Year 2H 2014: Information reports

Hello Everyone,
We have been learning how to write information reports in 2H over the past two weeks. We have been very lucky to acquire some small touch screen lap tops in our classroom and we are putting them to good use. We have been using the children's search engine, Kid Rex to research our topics as well as a range of books from the library. We are also learning that it is very important to recognise where we get our information from and reference these sources at the end of our report. Together we have written 2 reports as a class. Our first one is about Koalas and our second one is about Italy. You can read these below and there are also some pictures of us researching our topics.

Koalas

By Year 2H

Did you know that Koalas are endangered animals? There are only one hundred thousand living which may sound like a lot, but really it is not that many at all. What makes the Koala an interesting animal?

What type of animal is a Koala?

Well it isn’t a bear like some people think it is. A koala is a marsupial. Other marsupials are kangaroos, wombats and possums. Koalas are born blind with no fur. They live in their mother’s pouch and after six months they climb out and cling to their mother’s backs until they are old enough to climb trees themselves.

A Koala’s habitat.

Koalas are found in Eastern Australia. They live in gum trees so they can protect themselves from predators on the ground.

What does a Koala eat?

A koala’s main source of food comes from their habitat. They survive by eating the leaves from the gum tree. These leaves also contain water that the Koala can drink.

What does a Koala spend it’s time doing?Koalas are known to sleep nineteen hours a day. This is because the gum leaves take a long time to digest and the koalas needs to keep its energy to digest it’s food. They also spend time climbing trees which they are really fast and good at. They actually have sticky claws to help them.

Next time if you are lucky enough to see a koala, you will now know all about how they exist.

References:

Koalas. By Steve Parish

Say Hello Koalas. By Steve Parish

Koalah the koala. By Jon Rednick & Jan Davis.

Websites:

Animalfactguide.com.au

Italy

By Year 2H

Have you ever been to Italy? Do you know how fabulous it is? Here are some interesting facts about this great country.

Where is Italy?

Italy is located in the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe. It is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Italy is shaped like a boot. It is the fifth most visited country in the world. In the South of Italy you will find 3 active volcanoes.

Famous Landmarks.

There are many famous landmarks in Italy. The Colosseum was were gladiators once fought. It is in the capital city, Rome. The leaning tower of Pisa is famous because it leans and it continues to lean a little more each year. The Pope lives in Italy in Vatican City.

Fabulous Food.

Italians are famous for creating food that is popular all over the world. Food like pasta and pizza were first made by Italians. They make the best in the world.

As you can see, there are many wonderful and interesting aspects to Italy. It would be a wonderful place to visit.

References:

Welcome to Italy. By Meredith Costain

A Visit to Italy. By Rachael Bell

Websites:

www.kids.nationalgeographic.co