South Dakota Content Standards
Goal 2 (Geography): Students will understand the interrelationships of people, places, and the environment.
Goal 2 (Writing): Students will write effectively for different audiences and specific purposes.
Goal 1 (Nature of Science): Students will explore, evaluate, and communicate personal and scientific investigations to understand the nature of science.
Goal 3 (Life Science): Students will describe structures and attributes of living things, processes of life, and interaction with each other and the environment.
Goal 5 (Science, Technology, Environment and Society): Students will identify and evaluate the relationships and ethical implications ofscience, upon technology, environment, and society.
South Dakota Content Standards Indicators
Goal 2, Indicator 2 (Geography): Analyze the relationships among the natural environments, the movement of peoples, and the development of societies.
Goal 2, Indicator 1 (Writing): Students will use appropriate mechanics, usage, and conventions of language.
Goal 2, Indicator 2 (Writing): Students will use appropriate style, organization, and form in technical, transactional, creative, and personal writing.
Goal 2, Indicator 4 (Writing): Students will write to clarify and enhance understanding of information.
Goal 1, Indicator 2 (Nature of Science): Demonstrate understanding and use a variety of processes for scientific investigations.
Goal 3, Indicator 1 (Life Science): Understand the fundamental structures, functions, and mechanisms found in living things.
Goal 3, Indicator 2 (Life Science): Analyze various patterns and products of natural and induced biological change.
Goal 3, Indicator 3 (Life Science): Analyze how organisms are linked to one another and the environment.
Goal 5, Indicator 2 (Science, Technology, Environment, and Society): Analyze relationships/interactions among science, technology, environment, and society.
South Dakota Content Standards Benchmarks
Goal 2, Indicator 2, Benchmarks: (Geography) b. Describe ways humans are impacted by the natural environment.
Goal 2, Indicator 1, Benchmarks: (Writing) b. Use descriptive vocabulary and proper spelling in written work.
Goal 2, Indicator 1, Benchmarks: (Writing) c. Revise and edit work using fundamental conventions of language.
Goal 2, Indicator 2, Benchmarks: (Writing) b. Use appropriate writing style based on the established writing purpose and intended audience.
Goal 2, Indicator 4, Benchmarks: (Writing) b. Write to interpret and use new or unfamiliar information.
Goal 1, Indicator 2, Benchmarks: (Nature of Science) b. Explain the reasons for and expectations of scientific investigations.
Goal 3, Indicator 1, Benchmarks: (Life Science) a. Identify relationships between structures and functions within an organism.
Goal 3, Indicator 2, Benchmarks (Life Science) b. Identify factors that can cause change in a population.
Goal 3, Indicator 3, Benchmarks (Life Science) b. Identify relationships and interactions of living things.
Goal 3, Indicator 3, Benchmarks (Life Science) c. Identify how environmental factors affect all living things within ecosystems.
Goal 5, Indicator 2, Benchmarks (Science, Technology, Environment, and Society) c. Design solutions to human and/or environmental problems.
Other South Dakota Content Standards
Goal 2, Indicator 2 (Geography): 1. Evaluate the impact geography has on the inhabitants of South Dakota such as location of cities, transportation, industries, agricultural products, and culture.
Goal 2, Indicator 1 (Writing): 1. Choose descriptive words that are content appropriate and provide clarity and focus for the reader.
Goal 2, Indicator 1 (Writing): 2. Use grammar concepts in writing, e.g., verb forms, possessives.
Goal 2, Indicator 1 (Writing): 3. Edit final copies for capitalization, punctuation, and spelling, e.g., abbreviations, nouns of address, apostrophes.
Goal 2, Indicator 1 (Writing): 4. Use technology for revising and editing, e.g., spell/grammar check.
Goal 2, Indicator 1 (Writing): 5. Revise selected drafts by adding, deleting, combining, and rearranging sentences.
Goal 2, Indicator 2 (Writing): 5. Write to inform or entertain a specific audience.
Goal 2, Indicator 4 (Writing): 3. Organize and write about information according to category, source, or topic.
Goal 2, Indicator 4: (Writing): 4. Write to explain ideas presented or discussed in various content areas.
Goal 1, Indicator 2: (Nature of Science): 3. Use appropriate standard and metric measures to collect, record, and report data in graphical representations.
Goal 3, Indicator 1: (Life Science): 3. Differentiate between vertebrates and invertebrates.
Goal 3, Indicator 2: (Life Science): 1. Describe behavioral and structural adaptations plants and animals make to survive in a given environment.
Goal 3, Indicator 2: (Life Science): 2. Explain how a size of a population is dependent upon the available resources within its community.
Goal 3, Indicator 3: (Life Science): 1. Describe the organization of living communities.
Goal 3, Indicator 3 (Life Science): 3. Identify habitats and niches.
Goal 3, Indicator 3 (Life Science): 4. Describe various influences human activity can have on ecosystems.
Goal 5, Indicator 2 (Science, Technology, Environment, and Society): 4. Describe human influences on plant and animal survival.
Lesson One: Comparing Seed and Seedless Plants
Objectives:
-Students will learn the two groups of plants
- Students will gain an understanding of the seed plants and the plants they produce.
-Students will be able to name the two groups of plants that do not make seeds.
Materials:
-bag of beans (one per group)
-paper
-computer (one per group)
-Microsoft Excel
Step by Step Plan:
- Arrange for the students to work in groups of two or three. When in groups, have the students empty their bag of beans onto a desk.
- Have the students sort the beans into different groups. The students should write down the number of beans and how they classified the beans. When all of the groups are finished, have a spokesperson for each group explain how they classified their beans.
- Arrange the seeds again, this time in a different way. As a large group, come up with as many classification ways as possible.
- After picking up the beans and other materials, the students will make a graph of their results using Microsoft Excel.
- Save the graph and print it out, making sure to include titles, axis labels, etc.
Assessment:
Students will be graded on group participation and on the content of their graph. I will use the Seed Classification rubric to assess the students.
Lesson Two: Animalmania!
Objectives:
-Students will learn about the five groups of animals
-Students will gain an understanding of warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals
-Students will understand the difference between invertebrates and vertebrates
Materials:
-Student textbook
-Variety of animal pictures
-Chalkboard with five sections divided by tape
Step by Step Plan:
- As a large group, we will go over the information in the students’ textbooks that discuss animals.
- We will discuss what a Venn diagram is and explain its purpose. We will make a Venn diagram on the chalkboard that displays the characteristics of two animals of different classes. We will look at the similarities and differences of these animals.
- From here, we will look at 20 different animal pictures. Based on the characteristics of the different classes of animals, we will place our pictures on the chalkboard under the appropriate category. The chalkboard will have five sections: Mammals, Birds, Fish, Amphibians, and Reptiles. The students will take turns choosing a picture from the stack of pictures and place it under the appropriate heading. The student must also explain why the animal has been placed under that heading. Finally, they will say whether it is warm-blooded or cold-blooded and whether it is a vertebrate or invertebrate.
Assessment:
The students will be assessed based on their answers given during the Picture Classification game. The students will also be assessed on participation in the Venn diagram process. They will follow a rubric designed for Animalmania!
Lesson Three: Animal Jeopardy!
Objectives:
-Students will review their recent knowledge of animals through a game of Animal Jeopardy
-Students will be able to provide information to answer questions related to animals.
Materials:
-Computer
-Jeopardy presentation on PowerPoint
-LCD Projector
Step by Step Plan:
- Students will be divided up into two teams. Each team will form a team name.
- After the teacher gets the presentation open on the computer and connected to the projector, the first two students will go to the front of the class. To determine the selector of the category and point amount, the two students will do “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. The winner will select the category and point amount. The team that first answers correctly will be awarded the points. Play will continue with the next two students coming to the front of the room for “Rock, Paper, Scissors”.
Assessment:
The students will be assessed on their participation, enthusiasm, knowledge, and attentiveness.
Lesson Four: Learning About Landscapes
Objectives:
-Students will compare the different landscapes of the United States.
-Students will gain an understanding of characteristics that are common on these landscapes
-Students will be able to label the landscape regions on a map
Materials:
-Social Studies Textbook
-Map of the United States
-Colored pencils
Step by Step Plan:
- We will read the section in our textbook that discusses plains, plateaus, and mountains.
- After our discussion, we will brainstorm a list of characteristics that are common in each area, including land elevation, land uses, and climate.
- We will then take turns pointing out plains, plateaus, and mountain areas on the classroom map.
- The students will be given a map of the United States. As I say a location, the students will shade in the area on their map.
Assessment:
The students will be graded on their completion of the map. The map should be completely accurate, as it will be areas that we reviewed.
Lesson Five: Plants and Animals in the Plains
Objectives:
-The students will learn about plants and animals that live in the plains/grasslands region
-The students will set up a grasslands region with the proper plants and animals
Materials:
-Computer (one for each student)
-Internet access
Step by Step Plan:
- After reviewing the plains region, we will set up a Grassland Region of our own. The students will do this lesson in the computer lab.
- Once everyone is logged in and into the internet, they will go to the Build a Prairie website:
- The students will follow the steps throughout the website as they setup their grasslands with the proper plants and animals.
- They will choose either the tall grass or the short grass, as our time will not permit going through both grasses.
- The students will need to read the information about the plants and animals before placing them in the grasslands.
Assessment:
-The students will need to show the teacher their finished screen when they have completed the website. They will be graded on the rubric provided for the lesson.
Lesson Six: Plants and Animals in the Plateaus
Objectives:
-Students will gain an understanding of the climate and surroundings in a plateau region.
-Students will be able to identify plants and animals that live in plateau regions near deserts.
Materials:
-Computer
-LCD Projector
-Internet access
-What’s It Like Where You Live? Website
-Worksheets from
Step by Step Plan:
- We will look at the What’s It Like Where You Live? Website. After going through the website together, we will make a poem using the Desert Poetry Form from
- When they are finished with their Desert Poetry, they will research two plants that live in the desert and complete the form at They will use their textbooks, prior knowledge, and encyclopedias to research the plants. Some internet access will be allowed using the classroom computers.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their creativity used in their poem. They will also be graded on the accuracy of information on their plant research sheet.
Lesson Seven: Plants and Animals in the Mountains
Objectives:
-Students will gain an understanding of the variety of plants and animals that live in the mountains
-Students will be able to understand the environment and climate of the mountain region
-Students will understand the devastating effects that are left behind after a volcano erupts.
Materials:
-Bill Nye Video: “Volcanoes”
-Computer
-Internet access to
-LCD Projector
-KWL chart (transparency)
-Overhead projector
-Volcano Similes Page
Step by Step Plan:
- We will start by listing characteristics of mountains.
- Next, we will fill out a KWL chart based on volcanoes.
- We will continue by watching a Bill Nye video about “Volcanoes”.
- We will finish this lesson by reviewing the Mount St. Helens website listed above. We will discuss the effects that a volcano can have on the living things that were there, and compare it to the ones that exist today.
Assessment:
-The students will be assessed on class participation throughout our discussion time. They will also be graded on their similes page.
Lesson Eight: Comparing Deserts
Objectives:
-The students will learn how to make bar graphs using Microsoft Excel
-The students will compare sizes of deserts around the world
Materials:
-Computer for each child
-Microsoft Excel
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Step by Step Plan:
- The students will look at the website to compare the sizes of five deserts around the world.
- After gathering their information, the students will type the information in Microsoft Excel. They will use the formulas in Excel to construct a bar graph.
- After the students have made their graphs, they will print them out to add to their portfolio.
Assessment:
- Students will be assessed on following directions in the computer lab. They will also be graded on their finished product in Microsoft Excel.
Lesson Nine: Constructing Habitats
Objectives:
-Students will create a model of one of the three landscapes we discussed.
-Students will include pictures or models of plants and animals that would be found in this habitat.
-Students will write a brief summary of what their model is depicting.
-Students will learn how to operate a digital camera
-Students will learn how to insert a picture into Microsoft FrontPage
Materials:
-One shoe box per child
-Construction paper
-Markers
-Scissors
-Pictures of plants and animals
-Glue
-Other craft supplies as needed
-Digital Camera
-Computers with Microsoft FrontPage and Word
Step by Step Plan:
- The students will be shown an example model that has been created by the teacher.
- The students will decide on which landscape they would like to construct.
- The students will reflect on their prior knowledge to construct an accurate depiction of one of the environments. They will build their landscape inside of a shoebox to form a diorama.
- When the models are complete, the students will write a half page summary of what is in their landscape region and why. This will be typed up in Microsoft Word.
- Then, the students will take pictures of their models using the digital cameras and post their pictures on my webpage.
Assessment:
-The students will be graded on their model based on the rubric designed for the project.
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-The teacher will have individual discussions with each student about their project and their capabilities with the technology in this lesson.