Introduction

This lesson has been developed as a part of a unit on the Ocean, to meet standards for science in the fourth grade in the Forest Grove school district. In addition to meeting the science requirements for fourth grade the final production of a Podcast will fulfill one of the technology work samples our students must complete.

In this lesson students will be learning all about one of five different marine animals. In this WebQuest students will become Marine Biologist! By using the designated websites students will research to answer these questions:

1. •What is their scientific name?
   

2. •What do they eat?
   

3. •How do they reproduce?
   

4. •How do they breathe?
   

5. •Where do they live?
   

6. •What makes them interesting?
   

7. •What is a danger to them?
   

8. •How can we help their environment?
   

Then using the information they have acquired, students will then write a short informational essay on their marine animal and then use that to create an informational Podcast to be uploaded onto this very site!

Learners

This lesson is designed for fourth grade and aims to develop language arts and science skills. In addition, it helps students develop public speaking and practice using different technology tools. Furthermore, I believe that this lesson can easily be modified to be used in other grade levels. Questions can be removed for younger grades and the rigor can be intensified for older or more advanced students.

Before this lesson it is important that students have studied informational articles, how they are written, and who they are written for. Students also need to have had practice in good research strategies and sifting through information. Finally, students should have practiced creating Podcasts, this does not have to be too extensive, but some experience is necessary for the lesson to run smoothly.

Curriculum Standards

Science Standards Addressed

1. •4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
   

2. •4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment. 
   

ELA/Literacy Common Core Standards Addressed

1. •SL.4.5Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes. (4-LS1-2)
   

2. •W.4.2Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. (4-PS3-1)
   

3. •W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. (4-ESS1-1)
   

4. •W.4.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. (4-ESS1-1)
   

5. •W.4.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (4-ESS1-1)
   

6. •RI.4.1Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (4-ESS3-2)
   

7. •RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. (4-ESS3-2)
   

Technology Standards Addressed

1. •One of the two technology work samples for fourth grade must complete will be fulfilled at the end of this WebQuest through the creating of a Podcast.
   

2. •ET.1 Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking and problem solving skills to develop innovative products and processes using (digital) technology.
   

3. •ET.1.B Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
   

4. •ET.2 Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, across the global community, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
   

5. •ET.3 Research and Information Fluency: Students select and apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, validate, and use information.
   

    In conjunction with these standards students will be building invaluable skills in research, organization, critical thinking, and categorization. This lesson is designed to build students up for their future in education. Helping them develop the processes of acquiring information, organizing it and then presenting it in meaningful ways.

Process

1. 1.First you will decide which animal you want to be an expert on.
   

2. 2.Once you have chosen a marine animal you will need to get your research journal to collect information in.
   

3. 3.Title the first page the animal you are studying and draw a colored picture of it.
   

4. 4.Then, in your journal create a page for each of your research questions.
   

5. 5.Finally you will explore these websites to find out information on your animal:
   

The Great White Sharks:

Video of Great White Sharks: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Great_white_shark#p0036vd6

National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/great-white-shark/

Marine Bio: http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=38

Live Science: http://www.livescience.com/27338-great-white-sharks.html

Enchanted Learning: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Greatwhite.shtml

The Blue Whale:

Video of Blue Whales: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Blue_Whale#p004t035

National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/blue-whale/

The Marine Mammal Center: http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/education/marine-mammal-information/cetaceans/blue-whale.html

American Cetacean Society: http://acsonline.org/fact-sheets/blue-whale-2/

Enchanted Learning: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Bluewhale.shtml

The Bottlenose Dolphin:

Video of Bottlenose Dolphins: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Common_Bottlenose_Dolphin#p00dhkpf

National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bottlenose-dolphin/

Defenders of Wildlife: http://www.defenders.org/dolphin/basic-facts

American Cetacean Society: http://acsonline.org/fact-sheets/bottlenose-dolphin/

Enchanted Learning: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Bottledolphin.shtml

The Sea Turtle:

Video of Sea Turtles: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/lessons/which-came-first-the-turtle-or-the-egg/enhanced-video-resource/7398/

National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/green-turtle/

Sea Turtle World: http://www.seaturtle-world.com/

Defenders of Wildlife: http://www.defenders.org/sea-turtles/basic-facts

Enchanted Learning: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/turtle/Seaturtlecoloring.shtml

The Giant Octopus:

Video of an Octopus: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/octopus_giant_kills_shark

National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/common-octopus/

Smithsonian: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ten-curious-facts-about-octopuses-7625828/?no-ist

A-Z Animals: http://a-z-animals.com/animals/octopus/

Enchanted Learning: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/invertebrates/octopus/Octopuscoloring.shtml

6. 6. After you have collected all of the information on your marine animal you will write out a short essay detailing what you have found. It will be written as an informational text, as if you are writing in a science journal because you are an expert on this animal! You will include all of the answers to the questions above and write to entice the readers.
   

