Grade1SpringUnitActivity

EssentialQuestionfortheUnit:HowDoWeGrow?

ActivityRationale:

Indiscoveringhowstudentsgrowandwhatitmeanstogrow,thisactivityfocusesonthe
basicneedsofplantandanimals,andhowweareallconnectedwithinourcommunities.
Collaboratingtogetherinanengagingoutdooractivity,studentswilllearnwhatisnecessaryfor
survivalandgrowth,andtheywillexploretheirsurroundingslookingfortheirrequiredelements
tomeettheirbasicneeds.Exploringtheneedsofanindividualbyfirstexploringhowweareall
connectedinacommunityandwhatacommunitymeans,studentswillbeorientingthemselves
throughahumanitieslensastheydigdeeperintothescienceoutcomes.Sharingand
contributingideasfordiscussionwhilebeingrespectfulandstrengtheningtheirunderstandingof
community,studentswilllearntoexpresstheirideasinameaningfulway.Comparingand
contrastinghuman,animalandplantneedsforgrowth,studentswillhaveabetterunderstanding
oftheconnectionsbetweentheseformsoflifeandtheEarthinwhichwelive.

Themainportionofthisactivitywillbeanoutdoorreenactmentgamecalled
TheAnimal
Game
inwhichstudentswillhavetheopportunitytoinvestigatehowtheanimalcommunity
interactswithoneanother.Theywillalsobegiventheopportunitytobephysicallyactivewhile
exploringthecurriculumoutcomesfromboththesciencesandhumanitieslenses.Alltheanimals
andplantsselectedforthisactivityarelocaltotheCanmoreareaandmakeupthecommunityin
whichthestudentslive.

Stage1:

LearningOutcomesfromtheProgramofStudies(Knowledge,Skills,
Attitudes)
SocialStudies:

GeneralOutcome:
Studentswilldemonstrateanunderstandingandappreciationofhow
identityandselfesteemareenhancedbytheirsenseofbelongingintheir
worldandhowactivemembersinacommunitycontributetothe
wellbeing,growthandvitalityoftheirgroupsandcommunities.

SpecificOutcomes:
1.1.3examinehowtheybelongandareconnectedtotheirworld

Science:

GeneralOutcome:
111Describesomecommonlivingthings,andidentifyneedsofthose
livingthings.

SpecificOutcomes:
3.Identifywaysinwhichlivingthingsarevaluede.g.,aspartofa
communityoflivingthingsassourcesoffood,clothingorshelter.
6.Identifytherequirementsofanimalstomaintainlifei.e.,air,food,water,
shelter,spaceandrecognizethatwemustprovidetheseforanimalsinour
care.
7.Identifytherequirementsofanimalstomaintainlifei.e.,air,light,
suitabletemperature,water,growingmedium,spaceandrecognizethatwe
mustprovidetheseforplantsinourcare.

PhysicalEducation

GeneralOutcome:

D.Studentswillassumeresponsibilitytoleadanactivewayoflife.

SpecificOutcomes:
A11performlocomotorskillsthroughavarietyofactivities
D15movesafelyandsensitivelythroughallenvironmentse.g.,space
awarenessactivities

English

GeneralOutcome:
5.Studentswilllisten,speak,read,write,viewandrepresenttorespect,
supportandcollaboratewithothers.

SpecificOutcomes:
5.1RespectOthersandStrengthenCommunity

Arts

GeneralOutcome:
Component10(ii)SUBJECTMATTER:Studentswilldevelopthemes,
withanemphasisonpersonalconcerns,basedon:

SpecificOutcomes:
A.PlantsandanimalsB.Environmentandplaces

Drama

GeneralOutcome:
Physical
Integrative

SpecificOutcomes:
Becomeawareofbodyandvoiceasinstrumentsofexpression
Understandandrespondtoenvironment

Stage2:

TaskAssessment

Assessmentforthislessonwillbebasedonteacherobservations,group
discussionandstudentresponses,andtheirjournalentryreflectionsafterthe
gameisover.Responsescanbewritten,drawnandansweredorally.
Guidingquestionsareasfollows:

1. Whatdidyouranimalneedtosurvive?Wasthisthesameasthe
otheranimals,whyorwhynot?
2. Whatdoesitmeantobepartofacommunity?
3. Howareanimalcommunitiessimilartohumancommunities?

