Download Penguin Research Project CCGPS: ELAGSE4W7

Penguin Research Project
CCGPS:
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ELAGSE4W7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through
investigation of different aspects of a topic.
 ELAGSE4W8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant
information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information,
and provide a list of sources.
 ELAGSE4W6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology,
including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and
collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to
type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.
Essential Question: What are the physical and emotional characteristics of penguins?
By the end of the lesson, students will…
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Have conducted and completed research pertaining to the penguins
Created a research journal to collect their information
Create a digital presentation of their choice to showcase their research information
Present their findings to the group
Materials:
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Digital device for research and digital project
Internet Access
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft Sway
“Penguin Research Project” purchased from Precious Things on Teachers Pay
Teachers
**This project will take a minimum of 2 weeks to complete.**
Opening:
**This project is based on the reading of “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” by Richard and
Florence Atwater. The book can be read either before the project, during the duration of
the project or after the project is finished. **
Group Discussion:
Penguin Research Project
Don’t tell the students what the project will be about, introduce them to by showing the
trailer for “March of the Penguins” by National Geographic Films.
After the trailer has finished, ask students what they think this research project will be
about. Once the students have discovered the research topic, start by creating a KWL chart
using Microsoft OneNote (You can do this in the collaboration sections of your class
OneNote). Allow students time to reflect, engage with others and create a substantial
KWL chart.
Talk with students about what they saw in the trailer for “March of the Penguins” and ask
about what specific things they saw that intrigued them. Tell them that is a project about
an animal that a lot of people do not know a lot of information about. They need to find
some way to connect with the animal because it will make the project that much more
special.
During:(including differentiation)
After you have introduced the project, you are ready to get into the meat and bones of the
work. In your class OneNote, create a tab that can be the “home base” for all the student’s
work. I called it “Penguin Research Project” and it is where all there information will be
housed.
Start by showing the students the way the information in the Penguin Research Pack is
organized. All of the information is put into 5 color categories (red, green, light green,
purple, yellow and pink). Each section has a different topic (family, physical attributes,
food, hunting. Etc) that they deal with. Break students into groups of 4 (no more than 4 in
a group) and let them choose which area they will be working on. Create a chart using
your Promethean or SmartBoard that will help students keep track of what they are
working on. You can also transfer this chart to their OneNote so they have access to it at
home as well.
Students will be given a questions set for each color and the information can be found in
the “penguins” of that color. As students work through the information you need to also
ask them to find 3 facts that are not included in the prepopulated information that could be
relevant to penguins. (Students have chosen things like finding videos on the dynamics of
how penguins swim or showing how penguins can use different sounds to communicate)
Differentiation:
Penguin Research Project
**This project was originally done with a special education resource group in pull out
setting.**
1. Since students are working in groups, the groups need to have a dynamic flow so
that not all the gifted, EIP, or SPED students are singled out into a single group.
2. The OneNote Learning Tools allow struggling readers to access the information
with the penguin cards and have to material read to them. For students with
occupational therapy needs, there is also a dictation tool where they can dictate their
answers rather than having to type or ink the information into the recording sheets.
3. Some students will require a reduced assignment; this project does have many
pieces to it. For those students, you can block out specific questions and penguin
cards and have them target only the information you would like access too.
Sway Presentations:
For this project, students have been working in groups to collect and organize their data
but there needs to be an individual element in it as well. In order to include this, each
student needs to take the information that they have collected with their group in OneNote
and turn it into an individual Sway. Sway allows the students wto showcase tehri learning
in a way that represents them but still hold the group element of research. Here are the
attributes that each of the student Sways should include:
1. Presentation must have AT LEAST 5 points of information from each penguin card
set.
2. Presentations must include a variety of multimedia – pictures, videos, graphs, charts,
etc. They must site where they found their multimedia and include it in the
presentation.
3. Student must have a variety of “cards” in their Sway. May not just be text, heading
and picture cards.
4. Presentation must be AT LEAST 3-4 minutes in length.
5. Presentations must include a slide sighting their sources.
Closing:
After students have finished their research and Sway presentation, they must present as
both a group and individually.
Group Presentations:
Penguin Research Project
Each group must present to the class how they organized their information in the OneNote
and how they effective communicated and shared the work for the project. They must
state how they found their 3 outside facts and how they determined what would be used
and what wouldn’t. They must present and discuss problems they had to deal with over
the course of the project and how they worked as a group to find solutions. They must
show an organized research OneNote and a showcase how they worked as a team.
Individual Presentations:
After each group had completed the group presentation piece, each member may present
their individual Sways and showcase their learning. Each student should have a minimum
presentation length of 3 minutes and no more than 8 minutes.
After Project Completion:
After the students have finished the project, we always have a movie day where students
bring in “artic” inspired treats and snack and we watch “March of the Penguins.”
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their ability to work with their research group, organization of
their OneNote and research materials, and both their group and individual presentations.