LLED 351 Inquiry Unit Plan

By Megan Severide
Subject: Science
Cross Curricular Subjects: Language Arts, Visual Arts, Math
Grade: 3/4
Topic of Inquiry: The ways organisms in ecosystems sense and respond to their
environment. Interconnection between living and non-living things in the local
environment.
Rationale
The questions and content of this unit are important because understanding the
connectedness of animals and their environment increases understanding of
humans impact on the environment. By inquiring into an animal in the local
marine habitat, students will be able make connections between the ocean
environment and the impact of humans on our local ecosystem. This class has
had a lot of practice with inquiry projects. They are motivated and self-regulated.
As such as inquiry unit on ocean ecosystems and animal habitats is a perfect fit
for them.
Description of My class
My class is a 3/4 combined class of 23 students, 17 boys and 6 girls. The class is
pretty equally split between grade 3s and grade 4s. Several of the grade 4
students were in grade 3 last year with the same teacher so they have more of an
understanding of the concepts covered throughout the year. There is one ELL
learner at a fairly high level and 2 students on IEPs. The class is in general very
motivated to learn. The teacher has been teaching them how to be self-regulated
learners throughout the year, so it is beginning to become apparent that some of
them are getting a handle on it. The students, who had the same teacher for
grade 3, act as leaders in the class. They are often placed in groups with grade
3s to help their classmates. These students take on this leadership role very
responsibly and I think gain a greater understanding of the concepts through
teaching it. Given the profile of my class I pose three big questions. All students
will answer the first question, some will answer the second and a few will answer
the third.
Big Questions
1. How is your animal dependent on its habitat? (All)
2. How is your animal dependent on other species in the habitat? (Some)
3. How have humans influenced your animals habitat? (Few)

Big Ideas and Curricular Competencies Covered

Subjec
t
Science

Big Idea
Living things are
diverse, can be

Curricular
Competencies
Demonstrate curiosity
about the natural world

Content
Competencies
The ways
organisms in

grouped, and
interact in their
ecosystems
All living things and
their environment
are interdependent

Suggest ways to plan

and conduct an inquiry
to find answers to their
questions
Identify some simple
environmental
implications of their and
others actions
Represent and
communicate ideas and
findings in a variety of
ways such as diagrams,
simple reports, using
digital technologies as
appropriate

ecosystems
sense and
respond to their
environment
Features of
biomes
Aboriginal
knowledge of
ecosystems
Biodiversity in
the local
environment

Express or reflect on
personal or shared
experience of place
how does place connect
with stewardship?
Visual
Arts

Creative expression
is a means to
explore and share
ones identity within
a community

Create artistic works

collaboratively and as
an individual using
ideas inspired by
imagination, inquiry,
experimentation and
purposeful play
Connect knowledge and
skills from other areas
of learning in planning,
creating, interpreting
and analyzing works of
art
Express feelings, ideas
and experiences in
creative ways

Elements and
principles that
together create
meaning in the
arts

Langua
ge Arts

Math

Exploring text and

story helps us
understand
ourselves and make
connections to
others and to the
world

We can describe,
measure and
compare spatial
relationships:
standard units are
used to measure
attributes of objects
shapes

Recognize how different

text structures reflect
different purposes

Reading and
oral language
strategies

Use personal
experience and
knowledge to connect
to text and make
meaning

Elements of
non-fiction texts

Plan and create a

variety of
communication form for
different purposes and
audiences
Connect mathematical
concepts to each other
and make mathematical
connections to the real
world

Measurement
using standard
unit (linear,
mass and
capacity)

Share and reflect on

mathematical thinking

Graphic Overview

List of Activities

Living
are Oceans. Introduce to the
Initial Provocation: Play the trailer things
for Disneys
diverse,
students that we will be moving into a
new unit of study on ocean habitats. Have
students share what they already know
about
can
be the ocean and animals that live
there. Create as a class a KWL chart of
what
we know and what we want to learn.
grouped,
and
interact in
their

Type of
Activity

Activity
Title

Summary of Activities

Materials/Reso
urces

Connecting
(accessing
prior
knowledge)

