Introduction

We are beginning a collaborative project between Mrs. Jones Third Grade class and Mrs. Couture's Kindergarten class. The Third graders will collect information and pictures about zoo animals. When their research is finished, they will post it on the web. The Kindergarten class will then get the pictures and information from the web and use it to create class "Zoo Alphabet" books. As a culminating activity, both groups will meet at the zoo to search out the animals in the "Zoo Alphabet" book. When the animals are located within the zoo, students will verify animal information that had been collected.

The Task

Your job is to observe one animal each day, using the web cameras. In your journal you will write/draw your observations. You will then be assigned two animals. You will draw what you think the animal looks like. Then you will use Mrs. Jones' web site to get pictures of two animals and important animal facts. We will then create a class A to Z Zoo Animal Alphabet book. When we have completed our web quest we will join Mrs. Jones class at the Zoo to loocate our animals and recheck our animal facts.

Resources

Visit these links to observe the live web cameras.

Polar Bear Web Cam

Seal Web Cam

Elephant Web Cam

Shark Web Cam

Panda Web Cam

Penguin Web Cam

Alligator Cam

Use this link to access Mrs. Jones' class zoo animal facts and pictures.

A to Zoo Animal Facts and Pictures

Use these print resources to learn more about zoo animals.

My Visit to the Zoo by Aliki

At the Zoo by David M. Schwartz

Zoo by Jan Piekowski

My First Visit to the Zoo by G. Sales

At the Zoo by Douglas Florian

At the Zoo by Amy Moses

We Went to the Zoo by Jan Ormerod

The Process

1. Begin by reading My Visit to the Zoo by Aliki, with your reading buddy.

2. Use these links to observe an animal on a web camera. You must observe one animal each day.

Polar Bear Web Cam

Seal Web Cam

Elephant Web Cam

Shark Web Cam

Panda Web Cam

Penguin Web Cam

Alligator Cam

3. In your observation journal, draw/ write your observations. Tell me where you think it lives and what it eats. Write one sentence about your animal. Sound out the words to the best of your ability.

4. I will assign you two animals. Draw a picture of what you think that animal looks like. Include where you think the animal lives and what it eats.

Print this page to use for your drawings.

"What I think my animal looks like" print out.

5. Visit this link to gather pictures of your two animals and to gather important animal facts. Copy and paste two pictures and the animal facts that go with each animal.

"A to Zoo Animals"

Use this link for the page to copy and paste your pictures and important animal facts on. Print out your A to Zoo animal page when you are finished.

A to Zoo worksheet

Evaluation

Complete the rubric.

	Yes 2 Points	No 1 point
I observed animals on the web camera daily.	Yes	No
I wrote in my observation journal daily.	Yes	No
I drew a picture of each animal and wrote some words for my picture.	Yes	No
I collected two zoo animal pictures.	Yes	No
I collected facts to go with each zoo animal picture.	Yes	No
I stayed on task.	Yes	No
I completed my web quest.	Yes	No

0-5 Attempted

6-10 Acceptable

11-14 Accomplished

Reflection

Congratulations!!

You have finished your web quest. Please print out your animal worksheets. We will create a class book. We will take our books to the zoo to meet our third grade buddies. We will then search for some of our animals and recheck our animal facts while we explore the zoo.

To play some zoo animals games, click on the links below.

Zoo Animal Match

Zoo Tic-Tac-Toe

Zoo Puzzle

Zoo Word Search