The Process

First, you will be assigned into five groups with four students in each group. Once I have created your groups you will be assigned a specific animal that you will be responsible for throughout this project. Then, I will handout the different jobs available with their specific description. As a group you are all to decide and agree on who will be responsible which job.

Now you are ready to do some research. Take turns sharing the in-class computers (according to our class online use policy) and the books taken out from the school library.

Note: A list of books you can borrow from our school library and that I absolutely recommend for assistance in this project are located on the resource page with the online links.

Once you have finished reading the resources available for your animal, write at least one page in your science notebook: One paragraph on what you discovered about this animal, One paragraph keeping your job in mind, and One paragraph on whether you feel this animal would be the best in-class pet.

Note: Your reasons for deciding if your animal would make the best pet should be from the view of your job.

Once you are all done writing your three paragraphs, take turns sharing what you wrote in your notebook.

After all group members have shared their information, the group must work together to decide whether their animal would be the BEST class pet. Make sure you can back up your group's decision with reasons.

Now that your group has selected whether their animal would make a great pet or not, you must create a presentation to inform the rest of the class what you have learned about the animal and persuade them to vote or not vote your animal as the best class pet.

Your presentation should be posted on a science project display board (that I will supply from our class collection). Be creative on how you would like to present your animal information. Regardless of how you present your project, make sure it includes the following:

• You included at least three interesting facts about their animal demonstrating a firm understanding of this animal and its needs.
• You used at least one illustration of their animal to show its life cycle and the body parts, labeled.
• You gave at least three great reasons why this animal should or should not be chosen as the classroom pet.

Now it's time to give your presentation to the class! Each group will have five to ten minutes to present their project. Please make sure you all necessary materials with you. After all the presentations are complete, the whole class will vote for which animal they feel makes the best class pet.

Additional Information for Any Teacher Using My WebQuest

The students are given one period each day to work on this project. Although my class will be conducting the project and taking care of the classroom pet, the entire 2nd grade (which presently consists of three classes) will be listening to their presentations and participating in the voting. This will help the other classes become involved in their own animal studies. Overall this project should take two weeks: The first week would be for the students to collect, read and process the information available to them; the second week, the students would be putting together what they learned and their group decision into a presentation form.

This project, I feel, is easy enough that any novice teacher would be encouraged to try it out. However, as with any project/lesson you try the first time, you will decide on your own whether this project is right for you or if you just need to make some personal adjustments to it. Make sure you are one day ahead of the students so that you can see if there are any materials or organizing that needs to be handled. Also, for any teacher, if you find yourself wanting to change the process to better suit your needs and/or objective, feel free to make it your own. Nothing in this lesson is written in stone. I am sure, I myself will modify it in the future to meet the needs of my students at the time.

Variations

To be filled as I revisit this lesson with different students throughout my teaching career.

Note: Any educator reading this section that would like to suggest any variations please email me at [email protected]. Thanks!