Endangered Animals · Endangered Animals KLA: SOSE, Science & English Year Level: 3/4B No. of Lessons: 7 Overarching Curriculum Priority/Documents: Essential Learnings Studies of

Joanna Spelitis – S00099808 Australian Catholic University - McAuley/Banyo 1

Endangered Animals

KLA: SOSE, Science & English Year Level: 3/4B No. of Lessons: 7

Overarching Curriculum Priority/Documents: Essential Learnings

Studies of Society & Environment (SOSE): By the end of Year 3 Ways of Working

Students are able to:

Pose questions for investigation.

Identify and collect information an evidence from narratives and familiar sources.

Make judgements about the usefulness of the information and evidence.

Draw conclusions and give explanations, using information and evidence.

Communicate social and environmental ideas, using texts and terminology to match audience and purpose.

Share ideas, and plan and enact responses to group or community issues

Reflect on and identify values associated with fairness, protecting the environment and behaving peacefully.

Reflect on learning to identify new understandings.

Knowledge and Understanding

Place and Space Local natural, social and built environments are defined by specific features and can be sustained by certain activities.

Resources and environments can be used, conserved and protected by valuing and applying sustainable practices.

Political and Economic Systems

Rights and responsibilities, rules and codes of behaviour are part of local communities.

Australians are connected to other people and places by shared interests, including travel, exchanging goods and services, and environmental issues.

People and resources are involved in the production and consumption of familiar goods and services. Science: By the end of Year 3

Ways of Working Students are able to:

Pose questions and make predictions.


Identify and collect data, information and evidence.

Make judgements about the usefulness of the data, information and evidence.

Draw conclusions and give explanations, using data, information and evidence.

Reflect on and identify other points of view relating to science in everyday situations.

Reflect on learning to identify new understandings. Knowledge and Understanding

Science as a Human Endeavour Science is a part of everyday activities and experiences.

Science can impact on people and their environments.

Stewardship of the environment involves conserving natural resources.

Earth and Beyond Changes in the observable environment influence life.

Earth and space experience recurring patterns and natural cycles of events, including seasons, weather and moon phases,

and these can affect living things.

Materials on Earth can be used in various ways.

Life and Living Needs, features and functions of living things are related and change over time.

Animals, plants and non-living things have different features/characteristics.

Offspring have similar characteristics to their parents.

Change occurs during the life cycle of living things.

Living things depend on the environment and each other.

English: By the end of Year 3 Ways of Working

Students are able to:

Identify audience, purpose and text type.

Identify main ideas and the sequence of events, and make simple inferences.

Recognise and select vocabulary to describe subject matter.

Reflect on and identify how language elements in texts represent people, characters, places, events and things in similar

and different ways.


Reflect on learning and identify new understandings

Knowledge and Understanding Reading and Viewing Reading and viewing involve using a range of strategies to interpret and appreciate written, visual and multimodal texts in familiar

contexts.

Purposes for reading and viewing are identified and are supported by the selection of texts based on an overview that

includes titles, visuals and headings.

Readers and viewers make connections between their prior knowledge and the subject matter of the text.

Words, groups of words, visual resources and images elaborate ideas and information, and portray people, characters,

places, events and things in different ways.

Comprehension involves using language elements and contextual cues to interpret, infer from and evaluate familiar texts.

Readers and viewers use a number of active comprehension strategies to interpret texts, including activating prior knowledge, predicting, questioning, identifying main ideas, inferring, monitoring, summarising and reflecting.

Writing and Designing Writing and designing involve using language elements to construct literary and non-literary texts for familiar contexts.

The purpose of writing and designing includes reporting and conveying simple messages and information.

Words and phrases, symbols, images and audio have meaning.

Test users make choices about grammar and punctuation.

Writers and designers refer to authoritative sources and use a number of active writing strategies, including planning, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, publishing and reflecting.

Writers and designers use correct formation, entries, exits and joins of Queensland Modern Cursive script. Literary and Non-literary Texts

Exploring literary and non-literary texts involves developing an awareness of purpose, audience, subject matter and text structure.

Texts are produced for particular audiences and their interests.

Formal and informal texts are ways of communicating for different purposes.

Non-literary texts inform, report on events and issues, explain, explore ideas, express opinions, conduct transactions and

negotiate relationships, goods and services, and give directions. Australian Curriculum

Year 3 Science Content Descriptions Science Understanding


Biological Sciences

Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things.

Science as a Human Endeavour Nature and Development of Science

Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships. Use and Influence of Science

Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions . Science Inquiry Skills

Processing and Analysing Data and Information

Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends.

