Georgia Habitats: Mountains

GRADE: 3
LIBRARY CONTEXT: Multiple lessons in a unit
COLLABORATION CONTINUUM: Intensive
CONTENT TOPIC: Georgia Habitats
STANDARDS FOR THE 21ST-CENTURY LEARNER GOALS
Standard(s):
Inquire, think critically and gain knowledge
Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society
Skills Indicator(s):
Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding. (1.1.3)
Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions. (1.1.4)
Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
(1.1.6)
Conclude an inquiry-based research process by sharing new understandings and reflecting on the learning. (3.1.1)
Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that
others can view, use, and assess. (3.1.4)
Benchmark(s):
Ask I wonder questions about the topic, question, or problem. (1.1.3)
With guidance formulate questions about the topic. (1.1.3)
Use multiple resources, including print, electronic, and human to locate information (1.1.4)
Use various note-taking strategies (1.1.6)
Use simple rubrics to assess work. (3.1.1)
Use various technology tools to retrieve and organize information. (3.1.4)
Dispositions Indicator(s):
Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats. (1.2.3)
Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with others. (3.2.3)
Responsibilities Indicator(s):
Use information technology responsibly. (1.3.5)
Respect the differing interests and experiences of others, and seek a variety of viewpoints. (3.3.2)
Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):
Monitor gathered information, and assess for gaps or weaknesses. (1.4.3)
Assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product. (3.4.2)
SCENARIO:
This lesson is a part of a unit that covers the five major habitats of Georgia. This lesson is the first lesson of the
unit. The teacher will work with the slms throughout the unit. The students will be required to conduct quality
research on each habitat, and present their findings in a web 2.0 tool that is introduced by the slms. At the time of
the unit, the students should have been exposed to informational texts, as well as the parts of an informational text
including the table of contents, glossary, and index.

CONNECTION TO LOCAL OR STATE STANDARDS

GPS
Life Science
S3L1. Students will investigate the habitats of different organisms and the dependence of organisms on
their habitat.
a. Differentiate between habitats of Georgia (mountains, marsh/swamp, coast, Piedmont, Atlantic Ocean) and the
organisms that live there.
c. Identify features of animals that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia.
ELACC3RI1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as
the basis for the answers.
ELACC3RI5: Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information
relevant to a given topic quickly and efficiently.
ISTE-S
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes
using technology.
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGY:

Questioning
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to
1. Describe the characteristics of the mountains habitat of Georgia.
2. Identify organisms that live in the mountains habitat of Georgia.
3. Explain why different organisms are able to thrive in the Mountains.
4. Ask before, during, and after questions during the research process.
OVERVIEW:
There are five major habitats in the state of Georgia. In our state we have mountains, marshes/swamps, the coast,
the Piedmont, and the Atlantic Ocean. Each habitat has different organisms that depend on what the habitat has in
its surroundings to thrive. In this lesson the students will conduct research on the mountain habitat with a group,
and identify an animal that depends on the habitat to survive. After conducting research on the habitat, each
member of the group will be required to conduct research on an aspect of the animals life. For example, one
student may research the diet, while another may research predators. The group will come together, share their
findings, and organize their findings using the web 2.0 tool Prezi
.
FINAL PRODUCT:
Each group will create a Prezi with a minimum of six slides. The required slides will tell what the habitat is like,
the name and physical attributes of an animal that lives there, the animals diet, the animals predators, an
interesting fact about the animal, and why the animal is able to live and thrive in the mountain habitat.
LIBRARY LESSON(S):
The slms will pull informational texts for the class to use, but the main resource that will be used to produce the
final product is an internet search. The slms will use the website
http://www.brainpop.com/english/studyandreadingskills/internetsearch/preview.weml
To show a video that gives strategies on conducting a quality internet search. The slms will pause the movie at
times to explain, and give examples of what was seen on the Promethean Board. The students will learn about
search engines, searching for particular phrases, as well as ways to tell if a website is safe. The slms will also
introduce the kid-friendly web 2.0 tool, Prezi, to the students. The slms will go through the steps in creating a
Prezi.
ESTIMATED LESSON TIME: 60 MIN

ASSESSMENT
Product-Prezi Presentation
Process - A small group of students will create a Prezi that focuses on an animal of their choosing from the
mountains habitat. Each student will be required to research a specific aspect of the animals life, and present
their findings to the rest of the group. The students will compile the information gathered, and create a Prezi
with a minimum of six slides.
Student self-questioning - The students and the teacher will use the rubric that is attached to assess the final
product.
INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN
Resources students will use:
Online subscription database(s) GALILEO Kids
Web sites-After being taught the basics of how to conduct a quality internet search, the students
will be able to choose a website in addition to the following websites chosen for them to search.
http://kids.britannica.com/
http://www.factmonster.com/
http://kids.discovery.com/
Book- Georgia, My State Habitats: Mountains
Instruction/activities
The teacher will begin the lesson by introducing the Georgia Performance Standards. The teacher will
ask students to share any prior knowledge that they may have with their groups on habitats, and then the
groups will share what they discussed with the class. The teacher will provide each group with a question and
answer matrix that has students generate questions before, during, and after the readings, and research
process. The students will be informed of their objectives, as well as the final product. After the teacher
introduces the content, the slms will take over.
The slms will share with the class how to conduct the research, as well as where to put their findings. The
slms will use the BrainPop movie on internet searches as a way to teach a mini-lesson on conducting a quality
search. The slms will stop to ask and answer questions to monitor progress. After the slms has gone through
the BrainPop movie, she will model how to conduct a quality search on the Promethean Board using a search
term related to the assignment. Then the slms will give the students time as a group to search for animals of
the mountains habitat. The students can also use this time to write more questions in the question and answer
matrix about the Mountains habitat. The groups will know that they will use questions to guide them in the
research process.
After each group has practiced searching, the slms will show the students where they are going to compile
their findings, by showing the basics of a Prezi presentation. After the slms has finished discussing Prezi, the
teacher will remind the students of their objectives, the overview, and the final product. Then the teacher will
hand out the graphic organizer for note taking that is attached, and hand out the rubric for self-assessing and
explain each tool. The teacher will give the students time to discuss who will do what in the assignment.
One element of the rubric is teamwork and participation. The teacher and the slms will go around the
room to monitor each group to make sure teamwork is up to par. Each team member should have a specific
responsibility in regard to the research and the Prezi presentation. The teacher should intend to let the
students choose the animal the group will research, as well as who will research what, but if there are any
disagreements that do not seem that they will be resolved easily, the teacher will step in. The students within
the group should break up for about 10 minutes to conduct research on their focus i.e., the animals diet, or
predators, and then come back together to use the rest of the time to create. The students are taught to use the
resources found within Prezi to create.
Sharing and reflecting: The students will be required to use the rubric attached to self-assess before they are
ready to share the assignment. The teacher will allow as many groups to share as time allows. The teacher
will use the presentations to go into more detail of what the mountains habitat is like.
Strategies for Differentiation The small groups are composed of students who are below level, on-level,
and above grade level. The teacher will provide scaffolding to groups as needed.

Research Report : Mountains Presentation

CATEGORY

Graphic
Organizer

Graphic organizer
or outline has
been completed
and shows clear,
logical
relationships
between all topics
and subtopics.

Graphic organizer
or outline has
been completed
and shows clear,
logical
relationships
between most
topics and
subtopics.

Graphic organizer Graphic organizer

or outline has
or outline has not
been started and been attempted.
includes some
topics and
subtopics.

Amount of
Information

All topics are

addressed and all
questions
answered with at
least 2 sentences
about each.

All topics are

addressed and
most questions
answered with at
least 2 sentences
about each.

All topics are

addressed, and
most questions
answered with 1
sentence about
each.

One or more
topics were not
addressed.

Internet Use

Successfully uses
suggested internet
links to find
information and
navigates within
these sites easily
without assistance.

Usually able to use

suggested internet
links to find
information and
navigates within
these sites easily
without assistance.

Occasionally able
to use suggested
internet links to
find information
and navigates
within these sites
easily without
assistance.

Needs assistance
or supervision to
use suggested
internet links
and/or to navigate
within these sites.

Presentation

Information is
very organized,
and all six of the
required slides are
present.

Information is
organized, and
only one of the
required slides is
missing.

Information is
organized, but
two or three of the
required slides are
missing

The information
appears to be
disorganized, and
four or more of
the required slides
are missing.

Mechanics

No grammatical,
spelling or
punctuation
errors.

Almost no
grammatical,
spelling or
punctuation
errors

A few
grammatical
spelling, or
punctuation
errors.

Many
grammatical,
spelling, or
punctuation
errors.

Teamwork

Excellent
teamwork, and
communication.
Each team
member
contributed his or
her share, and
showed
communication
skills.

Good teamwork
and
communication.
Any issues were
resolved quickly,
and each team
member did his or
her share.

A lack of
teamwork and
communication
among the group
on occasions.

A lack of
teamwork and
communication
among the group
throughout the
process.

Mountains Habitat Notes

4

My Research Notes About: The Mountains Habitat

Name:

Research
Question 1

Research
Question 2

Research
Question 3

Research Findings
and Sources for
Question 1

Findings (Question 1)

Findings (Question 1)Sources (Question 1)

Research Findings
and Sources for
Question 2

Findings (Question 2)

Findings (Question 2)Sources (Question 2)

Research Findings
and Sources for
Question 3

Findings (Question 3)

Findings (Question 3)Sources (Question 3)

Date:

___________________________________________________________________

Rubric for Collaborative Lesson Plan

Mountains Habitat Notes ___________________________________________________________________

Name:

Research
Question 4

Research
Question 5

Research
Question 6

Research Findings
and Sources for
Question 4

Findings (Question 4)

Findings (Question 4)

Sources (Question 4)

Research Findings
and Sources for
Question 5

Findings (Question 5)

Findings (Question 5)

Sources (Question 5)

Research Findings
and Sources for
Question 6

Findings (Question 6)

Findings (Question 6)

Sources (Question 6)

Date:

10

This must be an ORIGINAL lesson plan.

Students Names: Julia Williams, Rhakiya White, Diandra Walker
Content Areas Addressed: Georgia Habitats
Instructional Level: 3rd
Collaborative Tool URL: https://diandrarhakiyajulia.wikispaces.com/
CATEGORY

Target 4 pts.

Acceptable 3 pts.

Unacceptable 2pt. Unacceptable 1 pt.

Objectives
All student learning
(District or State objectives address
Standards)
district or state
standards. Standards
are cited for each.

One state standard

citation is
incomplete or
missing for a
learning objective.

Two to four state

standards citations
are incomplete or
missing for two
learning
objectives.

Four or more state

standards citations
are incomplete or
missing for three or
more learning
objectives.

Reading
Comprehension
Strategy and
Objective

The team includes

one reading
comprehension
strategy and at least
one reading
comprehension
objective that clearly
align with the other
learning objectives
for this lesson.

The team includes

one reading
comprehension
strategy and at
least one reading
comprehension
objective that
partially align with
the other learning
objectives for this
lesson.

The reading
comprehension
strategy or
objective is not
aligned with the
other learning
objectives for this
lesson.

No reading
comprehension
strategy is included
in this lesson. Or no
reading
comprehension
objective is included
in this lesson.

Indicators
(from the AASL
Standards)

AASLs learning
indicators align with
state content-area
standards AND the
objectives of this
lesson. They are cited
(both number and
text) and they are all
measured.

AASLs learning
indicators align
with state contentarea standards the
objectives of this
lesson. They are
cited (both
number and text)
but not all are
measured.

One or more
AASL learning
indicators are not
aligned with state
content-area
standards or the
objectives of this
lesson. Or one or
more are not
completely cited
(both number and
text). Or they are
not measured.

AASLs learning
standards are not
integrated into the
lesson or are not
cited completely or
there are too many
listed to be
measurable.

Research-based
Instructional
Strategies

The research-based
instructional
strategies are
effective and one or
more original
graphic organizers
(not worksheets) are
provided for student
use.

The research-based
instructional
strategies are
effective. One or
more effective
graphic organizers
for student use are
provided but one
(or more) is not
original.

The research-based
instructional
strategies are
effective. A
graphic organizer
for student use is
provided but it is
not aligned with
the lesson or
assessment.

The research-based
instructional
strategies or the
graphic organizer(s)
or worksheet(s) are
ineffective or
inappropriate for
the learning
objectives. Or a
graphic organizer is
11

CATEGORY

Target 4 pts.

Acceptable 3 pts.

Unacceptable 2pt. Unacceptable 1 pt.

not described for
student use.

Assessment

The team creates an

original rubric as an
assessment
instrument for the
students. It is
designed to
accurately measure
the lesson objectives.

The team borrows

rubrics as
assessment
instruments for
the students. The
rubrics accurately
measure the lesson
objectives.

The assessment
rubrics do not
accurately
measure the
reading
comprehension
strategy.

The student selfassessment rubric

assessment is
missing.

Collaborative
Teaching

The benefits of
coteaching are
evident in the main
lesson. The team uses
two educators
effectively and
creatively
throughout the
lesson.

The benefits of
coteaching are
evident in the main
lesson. The team
uses two educators
effectively for parts
of the lesson.

The benefits of
coteaching are
somewhat evident,
but there is great
disparity in the
roles of the media
specialist and the
teacher.

The benefit of
coteaching is not
realized in the main
lesson.

Resources
And Learning
Strategies

The educators select The resources are

engaging resources in engaging but may
multiple formats and be in just one
utilize active
format. Student
learning strategies to learning
fully engage learners. experiences are
hands-on.

The resources are The resources and

not rich and/or the the learning
learning
experiences are dull.
experiences not
hands-on.

Reading
The example provides The example
Comprehension richly detailed and
provides clear
Teaching Example explicit instructions instructions for
for effectively
effectively teaching
teaching the selected the selected
strategy using
strategy. The
engaging resources. example is adapted
The example is
and the original
original and creative. source is cited.

The example does No example is

not provide clear provided.
instructions for
teaching the
selected strategy.
Or the instructions
do not match the
selected strategy.

Evidence of
Collaboration

The teams wiki

documents show
infrequent or
unproductive
collaboration in
all aspects of this
assignment. Or
there is evidence
of unbalanced
workload.

The teams Web 2.0

documents show
extensive
collaboration in all
aspects of this
assignment. There is
evidence of frequent,
productive
communication on
the parts of both team
members. Each team

The teams wiki

documents show
collaboration in
all aspects of this
assignment by both
team members.

The teams wiki

documents do not
show evidence of
frequent or
productive
collaboration. There
were wiki-based
discussions on 1 or
no wiki pages. The
team members have
not each taken on the
12

CATEGORY

Target 4 pts.

Acceptable 3 pts.

Unacceptable 2pt. Unacceptable 1 pt.

members has taken

on the role of teacher
and library media
specialist.
Mechanics and
Presentation

Virtually free of
punctuation, spelling,
grammar errors;
appropriate format
and presentation for
assignment

role of teacher and

library media
specialist.
Contains several
punctuation,
spelling, and/or
grammar errors.
Several errors in
formatting or
formatting is
inconsistent

Contains many
errors of
punctuation,
spelling, and/or
grammar. Errors
interfere with
meaning in places.
Formatting
incorrect.

Frequent errors in
spelling and
grammar; intrusive
and/or inaccurate
punctuation,
communication is
hindered. No
formatting as
appropriate to
assignment.

Total from Rubric (40 points possible): __________

AASL Lesson Plan Template not satisfactorily used (-5 points):__________
Final Grade: __________
Note: Web 2.0-based discussions can include a phone log and notes on the conversation, a chat log
archive, an email trail that includes main topics of conversation or other means BUT these must be
documented in the collaborative tool. Dates and times are not sufficient evidence.
Checklist: Have you turned in all the components of your lesson?
1. URL for collaborative work
2. Two lesson plans with rubric assessments, graphic organizers, and reading comprehension
strategy teaching example (submitted in GoView dropbox)
Scoring Guide
36-40
31-35
29-34
21-28
11-20
>10

Target
Target
Acceptable
Acceptable
Unacceptable
Unacceptable

95/A
90/A
85/B
80/B
70/D
59/F

13