Nature: What is the Most Endangered Life in Indiana and What Can We do About It?

Search News websites to find out information regarding endangered species or environmental problems in Indiana. This could be either a plant or animal or something that affects us all.  Prepare to summarize the story and persuade the rest of class to join you in a campaign to bring attention to this problem.  Summaries may be a simple speech, a video, a letter, a power point,  in any format you wish.  Rubric will be available for the grade.

Checklist: authentic topic, facts on why we should care about the issue, why it is a problem, efforts to save/fix the problem, what you suggest we as a class do.  

Summaries will be presented in the second half of class on Wednesday.

Here are a few ideas to get you going.  
 
Natural Heritage of Indiana website
http://www.naturalheritageofindiana.org/learn/mammals.html

 

Indiana Endangered

 

Blue-Green Algae contamination in Indiana Lakes

 Bobcat in Indiana

 Indiana Bat slideshow


 

First Project on Teamwork and Leadership

Please post your comments concerning our introductory project, Indiana Puzzle Book.

The main objective of this lesson was for students to learn how and know how to work together in a group.

Answer these questions:

Did your group assign roles -- writer, leader, etc?

Did your group assign tasks (certain pages to certain people)?

Should the class do another project together soon?

Should teachers assign groups or allow you to pick groups?

In what ways did your group work well together?

In what ways did your group NOT work well together?

Indiana Puzzle Book

Pages are posted on the closet doors.  Please do not write on these copies. 

This is an introductory lesson on Indiana.  The main purpose of the assignment is for you to develop team-building skills, so that we can plan and attend field trips.   We need to host fundraisers to cover the cost of bus and admission. 

Team Building Tips:

1. Assign roles for each person on the team.
2. Who will write the answers down on the team scoring sheet?
3. Who will assign puzzles to the other team members? 
4. Will you work in pairs or by yourself to do puzzles? 
5. Who will check each other's work?
6. If you are confused, do you try to find an answer within your own group first?
7. Which team is going to complete the assignment first?

Remember: Just being right won't make people follow you.