Schenectady City
  School District

108 Education Drive
Schenectady, NY  12303
518.370.8100

   Ocean Institute of California                    Feb. 2002

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Math Science and Technology
Standard #2 - Information Systems
Standard #6 - Interconnectedness

Science
Standard #4 - Students will apply concepts pertinent to physical living environment.

English Language Arts
Standard #1 - Students will read, write and listen for information

Objective/Focus
Social Studies - - Students will learn about the location of whales in various areas of the Pacific Ocean.  Students will identify the other oceans in the world.  Students will identify whales in other areas, and compare the physical differences in the whales depending on their location.

Life Science - - Students will learn about the physical characteristics of whales, and identify their different species.  Students will discover the characteristics of whales that make them part of the mammal kingdom.  Students will compare and contrast the various species of whales.

Technology - - Students will use the Internet to research various species of whales.  They will use PowerPoint to construct a presentation integrating sounds and pictures captured from the Internet.  Students will use videoconferencing technology to communicate with the Ocean Institute and to hear, see, and identify various types of whales.

English Language Arts - - Students will use printed research material such as books, encyclopedias and magazines to obtain information about whales.  They will develop skills such as reading for information and notetaking to write and organize information.  They will write paragraphs about various types of whales to include in their PowerPoint presentations.  Students will also record their observations made during the videoconference.

Procedure
Students will read and research about varous species of whales.

Students will use the Internet and print media for information on different types of whales.

Students will draw and build mini models of their assigned whale.

Students will create a PowerPoint presentation demonstrating their knowledge.

Students will video conference with an expert from the Ocean Institute in California.

Students will share their information with others in a learning fair.

Instructional Environmental Modifications
Peer groups will aid individuals who may have difficulty with PowerPoint presentations or with reading/research aspect of the unit.

Cooperative groups will work together to reach their goal.

A variety of materials, on different levels for reading ability, will be provided toa id in the research phase.

Time Required
Planning - - Approximately 5 hours

Implementation - - Approximately 15 hours - (Four 45-minute classes per week for five weeks)

Assessment - - Approximately 2 hours for the final projects, with on-going assessment as students work on the research and writing.

Logistical Planning
We will need to establish appropriate work space for the students and provide ample time for each group to have access to the computer.  As a school, we will need to set aside a time for the learning fair  We will need to gather supplies necessary for for students to succeed, eg., books, magazine, art materials.  We will need to do some preliminary Internet searches to give students a starting point for their own research.  We will set up the room with the video conferencing equipment appropriate, including covering the windows in the room in order to block sunlight.  We will also need to set up various camera angles ahead of time.  We will discuss video conferencing etiquette with the students.

Resources Needed
Computer with camera for video conferencing

PowerPoint program for computers

Books and Magazines about Whales

Videos about the topic

Prepared questions for the video conference

Art supplies:  crayons, paper, scissors, clay, markers, paint for construction of models

Assessment Plan
Students will be evaluated based on their class discussions, research, written work, displays, and PowerPoint presentations.  Teachers will create rubrics for evaluating written work and student projects. They will observe student participation in group work and will create a checklist to help students monitor their own progress.  Students will use a checklist to be sure they are accomplishing their goals.  In addition to the teacher assessment, peers will evaluate the presentations at the completion of the unit.  Students will complete a survey at the end f the unit to evaluate their own experience:  what they like, what they did not like, what worked well, what could have been done better.