Teacher Information Page
By Susan Crawford
My 6th grade reading class was reading the book Stranded, by Ben Mikaelsen who also came to speak at our school on an author’s visit. Since so many of my students were interested in whales and dolphins we did a lot of preliminary preparation for the book. We found pictures of various sea animals, hung the pictures in the room, and also developed a brief chart, which explained some of the differences and similarities. In addition, we also created mobiles of whales to be used when Mr. Mikaelsen visited our library. While we used very bright neon colors for our whales, the children still enjoyed seeing the different shapes.
I would use this Treasure Hunt to expand my student’s knowledge of whales and dolphins so they would appreciate the size and complexity of the animals.
Learners
These are 6th graders who would be using this hunt in Reading Enrichment class. Many of these students have never seen these animals close up and personal. Since so many sites have some sounds and virtual pictures, I hope that this would provide a new perspective on sea creatures. I decided on both simple and more complex questions since I have students with such wide spread abilities.
Resources
These students would need to have access to a computer with Internet connection and printers. Since this might present a problem for some, I would need to have access to a computer lab, which could accommodate an entire class.
Standards
New York Standards
#1 – Language for Information and Understanding
#3 - Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Technology Standards
#1 – Basic Operations and Concepts
#3 – Technology Productivity Tools
#6 – Technology Problem-solving and Decision-making Tools
Process
Students will meet during class time in a computer lab. They will be given instructions prior to this class. Students will have to print out answer sheets and work at their own computer stations. Following this lesson, answer sheets will be turned in for grading and returned with a discussion following.
Evaluation
Students will be assessed in computer lab with regard to how they use their time. Also, answer sheets will be corrected and returned.
Credits and References
Picture of whale taken from Corel Gallery software. Sites that were used were: