Centers

[BAT FACT PAGE] [RHYMES] [HIDE AND SEEK] [MICROBAT or MEGABAT] [SPREAD YOUR WINGS]

BAT FACT PAGE

OBJECTIVES

1. Students will investigate unusual bats.
2. Students will synthesize information.
3. The pages will be used to create a classroom reference book.

MATERIALS

1. Bat pictures (Evan Moor, 1993)
2. Crayons/colored pencils

PROCEDURE

1. Provide format page and bat fact cards for the students to choose from.
2. Instruct each student to choose a bat to "investigate."
3. Write the missing information in the space provided.
4. Draw your own interpretation of your bat and color it.
5. Remove bat cards from tub as they are completed to insure that all
6. are represented in the classroom book.
7. Bind pages and place book in classroom reference library.

EVALUATION

1. Did students enjoy reading about unusual bat species?
2. Were they able to provide the missing information?
3. Did the class take pride in their work and refer to their book?

RHYMES

OBJECTIVES

1. Introduce (or review) the concept of rhyming.
2. Students will need to read the words on the bats in order to "fly" them into the cave that has the rhyming word on it.
3. Students will write the rhyming words and incorporate them into a creative story about bats.

MATERIALS

1. Bat cards
2. Caves
3. Recording sheet

PROCEDURE

1. Introduce or review the concept of rhyming. Give examples.
2. Explain that each student will receive four caves with words written on them. They will also find 16 bats, each with a different word written on it. They are to "fly" the bat whose word rhymes with that on the cave into that particular cave. Once each bat has a home, empty the caves one by one, recording the words written on the bat in the proper space on the recording sheet.
3. Once all caves have been emptied and the words recorded, write a story using at least four of the words written on either the bats or the caves.

EVALUATION

1. Did the students understand the concept of rhyming?
2. Could they read the words? What strategies did they use?
3. Was their story coherent? Did it flow, or was it simply a collection of individual sentences?

HIDE AND SEEK

OBJECTIVES

1. Students will demonstrate logic using a number line.
2. Students will practice the mathematical skills of >, <, and =.
3. Students will accurately record their guesses and the insects responses.

MATERIALS

1. number line
2. divider
3. recording page/insect pictures

PROCEDURE

1. Review the concept of greater than and less than.
2. Pair students. Distribute number line and recording sheet.
3. Cut line, insect and 2 bat playing piece pictures. Tape # line together.
4. Explain the rules while demonstrating.
• partners face each other.
• place divider between players.
• 1 insect and 1 bat.
• insect places the playing piece on a number on the number line. This marker may not be moved once the bat starts guessing.
• The bat guesses the location of the insect by placing one bat playing piece on a number on the # line., recording the number on the activity sheet and saying it to the insect.
• Insect must respond to the bat's guess with <, >, or "caught" depending on the insect's position. This continues until the insect's position is correctly guessed.
• The bat uses both pieces to create a range of possible numbers where the insect is located. Hopefully, the students will use logic to narrow the range.
• After the bat finds the insect, the partners switch roles and play the game again.
• Encourage students to determine a faster way to find their partner's number.
• ?'s-- What strategies did you use to find your partner's number? What were the fewest guesses (without luck) you could use on your number line? Explain.

EVALUATION

1. Did the students demonstrate a use of logic in narrowing the ranges?
2. Were the insects correctly responding using < or >?
3. Were the bats using the recording sheet properly?

MICROBAT or MEGABAT

OBJECTIVES

1. Students will observe facial features of microbats and megabats.
2. Students will classify bats according to facial characteristics.
3. Students will practice organizational skills in writing characteristics of the bat types.

MATERIALS

1. bat pictures
2. collection page
3. scissors
4. glue
5. butcher paper

PROCEDURE

1. Distribute pictures and collection page.
2. Allow students to observe and discuss facial features.
3. Share observations with the class. Record on the board.
4. Read background information.
5. Have students decide which bats belong in each category. Record reasoning on paper.
6. Have them sort the pictures into two groups and place them on the collection page. Do not glue!
7. Teacher holds up pictures one at a time and discusses the grouping. Place on butcher paper under the information brainstormed by the group. Students may then check their own pages to see if they need to be altered.
8. May use bat information table to provide extra information if necessary.
9. Looking at the two groups, the children will write descriptions of both bat types.
10. ?'s-- How were you able to identify megabats and microbats? How are the bats the same? How are they different? What could these unusual features help the bat do?

EVALUATION

1. Were the students able to notice the facial differences and similarities?
2. Did the students group bats correctly according to their observations?
3. Were the students able to list two characteristics of each bat type?

SPREAD YOUR WINGS

OBJECTIVES

1. Students will measure wingspans using both standard and non-standard units of measurement.
2. Students will estimate the lengths of different wingspans.
3. Students will record data.
4. Students will compare and contrast the wingspans of Microbats and Megabats.

MATERIALS

1. patterns for both bats
2. 50 small paperclips
3. 50 friendly bears
4. 100 unifix cubes
5. tape measure
6. 2- 1m pieces of string for each student

PROCEDURE

1. Demonstrate the process of estimating by placing objects end-to-end. Group clips into tens and ones. Model measuring using a tape measure.
2. Distribute both paper bats to each group. Explain that the wingspan is from wingtip to wingtip. Have them estimate and record the length of the spans, one at a time, using paperclips. Be sure to count in groups of tens and ones. Repeat this procedure using other non-standard units on the sheet.
3. Measure using standard unit of measurement.
4. Discuss problems that would happen if people used different units to measure (like big paper clips). When people agreed to use standard units of measurement, it was easier for everyone.
5. Use same procedure using tape measure. Record results.
6. Distribute second recording page, string, and scissors. Cut one piece of string equal to the wingspan of the microbat. Find an object in the room that measures approximately the same length. Repeat for megabat.
7. ?'s-- Does it take more paperclips to measure the span of a micro or a megabat? What helped with the prediction for the megabat? How would a wingspan affect a bat's ability to fly? Is bigger faster? Is smaller more agile?

EVALUATION

1. Did students understand the concepts of estimating and measuring?
2. Could students accurately (reasonably) predict length?
3. Did students accurately record their data?
4. Did they conclude that megabats are generally larger than microbats?