I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Habitats

Essential Question:

What happens when we do not respect and care for all living things?

Bridge:

A Place for My Favorite Animal

Content:

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To enhance awareness of how humans love and enjoy animals.

Activity: Have the students make a mask of their favorite animal. Have them bring it and tell the group about their animal- especially whys/he is their favorite. (Can be a specific animal or category.)

Assessment:Interest of the children in the activity, and in the relationship and experience each has with animals.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To examine the criteria for good animal care.

Activity: In small groups have the children list things we do for our animal friends that show we are about them. Have the small groups come together and make a composite list.
For Home School, have the child interview two other people, children or adults, who have pets and create the same kind of list.

Assessment: The completeness of the list: food, cleanliness, grooming, habitat

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To visualize an ideal place for a favorite animal.

Activity: Have the children draw a picture of the place their animal friend likes the best, where s/he is comfortable and happy.

Assessment: The quality of the details and the accuracy of the information

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: To understand and enjoy the book

Activity: Read Song of the Swallows.

Assessment: Attentiveness and understanding on the part of the children.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: To elicit from the children the details of the story.

Activity: Ask the following questions and let the children find the answers in the book:
What time of year do the swallows leave?
What time of year do they return?
In the story how did Juan prepare for their return?
What did Juan hope would happen in his own garden?
Tell three things Julian, the gardener, taught Juan.

Assessment: Accuracy of the answers.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: To find out more about the swallows of San Juan Capistrano and to learn to use the World Wide Web to do research.

Activity: Have children use the Web to research the Swallows of San Juan Capistrano, find pictures of swallows and take a virtual flight with the Swallows of Capistrano from the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (8 seconds long)

Assessment: Success of the research measured in terms of: accurate information, accompanying visuals, additional information over and above that given in the story and impact of the information on fellow students.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: To share learning with fellow students.

Activity: Students will share their research with each other. Home School: children will share their research with another member of the family or a friend.

Assessment: Ability to keep the listener interested and quality of the presentation measured in terms of material chose, accuracy, visuals and liveliness of the presentation

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To have the children sum up their learning in terms of care of the animals we love.

Activity: Have the children don their animal masks (made at the beginning of the unit) and assuming the role of their favorite animal, say three things about how they need to be cared for.

Assessment: Truth and honesty of their statements.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: