Simon's Cat Solves a Problem

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Subject Area

Arts Education
Science

Grade(s)

4

Overview

This learning activity should be used as an engage activity to introduce a lesson or unit on how animals use their senses to process information and respond to it. The students will watch a humorous, wordless media arts clip of how a cat solves a problem. The students will discuss the meaning of the clip and how the cat used its senses to solve his problem.

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.

Phase

Before/Engage
Science (2015) Grade(s): 4

SC15.4.11

Investigate different ways animals receive information through the senses, process that information, and respond to it in different ways (e.g., skunks lifting tails and spraying an odor when threatened, dogs moving ears when reacting to sound, snakes coiling or striking when sensing vibrations).

UP:SC15.4.11

Vocabulary

  • investigate
  • evidence
  • transmit
  • perception
  • receptors
  • senses
  • sensory information
  • process
  • memories

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Different types of sense receptors detect specific types of information within the environment.
  • Sense receptors send information about the surroundings to the brain.
  • Information that is transmitted to the brain by sense receptors can be processed immediately as perceptions of the environment and/or stored as memories.
  • Immediate perceptions or memories processed by the brain influences an animal's actions or responses to features in the environment.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify different ways animals receive, process, and respond to information.
  • Identify evidence of different ways animals receive, process, and respond to information to be investigated.
  • Plan ways to Investigate different ways animals receive, process, and respond to information.
  • Collect and communicate data of different ways animals receive, process, and respond to information.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Sensory input, the brain, and behavioral output are all parts of a system that allows animals to engage in appropriate behaviors.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Planning and Carrying out Investigations

Crosscutting Concepts

Systems and System Models
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 4 - Media Arts

AE17.MED.4.11

Identify, describe, and explain how messages are created by components in media arts productions.

UP:AE17.MED.4.11

Essential Questions

EU: Identifying the qualities and characteristics of media artworks improves one's artistic appreciation and production.
EQ: How do we 'read' media artworks and discern their relational components? How do media artworks function to convey meaning and manage audience experiences?

Skills Examples

  • After watching a commercial for a car, respond to teacher questions to identify, describe, and explain how the messages were created by the individual components.
  • After watching a series of commercials for shoes, respond to teacher questions to identify and describe the various methods and styles and the effect on the class.
  • With guidance, watch and respond to a series of political ads. By responding to teacher questions, tell the purpose, meaning and message of each and how interpretation is affected by context.
  • Using a class made checklist for basic principles, processes, and context grade one of your own media arts products and make changes to make it better.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Learning Objectives

I can investigate different ways animals receive information through the senses, process that information, and respond to it in different ways.

I can explain how messages are created by components in media arts productions.

Activity Details

This learning activity is an engage activity that should be used at the beginning of a lesson or unit on how animals receive information through the senses, process that information, and respond to it in different ways. This clip is a wordless clip that the students will use to identify and explain a problem.

Review with the students the five senses. Ask them to try to identify how the cat uses his senses in the Simon's Cat video clip "Let Me In". After watching the clip, discuss the following questions with the class:

What was the cat's problem? How do you know?

How did the cat use his senses in the clip?

How did the cat solve his problem?

What are some ways other animals use their senses to survive?

Assessment Strategies

The students' answers during the class discussion will determine if the objectives have been met.

Background / Preparation

Students should be familiar with the five senses. The teacher will need to be able to display the video clip.

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