Gold Seal Lesson:
Tundra Talk

Copernicus Education Gateway

Subject:

Science

Grade:

K-4

ICLE Standards:

Science: Demonstrate knowledge of the environment of the tundra and how it effects all living things.

Language Arts: Demonstrate the ability to communicate orally and in writing.

Performance Task:

Your task is to create two pages for a nonfiction book which will depict, through pictures and text, the lifestyle of an Eskimo child and a tundra animal of your choice. Your text should reflect an understanding of the tundra environment and how people and animals adapt to that environment. You may use any resources that you have to obtain the information - classroom discussion; prior reading; research, including print materials and/or the Internet; information from other individuals, etc. Your text should be accurate and should include information about the climate of the tundra and about the food, shelter, and clothing of an Eskimo child. There should be a complete description of your chosen animal, including how it survives in the habitat of the tundra. At least one illustration should accompany your text. You will make an oral presentation of your two-page product to your class. You will then, as a class, compile the book of each student's work.

Knowledge / Skills:

Understand ecology as the study of the interactions and relationships of organisms with their living and nonliving environments (i.e., the ecosystem, communities, and populations).  (s13)

Know the survival requirements of the human population and the history and implications of population growth.  (s40)

Gather information from a variety of sources, including electronic sources, and summarize, analyze, and evaluate its use for a report.  (ela3)

Present information in well-organized fashion that will be clear to the target audience.  (ela11)

Apply rules of appropriate diction, grammar, and usage in formal speaking situations.  (ela13)

Rubric:

4 Points =  The student includes accurate information in all appropriate categories. Information is thorough and well organized. He/she has a good understanding of the tundra environment and how both humans and animals adapt to live in that environment. The student's text is well constructed, interesting, and complete. Illustrations included are realistic and reflect the text. The student speaks clearly during the classroom presentation.

3 Points  =  The student's information is accurate but does not include information for all of the required categories. He/she demonstrates an adequate understanding of the tundra environment but does not show evidence that he/she understands how both humans and animals adapt to live in that environment. The student's text is fairly well constructed but is neither complete nor particularly interesting. The minimum of one illustration is included. It is, however, either not particularly realistic or does not reflect the text. The oral presentation to the class is not very strong. The student demonstrates only minimal competence in oral presentation skills.

2 Points  =  The student's information contains some inaccuracies. It is neither thorough nor well organized. He/she demonstrates only a partial understanding of the tundra environment and does not show evidence of how humans and animals adapt to that environment. The student's text is poorly constructed, incomplete, and not very interesting. One illustration is included. Although it is realistic, it does not reflect the text. The student has difficulty making the oral presentation. Volume and enunciation are poor. The oral presentation does not flow smoothly.

1 Point  =  The student's information is incomplete, and much of it is inaccurate. It is poorly organized, demonstrating little, if any, understanding of the tundra environment. The student does not address how humans or animals adapt to the tundra environment. The text is so poorly constructed that the story has little meaning. The illustration either doesn't exist or is unrealistic and unrelated to the text. The student is unable to make a meaningful presentation to the class. He/she demonstrates a complete lack of oral presentation skills.

Keywords:

CHEMISTRY
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEM
READING
RESEARCH
EXPOSITION
ORAL PRESENTATION

Grades:

Kg [X] - 1 [X] - 2 [X] - 3 [X] - 4 [X] - 5 [] - 6 [] - 7 [] - 8 [] - 9 [] - 10 [] - 11 [] - 12 []

ICLE Application:

D

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