Animal Adaptations

Essential Question:  How do animals use physical and behavioral adaptations to survive?
After learning about physical and behavioral adaptations, Team Gibbas students had the opportunity to research an animal of their choosing.   Students then created a "Creature Feature" poster which described the creature's habitat, the creature's adaptations, and how the creature fit in a food chain.

Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework

Grades 3 - 5:  Life Science - Adaptations of Living Things

8.  Describe how organisms meet some of their needs in an environment by using behaviors (patterns of activities) in response to information (stimuli) received from the environment.  Recognize that some animal behaviors are instinctive, and others are learned.

Kidblogging about the Global Read Aloud

How can one book connect the world?  Why with the Global Read-Aloud of course!  Team Gibbas students have been reading the book A Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt as part of the Global Read-Aloud which was launched on October 5th.   Classrooms from around the world commit to reading certain chapters of the book on specified weeks.  Classrooms then have the opportunity to discuss what they've read with other classrooms.  One way to connect is through KidBlog.  After reading chapters 1 - 8 the week of October 5th  students offered the main character Ally advice on how to work through her reading challenges.  This week after reading chapter 11 and learning about Ally's struggles to make conversation with a classmate, Team Gibbas students blogged about ways to make conversation with someone you don't know well.  

Click here to visit KidBlog to read students full blog posts.  You can also access our KidBlog by clicking the Our KidBlog tab on this blog.  Be sure to leave a friendly comment about the students' advice!

Grade 4 - Massachusetts Common Core Standard - Writing

6. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

Character Traits - Disney Style

Essential Question:  How can we use text evidence to determine character traits?

On Thursday Team Gibbas students joined the students in Mrs. Kelleher's class for a fun lesson on character traits led by Mrs. Moses our Reading Specialist.  Mrs. Moses had students identify character traits of familiar characters from Disney movies.  Students worked together to name the traits then support their thinking with evidence based on the characters' actions in the story.  Thank you Mrs. Moses for sharing this great lesson with us!

Massachusetts Grade 4 English Language Arts Standards

3. Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

How does a beaver meet its needs for survival?

Today in Science students learned about a beaver's physical and behavioral adaptations that enable it to survive.  A physical adaptation of the beaver's tail is that it stores fat which can be used as a source of energy.  A behavioral adaptation of the beaver's tail is that when a beaver slaps its tail on the water it is warning its babies of danger.

Students learned about several other physical and behavioral adaptations of the beaver and one lucky student got to dress up as a beaver and model each physical feature.  Then students categorized what they learned as either physical or behavioral adaptations.

Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework

Grades 3 - 5:  Life Science - Adaptations of Living Things

8.  Describe how organisms meet some of their needs in an environment by using behaviors (patterns of activities) in response to information (stimuli) received from the environment.  Recognize that some animal behaviors are instinctive, and others are learned.