Communicating

Represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety of ways such as diagrams, physical representations and

simple reports. Year 4 Science Content Descriptions

Science Understanding Biological Sciences

Living things have life cycle.

Living things, including plants and animals, depend on each other and the environment to survive.

Science as a Human Endeavour Use and Influence of Science

Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions .

Science Inquiry Skills Processing and Analysing Data and Information

Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends.

Communicating

Represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety of ways such as diagrams, physical representations and

simple reports.

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=observable

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=patterns

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=relationships

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=tables

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=graphs

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=data


http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=trends

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=reports

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=environment

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=tables

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=graphs

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=data


http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=trends

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=S&t=reports


Brisbane Catholic Learning Framework

Roles for Lifelong Learners Reflective, Self Directed Learner

Quality Producer

Designer and Creator

Active Investigator

Effective Communicator

Objectives for this Unit:

At the end of this unit students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to: 1. Define endangered and what it means if an animal is endangered. 2. Identify some Australian endangered animals.

3. Differentiate between the different classifications related to endangerment and endangered animals. 4. Classify animals into appropriate endangerment categories when presented with information about the animal. 5. Define introduced species and plants.

6. Describe the effects of introduced species and plants have on native animals and plants. 7. Define native in relation to animals or plants

Students’ Prior Knowledge:

Know what habitat means in relation to animals.

Unit on rainforest.

Assessment/Evaluation of Student Learning for Unit:

Activities 1, 2 and 3 contained within information sheets.

Unit books

Accurate assembly of endangerment classification continuum with pictures, writing or drawings.

Accurate assembly of endangered wildlife messages cut and paste activity.

Accurate assembly of word domino cut and paste activity.

Classroom Management

Behaviour Management Strategies Expectations

Lower volume of voice requiring students to be quite if they wish to hear instructions.

Giving clear concise instructions.

Getting students to repeat instructions before starting

Students can follow instructions.

Students will be respectful to peers and teacher whilst

they are talking.

Students can work successfully as a group.


activity.

Steps behaviour management strategy.

Praising students displaying the appropriate behaviours.

Clapping pattern to gain students attention.

Lessons

Lesson Title: Concept Map - Linking Lesson No: 1 Duration: 40 mins

Specific Objectives for this Lesson: At the end of this lesson students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to:

1. Indicate appropriate links between information gained from rainforest unit and endangered animals.

2. Create collaborative a visual representation (concept map) of this information. 3. Identify real world threats to animals that may lead to endangerment.

Resources:

Whiteboard

Whiteboard marker

Lesson Procedure: Lesson Phase: Orientating

Step 1: Instruct students to come and sit at the front of the classroom where they can see the whiteboard. Tell students that together we

are going to create a mind map about threats to the rainforest. Write threats to the rainforest in the middle of the whitebo ard make sure to leave space to add /animals as well. Meaning that the finished product will have threats to the rainforest/animals as the central concept.

Information for concept map about threats to the rainforest:

Mining

Logging

Poaching

Commercial farming


Farming

Industry development

Commercial development Lesson Phase: Enhancing

Step 2: Talk to students about what else in the rainforest might be affected by the things that were identi fied and put onto the mind map.

Use guided discussion and strategic questions to point students towards the animals that live in the rainforest. Questions

What lives in the rainforest?

What would happen to these animals if there was no rainforest?

How do you think the things from our concept map would affect the animals?

What would these effects mean for the animals?

Why?

Step 3:

Go back to the concept map and turn the central concept to threats to the rainforest/animals. Ask students if they can think of anything else we could add. Try to get students to link appropriate information.

Information for concept map about threats to the rainforest/animals:

Habitat destruction – mining, logging, farming, natural disasters

Introduced species – no food or homes for native animals, more predators

Industry and commercial development – pollution, damming, road building

Poachers – hunting, pet trade, skins and trophies

Ask students if they thing there is any other important information that they believe we should add to the concept map. Lesson Phase: Synthesising

Step 4: Guided discussion about endangered animals using strategic questioning


Questions

What are endangered animals?

How might they have become endangered?

What can we do to help?

Step 5: Instruct students to go to their desks and take out their unit book, pencil and a rubber. Tell students to leave a page and turn to the

next page and turn it so the page is horizontal and copy down the concept map.

Special Considerations/Lesson Modifications:

Pay more attention to students with special needs to ensure that they are copying the concept map accurately.

Model the appropriate layout by picking up a student’s book and pointing out where they should start and then progress to next.

