Save the Sea Cows: Manatee Tales

2nd Grade

Project
4 weeks

Save the Sea Cows: Manatee Tales

Lizzy Sanders

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3

The Challenge

Florida manatees face a critical threat from human activities, including pollution and habitat destruction, which are leading to their decline. This situation highlights the urgent need for protective measures to ensure their survival. How can we use storytelling to show how Florida manatees have survived in the past—and why they need our help to survive now so that more people take action to help them?

Challenge Question

How can we use storytelling to show how Florida manatees have survived in the past—and why they need our help to survive now so that more people take action to help them?

Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3 - Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

The Learning Journey

Phase	Learning Outcome
Discover	I can explore the journey of Florida manatees and uncover the human activities threatening their survival, sparking my curiosity about how I can contribute to their protection.
Examine	I can investigate the impacts of pollution and habitat destruction on manatees by gathering information from museum exhibits and library resources to understand the urgency of their plight.
Engineer	I can develop a compelling narrative that illustrates the daily challenges faced by manatees, using my creativity to highlight the importance of conservation efforts.
Do	I can test my narrative by sharing it with classmates and collecting feedback to refine my storytelling skills, ensuring it effectively communicates the need for action to protect manatees.
Share	I can share my illustrated narrative with the community at a local library event, engaging with others to discuss the importance of manatee conservation and reflecting on my learning journey.

Week 1	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Activities	Discover: Introduction to Florida Manatees - Explore the characteristics and habitats of Florida manatees through a video and discussion, fostering curiosity and empathy for these gentle creatures (20 min) Discover: Field Trip Planning Session - Plan a virtual visit to the Florida Museum of Natural History to learn about manatees' history and challenges, discussing expectations and creating a list of questions (25 min)	Discover: Virtual Museum Tour - Participate in a guided virtual tour of the Florida Museum of Natural History, focusing on exhibits related to manatees and their environment (25 min) Discover: Reflection Circle - Share thoughts and insights from the museum tour, discussing how human activities impact manatees and their survival (20 min)	Examine: Generating Questions - In small groups, brainstorm questions about manatees' challenges and potential solutions, recording them for further exploration (15 min) Examine: Research Session - Use books and videos to gather information about pollution, habitat destruction, and their effects on manatees, building background knowledge (30 min)	Examine: Seminar Discussion - Engage in a seminar-style discussion to share research findings and diverse perspectives on the threats to manatees, refining understanding of the problem (20 min) Examine: Criteria for Solutions - As a class, develop criteria for a successful solution to protect manatees, considering factors like effectiveness and feasibility (25 min)	Examine: Brainstorm Solutions - Collaboratively brainstorm potential solutions to protect manatees, evaluating each idea against the established criteria (25 min) Examine: Solution Selection - Select the most promising solution to explore further, preparing to develop a narrative story around this idea in the upcoming week (20 min)
Deliverables	1. Completed storyboard outline illustrating the first part of a Florida manatee’s life and the initial challenges from human activities.
Preparation	1. Gather storybooks about manatees for reading sessions. 2. Prepare discussion prompts related to manatee challenges and human impact. 3. Access virtual resources from the Florida Museum of Natural History. 4. Create teaching materials for the storytelling workshop, including examples of temporal words. 5. Provide storyboard materials such as paper, pencils, and markers for students to sketch their outline.

Week 2	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Activities	Examine Stage - Question Generation: Students collaboratively generate questions about the threats to Florida manatees and potential solutions, recording their ideas on a shared chart (20 min) Examine Stage - Reading and Research: Students read a text about manatee habitats and human impacts, followed by watching a short video about pollution effects on waterways (25 min)	Examine Stage - Hands-On Investigation: Students conduct a simple experiment to understand water pollution using safe household items, observing how pollutants affect water clarity (20 min) Examine Stage - Group Discussion: Students participate in a seminar-style discussion to share findings and insights from the investigation, exploring diverse perspectives on the issue (25 min)	Examine Stage - Criteria Determination: Students work in teams to decide on the criteria for a successful solution to protect manatees, considering factors like environmental impact and feasibility (20 min) Examine Stage - Solution Brainstorm: Students brainstorm possible storytelling solutions that highlight manatee conservation, selecting the most promising idea based on their criteria (25 min)	Engineer Stage - Hypothesis Development: Students develop a hypothesis for their narrative project, predicting how their story could influence audience actions to help manatees (20 min) Engineer Stage - Plan Creation: Students create a detailed plan for their narrative, outlining key events, obstacles, and solutions, using a storyboard format (25 min)	Engineer Stage - T.A.G. Feedback: Students share their narrative plans with peers, receiving T.A.G. Feedback (Tell something you liked, Ask a question, Give a suggestion) to refine their stories (20 min) Engineer Stage - Plan Revision: Students use feedback to revise their narrative plans, ensuring clarity and impact in highlighting manatee challenges and conservation efforts (25 min)
Deliverables	1. Completed storyboard detailing a day in the life of a manatee, including events in order and illustrations.
Preparation	1. Prepare a simple storyboard template for students to use. 2. Gather resources for virtual or pre-recorded visit to the Florida Museum of Natural History. 3. Create a narrative writing rubric that aligns with the CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3 standards. 4. Collect art supplies for students to illustrate their storyboards (e.g., crayons, colored pencils, markers). 5. Organize digital devices or printed materials for accessing museum content.

Week 3	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Activities	Engineer: Hypothesis Development - Develop a hypothesis for a narrative solution that predicts the impact of storytelling on raising awareness about manatee conservation, using evidence from research gathered in previous weeks (20 min) Engineer: Plan Creation - Draft a detailed plan for writing and illustrating the manatee narrative, outlining the story elements, timeline, and resources needed (25 min)	Engineer: Peer Feedback Session - Share narrative plans with a partner and receive T.A.G. Feedback (Tell something you liked, Ask a question, Give a suggestion) to refine the story outline (20 min) Engineer: Storyboard Construction - Begin creating a storyboard that visually outlines the narrative from a manatee's perspective, focusing on temporal sequencing and key challenges (25 min)	Engineer: Storyboard Refinement - Continue refining the storyboard, incorporating peer feedback and ensuring the inclusion of narrative elements like actions, thoughts, and feelings (20 min) Engineer: Writing Session - Start writing the narrative based on the storyboard, focusing on using temporal words to signal event order and providing a sense of closure (25 min)	Do: Narrative Writing - Continue developing the narrative, integrating descriptive details and ensuring alignment with the storyboard outline (20 min) Do: Peer Review - Exchange narratives with classmates and provide constructive feedback based on the narrative rubric, focusing on clarity, engagement, and the use of descriptive language (25 min)	Do: Narrative Revision - Revise the narrative based on peer feedback, strengthening the story's impact and ensuring it effectively communicates the need for manatee conservation (25 min) Do: Illustrations Creation - Begin illustrating key scenes from the narrative to enhance storytelling and convey the emotional journey of the manatee (20 min)
Deliverables	1. Completed narrative draft from the perspective of a manatee, showcasing a day in its life and obstacles encountered. 2. Finalized storyboard illustrating the manatee's life, challenges, and adaptations.
Preparation	1. Gather art supplies for storyboard creation, including paper, colored pencils, markers, and glue. 2. Provide narrative writing templates with space for temporal words and detailed descriptions. 3. Arrange peer review guidelines to facilitate constructive feedback sessions. 4. Ensure access to digital resources or library books about Florida manatees for additional research. 5. Organize a quiet workspace for students to focus on writing and illustrating their narratives and storyboards.

Week 4	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Activities	Do Stage - Story Drafting: Begin writing the first draft of a short narrative from the perspective of a manatee, focusing on recounting a well-elaborated event using temporal words (20 min) Do Stage - Peer Review: Exchange drafts with classmates and provide constructive feedback using a narrative writing rubric to assess story elements and use of temporal words (25 min)	Do Stage - Story Revision: Use feedback from peers to revise the narrative draft, ensuring clarity, coherence, and the inclusion of manatee-specific challenges and solutions (25 min) Do Stage - Illustration Planning: Plan illustrations to accompany the narrative, deciding on key scenes that depict the manatee's environment and obstacles (20 min)	Share Stage - Illustration Creation: Create detailed illustrations to accompany the narrative, focusing on accurately representing the manatee's habitat and challenges (25 min) Share Stage - Story Assembly: Combine the revised narrative with illustrations to create a complete storybook, ensuring visual and textual elements align (20 min)	Share Stage - Presentation Preparation: Practice presenting the completed storybook to classmates, focusing on clear storytelling and expression (20 min) Share Stage - Peer Feedback: Share the storybook with classmates and receive T.A.G. Feedback to refine presentation skills (25 min)	Share Stage - Community Presentation: Present the illustrated narrative to an audience at the local library, engaging with visitors and discussing the importance of manatee conservation (25 min) Share Stage - Reflection Circle: Participate in a closing circle to reflect on the learning journey, discussing personal growth and insights gained about manatee conservation (20 min)
Deliverables	1. Completed narrative story with illustrations from the perspective of a manatee. 2. Storyboard outlining the manatee's life and challenges faced due to human activities.
Preparation	1. Ensure access to art supplies such as colored pencils, markers, and paper for illustrations. 2. Prepare a checklist for peer review to guide feedback comments. 3. Arrange seating and a display area for the community sharing event at the Ocala Public Library. 4. Coordinate with the Silver Springs Museum for any supporting materials or information they may want to share during the event. 5. Create a reflection worksheet to help students articulate their learning journey and the impact of their narrative.