You are about to take a trip to an African savannah as a newspaper reporter. You work for the Savannah School News. While you are traveling around the savannah, it will be your job to learn about certain animals. When you return you will write a newspaper report about the animal you researched. Have a great trip and come back with lots of information!
The Task
Your mission is to write a newspaper report about your animal. You will need to present your report to the other reporters working for the Savannah School News. You will need to find out the following:
1. how to print your animal's picture and Data Collection Sheet
2. what your animal looks like
3. what your animal's habitat is like
4. what your animal eats
5. its enemies
6. other interesting facts
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1. Click onto the picture of the animal you want to research and follow the directions. You will be printing the animal's picture and the Data Collection Sheet.
2. Put your name on the pages and staple them together.
3. You are now ready to start collecting data. As you find information, fill in the Data Collection Sheet.
4. Using the information from your Data Collection Sheet --Tell what it looks like-- write a paragraph with the facts you found.
5. Using the information from your Data Collection Sheet --Tell what it eats-- write a paragraph with the facts you found. Include a sentence or two about whether your animal is a herbivore, carnivore or omnivore and what that means.
6. Using the information from your Data Collection Sheet --Tell about its habitat-- write a paragraph with the facts you found.
7. Using the information from your Data Collection Sheet --Other interesting information-- write a paragraph with the facts you found.
8. Remember to write in complete sentences using your notes. Use capitals and periods appropriately. Put in lots of details.
9. Peer conference with another reporting team. Then, conference with a teacher. Revise and edit using standard proofreading marks.
10. Hand in your report to the publishing department (teacher or volunteer) who will publish your final draft.
11. Practice presenting your report to your partner. You should almost know it by heart. Use a clear and loud voice. Make eye contact with your audience. Remember to keep your paper still and away from your face.
12. Share your finished report with the other reporters.
13. Have reporters fill out an evaluation sheet.
17 Kings and 42 Elephants by: Margaret MahyAfrican Elephants by:Roland Smith
Elephant Families by: Arthur DorrosEndangered Savannah Animals by: Dave Taylor
Giraffe by: Caroline Arnold
Grassland Mammals by: Elaine Landu
Grassland Wildlife by: Kamini Khanduri
Kratt's Creatures Off to Elephant School by: James Preller
One Small Square African Savanna by: Donald Silver
The Elephant by: Christine and Michel Denis-Huot
The Giraffe by: Christine and Michel Denis-HuotZoobooks-Big Cats by: John Bonnett Wezo
Zoobooks-Elephants by: John Bonnett Wezo
Zoobooks-Endangered Animals by: John Bonnett WezoZoobooks-Giraffes by: John Bonnett Wezo
Zoobooks-Lions by: John Bonnett Wezo
Zoobooks-Wild Horses by: John Bonnett Wezo
CD-ROMs
- Encarta Encyclopedia
National Geographic Picture Atlas of the World
Safari Search
Working with a partner
Remember each person needs to be involved in taking notes, recording information, reading, writing of the report and presenting the information gathered.Gathering Information
If you need help with the reading please ask for help from a classmate, teacher or volunteer. Do not copy the information word for word. Use your own words when taking notes.Using the Task Bar (menu bar at the top of the page)
If there is no button to go back, use the Back button on the task bar.Your teacher will give you the evaluation forms and checklist that you will need to evaluate your work on this webquest. The information you gathered, your presentation and final report on your animal will be evaluated. There is a checklist to help make sure you have completed all steps necessary.
You have learned so much about the birds of the sanctuary that you have been promoted to Editor-in-training. Not only do you get a raise, you get to hire the reporter taking your place. You need to tell the new reporter everything you have learned about the sanctuary, your bird and writing your report. You need to write at least 5 sentences.
Discuss at a newsroom staff meeting (as a whole class)
1. What is a webquest?2. How is doing a webquest different from how you usually learn?
3. What other topics would you like to learn about on webquests?
4. E-mail us with your class topics.
Lesson Title:
Savannah Safari
*(excerpted from the State of Maine Learning Results, July 1997)
Language Arts Objectives:
To teach learners how to discriminate and filter through relevant information.*To use a variety of media and technological resources to make creative and expository oral presentations.
*To use print and non-print resources (e.g., encyclopedias, dictionaries, people, indexes) to gather information on a research topic.
*To identify strengths and weaknesses in their own writing and seek effective help from others
*To use planning, drafting and revising to produce, on-demand, a well developed, organized piece that demonstrates effective language use, voice, and command of mechanics.
*Report orally and summarize personal discoveries they have made as a result of reading and viewing.
*Summarize central concepts from oral presentation.
To provide a step-by-step introduction to a research project that will result in a written and oral report.
Mathematics Objectives:
*To make generalizations and draw conclusions using various types of graphs, charts and tables. (using the data collected)*To read and interpret displays of data.
*Formulate and solve problems by collecting, arranging and interpreting data.
*To classify sets of objects into two or more groups using their attributes.
Science and Technology Objectives:
*To describe characteristics of different living thingsTo learn about birds
To use the computer as a tool to gather information.
*To describe different living things within a given habitat.
*To identify ways that organisms depend upon their environment.
*To demonstrate that living things are made up of different parts.
*To group objects based on observable characteristics (e.g., color, size, texture).
*To describe and compare things in terms of number, shape, texture, size, weight, color, and behavior.
Social Studies Objective:
To learn about other parts of the world, climate, geographic locations.Interdisciplinary Connections:
Language ArtsMath
Science
Social Studies: geography
Grade Level:
Grades 2 - 4Length of Lesson:
Introduction and animal choice - 30 minutesOnline research - 90 - 120 minutes
Report writing - varies
Publishing - varies
Presentations - 10-15 minutes per team
Materials:
The following are suggested evaluation forms. To use, click and print.Links to information on the web for teacher and student use
- Animal Links (Bibliography)
- African Map Links
- Videos/TV Programs
Knowing how to research information, report writing, data collection/ taking notes, understanding of habitats, animal characteristics.
1. Finished reports could be displayed for everyone to see or they could be typed in newspaper format.2. Reports could be used for comparing and contrasting facts about the animals and looking at patterns in the various animals characteristics.
3. Suggested math activities:
graphing animals by size, type of eater, classification, various physical characteristics, etc.developing and writing word problems using the facts about each animal.
4. The material in this webquest has been presented so that young readers can read the material. Information taken from the Internet is not always readable for young children. You may want to have a parent volunteer or other adult help supervise children while working on the computer.
Penny Rice - penrice@fifth.bangor.k12.me.us
Cyndy Fish- cfish@fifth.bangor.k12.me.us
Updated May 2000
