Power Up Plus! Unit Template
for 21st Century Teaching and Learning
Unit Plan Title: Savanna Animal Adaptations
Developed By: Pam Koller
Grade Level: 1st
Length of Unit: 3 days
Standard: What standards will provide the focus for this unit? Choose one core content and one educational technology.
SD Science: 1.L.3.1 Students are able to relate characteristics of plants and animals that allow them to live in specific habitats.
SD Education Technology: 1.IL.1.1 Identify where information can be found.
SD Education Technology: Information and Communication Processes Indicator 2 – Students use a variety of technologies to
exchange information and ideas for an identified purpose.
Essential Questions: What essential questions will focus this unit?
How can animals survive in the savanna?
How can we share research with the community and world?
Academic Vocabulary: List the key terms students will need to know in order to understand the content.
Savanna, adaptations, research
Learning Targets: What are the knowledge, reasoning, skill, and product targets unpacked from the standard or benchmark?
Create
Evaluate
Content (nouns)
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
Analyze
Apply
Skill
Understand
Remember
Assessments
(verbs)
What topics do students need to know?
What should students be able to do to
process and retain the knowledge?
What could students do or create to
demonstrate their understanding?
Characteristics of animals, Specific
Habitats, Information,
Technologies
Identify and list characteristics of
savanna animals.
Record information gathered from
online resources in a note-taking
graphic organizer. Assess notetaking using a rubric.
Identify & print factual information
on the Internet.
Communicate learned knowledge
through blabberize.com
Use information on note-taking
graphic organizer to create an
animal flip book. Assess flip book
using a student-checklist.
Share learned knowledge through
blabberize.com by recording
information and saving an image of
the student’s chosen animal.
Assess blabberize using a teacherchecklist.
Page 1
Planning the Learning Experiences: What learning experiences will equip students to demonstrate the targeted learnings?
In other words, what instructional strategies can be used to facilitate students’ ability to successfully complete the assessments?
Learning Cycle
Tech Integration
Lesson #1:
Use “African Savanna” video
by Pim Niesten to hook
students –
http://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=DxAO-a0KrAQ
Where: How will you let participants know the
expected outcomes/purpose of the work?
Use the SMARTBoard to show the class concept
map from bubbl.us
Hook: How will you engage participants?
Show students the video “African Savanna” by
Pim Niesten found on YouTube.
Use bubbl.us to create a class
Concept Map to display
information for all students to
see and share
Explore: What activities will provide experiences
and explorations to equip participants for
completing the final performances?
Using the video and information on internet, the
students will add to their schema on the savanna
and the animals in the savanna.
Use wikispace site to guide
research process http://pamkoller.wikispaces.c
om/Savanna+Animals
Reflect: In what ways will participants be
encouraged to dig deeper through feedback and
self-assessment?
The students’ projects will be self-directed
research activities so they can become “experts”
on the savanna animals.
Exhibit: How will participants show their level of
understanding? Evaluate their strengths and
challenges?
Participants will share what they’ve learned by
recording information on a note-taking graphic
organizer. The students will share information to
add to the class concept map.
Provide links to gradeappropriate information
websites of Savanna Animals.
Websites are posted on wiki
and include:
 http://enchantedlearning.co
m/biomes/savanna/savann
a.shtml
 http://www.blueplanetbiom
es.org/african_savanna.htm
 http://nationalzoo.si.edu/A
nimals/AfricanSavanna/afsa
vfact.cfm
Reading Strategies (KWL Charts, Concept
Maps, Paragraph Outlines, etc.)
Before
Class Concept Map of African Savanna –
share what you know
During
Note-taking Graphic Organizer
After
Concept Map of African Savanna – add
any information that you learned
21st Century Skills: Information, Media and
Technology Skills
Information Literacy
Access and Evaluate Information
Use and Manage Information
Media Literacy
Analyze Media & Create Media Products
ICT Literacy (Information,
Communications, and Technology Literacy
Apply Technology Effectively
Lessons/Activities: Use this space to describe sequence of learning activities, materials/resources needed, time frames, etc.
Total Time: 60 minutes
Materials: SMARTBoard with class Concept Map displayed using bubbl.us, Computers with Internet Access, note-taking graphic
organizer for each student
1. Show the YouTube video “African Savanna” by Pim Niesten. Ask the students to give information to put on concept map
divided into 4 parts: animals, people, plants, and other facts
2. Then ask students to explore the animals of the African Savanna using the websites posted on the wikispace. After 15
minutes of exploring, encourage the students to choose an animal for personal research. Each student will pick 1 animal
and organize the personal research found with a note-taking graphic organizer.
3. The graphic organizer has 4 sections: 1. Describe the animal. Give lots of details. 2. Describe the habitat or place where this
animals lives. 3. Tell what this animal eats. 4. Write three interesting facts about this animal.
4. The students can print the research on their animal.
5. After completing the note-taking graphic organizer, the students share information to add to the class concept map.
Modifications: In what ways will the learning experiences be differentiated to meet student needs?
Far Below Standard
Students can work with a
higher level reader to gain
information. Students can
verbally tell teacher or peer
information to record on
graphic organizer.
Approaching Standard
Students can work with
partners who can help in
recording & reading
information.
Meeting Standard
Students will navigate
internet and record
information on graphic
organizer.
Page 2
Exceeding Standard
Students can continue individual
study by researching African
Savanna Animals on the Internet
Planning the Learning Experiences: What learning experiences will equip students to demonstrate the targeted learnings?
In other words, what instructional strategies can be used to facilitate students’ ability to successfully complete the assessments?
Learning Cycle
Tech Integration
Lesson #2:
Use “Savanna Biome
Animals” video from West
Geauga High School to hook
students –
http://www.schooltube.com/
video/3904b9058aab46949b
6a/Savanna-Biome-Animals
Where: How will you let participants know the
expected outcomes/purpose of the work?
