Subject

Science

Grade Levels
2nd Grade

Description
One way for kids to learn about the environment is to read the news. In this lesson, I will introduce students to some stories from National Geographic News and discuss the reasons why it is a good idea to follow the news. The class will "adopt" a geographic news story, draw pictures to illustrate that animal say one thing they learned about their article.

Web-based Resource
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"Adopt" a Geographic News Story

Stage One : Academic Standards:
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Standards and Anchors 1.2.2.A Use text organization and content to derive meaning from text using criteria. 1.9.1.A Use media and technology resources for directed learning activities. 1.9.1.B Identify different types of media and what purposes they may serve. 1.9.2.B Select media sources to locate information.

1.9.K.A Gain information using media and technology resources with adult assistance.

Behavioral Objectives:
Students will be able to: Sit quietly when I am speaking. To interject when I ask them a question about a topic they are interested in. To read and understand the article about animals. Create a drawing that shows the information they learned using the Smart board. The drawings are to be done by the end of class.

Enduring Understandings:
Students will learn about animals that interest them They will reflect the big idea by creating pictures on the Smart board that reflect the main idea of their article.

Essential Questions:
Require students to think critically by asking them questions. Such as: What did you learn after reading your article? What does your drawing represent in the article? What is the most interesting thing about your article?

Stage Two: Assessments:

There will be a combination of informal and traditional assessments. For the informal assessment, I will have the students respond to simple questions that I ask in class. For the traditional assessment, I will have the students create a

drawing that best describes the article that they read.

Stage Three: Materials:

My students will have copies of National Geography and will pick an article that they like. They will also have access to the smart board to convey the information they learned in a creative way.

Procedures:
1. (Students) will enter the room, sit in their seats and I will wait for them to compose themselves. 2. (Teacher) I will use the Smart board to for my activity. I will show a picture of a peeper and ask them if they know what animal that is. The article that I read will then show up and I will share what I learned from the article. I will show them my drawing (on the Smart board) of the animal I read about. After I am done explaining what I learned from the article, I will hand out the same issue of National Geographic. 3. (Students) will spend roughly 5 minutes looking through the magazine and will pick their article. 4. (Teacher) I will ask them to be quiet and then I will give them the directions to pick their article and read it quietly. I will then ask them to come up to the board and briefly draw something that interested them in the article and ask them what is one thing they learned from reading that article. 5. (Student) will draw on the Smart board for about 2 minutes. 6. (Teacher) While the student is still in the front of the room, I will ask them questions about their article that require deep thought. 7. (Students) will answer the questions respectfully and thoughtfully. 8. (Teacher) End class.

Closure:
At the end of the lesson my students should be able to tell me one interesting thing they learned in the article about an animal. . The drawing should capture the fact or animal that interested them. This activity should not only spark their creativity, but it should get them thinking.

If-time Activity:
If there is time at the end of class, I will ask the students to tell their neighbor other things they learned from the article.