Lesson 1 – Researching Animal Life in The Ocean Utilizing Various Literacy Resources: (Four sessions)

Objectives:

1. To have students explore additional specific environmental issues related to the survival of animal life in the ocean.
2. To have students become aware of various research media such as literary books, encyclopedias, Computer software, and the Internet.
3. To have students develop skills in using various site research resources such as the class library, the school library, the public library, and the Internet.

Materials:

·        Literary books related to sea-life/ocean animals in the classroom library.

·        Literary books related to sea-life/ocean animals in the school library.

·        Literary books related to sea-life/ocean animals in the public library.

·        Internet Web-sites related to sea-life/ocean animals.

·        Computer software with ocean sea-life themes.

·        Computer(s) with Internet access.

Procedures:

Session 1 – Classroom Resources

·        Introduce types of sea-life theme related books about mammals, predators, the coastline, and the coral reef, etc.

·        Introduce various places where books and references can be found – the class library, the school library, public libraries and the Internet Web-sites.

·        Allow students to take turns to:

·        Search on the Internet for Web-sites that provide book titles related to sea-life/environment issues.

·        Explore the classroom library for sea-life related books.

·        Have students start to create a list of books found in the class library and on the Internet.

Session 2 – School Library Resources

·        Visit the school library to search and borrow sea-life/ocean animals related books.

·        Share and discuss books and materials students found and borrowed from the school library.

Session 3 – Local Public Library Resources

·        Visit a local public library:

·        Arrange for the librarian to explain book-search methods/systems used in the library and rules of using the library, and how to operate the computer search machine in the library.

·        Arrange for the librarian to introduce some specific sea-life related non-fiction books/authors and to provide a book list.

·        Allow students to obtain library cards and borrow books and videotapes they found useful.

·        Share and discuss books and materials students found and borrowed from the public library.

Session 4 – Sharing/Summarizing the Experience

·        Discuss and share the book search experience in various settings.

·        Conduct a mini-lesson on how to use the “Bibliography” feature of the “Student Writing Center” software to record the list of books and materials found (see attached example.)

·        Divide students into four groups.  Each group will compile and organize books respectively from the four different resource sites – the class library, the school library, the public library, and the Internet.

·        Allow students in each group to take turns recording their perspective book listings in a bibliography format using the Student Writing Center software.

Competency/Evaluation:

·        Students will be able to utilize research resources in different locations.

·        Students will have an array of reference books and Internet sites to conduct the sea-life/environment study.

·        Students will learn what a “bibliography” is and what the format looks like.

·        Students will become familiar with using the Student Writing Center’s “Bibliography” feature.

·        Students will have compiled several listings of books found from different sources.