Lesson Evaluation:

Lesson Objectives: 1. Indicate appropriate links between information gained from rainforest unit and endangered animals. 2. Create collaboratively a visual representation (concept map) of this information, facilitated by the teacher.

3. Identify real world threats to animals that may lead to endangerment.

I believe that students did make the appropriate links between their rainforest unit and this unit on endangered animals. When students studied the rainforest one of the focuses was on things that destroy the rainforest and animals habitats and almost all students made these links. Students did a fantastic job in relation to the collaborative creation of the concept map and came up

with some really good, relevant ideas and this ultimately lead to identifying real world threats to animals that may lead to animals becoming endangered.

Lesson Delivery: The lesson delivery went quite well however after communicating with my associate teacher we did change the format of the

lesson. Initially I had planned for students to copy down the concept map into their books however it ended up being quite complicated and the associate teacher and I came to the conclusion that it may be more effective for students to write down o ne

concept each from the concept map and then introduced it into another lesson. We decided that more meaningful learning might occur if we used the ideas from the concept map in another lesson where the concepts were re-distributed among students and five post it notes were put on the ground related to animals needs (food, shelter, water, air and love) which was something my

associate teacher had introduced whilst students were doing their unit on the rainforest.


Self as Teacher: Whilst I believe that using a concept map can be a good teaching tool I discovered during this lesson that you have to really think about how you are going to use it so it is effective. After this experience I believe that younger students would benefit from this

strategy more if as the teacher you pre-prepare the main ideas for the concept map and stick them up onto the board around your central concept so then students had a better idea of where the whole thing is heading and this would also give them a logica l

starting point. Whilst my students did come up with most of the main ideas they did not represent everything that I thought was relevant.

Associate Teacher’s Comments Date – 12.10.2011

This lesson again highlighted for you the need to plan thoroughly, including in this case, what the concept map was actually going to look like. You made sure the children were sitting so that you could see everyone and they could see you. You re -established

listening rules and at one stage you just waited for children to stop speaking. These are good management strategies. Avoid continually saying “Excuse me” to gain the children’s attention. There was a fair bit of noise to contend them from the class room

next door during this lesson and at times it was one of the factors impacting on the focus of the group as was the length of the lesson! Children were certainly restless after 45 mins! We discussed finishing the lesson off by each chi ld copying a word group down so you could use these next lesson and try to simplify the concept map somewhat. Your handwriting was excellent for this

lesson and you did think through where you wrote words and how you joined them. Use of colour would have helped as would using different shapes around like words. These techniques help organise and categorise ideas even further. Having prepared

cards with the words you want to put on your concept map is another way to help keep you on track. Good try!

Lesson Title: Endangered Animals Lesson No: 2 Duration: 40 mins

Specific Objectives for this Lesson:

At the end of this lesson students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to: 1. Define and describe what an endangered animal is. 2. Describe threats to animals that may lead to an endangered status.

3. Complete cut and paste activity on threats to animals’ habitats.

Resources:

Endangered animal information sheets 1 and 2 x 20

Handout 1 cut and paste activity - threats to animals’ habitats x 20

Whiteboard


Whiteboard marker


Step 1:

Place five post its on the carpet at the front. Each post it represents animals needs (food, shelter, love, air and water) Hand out the information that students wrote down from the last lesson (from the concept map) and ask students to make a decision as to which category their concept fits into. Once they have decided which category their piece of paper fits into they are to go and stand

near the appropriate post it. Also tell students that they are going to be required to tell you why they are standing at tha t post it. Move through students individually and ask them first what is on their piece of paper and why they are standing in that category.

Lesson Phase: Enhancing

Step 2:

Instruct students to sit at their desks and take out their unit books, pencils, rubbers, scissors, glue and rulers. Handout information sheets 1 and 2.

Step 3: Read aloud a paragraph at a time. Do not select students in advance. Call upon next student as the previous one has finishe d

reading. Use comprehension style questions as moving through each section to ensure students have gained the appropriate information.

Questions

What are the two threats to animals?

What is one example of an Australian endangered animal?

What is a habitat?

What are two of the threats to animals’ habitats?

What are the other two threats to animals’ habitats?

Step 3:

Instruct students to complete Activity One. Once students have finished Activity One they can cut out each sheet and glue them on the next two clean pages in their unit books.


Step 4: Handout threats to animals’ habitats handout. Instruct students to cut around each one neatly. Once they have finished instruct students to pick up logging and glue it at the top of a new page in the top left hand corner. Ask students what logging is and create

a group definition for it.

Lesson Phase: Synthesising

Step 5: Hand out effects to animals habitat cut and paste activity and instruct students to cut out all of the pictures and definitions and

match them up and glue them into their books, vertically.

Step 6: Instruct students that once they are finished they can put away their materials and come and sit at the front of the classroom. Facilitate a guided discussion about the material students were just presented with. Did they learn anything new? What did they

find interesting?


Monitor students with special needs closely during the reading and writing sections of this lesson.

Assist students with special needs if they begin to fall behind by cutting out for them.

Do not call upon H, J or T to read unless they are really interested in doing so.

Lesson Evaluation:

Lesson Objectives: 1. Define and describe what an endangered animal is.

2. Describe threats to animals that may lead to an endangered status. 3. Complete cut and paste activity on threats to animals’ habitats.

I believe that students were able to comprehensively identify what an endangered animal is whilst also being able to comment on some of the things that might lead to this endangered status. However we did not get time to complete the cut and paste activity

which would have further reinforced this knowledge. It is a small activity that I think could be completed in under twenty minutes. So I wi ll endeavour to add this activity to the end of another lesson.

Lesson Delivery: The way that I structured this lesson worked quite well however after talking to my associate teacher she recommended that when

you require students to do quite a bit or reading it is a good idea to break up the reading by getting students to highlight important


information. I think this is a great idea as not only does it give students a break from reading it also reinforces the info rmation and content knowledge that is to be absorbed. The structure of this lesson was changed from the original plan as my associate teacher and I wanted to use the information from the concept map that the students and I created in the last lesson. This proved dif ficult to

manage as students were distracted and there was quite a bit of talking. My associate teacher suggested that I move through each group and get the other groups to sit down. This did help but it was still hard to manage the noise levels.

Self as Teacher: I have noticed that I really struggle in relation to time management and if I wish to successfully complete all aspects of a lesson I

need to keep an eye on the time and keep students focused. There little time in every school day and it is so precious and if one is going to cover all of the appropriate content knowledge, information and concepts during the term or the school year this is

something that I really have to master.


You tried a change of placement for group session. It is good to keep trying new things until you find what works for you. You re-established listening rules and then clearly questioned about the needs of animals. Good work! “Good way of putting that” was nice praise for the children. Sometimes you need to keep questioning and probing the same chi ld to gain elicit from them what they

want to say or what you are looking for. I modelled this for you with James. When children stood in groups and then shared why they were connected with a particular need, you needed to have firm discipline so valuable insights were not lost and childre n

listened respectfully to each other. Sitting until it was their turn helped. There was a fair bit of reading to do at once and you perhaps needed to break this up a bit rather that do all the reading then all the writing. I find using highlighters is ef fective for keeping children focused. I like that you have future direction for this unit as evidenced by you planning in advance and the clear,

sequenced storage of this. Great job! We were then able to draw on a future lesson that will slot in well afte r this one and allow investigation using the laptops tomorrow. Today, you also spent time witnessing how to use a video as a teaching tool. Well done today, Jo!

Lesson Title: Creating a sliding continuum of endangered animal

classifications

Lesson No: 3 Duration: 40 mins



1. Identify the six categories that endangered animals can be placed into (extinct, critically endangered, endangered, near threatened, vulnerable and least concern. 2. Create a sliding continuum to represent this information, ordered appropriately.

3. Differentiate between each classification of endangerment.

Resources:

Handout no – classifications of endangered animals without labels x 20

Whiteboard

Whiteboard marker

Completed activity one with all possible answers.


Step 1:

Facilitate discussion using terms to measure quantity without using numbers to describe quantities. The aim of this discussi on is get students to use these terms and order them so that it will be easier to identify the types of classifications of endangerment. Use

real life comparisons using students names e.g. If I have a big bag of smarties how many would (student’s name) want? Questions

If I have a big bag of smarties how many will (students name) want?

If this student has this many what’s another way that someone could have less?

What number words can we use to describe different quantities? (a lot, not many, all, less, some, hardly any)

Is a lot more or less than some?


Step 2:

Put six categories of classifications of endangerment on the whiteboard.

Least concern

Vulnerable

Near threatened

Endangered

Critically endangered

Extinct


Step 3: Ask students to match the number words that they came up to the six classifications. Explain what the word critically to help students determine the difference between endangered and critically endangered. Write the number words beside the

classifications

Step 4: Instruct students to go sit at their desks and get out a pencil, rubber, ruler, scissors, glue and their unit books. Handout classification categories without labels on them. Tell students that before we do any cutting we need to identify which desc ription

fits with each classification.

Step 5: Instruct students to read each classification label. Once they have finished reading each one, ask them if they have any ideas as to which one is which. Call upon individual students and ask them to first read out the definition and then ask them why they t hink that

this label fits with this description. It is important in this step that students are relating the language used during the orientating phase of this lesson to help determine which description fits with their chosen category.

Step 6: Move around the classroom to make sure each students has appropriate labelled each description before moving on to the next

part of the lesson. Once each description has been accurately identified instruct students to write the category label above the description and then cut out each description with its label attached to it and then place them in an order on their desks that they

believe is appropriate. Move around the classroom to ensure that each student has placed their classifications in the approp riate order. Lesson Phase: Synthesising

Step 7:

Instruct students to open their unit books to a blank double page and draw a line down the right hand side of the left page. Model this on the whiteboard to make it easier to follow directions. Draw what students page looks like as a double page and then place the line in the appropriate place. Instruct students to put arrows on each end of their line.

Step 8:

Instruct students to draw a horizontal line coming out from the left of their line so it is on the left hand side of their do uble page and quite close to the bottom of the page. Ask students what they think should go at the bottom. Students to identify least concern and


glue this coming off from the horizontal line. Step 9:

Instruct students to draw a horizontal line coming out from the right of their line so it is on the right hand side of their double page spaced evenly above the last line. Ask students what they think should come next. Students to identify vulnerable and glue this

coming off from the horizontal line. Step 10:

Instruct students to draw a horizontal line coming out from the left of their line so it is on the left hand side of their do uble page spaced evenly above the last line. Ask students what they think should come next. Students to identify near threatened and glue

this coming off from the horizontal line. Step 11:

Instruct students to draw a horizontal line coming out from the right of their line so it is on the right hand side of their double page spaced evenly above the last line. Ask students what they think should come next. Students to identify endangered and glue this

coming off from the horizontal line. Step 12:

Instruct students to draw a horizontal line coming out from the left of their line so it is on the left hand side of their double page spaced evenly above the last line. Ask students what they think should come next. Students to identify critically endangered and

glue this coming off from the horizontal line. Step 13:

Instruct students to draw a horizontal line coming out from the right of their line so it is on the right hand side of their double page spaced evenly above the last line. Ask students what they think should come next. Students to identify extinct and glue this

coming off from the horizontal line.


Monitor students with special needs and assist them if need by indicating appropriate label for each category and cutting out

descriptions if needed.

Lesson Evaluation: Lesson Objectives:

1. Identify the six categories that endangered animals can be placed into (extinct, critically endangered, endangered, near


threatened, vulnerable and least concern. 2. Create a sliding continuum to represent this information, ordered appropriately.

3. Differentiate between each classification of endangerment.

Students were able to identify each of the classifications of endangerment but only because of the facilitate discussion at the

beginning of the lesson. All students successfully created an accurate sliding continuum and almost all students were able to identify each classification. However I could monitor this more carefully through individually asking each student to tell me a classification, what it means and where it falls on the continuum randomly throughout the week.

Lesson Delivery:

I had initially prepared this lesson to go very differently and happen later in the sequence but after communicating with my associate teacher we decided that it would work better and more meaningful learning would occur if students participated in a facilitated discussion at the beginning which would establish the language. I was unsure how to do this so my associate teacher

stepped in and established the base with the students for my lesson. Looking back on it now if she had not done this I do no t think that students would have been able to complete this activity or have really gained anything useful from it. I thi nk that it is really

important that you model layout for students on the whiteboard as each student learns differently and this will assist the vi sual learners.

Self as Teacher: My preparation for this lesson wasn’t good and I didn’t really think out fully how the layout of the continuum was going to work as I

had not completed it myself. I need to be more prepared and understand that if I want students to do something I need to do it myself first to see what troubles they may encounter so I can adjus t the activities accordingly.


I’m glad you started with a discussion even though this wasn’t on your plan. There were lots of hands up. You asked children to put hands down and I’m not sure if you couldn’t have used what the children were saying. However you did move the lesson on so well

done, given that we knew we had limited time today. Be careful of too many times saying “Ahhhh!” to block out conversations. It seemed that children were not too sure of what they were learning so we rephrased the following points:

o Amount of, number of

o Tracking

o Think of number line using language and numbers


o All, most, lots of, heaps of, little bit, none 1, ¾, ½, ¼, 0

I think this helped explain our continua/sliding scale and then made us realise it would make more sense to do the line vertically in

their books and you managed this change well. We got the children to a point where they could then come back and continue with the activity i.e. all pieces cut and placed under glue sticks! Morning Tea

Well done for being game enough to change some of your plans on the spot! We finished the continuum of endangerment and then Year 3 went to sport.

