UWSP Museum of Natural History Exhibits

University of Wisconsin Stevens Point

Discovering Wisconsin

forest wildlife

by Terri Hunter and Ginny Michels

Grade level: 4, 5

Rationale

Students will learn about a variety of animals that live in Wisconsin forests and the adaptations they have for living in this type of habitat.

Objective

Each student will learn to identify at least four animals that live in Wisconsin forests and be able to identify an adaptation of each animal.

Checklist: Preparing for the Trip

___ Visit field trip site before trip.

___ Prepare budget and assess costs for trip and transportation.

___ Inform administration about trip plans and confirm permission for trip.

___ Make reservations for the museum in advance.

___ Make transportation arrangements.

___ Plan pre-lesson, on-site lesson, and post lesson.

___ Prepare parent letter with information about the trip requesting chaperones (sample included) .

___ Send permission slip home to get parents.

___ Send a copy of the lesson plan home to the chaperones.

___ Prepare attendance/transportation list w/emergency contacts.

___ Pack first aid kit, clipboards, worksheets and pencils, and nametag for each student.

___ Confirm reservation with museum, transportation, and chaperones.

___ Send thank you notes to chaperones and museum staff after the trip.

What to bring: Attendance/transportation list, first aid kit, student medicine, lesson materials.

Schedule

8:45-9:00 Chaperones arrive at school.

9:00-9:15 Bathroom break before field trip.

9:15-9:20 Divide students into "buddy" groups and board bus to depart.

9:20-9:45 Bus ride to UWSP Museum.

9:45-10:00 Arrival, putting jackets in one spot, use restrooms.

10:00-10:15 Museum staff welcomes our group and answers questions.

10:15-10:45 Students in groups of four tour the museum.

10:45-11:15 Students work on the Field Notes worksheets.

11:15-11:30 Restroom and water break, gathering worksheets and papers, getting jackets.

11:30-12:00 Board bus and ride back to school.

12:00 Arrival back at school.

Pre-activity #1: Animal charades

Rationale

This activity will help get students excited about the field trip to the Museum of Natural History. It will prepare them with ideas of what Wisconsin forest wildlife to look for on our field trip to the UW-SP Museum of Natural History.

Objectives

To model or mimic the movements of animals that can be found in Wisconsin forests.

Materials

Cards to write the names of animals that can be found in Wisconsin forests (i.e. bear, deer, owl, etc.), pencils.

Procedure

Anticipatory set

As a class, have a brainstorming session about types of animals that live in the Wisconsin forests. As ideas are offered by students, list them on the blackboard to make sure that you have a varied list of wildlife. If a particular species of wildlife is not mentioned, ask the students leading questions to help them discover a wider variety of animal species.

Transfer the wildlife names on the board to cards that can be drawn at random by the students.

Divide the class into pairs or groups of three to act out the animal species listed on the card that they will draw.

Taking turns, each group will draw a card, act out the animal while the rest of the class tries to guess which animal they are.

Closure

To end this activity, bring the class back together to start discussing a forest as a habitat and adaptations that the animals may need to live in the forest community (i.e. claws, brown fur, feathers).
Considerations

The teacher should have a list of animals that can be found in the forest community prepared prior to the lesson to be sure that the class discusses a wide variety of animal species. When dividing the class, keep in mind which students work well together.

Assessment/evaluation

The teacher will assess the students based upon observation of their ability to list the names and mimic the movements of animals from the Wisconsin forest community.

Pre-activity #2: Animal poetry

Rationale

This activity will help students further develop their understanding of Wisconsin forest wildlife and their habitats and adaptations.

Objective

Each student will recognize and experience the Wisconsin forest habitat as they put themselves in the perspective of an animal that can be found in that habitat.

Materials

Clipboards for students to write on, pencils, "Forest wildlife brainstorming sheet" (see below), a school forest or other nearby forest site to visit.