Show an example of a finished flip book and go
through student checklist of expectations.
Hook: How will you engage participants?
Show students the video “Savanna Biome
Animals” from West Geauga High School found
on schooltube.
Explore: What activities will provide experiences
and explorations to equip participants for
completing the final performances?
Modeling from the teacher, explaining of the
checklist for self-assessment
Reflect: In what ways will participants be
encouraged to dig deeper through feedback and
self-assessment?
Students will be responsible for their own
research. After writing the flip book, the
students will be responsible to use the checklist
as a self-assessment.
Use research from websites
that are posted on wiki http://pamkoller.wikispaces.c
om/Savanna+Animals
Which include:
 http://enchantedlearning.co
m/biomes/savanna/savann
a.shtml
 http://www.blueplanetbiom
es.org/african_savanna.htm
 http://nationalzoo.si.edu/A
nimals/AfricanSavanna/afsa
vfact.cfm
Reading Strategies (KWL Charts, Concept
Maps, Paragraph Outlines, etc.)
Before
Review Note-taking Graphic Organizer
During
After
Flip Book checklist
21st Century Skills: Information, Media and
Technology Skills
Information Literacy
Access and Evaluate Information
Use and Manage Information
Media Literacy
Analyze Media & Create Media Products
ICT Literacy (Information,
Communications, and Technology Literacy
Apply Technology Effectively
Exhibit: How will participants show their level of
understanding? Evaluate their strengths and
challenges?
Students will use information from research to
create a flip book and become an “expert” on a
savanna animal.
Lessons/Activities: Use this space to describe sequence of learning activities, materials/resources needed, time frames, etc.
Total Time: 60 minutes
Materials: SMARTBoard, Computers with Internet Access, research information and note-taking graphic organizer for each student
from previous lesson, 12 inch paper squares for flip books for each student, Flip Book Checklist for each student
1. Show the schooltube video “Savanna Biome Animals” by West Geauga High School to spark interest.
2. Ask the students to review research information and note-taking graphic organizers.
3. Show the students a sample flip book and instruct them in how to make one. Take the 12 inch paper square and find the
center. Fold each corner into the center to create 4 flaps.
4. On each flap write sentences about the animals. On flap one – describe the animal, flap two – describe where the animal
lives, flap three – tell what the animal eats, flap four – write interesting facts about the animal. In the middle of the flip
book, draw a picture of the animal with a background.
5. When the flip book is finished, have the student complete a checklist as a self-assessment.
Modifications: In what ways will the learning experiences be differentiated to meet student needs?
Far Below Standard
Students can work with a
higher level reader to gain
information. Students can
verbally tell teacher or peer
information to record on flip
book.
Approaching Standard
Students can work with
partners who can help in
recording & reading
information.
Meeting Standard
Students will read research &
write information on flip
book.
Page 3
Exceeding Standard
Students can write a nonfiction
research paper on savanna animal.
Planning the Learning Experiences: What learning experiences will equip students to demonstrate the targeted learnings?
In other words, what instructional strategies can be used to facilitate students’ ability to successfully complete the assessments?
Learning Cycle
Tech Integration
Lesson #3:
Use www.google.com to
complete a search for
savanna animal images.
Where: How will you let participants know the
expected outcomes/purpose of the work?
Show an example of a blabberize project done by
the teacher
Hook: How will you engage participants?
The students will be shown an example of a
blabberize project done by the teacher.
Reading Strategies (KWL Charts, Concept
Maps, Paragraph Outlines, etc.)
Before
Review note-taking graphic organizer
During
Blank Script form for blabberize project
Use blabberize.com to create
animal projects
Publish projects to wikispace http://pamkoller.wikispaces.c
om/Savanna+Animals
Explore: What activities will provide experiences
and explorations to equip participants for
completing the final performances?
Searching for an animal image, complete a script
for the project and practicing reading the script
with other students
After
Checklist for blabberize project
21st Century Skills: Information, Media and
Technology Skills
Information Literacy
Access and Evaluate Information
Use and Manage Information
Media Literacy
Analyze Media & Create Media Products
ICT Literacy (Information,
Communications, and Technology Literacy
Apply Technology Effectively
Reflect: In what ways will participants be
encouraged to dig deeper through feedback and
self-assessment?
After recording the audio for the blabberize
project, the students will listen to the recording
and self-assess it. They will be given a choice to
save it or re-record the information.
Exhibit: How will participants show their level of
understanding? Evaluate their strengths and
challenges?
The students will complete the blabberize project
and complete a checklist. Then they will share
their project by presenting it to the class.
Lessons/Activities: Use this space to describe sequence of learning activities, materials/resources needed, time frames, etc.
Total Time: 60 minutes
Materials: Computers with Internet Access, research information and note-taking graphic organizer for each student from previous
lessons, Blank Script forms for each student, microphone, blabberize checklist for each student
1. Show students an example of a blabberize project. Also show them a blank script and an example of a complete script.
2. Using research information, students will complete the blank blabberize script. Then practice reading it out loud to 2 other
students.
3. Each student will then follow the steps at blabberize.com to create their projects. The teacher will publish projects on the
wikispace.
4. After the students have finished their projects, they will complete the blabberize project checklist as a form of selfassessment.
Modifications: In what ways will the learning experiences be differentiated to meet student needs?
Far Below Standard
Students can work with a
higher level reader to gain
information. Students can
verbally tell teacher or peer
information to record on
script.
Approaching Standard
Students can work with
partners who can help
record information on the
script.
Meeting Standard
Exceeding Standard
Students will use research to
complete script and finish
blabberize project.
Students can complete the script
with additional research
information from personal research.
Page 4