© 2012 Alston Publishing House Pte Ltd ScienceSMART Teacher’s Guide Grade 2Chapter 1 Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans
Chapter 1: Living Things and Their Environment
Total number of periods: 24 periods
Overview of Lesson Plans
What Living Things Can We Find Around Us? (2 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods1.1 / Pupils should:
-know the factors that affect living things in their environments / Collect evidence by making observations when trying to answer a science question. (2Ep1)
Use first hand experience, e.g. observe animals and plants. (2Ep2) / Observing
Inferring / Be self-directed learners / 2
What Can We Find in a Garden? (8 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods1.2 / Pupils should:
-be able to explore how different animals and plants inhabit local environments, such as a garden / Collect evidence by making observations when trying to answer a science question. (2Ep1)
Use first hand experience, e.g. observe animals and plants. (2Ep2) / Observing
Communicating / Apply technology effectively
Be self-directed learners
Think creatively / 8
What Can We Find in a Pond? (6 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods1.3 / Pupils should:
-be able to explore how different animals and plants inhabit local environments, such as a pond / Collect evidence by making observations when trying to answer a science question. (2Ep1)
Use first hand experience, e.g. observe animals and plants. (2Ep2) / Communicating
Observing
Inferring / Communicate clearly
Apply technology effectively
Reason effectively
Think creatively
Work independently / 6
What Can We Find on a Beach? (2 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods1.4 / Pupils should:
-be able to explore how different animals and plants inhabit local environments, such as a beach / Collect evidence by making observations when trying to answer a science question. (2Ep1)
Use first hand experience, e.g. observe animals and plants. (2Ep2) / Observing
Comparing
Contrasting / Environmental literacy
Make judgements and decisions / 2
How Do Environments Affect Living Things? (4 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods1.5 / Pupils should:
-be able to identify similarities and differences between local environments
-be able to know how environments affect animals and plants / Collect evidence by making observations when trying to answer a science question. (2Ep1)
Make comparisons. (2Eo6)
Talk about predictions (orally and in text), the outcome and why this happened. (2Eo8) / Comparing
Contrasting
Observing
Inferring
Communicating / Apply technology effectively
Use systems thinking
Be self-directed learners / 4
Why Must We Care For the Environment? (2 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods1.6 / Pupils should:
- learn ways to care for the environment / Collect evidence by making observations when trying to answer a science question. (2Ep1)
Use first hand experience, e.g. observe animals and plants. (2Ep2)
Use simple information sources. (2Ep3)
Talk about predictions (orally and in text), the outcome and why this happened. (2Eo8)
Review and explain what happened. (2Eo9) / Observing
Communicating
Inferring / Environmental literacy
Use systems thinking
Communicate clearly
Apply technology effectively
Be self-directed learners
Think creatively / 2
Main Lesson Plans
Lesson 1.1
BSCS 5E / Lesson Notes / ResourcesChapter opener
Teaching Tip: Talk about the comic strip and what it is trying to illustrate, which is the impact of humans on the environment. / Textbook page 1
What Will I Learn?
Emphasise to pupils what their learning journey will be like for this chapter.
- Different animals and plants can be found in different environments.
- The factors in environments affect the animals and plants that live there.
- There are ways we can care for the environment.
What Living Things Can We Find Around Us?
Background: Factors that affect living things can be things that they need to stay alive such as air, water and food, or conditions of the environment such as cleanliness, temperature, or other living things that share the same living space.
Ask pupils:
- What are some animals and plants found in our local environments?(Answer: Accept all possible answers.)
Engage:
Pupils participate in an activity to introduce the section / Teaching Tip:Look at the picture on Page 2. Tell pupils that some animals have left clues (i.e. the pawprints, web, nest and hive) in Tom’s neighbourhood. Ask pupils what the animals are.
Tell pupils that by having an observant eye, we can often find traces that animals have left behind, e.g. the faeces of house lizards, the slimy trail of snails and the nest of ants.
Explore:
Pupils learn to be more observant of their surroundings / Ask pupils:
•What living things are found around your house? Where are they found?(Allow pupils to respond freely.)
•What must be present near the homes of these living things to keep them alive? (Allow pupils to respond freely.)
