Citizens For the New Zoo

ByChristian RuizAlicia Hawari

Kristen Conley

Issues and Problems with Language Arts

• Literacy is a process of continuously learning how to be literate• As new technology emerge, so does the need for new literacy • Teachers need to instruct students to value the context of visual

images• Some argue the QWERTY keyboard is essential for students

while others disagree• Teachers should give students the enjoyment and pride of

sometimes being their teachers’ teachers• Students with English as their second language need additional

instruction in literacy• The more students read, the better developed their language

and writing skills become

Issues and Problems with Language Arts

• Students have the right to:o Skilled teacherso A literacy curriculum o Assessment practices in literacyo Opportunities to learn safe and responsible use of

information and communication technologieso Equal access to technology

Issues and Problems in Science Instruction

• Four major ways technology is utilized in science classrooms:o As a productivity toolo Communicating ideas and informationo Investigating with technological toolso Creating knowledge products

• America faces a growing crisis in leadership for much-needed science/technology/engineering/mathematics initiatives

• All citizens must be scientifically literate in order to be informed about the future decisions of this country

• the discipline on the part of the teacher • Teaching science of understanding becomes difficult due to the

lack of deep understanding of

Issues and Problems in Science Instruction

• Technology can play a special role in improving classroom practice by teaching scientific inquiry, the process of approaching problems scientifically

• This new emphasis is not without controversy. Students taught through direct instruction rather than inquiry or discovery learning methods are more likely on average to become “experts” in designing scientific experiments

Technology Integration Strategies- Relevant Advantage

Without technology, this lesson would be much more difficult to perform because students would have to probably borrow a book from the library to conduct their animal research. The library sources would be limited, and a trip to the library would probably take up a class period in itself; therefore, the Internet information would be much faster to access. Also, when the students draw out their habitat using their researched information, the visual aspect of it will allow concepts to be made more concrete. Finally, when students type up their persuasive letters, the typing practice will help students prepare for future education.

Special Considerations for Students with Disabilities and Gifted Students

Pair students with weak computer skills, with a more experienced partner. Students with disabilities can be offered assistive devices or software. Assist students who are having trouble using the internet search engine. Allow students who are having trouble typing their letter to leave it hand written.

Assessment Issues

Since this project is completed in partners, it may be difficult to assess each student individually. Also, some students may have trouble getting up in front of the class to present their animal, which according to the rubric, would impact their grade, even if their actual project is without errors.

Overview of lesson

• The task: Students have been appointed to a committee, “Citizens of the School Zoo”, responsible for researching the needs and habitat of an animal and making recommendations for including it in an imaginary zoo.

The procedure

• Students will work in pairs and choose an animal to research.

• They will be directed to 2 websites: http://www.kidsclick.org

and

http://yahooligans.com

Students will search for the following information:

• Physical characteristics (size, color, hair, feathers, etc.)

• Habitat information (What environment is it best suited for)

• Diet of the animal

• Any other important facts.

• Students write down this information on their notebook paper.

Drawing the habitats

• The students will draw out the ideal habitats for their animals using paper and colored pencils. This can be done during the students’ art period.

Writing a letter

Students will write out a persuasive letter to the class (one letter per pair of students) This letter should be outlined as follows:

• First paragraph should include the name of the animal and it’s characteristics.

• Second paragraph should include the dietary information for the animal (what kind of food, how much, how often, etc.).

• Third paragraph should include a description of the natural habitat and how the zoo can accommodate it.

• The last paragraph should describe why the animal should be included in the zoo (give at least three reasons why).

• The letter should be typed on word processing software for final revisions.

The presentation

• Each pair of students will go up in front of the class to present their animal. One student will read the persuasive letter, and the other student will share their ideal zoo habitat.