Computer Lab Activities, Interactive Whiteboard Activities, Online Learning Activities
Soar With Bats: A Science Explorations Activity
Learn all about these fascinating night fliers with these fun activities from Scholastic and the American Museum of Natural History.
- Grades: 3–5, 6–8, 9–12
Scholastic and the American Museum of Natural History have teamed up to create the exciting “Soar with Bats” project (grades 3–10). Various interactive learning activities challenge students’ reading and writing skills, research skills, and more, while they study these night fliers of the sky.
Level 1
- Bats Belong: After viewing photos and reading articles, students write up the similarities and differences between bats and other animals. Students edit their work to create an online “bat book” that they can preview and print.
- Investigate: Students answer three questions related to bats by reading articles and viewing images.
Level 2
- Bat Watch: Students read clues and observe visuals of bats to determine what each one eats. Dr. Nancy Simmons, a biologist at the American Museum of Natural History, offers further details on each species.
- Investigate: Students answer questions about bat adaptations after viewing images and reading articles.
Plus:
- Once students have completed the levels above, Putting It Together offers tips and ideas on how they can create a research presentation, whether it’s a written report, an oral presentation, or a multimedia experience.
- Bats Library shares dozens of articles on related topics, including animals, birds, environmental studies, evolution, habitats and genetics, human body, marine life, erosion, geology, seasons and weather, force and motion, and sound.
- Students can share their thoughts, questions, and ideas about science with other kids on Scholastic’s Message Boards.
- Backyard Science offers five bat-related science activities that students can conduct at home.
- Dr. Nancy Simmons shares her tips for spotting bats at home.
Learning Objectives
While participating in the “Soar with Bats” project, students will:
- Learn grade-appropriate facts about the topic
- Build scientific thinking skills as they follow a guided path of inquiry and analysis
- Learn how professional scientists and experts conduct investigations and present findings
- Practice reading strategies and skills needed to decode and comprehend nonfiction and informational texts
- Develop skills for writing about research-based topics
- Strengthen research and critical reasoning skills as they gather, assess, and use data
- Subjects:Biology and Life Science, Real-World Science, Scientists and Human Endeavor, South America, Nocturnal Animals, Vertebrates, Zoo Animals, Communication and the Internet
