How the World Works 2015/16

Central Idea:

Animals have unique characteristics that enable them to interact with their environment.

Lines of Inquiry:

  • Animal habitats and environments.
  • Physical and behavioural characteristics of animals.
  • How animals’ characteristics help them to live in their environment.

Concepts: form, function, connection

Related Concepts: adaptation, classification, behaviour

Story # 1

The Bat: I see, I wonder, I know

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A dead bat sparked conversations, with students sharing what they saw, knew and wondered about the dead creature.

What we see:

  • It has hands, it has a head.
  • It can fly.
  • It has fluff.
  • It has wings.
  • I see ears.
  • It has feathers. It has claws and sharp teeth.
  • The mouth is a circle.
  • It has legs.

What we know:

  • Avery: It flies in the dark.
  • Joshua: It is a bat and if it was in the sun too long it would die.
  • Vincent: The bat likes to be upside down. It likes to sleep upside down.
  • James: They poop from their mouth. 
  • Avery: bats don’t have bums. 
  • Stephanie: They poop from their mouth because they are upside down!
  • James: They can see in the dark. They sleep in the morning and wake up in the night.
  • Avery It’s called nocturnal. 

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What we wonder

  • What is it?
  • Where did it come from?
  • Alice: Is it a bug?
  • Dinghy: Is his legs broken?
    • William: Maybe the bat went out to find food and the sun is too hot and it got burnt.
  • Stephanie: I wonder why it has a really long nose like a circle?
  • Eva: Did you fine it somewhere dark?
  • Jihoon: Why is it not flying?
    • Joshua: Because it is dead.
  • Stephanie: Why do bats die?
  • Vincent: Why do bats like the dark? Why don’t this like the sun?
  • Guilherme: Why can’t bats walk?
  • Myrto: How do bats fly?
  • Avery: Why do bats sleep upside down?
  • Jihoon: Why are bats black?
    • Joshua: Probably to blend in with the darkness. 
  • Stephanie: Why can’t he see in the morning?
    • Avery: So that the predators, like owls, can’t see them.
  • Stephanie: Why do bats poop from the mouth?
  • Seunghun: Why do bats fly?
  • Dinghy: How did the bat fall down?
  • Avery: Why do bats have claws?
    • Vincent: Because they need their claws to hand upside down.
  • Seunghun: Why do bats like the cave?
    • William: Because it is dark and cold inside the cave.
  • Alice: Why are their eyes not so good? 
  • Myrto: Why do they have triangular ears?
  • Guilherme: How do bats and bears live together in a cave?

Story # 2

Joshua brought a pack of cards with beautiful pictures and information about  animals, birds, reptiles and insects from around the world. The students decided to draw their favourite animals.  IMG_1558 IMG_1563 IMG_1568

Story # 3

The Zoo

The students visited Nanjing Hong Shan Zoo to observe the habitats, behaviours and characteristics of different animals. 

https://twitter.com/NISKinder2/status/737600250890723329

https://twitter.com/NISKinder2/status/737966916992520192

Story # 4

The Rainforest

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The students watched a video about the ‘Rainforests’. The students drew a picture of this habitat and the animals that live there. The students shared their thinking about the different layers of the forest and how the animals and plants adapt in order to live there.

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Story # 5

Habitats

The students also watched videos on deserts, oceans, forests and arctic habitats.

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They decided to create a habitat of their choice.

https://twitter.com/NISKinder2/status/737965838620188672

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Story # 6

Research Project

The students chose an animal at the Hong Shan Zoo to research. They used a graphic organiser to record their findings. They wrote captions and sentences, drew pictures and included diagrams and photos. 

They were encouraged to use unit vocabulary:

  • Characteristics (physical and behavioural)
  • Habitats
  • Environment
  • Animals
  • Survive
  • Classify (sort)

https://twitter.com/NISKinder2/status/738282617095626752

https://twitter.com/NISKinder2/status/738281991271915523

https://twitter.com/NISKinder2/status/738173835497771008

Story # 7

What is Extinction?

The students wondered what ‘extinction‘ and ‘endangered‘ meant. We watched a video to help us understand what this means.

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The students were saddened by the thought of species of animals and plants reaching a point where they were no more a part of the world. They discussed how this would affect the food chain and reflected on what this would mean to them, and how they can take action. 

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