Lesson Plan Example: Third Grade Life Science

Candidate:
Corina Franco / Subject(s):
Life Science / Grade level(s): First Grade / Date:
4/22/05
Standard(s): 2b.
2. Plants and animals meet their needs in different ways. As a basis for understanding this concept:
b. Students know to infer what animals eat from the shapes of their teeth (e.g. sharp teeth: eat meat; flat teeth: eat plants). /

Single/Multi-Day Lesson:

Single Day
I. DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT & CONTENT TYPE (Fact, Procedure, Concept, or Principle): Dental structure of different animals determines their diets. (Principle)
II. LEARNING OUTCOME (Objective): When given a handout with five pictures of animals showing their teeth on the left hand side of the sheet and the foods they might eat on the right side, students will draw a line from the animal to the correct food for that animal (with at least 4 out of 5 done correctly).
III. CURRICULUM CONNECTION (How lesson fits into larger unit sequence): This lesson is from the unit: Plants and Animals Together. The lesson taught before this was on the different kinds of environment that plants and animals inhabit. The lesson that follows will be on food chains.
IV.INSTRUCTION
  1. ENGAGEMENT (Motivational Activity):
The teacher will read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. The students will be asked if they believed the wolf’s side of the story and why. After time is given for responses, the teacher will ask if they know what wolves eat. More time will be given for students’ responses. Essential Question to be shown at start of lesson and answered at end of lesson: How can we tell what an animal eats by looking at its teeth?
  1. INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE (Teaching Methodology With Student Activities):
Step #1:
  1. The teacher tells the students that there is a way of knowing what animals eat by looking at the types of teeth they have.
  2. Students describe different kinds of teeth they have seen.
Step #2:
  1. The teacher shows pictures of animals with sharp teeth.
  2. Students turn to their partner and describe what types of food they believe the animals with sharp teeth eat.
Step #3:
a. The teacher explains that because these animals have sharp, pointy teeth they are able to tear meat and break bone apart, therefore these animals are meat-eaters (also called carnivores).
b. The students will repeat the word carnivore 3 times while the teacher spells it out on the board.
Step #4:
  1. The teacher explains that the plastic forks on the students’ desks represent sharp teeth and that the construction paper represents meat.
  2. Students will pick up the plastic forks and attempt to cut through thick construction paper with them to demonstrate how sharp teeth cut through meat.
Step #5:
a. Teacher shows pictures of animals with flat teeth.
b. The students will to turn to their partner and describe what type of foods they believe the animals with flat teeth eat.
Step #6:
a. The teacher explains that because these animals have flat, thick teeth they are able to use their teeth to grind softer plant foods, so these animals are plant-eaters (also called herbivores).
b. The students will repeat the word herbivore 3 times while the teacher spells it out on the board.
Step #7:
  1. The teacher explains that the clothespins on their desks represent flat teeth and the shredded paper represents grass.
  2. The students will show how to grind the “grass” with the clothespin to demonstrate how these types of teeth are used to grind plants.
Step #8:
  1. The teacher shows pictures of animals that have both sharp and flat teeth.
  2. Student volunteers will guess what kinds of foods types of animals eat.
Step #9:
  1. The teacher will explain that because the animals have sharp and flat teeth they eat both meats and plants, and they are given the name omnivores.
  2. The students will repeat the word omnivore 3 times while the teacher spells it out on the board.
Step #10:
  1. The teacher will ask the students if they are also omnivores.
  2. Students will hold their thumbs up for yes; thumbs down for no; and no thumbs if unsure.
Step #11:
  1. The teacher will tell the students that they are all omnivores because they have both sharp and flat teeth.
  2. Students will look in a mirror and tell their partners the location of their sharp and flat teeth.
C. APPLICATION ACTIVITY (Practice and/or Reflection): When given a
handout with five pictures of animals showing their teeth on the left hand side of
the sheet and the possible foods on the right side, students will draw a line from the animal to the correct food for that animal (with at least 4 out of 5 done correctly).
  1. MATERIALS & RESOURCES:
  2. Pictures of different animals showing dental structure
  3. Handout with assignment: In one half pictures of animals; on the other possible foods that animal might eat.
  4. Clothespins
  5. Shredded paper and bowl
  6. Plastic forks
  7. Thick construction paper

V. ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES (Methods For Obtaining Evidence Of Learning):
For formative assessment, The teacher will observe students' understanding of what foods are eaten by animals with different teeth by their responses to the application activity. For the Summative assessment, The teacher will give students an assignment to write a play with animal and plant puppets and incorporate what they learned about plant and animal environments.
VI. ACCOMMODATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL LEARNERS (Content, Instruction, Practice):Student with a hearing impairment is seated close to the teacher for better listening, and assigned a work partner who can answer questions, if the student is unable to hear important information or directions. For ELL students, I will be sure to clarify all key vocabulary and make sure that they can use the terminology correctly.
VII. HOMEWORK (If Appropriate):None