Where the
Wind Blows
Making
connections
to the Ocean

Students stand in a circle, one

student makes a statement about
something they have done that
connects them to the Ocean e.g.
Ive taken a ferry, anyone else
who has done the same has to
switch paces whoever is left out
comes up with the next sentence
and so on.
Students brainstorm and display
on a map a variety of ways they
are connected to the ocean

None

Process
(constructing
their learning)

Ocean
Connections:
In what ways
are we
connected to
the ocean?
Aquarium
Fieldtrip
Why People
Live Near
Coasts

How People
Affect Ocean
Animals and
Plants
Habitat Need:
What do
animals need
to survive?
Read: A Tale
of Wild Orcas:
Grannys
Clan
Read Salmon
Creek

Making a Web

Web Cam

Attend the Vancouver Aquarium

take part in a guided lesson

David Suzuki
Foundation - Oceans

Map
Sticky notes
String
National Geographic
Education

Students look at a map of

population density in British
Columbia and North America. They
describe the patterns they see
near the coast and brainstorm and
draw possible reasons for it.
Students brainstorm how people
living along coasts harm ocean
animals and plants. Then they
analyze specific examples.
Students brainstorm examples of
animals and their needs. They
learn that a habitat satisfies the
basic needs that must be met for
animals to survive.
Talk about Granny the oldest killer
whale in the pacific northwest.
Connect to hardship of human
impact on whales habitat.
Talk about human affects on
salmon habitat. Make connections
between human affects on salmon
habitat and orca habitat. Ask
students the question: why are
they connected?

Crayons
Drawing paper

Children choose an ocean animal

or plant and talk about what it eats
or is eaten by
Standing in a circle one child starts
with the ball of yarn and throws it
a student whose animal depends
on his or her own
Monitor daily movements of sea

Ball of yarn
Paper
Markers
Safety Pins/Tape

National Geographic
Education

Paper
Markers
National Geographic
Education
Grannys Clan: A
Tale of Wild Orcas
by Sally Hodson
Salmon Creek by
Annette Lebox

David Suzuki
Oceans
Journals

Size me up to
a blue whale:
How do ocean
animals
compare in
size to a
students
body?
Mapping Blue
Whale
Migration

Transformation

Inquiry Project
KWL
Memoir of my
Animal
Ocean
Diorama

life and record observations in

their scientific journals. Practice
scientific drawings.
Students measure and use
measurement conversions to learn
about the size of 6 ocean animals
and compare the animal sizes to
themselves

Students study whales migration

routes using a map scale. They
create stories of whales
migrations drawing upon reasons
behind animal migration
Marine Animal investigation into
habitat and interdependence on
species
What do you Know, Wonder and
want to Learn about your chosen
animal?
Keeping a daily journal with entries
from the perspective of their
animal
Create a diorama of their animals
habitat out of a cardboard box

Measuring sticks
Meter sticks
Pencils
Rulers
Unifix cubes
National Geographic
Education
Markers
Scissors
String
Tape
National Geographic
Education
Research materials
Library access
Graphic Organizer
Journal
Cardboard Box
Other available
materials

Resources and Resource Critique

Type

Resource

Validity

Age
Appropria
te
Yes

Year

Accessibilit
y

Interest

Web
Cam

http://www.vanaqua.
org/learn/see-andlearn/live-cams/

Published and
maintained by the
Vancouver
Aquarium

2016

Visually
appealing with
large screen
size to view
webcam

Published by the
David Suzuki
Foundation

Yes
designed
for
children

2013

Published by the
Discovery Channel
Discovery
Communication
Inc.

Yes it is a
childrens
website

2016

Website is
easy to
access and
navigate
from any
device
PDF has
lesson ideas
and clear
instructions
on how to
carry out
activities and
lessons
Website is
easy access
with
straightforwa
rd tabs and
links. Lots of
pictures.

