Understanding By Design Unit Template

(Revised & adapted)

Title of Unit / Unit 2: Animals Adaptation / Grade Level / Kindergarten
Subject / Science / Time Frame / 12 weeks (12/8/2014-2/6/2015
Developed By / Anna and Xiaolu
Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results
Narrative about this Unit of Study: (including the Big Idea)
In this unit of study, students will understand animals have different physical characteristics. Further, students will learn that animals use these physical characteristics (inherited and created by the environment) to help them survive in their habitats. Students will then study how the animals grow and change over time.
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3.1a Each animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.
3.1c In order to survive in their environment, animals must be adapted to that environment.
5.1b An organism’s external physical features can enable it to carry out life functions in its particular environment.
5.2e Particular animal characteristics are influenced by changing environmental conditions including: fat storage in winter, coat thickness in winter, camouflage, shedding of fur.
5.2f Some animal behaviors are influenced by environmental conditions. These behaviors may include: nest building, hibernating, hunting, migrating, and communicating.
Understandings
What understandings about the big ideas implied in the PLOs are desired? / Essential Questions
What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content?
Students will understand that...
Animals have different physical characteristics to help them grow and survive.
Animals live in different types of habitats.
Animals depend on their habitats for food and shelter.
/ What are the basic needs of animals?
How do animals change to adapt in their habitats?
How do animals grow and change?
Where do different types of animals live?
Why do different animals live in different habitats?
How do animals depend on their habitats?
How do animals’ body parts help them survive?
Knowledge:
What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit? / Skills
What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know...
Nonliving do not grow and thrive.
All living things have basic needs.
All living things live in different habitats.
Living things grow and change.
Animals have different body structures.
Some physical characteristics are inherited from parents, others are acquired through their environment (i.e. scars)
Living things use theirsenses and adaptations to survive in their habitats.
Animal behaviors are influencedby environmental conditions. / Students will be able to…
§  Identify and describe living and non-living things
§  Observe and identify the physical characteristics of different animals.
§  Explain how animals adapt to their environments
§  Identify the habitats of animals.
§  Explain how animals depend on their habitats for their basic needs.
§  Describe how animals behave in their natural environments
§  Compare and contrast groups of animals (physical characteristics)
§  Sequence events of how animals grow and change (life cycle)
§  Ask questions to access information.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills?
Brief Written Description of the Performance Task
The performance task occurs in the fifth week of the unit. It is a three day activity with shared writing, shared reading, and watching a video clip. Students will then do independent writing to teach others about what they’ve learned. In this task the students are asked to become experts on an animal topic. They will use the gathered facts/information and write an informational text about their topic through the text structures and features (headings, labels, diagrams, table of contents, etc).
Session #1:
Teacher will introduce the task to the students and the first shared reading text on squirrels, Squirrels All Year Long by Melvin Berger. Explain to the students that they are going to gather information so that they can write their own informational text about squirrels.
As a class, the following will be done:
• Discuss the text and photographs
• Create a RAN chart of facts the students have learned about squirrels (What they eat, where they live, what they look like, etc)• Have students generate questions about other information they would like to find out about squirrels.
• Introduce and show the video clip:http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Eastern_gray_squirrel#p0089wm8 to gather more facts and answer questions about the squirrels.
Session #2:
Teacher will say, “Wow, we are experts on squirrels! We can now write to teach others about squirrels!”
Have the students come up with questions they think the readers might want to know the answers to (ex: Where do squirrels live, etc.)
Teacher will chart the questions and then choose one question and model putting one fact into a sentence. Then, teacher will model drawing and labeling a diagram/picture to match the sentence. As a class, the following will be done:
• Provide the students with paper (with space for students to write their own questions as a heading) and blank white copy paper.
• Students will select the appropriate paper after deciding what they want to teach their readers.
• Students will then plan by drawing, labeling a diagram, picture, etc.
• Students will finally be encouraged to use the chart to write about other categories they think the readers might like to learn about.
Session #3:
Teacher will remind students to reread what they have written to check (refer to the chart already created):
-if the sentences make sense and decide if they need to add more details (revise)
- punctuation (edit)
-for words they are not sure how to spell (spelling)
Rubric for Assessment:
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence – student work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, self-assessment or other means – will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results?
Student work samples (Class Big book on selected animal and Individual small animal books), RAN chart (What I think I know, etc), observations.
Objective(s)
Related to knowledge, skills or both? / Listed Aim or Learning Intention of Each Lesson. / Assessment / Resources
Animals have basic needs. / Brainstorm the different animals’ needs: food, water, habitats to survive. / Class chart (web) / Science big books and trade books
Animals live in different habitats. / List the different habitats for animals. Ex: fish live in the ocean. / Class chart
Small group, one-one conferences / chart of animal habitats (t charts, webs, etc)
Animals have different body parts to help them in their environments. Ex: Fish have fins and gills to help them swim in the water. / Identify body parts of different animals (physical characteristics) and how these body parts help them in their environments / Diagrams with body parts labeled. / Diagram of animal body parts with labels (Pictures, trade books, etc)
Animals change their behaviors according to their environments. Ex: Bears hibernate in winter. Chameleons change colors (camouflage) to hide from predators. / Identify how animals change to adapt to their environments. / Students will individual select an animal and then camouflage them within their habitats. / Some pictures with hidden animals (camouflaged in their habitats, etc), internet, trade books.
Animals grow and change / Identify and sequence the different stages in life for different animals. / Students will create a life cycle diagram for their selected animals. / Diagram of life cycles for different animals
Online websites: www.pebblego.com
www.brainpopjr.com
National Geographic Life Science Series
Universal Design for Learning
REPRESENTATION
The ‘what’ of teaching & learning.. / ACTION & EXPRESSION
The ‘how’ of teaching & learning… / ENGAGEMENT
The ‘why’ of teaching and learning…
Content vocabulary chart
Experience charts ( brainstorming maps)
Props, realias
Trade books and big books
Visual aids (diagrams, etc)
TPR (Total Physical Response)
Award reading, smart notebook / Read Alouds
Create content and experience charts (webs on topics)
Smartboard interactive lessons/activities
Research stations (multiple resources such as books, computer, pictures, etc) / Written and oral responses (i.e. RAN chart)
Individual animal books
Whole Class big book
Purpose of research a topic through multiple resources (realias, internet, books, pictures, etc)

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (pbk)