English/Language Arts
Explore fact in fiction
Author Pringle tells readers that the cartoon character known as “Taz” is based on a real animal, and Taz sports some of that animal's actual, unusual behaviors. Brainstorm with your students - where else do they find real things in fiction? The answer is, of course, everywhere! Doing a little research on a place or a thing can help writers make fictional stories come alive. Challenge students to start doing some fact-finding with some of their favorite fictional books. Many of the details that lend authenticity can be garnered through careful observation. Have students pick a person, place or thing to observe or write details about in their writing journals - a trip to the dentist, grocery-shopping with mom, basketball practice. What do they notice? How can that help them in their fictional writing?
Social Studies
Explore geography
Time to get out the world map or globe and locate the island known as Tasmania. How far is this island from mainland Australia? Who lives there besides these Tasmanian devils? What kind of physical features would you find? How would you get there from where you are? How long would it take?
STEM
Explore environmental science - saving species from extinction
This is a great Minute for encouraging students to look at the data behind endangered species in our world. Why are they endangered? What can we do about it? Situations will be different for every species. Can students collect and chart the data to find patterns of problems? Are the patterns geographical? Environment driven? Human interaction problems?
Explore natural selection and animal behavior
In this Minute, readers learn that much of the population problem with this creature stems from its own bad behavior. Without intervention, it seems this little guy may be in trouble. But given that the drop in numbers is a result of disease and behavior, is human intervention warranted? Or is this just a case of nature doing what nature does? Have students look for the causes behind this relatively new disease. Are they natural? Does anyone know? What are the pros and cons of a species going extinct? Should we always intervene? What do our choices mean for our future as a species? Tough questions should inspire some deep thinking on the part of your students.
Research Skills
Explore media messages
Taz, the cartoon character, can be found in video games and advertisements. This is not accidental - someone is paying to place this character there. What message might a promoter be trying to send with this inclusion? What other characters can students find placed into television shows, movies, video games or ads? Have students collect and share examples of media messages they find in their world. As the list grows, have students try to organize examples into categories of their choosing to see if they can figure out the intent behind the message. The more practice we give students recognizing and decoding media messages, the more intelligent consumers of information they become.
Explore fact in fiction
Author Pringle tells readers that the cartoon character known as “Taz” is based on a real animal, and Taz sports some of that animal's actual, unusual behaviors. Brainstorm with your students - where else do they find real things in fiction? The answer is, of course, everywhere! Doing a little research on a place or a thing can help writers make fictional stories come alive. Challenge students to start doing some fact-finding with some of their favorite fictional books. Many of the details that lend authenticity can be garnered through careful observation. Have students pick a person, place or thing to observe or write details about in their writing journals - a trip to the dentist, grocery-shopping with mom, basketball practice. What do they notice? How can that help them in their fictional writing?
Social Studies
Explore geography
Time to get out the world map or globe and locate the island known as Tasmania. How far is this island from mainland Australia? Who lives there besides these Tasmanian devils? What kind of physical features would you find? How would you get there from where you are? How long would it take?
STEM
Explore environmental science - saving species from extinction
This is a great Minute for encouraging students to look at the data behind endangered species in our world. Why are they endangered? What can we do about it? Situations will be different for every species. Can students collect and chart the data to find patterns of problems? Are the patterns geographical? Environment driven? Human interaction problems?
Explore natural selection and animal behavior
In this Minute, readers learn that much of the population problem with this creature stems from its own bad behavior. Without intervention, it seems this little guy may be in trouble. But given that the drop in numbers is a result of disease and behavior, is human intervention warranted? Or is this just a case of nature doing what nature does? Have students look for the causes behind this relatively new disease. Are they natural? Does anyone know? What are the pros and cons of a species going extinct? Should we always intervene? What do our choices mean for our future as a species? Tough questions should inspire some deep thinking on the part of your students.
Research Skills
Explore media messages
Taz, the cartoon character, can be found in video games and advertisements. This is not accidental - someone is paying to place this character there. What message might a promoter be trying to send with this inclusion? What other characters can students find placed into television shows, movies, video games or ads? Have students collect and share examples of media messages they find in their world. As the list grows, have students try to organize examples into categories of their choosing to see if they can figure out the intent behind the message. The more practice we give students recognizing and decoding media messages, the more intelligent consumers of information they become.
© Karen Sterling, 2018 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission