Activity 3B: Plant or Animal Research

Overview

Students research a local aquatic animal, document their findings, create a detailed paper sculpture based on their research, and present their work to classmates and guests, showcasing their understanding of the creature’s characteristics and habitat.

Activity Type
Game, Hands-On

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Class Time
140 minutes

Level
Grade 1

Focus Questions

  • How can we find out more about one creature?

Enduring Understandings

  • Plants and animals can be sorted into groups based on different characteristics.
  • People use the plants and animals of the seas and rivers in different ways.

Engage

20 minutes

Read a nonfiction book about a local sea or freshwater creature. Model your enthusiasm and excitement for learning about a local animal. Then, take time to brainstorm marine and aquatic animals that the class might observe on their upcoming field trip to the beach, river or lake. Ask children to think about an animal they would like to research. They will become the class expert on that animal, and after they complete their research they will teach their classmates about the animal. On a class list, record the animal each student has chosen. Remind students that scientists learn by reading, writing, and researching about information that is interesting and useful to them.

Explore

30 Minutes

Display a large variety of books, posters, and other visual images in the classroom. Students will use the books and posters, the Internet, guest biologists, and local knowledge to research their local marine or aquatic animal. Include questions for research on glue-in organizers for the students’ science notebooks, which may include the following:
•    Name of animal.
•    What does it eat?
•    Where does it live?
•    How does it move?
•    How does it get food?
•    How does it protect itself?
•    Something it does that few other animals can do.
•    Use five words to describe it.
•    Tell who uses it and how it is used.

Explain

30 minutes

Ask each student to draw a picture of their animal in their science notebook. They will organize their information from resources to document their thinking and create a research area in the science notebook that they can later share with others. To prepare for sharing information, children might also make a small puppet on a brown paper bag to show a visual image of the animal.
Structure the order of student presentations so that animals from the same group (mammals, invertebrates, etc.) are together. After a group of researchers have presented information encourage children to talk about how these animals are connected. What characteristics, similarities, or differences help us to classify them? Refer back to the class chart from Activity 2C and expand it or make a new one to include marine mammals, fish, and other kinds of animals presented. Support children to make connections to prior experiences, use of resources and their own information that they’ve gathered.

Elaborate

2x 30 Minute sessions

Tell students about the culminating celebration and choose one child to describe their particular creature. Then, with the whole class participating, help that child to imagine and describe how they would make a large size paper sculpture of the animal. Discuss the idea with students – “if I was to make this creature, what would I need? How would I begin?”
 
Model the creation of the sculpture.
Use large paper and a picture to support observational drawing.
One step at a time, show students how to:
1. Draw the form of the animal.
2. Cut out the animal on the lines.
3. Staple paper so there are two sides together, with just a couple of staples.
4. Paint or use markers to draw details (eyes, gills, fins, wings, etc.).
5. Staple carefully all around, leaving one gap to stuff the creature.
6. Stuff by putting newsprint into the gap, then staple it closed.

Have students spread out in the room, or have students work in teams to create one sculpture per small group at a time. Students will use the information from their marine/aquatic animal research to create the sculpture. Encourage children to talk about the specific characteristics of their animal; number of legs, shape of body, use of appendages, etc. The plan that students make is important since this will be the information that is used to inform guests and others of research.

Students will present the finished sculpture first to the class or in small groups. Students can describe the process and how they decided what details to include. This is practice for the information they will give to visitors, guests and scientists that come for the final celebration! Discuss how the sculptures are similar to the real animal or plant, and how they are different. What new details did students learn about their animal or plant as they made their sculptures?

Hang the sculptures with fishing line, make them into a mobiles, or just use them to display the forms of creatures for others to see. Students will explain their research and visual details of their creature to guest, family members and others.

Evaluate

Evaluate through observations of student work and science notebooks, and use a child-created rubric for evaluation of sculpture and presentation of information.

Teacher Needs

Teacher Prep

 

Read through the investigation and the Teacher Background section. Do research and gather information about local marine/aquatic plants and animals.
Acquire and organize books and materials. Make up examples of a large animal sculpture , a wheel book , and a riddle to show students.

Materials List

 

  • Alphabet books to share with children for models
  • 12 X 18 pieces of paper
  • laminator
  • spiral binding or 3 rings
  • drawing and coloring materials (colored pencils, crayons)
  • Books, field guides and/or posters showing local marine/aquatic plants and animals
  • Science notebooks
  • High Tide, Low Tide glue-in Image
  • Large rolls or sheets of paper (variety of colors) and newsprint or newspaper
  • Staplers, scissors, markers
  • Room to manipulate tools and paper
  • Construction paper
  • Template and directions for the wheel book
  • Brads
  • Tag board and circle template
  • “Everything Grows” book and/or song
  • Life-cycle pictures to cut out Image
  • A book about tides

Student Needs

Prior Knowledge

Students should know the ABCs, and have some prior experience with a class research project. They should be able to work with large paper and use tools for cutting and stapling. They will need to know how to use a paper fastener (brad).

Vocabulary

adult, answer, clues, cut, details, developing, draw, information, larva, life cycle, paint, research, riddle,staple, stuff, tide

Names of local plants and animals and their features. 

 

Standards

Science GLEs Addressed

A1, A2, C2, G3

Ocean Literacy Principles

  • The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.