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This exit ticket (or any modified version of it) can be used for the art exhibit (lesson 3), the nature documentary film festival (lesson 4) and the Chatterpix presentations gallery walk (lesson 5).

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Example of self or peer assessment (for lessons 3 and 4)

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Example of self or peer assessment (for lessons 3 and 4)

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In the format of 2 Stars and A Wish. This assessment tool can be modified to request specific learning that students gained, pertaining to the success criteria.

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Haiku Deck. (2015). Habitat scavenger hunt: Who calls the schoolyard home? Retrieved from https://www.haikudeck.com/school-yard-habitat-scavenger-hunt-from-rangerridley-education-presentation-aHC5o38iHD#slide0

Ministry of Education. (2013). Learning for all: A guide to effective assessment and instruction for all students, kindergarten to grade 12. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/LearningforAll2013.pdf

Ministry of Education. (2006). The Ontario curriculum grades 1-8, language. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/language18currb.pdf

Ministry of Education. (2005). The Ontario curriculum grades 1-8, mathematics. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/math18curr.pdf

Ministry of Education. (2007). The Ontario curriculum grades 1-8, science and technology. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/scientec18currb.pdf

Ministry of Education. (2009). The Ontario curriculum grades 1-8, The Arts. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/arts18b09curr.pdf

Rylant, C. (2017). Life. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books.

The Learning Exchange. (2018). Learning through the arts - Visual arts. Retrieved from https://thelearningexchange.ca/projects/learning-through-the-arts-visual-arts/

The Learning Exchange. (2018). Open-ended and parallel learning tasks for instruction. Retrieved from http://thelearningexchange.ca/videos/open-ended-and-parallel-learning-tasks-for-instruction/

Vimeo. (2013). Outdoor education - Exploration. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/63176640

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Lesson 1 - STORYBIRD: If students require an accommodation or are more engaged (and therefore demonstrating their learning in a more authentic manner), then they can create their story book using the Storybird app

Lesson 2 - YOU DOODLE: This will be the app students use to take photos of living and non-living things, label them (living, non-living, plant, animal, human), indicate whether it has symmetry (possible adding lines of symmetry), and draw the 2-D shapes they see in nature. This will then be documented and I can use this as a form of assessment.

Lesson 3 - DRAWING PAD or ART SET: For our Living Art visual arts piece. The tech integration will serve as an accommodation or student choice for considering student interest and multiple intelligences. These 2 choices of apps were chosen due to their ability to allow students to use the various elements of art, which meets our curriculum expectations.

Lesson 4 - FLIPGRID or iMOVIE: Depending on student choice, they will use use these apps to complete their "Nature Documentary" during our place-based education visit to Riverwood Conservancy. During the inquiry based learning activities, students will explore by recording the answers to the questions and tasks. We will then have a Documentary Festival after students put their finishing touches on their movies. We present our videos as a means to consolidate learning.

Lesson 5 - CHATTERPIX: As our culminating task, students work in in pairs to choose 1 living thing. They use or a take a picture of their chosen living thing. They create a silly, engaging video of their chosen living thing talking, while addressing the success criteria for the task. We can have a gallery walk to view other presentations, then create a community circle to consolidate what we learned, ask questions, and provide feedback.

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Cross Curricular Integration:
Language Arts (Oral Communication strand)

Tech Integration:
Chatterpix

Minds On:
I present my own Chatterpix video of my chosen living thing. This will serve as an example/model for students culminating task. We will deconstruct how I created my video, the information I included, and what I could improve on. If this is the first time using Chatterpix, students should receive modelling for using the app. Then they should be give time to explore using it in small groups. As our primary learners are curious, silly and talkative, I find Chatterpix is a tool teachers can integrate to enhance their learning because their personality traits align with what the app has to offer.

Action:
Students will work in small groups to choose a living thing. In their Chatterpix video, they will have an introduction, include how they know it's a living thing, and add some information of what they think are their needs and characteristics. They will ponder it's connections to other living things and why they think it's important to the environment. By allowing students to ponder these connections, we prepare students for the next mini units' Big Ideas. The Chatterpix videos can be in the form of a PSA from the POV of their chosen living thing. By making this Chatterpix and making it in the form of a PSA, students are practicing respect for nature and the environment which is a part of the curriculum expectations.

Consolidation:
Final videos will be shared on Google Classroom. Otherwise, to make it more interactive and engaging, we set up devices around the classroom with each groups' Chatterpix movie ready to be presented. Students circulate and watch the videos. They then complete an 3-2-1 Exit Ticket. They will also have the opportunity to self-assess with our co-constructed rubric.

