Class Book
Goal To create a book about the classroom aquarium/terrarium. Objective: Students will use observational skills and art techniques to represent their impressions of fish and plants. Materials: White paper 8”x 10” and 3”x 5” for each student; diluted white glue and a glue stick; diluted tempera paint or ink, crayons, paint brushes, assorted colors of tissue paper, clear contac, brass brads or chrome rings, paper punch.
Procedure Discuss the things that are seen in the tank. Draw attention to shapes and sizes and relationships of plants and animals in terms of next to, in front of, etc.
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1. Students will draw on 8”x 10” paper leaving the lower 3” blank for writing later.
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2. They may apply tissue paper with diluted glue and a paint brush to add texture and interest.
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3. A wash may be done over the drawing using diluted paint or ink.
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4. Students will dictate or write a sentence on the 3”x 5” paper about their drawing. Use a glue stick to attach it to the bottom of their drawing.
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5. Put two drawings back to back and laminate or cover with clear contact leaving 1/4” on the edges so it won’t separate.
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6. Punch 3 holes on one edge.
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7. Make a front and bank cover and compile all into a book using brads or rings to bind.
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8. Read the book to the class, or each child could read his own page.
Aquarium/Terrarium Graph
Goal
To create a picture graph.
To create an abstract graph.
Objective
To represent 1:1 correspondence.
To discriminate between same and different.
To draw conclusions.
Materials
White paper 18”x 24” and 4”x 4”, crayons, “hot dots”
(stickers).
Picture graph
Procedure
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1. Discuss with the students the things that are seen in the aquarium/terrarium. List their responses. Choose three things which can be counted.
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2. At the top of the 18”x 24” white paper (on the 18” edge) write the names of the items to be counted for example; fish, plants and stones.
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3. Under the word glue a picture (of a fish, etc). This is the heading of the graph.
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4. As a whole group activity, ask one student to count the fish, a second to establish agreement. If the number is 7 assign 7 children to draw pictures of fish on the 4”x 4” paper (or cut pictures of fish from magazines and glue them on).
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5. Continue this process with the other items.
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6. With the whole group seated in front of the graph, ask one student at a time to put the fish picture on the graph, in a vertical row under the word “fish”.
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7. Continue this process with the other items. Be certain to line the pictures up going from left to right-1 fish: 1 plant: 1 stone. This is necessary to establish a visual 1:1 correspondence.
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8. Discussion of the graph is important, it may be left to a Language Arts lesson later in the day.
Abstract Graph
Procedure The following lesson should be the development of an abstract graph using the same information.
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1. Set up the heading with the same pictures as the picture graph (fish, plants and stone).
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2. As a group, count the fish pictures, choose that number of students to put a dot on the new graph in a vertical row under the fish.
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3. Complete the graph. Be sure to line up the dots horizontally. This is extremely important to the graphing process.
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4. Discuss the graph, encourage the students to draw conclusions such as more and less, how many altogether etc.
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5. Grades 1 & 2 students may write sentences about the graph such as “There are seven fish.” A similar activity could be developed by graphing to record the number of gallons of water needed to fill the tank, the number of cups of sand, etc.
The BIG Tank
Goal
To create a three dimensional aquarium/ terrarium.
Objective
To look at forms of fish and plants.
Materials
White paper from a roll, paint, crayons, scrap construction paper, newspaper, glue, string and paper clips.
Procedure
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1. Using two thicknesses of white paper about 2’ to 3’ long, cut a large simplified fish form. Do enough of these so everyone in the room has one. Students will be working in pairs.
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2. Open the forms onto the table so it appears they are kissing. (To insure that both children are working on the outsides).
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3. Students may design anyway they choose using the available materials.
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4. Discuss whether or not partners should make their designs the same. Encourage discussion and decision-making by the partners.
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5. When the fish are completed and dry, staple them together leaving an opening so it can be stuffed with crumpled newspaper. Staple shut.
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6. Put a large knot at one end of a piece of string about a foot long. If your ceiling is made of acoustic tiles, push the corner of one up and insert the knot under it. Drop the tile into place. I leave a lot of these (of varying lengths) in the ceiling permanently with a paper clip attached to the other end so things can be hung up and taken down easily.
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7. Hang the fish by punching a hole at the top and inserting into the paper clip.
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8. Cut long strips of paper from the roll to look like the plant forms in the aquarium/terrarium. Paint or color them. Hang them from the ceiling among the fish. Styrofoam balls may be hung to look like carbon dioxide given off be the fish. Ask the students to determine whether or not a sun should be added. Kids just love this! They feel like they’re right in the tank. Extension: Students can write stories describing how it would feel to be a fish.