STEAM components

Students will use resources that have been provided by the teacher to do research on a chosen zoo animal. During the research students will look for information regarding the dietary needs, habitat needs of the animals and one fact the students feel is interesting (a zebra has stripes). For example the teacher has provided Nat Geo wild Kids magazines or websites, youtube videos regarding zoo animals and child friendly websites like Science Kidz. Students will be exposed to the different animals that can be found in a zoo and their classification, students will be able to classify animals according to land, air and water.

Students will use technology like tables/iPads to conduct their research, that has been provided to them by the teacher. While using this technology students can engage in fun applications like “Zoo animals for Kids app” and “Trip to the zoo for kids”. The San Diego zoo website has fun games for students too, that engage and help them learn about the different zoo animals. Students can utilize the application AR MAKR to design an enclosure along with their chosen animal to use as a reference when making the enclosure by hand. (see engineering skill).

Students will design the enclosures and habitats of their animals using physical materials. For example, for penguins, students can make some glaciers out of any white material they want (white paper, a white sheet, styrofoam, etc.) with water.  They can use a trough or type of tub to put water in or they can decide to use light blue tissue paper or construction paper.  For lions, tigers, rhinos, they may want to design a fence with a mote as a barrier as the enclosure. Students decide which types of enclosures they want to create (land, water, trees, rocks, cold, hot) and work together in collaborative groups.

Students will design their posters and maps for their zoo which will be a constructed environment. They will use posters, paint, stamps, markers, fabric or other materials to make their artwork. They will each draw, paint, or design their animal on a computer platform in order to display it using AR. They will also be using technology, such as Canva or other design platforms, to create evites to send to their parents as invitations to see their zoo.