Big Cats

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Big Cats

• By Beverly Griffin
• Jamie Coleman

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For the Teacher

• The student will understand that living things
  have characteristics that enable them to survive
  in their environment.

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Lesson Overview

• Students will be read Big Cats by Dorothy Hinshaw
  Patent. Students will be divided into small
  groups to research a big cat of their choosing.
  Students will take on the role of a newspaper
  reporter and write an article telling information
  concerning the big cat they researched.
• The purpose of this lesson is to expose students
  to big cats and their environments as well as to
  enhance and enrich research and writing skills.

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Instructional Goals

• Students will be expected to
• Use provided websites to research big cats.
• Record information found through Internet
  research.
• Compose an article to inform others about the big
  cat researched. Students will also share their
  article with other students in the class.

• Tennessee Standards
• 3.2.spi.2 - Select plants and animals found in a
  specific environment
• 3.5.spi.2 - Identify an organism that belongs in
  a specific environment
• 3.5.spi.3 - Identify characteristics that enable
  a specific plant and/or animal to survive in its
  environment

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Formative Assessment

• Students will be required to take notes while
  researching and turn in Scientists Notebook
  daily for teacher to monitor progress of lesson.
  
• Student research progress will also be monitored
  by teacher observation.

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Lesson Organization Opening The Lesson

• Teacher will read book Big Cats by Dorothy
  Hinshaw Patent.

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Lesson Organization Developing The Lesson

• As the teacher reads the story aloud, students
  will participate in a think-a-loud. Students
  will express their thoughts about the big cats
  discussed throughout the book.

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Lesson Organization Closing The Lesson

• Students will be assigned to work with a partner
  or small group.
• Students will choose a big cat to research.
• Students will use Internet websites provided by
  the teacher to research the big cat.
• Students will keep notes in their Scientists
  Notebook, which will be checked daily to monitor
  progress.
• The end product will be a newspaper article on
  the big cat they researched.

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Teacher Resources

• Big Cats by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
• Websites
• Jungle Walk
• Big Cats
• Animal Discovery
• About Cats
• Research journals
• computers

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Enrichment Activities

• Students may choose to use clip art or pictures
  from the internet in order to enhance their
  article.
• Make a graphic organizer comparing big cats.

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Accommodations For Special Learners

• Have students list facts and draw pictures
  instead of writing a newspaper article.

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Standardized Test Items

• Lions live in the grasslands of Africa. What
  helps a lion catch his food?
• A. He is small.
• B. He runs fast.
• C. His roar scares his prey.
• D. His fur color blends in with the grasses.

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For The Student
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Learning Goals

• Students will be expected to
• Use provided websites to research big cats.
• Record information found through internet
  research.
• Compose an article to inform others about the big
  cat researched. Students will also share their
  article with other students in the class.

• Standards
• 3.2.spi.2 - Select plants and animals found in a
  specific environment
• 3.5.spi.2 - Identify an organism that belongs in
  a specific environment
• 3.5.spi.3 - Identify characteristics that enable
  a specific plant and/or animal to survive in its
  environment

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Assessment

• You are the childrens nature writer for a
  newspaper. Your job is to write an article for
  children about a big cat describing what they
  eat, where they live, how they live, and any of
  their special features.

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Learning Activity

• Computers for research
• Scientists notebooks for taking notes
• Paper and pencil for writing article

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Enrichment Activities

• You may choose to use clip art or pictures from
  the internet in order to enhance your article.
• You can make a graphic organizer comparing big
  cats.