WRITING – information report DESCRIPTION of PARROTFISH

In WRITING today, you are going to practise writing skills needed for your information report in your Big Question.  Today you will be collecting information and writing ONLY THE DESCRIPTION OF PARROTFISH.  Remember, you will need to write good sentences telling the writer what parrot fish look like.  You will need to mention:

  • size
  • colour
  • skin covering
  • body features

Use your T-chart for DESCRIPTION only and find information from these links:

  1. FUN PARROTFISH FACTS

2. KIDS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – PARROTFISH

3. BRITANNICA KIDS – PARROTFISH

4. PARROTFISH (KIDS ANSWERS)

YOU CAN LEARN MORE FACTS FROM THIS VIDEO

 

Writing an Information Report

Now that we’ve done so much research on Possums and we’ve created powerpoint slides using sentences we made from our dot points on the X-chart, it’s time to put it all together in writing.  You will be writing an information report on possums today.

This video give you some tips.

Ideas can be found at this link LITERACY IDEAS.

Here is an example of an information report by a Year 3 student:

Your paragraphs will be just like your PBE and X-CHART HEADINGS:

  • INTRODUCTION (INCLUDES CLASSIFICATION)
  • DESCRIPTION
  • LOCATION
  • DYNAMICS (BEHAVIOUR)
  • CONCLUSION (SUMMARY STATEMENT)

Remember to look closely at your RUBRIC when you write your Report.

 

Animal Habitats (The E in PBE)

Writing a report on an Australian animal you will need to research Physical, Behaviour and Environment facts about your animal.  This is your P, B, E chart.  Habitat falls into the E because it is all about where your animal lives or is found.

Today’s activity will give you a good idea of all the different types of HABITATS.  Click on AUSTRALIAN HABITATS and use the information there to write dot points listing all the different places which are in that kind of habitat.

Eg. COASTAL would have:

  • coastal waters
  • sand dunes
  • beaches … (there are more too)

Then you will be working in groups to investigate one particular type of habitat using the Yowie digital game we have already looked at.  You will be writing what you find into your Yowie Activity Book.

I wonder which habitat will be more popular with you all?

POSSUM FACTS – Using your PBE charts

This week is POSSUM WEEK where we will be learning all about the characteristics of possums.

Today you will be finding out about possums.  You will be using a PBE chart (P- Physical, B – Behavioural and E-Environmental). Click on this link to find facts about possums.  You will be cutting and pasting information today.

Later you will use this information as well as the dot points you have put into your X-Charts (when you worked with the teacher), to create your powerpoint slides with a partner.

KIDCYBER POSSUM WEBSITE

Download this word document for your T-Chart.

Possum T-Chart

You will need to highlight keywords and facts to copy then paste into your T-Chart.  Do the same thing with your 3 photos of possums.

You need to say where you found your information too.  I am sure that Grandma Poss and Hush will be very interested to see what you find out…

Food Chains and Food Webs

This video explains the idea of a Food Chain.
FOOD CHAIN VIDEO CLIP

A Food Web is a more complex arrangement, including lots of food chains that are mixed together.

FOOD WEB VIDEO CLIP

Sometimes called Web of Life, food webs can be demonstrated by acting it out to show all the connections.

FOOD WEB GAME

Food Chain Video

Video clip showing Barrier Reef food web links

 

Teacher’s resources links:

RESOURCES

IMMERSION – FINDING OUT ABOUT AUSTRALIAN ANIMAL HABITATS

Today we will be finding out more about habitats for Australian animals. First we will be examining the concept of HABITATS for all creatures, by considering what they need from their environment to live. Then, you will be using your Yowie habitats game to explore the different environmental zones where you find these different habitats:

  • Billabong
  • Bush
  • Desert
  • Woodland
  • River
  • Rainforest
  • Wetland

Open the folder called “Kingdom” in your student folder on-line and this will get you into the Yowie Kingdom to explore.  Have fun as you find out more about different Australian animals and where they like to live.  🙂

P B E

Remember your PBE chart? This is the E – for environment.  

 

 

Writing a Retell – Your Dreamtime Journal

Last week many of you had trouble writing a retell of Simpson and His Donkey so we are going to practise writing retells.  We are going to listen to and watch Dreamtime stories and over the next few weeks, we will write one retell per week.  The first one today is “Tiddelik the Frog”.

You will need to listen carefully.  You will need to remember the main events and you also need to say what the lesson of the story was.

You can find the Dreamtime Videos by clicking on the 3 lines above, then find the page which says DREAMTIME STORIES.

Today we will be trying to use the SWBST strategy to summarize the story in your retell.  Remember to try to use your own words and include the setting and the theme or lesson the character learned.

SOMEBODY – Who is the main character and give the setting.

WANTED – What did the main character want?

BUT – What was the problem?

THEN – How did the character try to solve the problem? (Give the main events.)

SO  – How did the character solve the problem and what did the character learn?

As we practise this writing skill, you are going to get better and better at writing a good Year 3 Retell where you summarize the main events and retell the story in a brief and focused way.