Lesson Title: Computer Session locating endangered animals



1. Locate an animal from each classification from previous lesson. 2. Use Google successfully to locate information.

3. Use specific search terms, in Google, to locate information

Resources:

School laptops x 20

Whiteboard

Whiteboard marker


Step 1: Instruct students to come and sit at the front of the classroom. Facilitate a discussion about appropriate search terms when looking for information. Talk about using really specific search terms when using Google as this will help Google to find more accurate

information. Identify the search terms that students are going to use and put them up onto the whiteboard.

Search Terms

Extinct animals


Critically endangered animals

Endangered animals

Near threatened animals

Vulnerable animals

Least concern animals Step 2:

Tell students that for some of the categories them may need to read the information rather than just looking at pictures as t he information may help them determine what category the animals fit into.


Step 3:

Instruct students to return to their desks and begin searching. Whilst students are using the computers allow some conversation as long as they are talking about what they have found and not anything else. However don’t tell students that they can talk, j ust stop

conversations which are not about the content material. Step 4:

Whilst students are searching and locating information facilitate discussions about the different information that has been located. Lesson Phase: Synthesising

Step 5: Instruct students to return to the front of the classroom and facilitate a discussion about what they discovered when using the

computers. Interesting facts, animals that are extinct that they didn’t know about etc.


Monitor students with special needs to ensure that they are using their computers to locate the appropriate information.

Facilitate students with special needs in regard to helping them read the information and ask them the classify the animals once they have heard the information.

Lesson Evaluation:

Lesson Objectives: 1. Locate an animal from each classification from previous lesson.

2. Use Google successfully to locate information. 3. Use specific search terms, in Google, to locate information


This lesson went really well and I believe that most objectives were reached however we did not find an animals for each category as students seemed to be more interested in extinct and critically endangered animals. I did not want to push them onto the next category as they were really focused and sharing relevant information with each other and participating in good conversations

about the content material.

Lesson Delivery: The delivery of this lesson went really well students were cooperative and really enjoyed being t he ones in charge of located the information rather than it coming from a teacher. I believe that it is important that students can use Google successfully to locate

information as this is skill that they will definitely need during their future education. All students found information that was relevant and this helped to facilitate discussions among the class.

Self as Teacher: This lesson was interrupted by some pigeons that decided our classroom would be a nice home. The students found this quite

amusing and it did unsettle them a little but I just ignored the pigeons and as I was modelling this for students they ignored it as well. I found it quite easy during this lesson to move around to all of students and facilitate some really good group discussions

whilst also spending time individually with each student. This was helped by the fact that I conducted this lesson twice, once with each group as the other group was at sport.

Associate Teacher’s Comments: Date – 15.10.11

Year 4 marked homework and then went on to research as planned. I liked how you encouraged children to search using the categories. (Initially children were relying on the names of animals that they already knew.)

Discussion on dugong was great. Can we use this in a future lesson? You tapped well into the enthusiasm of the research. You took advantage of many teaching opportunities using the computers to investigate. Fantastic! Great job! This skill is somethi ng you can’t teach someone and you have it inbui lt! We were lucky enough then to repeat the research with Year 3.

Lesson Title: Animals from each category on the sliding continuum



At the end of this lesson students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to: 1. Accurately classify animals into their endangered classifications categories once given a description.


2. Add pictures, words or drawings of animals to their sliding continuum. 3. Rely information from their computer research session on endangered animals to their peers.

Resources:

Website - http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/austendangered.htm

Endangered animals pics handout no. x 20


Step 1: Instruct students to come and sit at the front of the classroom where they can see the projector side of the whiteboard. Pro ject the KidsCyber website on endangered animals onto the whiteboard.

Step 2:

Work through each element on the website:

Definitions of classifications

Endangered and vulnerable animals

Some reasons that animals

Examples of animals

Step 3:

Facilitate a discussion about the information that was presented in the website. Ask students if they learnt anything new or any interesting facts. Whilst students are sitting at the front invite the group to share what they learnt from our research session on the

computers. Lesson Phase: Enhancing

Step 4: Instruct students to return to their desks and take out their scissors, glue and unit books. Handout classifications animal pics handout. Read out descriptions for each animal and instruct students to decide which classification they believe it fits into. Call

upon students individually and ask them why they believe it fits into that classification.

