Assignment 10 – Using Graphics to Fulfill an Instructional Need
Jack Kelly
Jkelly85@vt.edu
06/28/2012
I. Goal/Purpose Statement
After the first graders have learned the characteristics for identifying
mammals as well as birds, they should be able to distinguish all mammals and birds
correctly from a variety of animals presented to them.
II. Needs Assessment
A. Instructional Problem
The Virginia Standards of Learning for Grade 1 Science requires that students
understand that animals have specific physical characteristics and be able to
investigate differences. This provides a forum for students to use the characteristics
information previously learned to investigate the differences in the mammals and
birds. The graphics will help reinforce the previously learned characteristics and be
used by the students to differentiate the two animal classifications.
B. Learner Profile
First graders are 6 or 7 years old. They are moving from a world of play into
a world of symbols and concepts. They prefer playmates of the same sex. They have
increased ability in problem-solving skills, but usually have short attention spans.
They learn best through discovery and active involvement, being able to do and
make mistakes. They start to think about how others see them and may be selfconscious. These first graders will have learned the characteristics of mammals and
the characteristics of birds in previous lessons.
III. Instructional Strategy Outline
A. Preinstructional Activities
To engage the students at the start of the lesson, it would be useful to present
pictures of a mammal and a bird in a petting zoo where children are interacting with
them. Ask the students what these types of animals are called. Pre-requisite skills
involve knowing mammal characteristics and bird characteristics. An initial activity
would be to ask the students to provide characteristics of each type of animal, which
can be listed on a whiteboard for reference during the lesson.
B. Information Presentation
Explain that the students should be able to organize animals into their
different groups. Have three areas of the smart board labeled with Mammals, Birds,
and Other. Show three images (camel, pigeon, butterfly) on the board and move
them each under one of the labels as I review out loud the differences in their
characteristics.
Repeat the process with another three images (clown fish, eagle, tiger). These
steps in the information session help to guide the students in the problem-solving
process they would use to group two different kinds of animals separately from
other kinds.
C. Learner Participation
Have some student come up to the smart board and move one of four images
(ducks, lizard, monkey, horseshoe crab) of an animal into one of the classifications
after indicating the characteristic(s) that made them choose the one they did. Ask
the rest of the class if they agree or not. If not, they should explain why based on the
animal’s characteristics.
Have students work in small groups with a set of flash cards that contain
animal pictures with words and they can work as a team to put the images in three
piles: birds, mammals, other (not a bird or mammal). The instructor can observe
groups and ask students why they chose to put certain animals in the group they
did. If groups seem to be fighting over where to put an animal, the instructor can
ask a student from each perspective to explain to the other students what
characteristic makes them want to put it in that pile. Then the group can review the
characteristics and decide which best matches: bird, mammal, or other. This helps
build teamwork skills as well as respect for one another’s opinion.
D. Testing
Entry skills will be tested indirectly during the preinstructional activity
where students identify characteristics for mammals and for birds. There will not be
a pre-test of the skills to be learned. A post-test will be performed at the end of the
student practice activities while the concepts are still fresh in their minds. The posttest will involve each student going through a set of 7 flash cards containing images
of animals and asking them to group the mammal cards together and likewise for
the birds, leaving any other cards in a separate pile. This activity helps maintain
students’ interest while being tested.
E. Follow-Through Activities
Students who did not perform well on the post-test will be offered some time
working with the instructor at the smart board to do some interactive work in
reviewing the characteristics of the two animal groups and putting animal images
into one of the two classifications. For students that performed well on the test, they
will have the opportunity to select their favorite mammal or bird and find out more
about that animal using computer resources or books and they can share what they
learn with the class later.
V. Identification of Graphic Needs
Graphic
1
Brief
Description
of Graphic
Children with
deer/goats in
petting zoo
Preinstructional Information Learner
activity
presentation participation
Obtained
without
modifications
Testing
Follow
through
activities
Actual Graphic
Role of Graphic
in Instruction
2
Children with Obtained
birds in
without
petting zoo
modifications
3
Camel
Obtained
without
modification
Engages
students. Visual
stimulates
memory to
provide mammal
characteristics.
Engages
students. Visual
stimulates
memory to
provide bird
characteristics.
Demonstrate
classifying this
as a mammal
4
Pigeon
Obtained
without
modification
Demonstrate
classifying this
as a bird
5
Butterfly
Obtained
without
modification
Demonstrate
classifying this
as other
Graphic
6
Brief
Description
of Graphic
Clown fish
7
Preinstructional Information Learner
activity
presentation participation
Testing
Follow
through
activities
Actual Graphic
Role of Graphic
in Instruction
Obtained
without
modification
Demonstrate
classifying this
as other
Eagle
Obtained
and
modified
Demonstrate
classifying this
as a bird
8
Tiger
Obtained
without
modification
Demonstrate
classifying this
as a mammal
9
Ducks
Obtained and
modified
Group
participation in
classifying this
as a bird
10
Lizard
Obtained and
modified
Group
participation in
classifying this
as other
11
Monkey
Obtained and
modified
Group
participation in
classifying this
as a mammal
Graphic
12
Brief
Description
of Graphic
Horseshoe
crab
Preinstructional Information Learner
activity
presentation participation
Testing
Follow
through
activities
Actual Graphic
Obtained and
modified
Role of Graphic
in Instruction
Group
participation in
classifying this
as other
13
Flash cards*
representing
mammals
Obtained and
used without
modification
Obtaine
d and
used
without
modific
ation
14
Flash cards*
representing
birds
Obtained and
used without
modification
15
Flash cards*
representing
other
animals
Obtained and
used without
modification
Obtaine
d and
used
without
modific
ation
Obtaine
d and
used
without
modific
ation
Farm animals
Desert animals
Australian animals
British animals
Pet animals
Safari animals
Jungle animals
New Zealand
animals
Problem-solving
skills practice
and post-test**
Rockpool animals
Minibeast animals
Sea animals
Sea animals 2
Problem-solving
skills practice
and post-test**
Problem-solving
skills practice
and post-test**
* Some flash card sets contain a combination of mammals, birds, and other animals – when printed they will be properly sorted. Flash cards
with words are used for two reasons: 1) for students whose learning style is enhanced with the use of text, and 2) to help first graders
remember/visualize the spelling for animal names.
** Cards will be divided so that the same ones are not used for the learning activity and post-test.
Note: Since the assignment wanted 15 graphic and the follow-through activities involve the use of a smart board, computer, or books, there
are no specific graphics or other materials identified for these items. For the smart board previously used images could be used again. For
the students who performed well, they could be aided by the library media specialist to select appropriate computer resources and books.