Integrating Picture Books into the Curriculum

1. Integrating Picture Books into the Curriculum 3rd Grade Science

2. National Boards • Explored various curriculums to determine best class and subject • Selected 3rd grade because • They were going to do an animal research project for Language Arts later in the year. • Research unit I was currently doing with them (index card activity) • Wide range of learning abilities

3. Entry #2 “Fostering an Appreciation of Literature” Accomplished media specialists encourage and engage students of varying developmental levels in a full range of activities for the purpose of understanding content materials, enjoying literature, and engaging their critical thinking skills.

4. Objectives • Information Skills • Competency Goal 4: The learner will EXPLORE and USE research processes to meet information needs. • English Language Arts, 3rd Grade • Objective 3.06 • Conduct research for assigned and self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).

5. Owl Moon • How was I going to merge the two? • My personal research into Great Horned Owls led me to realize I was doing research because this book intrigued me and I could do the same for 3rd grade! • Decided to arrange a “scavenger hunt”-type research project that would tie in certain quotes from the book to specific questions.

6. How was I going to do this?! • A previous project with a 7th grade research project using “stations” for research queries inspired me to set up stations for 3rd grade.

7. Step One:Selecting the Quotes • Each research question had to tie into a quote from the book. • I selected four passages and planned for five stations: • Book • Encyclopedia • Online Encyclopedia • Internet • Fun • Utilized the space of the media center to arrange stations.

8. Step 2:Reading the book aloud • I read the book aloud to the students and then “hooked” them by telling them that the Great Horned Owl is the only owl that makes the distinctive Hoo-hoo sound. They thought all owls did.

9. Step 3 • Read the passages and corresponding questions aloud • Reviewed the stations (stations one, two, etc.) • I signage indicating which station for which question • Teamed them up by unique abilities (not high and low!!) • Eddie and Summer • (Eddie: ESL, struggles with reading English, but excellent listening comprehension and Summer, great reader but virtually no comprehension)

10. Step 4:And.. Engage! Go forth and research.

11. Questions and passages • Station 1/ Encyclopedia • “It was late one winter night, long past my bedtime, when Pa and I went owling.” • What is an owl? • How many eggs can a female lay?

12. Questions and passages • Owl Books / Station two • “Nothing in the meadow moved. All of a sudden an owl shadow, part of the big tree shadow, lifted off and flew right over us.” • What helps an owl fly very quietly? • Can an owl turn its head so far that it can see backwards and why?

13. Questions and passages • Amazing Animals Online Encyclopedia (NCWiseOwl)/ Station 3 • “Pa held up his hand. {…..} Then he called: whoo-whoo-who-who-whoooooo,” the sound of a Great Horned Owl.” • How did the Great Horned Owl get its name? • The GHO is famous for being __________ of the world’s owl.

14. Questions and passages • Kidzone/Station 4 • “Then the owl pumped its great wings and lifted off the branch like a shadow without sound.” • How long is the GHO’s body? • How long is their wingspan • Used a tape measure at this station for them to “see” how long the wingspan is.

15. Questions and passages • Cool-Down station • Had pictures, magazines, wordsearch, plastic figure of a GHO, Smithsonian Encyclopedia of birds with beautiful pictures.