Wordless Wednesday: Animal Classification in the Science Lab

Research on Walruses

   We started our walrus research by discussing our schema about walruses. I wrote down every "fact" that was shared and put under our schema. As we were reading, we would review our schema and move any incorrect information to the misconceptions section of our chart. We added information learned to the new learning section daily. We created a diagram of a walrus and discussed what the purpose of their parts are. We also created a walrus tree map with facts we learned.

   
Throughout the week, we worked on the tree map and facts part of our books. Then on Friday we finished the rest of the book and put it together. The fact we learned that almost every student wrote about was walruses look pink when their hot because their blood vessels expand until they are close to their skin surfaces. The students thought that was so cool! Here's a look at our All About Walruses books.

Oceans of Fun!

We reviewed animal characteristics and created a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast Great White Sharks with Orca Whales. Then students created their own.

We acted out Hungry Shark and practiced subtraction stories. Then we played a game with goldfish crackers where we spun the fish spinner to determine the number of goldfish we need and then spun the shark spinner to determine how many fish were eaten. Then we wrote the subtraction sentences.

We read In The Deep Blue Sea by Deanna Jump. We created a tree map of adjectives, nouns, and verbs from the story. Then students responded through writing by using the pattern from the story.

Farm Times!!!

We sorted farm animals by coverings.

We created a circle map of farm jobs.

We compared and contrasted sheeps and pigs.

We sorted pictures by producers and consumers.

Penguins

Some penguin fun we had this week:

We made a penguin brace map and discussed the parts and their functions of penguins.

We created a penguin tree map to show what we learned about penguins.

We conducted an experiment to see how penguin feathers keep out water and how their blubber keeps out cold. We put Vaseline on our hand and put it in the water. The water bubbled up where the Vaseline was. Then we put one hand in a blubber (Crisco) glove and one straight in the ice water. We experienced how their blubber keeps out the cold.

We read Tacky the Penguin. Then we illustrated a penguin and used cubes to measure how tall our penguin was. Then we made them into a class book.

We made penguin glyphs to collect data about our class. Then we used our glyphs and graphed the results and wrote about our data.

Nocturnal Animals

We learned about nocturnal and diurnal animals this week. We learned nocturnal animals are awake and feed at night and diurnal animals are awake and feed during the day. We sorted and predicted which animals we thought belong in each category. Then we read Where Are the Night Animals?  and checked our predictions. We illustrated on paper plates examples of diurnal and nocturnal animals. The students choose bats as their favorite nocturnal animal so we made bats using our hand prints. We did a shared/interactive writing piece where we talked to our partner and shared out what we learned this week. Then I wrote down what the students told me. When we came to a word wall word, students wrote those.

Animal Protection

We are learning about animal coverings and how they provide protection for them in the environment and from the weather. We went to the science lab to discover how fat keeps animals warm. We placed our hands in a fat mit. There was a plastic bag containing grease (fat) that sealed inside of another bag. We slipped our hand in and put it fat side down on top of ice and then hand side on top of ice. Then we compared the difference and recorded our discovery in our science journal.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Animal Needs

We have learned about animals needs and how they are very similar to the things people need to survive. We also learned about how the Earth provides for their needs. We played a survival game, where we pretended to be animals. We had to find food, water, and get in a chair (shelter) to stay in the game. After each round, we took away some of the food/water/shelter to show what happens to animals when people come in and change animals' habitats.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Animal Creations

This week we've been learning about animal needs and how the Earth provides for their needs as well as ours. On Friday, we went to the science lab and observed all the animals. Then we created and illustrated our own new animals in our science journal and showed their shelter, food, and water. The students were really creative! We had a kangafly (kangaroo and butterfly) and spidaturtle (spider and turtle). Below I've included pictures of our animals, the students working in their journals, and some of their creations.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Animal Needs

This week we are learning about animal needs. We have learned that animals need most of the same things people do. The way their needs are met is different though. On Monday, we made a graph of pets students in our class have. Then we analyzed our data. We also discussed how our pets are dependent upon us to help meet their needs. We compared/contrasted the way we take care of our pets with the way our parents take care of us.