystem, fur, paws, claws, concept.
This will be the students spelling list for the week.
Modeled reading
The teacher will then show the students the following website “Koalas” on the Kids World Almanac:
http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/WAKI-ViewArticle.aspx?pin=wwwwak-118&article_id=39&chapter_id=1&chapter_title=Animals&article_title=Koala. This website will be read by the teacher.
In reading this website, particular attention is given to comprehending the relevant information. The teacher will show the students how to explore this website when searching for information, including the side bar, hyperlinks, the sound icon as well as the title. Here it is a good opportunity to point out the difference between other text genres and a factual report. In this way, the teacher will point out that the website provides factual information, which is a necessity in an information report (information reports will be further explored in the following lessons).
The teacher will then ask the students the following Hidden, Here and Head questions in reference to the reading of this website:
Here:
· What is the habitat of a Koala?
· Identify and describe the diet of a Koala
· What do Koala look like?
Hidden
· What are some unique features of a koala?
· What are some reasons the koalas maybe threatened?
· Why would baby koalas feel more secure in blanket pouched when Zoo keepers work with them?
· What does a koala sound like?
Head
· What are the threats to the koala population? What evidence tells if they will become endangered?
Do you think that they are likely to be endangered why or why not?
Students will be seated on the floor with their clipboards and with the print out version of the web page (or view the webpage on the computer depending on the availability of the schools resources).
Each group will be assigned certain areas of the webpage to read and report to the class. This will be followed by time given to students to write and record their own individual summary of what they have learned in a few sentences.
For students with additional needs sentence stems such as those below can be used.
I have learned the strategy of(name of strategy) to help me….(what the strategy does)
I was having difficulty with…(some part of learning this that kept you from getting it right) and this was because…(name of what was wrong)
Next time I will try….
I particularly like the word(s)(name of word or word family) because it is (name of something special about this word).
After reading and writing, students will work together to create a word bank with the difficult words they came across in the text.
Students present their difficult words to the class.
Students remain in their groups. Each group creates a poster using the website information given to them. However, students are allocated one of the five headings (Appearance, Habitat, Movement, Diet and Lifecycle) to create a poster by writing basic information about that heading and draw an illustration that supports their written text.
During this activity the teacher can provide additional support to student who may be struggling with the material. A picture dictionary, or bilingual dictionary can be used to assist ESL learners.
The supplementary web page
http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/WAKI-ViewArticle.aspx?pin=wwwwak-118&article_id=39&chapter_id=1&chapter_title=Animals&article_title=Koala From the Kids World Almanac can be used as an alternative or additional article for practice.
The teacher groups children into groups of four. The teacher will give each group a print out version of the information article from the website just observed (this will be the reciprocal reading material). It is assumed that the teacher has had a few prior reciprocal reading lessons where she/he has facilitated explicit instruction in the procedures and behavioral expectations of reciprocal reading.
Facilitate reciprocal reading procedures according to the cue cards. A different nominated volunteer group member for each step of the process will lead the small group in reading and completing their worksheet. Dictionaries can be used for reference.
1. Predicting
2. Reading
3. Questioning
4. Summarizing
The teacher will then ask each group to share their difficult words with the class. The teacher will discuss these difficult words with the class and then add them to their class word bank on the butchers paper (only words that have not been listed already).
The teacher then scaffolds how she/ he could organize this information under five main headings. The teacher then writes the following 5 headings on the whiteboard and explains that these will be our headings to categorize the information we find on Koalas.
The 5 headings:
Appearance, Habitat, Movement, Diet and Lifecycle.
It is these headings which will relate to the units indicators:
· describe the appearance of a Koala
· describe the habitat of a Koala
· describe the diet of a Koala
· describe the movement of a Koala
· describe the lifecycle of a Koala
As a whole group, students report and present their posters to the whole class. The teacher refers back to the introductory clip of Koalas and the pre-reading predictions to demonstrate how the class has provided information or facts about the key concepts habitat, appearance, diet, lifecycle.
These posters will be stapled together to create a class book on Koalas to be displayed in the classroom.
Teacher systematically observes students throughout the lesson making mental notes/ writing on a post it note about their performance and participation of students.
Teacher observes which students were able to work in groups, engage in reciprocal readings and create a poster that related to one key heading.
- Did the students enjoy and engage with the activities in the lesson?
- Were the time frames accurate?
- Were there any areas of the lesson the students struggled with?
- What area/s could be modified to improve the lesson?
- Did the lesson meet the learning abilities of the students?