7. 7. After you have written your article you will use www.google.com to do an image search of the animal you are studying.
   

8. 8. Lastly, you will be using a recording device to create a podcast. The podcast will be a reading of you informational essay and using moviemaker will we combine the pictures you have found and add them to the recording of your voice. Resulting in an awesome set of podcasts on marine animals!
   

    This lesson is to be done over a two week period, generally in the science portion of the day (a half hour block). However, when students reach the writing section it should spill into that subject time as well. This is a project-based lesson and combines technology, science, and writing skills. Therefore, it would be wise to incorporate different vocabulary words into the weekly vocabulary and spelling practices. In addition, you may want to incorporate marine themed books and articles into the reading block of the day to familiarize students with terminology.

    The hardest part for students will most likely be the creation of Podcasts. Students will likely have done research and written about it in the past. However, using technology to create an informational Podcast will probably be very new to them. It is vital to this lesson to have support for students when going through this process (i.e. aids, parents, and teachers who know how to use the program). To assist this section I would suggest doing a mini lesson on Podcast with students as a whole about a week into the project. Then, as students reach the Podcast phase, redo the mini lesson in the small groups of students who are at that place. 

To do this lesson, teachers need to be trained in research to explain its process to students. However, the biggest thing is for teachers to understand the process of making a Podcast, you need to be as close to an expert as possible to make that portion of the lesson run smoothly. I would also suggest studying up on the marine animals in this WedQuest so you can easily know if students are doing the proper research.

Variations

This is a pretty tightly done lesson, however if problems arise with technology, which has been known to happen, books on marine animals can be used instead of the websites and the podcast portion can be cut while focus is moved to the students written work. Also, to simplify this lesson it can be done in groups! That would solve the problem of not enough computers, recording devices, and will shorten the lesson all together.

Resources Needed

1. •Chrome book/Laptop/Computer for each student.
   

2. •Research Journals
   

3. •Writing Utensils
   

4. •Recording Devices (iPods, Computers, iPads etc.) (at least 10)
   

5. •iMovie or Garage Band (MAC) AudioTool (PC through GoogleChrome)
   

6. •Micro phones (at least 10)
   

7. •Work Sheet with research questions to add to research journal
   

8. •Examples of final writing product and Podcast
   

Though this could be done with one teacher, it would be long and difficult, I would suggest, depending on class size, at least one teacher per ten students. If parents and ads are willing it would be very helpful to have assistance especially in the Podcasting section. Student may need a lot of help recording and editing their Podcasts, aids would be very useful here as well as the writing section. Really, like most lessons the more assistance we can get students the smoother the lesson will run. However, if aids or parents are joining to help be sure to give them instruction on the WedQuest and how to create a Podcast so they can effectively help students.

Evaluation

There are two main things you will be evaluating during this lesson the informational article and the Podcast (summative assessments). However, you may want to add in formatives assessments as you wish to checking with students progress. Those can be walking around asking questions speaking with students one-on-one about their research, writing, and Podcast.

How will you know that this lesson was successful? Describe what student products or performances you'll be looking at and how they'll be evaluated. This, of course, should be tightly related to the standards and objectives you cited above.

Conclusion

This lessons is helping students build helpful skills for their educational future. Research and using research for a writing piece is a valued skill that students will need to perfect over time for success in high school and college. This lesson also helps bring awareness to students about environmental needs in the ocean. Students spend part of their research looking at what different things are dangers to their animals and the environments their animals live in. Our planet is struggling with many environmental needs and I believe it is vital that we help our students develop an understanding and desire to rebuilding our world for the better of everyone who lives in it.

Credits & References

Photos:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/episodes/predators-paradise/

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Great-white-shark-1000-miles-off-Irish-coast-could-arrive-within-days.html

http://wildlifeanimalz.blogspot.com/2013/08/Blue-Whale-Facts.html

http://capecharleswave.com/2013/08/letter-save-the-bottlenose-dolphins/

http://friendsoflajollashores.com/marinelife/greenseaturtle/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/evelyne-politanoff/mark-laita-sea-serpentine_b_1341818.html

http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/take-action/10-things-you-can-do-to-save-the-ocean/

Music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ktkgeib6l8