Ms. Martin's 4th grade class will complete a 5-week project called "How Animals Survive". The students will learn about rabbits by caring for a classroom pet rabbit, studying rabbit diets, habitats, and how they survive in different climates. The project involves guest speakers, a field trip to the zoo, and using technology like Excel, PowerPoint and wikis. The goal is for students to understand how animals have adapted to their environments.

1. Ms. O. Martin’s 4th Grade Class

2. Hello parents, students and members in the community.
This newsletter is for specially designed classroom projects
This Month’s Project is called
How Animals Survive

3.  Students will learn to care for a classroom pet
rabbit while gaining insight on how certain
animals are able to survive in the wild.
 Students will also study about the diet type
that rabbits have and the different regions and
climates that they live in.

4.  Project duration five weeks.
 Starting date 09/02/2012.
 Due date 10/09/2012.
 Project requires that some materials be purchased to safely
work with animals, such as hand sanitizer and gloves.
 Project will include two guest lecturers.
 Project will include one field trip.
 Some tasks will be completed outside.

5.  4th Grade Science Standard 5.) Describe the
interdependence of plants and animals.
 4th Grade Science Standard 6.) Classify animals
as vertebrates or invertebrates and as
endotherms or ectotherms.
 5th Grade Science Standard 7.) Identify
common parts of plant and animal cells,
including the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell
membrane.

6.  Students gather information on blood cells in animals and note the
differences between those cells and plant cells.
 Students will analyze how blood cells affect the heart in rabbits.
 Students will gather information and discuss the type of diet
rabbits have.
 Students will learn and gather information on the different
habitats of rabbits.
 Student will gather information and hold discussions sessions
about why rabbits are located in certain areas.
 Students will be able to explain the different hardships rabbits
face to gather food due to the region they live in.

7.  Students learn to use Microsoft Excel as a ways
to organize the information they collect.
 Students will learn to use Microsoft
PowerPoint.
 Students learn to use Wiki pages to share
information with other students.

8. Essential Question
 How have species adapted to their environment?
Unit Questions
 What is unique about rabbits between other animals?
 How are some animals able to survive in cold climates?
Content Questions
 Where are rabbits located?
 What do rabbits eat?
 Where do rabbits make their dens?

9.  The students will collect information and discuss the different abilities that
animals have to survive in the wild.
 The student will go on a field trip to a local zoo.
 Students will attend two lectures in the classroom and have the opportunity to
ask questions about working as a zoologist and as a veterinarian.
 Students will be asked to conduct interviews.
 Students will learn about and be able to discuss the differences between living
and non-living things.
 The students will learn how to take care for a pet rabbit by collecting
information on the type of living spaces rabbits live in and by fixing a pen
area for the rabbit that to meet those needs.
 Students will complete a final PowerPoint presentation to demonstrate what
they learned from the project.

10.  The students will gain improved research skills by
using new technology tools.
 Students will be able to distinguish important
information from secondary information when
working on essay papers and other classroom
assignments.
 Students will develop leadership skills by
becoming familiar with organizing group
discussions and helping other students with tasks
for the project.

11. Teacher
 To ensure that the students are gaining up to date information
about the necessary subjects that will help them in their current
and future studies within the classroom.
 To ensure that the students are achieving the highest level in their
academic studies as possible.
 To ensure that the students complete the project safely.
 To provide students the opportunity to explore career fields that
may interest them, by having they complete tasks that relate to
those fields.
 To provide them with opportunities that will inspire them to
continue their academic studies.

12. Parent
 To ensure that injuries are prevented while
completing the project I ask that you remind
students that they will be working with a pet
animal and that they should not play roughly
with it.
 If you child participates in the project I ask that
you ensure that the needed items for working
safely with the pet rabbit are purchased
beforehand.

13. Student
 Students should come to class prepared to
complete their tasks for the project.
 Needed items to complete tasks should not be
left at home on school days.
 Separate tasks that are to be completed at home
should be done on schedule so as not to delay
to completion of the final group project.

14.  Project based learning is a process where teachers encourage
students to have a greater part in what knowledge they gain about
a classroom topic.
 With this style of learning student become more independent in
their studies, they are encouraged to organize the information that
they collect.
 Students are encouraged to share the information that they
learned and collected with others by making presentation and by
maintaining webpages.
 The students are encouraged to ask more questions and to look for
answers to those questions by doing experiments, and holding
interviews with others who are experts in the field that they are
learning about.

15. Project based learning will be used in this classroom to:
 Familiarize students with new technology tools that can be used to work
collaboratively with others and to effectively share the information that
they gathered and learned, with other students.
 Familiarize students with the process of conducting interviews.
 Encourage students to work collaboratively with others while creating
charts and collecting information for presentations.
 Help students find inspiration to continue their studies in the future.
 Help students to find enjoyment in the process of studying.

16. Please fill free to contact me if you have any questions regarding the
project or the class.
Office # 207
Office hours 5:00pm-6:00pm
Email: omail.com
Phone: 205-111-111