Africa

NAME: Brittany Walters

Grade Level(s): 2

Subject(s):

• Social Studies/Geography

• Science

Description: Students will be learning information about Africa within a month time period. The
unit will consist of the overall features of Africa: the countries, landforms, and animals. Toward
the end of the month, students will focus one to two weeks on Kenya. The learner will do various
art, technology, and research activities to help them focus on the concepts being studied.
Through the unit, the learner will be responsible for a country and an animal. The responsibility
involves finding facts and information on the item and then sharing this information with the
class. The students will have an activity on the internet. They will be allowed to use resources
on the internet to see the geographical setting of Africa. They will also see pictures of the
animals and living things found on the continent of Africa.

Goal: Students will gain new information about Africa.

National/State Standards:

• Organisms and environments

• Understand the physical and human characteristics of places.

NETS –S Standards:

• Demonstrate the ability to navigate in virtual environments such as electronic books,

simulation software, and Web sites. (6)

Objectives:

1. The learner will gather information about animals, snakes, and birds of Africa.
2. The learner will appreciate the importance of preservation and beauty of animals, snakes,
and birds of Africa.
3. The learner will demonstrate the use of the Web to learn more about the animals and
geographical setting of Africa.
Materials:

• pieces of paper with African animals listed on them

• books of different animals
• pictures of African animals to color
• report sheets
• toy animals
• encyclopedias
• basket
• example of toilet paper roll
• computer with internet access: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/index.html

Procedures:

Activity One (notice that the first part include the Teacher’s procedures/actions and the second
part consists of Students’ procedures/tasks to complete the activity)

1. Prepare classroom environment for the activity and collect necessary materials for
students to use.
2. Develop instructional materials such as the report sheet to be handed to students.
3. Play the part of the movie "I can't wait to be king" by Lion King on a DVD player.
4. Gather the class at the reading rug.
5. Demonstrate to the class that they will pick an animal out of the basket. The animal that
they pick will be the animal that they have to find information about.
6. Demonstrate to the class how they will fill in their report.
7. Show class the material that they may use to help them locate information about their
animals.
8. Each student will pick an animal out of the basket.
9. The students may work with other students (only if they need to share the same book and
have the same animal).
10. The student will fill out the report sheet that the teacher distributes (5 facts relating to
their animals).
11. After the child has finished their report sheets, they will either draw or color a picture of
their animal.
12. Students will make a classroom presentation of the animal by discussing why they chose
their animals, explaining the 5 facts they collected, and show their drawings.
13. At the end of the period, show the class an example of a “toilet paper roll animal” that
they will make the following day.

Activity Two

1. The teacher will prepare the room for the activity.

2. Give students a page with the web address used for the activity and questions to be
answered.
 3. Demonstrate to the class that they will go to http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/index.html
to learn more about Africa.
4. Gather the class at the computers.
5. Students will navigate on the website to find out more about animals, plants, and
geographical setting of Africa.
6. Have the students to write down some animals found in Africa.
7. Have students to write down the plant life found in Africa.
8. Have students to notice whether the plants are found in the desert, or grasslands of
Africa.
9. Have students to study the shape of Africa.
10. Students will answer the questions about Africa.
11. Have students to draw their own picture of Africa.
12. Allow students to share their pictures of Africa with the class.

Assessment/Evaluation:

Activity One

1. The student will have to state 5 facts in front of the class individually or with another
student who did the same animal, explain why they chose that animal, and show their
artwork.
2. After the reports, ask the class which animal weighed the most? Which part of Africa do
a majority of the animals live? What type of food do the animals eat?
3. Collect the report sheets to see if each student completed the report accurately. This
activity will be worth thirty points total (20 points for the report and drawing, and 10 for
the presentation).

Activity Two

1. The students will have to draw a picture of Africa. They will have to show their picture
to the class.
2. After the picture drawing, the students will be asked to remember two plants that are
found in Africa? Where are they found in Africa?
3. The teacher will collect the picture of Africa. This was worth 15 points. If the students
got the shape of Africa right, they will receive 10 points. If students color the continent
neatly they will receive 5 points. The questions the students answered were worth 20
points. The students will have to identify two plants in Africa and they count for 5 points
a piece. Then they must tell whether each plant is located in the desert or grassland, and
this also counts for five points a piece. This activity will be worth 35 points total.