1
Katrina Cameron
Katie Kimbrell
Alyson McGowen
Breanna Corbitt
Format of Strategy Lessons for the Integration Plan
Introductory Section
Grade level: 3rd
Topic of your content: Georgia Habitats
Area of your strategy: Writing
Specific strategy: Learning Logs
Purpose of your strategy: Provide opportunities for students to reflect about a subject and to
organize new information.
Stage 1: Desired Results
Georgia Performance Standard: Social Studies or Science – content specific
S3L1. Students will investigate the habitats of different organisms and the dependence of
organisms on their habitat.
a. Differentiate between habitats of Georgia (mountains, marsh/swamp, coast,
Piedmont, Atlantic Ocean) and the organisms that live there.
Learning Outcome (LO): Social Studies or Science – GPS content specific: Students will
differentiate between habitats and the organisms that living in all five Georgia regions.
Essential Question (EQ): Social Studies or Science – GPS content specific: What are some
differences between the Georgia habitats and the animals that live there?
Georgia Performance Standard: ELA - Strategy Specific
ELA3W1. The student demonstrates competency in the writing process. The student:
k. Writes a response to literature that demonstrates understanding of the text,
formulates an opinion, and supports a judgment.
Learning Outcome (LO): ELA GPS - Strategy Specific
Students will respond to content demonstrating their understanding of new content by using a
learning log.
Essential Question (EQ): ELA GPS - Strategy Specific
How are learning logs useful for comprehending new content?
Phase of Learning: Acquisition
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
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Katrina Cameron
Katie Kimbrell
Alyson McGowen
Breanna Corbitt
Didactic/Direct Instruction
What the teacher does/uses (Lesson Structure and Teaching/Learning Strategy)
Hook and Hold
Who can tell me in what region of Georgia would you find an alligator? In what region of
Georgia would the alligator feed on a turtle? Can someone tell me what type of animal
would live in the mountains? Georgia has many different habitats and organisms. Often
times it is hard to organize all of this data in our minds. Today we are going to talk about a
strategy that that will allow us to organize our thoughts and questions on a particular
subject. This strategy is known as a learning log. Learning Logs are one way to respond and
organize new content. It is also a way to determine what we know about and what
questions we may have about the content.
Today we will create a Learning Log by responding to what we have learned about Georgia
Habitats.
A learning log will help us organize the information we have already learned and later help
us organize the information as we add more details to each habitat.
Learning logs are similar to a graphic organizer or response journals you have created in
Language Arts. Although we usually only see these forms of writing in Language Arts, they
are also helpful when organizing your thought or subjects as well.
Teaching (and modeling)
Teaching:
What are learning logs?
 Learning logs foster reflection on a certain subject or on students’ reading and
learning processes.
(When properly understood and used, learning logs become a vehicle for exchange
among parents, teachers, and students. Learning logs can also help the teacher gain
an understanding of what content the student’s understood and perhaps what
content needs to be re-taught. Learning logs can also serve as a daily assessment or
ticket out the door. The best part about learning logs is that they can be used in ALL
subject areas.)
What do learning logs look like?
 Learning logs come in many different formats. The type of format is based on the
content that you are studying. Some learning logs are formatted as a graphic
organizer and some are journal entries.
-Today we will be creating a learning log on Georgia Habitats. The purpose of this activity is to
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Katrina Cameron
Katie Kimbrell
Alyson McGowen
Breanna Corbitt
inform your audience on what you have learned about this content. Your audience will be
yourself and your teacher.
(Open the word document, Georgia Habitats Learning Log)
-This is what our learning log will look like.
-In the first section labeled Engage, you will draw or describe an animal that would be found
in Georgia.
(this section is used to catch the student’s attention, similar to a hook and hold)
- In the next section labeled Explore, you will name and describe the habitat your animal
would live in. (during this section students will explore the content being taught)
-In the section labeled Explain, you will explain why you think your animal would live in this
habitat. Take into consideration the climate and food sources to help explain why your animal
would live here. (In this section students will explain the information they know about the
content)
-Elaborate, in this section you will consider other habitats that your animal could possibly live
and what would happen if your animal were placed into a different habitat. Again, think
about the climate and food resources. (During this section have to dig deeper into their
understanding of the content as in “thinking outside of the box.”)
-In the section titled Evaluate, reflect on at least one other habitat in Georgia and key points
of this habitat. Such as: climate, animals, and region of Georgia. (this section allows students
to reflect on the content as a whole and discuss their understanding.)
Keep in mind this is a graphic organizer and these are you key thoughts. You do not have to
use complete sentences, but enough information demonstrating knowledge of the content.
Modeling:
(Open the Word document Modeling Georgia Habitat Learning Logs.)
(Then state each question and explain the answer, pointing out that I did not use complete
sentences and that I gave enough detail that demonstrates my knowledge of the content.)
Engage:
 Think of an animal you would find in Georgia. Draw and/or describe this animal and
the specific resources (food, water, shelter, and space) that your animal may need.
(written response)- Alligator- likes water, warm temperature, sun,
meat eater (deer and otter)
Explore:
 Name and describe the habitat of Georgia your animal lives in.
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Katrina Cameron
Katie Kimbrell
Alyson McGowen
Breanna Corbitt
(written response)- Swamp/marsh, mild winters, hot summers,
wetland
Explain:
 Explain why you think your animal would live in this habitat.
(written response) Alligator- adapted to subtropical climate, likes
the wetland, feeds of the abundance of deer and otter living
in this region as well
Elaborate:
 Could this animal live in another region? If so, where? If not what would happen to
this animal if placed in another region?
(written response)- It could live in the wooded area of the coast,
but would not like the sandy beaches. The alligator could not
live in the mountain region because of the freezing
temperatures during the winter.
