Animal Project Due Dates

The research booklet for the animal project should be completed by Tuesday June 4. 

The visual (booklet or poster) is due Tuesday June 11.

Students need to be prepared to present Tuesday June 11  and  Thursday June 13.

Animal Project Research Guidelines

Students are excited about selecting and researching their projects.

Students received their research packages today, and most students chose their topics, and some will confirm on Thursday. I have asked students to be specific, so don't just choose "ants" but choose "red fire ants"  for example, versus any or all ants.

If you are unsure about anything regarding the project, please don't hesitate to send me an email to check: a.hendriks@haltonhillschristianschool.org

Students can research at home if they like and bring in materials to work from to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We do have many books and some computer time in class to work on them as well. 

Some websites I recommend are:

Ask for Kids

National Geographic for Kids

Animal Planet

Kids Biology

All Creatures Large and Small

Dear Parents,

For the remainder of the school year, we will be switching from Health to Social Studies and completing a unit called All Creatures Large and Small- Amphibians and Insects. This is a continuation of the same units studied in grade one and two, with other animal groups.

We will be studying two different animal groups-amphibians and insects. Students will be completing a three- part project on one animal.  There will be a lot of class time to work on this assignment, but some work and research at home is encouraged, especially to complete the rearch booklet.

1. Complete the research sheet on selected animal
2. A visual- poster or booklet that includes:

                                     Pictures and descriptions (2-3 sentences) of:

§  The animal and its characteristics and appearance (colour, size)

§  Description of habitat- where does this animal live in the world? Does it make a home?

§  Life -cycle

§  Food –what does this animal eat?

§  How does this animal move?

§  What are this animal’s predators?

§  How does this animal protect itself?

    3.  Presentation of project to class.


Below is a general timeline for the unit:

May  7-18 Weeks One and Two

Review animal groups and study amphibians and reptiles

May 21- June 1 Weeks Two and Three

Select animal for research and begin to fill out research booklet

June 3-14 Weeks Four and Five

Present projects to class

       Below is a sample booklet and a rubric and checklist for the project.

Mrs. Hendriks

NOTE: Students may copy and paste the research package to type up the answers, however, this booklet is for research and will not be "graded".  It is to ensure students have all the required information for the visual (booklet OR poster) and presentation. The project will be evaluated on the visual and presentation. See Rubric below.

Research

Please complete with full sentences, correct spelling and neat writing. You will be using this information to complete part two and three of the project.

Animal

Animal name

Animal group

Characteristics/Appearance

 Habitat

Provide a description of where you might find this animal, for example, in water, on land, in wooded areas. Be as specific as you can.

Life Cycle

Describe the life cycle for this animal

 Predators

What are this animal’s predators?

How does this animal protect or defend itself?

 Movement-How does this animal move? How does it sense the world around?

Special Feature

What makes this animal unique?  Choose one special feature of this animal to describe in detail.  For example:

·                            A physical characteristic (like compound eyes of some insects)

·                           Special behavior (like bees building a hive, ants working in a colony)

Rubric for Animal Project

NAME: ________________ANIMAL: ___________________________

	Minimal	Partial	Proficient	Advanced
Poster/Booklet	Poster/booklet includes pictures and details for each section.	Poster/booklet includes pictures and details for each section.	Poster/booklet includes coloured and meaningful pictures for each section. Includes all required information and many details. Information clearly displayed.	Additional information or materials are provided that enhances overall project.
Neatness	Information is neatly presented.	Information is neatly presented with few errors.	Information is clearly and neatly presented with no errors.	Information is creatively and clearly presented with details like underlining, highlighting and font sizes with no errors.
Presentation	Information is read from booklet or poster.	Information is read partially from booklet or poster.	Student enthusiastically presents the material in a knowledgeable way.	Additional visuals are provided that add to the overall presentation.

Checklist for visual:

Pictures and descriptions (2-3 sentences) for:

• Name of animal
• Appearance
•  Habitat
• Food
• Predators/Protection
•  Special Feature

Bullying Unit

Our next unit in Health is about Bullying. We have discussed that

Bullying is:

Being mean to others, on purpose to hurt them or their feelings

Bullying Behavior is:

On purpose; more than once; is unfair or one-sided

We will be talking about why people bully, bullying behaviors, normal conflict and conflict resolution ( I -messages) and bully prevention.

I look forward to having some very interesting discussions in this unit.

February Additives

Here are some ingredients that we researched this month:

Soy Lecithin


This ingredient is found in mnay foods like pasta, breads, and added to meats as well.  It helps hold food together, and aids in the rising of bread products.

It can help the body to breakdown fats, and some experts say it can help in gall bladder health.  Negative affects include a link to cancer.


Amylase


Amylase is an a natural enzyme that helps to break down starch. It is found in baked goods, cereals, flour, rice, and potatoes.

Knowing about Medicines and Drugs

We are almost done our Building a Healthy Lifestyle unit, and ready to move into our Knowing about Medicines and Drugs unit.

We will be discussing prescription and illegal drugs as well as discussing the harmful affects of smoking. 

It should be very informative unit!

More Information for November

Here are some other ingredients we have researched:

Annato Colour is a natural ingredient used to colour things like cheese, yogurt and salad dressings. Although it is a natural ingredient, some people can still be allergic.

Calcium Carbonate is an additive that helps baked good rise (like yeast). It is also a calcium supplement and can be found in  vitamins.

Maltro Dextrin is a carbohydrate made from potatoes, rice or corn. It is used to thicken foods and can also be found in sugar substitutes.

Disodium Guanylate is a flavour enhancer that comes from fish.It is often added to instant noodles and potato chips.


RECIPE
White Bean Soup with Spinach and Couscous

2 tsp of olive oil
2 leeks- chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
8 cups of chicken broth
3 cups of white kidney beans rinsed and drained
2 dry bay leaves
1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous
2 cups fresh spinach
kosher salt and black pepper

1. Heat oil in large soup pot over med-high heat. Add leaks and garlic and saute for 2 minutes until tender.
2. Add broth, beans, and bay leavese, and bring to a boil.
3. Add couscous, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove bay leaves, discard , and stir in spinach, add salt and pepper to taste.


Serves 6