Science and Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors by Joyce Sidman & Prange, B. and Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story by Thomas Yezerski.

Lesson Plan: Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors by Sidman, Joyce, & Prange, B. and Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story by Thomas Yezerski. 

Teacher: Science teacher or Art teacher

Subject Area: Biology or Art

Grade: Elementary school

California State Standard:

http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/sciencestnd.pdf

Investigation and Experimentation

Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Observe common objects by using the five senses.

b. Describe the properties of common objects.

c. Describe the relative position of objects by using one reference (e.g., above or below).

d. Compare and sort common objects by one physical attribute (e.g., color, shape, texture, size, weight).

e. Communicate observations orally and through drawings.

Name of lesson: Investigating species

Overview:

Investigating animal and plant life

Objectives:

Student classify objects and to a sense sharing

Students do a field study and journal (with rubbings) of key findings

Students research an animal and create their own book of art, poetry, and facts

Description:

Students open their eyes to the living things around them by making a field study journal and a creative informational book on a species.

Time needed for lesson:

120 minutes

Procedure:

Lesson one

Teacher reads Ubiquitous and Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story. Discussion is centered animals and the environment. Students talk about what they find interesting in the books. To get a perspective of the Earth's timeline, students can reenact the timeline in Ubiquitous by bringing to life in in the classroom. The teacher measures out 46 meters of string and allows students to add cards to label the key events and walk along the time line to get an idea of the time span. Different colored string can be tied together to represent the different geologic periods.

Lesson two

Go on a nature walk! Students go on a nature walk with journals, sketchbooks, magnifying glasses, and binoculars. The teacher discusses what naturalists do and reminds them to quietly observe nature by drawing and taking notes. Ask them to record what they see and to use the descriptive names to look those three animals or plants. Younger students can make rubbings or prints of leaves and texture for later identification in their field journal.

Lesson three

Students collect nonliving objects to bring back to share with the class to classify the objects and for a sensory experience of the objects.

Lesson four

Students choose one animal or plant to create an informational or artistic mini- book. Students are encouraged to think about the characteristics of the species and to make a riddle or poem about it.

Closure:

Teacher and students make a glossary of related terms and useful vocabulary.

Students discuss the environment and personal findings 

Materials:
Journals and sketchbooks
Crayons
Magnifying glasses
Recycled Paper
String
Pencils, pens, pastels, watercolors, etc.
Paper bags

Student evaluation:

Did the student participate in the nature walk?

Did the student participate in the sense sharing experience?

Did the student complete field study journal and creative book?

Extension of lesson:
Following the cue of Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story, students go to a local natural area and create their own conservationist movement by picking up trash. Students can create their own environmental fliers for homework. This is recommended for an older class. 

Sidman, Joyce, & Prange, B. (2010). Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors. Boston [Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 0618717196.