new blueprints for biography series · 2017. 11. 6. · 7 blueprint for biography introduction for...

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Blueprints for Biography STEM Series

Manfish: The Story of Jacques Cousteau

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BLUEPRINTS FOR BIOGRAPHY

Manfish:

A Story of Jacques Cousteau

Blueprint developed by:

Christine Deitz

Kristy Kidd

Ann Robinson

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Blueprints for Biography Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau November 2017 Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education University of Arkansas at Little Rock 2801 South University, SUA Rm. 101 Little Rock, Arkansas 72204 ualr.edu/gifted Credits: Ann Robinson, Ph.D. Director, Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education Blueprints Coordinator: Christine Deitz, Ed.D Associate Director, Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education Writers: Christine Deitz and Kristy Kidd Cover and Layout: Christine Deitz

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Blueprints for Biography are dedicated to

Maxine Robinson –

master teacher, perfect mother.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Blueprints for Biography combine the twin interests of biography as a means of investigating talent development and as a lively curriculum art.

The decision to create a series of curriculum materials based on biog-raphies written for children and young adults was influenced by very mar-velous people along the way.

First, I was born into a “reading family.” Books were everywhere in our home. My mother, Maxine Robinson, and my father, Frank Robinson, were avid, enthusiastic and completely open-minded readers. They mod-eled the intense curiosity that can be satisfied by reading widely and think-ing carefully about what one reads. Trips to the Platte County Library were an almost daily event throughout my childhood and adolescence.

Second, I had the good fortune to find myself in a doctoral program at Pur-due University. My major professor and lifelong mentor, John Feldhusen, was a voracious reader of biographies. He introduced me to the joys of examining a life in print, whether for scholarly investigation or for leisure.

Ann Robinson

Little Rock, Arkansas

6 ©Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education, UA Little Rock. May reproduce for classroom use only.

Blueprint for Biography

INTRODUCTION FOR TEACHERS

P-Quads P-Quads are four types of activities, so named because each begins with the letter “P” (Robinson & Cotabish, 2005). The activities selected as P-Quads focus on skills important to understanding and appreciating non-fiction texts such as biography.

P-Quad 1: PORTRAIT STUDY

Whether the portrait is painted, engraved or photographic, rich comparisons can be made between a biography and a portrait of the same individual. Portrait Study is best used as group activity, and is accompanied by suggestions to assist teachers in utiliz-ing an instructional graphic, FACE.

P-Quad 2: PROMPT FOR WRITING.

Prompts in the Blueprints emphasize persuasive writing because of its importance throughout life and because persuasive writing is especially relevant to non-fiction reading. This P-Quad is accompanied by a rubric to assist teachers in grading stu-dent responses.

P-Quad 3: PRIMARY-SOURCE ANALYSIS.

The use of primary sources, documents or artifacts written or created at the time of an event, is a means of developing historical thinking and habits of mind in learners. The primary source may be a document such as a letter, diary entry, newspaper article or cartoon of the period. Other primary sources are photographs, artifacts, maps, post-ers, and sound recordings. Primary-Source Analysis is best used as a group activity and is accompanied by suggestions to assist teachers in utilizing these tools.

P-Quad 4: POINT-OF-VIEW ANALYSIS.

Biography often involves controversy, conflict and complex situations. Point-of-view activities encourage learners to use critical thinking and empathy whether they are considering the perspectives of different people or investigating multiple interpreta-tions of an individual historical event. This P-Quad is accompanied by a rubric to as-sist teachers in grading student responses.

©Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education, UA Little Rock. May reproduce for classroom use only. 7


INTRODUCTION FOR TEACHERS

Experiments and Investigations A classic science experiment or investigation is included with each Blueprint in the STEM series. These investigations should not be thought of as stand-alone lessons. Rather, they are intended to complement the reading of the biography by allowing stu-dents to step into the shoes of the scientist about whom they have learned. Whenever possible, the subject of the investigation reflects a theme, concept, or invention pre-sented in the book itself. Teachers are encouraged to integrate the lessons communi-cated by the biography and the other Blueprint sections into the teaching of the inves-tigations as well.