Step 5: Instruct students to open their unit books to their sliding continuum of endangered animals classifications. Instruct studen ts to either cut out each animal and paste, draw the animal or list the animals they found during their research session.

http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/austendangered.htm



Step 6: Instruct students to place all of the animals in their correct classifications but do not paste them down. Walk around and c heck that

each student has placed their animals in the correct position.

Step 7: Instruct students to glue in all of the animals.


Monitor students with special needs to ensure that they have understood the instructions properly.

Assist students with special needs if they need it by cutting out the animals.

Lesson Evaluation:

Lesson Objectives: 1. Accurately classify animals into their endangered classifications categories once given a description. 2. Add pictures, words or drawings of animals to their sliding continuum.

3. Rely information from their computer research session on endangered animals to their peers.

All students were able to classify the animal pictures, once I read out a description however some students chose to draw or write these animals onto their continuum and all students did a fantastic job of relying their research from the computer research session.

Lesson Delivery: The delivery of this lesson went well with guidance and support from my associate teacher. She suggested that I should instruct

the students to change position from desks to floor to when beginning a new endangerment classification. This went really we ll as students were more focused when sitting at the front of the classroom and I had originally planned for them to stay at their desks the whole time. Originally I had planned to use a website during the orientation phase of this lesson however I could not. So

instead I facilitated a group discussion with students about the information that was on the website. I believe this was just as effective if not more that using the website. In some ways I’m glad that I could not use it as it meant that I had to think of my feet

and be flexible with my mode of instruction. Self as Teacher:

The reason that the I could not use the website was because when moving around my associate teacher’s desk I did not observe workplace health and safety regulations and I tripped over the computer cords and dislodged the cord that connects to the pro jector

and the connection port on the computer was also damaged. I now realise how important it is to always be aware of workplace


health and safety rules as they exist to protect myself, the students and school property.


In the endangered animals lesson you adapted to an absence of technology. Well done! I liked how you revised the categories. Breaking up the task with children alternating between desks and floor kept the focus better. I supported you with more detai led directions for the children so we achieved the desired end product. We catered for all students allowing them to add their

researched names or use pictures which you provided. We will finish this lesson of sharing tomorrow.

Lesson Title: Introduced Species Lesson No: 6 Duration: 40 mins


At the end of this lesson students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to: 1. Define introduced species. 2. Define native species.

3. Describe the difference between native species and introduced species.

Resources:

Endangered animals information sheets 3, 4 and 5 x 20

Website - http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/feral_animals1.htm


Step 1:

Instruct students to come and sit at the front of the classroom so that they can see the projector. Project website onto the projector - http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/feral_animals1.htm Go through each animal calling upon a different student to read out each

one. Instruct students to go to their desks and take out their unit books, pencils, rubbers, scissors, glue and rulers. Handout information sheets 3, 4 and 5.

Step 2: Read aloud a paragraph at a time only page 3 to start with. Do not select students in advance. Call upon next student as the

previous one has finished reading. Use comprehension style questions as moving through each section to ensure students have gained the appropriate information. Pause after each paragraph and instruct students guide students to highlight important

http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/feral_animals1.htm

http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/feral_animals1.htm


information. Questions

What does introduced species mean?

What are the two types of introduced species?

What are some examples of introduced animals?

What does native mean?

What are some of the reasons that introduced species were brought here?

Give students an Australian example. Sugar cane is a main export (something that we sell to other countries that is grown here) of Australia and in 1935 the people thought that they should introduce the Cane Toad as Cane beetles were eating all of the suga r cane. But unfortunately this didn’t work because the Cane Toads didn’t eat the Cane Beetles. Do you think that Cane Toad

affected anything else? Why and How? Lesson Phase: Enhancing

Step 3: Instruct students to complete Activity Two.

Step 4:

Read aloud a paragraph at a time only page 4 to start with. Do not select students in advance. Call upon next student as the previous one has finished reading. Use comprehension style questions as moving through each section to ensure students have gained the appropriate information. Pause after each paragraph and guide students in highlighting important information.

Questions

What are the some of the ways that introduced species ended up here in Australia?

Why are they threats to native animals?


Step 5:

Instruct students to complete Activity Three. Once they have finished they can cut around the pages and glue them into their unit books.


Step 6: Instruct students that once they are finished they can put away their materials and come and sit at the front of the classroom. Facilitate a guided discussion about the material students were just presented with. Did they learn anything new? What did they

find interesting?


Monitor students with special needs to assist with activities if needed.


