Lesson Two: Where? Oh! Where? Are the Animals?

Instructional Objectives:

• Students will learn how to research for animal reports (online and off- line) by collecting facts 

and seeing pictures from various web sites (Encarta and Yahooligans) and teacher selected animal/habitat books. 

• Students will practice their computer skills using Kid Pix or a like program.

Estimated time: Approximately four, twenty minute sessions.

Materials:  

          Preset: Collect and read to students several Jan Brett picture story books and content books, 

especially those which match the current course of study, ie. Selected animals and habitats of study.

Select several student appropriate content animals books for individual student research.

Computer bookmarked and opened to the Encarta Encyclopedia Site and the Yahooligans Site.

Students are divided into two or more groups. All students are rotated in pairs/groups to work on the 

classroom computers (Kid Pix program or ClarisWorks), while the rest of the class works on hand illustrated 

and written reports. These writing times are four times a week for twenty minutes each.

Students who learned the Kid Pix Studio Deluxe program become the peer-teachers and taught other students.

Computer pairs are usually peer-teacher with a less expert computer learner.

Materials:

Books/Magazines:

National Geographic Magazine shows the earth's biome diversity as regular featured articles. 

Troll Book Club and Scholastic Book Club offers many of the soft covered books by Jan Brett 

and other creative picture book authors. These companies also offer animal content books at varying 

reading levels to support young readers.

Zoo Books are colorful and content-rich books about animals.

Web Sites:

http://encarta.msn.com

This web site, an extension of Encarta Encyclopedia, is a great starting place for animal and Biome facts.

http://studyweb.com/

This site is an extensive search engine for students and teachers. Put in any topic and you will be there.

http://www.yahooligans.com

This is the children’s version of the search directory Yahoo!

http://www.yahooligans.com

 http://www.richmond.edu/~ed344/webunits/biomes 

This site has excellent pictures of all biomes, and lessons that were created by other teachers and 

students as part of the University of Richmond's study.

Vocabulary: Encyclopedias sites, URLs and Internet addresses, book marking sites, search bar, 

search engine, and “back” button.

Procedure:

·        Whole group for the first general teacher directed lessons. Have the program open and running.

·        Point out the URL address position at the top of the screen. Tell student that this “address” tells 

the computer where to go to find information.

·        Point out where favorite sites can be bookmarked. Students are shown the Encarta site and the 

Yahooligan site.

·        Students browse the page and help the teacher read the animal facts.

·        Students vote to download several favorite animal pages for use in report writing later in the unit. 

Post these on the classroom bulletin boards.

·        Students view the new site and continue looking for animals and animal facts.

·        Students will then practice researching their own animals on these sites by using the teacher 

bookmarked sites.

·        Students are divided into two or more groups.

·        All students are rotated in pairs/groups to work on the classroom computers while the rest 

of the class works on reading content books about animals and their Biomes.

·        Student complete their "animal facts and drawing" sheet.

Math Animal Graph                              Animal Puppets

Activities:

• Students use some animal math facts to add to the classroom’s math charts and graphs and 

create math story problems.

• Students can download a puppet from the net and they can be used in the retelling of simple 

plays or reader theater productions.

• Students help each other read Jan Brett picture books.

• Teacher made template worksheet C for animal facts and animal picture drawing.

Follow-up:

Students complete teacher made Worksheet C, a template for animal facts and animal drawings.

Students can read their animal facts on line and off line to each other.

Students can take their animal facts home to read to their families.

Check out classroom and/or library Jan Brett books and animal books to read at home.