PROJECT OVERVIEW
Name of Project:
Habitats
Duration: 3 weeks
Teacher (s): Cortez, Espinosa, Karseno, Merino & Tang
Subject/Course: Science
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Other subject areas to
be included, if any:
Project Idea
Summary of the issue,
challenge, investigation,
scenario, or problem:
If a camel lived in a rainforest, would it still have a hump? In this project, students research habitats, and the animal and
plant life within. Students will learn about threats to habitat life, as well as unique qualities of each habitat.
Driving Question
How can we, as zoologists, identify the characteristics of different habitats and explain why certain plants and animals
live in a particular habitat?
Content and Skills
Standards to be
addressed:
2.9: (A) identify the basic needs of plants and animals;
(B) identify factors in the environment, including temperature and precipitation, that affect growth and behavior
such as migration, hibernation, and dormancy of living things; and
(C) compare and give examples of the ways living organisms depend on each other and on their environments
such as food chains within a garden, park, beach, lake, and wooded area
T+A
st
21 Century Skills
to be explicitly taught and
assessed (T+A) or that
will be encouraged (E) by
project work, but not
taught or assessed:
E
T+A
Collaboration
X
Other: Standards (TEKS)
X
Presentation
X
Use of technology
X
Critical Thinking:
X
E
X
X
Presentation Audience:
Group:
Culminating
Products and
Performances
The final product will be a group created oral presentation on a habitat with a
diorama, including their plant and animal life.
Class:
X
School:
Community:
Individual:
Each student will complete the daily “Habitat” journal log.
Experts:
Web:
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Other:
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Entry event to
launch inquiry,
engage students:
Present the entry document.
Practice Presentations (by group)
x
Notes
x
Preliminary Plans/Outlines/Prototypes
Checklists
x
Rough Drafts
Concept Maps
Online Tests/Exams
Other:
Written Product(s), with rubric:
Other Product(s) or Performance(s), with rubric:
Summative
Assessments
__________________________________________________
Trash to Treasure Content Rubric
(End of Project)
Oral Presentation, with rubric
Assessments
Quizzes/Tests
Formative
Assessments
(During
Project)
x
Journal/Learning Log
x
x
Peer Evaluation
x
Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test
Self-Evaluation
x
Essay Test
Other:
.
Resources
Needed
Reflection
Methods
On-site people, facilities:
None
Equipment:
Classroom computers
Materials:
Art materials: (Scissors, glue, markers, paint, paint brushes etc.), books on different habitats, websites
on habitats in our Decker 2nd Grade Wikispaces.
Community resources:
None
(Individual,
Group, and/or
Journal/Learning Log
x
Focus Group
Whole-Class Discussion
x
Fishbowl Discussion
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Whole Class)
Survey
Other:
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PROJECT TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE
Project: Habitats
Course/Semester: Science / 4th NW
Knowledge and Skills Needed by Students
to successfully complete culminating products and
performances, and do well on summative assessments
Ability to identify the basic needs of plants, animals and factors
in the environment, including temperature and precipitation, that
affect growth and behavior such as migration, hibernation, and
dormancy of living things
Ability to compare and give examples of the ways living
organisms depend on each other and on their environments
such as food chains within a garden, park, beach, lake, and
wooded area
Ability to use the internet for research purposes (wikispaces &
links)
Scaffolding / Materials / Lessons to be Provided
by the project teacher, other teachers, experts,
mentors, community members

Teacher provides whole group discussion opportunities to
discuss the factors in the environment that affect growth and
behavior of animals and plants.

Teacher provides whole group lessons for the opportunity to
compare and explore different food chains
Provided by project teacher or technology resource.




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P R O J E C T
C A L E N D A R
Start Date: May 7, 2012
Project: Habitats
M O N D A Y
T U E S D A Y
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
PROJECT WEEK ONE
5/7
5/8
5/9
___ Teacher will
introduce the Entry
document
____ Teacher reviews
teamwork Anchor Chart
from previous PBL
____ Teacher and
students define team
roles
___ Teacher will lead
discussion of Knows &
Needs to Know
____ Create a team
name, same
team/group from
previous PBL
____ Teacher will
introduce Content
Rubric- Habitat content
rubric, and presentation
rubric
____ Teacher will
introduce the “Habitat
Daily Log”- students
record knowledge
learned in this log
everyday
____ Students complete
day 1 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Complete Team
Contract, give a copy to
your teacher
____ Students complete
day 2 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
___ Vocabulary
Foldable: habitat, life
cycle, temperature,
grassland, temperate
forest, tropical rain
forest, desert, polar ice,
tide pool
5/10
5/11
____ Whole group
Science lesson: Learn
about habitats: urban
habitats, deserts, and
tundra.
____ Whole group
Science lesson: Learn
about habitats: rainforest
and fresh water
____ Students complete
day 4 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
___ Students complete
day 5 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Students complete
day 3 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
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PROJECT WEEK TWO
5/14
____ Whole group
Science lesson: Learn
about habitats: ocean,
coast and prairies
____ Students complete
day 6 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
5/15
____ Teacher shares
resources that are
helpful in researching
ideas for project/
Exploration of the 2nd
Grade Wikispace & links
____ Students will use
resources (books and
internet sites) to get
ideas for their project.
___ Habitat Observation
handout: Students will
select habitats for the
project describe the
habitats and explain
why they choose to
study the particular
habitat.
5/16
5/17
5/18
____ Students will use
resources (books and
internet sites) to
continue their project:
Habitat Observation
handout- Students select
animals living in the
habitats and describe
them
____ Students will use
resources (books and
internet sites) to
continue their project:
Habitat Observation
handout- Students select
plants living in the
habitats and describe
them
____ Teacher whole
group lesson:
expectations of
dioramas and
presentations
____ Workshop: Animal
Food Chains (explain the
relationships between
the plants and the
animals in different
habitats)
____ Workshop: Animal
Food Chains (explain the
relationships between
the plants and the
animals in different
habitats)
____ Students complete
day 8 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Students complete
day 9 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
_____ Students will work
on creating their
diorama using their
Habitat Observation
Handout
____ Students complete
day 10 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Students complete
day 7 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
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PROJECT WEEK THREE
5/21
5/22
5/23
5/24
5/25
_____ Students continue
to work on creating their
diorama using their
Habitat Observation
Handout
____ Students continue
to work on creating their
diorama using their
Habitat Observation
Handout
____ Students complete
diorama using their
Habitat Observation
Handout
____ Teams presentation
rehearsals
____ Presentations
____ Students complete
day 11 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
____ Workshop: Oral
presentations- use as
reference Teacher Oral
Presentation Rubric
____ Students complete
day 12 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
_____Workshop: Oral
presentations
____ Students complete
a Team work Rubric- for
reflection
____ Students complete
day 13 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
***Note: If students are
ready for presentations
please start presenting
on this day.
Critical Friends
____ Students complete
a Presentation Rubricfor reflection
Celebrations!
____ Students complete
day 15 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”
____ Students complete
day 14 of the “Habitat
Daily Log”/ includes
daily accomplishments
and next steps
***Note: If students are
ready for presentations
please start presenting
on this day.
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