Process Skills: Observing, Inferring
Teaching Tips:
- Show pupils picture books featuring different types of environments, e.g. trees in forests, ponds, seas. Ask pupils to name the animals and plants they can see in these environments.
- Use the two pictures in the Textbook as talking points.
- Why can’t a frog live high up in a tree hole like a squirrel? (Answer: There is no water there for the frog to keep its skin wet.)
- What is each living thing (the tree, the bird and the chameleon) receiving that is important for its survival? (Answer: The tree is receiving sunlight and fresh air, which it needs to make food. The bird is receiving water. The chameleon is receiving food.)
Explain that:
- A frog is found near a pond but not high up on a tree because it needs water to keep its skin wet and feeds on dragonflies and other insects found near a pond.
- A squirrel, on the other hand, lives up a tree where it can escape attack from its enemies. It feeds on nuts and seeds which are found near trees.
- Living things need food and water to survive. The bird and the chameleon can find food and water in their environment while the tree is receiving what it needs to make food in its environment.
Explain:
New concept is explained to pupils / Teaching Tip:Introduce the term ‘habitat’ to pupils.
Explain that:
- Different animals and plants live in different types of environments.
- A habitat is a place where a living thing lives. It is the natural environment in which a living thing is found.
- A habitat provides a living thing with what it needs to stay alive.
- Get pupils to recall what they have learnt in Grade 1 Chapter 4: Animals, and Grade 1 Chapter 5: Plants. Living things need air, water and food to stay alive.
- What do living things need to stay alive? (Answer: Air, water and food)
Elaborate:
The concept is covered in more detail to get pupils thinking
Evaluate:
Pupils play a game to consolidate what they have learnt / Lead pupils to conclude that air, water and food are important factors that affect living things in their environment since these are things they need to stay alive.
Discuss with pupils how these needs are met in the habitat. For example, the food animals eat may come from plants or from other animals sharing the same living space.
- Ask pupils to name other factors which they think may affect living things in the environment that they live in. Remind them that living things include plants, so sunlight is an important factor too.
21st Century Skill: Be self-directed learners / Workbook page 1
Activity 1: Plant Hunt!
Workbook page 2
Activity 2: Counting Time!
URL 1.1
Consolidation Worksheet 1
Internet link for Lesson 1.1
URL 1.1:Plant and animal habitats
Lesson 1.2
BSCS 5E / Lesson Notes / ResourcesEngage:
Pictures are shown to pupils to introduce the section / What Can We Find in a Garden?
Teaching Tip:Show pupils pictures of some flowers and butterflies or bees.
Ask pupils:
- In which habitat are these living things likely to be found? (Answer: Garden)
- A garden is a place where many types of plants with flowers are grown. Hence it is a place where bees and butterflies, which feed on the nectar of flowers, are often found as well.
Teaching Tip:Introduce plants commonly found in a garden. Point out that grass is also a plant commonly found everywhere in fields, parks and gardens.
Background:The morning glory climbs up fences to reach for light as it has weak stems which would otherwise creep on the ground. Ixora and hibiscus, on the other hand, have woody stems that keep them upright. / Textbook page 5
Teaching Tip: The types of plants found in a garden may differ. Find some common plants in your local environment and introduce them to pupils. Include plants with weak stems, such as the morning glory (which depend on a support to reach for sunlight), shrubs with woody stems and many branches, such as the ixora and hibiscus, as well as trees, such as rain trees, angsana and palm trees.
Evaluate:
Pupils’ understanding is applied in an activity / Activity:Provide pupils with a large background scene of a garden with different types of plants. Get pupils to draw or stick pictures of animals that belong to this habitat on the background scene.
Process Skills: Observing, Communicating / Textbook page 6
Ask pupils:
- What are some other living things that share this living space? (Answer: Bees, snails, grass, trees, grasshoppers, squirrels etc. Accept all possible answers.)
- How do these living things affect one another? (Allow pupils to respond freely.)
Background: Caterpillars are the young of butterflies and they feed on the leaves of some plants. As caterpillars are the juicy meals of many predators, they have to camouflage themselves well by blending in with their surroundings so as to escape their predators. Grasshoppers are green so as to blend in with grasses which they feed on. Bees and butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers. Ladybirds feed on aphids, which are insects that feed on plant sap and destroy plants. / Textbook page 7
Explain:
Concept is further explained to pupils / Teaching Tips:
- Emphasise that animals are found in habitats where they can find food and shelter. For example, bees and butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers. The young of the butterfly, the caterpillar, feeds on the leaves of specific plants. Grasshoppers feed on grasses. Ladybirds feed on aphids, which are insects that feed on plant sap.