Other Information Each Blueprint also contains:

a biographical sketch of the person about whom the biography is written an annotation of the biography a list of additional resources for the teacher to consult

a glossary of literary and historical terms



ABOUT BLUEPRINTS FOR BIOG-

CCSSELA-Literacy W.3.3; W.4.3; W.5.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. (Prompt for Writing, Point of View Analysis, Portrait Study, Primary Source Analysis) CSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.3: Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

CCSSELA-Literacy RI 2.1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. (Discussion questions)

CCSSELA-Literacy RI 2.3 & 3.3: Describe the connection between a series of histori-cal events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text. (Primary Source Analysis, Discussion questions)

CCSSELA-Literacy RI 3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. (Discussion ques-tions)

CCSSELA-Literacy RI 4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (Discussion questions)

CCSSELA-Literacy RI 4.3: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a histori-cal, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. (Primary Source Analysis, Discussion questions)

CCSSELA-Literacy RI 4.6: Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand ac-count of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided. (Discussion questions)

CCSSELA-Literacy RI 5.3: Explain the relationship or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text. (Point of View Analysis, Primary Source Analysis, Discussion Questions)

CCSSELA-Literacy RI 5.6: Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, not-ing important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent. (Point of View Analysis, Discussion Questions)

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Blueprint for Biography Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau

ABOUT THE BOOK About the Book

Title: Manish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau

Author: Jennifer Berne

Illustrated by: Eric Puybaret Publisher: Chronical Books Date: 2008 Subject: Jacques Cousteau

Length: 38 pages

Annotation:

Jacques Cousteau was an inventor, patriot, filmmaker, and adventurer. Born in southwestern France in

1910, as an infant Jacques suffered from anemia and digestive problems. He learned to swim at 4 years old

and realized he felt better – and moved better - in water than he did on land. In 1930, a friend gave him a pair

of goggles to protect his eyes while swimming in the ocean. When he opened his eyes under water, Jacques

was amazed by the life teaming below the water’s surface. His fascination with water and the ocean mixed

with his insatiable curiosity led to an extraordinary life of discovery, invention, and advocacy.

Jacques Cousteau created the aqua lung, a device that permitted humans to breathe compressed air un-

der water. This device opened up untethered exploration of the ocean floor. Cousteau and his team made

amazing discoveries! They identified new species of fish, uncovered ancient shipwrecks, and mapped the

ocean floor. For over 7 decades, Jacques Cousteau explored the ocean depths with apparatuses he invented

that enabled humans to dive deeper and spend longer time under water at historic levels. His life exemplified

his passion for adventure, collaboration, and the ocean blue. Author Jennifer Berne and illustrator Eric

Puybaret masterfully retell the life of Jacques Cousteau, the man who preferred to live underwater with the

fish…Manfish.



BEFORE THE BOOK Before the Book

1. (Students may need to conduct quick research before responding). The human body is designed to walk on land, bask in the sun, and breathe air. Discuss ways inventions and adaptions allow the human body to do the following:

Explore space Play football or hockey Explore deep water coral reefs Climb snow-capped mountains Patrol as a combat soldier

Answers will vary. Encourage students to think about the specialized equipment required to adapt the human body to different conditions.

2. In what ways does the burden of gravity influence and control life?

Answers will vary, but children should discuss the effects that gravity has on objects. Gravity, as a pulling force, determines where objects fall, rate of acceleration, how muscles and organs operate, etc.

3. There are activities that you cannot or should not do alone. SCUBA diving is one of those activities. Brainstorm reasons why diving in the lake or ocean is a “team” sport.

Answers will vary. Answers should focus on safety issues involved with humans submersing underwater and interacting with aquatic life for extended periods of time.

4. People are so visual! Think about the power of film and how film/movies/documentaries influence people’s thinking, advocacy, and action. What issues are you concerned about that you feel film would help you illuminate the issues??

Answers will vary. Encourage students to justify answers with detailed reason.

5. Think about the explorers and inventors you’ve read about or studied. What characteristics do these individuals have in common?



BY THE BOOK

1. Would you describe Jacques Cousteau’s undersea exploration brave or foolish?

Answers will vary. Jacques pushed the limits of underwater exploration. By inventing equipment that allowed him to breathe underwater, a rubberized suit that protected his skin from cold temperatures, Cousteau and his team reached historic ocean depths.

