Mysterious Island

Student Resources Teacher Notes

 

Research Process

 

Activities

 
   

 

 

Scenario

      You are vacationing with your family in Mexico.  While taking a boat ride with your family, you discover a small uninhabited island.  Back at the hotel, you contact the Mexican government.  You are told that this island has not yet been discovered, and it is now yours!  But before this happens, you must provide some information to the Mexican government.  They need to know what landforms are contained on your island.  Also, the government needs to know what plants and animals live within each landform.

Essential Questions:  What types of

landforms exist on Earth?  What are the characteristics of these landforms?

 

 

 

 

 

Task  

 

 Your mission is to research information about the island that you have discovered. Next, you will use your research to create a brochure describing the island.  Then, you will create your island using different materials. 

Finally, you will present the results of these tasks to the class.

 

 

Product 

 

 1. An electronically-produced document (brochure) using MS Publisher that includes:
bulletThree landforms found on you island.
bulletAnimals found within each landform.
bulletPlants found within each landform.

Click here to view a model student product.

2. A diorama of your island.  The diorama should include the three landforms found on your island, as well as the plants and animals that live within each landform.

Your teacher may decide to assign an alternate presentation from the list below:

bullet Poster
bullet Oral report
bulletJournal entry

 

Assessment

 

 Use this checklist to assess your electronically-produced brochure.

Use this checklist to assess your diorama.
 

 

Questions

 

What types of landforms exist on Earth?  What are the characteristics of these landforms?

 

bulletWhat are the different types of landforms?
bulletHow would you describe the landforms?
bulletWhat types of animals live in each landform?
bulletWhat types of plants live in each landform?

 

  

 

 

Gather

 
bulletUse a variety of sources to gather information.
bullet Use Destiny to locate books in the Library.
bulletUse this graphic organizer in Word or html to record your information.

Use these guide sheets for helpful tips during your research:
bulletUsing a Web Browser
bulletUsing a Book Index

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organize

 

 Synthesize: Use the information you have gathered on your planning sheet to create your electronically-produced document.

Evaluate: Review the two checklists to make sure you have included all the information required. If you have not included all of the components, go back and use the resources to find the missing information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclude

 

  

 

Share your electronically-produced document (brochure) with your class.

Listen carefully as your classmates present their information.

Share and explain the characteristics of your diorama with your class.