Africa

NAME: ____________________________

Grade Level(s): 2

Subject(s):

• Social Studies/Geography
• Technology

Description: Students will be learning information about Africa within a month time period. The
unit will consist of the overall features of Africa: the countries, landforms, and animals. Toward
the end of the month, students will focus one to two weeks on Kenya. The learner will do various
art, technology, and research activities to help them focus on the concepts being studied.
Through the unit, the learner will be responsible for a country and an animal. The responsibility
involves finding facts and information on the item and then sharing this information with the
class. The class will learn about the African animals through a Power Point that the teacher has
created. This Power Point will include sound by adding the sounds of the animals that we will
be learning about.

Goal: Students will gain new information about Africa.

National/State Standards:

Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

2. Research the diversity and interaction of living things. (L)

b. Compare and contrast physical and behavioral characteristics of different species.

NETS –S Standards:

• Illustrate and communicate original ideas and stories using resources. (1, 2)
• Identify, research, and collect data on an environmental issue propose a developmentally
appropriate solution. (1, 3, 4)
• In a collaborative work group, use a variety of technologies to produce a digital
presentation or product in a curriculum area. (1, 2, 6)

Objectives:

1. The learner will gather information about animals, snakes, and birds of Africa.
 2. The learner will appreciate the importance of preservation and beauty of animals, snakes,
and birds of Africa.
3. The learner will distinguish between the different African animals and their sounds.

Materials:

• pieces of paper with African animals listed on them

• books of different animals
• pictures of African animals to color
• report sheets
• toy animals
• encyclopedias
• basket
• example of toilet paper roll
• computer with Power Point Application

Procedures:

Activity One (notice that the first part include the Teacher’s procedures/actions and the second
part consists of Students’ procedures/tasks to complete the activity)

1. Prepare classroom environment for the activity and collect necessary materials for
students to use.
2. Develop instructional materials such as the report sheet to be handed to students.
3. Play the part of the movie "I can't wait to be king" by Lion King on a DVD player.
4. Gather the class at the reading rug.
5. Demonstrate to the class that they will pick an animal out of the basket. The animal that
they pick will be the animal that they have to find information about.
6. Demonstrate to the class how they will fill in their report.
7. Show class the material that they may use to help them locate information about their
animals.
8. Each student will pick an animal out of the basket.
9. The students may work with other students (only if they need to share the same book and
have the same animal).
10. The student will fill out the report sheet that the teacher distributes (5 facts relating to
their animals).
11. After the child has finished their report sheets, they will either draw or color a picture of
their animal.
12. Students will make a classroom presentation of the animal by discussing why they chose
their animals, explaining the 5 facts they collected, and show their drawings.
13. At the end of the period, show the class an example of a “toilet paper roll animal” that
they will make the following day.

Activity Two
 • The teacher will open the African Animal Power Point
• The teacher will briefly go over what a Power Point is and how it could be useful for the
students in the future.
• The teacher will go through each of the African animals in the Power Point and play each
of the sounds that the animals make.
• The class will interact with each other and we will discuss what we know about each
animal and the teacher will give them additional information on each animal.
• The students will get on the computers and play the matching game on the Internet Public
library source.
• The students will make of a list of 10 fun facts they learned about any of the animals that
we talked about in class.

Assessment/Evaluation:

Activity One

1. The student will have to state 5 facts in front of the class individually or with another
student who did the same animal, explain why they chose that animal, and show their
artwork.
2. After the reports, ask the class which animal weighed the most? Which part of Africa do
a majority of the animals live? What type of food do the animals eat?
3. Collect the report sheets to see if each student completed the report accurately. This
activity will be worth thirty points total (20 points for the report and drawing, and 10 for
the presentation).

Activity Two

1. The facts will be collected and it will be worth 5 points each. (The whole assignment will be
worth 50 points). As long as the facts are correct they will get full credit.