2. How did Jacques become a Manfish?

He invented the aqua lung which allowed him to breathe underwater. Adapted gog-gles protected his eyes. Weight belts allowed him to sink to lower levels. Fins allowed him to swim distances with minimal effort.

How do the illustrations help us learn about how he adapted to his body to world under the sea?

Answers will vary.

3. How did Jacques Cousteau use film (movies) to educate and influence people’s act ions?

Even with his earliest explorations, Jacques adapted a film camera to capture the never-before-seen world under the sea. Jacques captured the beauty and mystery, but also documented the pollution and toxic wastes that were being dumped into the sea. Jacques’s films raised awareness of how pollutants were damaging the fragile ecosys-tems beneath the ocean’s surface. His films also entertained people and raised the necessary monies to fund Jacques’s and his team’s adventures.

4. How did joining the French Navy meet Jacques’s needs?

Answers will vary, but should include

Provided a means for Jacques to explore the sea He learned the skills necessary navigate the ocean He applied his interest of the water He traveled the world Jacques observed men (in China) holding their breath underwater; it fueled his



BEYOND THE BOOK Answers will vary

1. In Jacques Cousteau’s biography The Silent World, Cousteau explained his passion for the sea. His work in film and writing illustrated how humans were responsible for the earth. Jacques died in 1996. Why should his advocacy for unpolluted oceans and quest for knowledge of the oceans continue?

2. Cousteau was a visionary who engineered ways for skin divers to live underwater for weeks or months at a time. Does the sea still hold mysteries? What can we learn from living under the sea?

3. Jacques’s family (wife and two sons) sailed with his expedition team and him. What would be the advantages and disadvantages to traveling and working with family members?

4. Jacques advocacy for the health of the oceans brought him before varied audiences – adults and children. How does your current life style effect changes in the ocean?

5. Explorers go places where no humans had previously explored. What areas are you most interested in exploring?

6. Jacques Cousteau invented many devices that allowed for underwater exploration. What underwater needs to be invented next?

7. Jacques turned his passion and interest for the sea into a profitable enterprise. What inter-ests do you have currently that could be developed into a profitable living or career?



PORTRAIT STUDY FOR The act of studying portraiture encourages students to think of the subject of a biog-raphy as a real human being. Students should first be introduced to the idea of a por-trait as a study of a particular person. A person who poses for a portrait is called “the sitter.” But a portrait is more than a picture of the sitter – it is about that person and who he or she really is. A portrait should capture something special about the sitter and his or her life. One could think of a biography as a kind of portrait in words (or, one could think of a portrait as a kind of biography in picture form).

It should be explained to students that studying the portrait of the subject of a biog-raphy can give us a better understanding of the person. Sometimes, a picture can ex-press something about a person that words cannot. Also, taking a long and thoughtful look at a picture can provide us with information that we might miss otherwise. En-courage students to draw connections between the biography they have read and the portrait they are investigating.

The FACE portrait analysis tool on the preceding page is intended to be used as part of a classroom discussion. If possible, project the image onto a screen for the entire class to see.

Around the portrait

Clues

Exciting News!

Face Student Directions

Face: What words would you use to describe the person’s facial expression or mood?

Around the Portrait: As you look all around the portrait, what details or ideas do you see?

Clues: Think about the biography you read. In what ways does the information in the portrait add to your understanding of the person?

Exciting news!: What did you learn from studying this portrait?

14 May reproduce for classroom use only.


PORTRAIT STUDY NAME: ___________________________________________________________________

Analyze Jacques’s portrait by answering the prompts on the following page.

h ps://www.google.com/search?q=jacques+cousteau&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa= X&ved=0ahUKEwiQ1eqc9KfXAhUb3YMKHcuQDc8Q_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=652#imgrc=VZ0AmkmfO68mNM

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PORTRAIT STUDY

Around the portrait

Clues

Exciting News!