Stage3:

DesigntheTask

ActivityInstructions:

Step1.Discussioninclassaboutthebasicneedsofplantsandanimals,and
whatacommunityis.

Step2.Artmakinganimalmasks/hatswithavarietyofmaterialssuchas
constructionpaper,paperplates,pompoms,pipecleaners,felt,yarn,glue
andscissors.

Step3.Thenextstagewillbeheldoutdoorstoplayagamecalled
The
AnimalGame
.ThisgameworksbestwithbothGrade1classesplaying
togetherforaminimumof40students.Thiswillbeagoodopportunityfor
thetwoclassestoworktogether,buildingcommunitywithintheschool.The
rulesofthesurvivalgameareasfollows:

Eachstudentwillbeassignedaroleinthecommunityaseither
herbivores(rabbitorsquirrel),omnivores(foxorbear)orcarnivores(wolf
orcougar)andweartheiranimalmasks/hatsthattheycreatedtoshow
whotheyare.Thegoalistosurvive(haveatleastonelifecard)bythe
timethegameisover.

Herbivoresaregiven20liveseachrepresentedbylifecards.Omnivores
willhave7lifecardsandcarnivoreshave3lifecards.Tosurvive,each
animalneedstomeettheirbasicneedsbycollectingfoodandwater.
Therewillbefivewaterstationsandfiveplantstationssetupwithinthe
perimeteroftheplayingarea.Eachstationwillhavewaterorfoodcards
animalsmayonlytakeonecardfromastationatatime)thatwillbe
collectedtosatisfytheneedsoftheanimal.

Foodcanbeobtainedintwoways:forherbivorestheymustcollectfood
fromoneofthefivefoodstations,andcarnivoresmusttagaherbivoreor
omnivoreastheirsourceoffood.Whenananimaliscaughtbyanother
animal,theyhavetogivetheanimalafoodcardanddiscardoneoftheir
livestotheteacher.Omnivoreswillneedtousebothfoodstationsand
catchingherbivoresformeetingtheirfoodneeds.

Foodandwatercardscanbetradedintotheteacherforanewlife,trading
2waterand3foodforanewlife.Therewillbe4otherplayersinthe
gamewhorepresentfire,flood,diseaseandcold.Thesestudentswilltag
asmanyanimalsastheycanandcollectlifecards.Thegoalforthese
studentsisslightlydifferenttheywinbycollectingasmanycardsas
possible.Beingtaggedbythesestudentsistheonlywayacarnivorecan
die.Sinceherbivorescanbetaggedbysomanyotherstheremustbemore
herbivoreplayersthananyoneelse.Forexample,withagroupof40
students:20ofthemwillbeherbivores,10willbeomnivores,6willbe
carnivoresand4willbenaturalanimalkillersinorderforthegametorun

smoothly.Theseratiosarealsomoretruetoarealanimalcommunityin
termsofanimalpopulations.Ifananimalrunsoutoflivesbeforethe
gameends,theywillreturntotheteacherandbeassignedasanother
naturalanimalkiller,suchasfire.

Itistheteacher'sjobtoregulatethegamebyresupplyingthewaterand
foodcardstotheirstations,takinglifecardsawayandtradinglifecardsin
exchangeforfoodandwatercards.

Step4:Reflectivediscussionandjournalwriting.

References

References

AlbertaEducation(1996).Science.Retrievedfrom
http://education.alberta.ca/media/654825/elemsci.pdf

AlbertaEducation(2005).SocialStudiesKindergartentoGrade12.
Retrievedfrom
http://education.alberta.ca/media/456107/ss4.pdf

AlbertaEducation(2000).
PhysicalEducation.
Retrievedfrom
http://education.alberta.ca/media/450871/phys2000.pdf

AlbertaEducation(2000).
EnglishLanguageArts.
Retrievedfrom
http://education.alberta.ca/media/450519/elak9.pdf

AlbertaEducation(1985).
Drama.
Retrievedfrom
http://education.alberta.ca/media/313001/elemdram.pdf

AlbertaEducation(1985).
Art.
Retrievedfrom
http://education.alberta.ca/media/312998/elemart.pdf

PredatorPrey(n.d.).Retrievedfrom
http://dragon.sleepdeprived.ca/games/wide_games/wide_games_15.htm