Hoffer’s

Introduction Student reasons: Field trip as part of animal unit Practice with the Scientific Method Teacher reasons: Helps build class community Helps build autonomy

Driving Question Based on our classroom environment, which pet from Hoffer’s would be best as a classroom pet? “Problem” step of the Scientific Method

Objectives To use the scientific method To learn basic information about the animals sold at Hoffer’s To integrate this new information into our unit on animals

Outcomes Students should gain knowledge of the animals sold at Hoffer’s Students should foster comfort with the scientific method Students should produce individual hypotheses and conclusions based on the field trip experience

Vocabulary Reptile: Any of various cold-blooded, usually egg-laying vertebrates of the class Reptilia having an external covering of scales or horny plates and breathing by means of lungs (e.g. snake, lizard, crocodile, and turtle). Amphibian: A cold-blooded, smooth-skinned vertebrate of the class Amphibia that characteristically hatches as an aquatic larva with gills. The larva then transforms into an adult having air-breathing lungs (e.g. a frog or salamander). Amphibians are also capable of living both on land and in water. Mammal: Any of various warm-blooded vertebrate animals of the class Mammalia, including humans, characterized by a covering of hair on the skin and, in the female, milk-producing mammary glands for nourishing the young. Arachnid: Any wingless, carnivorous arthropod of the class Arachnida, having a body divided into two parts, the cephalothorax and the abdomen, and having eight appendages and no antennae (e.g. spiders, scorpions, mites, ticks, and daddy-longlegs). Habitat: The type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs.

This Vocabulary is Important … These terms are important for students to learn because they not only connect to the learning being explored in the classroom, but can also be used for everyday application. Students should be able to identify reasons that make animals fall into certain criteria (i.e. humans are mammals because…) In addition, understanding the habitat for animals is essential to the purpose of our fieldtrip. When students become familiar with these terms they will have a better understanding of the animals explored as well as conditions needed for the animals to survive.

Transportation Hoffer’s is approximately minutes north of WCLL We will use a bus We may need to ask the students to pay a field trip fee (depending on our field trip budget) We will need 1 chaperone for every 5 students

Costs $50 deposit $2 per student Classroom on-site; usually holds approximately 20 students Trip usually lasts 1.5 hours

Accommodations Allergies Bag Lunch Location is wheelchair accessible Camera Learning Disabilities

This experience will be utilized through student completion of a pet brochure, in addition to an opportunity to practice the Scientific Method and to introduce more information within our animal unit. This trip will give the students hands-on experience with animals of many different species that they may otherwise not have encountered. This trip further emphasizes the real-world application of the Scientific Method as it is used outside of the classroom in many different capacities. Additionally, this field trip allows students to learn about the animals up close and personal. Interaction with exotic pets gently forces the students to step outside of their comfort zones. This will foster student confidence and autonomy. We will assess our students through the review of the completed Science Experiment Form and pet brochure. The Science Experiment Form will be completed during the field trip, while the brochure will be worked on during the class period following our trip. In their brochure, students will be required to integrate their new knowledge of the exotic pets as well as the information listed on their Science Experiment Form. They will be given the assessment rubric as a guideline for the completion of their pet brochures.

Check-List Brochure integrates information from science experiment form Includes picture of pet Why should it be our pet? (related to habitat of classroom – why good match) Budget for pet Necessary habitat accommodations Each section of form is adequately completed

Cross-Curricular Connections: Art Reading Writing Science Math Geography

Misconceptions: Confusion over categorizing animals Confusion over appropriate class pets Confusion over what a pet is Confusion over responsibilities required to care for the pet (cost, ease, etc.)

Trade Books 'Gator Aid by Jane Cutler (Author) and Tracey Campbell Pearson (Illustrator) Imaginative second-grader Edward swears he saw a baby alligator in the Shaw Park lake, but no one believes him. Wish for a Fish: All about Sea Creatures by Dr. Seuss and Bonnie Worth In rhyming text, the Cat in the Hat introduces Sally and Dick to the various inhabitants of the ocean, including herring, mackerel, jellyfish, sharks, manatees, and whales. Piles of Pets by Judy Delton and Alan Tiegreen Molly wants to be kind to animals but she gets more pets than she can handle.