SCIENCE PROJECT: ANIMAL HABITATS, ADAPTATION & SURVIVAL

 

To see the letter to parents about our animal project, click on the following link

LETTER TO PARENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Here's how we started with this unit:

 

 

 The students formed groups of 3 or 4 members.   

 

 

 

 

Each group chose an animal that they would like to raise and observe.

See the groups below.

Students	Animals
Johnson, Kyle, Samuel, Tim	ouni ant
Andrew, Edan, Johnny	guppies (fish)
Joanne, Kevin, Danny	crab – changed to turtle
Amber, Angela, Cherry	pudding mice
Rosita, Eva, Ella	rice mice
Nana, Amanda, Vince, Jamy	tadpoles (frogs)
Jasmine, William, Vincent, JLin	shrimp
Alston, Jacky, Mandy	rabbits

 

 

 

 

      

 



Then the students worked to write a group work contract as a class.   They also decided on the jobs that they need in their groups, including the tasks for each job.  Writing the contract and deciding on jobs and the tasks took three periods of class time. 

 

The Group Work Contract

 

(to be uploaded) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, the students planned on how they would build the habitat of their chosen animals. Mrs. Chen provided them the timetable for the different parts of the project.

The tasks

 

Activities	Schedule
A.       Students will research about their group’s chosen animal.	April 19-24
B.       Each group will build the mini-habitat of their group animal, replicating its natural habitat	April 25-26 (Thursday-Friday)
C.       The students will decide on the focus (driving question) of their project. Ex. The tadpole group will study the life cycle of frogs	April 27-May 02
D.       The groups will set up their animal in the replicated habitat Mrs. Chen must approve when the animal can be brought to the classroom.  It’s important for the students to learn how to take care of their chosen animal so Activities A and B must be finished first in order to get to Activity D.	April 27-May 02 (This is the period that the students will bring their animal to its habitat in the classroom.
E.        The groups will observe and keep a journal on how their animals are doing in its replicated habitat.	From the set up date to May 30
F.       The groups will prepare a presentation and a poster or booklet to talk about their habitat and their animal.	May 13-24 presentation week

 

 

 

 

 



Students deliberated on what they wanted to learn about their animals.  These are the DRIVING QUESTIONS to which our students will try to find answers

 

Check out the driving questions our students created in learning this unit.

 

 

(to be uploaded) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The students started a journal, recording everything that they've observed and done including expenses. 

 

Here are examples of beginning journal entries by some of the groups.