Lesson Plan #:AELP-GGR0043

Africa

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan

Submitted by: Kori Ebach
Endorsed by: Dr. Don Descy
Mankato State University

Date: February 19, 1997

Grade Level(s): 2, 3, 4

Subject(s):

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, we will focus one-two weeks on Kenya. The learner will do various art 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.

Goal: Students will gain new information about Africa.

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.

Background Information:

This lesson requires having resources available for the students to use. The teacher should provide a motivating introduction to the lesson. The introduction could be some video's on animals from Africa (National Geographic has a few and the Lion King (i.e song "I just want to be king"), books that contain animals from Africa, and the computer (world wide web, software). This lesson gives the student his/her own responsibility and begins some research techniques. If the student presents his/her report, self-esteem could be built.

Concepts:

The learner will be able to:

  1. locate information using the computer and books.
  2. report 3-5 facts about their animal.
  3. create the animal they chose by using a toilet paper roll.

Materials:

Procedures:

  1. Play the part of the movie "I can't wait to be king" by Lion King.
  2. Gather the class at the reading rug.
  3. 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.
  4. Demonstrate to the class how they will fill in their report.
  5. Show the class the material they they may use to help them find the information about their animal.
  6. Each student will pick an animal out of the basket.
  7. The students may work with other students (only if they need to share the same book and have the same animal).
  8. The student will fill out the report sheet (information about their animals).
  9. After the child has finished their report sheet, they may draw or color a picture about their animal.
  10. At the end of the period, show the class an example of the toilet paper roll animal that they will make the following day.

Assessment:

  1. The student will have to state 3-5 facts in front of the class individually or with another student who did the same animal.
  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.