Fun Fun Facts!!

• Hundreds of millions of years ago, amphibians became the first vertebrates to live on land.
• Some turtles and tortoises, including the Eastern box turtle, can live for more than a century.
• Frogs can breathe not only with their lungs, but also through their skin.
• Depending upon the size of the meal, anacondas can go several months between meals.
• Did you know that there are 206 bones in the adult human body and there are 300 in children (as they grow some of the bones fuse together).

Seahorse..

Seahorses

are a genus(Hippocampus) of fishes within the family Syngnathidae, which also includes the pipefishes. There are over 80 species of seahorse.

Did you know?

All fish are vertebrates. Octopi and squid are invertebrates.
They are cephalopods which are invertebrates.

Bats...

Bats

 are Mammals, the only mammals that can truly fly. The "flying squirrel" and gliding possum -- glide for short distances, but they dont flap their wings and fly like a bat.

Why is a dolphin a mammal and not a fish?

Dolphins

 breathe air from their blowhole, which is the hole on top of their head. They are warm blooded.
They give live birth. Dolphins do not hatch from eggs like fish do.

Did you know?

Penguins

 lost the ability to fly millions of years ago, but their powerful flipper-like wings and streamlined bodies make them very accomplished swimmers. They are the fastest swimming and deepest diving species of any birds.

Backbones of Different Species

That's when u dont have a backbone!!

Vertebrates and Invertebrates

(Venn Diagram)

World of Animals

Five Classes of Vertebrates

Classification of Animals

5 Classes of Vertebrates

How to download videos from youtube

To ensure better understanding , teachers can make use of videos to motivate visual learners. For this reason they can download videos from “youtube” using the “youtube downloader”.

• First they need to install this program in their computer.
• Then they need to copy the URL of the video and paste it under the download section.
• Choose the appropriate destination or folder to save in the video.
• Click on the download button.
• If you need to use this video in a powerpoint presentation, you need to convert from the “convert” section to “windows media video”.

Enjoy watching and sharing creative visuals and ideas with your students!!

Getting students motivated

     

•     Provide choices:  picking lab partners, choosing assignments or proposing additional projects 

•     Balance the challenge: students like to be challenged, instead of working easy tasks.  Make it real: chose topics from their every day life (social, environmental)

•     Establish a sense of belonging: A student’s motivation is highly independent on the instructor’s flexibility, openness, and enthusiasm.

•     Adopt a supportive style: teachers should be facilitators, who would develop their student’s skills by giving adequate feedback and support.

Ideas for teaching about vertebrates (lesson plan)

Lesson Plan

Grade level: Grade 4 (Elementary – 2^nd cycle)

Duration: 50min

Procedure: (Using ASSURE Model)

1.      Analyze the reader’s background:

Before starting the lesson the teacher starts asking the students about some common characteristics between different kinds of animals, whose names (or images) would be shown on a PowerPoint presentation or simply written on the board. These questions would enable her to analyze the student’s background so as to know where to start from.

For example, she could ask questions like:

·         What does the word vertebrates mean?

·         Show me your vertebral column on your body.

·         How are dogs, cats, human beings, whales, etc. common?

·         How are crocodiles, snakes, turtles, etc. common?

·         Where can we find frogs? Salamanders? Etc.

Note: the teacher can continue asking similar questions for the different group, by emphasizing her questions on habitat, mode of reproduction, anatomy of the groups, etc.

2.      Stating Objectives:

·         Students will be able to define the word “vertebrates” without using the handouts, with 90% accuracy.

·         Students will be able to list similarities between different animals without using the bulletin board, with 80% accuracy.

·         Using the bulletin board, students will be able to analyze the characteristics of each of the five different groups with 80% accuracy.

·         Using the bulletin board, students will be able to identify and compare the differences between these groups with 90% accuracy.

·         Using the bulletin board, students will be able to draw a checklist of the five groups with 80% accuracy.

3.      Select the appropriate media and materials: textual and visual media

·         Bulletin board

·         Notebook

·         Handouts

·         Gadgets of small animals and small baskets.

4.      Utilize media: By getting the bulletin board into class (or posters found in lab, if any), and placing the gadgets of animals with the small baskets on the teacher’s desk.

5.      Require student participation: Students will participate by themselves identifying the similarities and differences of the different animals by analyzing the common and different characteristics of each. Then, they will place and classify them into 5 different groups.

6.      Evaluate and review:

·         A short checklist will be created by the teacher (with the student’s help) to make a summary of the differences between the five groups of the vertebrates.

·         A short assessment will be provided by the teacher to the students, where they will be able to place the different animal gadgets into groups in 5 different colorful baskets.

·         Students could also be asked to prepare a project (model or PowerPoint), if interested.

Other teaching experiences

Being an observer in a grade 4 elementary class, I got the chance to get acquainted to a new method of teaching student about vertebrates.

The teacher used the “cooperative learning” teaching idea, whereby she divided the class into 5 groups, each of 4 members, and asked each group to search on the net for characteristics of each class and look for a picture too. Later, each group presented its research for the whole class.  Hence,  the students were themselves involved in the learning process, they were the ones to come up with the characteristics from the internet with the teacher’s guidance.

Web links to teach about vertebrates

• http://www.aps.edu/Aps/SRMarmon/vertebrates.htm
• http://collections.ucsd.edu/mv/

Teaching philosophy statement

Teaching is a lifelong learning experience, not just from books, but also the community, particularly the founders of the new generations; the learners. My role as a teacher would be giving students the needed educational tools that would cultivate their knowledge. It is my desire as an educator to help learners meet their fullest potential by providing them a safe, supporting environment that initiates a sharing of ideas.

As a science teacher I will seek to develop a scientific mind by guiding the students to learn “why” and “how” does science work. My aim is to trigger critical thinking by using a lot of hands on activities that would help them correct their misconceptions. Besides, by using a lot of drill and practice I will mount the remedial process and help them develop authentic skills.

 Finally, I believe each and every child has the potential to bring something unique and special to this word.

My resume

                                             Address: Antelias, Mzher-Lebanon

                                                                        Phone Number: (961-03) 427-472

                                                                        Email Address: tdervartanian@hotmail.com

                                                                                                                            

Talar Nercess Dervartanian

                                                

OBJECTIVE:    seeking a career with a progressive organization where I can utilize my skills, knowledge and experience in teaching.

PERSONAL DATA:                  Date of birth: March 10, 1990

                                                   Place of birth: Beirut

                                                   Gender: female

EDUCATION:

September 2008 to date           Haigazian University, Beirut-Lebanon

                                                   (Biology and Teaching Diploma)

June  2008                                AGBU Tarouhy Hovagimian Secondary School

                                                  (graduated with high honors - LS)       

June 2005                                 Vahan Tekeyan Intermediate School

                                                   (graduated with honors)

EXPERIENCE:

·         Teacher at Tarouhi-Hovagimian School Biology – Secondary classes (Grade 10, 11 and 12SE)

·         Teacher at Vahan Tekeyan School English – Grade 9

·         Teacher in after school program at Tekeyan school (scientific subjects)

·         Zartonk daily newspaper, where I translate and even write my own articles.

·         Assistant in admission office at Haigazian University.

COMPUTER SKILLS:                Perfect operating knowledge of Microsoft Office.

LANGUAGES:                            Excellent command of written and spoken English,

                                                     Arabic, Armenian and basic level French

                                                 

HOBBIES:                                   Books, Music, Movies and cooking

                                                 

REFERENCES:                          Available Upon Request