Funding for the VITAL/Ready to Teach collection was secured through the United States Department of Education under the Ready to Teach Program.
Loading StandardsUsing notes they have taken while watching a video, students work as part of a group to create an interesting and informative poster with pictures and facts about Yellowstone National Park.
Students learn to create posters that present factual information in an interesting manner. The ability to communicate information in an appealing way helps writers reach a larger audience.
(1-2) 50 minute class periods
A Visit to Yellowstone QuickTime Video
In this adapted video segment, ZOOM guest Laura shows us some of the natural features of Yellowstone National Park, including geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots, as well as some of the wildlife.
1. Tell students that they are going to create a poster that will provide people with information about Yellowstone National Park.
2. Explain that their posters will contain facts about the park as well as pictures.
3. Distribute copies of the Yellowstone Notes Organizer. Go over the organizer with students, explaining that they will watch a video called A Visit to Yellowstone that will help them complete the organizer. Discuss the kind of information that should go in each section. Explain that thermal features are attractions in the park that are caused by heat.
4. Tell students that they will be able to watch the video more than once. The first time, they will just watch and listen for important facts. Later, they will have time to fill in the organizer.
5. After playing the video, ask students for any important facts, places, or interesting points about Yellowstone that they remember. Using a transparency or an enlarged copy of the handout, think out loud as you decide where to write each response on the organizer. Allow students time to copy your notes to their individual handouts.
6. Play the video a second time, asking students to watch and listen for information to complete the handout. Pause the video at intervals to allow students time to write.
7. Provide each student with a copy of the A Visit to Yellowstone Transcript. In small groups, students read the transcript to find any additional information to list on their organizers. Discuss as a class. Allow students time to add information to their organizers if necessary.
For Students Who Need Additional Teacher Guidance
1.Using their individual Yellowstone Notes organizers for ideas, ask each group to create a collaborative poster. Have students incorporate both facts and images into their poster to illustrate the ideas they think will be most appealing to viewers.
2. After groups have completed their posters, ask students to discuss how they decided which facts to record and which ones they decided to include in their poster.
3. Allow each group to share their poster with the class. Ask students to look for recurring facts in each group's poster and discuss the similarities and/or differences.
4. Use the Yellowstone Poster Rubric to assess the individual handouts and group posters.
Standards
