Unit of Instruction by Barbara Lee Penguins Unit of Instruction by Barbara Lee

Essential Question What do you know about penguins?

Objectives The learner will be able to observe and identify the interactions between King Penguin parents and their chicks in their ecosystem. The learner will be able to research the height, weight, geographical location, and a basic description of the habitat of one of the following penguins: Emperor Penguins, King Penguins, Rockhopper Penguins, Adelie Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, and Little Blue Penguins.

Objectives The learner will be able to work in small groups as they use Mrs. McGee’s 2nd grade class’ WebQuest to research and write facts about their group’s penguin chosen. The learner will be able to compare and contrast Adelie and Emperor penguins. The learner will be able to observe and identify how a penguin habitat is recreated in zoos and other institutions.

Unit Summary Our current unit of study is about Penguins. We will be learning about their habitats, descriptions, interactions between the penguins and their chicks and their geographical locations around the world. We will be using several website as we study penguins. We will also use a WebQuest, Microsoft Word, Paint, and Kidpix. At the end out our unit study of Penguins we will be visiting the Fort Worth Zoo to be educated on the Penguin habitat at the zoo.

Assessments Pre-assessment: Answer to the Essential Question (written list by the learners) Post-assessment: Interaction Viewing: Rubric Penguin Type Discovery: Rubric Penguin WebQuest Fun: Checklist (for accuracy)  Emperor and Adelie Penguin Research: Checklist (for accuracy) Habitat Discovery: Rubric

Teacher Knowledge Gained Throughout the planning of this Penguins unit I learned that it is not an easy task to find age appropriate websites online. I also discovered many effective ways of writing a lesson plan. The planning process has taught me how challenging being a teacher can be. The most important knowledge gained is the confidence to know I can do anything I set my mind to as a teacher.

Credits Page Background picture Retrieved on October 12, 2009 from http://www.stlzoo.org/images/penguins_swimming01.jpg