Bats

One of the many things I miss about teaching is the opportunity to be creative.  (I know, it seems that the powers that be are doing their very best to take this away from teachers. Sad.)

A friend asked me to sub in her third grade classroom for two consecutive days and allowed me to create a project for her students.

This is the result of the two days.

Students answered the question about whether or not they have ever seen a bat by stamping the bat stamp in the yes or no column on our survey.

They answered the first two question in their 'bat book' that is from http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/bats/ws12.htm.  They took a few minutes to talk about what they know and what they wanted to learn with their team.  

Then we read the book Bats by Gail Gibbons.  On chart paper we logged interesting facts as we read the book.  We discussed the diagram in her book.  We talked about the bat life cycle.  They completed the back page of their 'bat book' and set it aside for later.

Students drew the border line around the construction paper edge using a ruler.

On a separate piece of paper students drew the (1) life cycle of a brown bat and labeled it.

My example shows the little brown bat life cycle from www.kidzone.ws as I didn't have time to draw it.

(Just so you know, ahead of time I cut paper for all of the learning I wanted presented on the poster.  I've done these before where spaces were bordered for learning presentation and some students have a tough time recreating the spaces they see.  As I was short on time I thought the paper would help with spacing and it also created some fun.  There's just something about pockets and little books and folding paper.) 

They folded the life cycle paper in thirds and applied glue to the middle section on the back.  It was glued in the bottom right corner.  I stressed getting it close to the border lines but not covering up the border lines.

Next they drew a (2) diagram of the parts of a bat and labeled it.  It was glued next to the life cycle.

 

The 'bat book' presented a problem as it could not be glued to the poster without losing information or taking up too much space (and some of it upside down!).  A pocket was created to hold the book.  I think this might have been the highlight of the poster.

Using a rectangle, the ends were folded under.  Glue was put on the folded under part and along the bottom of the paper (under the folded part, too).  The (3) pocket was placed on the poster next to the diagram.  I'm sorry I don't have a picture illustrating making the pocket.

 

During math time the students completed the Bat Wing Span book.  I had hoped we would have time to survey students about myths (http://www.bats4kids.org/) and feelings about bats to create data for graphs and to analyze, but there wasn't time.

I created the book using Publisher.  The wing span chart was created in Excel using data I found on various websites.

If you don't know how to make a little book, I found this video to help.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmPZlFBR6I8

We completed the (4) book and added it to our poster. 

 

During Science time we review what we read earlier by reading and talking about the following website.  http://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id=45&art_nm=Bats

In writing we started a paragraph about what we have learned about bats.

The next day we started off with the book Stellaluna by Janell Cannon. 

As we read we logged differences between bats and birds.    Using a venn diagram from math-aids.com (I added clip art of a bat and a bird) students compared and contrasted birds and bats.  The (6) venn diagram was ready to be added to the poster.  On my example we waited until we had the facts and opinions done and then added all three to the poster.  

The little 'matchbooks' are a fun way to add  (5) facts and opinions to the poster.  Once again we were running short of time so I limited the facts to two and the opinions to two.

 

 

We added, reviewed, edited, and rewrote the (7) paragraph about what was learned to the piece of notebook paper custom cut to fit the space left on the poster.  For kids who like to write a lot, a second sheet was added and students were instructed to not write on the top line.  I used that as a glue line to attached the top (first page) and their writing was two pages, the top one flapped open.

 

 

Finally, the best part!   A chance to (8) illustrate a bat.  I didn't give them paper for this, it was done to the poster paper.

To finish the poster a (9) title and border was added.  Students who finished early could add an illustration of another bat on the pocket and fact/opinion matchbooks.

If we would have had more time I think it would be fun to write a story with a bat as a main character.  I read Bat Love the Night by Nicola Davies to the students.  This would be a great opportunity to work on descriptive words and adding voice to writing.

Book Project

Possible Common Core Standards:
RL.4.1
RL.4.4

I was given the opportunity to do a reading project with a class of fourth graders over the book Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume.  I had four days to complete it.  I would recommend more time.

As this classroom was technology challenged the project had to be something other than technology based.  (If I did this in a classroom with access to Publisher, I would complete the project using that program and possible some clip art or allow the students to illustrate by hand the story, scan and place the pictures on the board/cards.)

We used a piece of construction paper and drew small lines three inches from the edge all around the perimeter of the paper.  Then drew straight lines connecting all of the dots to create a 'frame' around the paper.  In one corner we designated the START box.  Because I wanted the boards to be somewhat different, I allowed the students to choose the size of their boxes.  No bigger than 3 x 3 (inches) and preferably no smaller than 2 x 3.  This caused a bit of a dilemma as we progressed through the book as some students had seven extra boxes.  After chapter four I visited with each student about his/her board.  We designated two squares for each chapter with an extra box here and there.  The students with extra boxes were directed to choose something from the story not already on the board to draw in the extra box. On my 'map' below I have one 'anything from story' box.

This is my 'map' of the project.  

As the book has ten chapters we needed a minimum of 20 squares on the board.  The middle of the board had the title of book and a place to put the two sets of cards that were a part of the game.  One set of cards were called 'Connection' cards.  The cards had a question to help the student make connection to a part of the story.  (A picture of our connection cards are included.  Keep reading.) The other cards were vocabulary cards.  As we read each chapter we picked out two to four words (depending on how much time we had) from the chapter to put on cards.  We also looked up a definition or thought of a definition that fit the word for the story.  I kept a list of the vocabulary terms and definitions to make a master list.  Each game board was given a vocabulary master list to help with disputes when playing the game.

our vocabulary master list

Each box on the game board had a smaller C box, +V box, or -V box.  I gave the students specific instructions how the C, +V and -V boxes were to be colored as to create uniformity for that part of the game.  For example the C box had a yellow background with a red C in the middle.  Every C box on the game board was colored in this way.   The START box had a +V on it as each student starts the game with a vocabulary card.

start box example

examples of C, +V, -V

Students picked two events from each chapter to illustrate on their board.  Sometimes a sentence was added to the illustration.  Each chapter had two boxes.

I didn't have any method to deciding which boxes were given a C, +V or -V.  I tried to have more +V because the vocabulary cards are the key to 'winning' the game.   I used the C boxes the least.

Each game board needs two tokens and a number cube.  (1-6)  We kept the number of players per game board limited to three.  Two is best.

Each student put his/her token on start.  Determine who is going first.  The first person rolls and counts the number of spaces.  The little box (C, +V, -V) tells the player what to do.

C  The player takes the top Connection card and reads it to the other player(s).  He/she answers the questions.  I do not require students to answer the questions if they feel uncomfortable answering the question.  They are allowed to say 'I don't have an answer to that question.'  Questions like the playground safety rules for school, 'would you like to have a turtle for a pet' or 'would you like to live in NYC' are expected to be answered.  I tried to come up with at least one question per chapter with students help.

our connection questions

+V The player takes a vocabulary card.  It will either be a term or a definition.  If it matches a card taken previously the student will want to 'protect' it.  We turned matches face down to 'protect' them.

-V  The player must return a vocabulary card to the bottom of the pile.  If the player has no cards, his/her turn is over.  If the player has matched pairs of vocabulary cards and no others, one pair must be broken as a card must be placed on the bottom of the vocabulary card pile.

 (A 'steal' option for vocabulary cards would be fun in the game, I haven't time to explore how to incorporate that into the game.)

When the vocabulary cards are all gone from the game board, the game stops.  Count the number of
vocabulary card matches.  Whoever has the most, wins.