Lesson Evaluation: Lesson Objectives:

1. Define introduced species. 2. Define native species.

3. Describe the difference between native species and introduced species. Almost all students were able to define introduced species and native species, however this was facilitated by a group discussion at

the beginning of the lesson. Almost all students were also able to differentiate between native and introduced species.

Lesson Delivery: I believe the delivery of this lesson went well. I believe I used the website effectively during the orientating phase of the lesson and then I also used it as a motivation at the end of the lesson for students to pack up their belongings and return to the front of

classroom. Students really enjoyed choosing different introduced species from the website. I called upon students individua lly to first choose and introduced animal and then read out the information that accompanied that animal.

Self as Teacher: I believe that I now understand how important it is be know the content of what you are teaching. During this prac I do not believe

that I have known my content inside and out for all of the KLAs I have been teaching. If you are not really familiar with the content it is quite difficult to relay the information to students. I never really realised how much work and effort needs to go into p reparing

lessons and materials for students. Now I am aware of this and will endeavour to be as prepared as I can be through research of material and content knowledge and considering students learning needs and learning styles when preparing handouts.


This afternoon, you directed a whole class lesson on introduced species. We discussed over-using highlighting and the need for information to be explained so that children can really understand it. Unfortunately the part of your lesson using projected material


was not able to happen due to technical issues but you knew the content and adapted well without showing any distress. Well done!!

Another good day, Jo, showing the growth you have made over the past two and a half weeks. Please keep up the pace, momentum and effort for the next couple of days so you gain the maximum out of this prac. Remember the children do echo your

energy levels!

Lesson Title: Protecting Endangered Species



At the end of this lesson students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to: 1. Understand and explain what protecting endangered species means.

2. Understand and explain what people can do to help endangered animals. 3. Complete a checklist using do and don’t in relation to what they can do to help endangered animals.

Resources:

YouTube clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6CAOSKdt48

Endangered animals information sheet 6 x 20

What can we do to help checklist handout x 20

Laminated numbat profile x 6


Step 1:

Instruct students to come and sit at the front of the classroom. Present students with profile of the Numbat. Handout laminated profile x 6 for students to share. Whilst students are looking at profiles take adjective cards from transition off of the w hiteboard.

Numbat profile

NAME: Numbat – Banded anteater

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myrmecobius fasciatus

KIND OF ANIMAL: Marsupial

HABITAT: Dry regions across southern Australian. Eucalypt forests and woodlands that have an open understory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6CAOSKdt48


APPEARENCE: Red and brown fur

ENDANGERMENT STATUS: Endangered

THREATS: Habitat loss and introduced species predators

PROTECTION: Control of introduced species and preserving numbat’s habitat.


Step 2:

Instruct students to go to their desks and take out their unit books, pencils, rubbers, scissors, glue and rulers. Handout e ndangered animals information sheet – protecting endangered species.

Step 3: Read aloud a paragraph at a time. Do not select students in advance. Call upon next student as the previous one has finishe d

reading. Use comprehension style questions as moving through each section to ensure students have gained the appropriate information. Pause after each paragraph and guide students to highlight important information.

Questions

Are threatened species only found here in Australia?

Where else are they found?

What can we do to help endangered animals?

Step 4:

Instruct students to cut out and paste their sheet into their unit book, put their rubbish in the bin, leave their unit books open on their desks and come and sit at the front of the classroom.

Step 5: Play YouTube clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6CAOSKdt48 (Stop at 3mins 30 secs)

Pause video at key points and ask students questions.

Questions

What do numbats eat? - termites

Why was the number of numbats dropping? – foxes were killing them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6CAOSKdt48


What did people do to stop the number of numbats dropping? – 1980s number of numbats down to 300, fox control through special poisoning that only killed introduced species.

What did people do to help the number of numbats increase? – brought 15 numbats into the area for breeding in a natural habitat.

Step 6: Facilitate group discussion about which of the numbats animal needs were not being met. Remind students of animal needs if

needed (food, shelter, water, love and air) Questions

What are animals needs? – food, water, shelter, love and air

Which of the numbats needs were being threatened? – food, shelter, increase in predators.

How were these needs being threatened? – foxes (introduced species), food not enough and shelter lack of space as numbats like large areas.


Step 7:

Instruct students to return to their desks and handout the how can we help checklist and instruct students to complete it. By writing do or don’t in front of the statements.

Step 8: Give students five minutes to complete checklist and then call upon

individual students to read out statements. Ask the rest of the class if they agree or disagree and why they feel this way.



Lesson Evaluation:

Lesson Objectives: Lesson Delivery:


Self as Teacher:
