Let students swim alongside our water friends on a manatee virtual field trip! They’ll experience manatee first hand, jot their observations, and can even extend their learning with short informational passages!

Give students a first hand experience of what it’s like to be a manatee! This no prep lesson gives students an interactive research experience as they learn what manatees do and consider their role in our world. This activity makes research up close and personal for students through 360 Virtual Reality. 

After downloading this resource you will receive print and digital resources for students to research manatees. You get to choose if you want students to complete this research activity in Google Slides™, Seesaw™, or with printables and a QR Code. This resource includes: 

• Google Slides™ activity → Use this to guide the virtual research process with students or assign it for a self-paced activity. This slideshow includes an energizer, digital choice board, digital note-taking, reflection questions, and teacher notes. 
• Seesaw Activity™ → After you add the activity to your Seesaw Library™, just assign it to students. It includes a digital choice board, recording sheets, and a coloring page.
• Print Choice Board → Print out this choice board and either laminate it or put it in a sleeve protector (for repeated use). Students scan the QR Code of the 360 Video they want to use for research. 
• Print Note Taking Sheets → Students record what they learned and want to learn more about it. Also includes a manatee to color! There is a version for PreK students, and another for older students! 
• Suggested read alouds → Don’t waste time searching the net for picture books to read. I’ve done that work for you! Just click the links to see which one will meet your students’ needs. 
• Manatee Coloring Page → Great way for younger students to practice their fine motor skills! 
• Standards-based lesson → Just print and follow along! 
• Directed drawing activity for students to draw their own manatee.
• Low to NO prep activities or games that get students up and moving like a manatee.
• Manatee personality quiz → students answer questions about themselves to discover what kind of manatee they are. 
• Informational passages that provide more information about manatees.

I have used this activity with students as young as 3 in PreKindergarten and as old as 11 in Grade 5. They all had a lot of fun and really enjoyed it!

This standards - based activity gives students choice and meets the following standards:

AASL:

• Collect information representing diverse perspectives.
• Read widely & deeply in multiple formats.

ISTE:

• Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.

CCSS:

• Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

Quick Byte: This resource includes links to digital resources. They are linked on pages 2, 11, and 12. Click the link to get your own copies. 

Read about using Augmented and Virtual Reality to teach research skills here!

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