PDF

David Suzuki Ocean

Activity Kit for Kids:
http://www.davidsuz
uki.org/publications/
downloads/2013/Dav
idSuzukiOceanKeepersKidsEventKit.pdf
http://discoverykids.
com/videos/howtiny-are-youcompared-to-thebiggest-seacreatures/

Website

National Geographic
Education
http://education.nati
onalgeographic.org/
media/my-ocean/

Published by the
National
Geographic

Yes, the
lessons on
the page
range from
k-12 but
they are
labelled as
such

2016

MapMa
per Kits

National Geographic
Education
http://education.nati
onalgeographic.org/
programs/nat-geomapmaker-kits/

Published by the
National
Geographic

Yes

2016

PDF

National Geographic
One Ocean
Teachers Guide
http://media.educati
on.nationalgeograph
ic.com/assets/file/On
eOcean_Teacher_Gui
de.pdf

Published by the
National
Geographic

Yes,
activities
in the
manual are
designed
for
elementar
y aged

2013

Video

The website
is easy to
follow. You
can search
for
categories
within the
education
page that
you wish to
find activities
for as well as
search
through
grade level.
There is a
video tutorial
showing you
how to
download
the map you
want.
PDF has
lesson ideas
and lots of
background
information.
You can
either
download

The activities
are relevant to
children form
k-8. Lots of
activities that
are active and
engaging.
The video is
animated and
engaging. It
provides a
visual
representation
of the size of a
human
compared to
the largest
sea creatures.
A lot of the
activities are
very engaging
and multimodal.
Several of
them provide
a video or
other
resources
from National
Geographic

Here you can

download and
print maps
from all over
the world.

students

the PDF of
read it online
Accessible at
childrens
book stores
or local and
school
libraries.

Book

Grannys Clan: A
Tale of Wild Orcas
by Sally Hodson

Published
Childrens
literature by Dawn
Publications

Yes

2013

Field
Trip

The Vancouver
Aquarium

Recognized
institution

Yes, they
have lots
of kids
programs

2016

Open every
day and easy
to book for
fieldtrips

Interact
ive
Online
Learnin
g
Website

Secrets at Sea
http://www.secretsat
sea.org/story/1a.htm
l

Yes

n/a

Easily
accessible
online
through
devices but
requires
flash player.

Web
Cam

http://www.orcalive.net/

Supported by the
Vancouver
Aquarium, Science
World and the
Pacific Space
Centre.
Recommended by
Fisheries and
Oceans Canada
Recommended by
Fisheries and
Oceans Canada

Yes

2016

Easy
accessible
website.
Need a
plugin to
hear sound
though

Web
Cam

Explore Oceans
Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube
.com/channel/UCSyg
9cb3IqNtlbxqNB9wGw

Live cam provider

to many other
institutions

Yes to
users
discretion

2016

Easy to
watch on
youtube

Book

Salmon Creek by
Annette Lebox

Published author

Yes it is a
childrens
storybook

2004

Accessible
through local
bookstores
and libraries

Libraria

School Librarian at

Trained Librarian

Yes

2016

Accessible

And teachers guide:

http://www.secretsat
sea.org/tg/

The book tells

the story of
the oldest
Orca in the J
pod of the
Pacific
Northwest.
Relevant to
students living
on the coast.
Some of them
might have
seen J Pod.
Children get
to see live
animals up
close and
learn more
about them
and their
ocean
environment.
Children can
go through
the game
and learn
facts about
ocean
animals.
Live web cams
from
Johnstone
Straight.
Shows the
whats
happening
currently on
our coasts.
You can also
hear the
sounds the
orcas make.
Live web cams
of ocean
wildlife from
all over the
world. Shows
live stream
and
highlights.
Tells the tale
from the
perspective of
the salmon.
Lots of vivid
illustrations.
She can help

Lord Byng

by email and
in person.

Person

Sandra Scott B.Ed.

Science Instructor

Instructor at the
University of BC

Yes

2016

Yes access
by email and
in person

Lesson
Plans

Vancouver Aquarium
Lesson Plans for
Experiential
Learning
https://www.vanaqua
.org/learn/education
al-resources/lessonplans

Provided by the
Vancouver
Aquarium

Yes

2016

Yes the
lesson plans
are available
online and
accessible to
all.

students find
resources for
their
individual
inquiry
project.
She has
resources and
knowledge
about
planning units
around
oceans.
High interests
topics that
relate to
ocean
animals. Some
lessons can be
used
alongside a
self guided
trip to the
aquarium.