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.Cross Curricular Integration:
Visual Arts
Mathematics

Tech Integration:
Drawing Pad
Art Set

Minds On:
In class, I will set up an Art Gallery/Exhibition of art pieces of nature, symmetry and/or shapes from different artists who used various elements of art in their pieces. We'll begin by watching a fun video of people at Art Exhibitions to see what people contemplate when observing art. Then students will complete a Gallery Walk where they will identify the elements of art, locate symmetry, and identify shapes they see. Similarly they will contemplate what the art pieces are trying to tell us about the nature in their piece. Students choose 1 art piece to answer: What kind of nature and environment is in the piece? What is happening in the art piece? Why did the artist choose to include this nature? What do you think they are trying to tell us about nature?

Action:
Students will use visual arts to create their own “Living Thing Art”. The focus will be using shapes to create our living thing, but maybe also trying to integrate some symmetry - this allows us to follow up on the previous lessons math integration. Students can also ponder the needs and characteristics of their chosen living thin to include  within their art piece. Students will choose the elements of art they use. This can be achieved by providing students with a variety of tools and materials to create their final art piece. Within their art piece they should consider why they chose the living thing(s), what message they are telling their audience through the art, and how the elements help to convey that.

Consolidation:
We are going to organize and design an Art Exhibit of our final art piece. Students will include a short description of the above requirements in italics through a label. During the Exhibit, we are artists and art critics. Using our expertise of elements of art and living things we will complete an exit ticket (or "art review") on 3 art pieces as we walk through the Art show. For this, students will choose 1 piece of art to identify the elements of art used, living thing(s) included, their needs and characteristics, and how the artist used the elements to convey their message -- for this, the 3-2-1 Exit Ticket will be used but altered to include the learning concepts mentioned.

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Cross Curricular Integration:
Mathematics

Tech Integration:
You Doodle

Minds On:
Students will be presented with multiple photos of living and non-living things. The photos are of birds, butterflies, insects, plants. We will use this as a minds on to identify symmetry and classify 2-dimensional shapes. As per the Ontario Math curriculum, this would address the expectations found under Geometry and Spatial Sense (specifically sorting and classifying two-dimensional shapes by attributes; recognizing symmetry). As we explore these images, it would ideal to have it projected onto the whiteboard. This way we create an interactive learning experience where students can come up and draw lines of symmetry and the various 2-D shapes that the plants (e.g., flower head) looks like (e.g., it could be in the shape of a circle, pentagon, square, rectangle, oval) right on the board. Otherwise, images can be printed and posted around the classroom for students circulate and interact with the images (drawing the shapes and lines of symmetry on top).

Action:
The action portion will be completed through outdoor education/place-based learning by going outdoors to explore nature. Students can use technology to take photos of plants and animals then embed the 2-D shape that the plant closely resembles overtop the image. For example, they will use the You Doodle app to take photos, edit them by overlaying words (e.g., living thing, plant, animal, human) and drawing shapes (and adding the name of the shape), then saving the image. They will similarly take photos to show things that are symmetrical -- they can also embed lines of symmetry if they are up for the challenge. In order to integrate Needs and Characteristics of Living Things strand, students will identify if their photo is of a living or non-living thing, and identify what it is (plant, animal, leaf, stick, etc.).

This activity will achieve the learning goal/Big Idea, classifying 2-D shapes and recognizing symmetry. This would work well for the primary classroom because it integrates outdoor education, play and technology. This integration can support students engagement in the learning, develop environmental stewards, and provides students with an opportunity to improve their digital literacy skills. It also works well because it differentiates learning: students get to explore, find and choose the living and non-living things that they want to identify shapes and symmetry for (it could range from simple, to moderate, to advanced). Additionally, it builds on 21st century learning skills like collaboration (working positively with their peers as they explore), communication (speaking with their peers to share their thinking), and creativity (finding shapes and symmetry in nature).

Consolidation:
Students share their photos as we sit in a community circle in class, ask questions, sharing understanding, and learn from each other.

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Cross Curricular Integration:
Media Literacy (To raise questions around voice, truth, purpose, etc.)

Technology:
A nature documentary
Flipgrid or iMovie

Minds On:
We will watch a short nature documentary in class. Students will then brainstorm the aspects included within documentaries. They will also breakdown the documentary from beginning, middle and end messages. We can do this through a graffiti activity: students use pictures, words, phrases, symbols to brainstorm on the whiteboard. We come back as a class to review our findings and understandings. Here media literacy can be integrated to discuss voice, truth, and purpose.