Procedure

Anticipatory set

As a class, sit in a circle when you get to the forest. Explain that each student will draw an animal card that was used in the animal charades game and will be given ten minutes to find a quiet spot to become that animal. Using a hawk as an example, walk the students through the questions on the brainstorming sheet so they understand how to use the questions when imaging themselves as that animal.

Have each student draw an animal card and find a quiet spot to answer the brainstorming questions as they imagine being that animal.

Bring the students back together and share a Haiku and Cinquain poem about wildlife animals (see examples below). Tell the student to be thinking about ideas for a poem about their animal.

Haiku

The hawk soared over

Spirit bird in my living

Guide to harmony.

Cinquian

Wolf

Vital, quiet

Moving swiftly to live

Endangered by human patterns

Near lost

When back in the classroom, review the forms of poetry that they would have used in previous language arts lessons. Give the students time to work on their own poem which will be shared with the class.

Closure

To end this activity, bring the class back together to share the wildlife poems.
Considerations

The teacher should be prepared to either reschedule this activity if the weather is bad or use a larger indoor area so that students have a quiet space to do their imagination activity.

Assessment/evaluation

The teacher will assess the students based upon hearing the students describe Wisconsin forest wildlife through poetry.

On-site activity:

Wildlife words… museum field notes.

Rationale

This field trip is designed for the students to observe many different types of Wisconsin forest wildlife, especially some species that the students may never see in their natural forest habitat.

Objectives

To become familiar with the wildlife of Wisconsin forests by reading the signs by the animals on display.

To act as a naturalist, who studies nature, by observing animals in their environment while recording information about the animals in written and picture form.

Materials

Clipboards, pencils, field notes sheets (see below) – four for each student, student name tags, UW-SP Museum scavenger hunt sheets provided by museum.

Procedure

Anticipatory set

Before entering the museum, each student must tell the teacher four types of Wisconsin forest wildlife that they will be using for their field notes sheet.

When inside the museum, the students will gather in the lecture hall to learn about the museum rules from museum staff. The teacher will then explain that students will walk through the museum in groups to avoid traffic jams in front of displays. Each group will have a chaperone with them, and students are to show their completed field notes to the chaperone when they are done.

The teacher will then separate the students into their groups and distribute clip boards and field notes. The students have 45 minutes to explore the museum in groups and complete their field notes on four different animals.

As students finish their field notes, the students that finish early should work alone or in partners to complete scavenger hunt worksheets provided by the museum.

The students will return to the lecture hall and the teacher will collect the worksheets.

Closure

As your group prepares to leave the museum, have students share what they learned about Wisconsin forest wildlife during the trip. Encourage each student to talk about their favorite Wisconsin forest animal that was on display at the museum and why it was their favorite.

Considerations

Call and confirm the trip with the museum staff, transportation provider, and chaperones the day before the trip. Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes is the amount of time spent at the museum. All chaperones will be informed about appropriate behavior, the field notes activity and scavenger hunt to use as an extra activity for students that finish early. Also, be sure to visit the bathroom before leaving school.

Assessment

Teachers will be able to assess students’ learning based on completion of the four field notes sheets and the discussions held in the auditorium at the museum.

Post activity: Wisconsin forest wildlife collages

Rationale

Through previous activities, students will have a general understanding of a variety of Wisconsin forest wildlife. To further demonstrate their knowledge, students will assemble and create a collage of Wisconsin forest wildlife by gathering pictures from magazines, the Internet, or their own sketches.

Objective

Students will demonstrate their knowledge and appreciation of the great variety and diversity of Wisconsin forest wildlife.

Materials

Poster board, magazines, access to the Internet and a printer, scissors, glue, markers, colored pencils and crayons, plain white paper.

Procedure

Anticipatory set

To begin this activity, tell the students that they will each be creating their own Wisconsin forest wildlife collage. Students will be instructed to draw one large tree in the center of their poster and include a large variety of Wisconsin forest wildlife animals in their collages – a minimum of 10. On a separate sheet of paper, students should list the animals they have included in their collage and the adaptation that particular animal has to survive in the forest.

