Owls4Kids


 * Tamara Stevenson**
 * Project 2: OWLS for Grades 2 and 5**


 * Grade 2 **


 * I have chosen Owls as a topic for the second grade unit as a step towards the Owl Pellet unit that takes place in the fifth grade. The activities that I have chosen will pull from their own knowledge of owls and their experiences that they may have had. They will have the opportunity to explore the many species of owls and eventually choose a species to research. They will learn about the physical features of an owl, its habits, its habitats, and they will be able to choose “fantastic facts” that they think are interesting to share about their owl. Since this is a second grade class that has had little experience in inquiry based lessons, this unit will be closely controlled with discussion along the way regarding the process they are going through to come to their product. This goes along well with the listed Indiana State Standards and the Information Literacy Standards that I have chosen. **


 * // Indiana //****// State //****// Science Standards: //**
 * 2.3.4 Investigate by observing and then describe how animals and plants sometimes cause changes in their surroundings. **
 * 2.4.1 Observe and identify different external features of plants and animals and describe how these features help them live in different environments. **
 * 2.4.2 Observe and describe how animals may use plants, or even other animals, for shelter and nesting. **
 * 2.4.3 Observe and explain that plants and animals both need to take in water, animals need to take in food, and plants need light. **
 * 2.4.4 Recognize and explain that living things are found almost everywhere in the world and that there are somewhat different kinds in different places. **
 * 2.4.5 Recognize and explain that materials in nature, such as grass, twigs, sticks, and leaves, can be recycled and used again, sometimes in different forms, such as in birds’ nests. **
 * // Information Literacy Standards: //**
 * 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning. **
 * 1.4.2 Use interaction with and feedback from teachers and peers to guide own inquiry process. **


 * Below, you will find the lesson plan and activities for the second grade unit and a rubric that will allow the teacher to assess the students’ progress. Note that the students will have the assistance of the teacher, a volunteer, or one of their “buddies” from an upper grade. The students will not be left on their own in this project. There are 5 activities included in this unit that may be spread over 4-5 days or more, at the discretion of the teacher. The goal of this second grade unit is to spark an interest in students in this area of science, further igniting an interest to allow them to continue their inquiry. The unit will begin with motivating questions and the reading of “Owl Moon” to spark their interest. Continuing, the students will move on to web pages that contain information that with help, they will be able to gather the information needed to answer their questions. Their artwork, a drawing of their chosen owl, will be included in a classroom book that depicts each of the owls studied in this unit. As an added bonus, the fifth activity will introduce them to the formation of owl pellets, provide the Kidwings’ site for them to explore and prepare them for the continuing unit in the fifth grade.**


 * Lesson Plans for Owl Unit **
 * Grade 2 **


 * Purpose:** Introduce the student to owls, their habitats, diet, calls, and their place in our environment.

SmartBoard (opt.) Computer Writing Paper Pencil Chalk Art Paper //Owl Moon// by Jane Yolen Websites listed under Resources
 * Materials**:


 * //Activity One Lesson Plan//**:

Discussion starting questions: Have you ever heard owls at night? Were you afraid? What did they sound like? What do they look like? What do they eat? Why are they usually heard at night? Make a chart listing what the students know about owls. Make a chart listing questions that they might have.
 * //Motivation/Create a List//:**

1.Read //Owl Moon// by Jane Yolen. Discuss the story and allow student to share their own experiences. Return to //Motivation// exercise and add to list. 2. Explain to students that they will be studying owls, what they look like, how they live, what they eat, and where they live. “We will be learning much more than is on our list. 3. Each student will then make a list of three questions on index cards that they might have about owls. 4. Collect these and share them with the class during Activity Three.
 * Procedure:**

Using SmartBoard technology or the computer lab go to:
 * //Activity Two://**

Lou’s Owl Page at http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/2016/ Review the many species of owls.

Visit The Owl Pages at http://www.owlpages.com/ to further explore various species of owls, their and listen to their calls.

With the help of paraprofessionals, volunteers, parents, or “buddies” from upper grades, allow each student to choose an owl that they would like to research. Use The Owl Pages at http://www.owlpages.com/ for information about species, calls, habitats, etc. Students should answer the following questions.
 * //Activity Three://**

What does your owl look like? What does it eat? Where does it live? What is special about your owl? Find at least 2 “fantastic facts” about your owl.

Share classroom developed questions on index cards from Activity One to spark interest.

Students will then draw a picture of their owl using chalk. A paragraph containing four new pieces of information about their owl will accompany it and each student’s work will be compiled into a classroom book.
 * //Activity Four://**

Discuss the diets of an owl and explain in general terms the process of digestion and the formation of an owl pellet. Watch an owl pellet being formed! http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/pelletform/index.htm Go to Kidwing’s and allow the students to participate in the virtual dissection of an owl pellet using SmartBoard technology or their personal computers at http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/
 * //Activity Five://**

//Owl Moon// by Jane Yolen The Owl Pages http://www.owlpages.com/ Lou’s Owl Page http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/2016/ Kidwing’s [|http://www.kidwings.com]
 * Resources:**

Rubric for: Owl Research Project Name Grade 2 8 points possible 4-My paragraph had 6 new facts about owls. 3-My paragraph had 4-5 new facts about owls. 2-My paragraph had 2-3 new facts about owls. 1-My paragraph had 1 new fact about owls. 4-I did my personal best on the drawing and coloring of my owl. 3-I did my best on my drawing, but didn’t color it completely. 2-I did well on my drawing but could have spent more time with it. 1-I rushed through my drawing. It’s not my personal best. _/8 Total Points Letter Grade


 * Grade 5 **
 * The fifth grade unit is a continuation, of sort, from the unit presented to the second graders which simply gave them a taste of the world of owls and its possibilities. Though I don’t expect them to retain a great deal of their knowledge from three years prior, I feel that this knowledge will act as a springboard and valuable background for the fifth grade unit. This inquiry will be somewhat guided at this grade level, though they will be able to choose their own presentation to share their newly found information, including open inquiry questions that they have created. This unit will be more in-depth and will require more research on a particular owl. Activity one, past the initial lesson, will continue for a few days, at the discretion of the teacher and depending on the depth of the questions created. Activity Two involves the presentation of the students’ information to classmates. Activity Three introduces the students to owl pellets, their formation, and dissection through virtual methods. Finally, Activity Four is a culminating activity that allows the students to dissect and investigate owl pellets in the science lab setting in a hands-on activity.**


 * Indiana **** State **** Science Standards: **
 * 5.4.5 Explain how changes in an organism’s habitat are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful. **
 * 5.4.7 Explain that living things, such as plants and animals, differ in their characteristics, and that sometimes these differences can give members of these groups an advantage in surviving and reproducing. **
 * Information Literacy Standards: **
 * 1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions. **
 * 1.4.1 Monitor own information-seeking processes for effectiveness and progress, and adapt as necessary. **
 * 2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful. **
 * 2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information. **
 * Lesson Plan for Owl Unit **
 * Grade 5 **


 * Purpose:** Introduce students to owls of various regions in the US and the idea that energy is passed from one organism to the next in a food chain, using dissection of an owl pellet.

Research Notes for Owls Sheet http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/pdfs/owl_actsheet.pdf Websites listed under Resources Owl Pellet Dissection Kits and Tools SmartBoard Computer Owl Pellet Booklet Evaluation Rubric
 * Materials:**


 * //__Activity One Lesson Plan:__//**

Owl Research Note Sheet Computer or SmartBoard Technology
 * Materials:**

Many students may recall their “owl experience” in Grade 2. Discussion starting questions: What do you know about owls? Where are they found? Which owls are found in our area? What species are you familiar with? What are “owl habits”? What are “owl habitats”? Where are owls in the food chain? Chart this list of knowledge and create a list of questions.
 * Motivation/ Create KWL Chart:**

1. Introduce students to The Owl Page at http://www.owlpages.com/ via SmartBoard technology. Explore as a class the many areas of this site that will provide information to them in their owl research. 2. Explain that each student will choose an owl, completing the Owl Research Note Sheet listed under materials. 3. Encourage them to create and answer three of their own questions that they might have about their owl. Give examples: //How will global warming eventually affect my owl?// //Has the population of my owl changed over the past 50 years and why?// //Does the expected lifespan of an owl in the wild differ from that of an owl in captivity?// 4. Once the students are comfortable with creating inquiry questions, go to the Hotlist website on the SmartBoard. Explain how to access and utilize its contents. 5. Discuss the presentation that is required that will showcase their choice of owl and their information. A visual will be necessary in the form of a poster, PowerPoint or method of their choice. Note: This activity may continue for a few days, at the discretion of the instructional specialist, in order for the student to create inquiries, retrieve information, and create their presentation.
 * Procedure:**

Presentations-Students will present their newly found information to the class. Prior knowledge of the food chain from previous text lessons will be reviewed and owl pellets formation will be discussed using the Kidwing’s website on the SmartBoard. Introduce the bones that will typically be found in a pellet and demonstrate the assembly of these bones with the student’s assistance. The student’s will have the opportunity to conduct the virtual pellet dissection on their own at their own computers. This unit will culminate with the actual dissection of an owl pellet in the science lab. Allow the students to view the video found on the Kidwing’s website, showing the proper steps and procedures to follow in the dissection. Provide each with an Owl Pellet Instructional Materials where they will identify their findings and finally mount the bones on the proper page representing the animal found in the pellet.
 * //__Activity Two:__//**
 * //__Activity Three:__//**
 * //__Activity Four:__//**

The Owl Page http://www.owlpages.com/
 * Resources:**

Hotlist for Owls and Owl Pellets http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listowlpellta.html

Owl Pellet Instructional Materials http://www.kidwings.com/teacher/owlpellets/index.htm

Research Notes for Owls Sheet http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/pdfs/owl_actsheet.pdf

