Africa-Lp 2

Africa
NAME: _____Sarah Swindell_______________________
Grade Level(s): 3
Subject(s):
• Social Studies/Geography
• Spelling
• Technology
• Reading
Description: Students will be learning information about Africa within a month time period. The
unit will consist of the overall features of Africa: the countries, landforms, and animals. Toward
the end of the month, students will focus one to two weeks on Kenya. The learner will do various
art, technology, and research activities to help them focus on the concepts being studied.
Through the unit, the learner will be responsible for a country and an animal. The responsibility
involves finding facts and information on the item and then sharing this information with the
class. The students will create a PowerPoint presentation that will compare and contrast African
animals and US animals.
Goal: Students will gain new information about Africa.
National/State Standards:
State Standards:
3. Demonstrate the ability to use social studies tools (e.g., timelines, maps, globes, compasses,
graphs, technological resources, grids, schedules, etc.). (C, H, G, E)
a. Use maps and globes to find relative and absolute locations in regard to different communities (e.g., spatial
perspective, longitude, latitude, etc.).
b. Show movement of products/people in a community and surrounding areas.
c. Identify time and space relevant to a student’s community (e.g., school and community) by using social
studies tools (e.g., timelines, maps, etc.).
d. Demonstrate and apply spatial and ecological perspectives in life situations (e.g., locating waste disposal in
your community, etc.).
NETS –S Standards:
6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
Students:
a. understand and use technology systems.

b. select and use applications effectively and productively.
d. transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.
Objectives:
1. The learner will gather information about animals, snakes, and birds of Africa.
2. The learner will appreciate the importance of preservation and beauty of animals, snakes,
and birds of Africa.
3. The students will compare and contrast African animals and animals found in the United
States. As a group, the students will organize and prepare a PowerPoint presentation and
present the PowerPoint to the class.
Materials:
• pieces of paper with African animals listed on them

• books of different animals
• pictures of African animals to color
• report sheets
• toy animals
• encyclopedias
• basket
• example of toilet paper roll
• computer with internet access and PowerPoint software
• digital camera
Procedures:
Activity One (notice that the first part include the Teacher’s procedures/actions and the second
part consists of Students’ procedures/tasks to complete the activity)
1. Prepare classroom environment for the activity and collect necessary materials for
students to use.
2. Develop instructional materials such as the report sheet to be handed to students.
3. Play the part of the movie "I can't wait to be king" by Lion King on a DVD player.
4. Gather the class at the reading rug.
5. Demonstrate to the class that they will pick an animal out of the basket. The animal that
they pick will be the animal that they have to find information about.
6. Demonstrate to the class how they will fill in their report.
7. Show class the material that they may use to help them locate information about their
animals.
8. Each student will pick an animal out of the basket.
9. The students may work with other students (only if they need to share the same book and
have the same animal).
10. The student will fill out the report sheet that the teacher distributes (5 facts relating to
their animals).
11. After the child has finished their report sheets, they will either draw or color a picture of
their animal.
12. Students will make a classroom presentation of the animal by discussing why they chose
their animals, explaining the 5 facts they collected, and show their drawings.
13. At the end of the period, show the class an example of a “toilet paper roll animal” that
they will make the following day.
Activity Two
PowerPoint presentation:
1. The teacher will provide the students a rubric and will thoroughly explain the
PowerPoint project.
2. The teacher will create three groups of students.
3. The students will use the internet to download 5 pictures of African animals or
plants; and the students will gather 5 fun facts of each animal or plant. The
students will also use a digital camera to take pictures of 5 animals or plants
found in the United States; and gather 5 fun facts about those animals or plants.
4. During the project week, the group will choose 5 students to take a digital
camera home with them to take a picture of 1 animal or plant.
5. Each group of students will create a PowerPoint presentation using the gathered
information.
6. Both the teacher’s assistant and the teacher will be available to aid the students
in the process.
7. The students will present the PowerPoint at the end of the month.
Assessment/Evaluation:
Activity One
1. The student will have to state 5 facts in front of the class individually or with another
student who did the same animal, explain why they chose that animal, and show their
artwork.
2. After the reports, ask the class which animal weighed the most? Which part of Africa do
a majority of the animals live? What type of food do the animals eat?
3. Collect the report sheets to see if each student completed the report accurately. This
activity will be worth thirty points total (20 points for the report and drawing, and 10 for
the presentation).
Activity Two
1. The teacher will be using a rubric to assess the student’s group projects. The grade will
be given as a group.
2. The students must collect 10 photos of animals or plants (5 African and 5 US). The
students must provide 10 fun facts about each animal or plant.
3. The students must organize and incorporate the pictures and facts into a PowerPoint
presentation.
4. The presentation must be neat, appealing, factual, and include all information.
5. This activity will be worth 150 points. Each fact and photo will be worth 5 points each.
The overall look of the PowerPoint will be worth 20 points. The presentation of the
PowerPoint will be worth 30 points.

Africa-Lp 2

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Africa

NAME: _Sarah Swindell___________________

Goal: Students will gain new information about Africa.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

a. understand and use technology systems.

• pieces of paper with African animals listed on them

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