Nature's Secrets

Content Objectives

Students will:

• Learn about nature's secrets.
• Access prior knowledge and build background about the significance of nature's secrets.
• Explore and apply the concept of man• made vs. nature.

Language Objectives

Students will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of nature's secrets.
• Orally use words that describe nature's secrets.
• Extend oral vocabulary by speaking about man• made vs. nature.
• Use key concept words [natural wonder, fossil, dinosaur, ancestor ; paleontologist].

Other

Explain

• Use the slideshow to review the key concept words.
• Explain that students are going to learn about nature's secrets:
• What is the natural world.
• What is man• made.
• What is a paleontologist.
• What is a fossil.
• What is a dinosaur.
• What are ancestors.

Model

• After the host introduces the slideshow, point to the photo on screen. Ask students: What do you see in this photo? (water, city, land, mountains). What is special about this photo? (the mountains and the big harbor).
• Ask students: Do you think someone built this harbor? (answers will vary).
• Say: This is the Harbor of Rio de Janeiro. It is located in the city of Rio de Janeiro in southeast Brazil. It was discovered in January 1502 by a Portuguese explorer who named it Rio de Janeiro which means River of January in Portuguese. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It is a natural wonder because it wasn't built by anyone. What are some of the other natural wonders of the world? (The Northern Lights, The Great Barrier Reef, Mount Everest, the Grand Canyon, Victoria Falls, and Paricutin Volcano.).

Guided Practice

• Guide students through the next four slides, showing them nature's secrets. Always have the students discuss why they are considered nature's secrets.

Apply

• Play the games that follow. Have them discuss with their partner the different topics that appear during the Talk About It feature.
• After the first game, ask students to discuss what their wonder would look like. After the second game, have them discuss how the things they collected helps paleontologists.

Close

• Ask students: Can the list of man• made wonders change? Explain.
• Summarize for students that the list of man• made wonders can, and does change as people try to build bigger and different structures. There are many different lists of wonders but one thing is for sure: they are all magnificent sights! Encourage them to think about some of the man• made wonders in the United States.