Who Am I? Plant and Animal Life in a Pond
Summary
In this activity, students use questioning skills to ascertain which pond plant or animal they are. In previous lessons, students have visited the neighborhood pond, made observations, and become familiar with pond life. Now, students will help formulate the questions that will be used in the "Who Am I?" game and will determine their life form based on clues given by their classmates.
CollapseLearning Goals
This activity is designed for students to think critically about various pond life forms and come to a viable conclusion about their "identity". Students will use questioning skills to come to their conclusion. The concepts students are expected to learn during this lesson are: living things have many observable characteristics and can be sorted according to these characteristics. Key vocabulary words are: herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, migrate, hibernate. insect, reptile, amphibian.
Context for Use
- Approximately 24 second grade students
- Close proximity to a pond is a necessity because students will visit the pond approximately 6-8 times during the school year
- This lesson takes place at the end of a unit study on pond life and serves as an assessment
- This lesson would require about two 30-45 minute periods
- Close proximity to a pond is a necessity because students will visit the pond approximately 6-8 times during the school year
- This lesson takes place at the end of a unit study on pond life and serves as an assessment
- This lesson would require about two 30-45 minute periods
Description and Teaching Materials
Materials:
1. Song of the Water Boatman by Joyce Sidman (This is a book of poems on pond life forms. Also included are descriptions of the life forms.)
2. Postcards with images of the following pond dwellers: caddis fly, green darner, spring peeper, water boatman, painted turtle, great blue heron, red winged blackbird, diving beetle, wood duck, duck weed, cattails, Canada goose. At least two sets of each postcard should be made so that each student has one. The post cards will be laminated, hole punched, and strung with yarn, resembling a necklace.
3. Questioning sheet for each student
4. Clipboard and pencil for each student
5. Smartboard or white board
Activities:
Day 1 (45 min.)
1. Gather students together to read Song of the Water Boatman. Before reading the book, tell students to think about their visits to the pond during the school year. What life forms did they observe in and around the pond? List ideas on the message board. Tell students to watch for pond life forms as the book is read.
2. After reading the book, return to the list on the message board. Are there any plants or animals we should add?
3. Tell students they will be playing a game. They will help design the game. Describe the game: Each student will wear a postcard necklace depicting one plant or animal that lives in the pond. It will be worn around the back so they do not know which life form they have. They will ask a classmate a yes/no question that will give a clue about their identity. They may ask only 1 question of each student. They will continue to ask questions until they have determined their identity.
4. Have student move back to desks to Think/Pair/Share what type of questions could be asked. Examples: Am I an amphibian? Am I an herbivore? Do I fly? Do I hibernate?
5. List ideas on Smartboard. Use these ideas to develop the Questioning sheet for the "Who Am I?" game.
Day 2 (30 min.)
1. Review activities from previous day.
2. Hand out Questioning sheet and clipboard. Tell students this sheet was made based on the students' ideas. Review sheet and directions for the game. Tell students that when they get an answer from a classmate, they should check off yes or no for that question.
3. Remind students there is no peeking at their postcard! Put a postcard around the back of each student.
4. Begin the game.
5. When students think they have figured out who they are, collect their questioning sheet. Allow everybody to look at their postcard.
6. Ask students which questions they thought were most helpful. Why? Pond life images (Acrobat (PDF) 2.6MB Aug3 09) Pond life questioning sheet (Acrobat (PDF) 37kB Aug3 09)
1. Song of the Water Boatman by Joyce Sidman (This is a book of poems on pond life forms. Also included are descriptions of the life forms.)
2. Postcards with images of the following pond dwellers: caddis fly, green darner, spring peeper, water boatman, painted turtle, great blue heron, red winged blackbird, diving beetle, wood duck, duck weed, cattails, Canada goose. At least two sets of each postcard should be made so that each student has one. The post cards will be laminated, hole punched, and strung with yarn, resembling a necklace.
3. Questioning sheet for each student
4. Clipboard and pencil for each student
5. Smartboard or white board
Activities:
Day 1 (45 min.)
1. Gather students together to read Song of the Water Boatman. Before reading the book, tell students to think about their visits to the pond during the school year. What life forms did they observe in and around the pond? List ideas on the message board. Tell students to watch for pond life forms as the book is read.
2. After reading the book, return to the list on the message board. Are there any plants or animals we should add?
3. Tell students they will be playing a game. They will help design the game. Describe the game: Each student will wear a postcard necklace depicting one plant or animal that lives in the pond. It will be worn around the back so they do not know which life form they have. They will ask a classmate a yes/no question that will give a clue about their identity. They may ask only 1 question of each student. They will continue to ask questions until they have determined their identity.
4. Have student move back to desks to Think/Pair/Share what type of questions could be asked. Examples: Am I an amphibian? Am I an herbivore? Do I fly? Do I hibernate?
5. List ideas on Smartboard. Use these ideas to develop the Questioning sheet for the "Who Am I?" game.
Day 2 (30 min.)
1. Review activities from previous day.
2. Hand out Questioning sheet and clipboard. Tell students this sheet was made based on the students' ideas. Review sheet and directions for the game. Tell students that when they get an answer from a classmate, they should check off yes or no for that question.
3. Remind students there is no peeking at their postcard! Put a postcard around the back of each student.
4. Begin the game.
5. When students think they have figured out who they are, collect their questioning sheet. Allow everybody to look at their postcard.
6. Ask students which questions they thought were most helpful. Why? Pond life images (Acrobat (PDF) 2.6MB Aug3 09) Pond life questioning sheet (Acrobat (PDF) 37kB Aug3 09)
Teaching Notes and Tips
When developing the Questioning sheet, use student ideas, but also include any key questions that might have been missed. Postcard images are based on life forms we encounter at our pond and may need to be adapted for different ponds.
Assessment
Informal: observe students as they Think/Pair/Share
Formal: Questioning sheet
Formal: Questioning sheet
Standards
2.4.1.1.1 Life Science, Structure and Function in Living Systems. Living things are diverse with many different observable characteristics.