Exploring the Everglades

After reading the book, Everglades, by Jean Craighead George, students will apply basic Internet navigation and computer skills to complete a scavenger hunt about the Everglades. As a culmination activity, students will use a word processing program to type a paragraph detailing what they have learned about the Everglades.

A lesson plan for grade 5 English Language Arts, Information Skills, Science, and Social Studies

By Debbie Fox

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Learning outcomes

Students will improve their reading and comprehension skills while collecting information during a scavenger hunt about the Everglades. Students will produce a paragraph with at least five facts learned during this activity.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

90 minutes

Materials/resources

• Paper
• Pencil
• Everglades by Jean Craighead George. Harper Collins Publisher, 1995. ISBN 0-06-021228-4

Technology resources

• Computer and printer
• Internet access
• Acceptable Use Policy on file for each student
• Word processing program such as MicroSoft Works
• Everglades Scavenger Hunt

Pre-activities

It is helpful and saves time if the students have the basic computer skills of turning the computer on, connecting to the Internet, and word processing. Students should also have prior knowledge of how to write a good paragraph.

Activities

1. Give out the scoring rubric and discuss it.
2. Before reading the book, show students the cover and preview the story’s illustrations.
3. Ask the following questions:
   • What do you think the story is about?
   • Who is telling the story?
   • What do you think you will find out as we read the story?
4. Read Everglades, by Jean Craighead George.
5. Each student will contribute at least one fact he/she learned from the story to a group discussion.
6. After the discussion, each student will turn on a computer and connect to the Internet.
7. Each student will type in the location bar the address (http://www.iss.k12.nc.us/schools/tce/dfox/everglades.html) of the scavenger hunt.
8. Explain the purpose of the scavenger hunt is to practice Internet navigation and computer skills as they collect information about their topic, the Everglades.
9. Complete question 1 on the scavenger hunt as a group. Remind students to read the complete question. Point out that the underlined key word is an active link to a site that will contain the answer to the question.
10. Have the students click on the link.
11. After locating the answer to the question, students should highlight the information.
12. The students should then go to Edit, Copy.
13. Have the students click Back.
14. The students should place the cursor in the answer box, and then go to Edit, Paste.
15. The previously highlighted information should appear in the answer space. If not, repeat the process.
16. Explain that question 2 utilizes radio buttons and the students will click beside the correct answer. Remind the student that the radio buttons allow you to choose only one answer.
17. Have the students complete the scavenger hunt, questions 1–10.
18. Encourage the students to also complete the Extra activities. These two questions may require a calculator. Students can go to Start, Accessories, and use the calculator found there. Students may also use a hand-held calculator if they are more comfortable with this.
19. Upon completion of the scavenger hunt, allow the students to print the completed scavenger hunt.
20. Instruct students to write a paragraph describing what they have learned about the Everglades from both the book and the scavenger hunt. Students should include at least five facts learned. The student should also include a sentence telling whether the facts learned came from the scavenger hunt or the book in order to credit sources of information.
21. After the paragraph has been edited, allow the students to type the paragraph into a word processing program such as Microsoft Works.
22. Allow each student to print his or her paragraph and share it with the class.

Assessment

• Participation in a group discussion
• Completed and printed scavenger hunt that will be checked for accuracy
• Paragraph written, typed, printed, and presented to the class

See this rubric for more assessment guidance.

Supplemental information

Comments

It is important that the students be given the scoring rubric at the beginning of the activity. Their success depends upon how much or how little work they choose to complete. This activity can stand alone, or be used to reinforce the concepts introduced during the reading of Everglades from the Scott, Foresman Reading Series, Grade 5.