Action:
Students would visit a conservation area (e.g., Riverwood Conservancy, Evergreen Brick Works). This would be a place-based, outdoor education opportunity to engage and extend student learning. Having walked through Riverwood recently, I saw countless species of birds (many woodpecker species, yellow warblers, chickadees, blue jays, robins, cardinals, etc), chipmunks (even several baby chipmunks), squirrels, all kinds of spiders and insects, ducks, frogs, a turtle, great blue heron. There are many living things to explore and identify. Our place-based field study will enrich learning for primary students through the integration of play and inquiry in an outdoor education setting. For example, I imagine setting up the conservation area with question guides (in the form of little posters) throughout an area that students will explore. We may even move throughout different areas after we finish a section of our learning, in order to explore more of the environment. These posters with questions/tasks will be posted around the natural area, almost like a treasure hunt for students to be guided through. It may begin with students finding 5 living things and 5 non-living things. This can be accomplished by using Flipgrid (or another app that may be more user friendly for primary learners) of their 5 living and non-living things and adding labels to indicate what they are. Next, a question guide will ask students What makes something living and something non-living? As they explore and collaborate they can record the answers to the inquiry question on Flipgrid. Similarly, question guides set up around the area will ask students to identify 5 plants and 5 animals. Through more exploration they will have to answer other inquiry questions like What characteristics make up each and what do they need to survive? Further inquiry question that will instigate exploration and curiosity is How are plants and animals similar? As they make their way through their inquiry guides, they will continue to take pictures and record video, using vocabulary we’ve learned throughout the unit. As a means to consolidate learning and bring us back to calm and focused state, we would have Riverwood provide us with a tour to teach us about the Riverwood ecosystem and the connections between living things in that habitat -- this is a way to introduce the Big Ideas that will be explore in the next mini unit. Bringing students to a place-based field study location will be exciting for students. Additionally, they’ll be outdoors exploring nature. They will be guided to explore inquiry questions and use play and exploration to locate, identify and ponder non-living and living things. Finally, integration of technology can help students maximize on their learning by documenting their learning journey while being engaged with the technology integration. We will have time to edit our documentaries, add voice-overs, and add labels.

Consolidation:
We will share our Nature Documentaries with the class as a consolidation piece afterwards. Students complete exit tickets that are their "Film Critic" (or, rather, "critique") reviews. The 3-2-1 Exit Ticket will include questions about what they learned, what they found fascinating, and a question they still have. Peer assessment will be in the form of Documentary Film Critic (2 Stars and A Wish).

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Cross Curricular Integration:
Language Arts

Tech Integration:
Storybird: For creating our books
Flipgrid: for presenting our books

Minds On:
How do we know if something is living?
Can we identify living and non-living things in this map of Canada?

Action:
I would begin the lesson with a read aloud of Life by Cynthia Rylant. This is a whimsically illustrated picture book about finding beauty in everything around us, both in good times and in bad times. It includes themes of gratefulness and respect for nature. These themes allow us to integrate Mindfulness practices within this lesson, as well. Additionally, the story introduces living things, their characteristics, and their needs. This picture book will act as our literacy provocation to spark a writing experience.

After we complete our read aloud of Life, students will return to their groups where stations are set up. A variety of materials and tools will be available for students to create their own book. Otherwise, technology can be focused within the lesson by having students use Storybird to create their book. Their book will contain a story of all the things they are grateful for in the environment/natural world - including living ( it could include animals, plants, family, friends) and non-living things. This is a way for students to practice writing skills, develop mindfulness/integrate well-being in the classroom, and use arts and crafts for engagement and authentic learning. By creating their own books, students will feel successful and accomplished. It’s important to note that teachers can provide copies of the book at each group for students to refer to. This activity works well if students have learned about the conventions of storytelling. During this activity, students may need simple graphic organizers to help them develop their ideas. Also note, depending on what you have in mind as the learning goals for this activity, this may required several classes for student to draft, revise and publish work for their portfolio.

This provocation will be used for students to learn and develop expectations within the Writing and Oral Communication strand of the Language curriculum.

Consolidation:
We then have mini presentations where students share their story, or they can use Flipgrid to create a video of themselves reading their book (especially good for our more shy students). Through presentations we can integrate the Oral Communication strand in this literacy provocation. This can open up conversations about living and non-living things.

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1. Student Choice: Choice will be provided in how students wish to complete their tasks. For example, do they want to construct art by hand or use Adobe Spark? Do they want to create a book with arts and crafts or use Storybird.com?
2. Parallel Tasks: During their play and inquiry-based place-based learning activity, students will have a choice in the level of questions they choose to explore.
3. Multiple intelligences: Kinesthetic, visual, auditory, tech-based, artistic students will all be integrated within the learning (both in the lessons and activities).
4. Student Interest: Student interest in technology use, arts and crafts and type of learning (outdoor, inquiry, group vs individual work, place-based) will be included. For example, if students vote that they want to go to Evergreen Brickworks or a nearby park (Kariya Park), that will be integrated in the plan.
5. Zone of Proximal Development: We will work within students ZoPD by focusing on the 2nd Big Idea and a specific cluster of specific expectations under 1 overall expectation. The cross-curricular integration will integrate learning from math, language arts and visual arts that we have been learning leading up to this mini-unit.
6. Flexible Groupings: Students have choice of their pairings and groupings. During their story book, art piece, outdoor inquiry explorations, students can work in pairs, independently, in small groups as per their needs.
7. Assigning Roles: Within group work, students will be guided through how to assign roles to each member to ensure everyone has responsibilities and organizes the work.
8. Variety of assessment strategies: As per the previous reading, a variety of assessment strategies will ensure equity and inclusion of our diverse learners.

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1. Assessment for learning: This will be evident in the minds on portions of the lessons. Here I will use think-pair-share and whole class discussion in our minds on activity. This will provide me with an understanding of my students' understandings when identifying living and non-living things.

2. Observation & Documentation: I will continuously observe and listen to students as they explore activities. I will take notes, pictures, videos of their work for documentation purposes. This will serve as assessment as learning.

3. Authentic Tasks to make thinking visible:
- Story book writing: From Lesson 1. Here students begin to ponder living and   non-living things, while thinking of their needs and characteristics through their representations in their book.
- "Living Thing" Art: In lesson 3, students living thing art will make their mathematical, visual arts, and science thinking visible through their art piece.

4. Creating a ”Nature Documentary”: This is from Lesson 2. Here students will receive more kinesthetic, play-based, and inquiry-based learning. Students demonstrate their exploration, identification and understanding of living and non-living things, while also identifying their needs and characteristics. Technology will be integrated in this lesson, but to ensure we are carefully scaffolding and releasing independence over time, this lesson will not be interdisciplinary, to allow focus to be on targeting the Big Idea.

5. Exit Tickets: Exit tickets will be completed at the end of lesson 3 and 4. In lesson 3, students complete an "Art Critic" review. In lesson 4, their exit ticket will be a "Film Critic" review card.

6. Co-constructing Success Criteria: As a class, we will co-construct our success criteria for our mini unit. Our learning goal will be “We are environmental scientists.” Our success criteria would include “I can identify living things. I can identify non-living things. I can identify needs and characteristics of plants. I can identify the needs and characteristics of animals."

7. Co-creating Rubric: For our culminating task, all students will be involved in constructing our rubrics. We will use our success criteria to create our final task rubric. When all students are involved in this process, they are more familiar with and aware of the requirements for success.

8. Self-assessment: Students will have an opportunity to assess themselves on their culminating task.

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Writing:

1.1 Purpose and Audience

1.4 Classifying Ideas

2.1 Form

2.2 Voice

2.3 Word Choice

Oral Communication:

2.3 Clarity and Coherence: communicate ideas, opinions, and information orally in a clear, coherent manner using simple but appropriate organizational patterns

2.5 Vocal Skills and Strategies: identify some vocal effects, including tone, pace, pitch, and volume, and use them appropriately, and with sensitivity towards cultural differences, to help communicate their meaning

2.7 Visual Aids: use a few different visual aids, to support or enhance oral presentations

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Overall expectation:

D1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process to produce a variety of two- and three-dimensional art works, using elements, principles, and techniques of visual arts to communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings

Specific Expectation:

D1.3 use elements of design in art works to communicate ideas, messages, and personal understandings

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Specific Expectations:

Geometric Properties:

– locate shapes in the environment that have symmetry, and describe the symmetry

– identify and describe common two dimensional shapes (e.g., circles, triangles, rectangles, squares) and sort and classify them by their attributes (e.g., colour; size; texture; number of sides), using concrete materials and pictorial representations

Geometric Relationships:

– compose patterns, pictures, and designs, using common two-dimensional shapes

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Overall expectation:

2. investigate needs and characteristics of plants and animals, including humans

Specific expectation:

2.3 investigate and compare the physical characteristics of a variety of plants and animals, including humans

2.4 investigate the physical characteristics of plants (e.g., basic parts, size, shape, colour) and explain how they help the plant meet its basic needs

2.7 use a variety of forms (e.g., oral, written, graphic, multimedia) to communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes

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1. PLANTS AND ANIMALS, INCLUDING PEOPLE, ARE LIVING THINGS.

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1. PLANTS AND ANIMALS, INCLUDING PEOPLE, ARE LIVING THINGS.

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This will be the introduction to the Needs & Characteristics of Living Things strand. As a result, it will be the first time students are learning about living things. However, due to interdisciplinary learning, we will be integrating math, visual arts and language arts in the mini-unit. Prior knowledge will consist of the following:

Math – Geometry (shapes and symmetry)

Language Arts – story writing, the components of storytelling

Visual Arts – Elements of art (colour, texture, shape, form, space, line)

Technology – Students have used various apps and devices prior. This ensures they are comfortable using these technologies for our mini-unit.

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1. Background Information

2. Big Idea

3. Curriculum Expectations

4. Assessment

5. Differentiation

6. Technology

7. Lessons

8. References

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NEEDS & CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS

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NEEDS & CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS

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GRADE 1