Tanya
Beers
IST571:
Children's Literature Lit Kit
Book: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Lesson
Plan and Selling Tool:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hbOIlrL_vRJgcIfh1I-mX1JpYEJhPr-VnNeVI8sPX3E/edit
(Facts on File, Inc.)
Tanya Beers
IST 571: Children’s Literature
Share Blog Post – Week 7
Title: Make Way for Ducklings
Author: Robert McCloskey
Lexile Level: AD710L
Age Range: 3 to 7 years
ISBN #: 0140564349
Make Way for Ducklings is about a family of ducks, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their eight children
who start out looking for a safe place to live and raise their children. They decide to live in the
Boston Public Garden but their journey there after their ducklings are hatched proves difficult with
all the traffic. You see, Mrs. Mallard has to walk her children across busy streets in town to get to the
public garden where her husband is waiting for them. Will Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings be
successful in their journey by themselves? Or will they need to rely on kind strangers to help lead the
way?
(Facts on File, Inc.)
Lesson for 2nd Graders:
I will read Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey to the class.
I will then have a discussion with the class about what they think they already know about animals
that live in a pond. Students will learn a PowerPoint science lesson about Pond Life where I will
discuss the different types of pond animals, what they eat, whether they are cold-blooded or warm
blooded and explain what that means, etc. They will then take a MimioVote quiz about the science
lesson they just learned.
Students will then complete the cut and paste activity sheet above where they cut out the pictures of
pond animals and paste them (with a glue stick) to the corresponding spaces on the worksheet.
Students will also do a 1-page mini-research paper about Pond Life (write a more detailed account
about the animals that live in the pond based on the information they find through their research).
Students can choose two animals they want to research and write about; any online sources they use
must be scholarly sources (which we will discuss the meaning of before the assignment) and they can
use any science textbooks they find and the encyclopedia. *so much information is found online for
school assignments that I like to encourage print sources as well.
Students will also include in their paper how they feel about pond animals (Do they like them?
Do they like specific pond animals? If so, which ones and why?)
Learning Standards:
1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
1.1 Skills
1.1.1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the
real-world connection for using this process in own life.
1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
1.4 Self-Assessment Strategies
1.4.1 Monitor own information-seeking processes for effectiveness and progress, and adapt as
necessary.
1.4.2 Use interaction with and feedback from teachers and peers to guide own inquiry process.
1.4.4 Seek appropriate help when it is needed.
2. Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create
new knowledge.
2.1 Skills
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas,
real-world situations, and further investigations.
2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
Learning Goal:
Students will engage in a science lesson about pond life based on the reading of
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey.
Learning Objectives:
1. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the science lesson through taking a MimioVote quiz
and activity worksheet (Cognitive).
2. Students will use a variety of sources to write a brief research paper about pond life (Psychomotor)
3. Students will discuss in their research paper how they feel about pond animals and why (Affective)
Outcome:
Students will demonstrate what they learned about pond animals and pond life through a variety of
activities and a writing assignment.
Works Cited:
American Association of School Librarians (AASL) (2007). Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.
Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf.
Facts on File, Inc. “Critters at the Pond: Science Worksheet: Pond Animals.”, The Mailbox, 2017, https://www.themailbox.com/magazines/science-worksheet-pond-animals/critters-at-the-pond.
McCloskey, Robert. Make Way For Ducklings. The Viking Press, 1941.
Selling Tool: Poster
