Creature Features

One of my graduate school assignments this past year was to write a integrated, conceptual curriculum unit that I would teach. I spent hours developing the ideas, writing the lesson plans, and finding resources.  

A typical Saturday activity this fall- working on my grad school assignments

Finally on December 1 it was finished and I sent it off to my professor. As a true perfectionist, I didn't think it was a good as it should be or could be but it was what it was.  I was satisfied and thankful that it was complete. (My professor was quite pleased with my work.) 

The unit is called "Creature Features." The concept is that structures fit the job that they do. It's mainly a study of animal classification and characteristics through the study of science investigations and informational text. There is an added component of information writing that students will do for another group of students here in Hungary. 

I received positive feedback from my professor regarding my work and was all set to begin teaching it after Christmas break.  

Reading a poster created about animal needs

 The unit began with learning about animal needs.  Students made posters about what animals need to survive. We also looked at how God provided for these needs through creation and the order of creation. It's really quite amazing to think about how good God was to make sure that animals (and humans) would have all their basic needs met. There was water, air, food, and shelter/space for animals before he created them.

Mealworms!  We are observing and learning about their life cycle

Students have been learning about the classification of animals, reading and identifying the main ideas of informational text, and developing their understanding of how God created the world with structure. We have much more to do as we begin to research and write this week about what we know. I'm eager to see them share their knowledge with other students in Hungary through our writing project. 

It's exciting to teach the unit that I wrote.  I see the strengths and flaws of it. Overall, I am still humbled that God would allow me to be a teacher to bring these truths and wonders of his world to children. I pray that the Holy Spirit would intercede and illuminate my students hearts and eyes to see the glories of God through these lessons of Creature Features. That's the true measure of success or accomplishment of which I can take no credit.  

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement as I worked on this project. I ask that you'd pray for my students and myself that our eyes would be open to see the glories of God through these lessons.  Please pray for wisdom for me and understanding for my students as we embark on some challenging lessons in the next few weeks. Above all, may these lessons stir my heart and my students' to worship and honor God as He deserves.