Title: Zoos - Yay or Nay?

Teachers: Angela Bargas and Kirsten Levy Time Frame: 50 minutes Grade: 3rd State Standards:

ALCOS: 4.) Use a wide range of strategies and skills, including retelling information, using context clues, and making inferences to identify main idea, to comprehend thirdgrade informational and functional reading materials. 9.) Compose narrative texts using an introductory paragraph, specific time frames, clear sequencing of events, and a conclusion.

Learning Objectives:

Blooms: Students will be able to... ...Express ideas on the benefits or disadvantages on zoos; ...Examine and Discuss the text in a mature, friendly, understanding way; ...Form opinions; and ...Judge differences and choose a side.

Instructional Model: Discussion This lesson fits the discussion model of instruction because it involves students debating ideas about a common topic (zoos). It emphasizes student to student interaction so that students can learn to actively listen to one another and respect one anothers opinions. 1. Identifying Topics: This lesson uses an article on zoo facts. It gives pros and cons allowing for a debate on whether zoos are good or bad for animals. It also provides an opportunity to talk about animals and their habitats. 2. Learning Objectives 3 Types of Objectives (from page 115 in Strategies and Models for Teachers): 1. Get them to think about a topic in a deeper and more analytical way than they would by simply reading about it. 2. The discussion will provide students with practice in critical thinking. As they offer their interpretations, you can ask them to provide evidence for their opinions. 3. Students will learn social skills. 3. Developing Student Knowledge Make sure the students have extensive knowledge about zoos. Having them listen to a track of animal sounds helps bring them into the environment.

Materials:

Article on Zoos http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/zoos-good-orbad1.htm/printable Elmo Organizational Worksheet Participation Checklist Power Point Smart Board Talking Hippo Zoo Sounds CD

Engagement (the hook): Listening to animals sounds from a cd. Special Education Accommodation: Instead of the writing assessment at the end, the special needs student will have an auditory assessment of their position on zoos. Procedures: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Listen closely to this and tell me what you first think of.... Play the zoo sounds. After getting the students opinions, explain that these are sounds from a zoo. Then ask: How many of you have been to a zoo? Did you like it? Pass out graphic organizers while beginning procedure six.... Explain that we are going to read an article that has two sides on zoos: pros and cons. (Thus defining those two terms.) 7. Explain filling in the organizer while showing example on the Elmo. 8. Explain that the students will be writing down the pros and cons in the appropriate columns during the reading. 9. Read the zoo article. 10. After reading the pros, go over filling in the organizer. 11. Continue onto cons in article, repeating step 10 for them as well. 12. After reading the article, ask students to think of their position on zoos: for or against? Show power point of zoos on the smart board during thinking time. (This allows the teacher to reach both the auditory and visual learners.) 13. Explain talking hippo to promote positive participation. 14. Begin the discussion. Below are some guiding questions:

What are the two viewpoints presented in this article? Why do we have zoos? What is the purpose of a zoo? Are zoos able to accomplish their purpose(s)? Do zoos provide a natural habitat for its inhabitants? Should we have zoos? Are zoos safe for animals? What do the animals think? Do animals like living in captivity? Why? Remember to give evidence from the article!

15. Close the discussion by reminding students that we were given facts from two sides and were therefore able to make an educated decision. 16. Ask students to get out a piece of paper and write for 5 minutes finishing one of the two sentences (add that they can use what they wrote in their organizer to help them support their argument):

Zoos are good for animals because... Zoos are not good for animals because...

Assessment: There are three kinds of assessment because the discussion strategy has three different kinds of learning objectives (see participation checklist):

1. Develop deeper knowledge: Positive participation in the discussion about the pros and cons of zoos for animals. 2. Critical Thinking: At the very end, ask students to spend 5 minutes writing on what they think of the article and whether or not zoos are good or bad for animals. 3. Social development: Every student participates positively in the discussion which will help students learn to respect one another. Diversity: This lesson addresses the diverse needs of students because....
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Different learning styles are addressed (auditory with the cd/discussion, visual with the graphic organizer/pictures) SES is compensated for by providing the zoo atmosphere at the beginning with our cd of sound from the zoo (the article itself also does a good job explaining zoos). The class will learn social skills via a discussion with student to student interaction.

Enrichment Activity: Have the students act out being different animals in and out of captivity.

Participation Checklist Name Abby Ali Chyanne Clarity Courtney Dalton Ella Haden Jaidyn Jason Jonathan Judah Kobe Mason Noah Rachel Sarah Sydney William Positive Participation Talked During Discussion Appropriate Writing Response