Gr+4+-+Compare-Contrast+in+the+Great+Outdoors+(ELA,+Sci)

=Comparing and Contrasting in the Great Outdoors: An Introduction to Field Journaling=

//Lesley McKillop - Prairie Elementary School//


 * Subject Area:** English Language Arts, Science, Art, Media Literacy
 * Grade Level:** 4th Grade


 * Overview:** Students will find two specimens of the same species, branches, flowers, leaves, rocks, etc.; draw them side by side; and delve into the “incredible variety of things to observe” through field journaling, movie making and audio casting (VoiceThread).


 * Objectives:**
 * Students will note, in their drawings, the similarities in the specimens.
 * Students will note, in their drawings, the differences in the specimens.
 * Students will analyze, through a Venn diagram, the variability within a single species.
 * Students will write a compare-and-contrast paragraph, based on the observations recorded in their Venn diagrams.

media type="youtube" key="Ao98kiIu5xU" width="420" height="315" align="center"
 * Lesson Video:**


 * Procedure:**
 * Begin lesson by reminding students that they are used to seeing the differences between human beings everyday, and the same concept applies to species in nature.
 * Discuss the need for students must train their eyes to look carefully for differences, as many differences are very subtle or small.
 * Head out to the school yard and challenge the students to find two similar appearing flowers, leaves, grasses, or rocks.
 * Demonstrate (on an overhead or document cam) how to make careful diagrams in their Field Journals, with specimens placed side-by-side. If their specimens are very small, they may want to draw them on a larger scale.
 * Instruct the students look for as many differences as they can find; detail those differences in their diagrams; and then record their observations as notes in their field journals.
 * Students are now ready to complete a Venn diagram noting the similarities and differences between the two specimens. The information in the Venn diagram will help scaffold and transform their observations into a paragraph.

//Note:// This lesson is based on //Going for Gold: Comparing and Contrasting//, a lesson from the excellent online curriculum developed by author, illustrator, and naturalist John Muir Laws. Lesson is best done in a location where students have access to many types of plants or minerals.


 * Materials:**
 * Specimens from similar species (leaves, stems, rocks)
 * Note paper our journals
 * Pencils, crayons or colored pencils


 * Lesson Resources:**
 * John Muir Laws & Emily Breuing's Beta version (copied with permission) - [[file:cnps journal curriculum small 2.pdf]]
 * Sacramento's Splash website
 * PBS [|Critter Guide - Crows]
 * PBS - A Murder of Crow


 * Student Products:**
 * All About Crows VoiceThread
 * [|Got Field Journal?]
 * How to Draw a Really Cool Bird


 * Extensions Activities**: Now that the students are experts on observing and explaining similarities and differences of plants and animals, pose the question: Why are individuals, despite our differences, members of the same species?


 * Standards:**

//ISTE NETS://
 * Demonstrate creativity and innovation
 * Communicate and collaborate
 * Think critically, solve problems, and make decisions
 * Use technology effectively and productively

//Common Core Standards://
 * Production and Distribution of Writing - With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

//California Content Standards//
 * ELA Grade 4 - Writing 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
 * ELD Grade 4 -Listening Speaking beginning and intermediate; Writing beginning and intermediate; Reading beginning and intermediate.
 * Science Grade 4 - 6 a