SUBJECT: Science

GRADE: Third

TECHNOLOGY: Internet

BY: Nikki Humenick, Michelle Rivenburg, Rebecca Muller

 Target Grade

Children usually attend third grade when they are eight and nine years old. According to Piaget, students in this grade are usually in the concrete operational stage of development. This means that they are able to think logically with concrete materials. They can also classify and place objects in order. They usually are not able to think very abstractly.

Emotionally, children at this grade level need to feel good about the work they are doing; a feeling of success leads to an enjoyment of mastery. They are developing their sense of competence and purpose. In terms of moral reasoning, students do not fully understand rules set by others and are often egocentric. They do not make decisions based on the needs of others, and they will often only perform activities that they feel are beneficial to themselves.

Students at this age like to feel that they are in control (competent) and useful. This project will also cater to the egocentrism that they still have at this age, as they are able to find the answers to the questions on the fact sheet by themselves. The filling out of the fact sheet enforces their concrete form of thinking. This activity strengthens studentsâ knowledge of computers while catering to their developmental stages. 

Targeted SOL's

• Living Systems 3.6 The student will investigate and understand that environments support a diversity of plants and animals that share limited resources.  Key concepts include:
  • dry-land environments (desert, grassland, rainforest, and forest environments);
• Resources 3.10 The student will investigate and understand that natural events and human influences can affect the survival of species.  Key concepts include
  • the interdependency of plants and animals;
  • human effects on the quality of air, water, and habitat;
  • the effects of fire, flood, disease, erosion, earthquake, and volcanic eruption on organisms; and
  • conservation, resource renewal, habitat management, and species monitoring.

Lesson Objective

1. Given a fill-in-the-blank worksheet on the rainforest and its resources, students will correctly fill in 8 out of 10 answers by searching the specified website for each question.

List of Materials

• Time reserved in the school computer lab
• Computers with:
• Internet connection
• Web browsers
• Flash 4 plug-in
• Appropriate websites, book marked or placed on a WebQuest (see attached sheet of sites)
• Student work sheet on the rainforest with fill-in-the-blank questions and appropriate sites to find the answers (see attached Guide to the Rainforest sheet)

Lesson Description

1. As part of a unit on ecology, students will review and strengthen their knowledge of rainforests by going on an Internet  "fact hunt". Students will receive a ditto listing ten pieces of information that they will have to find. The corresponding website will be given with each question; students will go to the website to find that particular piece of information. (See below).

2. Before class

• Reserve time in computer lab.
• Review websites to make sure that information on the ditto is still retrievable from the given websites.
• Bookmark the pages that the students will use.

3. During class

• Review what the students have learned thus far about the rainforests.
• Hand out a copy of the Rainforest Fact Sheet to every student.
• Describe the "fact hunt" and how the students will complete the
• assignment.
• Go over one of the questions on the fact sheet and model how to find the answer on the Internet. Make sure the whole class is able to follow the idea and understands how to find the answer.
• Give students one hour to find the information and fill in the ditto.
• After time in the lab, have students share the interesting fact they each found on the Internet.

Evaluation

• Students will be evaluated on the number of correct responses they give. 
• Students that correctly answer 8 to 10 blanks have exceeded expectations. 
• Students that correctly answer 5 to 7 meet expectations. 
• Students that answer four or less blanks correctly have not met the expectations. 
• Students will be given two extra credit questions that can gain them points in place of an incorrect answer.

1. Tropical rainforests can be found around the __________.

At: Site 1

2. Rainforests cover about ________ % of the earthâs land surface.

At: Site 2

3. Rainforests house over ________ of the worldâs plant and animal species.

At: Site 6

4. The largest rainforest is in the _____________ ______________.

At: Site 2

5. The Amazon spreads across much of _________ _____________.

At: Site 3

6. The Amazon gets ______ feet of rain every year!

At: Site 4

7. Animals that live in the rainforest include the ___________ (a cat), the _________ (a snake), and the __________ bat.

At: Site 5

8. Major causes of deforestation include _______ and _______ farming and irresponsible _____________.

At: Site 6

9. The worldâs largest flower is the ________________.

At: Site 7

10. One of the steps you can take to save the rainforest is to use less _______.

At: Site 8

Extra Credit

Take the rainforest quiz at:

http://www.rainforestcafe.com/RFC/lQuiz.asp?type=beginner

Score: ________

(Highest score: 8)

Play: Amazonia Explorer game at:

http://www.pbs.org/journeytoamazonia/explorer.html

Requires: Flash 4 plug-in

Answers

1. Equator

2. 6

3. Half

4. Amazon Basin

5. South America

6. 9

7. Jaguar, anaconda, vampire

8. Slash, burn, logging

9. Rafflesia

10. Paper or gasoline or plastic

List of Websites

Site 1: http://www.ran.org/info_center/factsheets/k1.html

Site 2: http://www.panda.org/kids/wildlife/idxtrpmn.htm

Site 3: http://www.eduweb.com/rainforest/rainforest2.html

Site 4: http://www.eduweb.com/rain/rainfall.html

Site 5: http://www.pbs.org/journeytoamazonia/life.html

Site 6: http://www.rainforestalliance.org/kids&teachers/kids/resources/faq.html

Site 7: http://toucansam.kelloggs.ca/eng/c4p1.htm

Site 8: http://www.ran.org/kids_action/seven.html