The Power Of One
Learning Sequence 7
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Introduction With Gavin
In this lesson, teachers will guide students in exploring the captivating world of Antarctic seals. These remarkable creatures, such as the leopard seal, showcase the importance of appearances and reputations.
Students will observe their streamlined bodies, diving abilities, and insulation adaptations, realizing that looks can be deceiving. By immersing in this learning sequence, students will gain a deeper understanding of the Antarctic ecosystem and the intricate dynamics of its inhabitants.
In this lesson, we will start to discuss the wonderful world of penguins. Penguins are some of the most well-known birds in the Southern Ocean. These flightless birds are experts at swimming and diving, with their streamlined bodies and flippers that allow them to navigate the water with ease.
They also have thick layers of feathers and blubber to insulate them from the cold, making them well-equipped for life in the harsh environment of the ocean. The largest penguin colony on Earth is estimated to be around 2,000,000. How amazing!!
There are several species of penguins that live in Antarctica, including the Adelie, Chinstrap, Emperor, Gentoo, King, Macaroni, and Rockhopper and this week we are going to meet a few of them!
Weekly Navigation - Where Are We?
Each week, we will help the children understand exactly where we are as we encounter the amazing sights and sounds of Antarctica. Your children may like to make a copy of the map and track the journey as we progress through the course.
Hopefully we can all enjoy the journey together and your children may like to conduct further research as they move from place to place.
Each week we will update you on where we are on this epic voyage to the Antarctic and back. Over the next ten weeks, we will visit some extraordinary places and we would love you to keep track of where we are and maybe conduct your very own research on some of the places we are located.
Take a look at the map opposite and create your very own map. Each week, keep your eye on the Aurora ship and track exactly where we are in this amazing part of the world.
Weekly Keywords
Introduce the spelling word list and choose from this list of tasks that can be repeated and expanded upon if necessary.
Copy the words into a spelling list/Vocabulary book for later reference.
Put each of the new words into a sentence and underline the new vocabulary in red pencil
Place the words in alphabetical order in a list.
Use a dictionary to define each of the words and place them into a vocabulary book.
Try to represent each of the words using a picture or a symbol and play the guessing game. (which image is matched to which word)
Write a paragraph containing all of the new vocabulary.
Make a vocabulary wall containing all of the new words.
Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for the words and create a synonym list.
These words will help you during this week’s lesson. You may already know some of these words however practice makes perfect!
First, read the words and then try to define them as simply as possible.
An example has been completed for you. You can write these into your books, and draw a picture to match or simply complete the task card.
Quote of the Week - Paul Watson
Each week we will start by reading a quote, talking about what it means to further understand how we can use these words as lessons to learn from.
Read the following quote and discuss it with your class. You may even want to print it out and collate the quotes over the weeks to create a wall of discussion for future research projects.
Read this week’s quote and think about what it means and what we can learn from it to make the world a better place!
You may want to note it down in your notebook and draw a nice picture next to it!
Weekly Comprehension Activity - Leopard Seals
Each week, we will provide you and your class with a reading comprehension activity. This can be done independently or tackled as a guided reading activity with your students.
Once the children have read the relevant information, they can then work through the comprehension questions until they become too hard, The four levels of questions allow for your students to push themselves until they become too difficult. They may wish to use classroom resources to solve the questions they find too hard or they can be used as extension activities to be completed in free time or at home.
Read the information opposite on the leopard seals and use the information gained from the video above and attempt to answer as many of the comprehension questions as possible.
You may talk to the people in the classroom and use any resources available in the classroom to get the answers. You may even wish to continue your research at home on the questions that you could not solve.
Remember to answer the questions in full sentences and make notes of any diagrams that may help you remember the facts at a later date!
SDG 14 - 3 Weeks to Go!
This week’s lesson is centered around empowering students to make choices and set realistic goals. We will be focusing on reflecting on their progress and celebrating their accomplishments. Students will have the chance to mark off completed tasks and share their achievements with the class. This activity aims to foster a sense of ownership and inspire them to take on future responsibilities.
Furthermore, we will highlight the significance of teamwork. Students will be given the opportunity to select tasks for the week and allocate responsibilities among themselves. By observing their collaborative efforts, decision-making abilities, and task management skills, we can better understand their growth and development.
This lesson will be revisited each week, providing different opportunities for reflection as we progress through the course.
With 4 weeks remaining, we would like to check in and see how your progress is coming along with your challenge to change the world. Remember, you cannot undertake this endeavor alone. It is crucial to collaborate and work together to create a better world, enhancing the lives of all living beings around you.
This week, take some time to reflect on your obstacles and begin prioritizing the tasks at hand. It is possible that not all 12 tasks can be accomplished, and that’s absolutely alright!
Let’s determine which tasks are feasible and proceed with full determination for the next 4 weeks. You have the ability to succeed!
7-Day Kindness Challenge - Kindness Begins With You!
This week’s lesson emphasises the importance of independence and self-care through the lens of kindness. Inspired by the story of the leopard seal bringing a penguin for lunch, we want students to understand that kindness starts with themselves.
We encourage them to take a 7-day kindness challenge, incorporating acts of kindness towards others and themselves. By completing tasks on a provided card and reflecting on how each act made them feel, students will learn the significance of self-care and the positive impact it can have on their overall well-being.
This week, we learned from the leopard seal that kindness is an amazing gift. Remember the story from Hannah about the seal bringing her a penguin for lunch?
Well, this week, we want you to take a 7-day kindness challenge, but we also want you to start being kind to yourself. Take a look at the task card opposite and print it out or make a copy.
Once you have your copy, we want you to spend the next 7 days trying all 7 acts of kindness before next week’s lesson. Each time you complete a task, tick it off, but also reflect on how it made you feel when completing it.
Kindness is not only a gift we give to others; it can also begin with ourselves! Good luck!
Apex Predators of the World - Research
This week, we’ve witnessed the incredible leopard seal while also acknowledging its vulnerability to climate change. Research shows three critical impacts on leopard seals: melting sea ice, declining prey, and altered ocean conditions.
This week we want your students to explore how climate change affects six apex predators on each continent. It’s time to reconsider our way of living to ensure their survival.
Once their research is complete it is time to discuss what we have found.
This week we have seen first hand how amazing the leopard seal can be, but we must also remember that this animal is in danger. Not due to predators, but due to climate change.
These things include:
Melting sea ice: Climate change reduces leopard seals’ habitats as ice melts.
Declining prey: Climate change disrupts the availability of penguins and fish, harming leopard seals’ food sources.
Altered ocean conditions: Climate change affects leopard seals through rising temperatures and ocean acidification, endangering their survival.
This week, we want you to find 6 other apex predators from the remaining six continents and discover how the changing climate conditions on earth are affecting their survival.
It may be time to start changing the way we live if we want to see their animals survive.
Less is More - Designing a Poster to Change the World
This week we want you to challenge your students to create impactful posters using one photo and three words. Inspire their creativity as they choose an animal, a captivating image, and carefully select powerful words.
Display their creations to engage others and foster awareness about climate change’s impact on these animals. Unleash the power of creativity!
Now that you grasp the dangers these animals face, it’s time to convey your message concisely. Your task is to design a powerful poster with just one photo and three words, captivating the hearts and minds of viewers.
Step 1: Select your animal.
Step 2: Choose your image.
Step 3: Pick your words carefully.
Step 4: Display your poster for others to see.
A picture holds immense power, and this week we challenge you to utilize visual art to make a difference! Explore the example provided and let your creative expression transform the world!
Bring Maths to Life - Apex Predator Population
During this lesson, students will practice data analysis and graphing skills. They will choose an apex predator, collect data on its global population over 50 years, and create line graphs to visualize the trends.
Emphasise interpreting the graphs to understand population fluctuations and encouraging critical thinking about the factors influencing these changes.
This week, our math task is all about apex predators and their populations. We’ll choose one predator and explore how their global population has changed over the past 50 years.
Take a look at the example of tigers, where we see their numbers going up and down. We want to find out why this happens!
Your job is to pick your own animal to research and discover why its population is either rising or falling. Once you have the data, design a graph of your own and try figure out the reasons.
Let’s see if there’s anything we can do to help! Good luck on this exciting adventure of exploring animal populations!
Let's Sketch With Jordan - Macaroni Penguin Sketching
Every week, we will explore a fascinating animal from the Antarctic, and your class will get the chance to draw it using simple sketching techniques and just a pencil and paper.
We’re incredibly fortunate to have Jordan Brun from Young Art USA as our guide throughout this process.
Let your students take a look at the task card with Jordan’s example, and then they can use the video below as a guide to attempt to draw the same thing using Jordan’s techniques.
Once your students have mastered the technique, you might want to let them make a final version on special art paper, which could be used as a portfolio piece or framed and given as a present.
Every week, we will be exploring some amazing pictures taken in Antarctica. We want you to try and recreate them using simple sketching techniques and shading. Our friend Jordan will be helping you along the way, so don’t worry!
After 10 weeks, you will have a great collection of images that you can share with others. Maybe you can even frame them and give them as gifts to someone who could use a smile.
To help you get better at drawing, we have a task card that you can use. Once you become an expert at sketching, you can transfer your drawings onto nice paper and give them away as presents.
Remember, you don’t have to make your drawings look exactly like Jordan’s. Make them special and be proud of what you create!
Sketch With Jordan - Video
Let your students watch the video as a visual aid to help them create fantastic sketches. It’s also a good idea for you to watch the video and learn from Jordan alongside the students.
For this sketch, talk to your students about beginning with basic shapes that they recognize to create the simple overall form of the goose. Have them create the larger areas before focusing on the smaller ones to get proportion down.
Details and differences between dark and light portions should be the last things they focus on.
If the students see that you’re invested in the project too, they’ll be even more excited to complete these tasks as a team.
Every week, we will be exploring some amazing pictures taken in Antarctica. We want you to try and recreate them using simple sketching techniques and shading. Our friend Jordan will be helping you along the way, so don’t worry!
After 10 weeks, you will have a great collection of images that you can share with others. Maybe you can even frame them and give them as gifts to someone who could use a smile.
To help you get better at drawing, we have a task card that you can use. Once you become an expert at sketching, you can transfer your drawings onto nice paper and give them away as presents.
Remember, you don’t have to make your drawings look exactly like Jordan’s. Make them special and be proud of what you create!
Create With Jordan - Creating a Seal Sock Puppet (Short Video)
Activity: Seal Sock Puppets
Core Curriculum Connection: Science/Language Arts
Elemental Foci: Color, Form, Texture
Principle Foci: Emphasis, Contrast, Balance
Goal: Students will be able to create a working representation of an animal they have studied.
Criteria:
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Use an old white sock to form the base of your puppet. Bleach it (for a baby seal) or dye it with coffee or tea (for an adult seal).
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Create a mouth by coloring the end of the sock pink and red where the opening will be.
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Use paint or markers to create fur patterns on your seal’s body.
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Add simple front flippers to your puppet that match the seal’s body color.
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Create black spots on the face for eyes and a nose.
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Use your seal puppet to create a story of a day in their life – mimic how the seal moves to eat and swim.
Relevance: Through this project, students will project their identity through a designated facsimile of a seal – using it to create an empathic connection.
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Every week, we’ll provide you with an art activity related to what we’ve been learning about in class. It’s an opportunity for you to enhance your artistic abilities and learn more about the amazing things that exist in the Antarctic region.
Jordan will be joining us every week to brainstorm creative ways to showcase what we’ve learned about Antarctica while also doing some good for the world.
We may challenge you to use recycled materials for your artwork, encourage you to teach someone else using what you create, or simply give it away as a gift to brighten someone’s day.
Take a look at the video on the other side and then do your best to follow Jordan’s guidance to make the world a better place with your creative skills.
To fully understand what we will be creating this week, you may wish to watch the full video below before starting.
Let's Create With Jordan - Full Video
Watch the video with your class and support them as they use the skills demonstrated in the video in their own work tasks.
Watch Jordan’s full video here before starting your creative art project and remember that your work does not need to match Jordan’s exactly. Use it as a guide and try to make your work unique and be as creative as you