Title: Characteristics of Caribbean Islands

Materials: prediction guides, graph of the prediction guide on the board, globe, flat map of the Carribean islands

Objectives:

• Students and groups of students will decide and record their stand on possible predictions of characteristics of Caribbean islands on a prediction guide. After the reading of the story, Isla, individual students will record the correct true or false answer.

Procedures:

Prediction Guide:

• Show students where the Carribean Islands are located on the globe. Point out where the equator is related to the location of the islands. Also show a flat map of the islands. Point out the ocean and continents that are by the islands.
• Instruct students to think about what the characteristics of Carribean Islands must be.
• Pass out a prediction guide (see Appendix) and instruct students to put a plus or minus next to each statement to indicate their predictions of what life must be like on a Caribbean island. (A plus shows they agree, while a minus indicates disagreement.)
• Place students in small groups and instruct them to come to a group consensus on each of the statements.
• The groups will indicate their predictions by a plus or minus in the second column of the prediction guide.
• Have each group choose a leader to write their answers on a graph previously placed on the board to represent the information.
• Discuss the results from the groups and point out what aspects on which the class agrees and disagrees the most.
• Instruct students to look for answers to the statements as the book, Isla, is read.
• Read the book, Isla.
• Give students individual time to fill in the correct answers on the prediction guide.
• Collect prediction guides.

Evaluation: Check off each student for completion of all questions for each of the areas of individual guess, group guess, and correct answer on the prediciton guides.