Objective:

To create a poster that teaches about shells.

Materials:

field trip to shell shop
posters
crayons
markers
reference books about shells
computer with Internet access, bookmarked sites
rubric for oral presentation
students can also use a computer program, such as AppleWorks, Student Writing Center, Microsoft word to design, edit and print out a computer-generated poster

Procedure:

1.  Arrange a field trip to a local shell shop. An example would be The Shell Man in Key Largo.

2.  Upon return from the field trip create groups of four students and assign them a geographical region to study. Examples would be: Californian, Boreal, Mediterranean, Transatlantic, etc.

3.  Assign each student a role: researcher, artist, recorder, presenter.

4.  Discuss role descriptions:          Artist chooses shell for group to learn about and draws a picture for the poster,          Researcher locates information about shell.          Recorder writes information found about the habitat, eating habits, color and size of shell.          Presenter gives oral report to classmates about poster.

5. Allow class time for investigation of shells.  Students should use resource books and computer.

6. Presenter gives oral report to classmates.  Teacher creates oral presentation rubric using web site.

Evaluation:

Teacher creates and uses an oral presentation rubric using the Rubistar web site.

Extension:

Students can present their posters over the closed circuit television so the entire school would benefit from their research.
Students can also have a "Shell Night" and invite their parents and siblings to school to showcase their research.

Home Learning:

Students write a paragraph about their shell. It should include the name of the shell, its habitat, eating habits, color and size. The class set of paragraphs could then be bound into a book and presented to the school library for school use.

Web sites:

The following web sites provide teachers and students the opportunity to view pictures of various shells. The shells are for sale or trade, but the sites can be used as information sites without purchasing anything. 

California Shells excellent information and photos of shells from California

Primoyre Sea learn more about bivalve mollusks

Mediterranean Shells information about shells in the Mediterranean Sea