ALFA LAB: Unit 1
Feisty FelinesOverview
What are the effects of human interaction with wild animals?
This unit gives students the opportunity to learn everything they want to know about big cats of various kinds from across the world: from Africa’s lions and black panthers to North American cougars, to the tigers of Asia, and Central America’s jaguars. The unit’s essential question — What are the effects of human interaction with wild animals? — leads students to consider the impacts of habitat destruction and environmental changes on big cats and other animals, as well as those engaged in addressing these challenges.
Teachers Manual
The instructional framework includes lesson plans and activities for each station in the ALFA Lab. Lessons include activities for multiple groupings of students based on needs, targeted skills, strategies, and assessments.
Student Pages
Pages each student needs during the two-day cycle of activities (each day’s whole class launch activity, and pages needed by each small group when they are in the satellite stations: Wordology, Collaboration, & Media Madness)
Days 1 & 2
“Reading” the ALFA Lab
Discussion Behaviors (part 1)
Days 3 & 4
What I know, What I Want to Learn
Discussion Behaviors (part 2)
Days 5 & 6
Applying Learning
Choose Your Words
Days 7 & 8
Making Inferences
Agree, Disagree, Not Sure?
Days 9 & 10
Personal Reflection
Text Feature Scavenger Hunt
Days 11 & 12
Past, Present, or Future?
What I Still Want to Know
Days 13 & 14
African Animal Proverbs
Opinion Statement
Days 15 & 16
Cryptogram Workshop
Another Cryptogram
Days 17 & 18
Fictional Diary Entry
A Letter Home
Days 19 & 20
Story Board for a Documentary
Personal Reflection
Days 21 & 22
Cougar and Jaguar Cards
Personal Reflection – “My Favorite Big Cat”
Days 23 & 24
Thinking about Independent Projects
Planning for Your Independent Project
Days 25 & 26
Catching Up in the Middle of a Show
Personal Reflection – “My Independent Project”
Days 27 & 28
Movies and Meanings
Personal Reflection
Additional Materials
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Independent Project
Student independent project plan
Cat Cards
8.5 x 11 fillable cat cards
Newsletter
11 x 17 printable newsletter, Big Cat Attack!