_

= Evaluation Owl Research and Presentation = = = = *Accuracy of the Facts = = *Spelling and Grammar = = *Presentation = = = = 4-Excellent 3-Good 2-Satisfactory 1-Needs Improvement = = = = Categories: = = = = Accuracy of the Facts Found- = = 4. All content throughout the presentation is accurate. No factual errors. = = 3. Most of the content is accurate but there is one piece of information that is clearly flawed or inaccurrate. = = 2.The content is generally accurate, but one piece of information is clearly flawed or inaccruate. = = 1. Content is typically confusing or contains many factual errors. = = = = Spelling, Grammar, and Content- = = 4. Visual has no misspellings. It has complete sentences with correct capitalization and punctuation. It has very well organized thoughts that flow together. = = 3. Visual has 1-2 misspellings, and mostly has complete sentences with proper capitalization and punctuation. The writing has well-organized thoughts that flow together. = = 2. Visual has some errors in writing. Some sentences are incomplete or over 3 misspellings. Information looks to be somewhat organized. = = 1. Visual has many errors in writing that include more than two grammatical and/or spelling errors. The writing has incomplete sentences and unorganized information. = = = = Presentation- = = 4. Creative way of presenting information. Speaker is enjoyable to hear and presentation is well planned. 3.Presentation is well planned, but is not well presented. = = 2.Presentation lacks effective delivery and is difficult to understand. = = 1. Presenter doen't speak clearly and doesn't seem to know what to say. = = ______________________/12 Points Possible _________________Letter Grade = = = = = = = = = = =


 * Information Inquiry Skill **
 * Students ask questions beginning with “how” and “why” as well as “who” and “what.” They reflect on their findings and generate additional questions in a continuous quest for deeper understanding. (Harada and Yoshina, 2004). This provides a starting point for students in their quest for more knowledge. By providing an introduction to a topic at second grade level and allowing them to “get their feet wet”, so to speak, students have an interest sparked, along with tools that will provide knowledge and background for later inquiries and experiences. Further, Callison (2006), explains that the purpose of scaffolding is to help the learner reach higher tasks than can be performed at the base level. Through this type of controlled and guided learning students can learn to find information and even create their own inquiry, building on the knowledge that they already have. They are supported by their instructional specialists and peers to build inquiry skills that they will later take out into the world to use as problem solving skills in their everyday life or careers. Stripling and Hughes-Hassell (2003) state that inquiry is much more than simply following a process. It is an essence of teaching and learning that places students at the heart of learning by empowering them to follow their sense of wonder into new discoveries and insights about the way the world works.**


 * Lesson Comparison **
 * These two lessons, though three years apart, will play an important part in the development of essential inquiry skills and the scaffolding that is needed in order for them to be meaningful. The second grade lesson is highly controlled and requires the assistance of the instructional specialist, paraprofessionals, parent volunteers, or older students who are able to assist the learner. I hesitated at first, in heavily relying upon and including website resources, but realized that students of this grade level are very capable of making determination about the information they would like to include in their projects. Assistance is necessary to help with reading difficulties, interpretations, and maneuvering through some of the sites. The fifth grade learners, however, will have no problem with the Hotlist and even venturing out into different resources if they see the need.**


 * The second grade lesson focuses on gathering information and compiling each of the students’ findings in to a class book that might be donated into the library for others to share. The requirements aren’t stringent, yet give the second graders experience in creating a product from their gathered information. In this unit, they have, possibly for the first time, an opportunity to create their own questions, and share information that they think is critical in the description of their owl. Again, I hesitated in deciding whether or not this age group would handle research on one specific owl instead of owls in general. I opted for the specific owl as I wanted them to understand that there was a vast community of owls, and that like people, owls are different as well. The fifth grade unit allows the students to create an expanded array of information and present it as he or she so chooses, while satisfying the requirement listed on the rubric. At this point, fifth graders have had much more experience in various inquiry skills and are willing to be more creative and individualize their products and presentations. I am often amazed at what they are able to produce.**


 * As student information scientists, both grade levels develop enhanced skills and experience in asking questions, finding information, and reporting their findings. The information literacy standards at the second grade level provide support for the students to draw upon past knowledge and interact with teachers and peers to guide own inquiry process. The information literacy standards for the fifth graders support the students’ ability to find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources; monitor their information-seeking processes for effectiveness; organize their newly found knowledge; and use technology and other information tools to organize that information.**
 * The listed science standards at both levels heighten the students’ awareness of how life depends upon life to continue and that life has certain needs and process that must be met and accomplished for their ensured survival. These required standards are addressed quite well through these units.**


 * Callison, D. & Preddy, L. (2006). //The Blue Book on Information Age Inquiry, Instruction and Literacy. //Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. **
 * Stripling, B.K. & Hughes-Hassell, S. (2003). //Curriculum Connections through the Library.// Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. **
 * Harada, V.H. & Yoshina, J.M. (2004). ****// Inquiry Learning through Librarian-Teacher Partnerships. //**** Worthington ****, OH **** : Linworth. **