Welcome to the JUNGLE!

"Around the World in 40 Days" 

We have just started our new PBL unit where all 4th grade students are becoming world traveling scientists to learn about animals and their environments!

The Question: How can my experiences, knowledge, and research help me to be informed and to inform others about their environment?

The Launch: We discovered one of the best zoos in all of America and skyped with a zoo expert! He showed us around the rainforest in Omaha, Nebraska and answered our questions! 

Parrots

Hannah D. and Emma asking their questions!

Can you see the sloth??

Explore more about the zoo here: omahazoo.com

Students, if your question did not get answered, you can email the zoo your questions at peter.brunette@omahazoo.com 

World Travel: Each 4th grade classroom will be transformed into a distinct environment, (polar region, rivers and streams, desert, swamp, and rainforest) where students will research and explore all about that decorated region!

Students will become scientists as they travel all around the world to each classroom region for a period of about 20 days! They will explore all about the plants, animals, and other characteristics of each environment. Each student will carry a field guide to take notes and record findings to use for on their final product.

Our classroom has been TRANSFORMED into a rainforest!! The girls have done an unbelievable job making vines, waterfalls, animals, and more to make room 402 our very own rainforest! Check out their hard work :)

Our canopy

Vines and more vines

Waterfalls

Tiger Territory

Culminating Assessment: After researching all of the environments, students will choose one of the following to create their own...

1) Magazine

2) Travel brochure

3) Children's book 

...to display what they have learned while traveling around the world! After this unit, students will not only learn all about animals and their environments, but also understand the ELA skills of: 

• How to effectively use appropriate text structures in nonfiction text
• Summarize multi paragraph texts using key details to support central ideas
• Draw logical conclusions from relationships and patterns discovered during the inquiry process 
• Much, much more!

**Students, what have you learned about the rainforest so far?? Post a comment below! Keep posting here as you travel to new places!