Animal slide shows!

This project is a culmination of a science unit on animals which integrates computer skills, language arts and art. After a study of animals which includes classification, basic needs of animals, animal adaptations, and animal behaviors, the students will use the computer to complete a slide show of one animal they have studied at length.

A lesson plan for grade 4 Science

By Margie Bartolomucci

Learn more

Related pages

• Animal environments: Day one: Students will group animals using common characteristics. Students will develop an understanding of animal adaptations. This lesson was designed to be used with the lesson "Diamante Poetry Using Environments: Day two."
• Animal adaptation: This lesson focuses on the adaptations, body structures, and behavior of animals. The students will explore animal growth and adaptations of animals. This lesson is designed to be taught during the reading of Stone Fox.
• Animal report: After studying the various animal groups, students write a report about an animal of their choosing using well-formed paragraphs.

Related topics

• Learn more about PowerPoint, adaptations, animal behaviors, animal characteristics, animals, biology, environmental science, habitats, science, and technology skills.

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

Learning outcomes

Students will be able to apply what they have learned in their study of animals to one particular animal through research of that animal. They will then put this information into a slide show on a computer. The computer skills used include drawing tools, formatting with font, size, and text color, inserting headers, and arranging text and backgrounds.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 month

Materials/resources

• science textbook
• encyclopedia
• books on animals

Technology resources

• computer
• printer
• slide show capability (ClarisWorks or PowerPoint program, for example)
• internet access if desired

Pre-activities

Students will need to have studied:

• Science
:
• classification of animals
• basic needs of animals
• animal adaptations of body parts that help meet basic needs
• animal behaviors adapted to meet basic needs
• Computer Skills
:
• basic computer skills including drawing, word processing, and formatting
• slide show presentations

Activities

The students will research the animal assigned to them. Each of the following pages of their slide show will be prepared and corrected ahead of time. Computer class time will be spent on actually creating the student’s individual slide show.

Slide Show

Each slide show will consist of 4–5 pages.

• Page 1: A title page which includes the name of the animal and the author along with a drawing of the animal in its natural environment.
• Page 2: A scientific classification of each animal using kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
• Page 3: A graphic organizer (webbing works well) summarizing the five basic needs of each animal—food, water, oxygen, climate, shelter.
• Page 4: A chart of the animal’s behaviors which include those that are learned and those that they are born with (instincts).
• Page 5: An extra credit page which would include interesting facts the student has found about the animal.

Conclusion of Project

Sit back and enjoy a special time (slide show afternoon!) viewing all of the students’ slide shows while enjoying popcorn or other refreshments!

Assessment

Students will be assessed on the content of the slide show through a rubric which evaluates the scientific information included, grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and extra credit included. Computer skills will be assessed as part of the success of the entire slide show.

Supplemental information

Attachments:

• How to prepare a slide show: doc | rtf
• Assessment: doc | rtf

Comments

It was amazing to see the children’s computer skills develop as part of this lesson. Integrating science and computers was an exciting experience! A trip to the North Carolina Zoo was a great introduction to this lesson. It can be adapted to just about anything you want to include. The children can work at whatever level they have progressed to in computer. The first time this lesson was attempted it was successful. Not perfect, but very satisfying to all involved. Our computer teacher was a great help. We didn’t use the internet, which allowed the children to use their own drawing ability. However, the internet can be used to insert pictures, research information, etc.