Animal Study: From Fiction to Facts

Student Objectives

Session One: Fiction Read-Aloud

Session Two: Nonfiction Read-Aloud

Session Three: Gather Information From the Internet

Session Four: Record Findings

Session Five: Group Discussion

Extensions

Student Assessment/Reflections

 

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

Students will

• compare and cross-reference information from fiction and nonfiction texts about animals.
  
  
• create "facts charts" in whole group formats.
  
  
• use an Internet search engine to find Websites with additional factual information about animals in stories read to them.
  
  
• record factual information.

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Session One: Fiction Read-Aloud

(May be divided into two sessions, if desired)

1. Post the "What We Think About Ants" chart where students can see it.
   
   
2. Gather students together for a story. Explain that you are going to read a story about ants that is fiction (define the word if necessary) but that together you are going to see if you can learn anything about ants by reading the story.
   
   
3. Read Two Bad Ants aloud. Take time to discuss the actions of the ants as you read.
   
   
4. When the story is over, ask some key questions about ants that will lead to factual information. Some examples of questions might be:
   
   
   • What did these ants want to eat?
     
     
   • How hard did the ants have to work to get what they wanted?
     
     
   • Can you tell anything about where the ants live from this story?
     
     
   • What do ants look like?
     
5. As a follow-up question, ask, "From listening to this story, what do you think might be true about ants?"
   
   
6. Chart students' responses. Because the goal is to have students building information from fiction to fact, it's important that all responses be traced back to the story in some way. If a student suggests information that is not related in any way to the events of the story, it can be acknowledged another way-perhaps by jotting it down on a sticky note for later reference or by starting another chart with additional questions.
   
   
7. Tell students they will be adding more information to the chart after listening to another story about ants.
   
   
8. Read One Hundred Hungry Ants aloud. Take time to point out any relevant information about the ants that might be related to factual information.
   
   
9. When the story is finished, ask some key questions to elicit possible factual information. Some examples of questions might be:
   
   
   • Did this book give you any additional information about ants?
     
     
   • What can you tell me about how these ants traveled?
     
     
   • What did these ants want to eat?
     
     
   • What else do you think might be true about ants that is in this story?
     
10. Chart additional information as students make guesses about real behavior of ants. Keep the chart posted for reference in Session 2.

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Session Two: Nonfiction Read-Aloud

1. Post the "What We Know About Ants" chart next to the chart from the previous session.
   
   
2. Gather students together. Review the chart from the previous session.
   
   
3. Explain that you are going to read a nonfiction book about ants (define the word if necessary), and that they will be able to find out whether the things they thought about ants are really true. Let them know that you will make a new list of things that they learn about ants from this book.
   
   
4. Read Armies of Ants aloud. Stop whenever appropriate to point out factual information that matches any guessed information listed on the first chart. Note that information from the first chart with a star so that it will be easy to locate later on.
   
   
5. When you have finished the book, ask students to tell you what they know about ants from this story. Write responses on the chart.
   
   
6. If a student suggests information that isn't accurate, reread short sections of the book for reference, clarification, and to help the student adjust his or her response.

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Session Three: Gather Information From the Internet

Option One: Using the Internet Quest: Ants!

1. Explain the class activity: students will explore Websites, using the Internet Quest: Ants! interactive, looking for information that answers questions from their "What We Think About Ants" and "What We Know About Ants" charts. Depending upon your computer access and students' computer skills, students can work independently, in small groups, in groups with an adult helper, or as a whole class (with the interactive projected using an LCD Projector).
   
   
2. If students will be working on their own or in groups, demonstrate the Internet Quest: Ants! interactive, showing students how to view the related Web pages as well as how to print and save their work:
   
   
   1. On the first screen, read the instructions to students.
      
      
   2. Click Next to move to the first question.
      
      
   3. Show students where to locate the related link for each question.
      
      
   4. Demonstrate how to move between the interactive and the Web page.
      
      
   5. Type a sample answer to the question in order to demonstrate that writing is not limited to the size of the box shown on screen. Answers will scroll.
      
      
   6. If desired, show students that how to copy a sentence from the Web page and paste it into the appropriate row and column on the chart.
      
