Brief Description

In this lesson 2nd graders will gather information about an endangered species, the Panda. After making a research web as a class, the class will work together to organize and write a research report about Pandas. This research report will then be posted on the website Project: TESAN – The Endangered Species and Nature, a collaborative project that posts and collects student work about endangered species from all over the world. The address is http://www.tesan.vuurwerk.nl/. This lesson is a modeling lesson intended to prepare students to write their own individual research reports.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 1T-F2. Demonstrate functional operation of technology components
• 1T-F3. Use developmentally appropriate technology resources to access information and communicate electronically
• 2T-F3. Use prescribed technology tools for publishing and presenting information
• 4T-F2. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative communication activities to share products with audiences inside and outside the classroom
• 5T-F1. Recognize electronic information sources

• 4SC-R3. Recognize and distinguish similarities and differences in diverse species
• 4SC-F3. Identify the basic structures and functions of plants and animals
• 4SC-F4. Identify characteristics of plants and animals (including extinct organisms) that allow them to live in specific

environments
• 4SC-E7. Explain and model the interaction and interdependence of living and non-living components within ecosystems, including the adaptation of plants and animals to their environment
• W-F1.  Use the writing process, including generating topics, drafting, revising ideas and editing, to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks
• W-F2.  Use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and word usage, and good penmanship to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks
• W-F5.  Locate, acknowledge and use several sources to write an informational report in their own words

Academic

After the teacher guides the students in gathering research information on the panda as a class, students will participate in and contribute to the writing of a class report on pandas. Each child must write sentences that could be used in the class report to accurately convey the information gathered.

Technological

Given a web address for information on pandas, students will type in the web address to access the site, type in the word pandas to perform a simple search, and then use the information that they access to complete a worksheet with questions about pandas with 80% accuracy.

Pre-Requisite Technology Skills

• Students must know how to keyboard and locate letters.
• Students must know how to log on to the computer and get on the Internet.
• Students must know how to type in a web address and access a website.
• Students must know how to perform a simple search of the website to locate information on the topic.

One copy of the Panda Research worksheet for each partnership of students
Large piece of chart paper to make class research web
Computer lab

Accommodations for Special Needs

A wide variety of materials will be available for students to use to locate information that will be used as a base for our class research on pandas. Students will work with both written and Internet information about the panda. Students will work whole group, in partners or with a parent volunteer and will be able to write the sentences about the information we gathered and/or record it into a tape recorder.

SEI and Learning Disabilities: Both SEI and students with Learning Disabilities will be paired with a partner who is a strong reader. These students will also have the opportunity to work with a parent volunteer for further assistance if needed.

ADHD/ADD: Break task into small parts and provide frequent feedback to ensure successful progress towards the completed poem.

REACH: Students will be required to use additional research books and to further search the web for more information about pandas. Also, because some of the information we are reading is written well above average 2nd grade level, I will target children who are above average readers to practice reading this information with fluency and then to read it using the microphone to the class.

1. Brainstorm with students what they already know about endangered animals… why they are endangered and what people can do to help them. Read several books about endangered animals to the class and further discuss the situation.
2. Using the classroom computer or a computer projection system to introduce the class to the website Project: TESAN- The Endangered Species and Nature at http://www.tesan.vuurwerk.nl/. Explain that as a class we are going to work together to create a report on the panda, one of the endangered species, to post to this collaborative site. Be sure as a teacher to follow the directions provided to register for the project.
3. Using above level readers to read the information to the class, begin to gather information on a class research web about pandas. When I did this I spread it over several days and used the book Jane Goodall’s Animal World: PANDAS.
4. To gather further information about pandas and to confirm what is already known from the book, take the class to the computer lab. Each student is assigned a partner with which they will share a computer and a worksheet. At least one strong reader is assigned to each partnership. The partners then access the website www.ZoomSchool.com. If they then scroll to the bottom of the page and type in the word pandas in the search box they will find a 2nd-3rd-grade research activity on pandas. They click on that activity and it takes them to a copy of the worksheet that they can do with online information. They click on the panda link and it takes them to the page with the panda information. They can then work with their partner to scan/read the information and answer the questions.
5. Compare the information gained online with the information gained from the book. Add to the web.
6. Model for students how to write an introduction to a research paper and work as a class to compose one for the panda paper (one day).
7. The next day, model how to take information from each leg of the web and turn it into sentences. Once I modeled the procedure I had students either write their sentence ideas on their whiteboards or on pieces of paper to be turned in and assessed. Continue this process for several days until the information you have gathered is all organized into paragraphs for the class report.
8. Model for students and work together to write a conclusion for the panda report.
9. Using the Six Traits of Writing reread the class report and decide on any changes or improvements that need to be made.
10. Assess the TESAN website and post class report to the web. Read any other reports on the panda and see how they compare to your own class report.
11. On the next computer lab visit allow the class to revisit the TESAN site to see if their report has been posted and to read other reports that interest them.

To assess the academic goal of converting research into paragraphs and sentences teacher will gather individual student work and evaluate it using the teacher created rubric or checklist.

• Rubric available at http://rubistar.4teachers.org/view_rubric.php3?id=814582
• Checklist available at http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org/view.php3?id=70896

Teacher Name: Joy Decker
Site: Walker
Date Submitted: May 10, 2003