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Forest Park Zoo

School: Alice B. Beal Elementary

City/State: Springfield, MA

Grade(s): 1

Format(s): Field guide: Natural science

Subject(s): English Language Arts, Science and Technology, Visual Arts

Project Overview

This guide to the animals at the Forest Park Zoo was created by 1st grade students at the Alice B. Beal Magnet School in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was part of a Learning expedition on animals.

Students, through fieldwork experiences that included multiple visits to the park and zoo, and work with animal experts there, researched, drew and wrote about animals at their local zoo. Student writing went through multiple drafts and critique sessions. Most of the word processing was done by students.

Each page contains a scientific illustration of an animal from the zoo, a written description of that animal and a digital photograph of the student who created the page. Each animal was researched by two students – which allowed for sharing of resources and ideas. 

This product is similar to #339 – both are from the same Learning expedition but ended in a different product. If one class was going a guide, there wasn’t a need for the other class to do one; the other class did a calendar about the animals at the zoo.

How This Project Can Be Useful

  • Highlights a unique way to introduce students to the park and to the zoo
  • Creating a guide to the zoo gives students a real purpose for their visits and a real vehicle through which to demonstrate their understanding
  • Highlights 1st graders working on writing and drawing skills through multiple rounds of drafts and critique
  • Notice the careful work shown in several of the illustrations: the turtle by Kathy, the fox by Ernie and the snake by Ezeikel
  • A product that allows for a range of skill in student work – both in the drawings and the writing
  • The digital photographs help make the format engaging for the reader, personalizing the work of these young students

Common Core State Standards

Standard Long Term Learning Target
RI.1.5
  • I can use text features to find important facts in informational text.
RI.1.7
  • I can use pictures and details to describe the main ideas of informational text.
W.1.2
  • I can include an ending to my informational text.
W.1.7
  • I can participate in shared research projects.
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