Face



PROMPT FOR WRITING NAME: ______________________________________________________________

Choose one of the two prompts below:

Choose one of the two prompts below:

A. In the 1960s, Jacques and his diving team happened upon a disturbing plan. The French government was experimen ng with nuclear power and was planning to dump a train full of nuclear waste into the Medi-terranean. Cousteau immediately organized a campaign to stop this destruc ve plan. What does Jacques know and understand about the sea that the French government had not considered? Write an appeal to the head of the French republic, General Charles de Gaulle. Persuade de Gaulle and the French govern-ment to stop its plan for dumping waste into the water. Have they not heard of clean energy?

B. Jacques Cousteau’s ship Calypso was an amazing ship! Fi ed with a two-man mini sub, diving saucers, and other specialized equipment she had sailed all over the world and supported the historic and amazing work of Jacques Cousteau and his team. It was unfortunately rammed by a barge and sank in the port of Singapore. The ship was recovered from the watery deep, pumped dry, and parked in the shipyard. The cost to recover and restore the ship would be enormous. Through all the delays and setbacks, Jacques passed away. The task of bringing the Calypso back to France and helping her run on her own engines again fell to Simone, Jacques second wife. As Jacques second wife, Francine, it is up to you to wage the campaign to restore the historic vessel. Calypso must sail under its own engines in the Mediterranean again! Write a le er to the many, many members of the Cousteau Society asking for their financial and poli cal support. We cannot leave the legendary Calypso in disrepair!

(Note: Fire broke out onboard the Calypso while in a shipyard in Turkey in September, 2017. Find the lat-est news on the Calypso at the Cousteau Society. website)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



INVESTIGATION FOR TEACH-Engineering GAPs in Nature Materials:

Plastic turtle or model made from a small box with glue sticks for legs, stuffed opossum or a model made from an empty two-liter bottle, play dough to test comfort of artificial leg

For pouch- fabric and fur scraps, felt, file folders, masking tape, duct tape, ribbon, yarn, string, plastic newspaper bags, safety pins, Velcro, balloons, coffee filters, rubber bands, twist ties

For leg- cardboard, masking tape, duct tape, file fold-ers, toilet paper rolls, medicine bottles, plastic wrap, small cups, felt, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, rubber bands, twist ties, bouncy balls, plastic tubing, foam,

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-5-ETS1-2- Generate and compare possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

3-5- ETS1- 3- Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

MS-ETS1-2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices:

Asking questions and defining problems

Developing and using models

Analyzing and interpreting data

Constructing explanations and designing solutions

NGSS Crosscutting Concepts:

Patterns- patterns can be used as evidence to support an explanation; patterns of change can be used to make predictions.

Cause and effect- simple tests can be designed to gather evidence to support or refute student ideas about caus-es.


Blueprint for Biography Manfish: The Story of Jacques Cousteau

Activity 1 Procedures:

In Manfish, young Jacques Cousteau often dreamed of breathing underwater and flying with the birds. What would you need in order to fly like a bird? What technologies have humans designed to allow us to “fly like birds”? (Allow students time to share- airplanes, hang gliders, parachutes, etc.)

Later in the story Jacques practiced diving with his friends. Do you remember what technology he used to

help him swim like a fish? (Show pictures of the children with fins from the story Manfish). Where do you think humans got the idea for fins on the feet to help us swim? Humans often use ideas from nature to design technologies that make our life more efficient. Sometimes the technologies that humans design can be modified to make an animal’s life easier.

One such technology helped a dolphin named Winter. Winter is an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin that was res-

cued from a crab trap when she was a baby. She was rushed to Clearwater Marine Aquarium and cared for until she was well. However her tail had been seriously damaged in the trap and eventually fell off. Engineers and veterinarians worked together to design a prosthetic tail.

If you were to design a prosthetic tail for a dolphin what questions might you ask before beginning your de-

sign? (Some of the questions may include what type of materials to use, how would we fasten the tail, and does the tail needed to be waterproof)?

What criteria and constraints do you think the engineers would have when designing the tail? (Some criteria

these engineers decided on were that the tail must be comfortable and not rub the skin. The tail should be easy to attach and detach but remain securely on the while the dolphin is swimming. One constraint would be the type of materials that could be used).

Show a picture of Winter with no tail.

INVESTIGATION FOR TEACH-

Lesson adapted from Go Fish: Engineering Prosthe c Tails. (2015). [ebook] Boston, MA: Museum of Science. Available at: h ps://eie.org/engineering-everywhere/curriculum-units/prosthe cs [Accessed 16 Mar. 2017].


INVESTIGATION You are going to brainstorm what you think the prosthetic tail should look like. Draw a rough sketch of your

idea. Label the parts and what materials you think you will use if you have time. Allow about 4 minutes or longer if they stay focused and quiet.

After four minutes share ideas and use those ideas to assemble a class plan including what materials might be

used to make the tail. Then show what the engineers actually designed. Emphasize that there is no right or wrong answer. The design simply had to meet the criteria discussed earlier.



INVESTIGATION Once all teams have completed prototypes do a final test as a whole group and evaluate each design based on

the rubric. Discuss as a whole class what modifications each group would make and why. Have groups return to their design plan and make any improvements/ modifications. Allow time for a rebuild and retest. As a whole class test again and discuss what modifications worked as

well as what modifications didn’t work.

Choose one criteria from above to improve/modify. How will you change your design?

ARTIFICIAL LIMB TESTING RUBRIC

CRITERIA 0 1 2

Comfort Leaves obvious inden-tions in play dough Leaves minimal inden-

tions in play dough Leaves NO indentions

in play dough

Attachment Takes longer than 30 seconds to attach and

remove

Takes between 11 and 30 seconds attach

and remove

Takes less than 10 seconds attach and

remove

Durability Does not remain as-sembled when at-

tached, removed, and reattached

Remains assembled when attached, re-moved, and reat-

tached.

Remains assembled when attached, re-moved, and reat-tached two times

Function Does not stay securely attached when the ani-

mal moves

Stays securely at-tached when the ani-

mal moves

Stays securely at-tached when the ani-mal moves vigorously

Waterproof No Yes



Imagine- What should the prosthe c dolphin tail look like? CRITERIA

must be comfortable and not rub the skin should be easy to a ach and detach remain securely a ached while the dolphin is swimming must be waterproof

Idea # 1

Idea # 2



Winter without her tail

MAVRIXPHOTO.COM/KEYSTONEPress found at h ps://www.tribute.ca/galleries/dolphin-tale/25793/0/



Winter and Her Prosthe c Tail

h ps://ac vecitytravel.com/category/des na ons/florida/clearwater-

h p://www.hangerclinic.com/empowered-stories/winter-the-dolphin/Pages/prosthesis.aspx



REFERENCES Cox, C. (1926). The early mental traits of three hundred geniuses. Stanford, CA: Stan-

ford University Press.

Hollingworth, L.S. (1925). Introduction to biography for young children who test above 150 I.Q. Teachers College Record, 2, 277–287.

Parke, C. (1996). Biography: Writing lives. New York, NY: Twayne.

Robinson, A. (2009). Blueprints for biography: Differentiating the curriculum for talent-ed readers. Teaching for High Potential, Fall, THP-7–8.

Robinson, A. & Cotabish, A. (2005). Biography and young gifted learners: Connecting to commercially available curriculum. Understanding Our Gifted, Winter, 3–6.

Robinson, A., Kidd, K., & Deitz, M. (2016). Biography builds STEM understanding for talented learners. In STEM education for high-ability learners: Designing and im-plementing programming (pp. 171-186). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

Robinson, A. & Schatz, A. (2002). Biography for talented learners: Enriching the cur-riculum across the disciplines. Gifted Education Communicator, Fall, 12–15, 38–39.

Additional photo credits

Front Cover:

Back cover: Electric lamp patent to Thomas Edison, National Archives, retrieved from http://www.ourdocuments.gov May 20, 2009.

STEM Series Blueprints for Biography are curriculum guides for teachers and students

engaged in the study of a specific biography of a great figure in the STEM disciplines. Each Blueprint contains questions, activities, and

resources to be used in the classroom.

For more information, please contact the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education at

the University of Arkansas at Little rock.

ualr.edu/gifted

new blueprints for biography series · 2017. 11. 6. · 7 blueprint for biography introduction for...

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