ECE 425, Science Exploration Center … · Web viewMy center activity was focused on the...

Courtney GagnéECE 425, Science Exploration Center

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Content PaperMy center activity was focused on the exploration of hibernation and where animals

spend their hibernation in the winter. Before delving into this topic with the kindergarten students in Mrs. Monarca’s room, I needed to brush up on what exactly I would be teaching them. I wanted to have the students create animal homes for specific animals and talk about what exactly these animals needed in these homes during the winter. For starters, I had to learn (or brush up on) the basics of hibernation.

Hibernation is a period of time where an animal behaves in a dormant or torpid state. Not all animals go through hibernation, but some. The period that an animal hibernates during and the cause for hibernation can change from animal to animal. Some animals hibernate only when it will keep them safe from cold weather or starvation (or both), while others hibernate during a certain time of year no matter the weather or food supply. Animals that hibernate when the weather is too cold for them or when they cannot survive on the little food they can find, are referred to as facultative hibernators. This type of hibernation is categorized by slow breathing, slow heart rate, and low body temperature. This is referred to as a period of true hibernation. Facultative hibernators are almost impossible to interrupt from their hibernation.

In contrast, animals that hibernate during a particular time of year without the need for cold weather or starvation risk, are referred to as obligate hibernators. This type of hibernation consists of long periods of sleep, slow breathing, slow heart rate, and low body temperature. The distinction between these two different types of hibernation is that obligate hibernators are sometimes interrupted from their sleep by arousals where their body temperature will go back to almost normal and heart rates are restored to more typical levels. Obligate hibernation is typically referred to as a period of torpor.

Another thing I learned about hibernation is that the food gathering behavior changes from animal to animal depending on whether they are going into torpor or true hibernation. Some animals gather food, and some don’t. Some animals engorge plentiful amounts of food for their period of torpor, and others bring food into their winter home with them. Some animals gather food during the fall and some animals gather food in the early stages of winter before the snow has begun to fall.

Finally, I learned that different animals go to many different places and use many different things to make their homes for their period of hibernation. Many of these animals use things that have already been created by the earth, such as trees, caves, dirt, or lakes. The places that different animals find to live in usually depend on where they live normally and the ease or difficulty of finding a new home. Some animals make a big move in the winter, to a completely new and different home, but most animals find a way to make their current home safer and warmer from the winter conditions. Yet some animals also carry their protection or their home with them and simply need to use some materials from nature to keep themselves warm and fed during their long hibernation. After learning all of these background facts about hibernation and all the different animals that hibernate, I needed to learn about the specific animals that I wanted the students to build homes for. I wanted to teach the students about bears, turtles, earthworms, and skunks.

Bears are obligate hibernators and go through a period of torpor in the winter. Although, bears behave differently from other obligate hibernators while in their state of torpor. Bears slow their breathing and heart rate, but instead of decreasing their body temperature, they rely on active metabolic suppression. Bears are able to recycle their proteins and body waste so that they can physically go for months on end in a state of torpor without urinating. Bears go into


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hibernation in the late fall and come out of hibernation in the spring when the conditions are warmer. Since this state of torpor is so long, bears begin their preparation in the summer by gorging themselves with lots and lots of carbohydrate-rich foods, like berries, that can help them gain weight for the approaching seasons.

Bears hibernate in their typical year-round home, a den or cave. If a bear does not have a cave already, they can make one out of burrows, hollowed-out trees, and rock crevices. In fall, bears go out with their cubs and gather leaves, twigs, and other plants and vegetation to make a nest out of their cave. Throughout fall, the bear actively decreases their behavioral levels until they feel it is time for their torpor when they will enter their cave. The cave is made to be a tight fit so that the bears can stay snug, warm, and safe from the environment during the winter.

Turtles go through a period of true hibernation and are, therefore, facultative hibernators. Turtles live in the water and water temperature depends on the temperature of the air, but as the air temperature decreases, water temperature is always a little ways warmer than the air. For this reason, turtles can typically make it through fall and early winter if they are deep in the water, and they can wake in early spring when the water temperature increases drastically. Being this far below water though, causes the turtle a lack of oxygen since the water above it freezes. Turtles have minute blood vessels in their throat that give them the ability to extract oxygen from water. Some turtles will also find safety from the cold, in the warm mud under the water.

Tortoises behave a bit differently in winter. Tortoises still undergo a period of true hibernation as facultative hibernators, but they live on land. Tortoises must find a place on land to hibernate during the winter. Most tortoises can easily curl up in their shell and collect leaves, grass, and dirt to cover themselves in order to stay safe in the winter. Others find fallen trees or dig burrows under the ground to keep warm. Both turtles and tortoises will curl their bodies up into their shell during hibernation.

Skunks go into obligate hibernation, or a state of torpor, similar to bears. In the fall, again like bears, skunks will fatten up their food reserve in preparation for their period of torpor. With this state of torpor, skunks will wake up on warmer days to eat more food and then go back into their state of torpor. Skunks tend to make their winter home out of fallen trees or abandoned woodchuck burrows. They will bring rocks, leaves, and twigs into their habitat for nesting to keep their bodies warm from the cold weather.

Earthworms are obligate hibernators as well. Earthworms like a dense, moist climate underground, but they cannot be in an area too dry or an area too moist. In the winter earthworms plug the entrance to their underground tunnels with rocks to keep the snow from coming in. They will then tunnel further underground and, when they have reached a foot or so underground, will plug that tunnel with soil. Finally they will tunnel to where they can feel a satisfying area of warmth and moisture in the soil and they will make a small nest where they can spend their period of torpor. Since earthworms’ food comes from underground, they can simply wake at times during their hibernation and eat before they go back into their state of torpor. Worms come out of this hibernation in late winter/early spring before the soil gets too dry and warm for them.


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Center Vocabulary Glossary

Hibernation: a period of sleep during a particular time of year in order to avoid starvation and weather stress during cold conditions

Facultative Hibernation: a period of deep sleep during the winter, in order to avoid starvation and cold-weather stress, characterized by slow breathing, slow heart rate, and lowered body temperature; animals in this state can be woken during warmer conditions

o Also referred to as a state of torpor Obligate Hibernation: a period of sleep that occurs, regardless of weather condition or

food supply, at a particular time of year characterized by slow breathing, slow heart rate, and lowered body temperature; animals in this state are almost impossible to wake

o Also referred to as a state of true hibernation Food Reserve: gorging the body during warmer seasons in preparation for the lack of

activity and food available during hibernation periods


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Resources

Author: Henry Hill Collins, Jr., Illustrator: Matthew Kalmenoff, Junior Science Book of Turtles

Author: Maria Julivert, Illustrator: Marcel Socias Studios, The Fascinating World of Bears, ISBN: 0-8120-9422-0

David H. Koch Fund for Science, NOVA, Bear Essentials of Hibernation,http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/bear-essentials-of-hibernation.html

Author: Robert M. McClung, Blaze; the story of a striped skunk ORACLE Think Quest Education Foundation, Skunks,

http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312800/skunks.htm Author: Wendy Pfeffer, Illustrator: Steve Jenkins, Wiggling Worms at Work,

ISBN: 0-06-028448-x Author: Phyllis Sarasy, Illustrator: Edna Miller, Winter-Sleepers Tortoise Reserve, The Complexities of Turtle Hibernation,

http://www.tortoisereserve.org/sundry/Hibernate_Body2.html Animal Planet, Video: Bear Hibernation,

http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/animal-planet-presents/videos/natural-world-bear-hibernation.htm

BrainPOP, http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/hibernation/ Wikepedia, Hibernation, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibernation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibernation

http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/hibernation/



http://www.tortoisereserve.org/sundry/Hibernate_Body2.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312800/skunks.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/bear-essentials-of-hibernation.html


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Lesson PlanGrade Level: Kindergarten

Date of Lesson: February 21, 2013 Length of Lesson: approximately 15-20 minutes per small group

Institution: Gilead Hill School, Mrs. Monarca’s classroom

Content Standards: K.1- Objects have properties that can be observed and used to describe similarities and

differences.2. Objects have properties that can be observed using the senses. Examples include size, weight, shape, color, texture, transparency, etc. An object’s observable properties do not include the object’s name or its uses.

