Melissa+Harbison



Science/Technology/Art/Writing

__ Goals: __ 1. Explore the structure of animals. 2. Identify the two major divisions; vertebrates and invertebrates. 3. Identify five kinds of vertebrates and the characteristics of each. 4. Sign in, work (type, copy and paste pictures) and save on a wiki. 5. Create a poster on Glogster or in art class to tell how environmental problems affect vertebrates. 6. Write a first person narrative.

Standards __RI.4.3__ explain concepts in science... __ RI. 4. 7 __ Interpret info presented in media __ SL.4.1 __ __ SL.4.4 __ __ W.4.8. __

Materials: This section of thecurriculum is not in our textbook. Notes Vertebrate Wiki http://sws4vertebrates.wikispaces.com/ PowerPoint on Vertebrates (within wiki) Vertebrate chart (within wiki) United Streaming videos: 1. "Animal Groups: Beginning classification" 2. "Animals with Backbones" series (3 videos)

Procedure: __ Day one __ Put the word **vertebrate**on the board. Ask students if they know what the word is, and what it means.Explain it is another word for backbone. Ask students what they know about backbones. List ideas on the board and correct misconceptions. Explain that some animals have backbones/vertebrates. List any animals they can name which have backbones.

__ Day 2 __ Review what we know from yesterday. Bring out the list of animals. Ask students to work with a partner to take the list of animals and put them into groups and be ready to explain what they have in common. They can name the groups whatever the like. Share what they come with. Give correct names of groups.

__Day 3__ Watch United Streaming video on animal classification

__ Day 4 __ Review what we learned yesterday. Explain that we are going to learn more about animals with backbones, vertebrates, by using a Wiki.We will be moving to the GPP room to sign on to the Wiki. In the GPP room, the students will be working with partners and using a laptop. The students will each go to __[]__ They will use the link on the class portaportal and ask to be accepted as a member.I’ll give each student a card with their username and password on it. (They are already members of wikispaces because we used a Wiki in the fall.) Once each student is approved, we will go through the pages on the Wiki to be sure each student remembers how to work ona wiki and understands how it will be graded.

__ Day 5 __ The students will sign on the __ [] __. I will demonstrate on the Smart Board how to copy and paste a picture onto a wiki page and how to put on a caption. Student will work with a partner as they copy and paste a picture with a caption on their wiki page. Stress SAVE and sign off.

__ Day 6 - 9 __ The students will be assigned one activity each night to be completed on their Wiki page. Any student who does not have a computer at home may sign up to use the school computer, before class, at recess, at lunch recess or after school. In class we will watch United Streaming videos from the "Animals with Backbone series".

__ Day 10 __ We will go to the computer Lab to complete the last part. Students will view the PowerPoint and use the information to complete a chart.

__ Day 11 __ In art class, students will create a poster having to do with environmental problems vertebrates face. Tell why it is important to animals that humans reduce, reuse and recycle. Or tell why building new houses and malls hurt animals.

__ Day12 __ Students will pick a vertebrate and pretend they are that animal. We will review "first person" narrative. I will ask each to tell their personal story through the eyes of the animal they picked. Included how they were born, where they live, what they look like

Assessments 1. Students will receive a grade for their wiki page and chart. See rubric. 2. Students will receive a writing grade for the narrative. See rubric 3. Students will receive a science grade for their poster. See rubric.