Establishing a Capital City on Michigan Island
Students
had been introduced to Michigan human characteristics in lessons on bridges,
maps, and lighthouses that included special purpose maps to help students make
connections between the locations of these human characteristics, as well as
their tie to natural characteristics.
Students had also studied push and pull factors, and why people move in
or out of an area, with a focus upon movement within, in or out of
Michigan.
With this project entitled "Michigan Island," heavily adapted from C. Kendrick's "Mystery Island," students now have the opportunity to apply what they've learned throughout this unit. Students are required to decide where establish a capital city of an island based upon various features of a special purpose map that they are given every day. At the time of this lesson, they had been working with special purpose maps locating lakes and rivers, roads and railroads, and mining and forests. This day, they will identify how the location of human characteristics impacts where they should place their capital city, and discuss how these factors became pushes and pulls in their decision.
With this project entitled "Michigan Island," heavily adapted from C. Kendrick's "Mystery Island," students now have the opportunity to apply what they've learned throughout this unit. Students are required to decide where establish a capital city of an island based upon various features of a special purpose map that they are given every day. At the time of this lesson, they had been working with special purpose maps locating lakes and rivers, roads and railroads, and mining and forests. This day, they will identify how the location of human characteristics impacts where they should place their capital city, and discuss how these factors became pushes and pulls in their decision.
orrin_michigan_island_wrap-up.pdf | |
File Size: | 224 kb |
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orrin_michigan_island_worksheets.pdf | |
File Size: | 3058 kb |
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Animal Adaptations: Camouflage Study
At the time of this lesson, the students had been working extensively with identifying animal adaptations, and the various reasons that animals need to adapt to survive in their environments.
They recognized camouflage as an animal adaptation, but were surprised to find out how many different kinds of camouflage there are. They could recognize some of the different kinds of camouflage when prompted and supported, but in order for them to internalize these different kinds of camouflage, and apply their knowledge themselves, I felt it appropriate to give them an opportunity to do so. They will make a connection between seeing the National Geographic camouflage examples and recognizing camouflage, to being able to produce the camouflage through coloring an animal to adapt in a given environment.
They recognized camouflage as an animal adaptation, but were surprised to find out how many different kinds of camouflage there are. They could recognize some of the different kinds of camouflage when prompted and supported, but in order for them to internalize these different kinds of camouflage, and apply their knowledge themselves, I felt it appropriate to give them an opportunity to do so. They will make a connection between seeing the National Geographic camouflage examples and recognizing camouflage, to being able to produce the camouflage through coloring an animal to adapt in a given environment.
orrin_camouflage_study.pdf | |
File Size: | 670 kb |
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Celery Stalk experimentation
This lesson took place in the beginning of a unit on plants. When interviewed, the students demonstrated prior knowledge that plants need air, water and energy from the sun to grow and survive in their environments. The third grade level content expectations state that students need to add to this knowledge of plants, and understand the function of roots, stems, leaves, and flowers.
To introduce the students to an inquiry-based approach, I designed a unit in which the students would have to perform experiments and observe the function of the parts before given explicit explanation or definition. This experiment involved them contributing to experiment set-up with the scientific process, making detailed observations, discussing patterns and synthesizing these patterns to come up with their own explanations, and finally comparing their initial thoughts with the scientific explanations. This lesson involved the beginning part of this process, introducing students to the function of plant stems.
To introduce the students to an inquiry-based approach, I designed a unit in which the students would have to perform experiments and observe the function of the parts before given explicit explanation or definition. This experiment involved them contributing to experiment set-up with the scientific process, making detailed observations, discussing patterns and synthesizing these patterns to come up with their own explanations, and finally comparing their initial thoughts with the scientific explanations. This lesson involved the beginning part of this process, introducing students to the function of plant stems.
orrin.celerystalkexperimentation.pdf | |
File Size: | 195 kb |
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