K.2- Many different kinds of living things inhabit the earth. K.2.a- Living things have certain characteristics that distinguish them from nonliving things including growth, movement, reproduction, and response to stimuli.

Prior Knowledge:This is an introduction to hibernation for these students so their only prior knowledge would be from what they have learned at home from their family. They do, although, have prior knowledge with using their senses to come up with reasoning for the homes of each of the animals we will be discussing.

Student Learning Objectives:1. Students will discuss what animals need in the winter and where they think their

particular animal hibernates. In this discussion the students will all cooperate to come up with an idea for a habitat for a particular animal.

2. Students will all take part in creating these animal habitats in small groups of 4-5.3. During this creation we will discuss the different properties of these habitats. Students

will also discuss the behavior of their animal in the habitat.

Vocabulary: hibernation tunnel freeze den underground burrow texture moist temperature


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Assessment:Students will discuss, during, before, and after their constructing, key questions about what they have learned during this center. Some key questions that I will ask them or listen for during our construction are:

-Who did we make a winter home for?-What did we make for that animal?-What did we use to make this home?-How does the home feel? Or How would it feel if you we’re inside?-What changes about the animal when they are in this winter home?

Materials/Resources: pencils (colored and regular) crayons paper (colored and white) small connector blocks tape glue various images of animals’ winter homes books:

o Junior Science Book of TurtlesWritten by Henry Hill Collins, Jr.Illustrated by Matthew Kalmenoff

o Blaze; the story of a striped skunkWritten and Illustrated by Robert M. McClung

o The Fascinating World of BearsWritten by Maria JulivertIllustrated by Marcel Socias StudiosISBN: 0-8120-9422-0

o Wiggling Worms at WorkWritten by Wendy PfefferIllustrated by Steve JenkinsISBN: 0-06-028448-x

o Winter-SleepersWritten by Phyllis Sarasy Illustrated by Edna Miller

Technological Resources:I found a children’s website focused on hibernation that may be helpful to Mrs. Monarca and the students in further study of this topic. For my particular center I found that it had too detailed of information and activities for the students and I to explore as part of the center.http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/hibernation/

Learning Activities:Instructional Strategies:

This lesson will begin with a small whole-group discussion about what each small group will be doing at my work table when they come to see me. I will explain that we will be talking about

http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/hibernation/


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hibernation and I will ask if anyone has any ideas about what this word may mean. I will talk about the materials we will use and how we will all work together to create one animal home for each group.When the groups come to my table I will start by asking them to all discuss and come to an agreement on which animal they would like to build a winter home for (turtle, skunk, bear, or worm). Depending on their decision we will then look through the book that talks about that animal and find information on their hibernation. I will then ask the group to come up with some ideas for how to make their animal home and what to use.During their constructing I will ask and listen for key concepts as talked about in the Assessment. The students will have the opportunity to see pictures and visualize what that home would feel like, what they could hear or see, and other observations they can make about the home they created.

Grouping Strategies:This activity will be implemented in small groups of 4-5 students. There will be four different groups and therefore I have chosen (with some suggestion from Mrs. Monarca) four different animals to focus on that have variation in their winter behaviors as well as their winter habitats.

Initiation:The initiation will consist of a brief discussion of which animal home the group would like to make, what that animal may need for their home, and what the animal may do as far as behavior for the winter in their home. This includes looking through the books on each animal in the groups.

Lesson Procedures:1. Students will discuss and decide on an animal for their group to build a winter home for.2. Students and I will look through designated book for their animal and find information on

how that animal behaves, where it goes, and what it does in the winter.3. Students will decide on what materials they need to create their animal home and discuss

why they need these materials.4. Students will cooperatively create the animal home using the materials available and

discuss what they notice about their home.5. Students will discuss key concepts and questions during their creation of the animal

home.