- Share with pupils that some animals found in a garden have similar colours to leaves and stems so that they can hide well from animals which feed on them. Give examples of animals which use camouflage, such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, stick insects and garden lizards.
Activity: Show pupils the video of a stick insect to show how some animals make use of their shape, behaviour and colour to help them hide in their environment.
21st Century Skill: Apply technology effectively / URL 1.2
Background: Trees are the homes of many animals, especially in rainforests where there are many trees. In a rainforest, animals and plants can be found in the different layers of the canopy. As trees have many branches and leaves, they give shade and shelter to many animals. Some trees also bear fruit, which provide food for animals. / Textbook page 8
Explain that:
- Trees are commonly found in gardens.
- Trees have many branches and leaves and hence provide shade and shelter for many living things.
Background:A bird’s nest fern is often found in the crook of a tree where it is damp and shady. Chameleons and spiders feed on insects. While a chameleon has a long tongue which it can flick out quickly to catch insects, a spider uses its sticky web to trap insects.
Some chameleons are able to change their body colour for social signalling and camouflage. They have very long tongues which they can extend out of their mouths very quickly to catch their prey.
Many birds perch in trees to rest, especially at night. They build their nests in trees where their eggs and chicks can be kept out of harm’s way (as animals which cannot climb trees cannot reach the eggs or chicks). / Textbook page 9
Explore:
Pupils find out more about the homes of birds / Project Idea: Some birds build very interesting nests to lay and incubate their eggs. Get pupils to look for pictures and information about different types of nests built by birds.
21st Century Skill: Be self-directed learners
Background: A rotting log can sometimes be found in a garden. The rotting log is a habitat for living things which feed on decaying wood or other organisms that live there. These include animals, plants, fungi and bacteria. The rotting log also provides shelter and shade for small living things. A rotting log habitat is cool, damp and dark. / Textbook pages 10—11
Fungi such as bracket fungi, mushrooms and toadstools can be found on a rotting log. They feed on the decaying wood. Beetles and woodlice feed on the decaying wood too. The moist conditions also support the growth of mosses. Earthworms live in the soil and feed on rotting plant parts found in the soil. Centipedes, which live under rocks or logs, feed on insects, spiders and other small animals which share this living space. Other examples of animal life in or on a rotting log are bark beetles, click beetles, termites, carpenter ants, spiders and woodpeckers.
Activity:Ants also build their homes in soil. Show pupils the video that explores the inside of an ant nest. / URL 1.3
Evaluate:
Pupils apply what they have learnt in a project / Project Idea: Pupils may want to set up a ‘garden habitat’ in a shoebox. Pupils can first draw a sketch of their garden on a piece of paper. Cut the paper to fit the base of the shoebox. Place the shoebox on its side so that the base of the box (the largest side) is now the main backdrop. Pupils are encouraged to decorate the sides of the shoebox to create a cohesive scene. Pupils may then add more details and animals to this habitat using playdough or printouts of animals.
21st Century Skill: Think creatively / Workbook pages 3—4
Activity 3: Hide and Seek
Workbook page 5
Activity 4: My Dream Home
Workbook page 6
Activity 5: My Favourite Corner!
Consolidation Worksheet 2
Internet links for Lesson 1.2
URL 1.2:Documentary of a walking stick (corresponds with Internet Link 1.1 in Textbook)
URL 1.3:Discovery of underground structures in an ant’s nest (corresponds with Internet Link 1.2 in Textbook)
Lesson 1.3
BSCS 5E / Lesson Notes / ResourcesWhat Can We Find in a Pond?
Background:Water hyacinths are floating water plants which have swollen leaf stalks filled with air to help them float. Water lettuce and duckweed are floating plants too. / Textbook page 12
Engage:
Pupils’ interest is captured using a discussion / Teaching Tip: Read to pupils a short story about some pond animals,e.g. In the Small Small Pond by Denise Fleming orJump Frog Jump by Robert Kalan. Alternatively, bring a hand puppet of a frog to class and generate a discussion on where frogs can be found. Use the story or hand puppet to generate a discussion on what lives near or in a pond.
