BIOME PALS





    Grade level: 5th grade

    Subjects: Vocational /Technology, Language, Science
    Learner Outcomes:

    • Students will learn about the climate, plant life, and animal life of students from other regions.
    • Students will use  internet e-mail skills to write to pen pals in other regions of the world.
    • Students will use a spreadsheet ( from previous ) and record precipitation and temperature of their pen pals region.
    • Students will send pictures to pen pals of their biome lessons.
    Duration of lesson: 3 months

    Materials:

    • digital camera
    • e-mail addresses
    • spreadsheet/ software/excel
    Technology Tools/Courseware:
    • computers in lab
    • internet access
    • digital camera
    • Excel
    Teacher Notes:
    • Make sure  students have permission to use the internet e-mail.
    • Set up computers in lab
    • Have projector device set up
    Procedure:
    • Students will determine which brochure in the previous lesson was best represented and e-mail that region.
    • They will vote on the best one.
    • The teacher will have the final say.
    • The biome that wins will be the region that the students will e-mail to.
    • Students will find an e-pal
    • The epal will be chosen from the winning biome.
    • Students will use the teacher's e-mail address that he/she accesses from yahoo
    • They will locate a pen pal with the help of the teacher and write to that country using the internet site e-pals.
    • Students will collect data ( temperature, precipitation,) and record it on their spreadsheet created from a previous lesson.
    • Students will also send pictures (using a digital camera) of the biome they live in to pen pals.
    • In return pen pals from the other region will collect the same data  and send it along with pictures.
    • Students will compare/contrast their data they collect and discuss it with each other through e-mail.
    • Students will compile this data over a period of three months to get accurate data.
    • They will record it on spreadsheet ( this skill taught in previous lesson)
    • Charts can be made and put up in the room for the classroom to view
    Modifications:
    • Inclusion teacher would help students to e-mail.
    • Inclusion teacher would help students to write in their journals.
    • Have students who demonstrate proficient knowledge in e-mailing skills help children who are having difficulty.
    Enrichment Activities:
    • Students could write to other biomepals from other regions and find information about that biome.
    • Students could send a care package to the biomepal and send different items about their biome such as recipes, products (ex. piece of coal) resources, etc.
    • Have a guest speaker come to the classroom and discuss their biome region, customs, resources, etc.
    • Make a powerpoint presentation of their biome and send as an attachment to the biomepal
    • Create a web page on their biome for the biomepals to visit.
    Evaluation/Assessment:
    • Students will write in their journals about there experience of a biomepal and use their journal to record the precipitation, temperature


    West Virginia IGOs

  • Science: 5.2,5.7,5.8,5.10,5.11,5.13,5.16,5.17,5.20: 5.22,5.23,5.27,5.32,5.34,5.36

    • Language Arts: 5.108,
    Technology: 5.179,5.180,5.185,5.187
     
     

    National Standards
    Language Arts:

    • Gathers and uses information for research purposes
    • Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
    Technology:
    • Knows the characteristics and uses of computer hardware and operating systems
    Science:
    • Understands the nature of scientific inquiry


    References:
    Yahoo
    epals
     
     
     

    Authors:
     
    Donna Dennis
    Bernadette Rush
    Jo Ellen Snider

     
     
     
    Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Lesson 6

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