Lesson 1 - What do we already know about Bats?
Aim: To collate what the class currently understands about Bats and Malaysia.
Materials: envelopes, paper, textas and pencils
It’s a good idea to firstly look at what we already know about bats. Split the students into groups of 3 and give them a copy of this picture.
Using this picture as a graphic organizer, write what the members of your group already know about bats.
Once you have given the small groups sufficient time, bring them all back together as a class and add all the knowledge onto a large piece of butcher’s paper or an Interactive Whiteboard. You can then keep it for reading and checking at a later time.
While the class is all together, as a large group, brainstorm what you already know about Malaysia. This should be done in a class-size group as there may not be a significant amount of prior knowledge about Malaysia.
Now, reflecting on the current information we already know, ask the students to think of a question they would like to find the answer too. It should be a question specific to Bats or Malaysia. This will be their own "Wonder Wall Question". During the course of this unit of study, if a student gets some free time they should try and find the answer to their Wonder Wall Question. Each student will write their question onto an envelope and pin it up on a display board (or blu-taked somewhere similar). When they find the answer, or find a clue towards their answer, these should be placed inside their envelope.
All the students can then read the question and help each other out, or read the answer for themselves.