Teacher Resources

Cornish 1st Grade Science Research Project

Living Things: Animals of Our World

Introduction: This three week science and research unit requires 1st students to investigate and analyze (1) traits; (2) needs; and (3) life cycles of living things; (4) similarities and differences between varied organisms; (5) Students will choose and read informational science texts in order to identify and answer questions about the resources on the life cycle of plants and (6) create a product that demonstrates their learning.

Students enter 1st grade with some assumptions about living things. They often have a strong affinity for animals but their level of prior knowledge varies widely. This unit enables students to investigate the animal kingdom in an organized format and asks them to identify basic needs of all living things and determine predictable life stages that all living things experience. They learn to ask questions about life cycles and use those question to gather information about the life cycle of an animal of their choice.

The unit includes 11 lessons to be done daily or as students complete the tasks. The research component takes an additional 5 days and the project presentation preparation may require another 5 days, excluding actual presentation time.

Science Standards Addressed: Maine Learning Results - Grades Pre-K-2
A. Classifying Life Forms - Students will understand there are similarities within the diversity of all living things. Students will be able to:

Lesson	Whole Class Components	Differentiated Components
Lesson 1 Pre assessment, Introduction, & Survey	10 pre-assessment questions Creation of living things/nonliving things brainstorm list - Venn diagram (living, non-, once living) Student survey of animals that interest students	Independent or partner work - write or draw ideas, regroup as whole class.
Lesson 2 Where do animals live?	Review, introduction of task picture sort - collection of images, packets of 20 each that students sort according to criteria of types of habitat (dessert, oceans, forests, plains, tropical)	Work with partners, individually or in teams to sort images and then make a presentation to whole class with a (1) list of reasons reasons for sorting cards as they did; (2) summarize reasons for identifying different habitats; (3) predict types of animals that will live in the different habitats Whole class determines best way to present collected information (graph, poster, charts, etc.) - divide responsibilities, implement.
Lesson 3 Investigation: where animals live and why	Review, introduction of task - provide books at different reading levels that convey key concepts about habitats for students to read and gather information - record ideas to present to class. Build on information charted from lesson 2.	Shared reading, buddy reading, audio tapes of text. Jigsaw - teams of students review and then present information to whole class. (1) Chart the different habitats; (2) Compare the different habitats in terms of temperature, flora, and water; (3) Is there a habitat that is not included? Describe it and what animals live there. Students document findings through choice of labeled sketches, journal entries (alphasmarts, written, audio recording, dictation)

Lesson	Whole Class Components	Differentiated Components
Lesson 7 Who lives in this house?	Discussion of types of habitats. What types of “homes” do animals make that live there? Homes for insect, reptiles, birds, mammals, amphibians, etc. that live in the same habitat. Collections of images of animals dwellings for students to sort.	Work with partners, individually or in teams to sort images and then make a presentation to whole class to defend reasons for sorting cards as they did. Conduct research - books, Internet with mentors, interview “expert,” audio tapes, etc. Questions: (1) How would you identify the homes that each of the 5 groups of animals live in?; (2) Compare and explain the different purposes of the “homes” of animals (how do they use their house?); (3) Summaries traits of the five animal groups for each habitat. Whole class determines best way to present collected information (graph, poster, charts, etc.) - divide responsibilities, implement. Whole class discussion - teacher records ideas, reasons on chart paper.
Lesson 8 Life cycle of animals	Using leveled books, multiple copies Review, introduction of task - provide books at different reading levels that convey key concepts about life cycles of different types of animals.	Shared reading, buddy reading, audio tapes of text. Jigsaw - teams of students review and then present information to whole class (1) Identify the life stages of a butterfly, grasshopper, mammal, frog, snake, robin; (2) Compare/contrast the life cycles of each animal group and timeline of each; (3) Summarize the phases of the life cycle of animals. What do they all have in common? What are the reasons for the differences? Students document findings through sketches, journal entries (alphasmarts, written, audio recording, dictation).

Lesson	Whole Class Components	Differentiated Components
Lesson 9 How does an animal change over time?	Discussion of types of life cycles - Ask: What examples can you give of different life cycles? Using available resources, have student collect information to determine how different animals change through their life cycle.	Whole class discussion - teacher records ideas, reasons on chart paper. Individuals, teams, partners jigsaw, read to gather information and answer: (1) list the different stages of three different animal’s life cycle - insect, snake, human; (2) explain the benefits/problems of each life cycle; (3) explain why different animals benefit from different life cycles in the same habitat.
Lesson 10 How do animals protect themselves?	Brainstorm how animals might protect themselves. Who or what do they need protection from? Use sets of images and other materials for student investigation - through observation of traits of examples of animal self-protection.	Work with partners, individually or in teams to sort images and then make a presentation to whole class to defend reasons for sorting cards as they did (1) Describe the ways animals protect themselves; (2) Do different groups of animals use the same sort of protection? e.g. - Why would the same sort of protection be effective for an insect and a mammal? (3) How did animals learn the different ways to protect themselves? How does an animal learn about camouflage or or other methods? Class determines method to present collected information (graph, poster, charts, etc.), implement.

Lesson	Whole Class Components	Differentiated Components
Lesson 11 Differences in living things	Using leveled books, multiple copies of materials, etc. Review, introduction of task - provide books at different reading levels that convey information on size, shape and structure of animals various animals for students to read and gather information - record ideas to present to class.	Shared reading, buddy reading, audio tapes of text, images. Jigsaw - teams of students review and then present information to whole class. (1) organize a list of 10 animals from largest to smallest; (2) classify a groups of 10 different animals according to their body covering; (3) Do some animals have different types of covering on different parts of their body? Why would that be? Does it mean that certain animal groups are related or something else? What? Students document findings through sketches, journal entries (alphasmarts, written, audio recording, dictation)
Pre and post assessment questions: Draw and label three things that nonliving. Draw and label three things that are living but not animals. Draw and label three things that are living animals. Draw and label the home of a robin. Draw and label the home of an elephant. Draw and label the home of a dragonfly. Draw and label the food of a robin. Draw and label the food of a dragonfly. Draw and label the way a frog protects itself. Draw and label two ways a Monarch caterpillar protects itself.

Student Interest Survey

Draw three of your favorite animals. Draw and label one in each box. Explain why you would like to know more about each animal.

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Research Project: Student will choose one animal that they want to know more about. They will use classroom resources, library, Internet, “experts,” and other resources to gather and record information. Following the rubric and working with mentors, they will complete a research project and complete the research form assigned.

Animal Research
product	points	process
title page	5	name of animal, students name, date and school, mentor
text	30	answer research questions about the life cycle of animal including: life cycle, habitat, food sources, physical characteristics
resources	5	bibliography - classroom format
animal and habitat illustration	30	observational, careful, detailed and colorful
text format	15	FCAs: complete sentences, capitals and ending punctuation, corrected spelling
presentation	15	Present project to class and one other group (parents, another class, visitors, video, etc.) The project may be presented to in the form of a puppet play, slide show, poster, etc.