Introduction:

For third grade-
Do you enjoy going to the zoo and seeing all the animals? What is your favorite animal habitat to visit? Zoos have always been an enjoyable place for families and friends to go to have a good time. It's not likely that they will ever disappear! It's your job to keep them going! 

Task:

For this project you will be creating your own zoo and it's going to be a lot of fun! To create your own zoo, you need to research at least 6 animals that would want people to come see. This will help you learn about different animals and their habitats to increase your already excellent knowledge on them. 

Process:

1.       Pick 6-7 animals that you would like to know more about. Using the resources provided, research them. Find information on:

·         Their habitat

·         What they eat

·         Adapting to environment changes

·         Interesting Facts

2.       Put together a journal of your findings. Title each page with the name of the animal and then write a paragraph about the research you found. You may include a picture if you wish. Be neat!!

3.       Take a 8 x 13 piece of paper (or a large one!) and create a map of your zoo. Indicate where each group of animals is going to live in their habitat. Draw & name the animal next to their place in the zoo.

4.       Color your map, NAME it and make sure everything is your best work.

Resources:

Look at these resources to help you find the information you need to complete the project:

http://www.sheddaquarium.org/explore_by_animal.html

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/facts/?source=NavAniFact

http://kids.yahoo.com/animals

http://www.switcheroozoo.com/animallist.htm

http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/animals.htm

http://a-z-animals.com/animals/

http://animal.discovery.com/mammals/

Evaluation:

Journal Paragraphs- (Exceptional-10 pts.) Detailed information on each animal. Research 6-7 animals. Has a drawing.
                                      (Good- 7 pts.) Sufficient information on animals. Not a lot of detail. May have had a drawing.
                                      (Fair-5 pts.) There is a large amount of information missing. Did not complete 6-7 animals.
                                      (Poor- 1-3 pts.) Journal was not put together with any effort at all.

Map of the Zoo- (Exceptional- 10 pts.) The zoo is named, drawn neatly, and colored. There is a picture of an animal next to each habitat with a name.
                             (Good- 7 pts.) The zoo is named, sketched but not drawn, fair amounts of color, lacking pictures of animals.
                             (Fair- 5 pts.) No name and design of zoo lacks creativity and/or color.
                             (Poor- 1-3 pts.) No name, good drawings or color.

Conclusion:

You just learned all about zoo animals in a fun and creative way. Did you learn anything you hadn't already known about zoos and zoo animals? You got the chance to direct your own learning. Cool, huh? Sometimes learning really can be fun!