Teacher Page

Title: Virginia the Opossum

Organizers:

Grade Level: Second/Third Grade

Core Content: Science

Time needed to implement: One week

Guiding Questions:

Where does an opossum live?

What does an opossum eat?

What does the saying "playing possum" mean?

How does an opossum defend itself from predators?

Describe an opossum's body structure--pouch, tail, paws.

Explain how the above body structures help the opossum survive.

Compare an opossum's paws to your hands and feet. How are they alike? How are they different?

An opossum is a marsupial. What is a marsupial?

Do you know any other marsupials?

How many babies can a mother opossum have?

How does the mother opossum take care of her babies?

Students will:

Discover what opossums eat
Learn how mother opossums take care of their young
Realize that the opossum has paws similar to a humans hands and feet
Define marsupial
Locate the habitat of an opossum
Discover facts about opossums
Learn about unique opossum characteristics
Write a letter
Draw the life cycle of the opossum
Understand how man has influenced where opossum's live

Conceptual Understanding:

Life Science: Academic Expectations: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, and 2.6

The Characteristics of Organisms: SC-E-3.1.1, Sc-E-3.1.2, SC-E-3.1.3, SC-E-3.2.1, SC-E-3.2.2, SC-E-3.3.3

Language Arts: Academic Expectations: 1.1, 1.2, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.16

Information Literacy Standards: Standard 1, 2, 3, 8, 9

Students will:

Access information utilizing various mediums
Produce work within a group and as individuals
Accept and demonstrate ethical responsibility for their use of technology

Utilize appropriate manners when working cooperatively

Technology Standards: Standard 2, 3, 4, 6

Students will:

Use cd-rom for research
Be able to use the mouse and keyboard
Use the Internet to find information on the opossum
Work cooperatively in groups of four or five to produce a power point presentation to promote the understanding of the opossum
Use computer terms appropriately
Apply technology skills to produce a product
Use Internet appropriately

Resources

Books:

Teacher Guide: Mother Opossum and Her Babies, Lawrence Hall of Science ISBN: 0-924886-21-8

This guide has a wealth of information about opossums. In the back is a wonderful listing of trade books/resource books. This unit is for K/1, however, some parts could be used prior to implementing the webquest.

Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac ISBN: 1-55591-088-2

Magazines: Ranger Rick. January 2001, Vol. 35, No. 1, National Wildlife Federation.

Your Big Backyard. February 1994, Series II, Number 2, National Wildlife

Federation.

Pamphlets: Opossum: Life History Notes. Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Computer Software: The Magic School Bus Explores the World of Animals

Microsoft Explorapedia

GoldenBooks Interactive Encyclopedia for Kids

Kid Pix by Broderbund

Microsoft Powerpoint

Other internet sites: http://granicus.if.org/~firmiss/m-d.html

http://www.opossum.org/