The kindergarteners, first and second graders have been busy doing research about polar region animals. The kindergarteners learned about four different kinds of penguins. First graders learned about polar bears. Second graders learned about a variety of arctic animals.
First, I shared the signed copy of the book, One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo with the
kindergarteners. While a small group of students learned about a penguin, the
rest of the class was able to practice sight words and math skills with penguin
themed activities. Life-sized penguins
took over the media center so students were able to get a better idea of the
actual size of these “proper” birds. They
were able to use nonstandard measurement to compare the height of the five
types of penguins displayed. Students loved doing yoga with Pedro the Penguin. After
groups of 4-5 students learned about one penguin, using PebbleGo, they typed what they learned in an Animoto. Some students displayed what they learned
beside the life-sized penguin. Students also labeled a penguin. Thanks to Kindergarten Crayons.
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| Letter Match/Alphabetical Order -Cricut Create a Critter |
Polar bears were the topic for the first graders. First we talked about the Super 3 research
process. For the planning step, they used an ARE, CAN, HAVE graphic organizer to
take notes. Students used the links on
the K-2 Symbaloo that I created for them, PebbleGo, and information that we
learned from the book Knut: How OneLittle Polar Bear Captivated the World by by Craig Hatkoff and others. Some students were able to dig a little
deeper using QR codes to find the answers to questions about polar bears. Look for the Polar Bear QR Code Webquest at Emily Gibbons Teachers Pay Teachers store. While students used their notes to do a report, one student at a time
experimented with blubber. One sentence
from the completed reports was chosen for the student to type into an Animoto
video. Some students will present their
information in a ChatterPix. The
students viewed the presentations and we discussed what we learned and how we
felt about each presentation. The review concluded our Super 3
process. Students were excited to tell
their teachers what they learned.
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| Polar Bear at NC Zoo |
The second graders learned about some interesting animals in
arctic regions. Using library books,
magazines, links from our K-2 Symbaloo. Students
found as much information as possible to share with the class. We did the same experiment as the first
graders. It was “cool” to see how
blubber keeps the arctic animals warm.
One second grade class used the ARE, CAN, HAVE graphic organizer, while
one class used a graphic organizer by Tiffany Reed, that required them to explain the anatomy
(size, color, and appearance), habitat, diet, and interesting facts. Some students used Animoto or Chatter Pix to
present their information. Others will
present their information with a lapbook.
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| Blubber Experiment |
