Class: Fourth Grade Science Lesson Title: Introduction to Australian Animals Text Reference: Internet Objective: Students will divide into small groups and choose an Australian animal to analyze using these four categories: habitat, diet, physical characteristics, and something unique about that animal. ActivityDescription of Activities and SettingMaterials and Supplies Time 1. Focus and Review “Class, we are going to begin a unit on Australian animals. What makes them ‘Australian’? How many Australian animals can you name?” Write the student’s answers on the whiteboard. Whiteboard, Marker3 Min. 2. Statement of Objectives “Today we are going to divide up into small groups and choose an Australian animal to analyze using four different categories: habitat, diet, physical characteristics, and something unique about this animal.” None1 Min. 3. Teacher Input Show Power Point presentation on Australian animals. Talk about the animals using these four categories: habitat, diet, physical characteristics and something unique about that animal. “We are going to do the same general thing that the Power Point did, we are going to research an Australian animal. We will work in small groups. Each group will choose one animal (Australian) of their choice – not on the Power Point – and will research that animal. We are each going to take the information we find about our animal and make it into a poster. These posters will be due at the end of the week, on Friday. The posters need to look nice: include pictures, include a section for each of the four categories, and neat handwriting in pen or marker or printed on the computer. Be creative and have fun with these posters. Computer, Power Point 10 Min. 4. Guided Practice Divide students into small groups to research an Australian animal using the internet (if accessible), encyclopedias and science textbooks. Circulate among the students as they begin researching to make sure that they are following the guidelines set for them. Computer, Internet, Encyclopedia, Textbooks 6 Min. 5. Independent Practice Students will work in their small groups on the project.Computer, Internet, Encyclopedia, Textbooks 20 Min. 6. Closure and Evaluation “Class, time to put away our research materials now. Let’s each quickly share one thing that we learned about an Australian animal today, either from the Power Point or from your own studies. None4 Min.

Kangaroo Koala Kookaburra Platypus Tasmanian Devil

What makes a kangaroo a kangaroo? * Strong back legs and long back feet * Ability to hop * Tail helps in balance during hopping * Inability to walk backwards Kangaroo

A Kangaroo can… * be almost 7 feet tall * weigh almost 200 pounds

Did you know… * They eat leaves and shoots from eucalyptus trees. * They are marsupials, meaning they have a pouch. have a pouch. * They live in societies like humans. * There fur is thick and normally ash gray. Koala

There are over 600 kinds of eucalyptus trees in Australia, but the koala will eat very few of them.

Kookaburra The kookaburra * Can live 20 or more years * Live in the woodlands, forests and suburban areas * Are known for their laugh

Platypus * They live in the lakes and streams of eastern Australia * They are shy animals and seldom seen. *They have webbed feet, a bill like a duck’s and a tail like a beaver’s.

* They are nocturnal * They are usually black with a white “collar” around its neck * They are found only on the island of Tasmania * They are not aggressive until it comes to food. *Their scream and fierce look gave them the name Devil. Tasmanian Devil

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