Instructional Unit Outline

Unit Topic: Michigan WildlifeTeacher: Calista BacalisInstructional Level: Upper Elementary

I. Rationale: To be productive and safe in their environment, the students should be aware of and knowledgeable about the wildlife in Michigan. Providing a knowledge base about wildlife in Michigan, the students will become more conscious of their environment and their surroundings. The students will be able to interact in the wild without endangering themselves or any of the animals and plant life.

*This unit could be useful to most northern woodlands in the United States. Itcould be adapted to suit the needs of your local teaching environment.

II. Sub-Units of Michigan Wildlife Unit* Here is a list of sub units, with a breakdown of each species thatwould be covered.A. Fish

1. Species of fish in the Great Lakes Bass Carp Catfish Perch Pickerel Pike Salmon Smelt Sturgeon Trout Walleye

2. Habitat of fish in the Great Lakes Fresh water areas Lakes and streams Rivers and reservoirs

B. Birds1. Species of birds in Michigan

Blackbirds / Orioles Finch – like birds Sparrows Mid-sized songbirds Vireos / Warblers Woodpeckers Hummingbirds Hawks / Falcons Owls Geese Bluebirds / Robins

2. Habitat of birds in Michigan Marshes / Wetlands Lakes and Open Water Shorelines Coniferous Forests Parks and Gardens Fields and Shrubby Areas

C. Insects1. Species of Insects in Michigan

Caterpillars Beetles Ants / Termites Dragonflies Ticks Spiders (*Arachnid not insect, but would be

incorporated.)

2. Habitat of Insects in Michigan Wetlands / Marshes Forested areas Buildings / Wood structures Grasslands

D. Mammals1. Species of Mammals in Michigan

Bats Rabbits Rodents

o Squirrels, beavers, rats, mice, porcupine Carnivores

o Foxes, wolves, coyotes, bear, raccoons, cats Deer Endangered Species

o Wolverine, bison, mountain lion

2. Habitat of Mammals in Michigan Deciduous forests Prairies / Grasslands Swamps / Marshland

E. Amphibians1. Species of Michigan Amphibians

Mudpuppy Toad Tree Frog Green Frog Salamanders Bullfrog

2. Habitat of Michigan amphibians Marshes / Swampland Meadows / Farm fields Woodlands Deciduous forests

III. General Objectives

A. To provide the students with a working knowledge about the fish in the Great Lakes Region.

B. To introduce the students to birds that can be found in Michigan.C. To expose the students to a variety of insects in Michigan.D. To enhance the student’s knowledge of mammals in Michigan.E. To present common amphibians living in the Michigan region.

III. Core Activities*The following is a general description of core activities in each sub-unit.

A. FishReading The children will be asked to read the introduction to abook in which I have selected. This book provides an overview of fresh water fish found in the Great Lakes region. The students willbe required to answer questions following the reading of the passage.

Language A vocabulary list of terms relating to Michigan fish will be provided. The students will be required to understand the basic concepts in the vocabulary. They would later be tested on the terms covered in this unit.

Math The students will be taught about the conversions from kilograms to pounds. They will then be asked to convert kilograms to pounds and pounds to kilograms. The students will be given a worksheet with pictures of each fish. The average weight will be listed in either kilograms or pounds and the students will have to convert the weight to the other form of measurement.

Science The class will observe the spawning season in a local stream or river. They will learn about the patterns of travel before and after spawning for different varieties of fish.

Social Studies A local fisherman could visit the classroom and describe the fishing industry in Michigan. The students would learn about the vast fisheries in Michigan and how important fishing as a

business can be in small harbors in the Great Lakes. Have the students write a summary for their job portfolio.

Speech Use the key terms from this unit to work on their speech. Using an acoustic hoop, have the students repeat the vocabulary words. Have the students read the words from the list without speech errors.

B. Birds Reading To spark the student’s interest, have the students read an article on endangered birds in Michigan. Focus on the Bald Eagle and other birds that are endangered because of habitat and poachers.

Language From the provided materials, have the students create a list of words that they are not familiar with. Instruct the students to look up the words in a dictionary or the provided material. Discuss with the whole class different words that the class had difficulty with and make a final vocabulary list from this.

Math Discuss the conversion from centimeters to inches. Have the students measure actual size pictures of the birds. Require them to convert centimeters to inches and inches to centimeters. Ask them to create a chart that displays the smallest to the largest birds according to inches and centimeters.

Science Focus on Canadian Gees and their migration patterns. Have the students chart their migration according to the time of year and the locations that they migrate from. This can be done locally as the geese come and go through the season.

Social Science Explain the purpose of the DNR in Michigan. Have the students research their local DNR chapter. Require the students to collect information about the job of a DNR officer for their job portfolio.

Speech Instruct the students to use their vocabulary list that they compiled for their bird unit for speech. Have the students read the vocabulary words in their speech sessions to help with proper word pronunciation.

C. Insects

Reading Have the students find an article about a Michigan insect on the internet. Ask the class to print out the article and read it silently. Require the students to write a short summary of the article. Have a class discussion about the articles that were read. Internet time will be provided in class for those students who are unable to use a computer at home.

Language Hand out a vocabulary list from the unit. Require the students to find the meanings from the text or other materials. They will be later tested on these terms.

Math Present a worksheet where the students are required to determine if the insects are larger or smaller than each other. Ask them to use <> signs to determine which insect is greater than or less than the other in size.

Science Have the students chart the progress a caterpillar makes from the cocoon to the butterfly. Ask them to create a chat in which they draw pictures with captions of what happens and in which order. Place these around the room after creating them.

Social Studies Show the class a videotape from the Learning Channel about Beekeepers and their everyday tasks. Follow with a question and answer period. The students should write a summary for their job portfolio.

Speech Use the key terms from the unit to focus on speech and pronunciation. Have the students practice individually, then with group input in their speech sessions.

D. MammalsReading Have the students read an exert from the book Mammals of the Great Lakes Region. The introduction will be read by taking turns reading a paragraph each to the class. Following will be a discussion of the introduction to mammals.

Language As the class reads the introduction, have them make a list of unknown words. Later have the students talk about the words they did not understand. As a class give them the definitions from the classes knowledge as well as your own.

Math Give the students a worksheet with the average weight of certain mammals. Require then to compare the animal to another and determine if it is < or > the weight of the other animal. Then ask them to determine by how much is that animal greater or less than in weight. This can also be charted and displayed in the room.

Social Studies Ask the students brainstorm ideas about jobs that are affiliated with mammals. Have the students get into groups of two or three and find a profession they are interested in. Jobs such as a park ranger or zoologist make good topics. Have the class go to the library and look up their topic. Each student should write a summary of his or her chosen profession for the job portfolio.

Speech From their vocabulary list. Have the students listen with the acoustic hoop and repeat the key terms. Then have the students read the vocabulary word aloud and give feedback.

E. Amphibians Reading Instruct the students to read silently a section on amphibians. Provide a worksheet with questions about the required reading. Have the students write the answers to the questions on the work sheet. This should be done in class.

Language Give the class a vocabulary list with definition on it. The definitions are mixed up though. They are required to match the correct word with the correct definition from the readings. The children may work together for this assignment.

Math Have the class chart the ratios of frogs to tadpoles. Discuss how many would typically survive and become a frog. Instruct the class to create a chart for each type of frog according to how many tadpoles they would typically have and from that, how many survive to become frogs. Have them paste a picture of the frog next to the ratios of birth and survival rates. Display these charts around the classroom.

Science Bring in an aquarium. Have the students watch the progress that a tadpole makes from its growth into a frog. Make a routine for the class to check the growth rate and size. Keep the frog(s) as a class pet.

Social Studies Ask the zookeeper at the Detroit Zoo (or local zoo) to come into the class and possibly bring in amphibians to show the class. Have the quest speaker talk about the duties of their job, feeding schedule etc. Instruct the class to write a summary and add this to their job portfolio. After each chapter the students will have compiled a job summary of various jobs relating to that particular unit.

Speech Have the students read their summary of the guest speaker during speech. Give the students feedback according to their speech production.

V. Resources

A. Books for children

National Audubon Society First Field Guide: Birds. Scott Weidensaul. Illustrated with photographs. Scholastic Inc.

Chirping Crickets (Stage 2 Let’s Read-and-Find-Out Science series). Melvin Berger. Illustrated by Megan Lloyd. HarperCollins.

Spectacular Spiders Linda Glaser. Illustrated by Gay W. Holland. Millbrook.

Soaring with the wind: The Bald Eagle Written and illustrated byGail Gibbons. Marrow Junior

All About Turkeys Written and illustrated by Jim Arnosky. ScholasticPress

Bald Eagle Written and illustrated by Gordon Morrison. Walter Lorraine / Houghton Mifflin

Web Sites

www.msupress.msu.edu/michigan/mich1.html www.upnorthoutdoors.com/nawf/mwhf www.mwhf.org www.grayling-mi.com/wildlife.html www.home.att.net/~siegrid.stern/wildlife-habitat.htm www.great-lakes.net/lists/environ-mich/2000-01-msg00131.html www.detroitriver.org/semwrit.html www.audobon.org/campaign/reguge/reguges/michigan.html www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm www.ipl.umn.edu/cwl/statbook/michig.htm www.midwest.fws.gov/partners/michigan.html

B. Other Resources

Guest speakerso Local fishermano Zoo Keeper (local zoo)o Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer

Videoso Beekeeper video made by The Learning Channel (TLC)o DNR conservation and our environment video

Books for teacherso Birds of Detroit by Chris C. Fisher and Allen T. Chartero Natural Wonders of Michigan by Tom Carneyo Michigan Frogs, Toads and Salamanders by James H.

Harding and J. Alan Holmano National Audubon Society: Field Guide to North American

Insects and Spiderso Mammals of the Great Lakes Region by Allen Kurtao A concise illustrated book of freshwater fish by Trevor

Housby

VI. Vocabulary*Here is a list of general terms that I thought were important. The students could be either asked to find the definitions, or given the meanings to discuss.

Fish Spawning Freshwater Breeding Scavengers Species Habitat Upstream / Downstream Algae Aquatic vegetation Submerge

Birds Waterfowl Wetlands Nocturnal Migration Routine Aerodynamic Lay an egg (*It is important to incorporate idioms with

language training for deaf and hard-of-hearing students) Mating / Breeding Shoreline

Nesting Meadow Molting Talons Extinct

Insects Larva Antenna Reproduction Colony Thrive Nectar Pollen Cocoon Host Parasite Foliage

Mammals Carnivore Hibernate Antler Herbivore Horn Instinct Rodent Environment Precipitation Ecosystem Hare Resembles Coniferous Deciduous Endangered Species

Amphibians Amphibian Population Conservation Hunt Poison Bog Inhabit Damp Flooding

Swallow Moss Description Invertebrate Gills

VII. Appendix

Bulletin BoardsMichigan Amphibians

The students will be required to find the amphibian that does not belong in the picture. Activities would be included as well as classroom discussion. I would create the bulletin board and ask the students to determine who does not fit.

Great Lakes Fish Bulletin Board

The students will be asked to name as many different fish as possible. The students will then be asked to choose their favorite fish and write a paragraph about characteristics of that particular fish. The students will also be asked to do research and refer to previous materials if necessary.

Michigan Birds

The class will create this bulletin board. The students will be asked to choose a bird for the bulletin board. They could collect pictures from magazines or old books. The students would then put their name next to the bird that they chose. Activities would follow about information on their bird and other birds on the bulletin board.

Michigan Insects

This bulletin board would be presented to the class after the Michigan insects sub-unit. The class would be asked to name and label the insects on the board. We would talk in a group about facts relating to the insects. The class as a whole would be required to create a fictional story about the insects on the

bulletin board. The class would compile a short story about the insects.

Michigan Mammals

This bulletin board asks the question ‘What do we have in common?’ The board does not state that they are mammals. I would ask the students to be creative and think of some other things that they have in common like where they live and what food they eat. This bulletin board would conclude the sub-unit on Michigan Mammals.

Michigan Wildlife(Pre Test / Post Test)

Name________________________ For each question choose the correct word and write it in the blank.

1. Does nocturnal mean an animal is active in the night or day?_______________________________ (night or day)

2. A bear is a mammal. _________________ (true or false)

3. A bat is a mammal. __________________ (true or false)

4. ___________ is where an animal lives. (Habitat or Species)

5. ___________ have gills. (Fish or Bird)

6. When an animal no longer exists, it is __________. (extinct or endangered)

7. Frogs, salamanders and toads are amphibians. __________ (true or false)

8. A hare is a ___________. (rabbit or bug)

9. A butterfly starts as a ____________. (ant or caterpillar)

10. Some birds migrate south during winter months. _________ (true or false)