Closure:As a whole group, we will share each groups’ animal home and I will ask the students the key questions we discussed in their group. I will also open up the discussion to the entire group by asking if they notice anything about each animal home; similarities or differences, etc.

Intervention:I will be available at the table to aid students who may need added support during this activity. The books will be available during the entire work time for the students to look through and think about. I will be available to help the groups create a plan or idea for their animal home; some groups may need help in pulling together their ideas so I will be available to aid in making a chart or web with their ideas and helping them to figure out how we can use all of their ideas in their constructing. Another way of intervention would be guiding the students using the images


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of animals in their winter homes and letting the students identify their particular animal and use these images as a guide for what they would need to create a home for this animal.

Enrichment:Students can assist their group by making a plan for their ideas (as I would be available to do in Intervention). Students can also extend their knowledge using the books and noticing similarities and differences between their animal home and other groups’ animal homes. Another way of enrichment would be challenging the students to sort the images according to which animal home would be appropriate for the animal pictured.


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Student Name:

Objective Proficient In Progress Needs AssistanceStudents will discuss what animals need in the winter and where they think their particular animal hibernates.

Students will all take part in creating these animal habitats in small groups of four to five.

During this creation we will discuss the different properties of these habitats. Students will also discuss the behavior of their animal in the habitat.

Comments:


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Teacher’s Names: Miss Gagné

Student Name: E.




Comments:E. did a lot of researching through the books on turtles and looking at the pictures as her other classmates did. She made very many interesting comments about what she was learning. At one point she turned to me and showed me a page in the book and noted that the turtles have bones in their shell and the bones keep the snow and dirt from crushing them when they are underground.


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Student Name: L.




Comments:During the entire lesson, L. needed much guiding and prompting. This group was one of the more difficult. They had a lot of trouble staying on task, but it was very helpful to draw out a plan on large sheet paper and discuss exactly what we wanted to make for our skunk home.


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Student Name: G.




Comments:G. had noticeable difficulty merging his ideas with the other ideas of those in his group. I had to do a lot of prompting and guiding to get him to figure out how we could use all of their ideas and how these ideas would contribute to the safety and warmth of the bear during the winter time.


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Reflection on ImplementationI implemented a hibernation animal home center in Mrs.Monarca’s kindergarten

classroom at Gilead Hill Elementary School. This was a topic suggested by Mrs.Monarca as she had wanted them to learn about it and thought this would be a good area to get the students’ interests up in the subject area in preparation for later studying. I introduced the topic and the center knowing that the students had little to no prior knowledge in this subject. During whole group time, on the day of my center implementation, I introduced the topic and had a small discussion about any ideas of the word ‘hibernation’ (this was a helpful question to ask in order to get some information about the students’ background knowledge on this topic, F-A Chapter 2). I had many different answers and in the end I basically reiterated that hibernation is when an animal finds a new home to protect itself during a certain season in order to keep warm and safe. I then told the group that when they came to my table they would be working together to create a winter home for an animal of my choosing.

During this introduction, the entire group was interested and excited in working on this activity. Every single group wanted to come to my table first to take a stab at the activity. Mrs.Monarca had me work in a particular sequence for the groups, according to their level of attention and workability; starting with two middle groups, doing the high group in the middle, and the low group last.

In the first group, the students were very excited to jump into making a turtle’s home for the winter. When I told them that we were going to make a turtle’s home they did not ask any questions as far as if they could choose a different animal, they simply started right away at finding information about what turtles do in the winter. M., E., and C. were excited to look through the books and pictures I brought in and there was a lot of cooperative discussion about what exactly they wanted to make for their turtle.

Throughout the work time with this group, E. would find many interesting things in the book that she thought we should include in our home. She noticed on one page that there was a picture showing a turtle’s bones and she turned to C. (who was working with M. to build the turtle’s

E. showed me a picture in the book that she found and said “I think the turtle goes under the ground, into it’s shell and then maybe uses moss or grass to keep itself warm, because it has green around it in this picture.”


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shell) and told him “look the turtle’s bones are in it’s shell!” C. then replied “so his shell protects him from the dirt under the ground crushing him and the snow crushing him.” I noted this on my assessment for E. as it was a very interesting observation for her to make. I continued to scaffold this learning by asking open-ended questions such as “if the shell keeps him protected, what keeps him warm?” This group was able to multi-task and answer and discuss most of these questions while still working on their final product.

A lot of communication (F-A, Chapter 5 Science Processes) went on in this group about what the turtle would need and what would serve as the turtle’s actual home (since we discussed that a shell is part of the turtle), also how the students would go about creating this home. This group had very clear and strong observations and ideas about how to create their home and what needed to go into it. This was one of the middle groups that Mrs.Monarca had helped me set up, so I knew that they would come into this activity with strong capabilities, but moderate knowledge on the subject matter. This group clearly illustrated these strengths in their discussions and their cooperation during the entire activity time.

The second middle group was a bit harder to keep on task. I had this group work on creating a skunk’s winter home, and right from the start they wanted to do something different. I prompted them by saying things such as “let’s see what we can find out about skunks and what they do in the winter, all these animals are very interesting in hibernation”. This made most of the students in the group excited and a bit more interested in learning about this animal. After having much difficulty pooling all the students’ great ideas, I encouraged the group to draw out a plan for how they would make their skunk’s home.

After creating the plan, the group was much more organized and ready to begin building. Again, all four in the group were very excited and cooperative in all taking part in creating their skunk’s winter home. C. and E. created the tree trunk, J. helped to cut out the hole and tape the door on, L. made leaves to go inside and a floor for the skunk to lay on. Their final product was very clear and they understood everything that they had put into it and why.

L. drew a plan while saying “first we need a tree, and that tree needs branches and a hole for the skunk to go into”, C. added “and the skunk needs leaves in the hole to keep him warm”. E. also added “we need a door so that he can close it so that he’s inside the tree.”


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The third and highest leveled group worked on creating a home for earthworms. When we began our discussion some of the students were extremely excited to learn about earthworms while a few others wished they could make a ‘cooler’ home such as a home for a turtle. These few became more excited when we began talking about exactly how earthworms hibernate. These students also all knew that we would be sharing each of the homes during whole group closure and that they would all get to learn more things about the other homes that were created in other groups. We didn’t take much time to plan for this group, it didn’t take long for them to know exactly what they wanted to make and how they thought they could make it. After little conversation and some looking through books to confirm their ideas, the group got right to work.

The students had figured out that they needed to show the underground and dirt where the worms would go so S. started covering a large piece of white paper with smaller pieces of brown paper. He then drew a winding path that the worm could follow. L. figured out that they also needed snow to go on top of the dirt so that we knew what the earthworms were trying to get away from; she began to create the snow from a large sheet of white paper. S. and S. both worked on creating rocks to plug up the tunnels so that snow would’nt fall into the worms’ homes. During this entire creation the whole group was discussing why we needed these and how they would further protect and help the earthworm. For this group, I had to do very little scaffolding, most of it being during the planning or when we were deciding how to create things and where to put parts of the home. Their final product came out extremely detailed and understandable by anyone who were to look at it.

L. pointed out that she and S. had gone to a nature camp where they learned about worms. She then showed the group how worms dig deep deep underground to get away from the snow.


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The last and lowest leveled group worked together to create a bear cave. This group only consisted of three students since there were many students absent on the day of my implementation, but even still these three had noticeable trouble putting their ideas together and staying on task. At the time this group began, it started with only two of the students because the last had been pulled out momentarily. When I began, the two students were absolutely ecstatic to build a giant home for a bear. They clearly knew that a lot would go into making a home for a bear and had many ideas to incorporate into making their home. While explaining their ideas, C. and G. were pointing out their proof in the pictures and books I had provided at the center. C. and G. got right into making their cave and discussing key elements of their construction. As an example of this, I heard C. point out to G. that we needed to make a very large cave so that the bear could fit inside but so that it was also tight around the bear in order to keep him feeling warm (Science Standards K.1.1: observation using the senses). We had many hands-on conversations like this. Another included the notion of how the bear would stay warm and safe inside a cave when there are openings in the cave. This is where the students thought we should create a wall in the back of the cave to keep the cold from getting in and put some leaves and dirt inside the cave for the bear to bundle up in. Given more time, I would’ve taken S. off to the side and scaffolded with her on what C., G., and I had discussed about bears or I would’ve prompted a conversation between the three of them about what we had learned about bears in winter when she rejoined us. I attempted to start a conversation between the three of them but this was lost in their construction and when she rejoined we had very little time to explain and still make sure that she could help with the construction. She still contributed to the construction and discussed (F-A Chapter 5, Science Processes) how what they were making would help the bear in the winter, but I wish I could’ve helped her to join the group all together if I were to implement this center again.

In our last additions, S. explained that the rocks kept the snow from falling into the hole but that the worms also put some dirt in the middle of their tunnel in case there’s more snow and it makes it’s way past the rocks. J. also explained that the deeper in the ground, the warmer the worms will be because they are closer to the earth’s core.


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At the end of work time, I brought all the homes into the circle and discussed each one allowing the students to make comments, ask questions, and talk about what they created. I tried to keep this sharing to a minimum but if I could do it again I would’ve only allowed three students to share what they created, something they learned, ask a question, or make a comment for each creation. During this sharing, each group demonstrated a clear knowledge of what they had learned and I was very surprised to see how much information they retained from our small conversations mid-creation. This sharing time was very helpful as it helped me to realize that my lesson was extremely effective and taught these children very much as an introduction to hibernation and will help guide them when they delve further into this subject later in the year.

C. explained why there were leaves and dirt inside our bear cave, and S. explained the wall at the back of the cave.

S. showed us how deep in the ground earthworms go while J. explained that this is because they’ll be closer to the earth’s core and therefore warmer in the winter while there’s snow on the ground.


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Adaptations:

One young student has a noticeable speech impediment that affects her communication as well as her interaction with others. Along with this, she has some difficulty aside with socializing and connecting with others. During this activity, in her group, I spent much time encouraging her to work with a group member on making something for their bear’s winter home. I also encouraged her to tell her classmates her ideas about the homes they had made during sharing time.

Another young student has difficulty staying on task when she is not in a group with her classroom buddy. During this activity, being in a small group seriously benefited this student as she was able to stay on task knowing that her other two group members needed her help to make the bear’s home. In hindsight, some other students may have also benefited from this small-group-interaction as well.

Two students are fairly gifted and had a lot of background knowledge on this subject as they had been to a camp where they learned all about hibernation. I helped these two girls

L. explained that we placed leaves on the floor inside our skunk home so that the skunk had something soft to lay on in the winter. E. explains that we made a door so that the skunk could close it and not have cold wind coming into his house in the winter.

E. and M. explained to their classmates what keeps a turtle warm in the winter besides their strong shell. I also asked E. to share her discovery about the location of the turtle’s bones and how this further helps the turtle in hibernation.


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along by allowing them and helping their entire group to be very detailed in the creation of their worm’s home.

Another young boy in the same group sometimes has trouble when other students give him the impulse to act silly and get off task, but he is also fairly gifted and has a lot of knowledge that would not normally be expected of a kindergarten-age student. He was constantly coming up with new ideas for the worm’s home and explanations for why the worm’s needed these things. I encouraged him in sharing these interests with his group as to keep him interested.

Before implementing the groups, I sat down with my cooperating teacher and we discussed what groups should work on what animal. We differentiated depending on the difficulty of each animal’s winter home and how easily each group could stay on task and tackle the job at hand. This was very helpful when I actually began working with the groups.

I made changes, in the different groups, on what types of questions I asked about their creation and their animal, and also how we discussed these topics. I also made changes on how we began the creation; in some groups, I suggested that the students draw out a plan of how they we’re planning to make their animal’s home and what that animal would need in it’s home.

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