Lizard's New Home

Hook: (10 minutes)  The librarian or the teacher tells the class that they're getting tired of taking care of the lizard in its cage every day, and they're considering taking a month off of daily care for the lizard. What might happen to the lizard if it is left alone? What would the lizard need in order to survive on its own?

Collect and chart answers from students: Anticipated answers.

• The lizard needs to be fed
• The lizard is going to poop and the poop isn't going to be clean up from the cage
• The lizard might get thirsty
• The lizard might get lonely

Direct Instruction and Guided practice: developing effective research questions. (20 minutes)

Students will be told tha they will create a model ecosystem chart to show exactly what is needed for a lizard to survive. Students will see a model ecosystem chart that features target vocabulary words and explanations.

Before students create an ecosystem for the lizard, they need to develop research questions. Students will probably be able to independently identify fact-level questions like, "What do lizards eat?" From these questions, the teacher will assist students in developing search terms for their inquiry by modeling with the first question.

Independent practice. (15 minutes)

Students start to conduct research on their questions on a computer alone or in small groups. The teacher and librarian can circulate the classroom and assist students with their search terms. Teachers and librarians can assist students in finding appropriate and relevant sources for their work.

Students with disabilities can be paired with a teacher or a librarian who conducts a think-aloud on a search term or a teacher and librarian can encourage students to use databases with more accessible articles.

Closing and reflection. (5 minutes)

Conduct and chart a whole class share on individual discoveries about lizards and their ideal environment.

Teachers and librarians can also use this time to assess learning and growth areas for follow-up lesson planning. In addition, any suggested modifications to the lizard's home could become the basis of a learning activity for the future.

Enrichment: Invite students to expand on their definition of an ideal environment to build something new for the lizard's home. For example, if the lizard needs a water source and the teacher is used to providing the lizard water each day, is there a way to build in a water source that doesn't involve the teacher? What about temperature regulation? What ways are there to help keep the lizard's home a comfortable temperature? Guide students to ask conceptual questions like, "How can I make sure my lizards don't starve after they finish the food in their area?" and "How can I make sure that there's a renewable source of water for a lizard?" Remind students how to turn these conceptual questions into keywords if they want to research what innovations already exist.