Theme Plan

St. Thomas the Apostle School

September and October 2007

Grade: 2

Teacher: Miss Kimberly Miller

Subject: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math

Theme: Bats

Language Arts Standards:

Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding.

Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen and speak for literary response and

expression.

Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

Science Standard: The Living Environment

1. Living things are both similar to and different from each other and nonliving things.

Students describe the life processes common to all living things.

2. Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring.

4. The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development.

Students describe the major stages in the life cycle of selected plants and animals.

Social Studies Standards:

Standard 3: Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live – local, national, global – including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surfaces.

Ability to Locate and Identify on a Map, Globe:

¨ World communities (continents, oceans, poles, hemispheres)

Ability to Orient a Map:

¨ Cardinal directions

¨ Symbols represent places, geographic features, and characters

¨ Special relationships of world communities can be described by direction, location, distance, and scale

Mathematics Standards: Measurement

1 Use non-standard and standard units to measure both vertical and horizontal lengths

2 Use a ruler to measure standard units (including whole inches and whole feet)

3 Compare and order objects according to the attribute of length

Description of Theme:

The chapter book, Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots by Dadey and Jones will be read aloud and used to develop an interest in the topic of bats. During the reading of Vampires students will learn about and locate on the map Romania, the birthplace of the main character. Students will create KWL charts about bats. (K= What I know, W=What I Want to Know L= What I Learned) Students will answer the questions written in the W column in small groups by using trade books for research. The W column will include questions about food, shelter, and anatomy of the bat. "Bat Man" from the October 2006 issue of The National Geographic Explorer will be read by students during reading groups for factual information about bats. After first listening to the picture book, Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon read aloud and then reading the book with partners, students will compare and contrast birds and mammals. (Bats are mammals.) During math lessons students will compare and contrast the different sizes of bats. The topic of echolocation will be introduced.

Assessment:

Daily teacher observation during instruction will take place. Reading comprehension and reading skills questions for Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots and Stellaluna will be given. Students will be assessed for continuous progress as they read orally individually, in small groups, large groups and whole class. Written assignments will be assessed for progress made in sentence structure, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, content and logical sequence. Assessment for progress in speaking and listening skills will occur. Students will receive a science grade for the KWL charts created.

Homework Assignments and Help from home:

Students will complete part of the KWL chart at home; both oral and written directions will be given. Families are encouraged to visit the library or safe internet sites for further nonfiction information about bats.

You can contact me at: sta2miller@yahoo.com

http://www.homestead.com/millergrade2 - click on bats

Please inform me if any of the links are "broken" or now contain information or advertisements not appropriate for grade 2. Internet information changes very quickly.