Instructional Goals:

Students will retrieve, process and evaluate information in order to create a either a fiction or nonfiction picture book on wolves.

Learning Objective:

The students will be able to locate, use, synthesize, and evaluate information from print and online resources to create either a fiction or nonfiction picture book. Students will gain an understanding of the habitat, life cycle, and plight of wolves.

Motivational Goals:

Generate interest in the research process. Establish the importance of learning information skills. Build, reinforce and encourage ongoing confidence in research abilities. Maintain interest in the research process. Promote the value of information skills. Promote satisfaction in research accomplishments. Motivate continuing information exploration.

As students enter the LMC, they will be directed to the classroom area. Each morning a different Bell Ringer activity will be posted on the white board to focus attention and signal the start of the lesson. Each day's posting is also used to evaluate student's progress in the research process for this unit. An example of a Bell Ringer activity would be to have students write a paragraph comparing two stations, or having them write out the plan for their picture book. Next, the teacher or LMS will either lead class discussion on Bell Ringer responses, or give a mini lesson on specific skills that may be needed for this unit; for instance, how to insert an image into a word document, or how to evaluate resources. The students will then be assigned stations for the period. Each station has an accompanying worksheet or written requirement that needs to be completed either that period or during study hall and after school. This unit requires at least seven days in the LMC as there are seven stations to complete. The stations are:

Station # 1:

Use online resources and books to research answers for worksheet.

Station # 2:

Read and review fiction and nonfiction books to complete worksheet.

Station # 3: View 2 videos and complete worksheet.

Station # 4:

Use teacher selected websites to complete worksheet.

Station # 5:

Read Never Cry Wolf and write summary of what was read that day.

Station # 6:

Read script of play and write a summary.

Station # 7:

Read Black and White with group, discuss and write about connections in the book. Students will be given time in the classroom to complete the picture book. A culminating activity will be a visit from Mission: Wolf where students will see live wolves.