Discussion Director:

Peter and the Starcatchers

Sections 2 & 3 (pages 37-95)

·        Your job is to involve the students in your group by thinking and talking about the selection of the book you have just read. You are going to ask questions that really help the students in your group think about the reading. Your questions should require students to discuss their interpretations of the text and connect background experience and knowledge with the text. You want all students involved in the discussion and talking about the issues that come up during the reading.

·        Your job as the Discussion Director is to come up with 5 thinking questions. Your teacher really wants you to help the students in your group to go back to the book to find their answers if they don’t know them. So, to help this run very smoothly, you need to write down the questions, your answers, and the page numbers where the students can reference the text to justify their responses to your questions.

·        When developing your questions, think about the following main events:

·        You are not limited to these events.

·        Remember to ask good thinking questions to really get the discussion going.

Internet Workshop: Porpoises and Ecosystems

Dear Preservice Teachers,

You are invited to create an Internet Workshop connected to 5^th grade science. You may work with a partner or you may work individually. NCKidScience.com is a wonderful resource for you! You will connect information gained in Sections 2 & 3 of Peter and the Starcatchers to:

NCSCS Goal 1: The learner will conduct investigations to build an understanding of the interdependence of plants and animals.

You decide how you will develop and connect the information on porpoises and ecosystems. Your job as a preservice teacher is to complete the following:

1. Go to http://nckidscience.com/
2. Check out all of the following web sites.
   • http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/Esheet.cfm?DocID=139

(Use as format for possible lesson plan)

• http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/index.htm
• http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/index.htm (Click on  )
• http://octopus.gma.org/marinemammals/index.html
• http://octopus.gma.org/marinemammals/current_research.html

• http://www.mbgnet.net/ Biomes and ecosystems

• Ecosystems of our world
  http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm
• Ecosystems, biomes, habitats
  http://www.fi.edu/tfi/units/life/habitat/habitat.html
• Environmental Biology—Ecosystems
  http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/102/ecosystem.html
• United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  http://www.epa.gov/ebtpages/ecosystems.html
• Ecosystems—tutorial
  http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/ecosystems.html&edu=elem

• Dolphins (How intelligent do you think dolphins are?)

                http://web.ukonline.co.uk/l.light/Dolphin%20intelligence%20and%20communication.htm

3. Decide which objective you will teach.
4. Choose a web site(s) and develop at least 3 questions that will guide your students as they research and gather information.
5. Finally, decide upon the presentation format for their researched information. Check out this presentation format-creating trading cards for animals, ecosystems, biomes, etc.

http://www.catawba.k12.nc.us/pages/its/rudisill/ You may find this information helpful in planning your future Internet Workshops!