Evaluate:
 Summarize key points about at least one other Georgia Habitat you have learned
about.
Mountains- Freezing winters, mild summers, northern region
Practice (guided and independent)
Guided Practice: (Open the PowerPoint saved as Learning Log that is Smart Board enhanced,
fill in the graphic organizer as a whole group. Allow the students to decide on a habitat and
answer the questions together as you write the response in the space provided.
Slide 1.
Engage:
 Think of an animal you would find in Georgia. Draw and/or describe this animal and
the specific resources (food, water, shelter, and space) that your animal may need.
Slide 2.
Explore:
 Name and describe the habitat of Georgia your animal lives in.
Slide 3.
Explain:
 Explain why you think your animal would live in this habitat.
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Katrina Cameron
Katie Kimbrell
Alyson McGowen
Breanna Corbitt
Slide 4.
Elaborate:
 Could this animal live in another region? If so, where? If not what would happen to
this animal if placed in another region?
Slide 5.
Evaluate:
 Summarize key points about at least one other Georgia Habitat you have learned
about.
Assessment Activity: Pass out the learning log titled Georgia Habitats.
Tell students to pick a different Georgia Habitat that was NOT discussed in class today,
Tell students this is to be done individually. Give students about 5 minutes to respond, and
then collect organizers for evidence of student knowledge on the content.
Teacher Resources and Instructional Resources
Citations and summaries:
Cameron, K. (2012) Georgia Habitats Learning Log. Graphic organizer, Valdosta State University,
Valdosta, GA.
Berthelot, J., Pratte, D., Waldron, R., Byers, J., Barss, D., Derksen, D., Luciuk, J. (2004). What are
learning logs?. Instructional Strategies Online. Retrieved from
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/de/pd/instr/strats/logs/index.html
This website focuses on what learning logs are, what the purpose of a learning log is and how to
do them. Learning logs are a great strategy for students to incorporate content, process and
personal feelings together. Learning logs is mainly used in literacy can be merged into other
content areas.
Pearson Custom Education: Developing literacy: LITR 3130. New York: Pearson Learning
Solutions, p. 96.
The textbook has a brief description of how to implement teaching learner logs in a writing
lesson. It gives specific information to use while teaching learning logs to students. The
explanation that was given for this strategy gave a good foundation of how to teach this
strategy effectively.
Goldstein, A. & Carr, P.G. (1996, April). Can students benefit from process writing? NAEPfacts,
1(3), Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved April 7, 2012,
from nces.ed.gov/pubs96/web/96845.asp
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Katrina Cameron
Katie Kimbrell
Alyson McGowen
Breanna Corbitt
The writing assessment was administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP) in 1992 to 4th, 8th, and 12th graders throughout the United States of America. The
students were asked to perform two 25 minute writing tasks. Before they began their writing
tasks the students were given a blank sheet of paper on which to do their prewriting activity.
The NAEP stated evidence showed that "process writing" is associated with higher average
writing scores. Also, students who did pre-writing activities had higher average proficiency
scores. After the writing assessment was administered to the students the NAEP found that
teachers' encouragement of process writing was strongly related to average writing proficiency.
Mangham, K. (2011) Five different regions of Georgia and the animals that live there.
Unpublished booklet. Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Ga.
Preszler, J. (Ed.). (2006). On Target: Bringing Writing into Content Area Classrooms. (pp. 8-9).
Rapid City, South Dakota/United States: Black Hills Special Services Cooperative.
This book focuses on bringing writing into a science or math class. It explains the steps of
creating a learning log and questions that might be considered when creating a learning log.
The book gives examples of topics that can be used for learning logs and how they can be
adapted to fit into other content areas.
Materials:
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Pencils
Word Document
PowerPoint
Graphic organizer
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Katrina Cameron
Katie Kimbrell
Alyson McGowen
Breanna Corbitt
Name__________________________________
Georgia Habitats Learning Log
Engage
Think of an animal. Draw and/or describe its habitat and the specific resources (food,
water, shelter, and space) that your animal may need.
Explore
Name and describe the habitat of Georgia your animal lives in.
Explain
Explain why you think your animal would live in this habitat.
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Katrina Cameron
Katie Kimbrell
Alyson McGowen
Breanna Corbitt
Elaborate
Is there another habitat in which this animal could live? If so, where? If not what would
happen to this animal if it was placed in another habitat?
Evaluate
Summarize key points of at least one other Georgia habitat you have learned about.
Cameron, K. (2012) Georgia Habitats Learning Log. Graphic organize, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA .
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Katrina Cameron
Katie Kimbrell
Alyson McGowen
Breanna Corbitt
Name__________________________________
Engage
Georgia Habitats Learning Log
Think of an animal. Draw and/or describe its habitat and the specific resources (food,
water, shelter, and space) that your animal may need.
Alligator- likes water, warm temperature, sun, meat
eater (deer and otter)
Explore
Name and describe the habitat of Georgia your animal lives in.
Swamp/marsh, mild winters, hot summers, wetland
Explain
Explain why you think your animal would live in this habitat.
Alligator- adapted to subtropical climate, likes the
wetland, feeds off of deer and otter
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Katrina Cameron
Katie Kimbrell
Alyson McGowen
Breanna Corbitt
Elaborate
Is there another habitat in which this animal could live? If so, where? If not what would
happen to this animal if it was placed in another habitat?
It could live in the wooded area of the coast, but would not
like the sandy beaches. The alligator could not live in the
mountain region because of the freezing temperatures during
the winter.
Evaluate
Summarize key points of at least one other Georgia habitat you have learned about.
Mountains- Freezing winters, mild summers, northern
region
Cameron, K. (2012) Georgia Habitats Learning Log. Graphic organize, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA .