Transdisciplinary Lesson Plan
(adapted from CSDE)
Grade Level: 3 Date of lesson: Day 1 Length of lesson (days/minutes: 45 minutes
Transdisciplinary Unit Title: Adaptations
Lesson Title: Introduction
Content Standards: What are the state standards addressed by this lesson? Be sure to include all subject-area standards.
3.2 Organisms can survive and reproduce only in environment that meet their basic needs.
Learner Background: Describe the students’ prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s) and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate. How did the students’ previous performance in this content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?
This is the introduction to the unit. Prior knowledge will be assessed during this first lesson.
Student Learning Objective(s): Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson.
1. Students will become familiar with the definition of the adaptations.
2. Students will be able to access their prior knowledge using a KWL chart.
Assessment: How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)? Attach a copy of any assessment materials you will use, along with assessment criteria.
- KWL chart.
Resources: List the materials (print and non-print) you will use in each learning activity including any technological resources.
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8147566.stm
- KWL Chart
Learning Activities:
Identify the instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) you will use in each lesson segment and approximate time frames for each. Articulate how you will scaffold the learning experience for students (model/demonstration, guided practice and independent application).
- Students will start with the whole class, turn and talk to a partner, then share information with the whole class.
Lesson Development:
Initiation: Briefly describe how you will initiate the lesson. (Set expectations for learning; articulate to learners what they will be doing and learning in this lesson, how they will demonstrate learning, and why this is important)
- Introduce unit with a grabber.
- possible grabber: Cat’s Meow article http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8147566.stm. Scroll down for audio.
- additional grabber: How does your teacher say your name? How do the different ways she says your name change the way you react?
Development:
- Define adaptations as changes that occur naturally in an organism that help insure survival.
- As students to fill out the K (know) and W (Want to know) part of a KWL chart. Give them 5 minutes to fill it out on their own, and then have them turn and talk to a partner.
- Students should share their ideas. Create a class KWL chart.
Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson and help students understand the purpose of the lesson. (Interact with learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives)
- Review the chart and preview some of the things the class will learn by giving them the learning objectives below:
Unit Essential Questions:
· What enables organisms to survive?
· What behaviors are advantageous for survival?
· How does where organisms live affect how they live?
· What adaptations will organisms need to survive in the future?
Over Arching Essential Questions:
· How do we determine the impact of change?
· How do we evaluate the impact of change?
· Is all change good?
· How is inquiry used to investigate the answers to questions we pose?
· How is scientific knowledge created and communicated?
Individuals Needing Differentiated Instruction: Describe 1 to 3 students with learning differences. These students may be special or general education students and need not be the same students for each lesson. Students may represent a range of ability and/or achievement levels, including students with IEPs, gifted and talented students, struggling learners, and English language learners. Note: Differentiated instruction may not be necessary in every lesson (differentiate the content, learning processes and/or product based on the learners’ interest, readiness level and/or learning style).
Which students do you anticipate may struggle with the content/learning objectives of this lesson?Student name / Evidence that the student needs differentiated instruction / How will you differentiate instruction in this lesson to support student learning?
Which students will need opportunities for enrichment/higher level of challenge?
Student name / Evidence that the student needs differentiated instruction / How will you differentiate instruction in this lesson to support student learning?
Transdisciplinary Lesson Plan
(adapted from CSDE)
Grade Level: ___3__ Date of lesson: __2__ Length of lesson (days/minutes: _45 minutes___
Transdisciplinary Unit Title: Adaptations
Lesson Title: What Do Organisms Need to Survive
Content Standards:
3.3 Organisms can survive and reproduce only in environment that meet their basic needs.
Learner Background:
- KWL chart and definition of adaptations from lesson one.
Student Learning Objective(s):
- Students will be able to compare and contrast the external features and behaviors that enable different animals and plants (including those that are extinct) to get food, water, and sunlight, find mates, and be protected in specific land and water habitats.
Assessment:
- Science Notebook
Resources:
- Kids Biology.com: http://www.kidsbiology.com/biology_basics/needs_living_things/living_things_have_needs1.php
Learning Activities:
- Students start as individuals then share their information with their table group.
- As a whole class, students read a web article on basic life needs and take notes.
Lesson Development:
Initiation:
- Remind the class that yesterday we defined adaptations and did some thinking about what they know and want to know about this topic.
Development:
- Ask student to list the things they need for survival (food, clothing, shelter, etc.)
- Tie that into social studies by thinking back to the American Indians. Where their needs so different than ours?
- Share website: http://www.kidsbiology.com/biology_basics/needs_living_things/living_things_have_needs1.php
- Have students take notes about animal needs.
Closure:
- How are our needs different than the needs of animals? How are they the same?
Transdisciplinary Lesson Plan
(adapted from CSDE)
Grade Level: 3 Date of lesson: Day 3 Length of lesson (days/minutes) 30 min
Transdisciplinary Unit Title: Adaptations
Lesson Title: Natural Selection
Content Standards:
3.4 Organisms can survive and reproduce only in environment that meet their basic needs.
Learner Background:
- Previous lessons
Student Learning Objective(s):
- Students will be able to evaluate whether an adaptation gives a plant or animal a survival advantage in a given environment.
Assessment:
- Brainpop Quiz
Resources:
- Brainpop Video on Natural Selection: http://www.brainpop.com/science/populationsandecosystems/naturalselection/preview.weml
Learning Activities:
- Whole group
Lesson Development:
Initiation:
- Review basic life needs from yesterday’s lesson.
- Tell the class that when these basic life needs aren’t or can’t be met, natural selection helps a species survive.
Development:
- Watch the Brainpop Natural Selection video
Closure:
- Take the quiz and discuss
- Students can use wipe boards or a print out of the quiz for assessment.
Transdisciplinary Lesson Plan
(adapted from CSDE)
Grade Level: 3 Date of lesson: Day 4 Length of lesson (days/minutes): 45 minutes
Transdisciplinary Unit Title: Adaptations
Lesson Title: Animal Features and Behaviors - Physical Adaptations
Content Standards:
3.5 Organisms can survive and reproduce only in environment that meet their basic needs.
Learner Background:
- Previous lessons
Student Learning Objective(s):
Students will be able to:
1. Compare and contrast the external features and behaviors that enable different animals and plants (including those that are extinct) to get food, water, and sunlight, find mates, and be protected in specific land and water habitats.
2. Explain how behaviors such as hibernation, dormancy, and migration give species advantages for surviving unfavorable environmental conditions.
3. Give examples of ways animals benefit from camouflage.
Assessment:
- none
Resources:
- Powerpoint presentation: http://www.animals.pppst.com/adaptations.html
Learning Activities:
- whole class
Lesson Development:
Initiation:
- Review natural selection from day before. Ask the class about the word advantageous. What does it mean that some adaptations are advantageous to survival?
Development:
- Share the selection of the powerpoint on physical adaptations.
- Students should take the following notes:
o Physical Adaptations are changes in body structure that help an organism survive
§ Types of Physical Adaptations:
1. Camouflage - changing color to blend into the surroundings
2. Mimicry - looking or sounding like another organism
3. Chemical Defenses - such as venom, inkm spray that keep predictors away
4. Body coverings and parts- such as claws, armor, shell, sharp teeth that can be used to defend the animal or get prey.
5. Sounds - such as a lion roar or a snake hiss that scare other animals away
- Stop after physical adaptations and do behavioral adaptations tomorrow.
Closure:
- Give students any animal as an example. Write the name of the animal on the board and web off of the animal its physical adaptation. Get them to use the vocabulary as they describe the animal.
Transdisciplinary Lesson Plan
(adapted from CSDE)
Grade Level: 3 Date of lesson: Day 5 Length of lesson (days/minutes): 45 minutes
Transdisciplinary Unit Title: Adaptations
Lesson Title: Animal Features and Behaviors – Behavioral Adaptations
Content Standards:
3.6 Organisms can survive and reproduce only in environment that meet their basic needs.
Learner Background:
- Previous lessons
Student Learning Objective(s):
Students will be able to:
1. Compare and contrast the external features and behaviors that enable different animals and plants (including those that are extinct) to get food, water, and sunlight, find mates, and be protected in specific land and water habitats.
2. Explain how behaviors such as hibernation, dormancy, and migration give species advantages for surviving unfavorable environmental conditions.
3. Give examples of ways animals benefit from camouflage.
Assessment:
- none
Resources:
- Powerpoint presentation: http://www.animals.pppst.com/adaptations.html
Learning Activities:
- whole class
Lesson Development:
Initiation:
- Review physical adaptations from day 4.
- Tell students that today we will be talking about behavioral adaptations.
Development:
- Share the selection of the powerpoint on bahavioral adaptations.
- Students should take the following notes:
o Behavioral Adaptations are changes in the way an animal acts that help it to survive.
§ Types of Behavioral Adaptations:
1. Instinctual – behaviors the animals is born with.
2. Learned – behaviors that have to be taught.
- Stop after physical adaptations and do behavioral adaptations on Monday.
Closure:
- Go back to the animal used as an example on day 4. Add to your web behavioral adaptations for that animal. Get them to use the vocabulary as they describe the animal.
- Additional Resources:
o Animal Adaptation game http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.cfm
o Animal Adaptation E-Safari http://fen.com/studentactivities/CCCNet/sciencelab/Animals/AnimalAdapts.html
Transdisciplinary Lesson Plan
(adapted from CSDE)
Grade Level: 3 Date of lesson: Day 6 - 8 Length of lesson (days/minutes): 3 days
Transdisciplinary Unit Title: Adaptations
Lesson Title: Animal Features and Behaviors Continued
Content Standards:
3.7 Organisms can survive and reproduce only in environment that meet their basic needs.
Learner Background:
- Previous lessons of physical and behavioral adaptations
- Web developed on one organism
Student Learning Objective(s):
Students will be able to:
1. Compare and contrast the external features and behaviors that enable different animals and plants (including those that are extinct) to get food, water, and sunlight, find mates, and be protected in specific land and water habitats.
2. Explain how behaviors such as hibernation, dormancy, and migration give species advantages for surviving unfavorable environmental conditions.
3. Give examples of ways animals benefit from camouflage.
Assessment:
- Poster and paired presentation
Resources:
- Text on animals adapted from http://www.animalfactguide.com/animals.php
- Chart on Physical and Behavioral Adaptations
- Poster paper
- Venn Diagrams on Physcial and Behavioral Adaptations
Learning Activities:
- whole class
- small group work on one animal
- paired work comparing two animals
Lesson Development:
Initiation:
- Review physical and behavioral adaptations from day 4 and 5.
- Today we will be looking at specific animals and their adaptations.
Development:
- As a full class, revisit the web created on one animal. Demonstrate placing the adaptations on the chart.
- Put students into small groups. The elephant and turtle are the hardest texts and should be used for your highest readers.
- In the small group, students read the texts and take notes on the adaptations they find. They can do the work together, in pairs, or as individuals and discuss.
- When each group has finished, and the teacher has checked in with all of the groups, have students find a partner who studied a different animal.
- Fold the poster board in half and have each student draw a picture of their animal and label its adaptations.
- Hand out the Venn Diagrams and have each partnership use the diagrams to compare the animals. Make sure students understand that they should try to go one adaptation at a time and see if the other animal has a match. For instance, if they start with the sea turtle and write that the sea turtle is a fast swimmer because of his flippers, the group should compare that to the speed of the other animal.
- Once students complete their posters, they should prepare to present them to the class.
Closure:
- Students present their Venn Diagrams in small groups or to the class.
Transdisciplinary Lesson Plan
(adapted from CSDE)
Grade Level: 3 Date of lesson: Day 9 - 10 Length of lesson (days/minutes): 2 days
Transdisciplinary Unit Title: Adaptations
Lesson Title: Plant Adaptations
Content Standards:
3.8 Organisms can survive and reproduce only in environment that meet their basic needs.
Learner Background:
- Previous lessons of physical and behavioral adaptations
Student Learning Objective(s):
Students will be able to:
1. Compare and contrast the external features and behaviors that enable different animals and plants (including those that are extinct) to get food, water, and sunlight, find mates, and be protected in specific land and water habitats.
Assessment:
- Plant comparison worksheet
Resources:
- Adaptations Smartfile
- MBGNet on Plant Adaptations http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/adapt.html
- Plant comparison worksheet