Process Skill: Communicating
21st Century Skill: Communicate clearly
Explore:
Pupils explore the conditions of a real pond / Teaching Tips:
- If the school has a pond, you can show pupils the conditions around a pond and the living things found there. Alternatively, show pupils a picture of a pond.
•What are the conditions around a pond? (Answer: Damp, muddy etc. Accept all possible answers.)
•What are some animals and plants commonly found near or in a pond? (Answer: Koi, frog, water lily, water hyacinth etc. Accept all possible answers.)
Explain that:
- Living things which live in or near a pond include animals and plants.
- Introduce some common water plants that are found in ponds.Examples of water plants are water hyacinth, water lettuce, water lilies, water lotus and cattails.
Background: Mosses are non-flowering plants that can make their own food. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp and shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems. / Textbook page 13
Explain:
Different plants found in a pond are described / Teaching Tip:Get pupils to refer to the Textbook for pictures of common plantsseen growing beyondthe pond surface, e.g. water lilies, water lotus and cattail. Point out the showerhead-like fruit of the water lotus and the sausage-like flowers of the cattail.
Ask pupils:
•Why do most plants emerge from the pond surface rather than stay submerged in water? (Answer: Very little sunlight can pass through water, so plants have to emerge from the water to get sunlight.)
•Why is sunlight important for plants? (Answer: It helps them make food.)
Explain that:
- Many plants grow from the bottom of ponds but have their leaves and flowers visible above the water surface.
- Mosses are commonly found near ponds because they like damp and shady conditions.
Common Misconception: The water lily is often mistaken as a floating plant as it has its round leaves floating on the water surface and its flowers just above the water surface. Actually, water lilies grow from the bottom of a pond and are partially submerged. Their leaves are held on the water surface by leaf stalks so that they can receive as much sunlight as possible to make food.
Background: While fish are the most common life forms in a pond, there are many other animal species that live in and around ponds. Other common pond animals are snails, turtles, newts and salamanders.Frogs and toads also live near ponds to lay their eggs and feed on mosquitoes, their larvae as well as dragonflies and water spiders. Birds that live near ponds and feed on fish or pond plants and insects include ducks, geese, kingfishers and herons. / Textbook page 14
Explain that:
- Algae are often found on pond surfaces. Algae are the green substances often found growing on the sides of fish tanks.
- Many animals living in ponds feed on algae, e.g. water snails, fish and ducks.
Background: Insects found in or near a pond can find their food in this environment. Common insects found in or near a pond are dragonflies, mosquitoes and diving beetles. Some of the insects, such as dragonflies and mosquitoes, lay their eggs in water too.Their young grow up in water before they develop into adults which can fly.
Frogs frequent ponds because of the insects that breed and live in the ponds. Also, frogs stay near water as they need to keep their skin wet. They would die if their skin dries out. Frogs breathe through their moist skin as well as through lungs. They also lay their eggs in water. Tadpoles are the young of frogs. They feed on plants, algae and other microscopic things in water.
Teaching Tip: Introduce insects that are commonly found in or near ponds, i.e. pondskaters, dragonflies and mosquitoes.
More information and videos of pondskaterscan be found at the website.
Process Skill: Observing
21st Century Skill: Apply technology effectively
Teaching Tips:
- Ask pupils if they know what the young of the frog is called. Share with pupils that frogs spend the early part of their life in water, and thereafter on land and in water.
URL 1.4
- Takepupils to visit the school pond or bring pictures of a pond to show pupils the living things found inside or near it. Generate a discussion on how plants or animals living in or near a pond depend on one another.
21st Century Skill: Reason effectively
Evaluate:
Pupils apply what they have learnt in a project / Project Idea: Get pupils to draw a big oval shape on art paper to represent a pond and colour it blue or green. Pupils can then find pictures of different types of pond life and stick them in the pond or near the pond. Pupils may also make origami fish, frogs, turtles etc. and stick them on the art paper.
21st Century Skills: Think creatively; Work independently / URLs 1.5, 1.6
Consolidation Worksheet 3
Internet links for Lesson 1.3