Have students collect materials to use in the collage (poster board & colored pencils/crayons) and two to four magazines to begin looking for pictures. Students will be instructed to return magazines that they are finished with before selecting new resources. If the Internet is available, the teacher should set up a rotation schedule to allow all students to have a chance to search for pictures.

Closure

As the students finish their collages, teacher will look at each one individually before displaying on the classroom wall.

Considerations

Allow enough time for students to find pictures. Teachers should have enough materials ready so that the students do not have to wait to begin their search.

Assessment/evaluation

Through viewing the students collages, the teacher will be able to assess their understanding of the Wisconsin forest wildlife diversity.

Extension activity

As a language arts extension activity, students can read more about Wisconsin forest wildlife on their own at a reading resource center for which the teacher can gather several books about this topic.

References

	Cottontails: Little Rabbits of the Field & Forest National Geographic Society, 1989.
	Wild, Wild Wolves Joyce Milton, Random House, 1992.
	All About Deer Jim Arnosky, Scholastic, Inc. 1996.
	Busy Beavers National Geographic Society, 1988.
	Wolves R.D. Lawrence, Little, Brown and Company, 1990.
	Raccoons and Ripe Corn Jim Arnosky, Mulberry Books, 1987.
	Bearman Laurence Pringle, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1989.

Field notes sheet

Animal name:_____________________

Instructions: Make notes about the animal. What does it look like? Color, size?? Where does the animal make its home?? In a tree, in a cave?? What does this animal eat?? Write some interesting facts that you know about this animal.

Draw or sketch your animal here:

Procedure

Anticipatory set

Before entering the museum, each student must tell the teacher four types of Wisconsin forest wildlife that they will be using for their field notes sheet.

As students finish their field notes, the students that finish early should work alone or in partners to complete scavenger hunt worksheets provided by the museum.

The students will return to the lecture hall and the teacher will collect the worksheets.

	Cottontails: Little Rabbits of the Field & Forest National Geographic Society, 1989.
	All About Deer Jim Arnosky, Scholastic, Inc. 1996.
	Wild, Wild Wolves Joyce Milton, Random House, 1992.
	Busy Beavers National Geographic Society, 1988.
	Wolves R.D. Lawrence, Little, Brown and Company, 1990.
	Raccoons and Ripe Corn Jim Arnosky, Mulberry Books, 1987.
	Bearman Laurence Pringle, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1989.

Forest wildlife brainstorming sheet

Name of animal _________________________________________________

Where does this animal make its home in the forest?

________________________________________________________________

What does this animal eat?_______________________

What would this animal see as it travels through the forest?______________

What other animals does this animal depend on to survive?______________

What adaptations does this animal have to help it survive in the forest?_____________________________________________

Permission slip and chaperone request

Date:

To: Parents / Legal Guardians

From: Ms. Hunter and Mrs. Michels

Subject: Field trip to Museum of Natural History

The third grade class will be visiting the Museum of Natural History at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Tuesday, October 6 from 9am until 12pm. This trip is to help the students continue to learn about Wisconsin forest wildlife. Please sign and return this slip to school by Thursday, October 1st. Also, if you are interested in being a chaperone for this field trip, please indicate so below your signature. If you have any questions, you may call us at school during the lunch hour or set up an appointment to further discuss the trip.

Thank You!!

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Return this slip to school by… October 1^st

My son/daughter ________________________________________ has permission to attend the field trip to the Museum of Natural History at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Tuesday, October 6 from 9am until 12pm with the third grade class.

Parent_______________ Legal guardian _____________Date_______

Emergency contact phone number_________________

_______________________________________________________________

Volunteers needed for the class field trip!!

This field trip will help further our study of animals that can be found in Wisconsin forests.

Your help would be greatly appreciated!!

_____Yes, I would be happy to chaperone.

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