English Teacher Phoebe Chen
Have you heard of Unidentified Mysterious Animals (UMAs)? They are a group of creatures not yet confirmed by scientists. Do you believe they might actually exist? Just like British scientists initially thought the platypus was a joke when they received its specimen, as it looked like an otter stitched with a duck’s bill and webbed feet. G4 students aim to prove the existence of UMAs through a series of data reading and inquiry.
The students began by engaging with two intriguing informational text, “The Weird and Wonderful Echidna” and “The Very Peculiar Platypus.” Despite informational text not always being captivating, these articles fascinated the students. Did you know these two are the only mammals that lay eggs? Echidnas have sensors in their beaks, allowing them to locate prey without seeing, hearing, or touching. Did you know male platypuses shoot venom during territorial disputes or courtship? The students were amazed by the superpowers of these animals, prompting them to wonder about other unique creatures worldwide.
To explore the unknown, we delved into Unidentified Mysterious Animals. Students transformed into mini curators, preparing for a grand exhibition inviting people to explore the unknown. The attraction of the unknown and mysterious captivated the students, leading them into a series of research. Before the exhibition, students read books about UMAs, including Yeti, Loch Ness Monster, Mothman, Bigfoot and Kraken. They selected their most intriguing UMAs for in-depth understanding, covering aspects like appearance, habitat, sightings, etc. After research, we cultivated critical thinking by having students choose the most believable facts, along with their perspectives on why these facts are convincing evidence of the creature’s existence.
Before the official exhibition, each student presented their researched UMA and its believable facts to different groups, receiving feedback to reflect on the persuasiveness of their arguments. Through this project, critical thinking skills were nurtured and enhanced. Some students’ ideas were surprising, like the credibility of a 1967 photo of Bigfoot, deemed high because there were no smartphones to fake pictures at the time. Another student mentioned Yeti’s footprint and poop found in the Himalayas as genuine, as no one would climb such high mountains to create a hoax. Do you believe UMAs are real creatures? Feel free to visit our “Believe It or Not, UMAs” exhibition on 3/2, and you might just start believing you’ll encounter them one day!
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