Visit some pandas here: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/webcams/giant-panda.cfm
Aching to get out of the classroom? Wanting to extend a lesson? Want to get your students experiencing a topic first hand? Let’s take a virtual fieldtrip!
Imagine a class of 23 first graders learning about how living conditions support living things (Grade 1, Level 1, Life Science). Now lets imagine their excitement getting to watch a panda in the environment supported by the Smithsonian Institution. We can use the “Panda Cam” to observe the pandas. This can lead to discussions about what we see, what the pandas have to survive, and how their lives would be different if their living conditions were changed.
There are several (adorable) pandas that the whole class would be enthusiastic to watch. This would allow us to bring the pandas to our classroom via smartboard, if able, and let the students minds open watching the pandas live as they go about their day.
Some questions I would use with the “Panda Cam”:
1. What do we see? Describe the environment.
2. What does this tell us pandas need to survive?
3. What would happen if they didn’t have _________?
4. What would happen if the envionrment was dirty?
Assessments
I would use the “Panda Cam” and other live feed cameras to create observational notes, spark open ended questions, and the answers to several questions throughout the lesson to contribute to assessments. The live feed cameras are great to observe the animal, the habitat/enviornment, and how it is all connected.
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