MINI LESSON: Creative Science Research Writing

Creative Science Research Writing

Overview:

Students will use research skills to discover the characteristics and habitat of a specific animal. Students will use what they learn to decide where their animal would most likely go on vacation.

Objectives:

• I can use research skills to find out about the characteristics and habitat of a specific animal.
• I can create a post from scratch describing where my animal would be most likely to go on vacation based on what I know about its characteristics and preferred habitat.

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7

Vocabulary:

• Habitat
• Characteristics

Materials:

• One to one devices
• Individual student posts

Lesson Outline:

• Part One: Define Terms & Assign Animals

• Define the terms “characteristics” and “habitat” with your students.

• Assign each student a specific animal and have them search the characteristics (webbed feet, flat teeth, etc.) as well as the habitat of their animal. Students can use http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/ or any site(s) you prefer to research their animal.

• Part Two: Research

• Give students a certain amount of time to find the information they need regarding their animal. They can write it down on a piece of paper or keep the page open so that they have that information available when they begin to write.

• Part Three: Writing

• Once the time is up, have students create a post from scratch using an image of the animal they were assigned (can be found at photosforclass.com). Students will use what they have learned to write a post about where their animal would most likely go on a vacation, based on their characteristics and habitat.

Enrichment/Extensions:

• Have students read and comment on the posts of their classmates. (Commenting Resources)
• Have students create an additional section explaining where their animal would be least likely to go on a vacation.

Accommodations:

• Use the Description area when creating an Idea to provide step-by-step instructions or links to instructional references (ie skill videos, visual aids, etc).
• Use the audio tool to record instructions when creating an Idea. You can read the Idea and Idea Description text out loud so students can listen and replay them as needed.
• Modify the lesson to include small groups and be sure to follow provided personalized accommodations based upon any student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP).