The Power Of One
Learning Sequence 8
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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.
Welcome to a very exciting week. This week, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of killer whales and explore how we can learn from their nurturing ways with their young. Our focus is to apply these valuable lessons by helping younger children in our school community.
Killer whales are remarkable swimmers with streamlined bodies and powerful flippers, perfectly adapted to the challenging environment of the Antarctic. As essential members of the Southern Ocean ecosystem, they play a crucial role in maintaining balance.
Drawing inspiration from their behaviour, we’ll work on becoming better communicators and passing on that knowledge to the community around us!
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 - Sylvia Earle
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 - Killer Whales
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 killer whales 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 - 2 Weeks to Go!
As the course approaches its end with just 2 weeks left, the students will choose one last objective from the list to focus on.
While their journey as marine activists will continue, we encourage them to concentrate on this final objective for the remaining time. It’s essential to make a plan and stay focused on their goal. Although the course concludes soon, their commitment to marine conservation persists. Let’s motivate them to embrace this challenge with enthusiasm and determination!
With only 2 weeks remaining, it’s time to select one final objective from the list and concentrate on it for the remainder of the course. Your role as a marine activist will continue beyond these two weeks, but for now, let’s find our focus and create a plan for achieving your last objective! You can do this! Keep up the great work!
Features of a Killer Whale
This week, we’re delving into the biology of Orcas, their unique features, and evolution. Our students are expected to leverage their research skills to explore these fascinating creatures, encouraging a collaborative learning environment. The emphasis is on information literacy, critical thinking, and team-based inquiry.
By using task cards as a guide, students will discover the special attributes that make Orcas the wolves of the sea, fostering a shared, in-depth understanding of this intriguing species.
This week, we are learning all about Orcas and their amazing abilities. But what parts of their body and the biology of these great hunters allow them to be the wolves of the sea?
This week, we want you to research all of their remarkable features and begin to understand how these amazing creatures have evolved.
Use the task card opposite and your exceptional research skills to find out more about their special features and what makes them so unique.
Animal Communication
Support your students as they watch the video with Gavin regarding how different animals communicate, then assist them to complete the task below.
Watch the video with Gavin regarding how different animals communicate, take some notes and discuss with your partner and then complete the task below.
How Different Animals Communicate Infographic
This activity encourages students to explore animal communication, particularly among Antarctic species. They will use a provided infographic about various animals as a basis, but the emphasis is on choice and creativity. Students will independently create their own infographics using a Canva template, selecting the animals to focus on and how to present their findings. This approach balances guided learning with the freedom to make their own decisions, fostering deeper engagement and understanding
As we have discovered, the orca is an amazing teacher and an excellent communicator. The pod works together to learn, hunt, and play. During this activity, we are going to explore how five different Antarctic animals communicate.
We want you to read the infographic on ants, gorillas, wolves, fish, and lions and use this as the basis for your work.
Once you have read the example and understand what is expected, use the Canva template to create your own infographic on Antarctic animal communication.
Bring Maths to Life - Animal Speeds
This activity encourages students to understand and compare animal speeds, focusing on conversion of units from km/h to mph, and handling decimal notation. It improves their understanding of place values and unit conversion while learning about biodiversity, reinforcing mathematical concepts in a real-world context.
Different animals move at different speeds. This week, we want you to consider how fast each of them travels in comparison to each other.
Take a look at the table opposite and try to fill in the blanks. You may also want to convert some of the speeds listed into non-decimal numbers, and also into MPH (Miles Per Hour).
6 Tips for Better Communication
This activity encourages students to create a communication-focused poster, emphasizing understanding their audience and harnessing creativity. Students examine an example before designing their unique poster, considering the potential location and its audience – a crucial aspect of effective communication.
This hands-on project helps students grasp communication’s power, fostering creativity, and illustrating the importance of tailoring messages to different audiences, mirroring the adaptive communication skills of the orca.
Now that you’re a master of communication, we want you to create a simple poster to help those around you communicate better. We all know that through good communication, anything is possible.
Take a look at the example I’ve created, then design your very own poster. Once it’s complete, place it somewhere where it will help others master the art as well.
Remember, you must know where you’re going to put it before starting your design. A poster for your parents would look very different from a poster for kindergarten children.
Be creative and help others learn from the orca just like we have!
What is Culture?
In this lesson, students research a country’s culture to enhance their global understanding, promoting cultural awareness. Students develop their research skills as they explore diverse cultural practices, values, and traditions. The information gathered is then consolidated into a concise slide deck.
To foster their public speaking skills, students will present their findings to the class, highlighting cultural similarities and differences. This interactive assignment encourages peer learning, cultivates an appreciation for diversity, and refines vital academic and interpersonal skills.
As we learned today, killer whales have their very own culture, and so do humans. This week, we want you to choose a country you are particularly interested in and conduct some simple research on the culture there.
Once you have completed your research, we would like you to put together a simple slide deck and present your findings to your class in a 5-minute presentation.
Use the example provided as a guide and work collaboratively to share your knowledge about cultures around the world. You will likely discover that, even though we are all very different, there are many similarities between us as well.
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 - Antarctic Black and White Animal Collage (Short Video)
Activity: Cut Animal Contrast Collage
Core Curriculum Connection: Science
Elemental Foci: Color, Value, Shape
Principle Foci: Contrast, Unity, Rhythm
Goal: Students will be able to create and compare a colored background with value transitions to achromatic subjects.
Criteria:
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Choose a variety of blue papers or other material colored in shades of blue for your background. Vary up your values of the papers (light blue, dark blue, white, gray and black are all appropriate.
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Find numerous photos of white and black colored antarctic animals and cut them out.
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Arrange your cut animals onto your background to show contrast or unity – see what parts of your animals are contrasted and which are obscured.
Relevance: Through this project, students will understand the concepts of contrast and camouflage, and create and decide comparisons while relating it to animals they understand.-
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 get creative!
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
Let's Sketch With Jordan - Seal 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!
