Introduction+to+Plants+and+Animals

//__**Lesson #1:**__//

**__Grade Level: __** Kindergarten  __**Unit:**__ Plants and Animals  __**Assignment type:**__ Introduction to Plants and Animals, Review of Background Information  **__Lesson objectives:__**  **__Time required to complete this lesson:__  **
 * Student will understand key words that relate to the growth and habitat of plants and animals.
 * Student will be able to work together and cooperate in groups, be self-motivated in completing assignments and will improve their listening skills.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Student will understand the different types of animals and the habitats they live in (including indoor and outdoor) and the various items that are necessary for the animals to survive.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Students will be able to create their own flash cards based on the information that they have learned.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">2 class periods for students to recognize the difference between the animal species and plants (indoor vs. outdoor).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">2 class periods to review the various types of plants and animals and discuss what has previously been learned through group discussion/chart pad.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">1 hour to comprehend what flashcards are and what they are used for (including examples of flashcards)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">3-4 hours for students to collect facts about animals in general (or a particular animal or plant) to create flashcards with.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">2-3 hours to allow students to create thier online versions of their flashcards.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**__Title of lesson:__** <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 171.6%;">__//**This Isn't Hard! We can make flash cards!**//__ <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">


 * __Resources/materials needed:__**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Various issues of //Zoobooks// or utilize the website: www.zoobooks.com
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Use of Wikipedia or other encyclopedias to allow students to find facts about animals/plants.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Use of various non-fiction or fiction picture books about animals and plants such as (but no means limited to):
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Big Red Barn** by Margaret Brown
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?** by Bill Martin (Or any other books in this series)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Is Your Mama A Llama?** by Deborah Guarino <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Count Us In: A 1 to 10 Book** by Keith Potter & Ken Fulk
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Rumble in the Jungle** by Giles Andreae
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Kangaroos Have Joeys** by Philippa-Alys Browne
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Small Green Snake** by Libba Moore Gray
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Little Elephant's Song** by Wolfram Hanel
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Planting a Rainbow** by Lois Ehlert
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**From Seed to Plant** by Gail Gibbons
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Growing Vegetable Soup** by Lois Ehlert
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Garden Alphabet** by I. Wilner
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Chart pad/chalkboard to create student and teacher discussion. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Paper and pencil (to write down 8-10 facts about animals/plants)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Index cards and colored pencils or markers
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Access to IQFuse at www.iqfuse.com for students to create their own flash cards.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**__Description of lesson:__**

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Teacher will introduce unit through a variety of picture books (as mentioned above). Students should be able to identify key facts of both plants and animals to create a group discussion. The discussion will occur as an entire class and will consist of writing down key words or drawing images that represent both plants and animals and what is most important about them. This could include specific species (such as lion, tiger, frogs, dogs or cactus, flower, tree, etc) or be facts about either topic in general. Teacher will assess students through their understanding and recognition of these facts through the group discussion. Each student could take turns talking about a particular plant or animal and describing qualities about it. Students will then choose a plant or animal to further find facts on and collect 8-10 facts about it. Teacher will discuss what flashcards are, the importance of them and what they are used for. Students will then create their own flashcards based on the facts that they collected. These will first be created on index cards and written to the best of their ability. Once students have completed their 8-10 cards, they will use IQFuse to create online flashcards to study with.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">__**Assignment:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Main assignment is for students to create their own online flashcards based on the information they have collected through online resources or the picture books and discussion that occurred in class. Using <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"> IQFuse students will create their own online flashcards to study with. Students can create as many flashcards as they would like but are limited to the 8-10 that they collected earlier in the lesson. The flashcards that the students should create should look as follows (click on link to view): <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">These will allow students to study about their plant or animal at any time and makes it convenient to locate. Students will turn in their written flashcards as well as the link (web page) in which they created their online flashcards at. Students will be allotted class time to be able to create their online cards. Anything that may not be finished will have to be completed at home.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Study Cards on Leopards
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Study Cards on Palm Trees

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**__Technology used:__**

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">The online flashcards are a great way for students to be able to study important facts without the use of boring index cards! With the use of IQFuse students will be able to go back to their flashcards at anytime and create a profile so that they can create more than one set of flashcards for themselves to use. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">


 * __The technology used in this lesson changes the teaching / learning in this way:__**

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">In this lesson, the inclusion of technology makes learning important unexciting facts much more fun. Since students can create their own profile, they can go back to their flashcards, create a new set and even add more flashcards to previously created cards. Students understand the importance of flashcards (with index cards) and with the use of IQFuse students become familiar with the use of technology as well as understand the meaning behind the lesson. They learn about their animal or plant while being able to utilize the internet at the same time. Technology always enhances the students enthusiasm even if they are having to learn about a topic or unit that they might not be completely interested in.