OverView-Life+Cycles

This is the unit we will be exploring over the next six weeks:

Our Life Cycles Unit  This unit is a third grade science unit focusing on the life cycles of animals addressing the new Next Generation Science Standards. This is a technology infused unit that explores the similarities and differences of the life cycles of frogs, butterflies and mice. After an introduction video and species specific PowerPoints, students use programs such as “Animation-ish,” “Kid-Pix” and “Voicethread” to show their understanding of each species’ specific stages. All learning styles and multiple intelligences are addressed through technology projects as well as the enactment of a life cycle play performance. Students create “Animation-ish” projects showing understanding of the frog and butterfly life cycle. “Kid-Pix” is used to explore the life cycle of a mouse. “Voicethread” as well as “Word” show understanding of the similarities and differences of the various life cycles. A classroom Wiki or Ning is used to both showcase work and keep a photo and writing journal about changes occurring in the classroom tadpoles and butterfly larva. Parents have access to the Wiki or Ning where they can see classroom project results and accomplishments. A culminating play performance as well as “classroom animal release party” also shows parents what is learned. Rubrics are used to assess student understanding after each technology project is finished, typically, one a week. The culminating activities include applying knowledge of life cycles to new species through a post to the class wiki, a prediction blog, as well as a unit text. This is a fun, interactive and technologically rich unit that assists students with internalization of information about animal life cycles.

 If you want to see what we will be doing each day, take a look at our daily plan.  Daily Plan: 