      
   7. Click the Next button to move to the next question.
      
      
   8. Click the Next button again, to demonstrate that students must answer each question before moving on to a new question.
      
      
   9. Explain that you cannot move back to change an answer. If desired, explain that students can open the text later (see below).
      
      
   10. Click Finish at the top of the screen.
       
       
   11. Type your name in the space provided.
       
       
   12. Click the Print button beneath your name. Your answers will be displayed in a Web browser window.
       
       
   13. To print answers, choose the Print command from the File menu. To save your answers, choose the Save As... command from the File menu. Students can open the file later in a Web editor or a word processor that imports HTML (such as Microsoft Word or AppleWorks).
       
       
   14. Show students that the instructions for using the tool are available by clicking Help at the top of the screen.
       
       
3. Once students understand the activity, they can begin exploring the sites using the Internet Quest: Ants! interactive.
   
   
4. Monitor students as they browse the Websites, answering any questions. Remind students to save and/or print their answers.
   
   
5. Once students have explored the sites, invite them to share their findings, adding new information to the chart headed "What We Know About Ants."
   
   
6. When Internet exploration is complete, review information on both charts, making comparisons as appropriate. Write "Yes" or "No" next to each guess on the first chart. Add correct information, elicited from student responses, to any items marked with "No."
   
   

Option Two: Searching with a Web Browser

1. Load the following Websites onto computers:
   
   • Ants, from Enchanted Learning
     
     
   • Ask Jeeves for Kids or Ask Jeeves
2. Do a whole group demonstration showing some navigational tips on each Website. Note: Website exploration can be done by the teacher with the whole group if computers are limited, or with adult helpers working with small groups.
   
   
3. Have students explore the Ants website to find more information about ants or to confirm information which is already charted.
   
   
4. Other students can use Ask Jeeves for Kids or Ask Jeeves to find additional information or to check charted information. (Note that additional sites are also listed in the Resources section.)
   
   
5. Add new information to the chart headed "What We Know About Ants" as students find it online.
   
   
6. When Internet exploration is complete, review information on both charts, making comparisons as appropriate. Write "Yes" or "No" next to each guess on the first chart. Add correct information, elicited from student responses, to any items marked with "No."

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Session Four: Record Findings

1. Start with an opening question: "What are some things that you learned about ants?"
   
   
2. After students have responded, explain to students that they are going to record what they know.
   
   
3. Have students work in groups with parent helpers to record their information on the Animal Study interactive graphic organizer.
   
   
4. Print out the information for students. Alternately, have students record their information on the Animal Study Recording Sheet.

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Session Five: Group Discussion

1. Gather students together for a discussion.
   
   
2. Have students share what they've learned, not only about animals, but about the information-gathering process itself. Keep this conversation informal, but be sure to address what worked well and what was easiest about the process, and what didn't work or what might have worked better.
   
   
3. Chart any information that might be useful for another time.

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EXTENSIONS

• Instead of creating sets of books before starting the lesson, have students sort books from the classroom library to create the sets. See Book Sorting: Using Observation and Comprehension to Categorize Books.
  
  
• Group students according to interest in certain animals and have each group investigate an animal of its choice, starting with selecting their own books to read, and ending with whole group sharing.
  
  
• Have students use the information they gather to write reports using the ReadWriteThink lesson Writing Reports in Kindergarten? Yes!
  
  
• Have students write what they learned about the animal in their journals.
  
  
• Have students write picture books about the animal using the guidelines in the ReadWriteThink lesson Draw a Story: Stepping From Pictures to Writing.
  
  
• For fun, students can create fictional bugs with the Monster Bug interactive from the Magic Schoolbus site.
  
  
• Older students can extend the animal study to mathematics with Bridging Literature and Mathematics by Visualizing Mathematical Concepts, which uses picture books to talk about size and ratio.

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STUDENT ASSESSMENT/REFLECTIONS

Teacher observation of the following:

• Participation in discussion
  
  
• Detailed journal entries
  
  
• Engagement in the research process (searching for and recording facts about the animal)
  
  
• Facts and observations included on the Animal Study Recording Sheets
  

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