University of Houston

Science for ELLs

Teachers Name: Andy Tran, Tiffany Tran, Rebekah, and Cristhian Kraemer

Basic Lesson Components

Grade Level: 4th

Time Estimate: 45 minutes

Science Content:

An adaptation is a physical feature or behavior that helps an organism to survive in an

environment. It is common in a population because it provides some improved function.
Adaptations are well fitted to their function and are produced by natural selection. There are two
different types of adaptations: physical and behavioral. Physical adaptation includes any part of
the animal’s body that helps it to survive. This may include animal’s claws, beaks, feet, teeth, etc.
While behavioral adaptation are the things organisms do to survive. This includes migration, how it
hunts, sleep, etc. Any or all of these types of adaptations play a critical role in the survival of an
animal.

Adaptations are the result of evolution. Evolution is a change in a species over long periods of time.
Charles Darwin theory of evolution stated that all life on Earth is connected and related to each
other or have a common ancestor, and this diversity of life is a product of modifications of
populations by natural selection. Natural selection is the process where organisms with favorable
traits are more likely to reproduce. These favorable traits and characteristics are known as
adaptations and contribute to diversity. The favorable traits, or variations, will be passed on to
more offspring and will become more common in the overall population. Overtime the organisms
are well adapted to their environment. Thus, adaptations that make them better able to live in
their environment. Because of these favorable traits or characteristics, these organisms are better
able to find food, shelter, and mates, making them better able to survive than other animals of the
same species that do not have favorable adaptations. Animals that are not well adapted to an
environment or less advantageous may not survive and slowly die off.

Domjan & Wong (2016)

TEKS:

10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms undergo similar life
processes and have structures and behaviors that help them survive within their environment.
The student is expected to:

(A) explore how structures and functions enable organisms to survive in their environment;

Content Objective(s): Students will be able to explore how structures and functions enable
organisms to survive in their environment.

ELPS:
Listening: C2E: Use visual, contextual, and linguistic support to enhance and confirm understanding
of increasingly complex and elaborated spoken language
Speaking: C3E: Share information in cooperative learning interactions
Reading: C4A: Learn relationships between sounds and letters of the English language and decode
(sound out) words using a combination of skills such as recognizing sound-letter relationships and
identifying cognates, affixes, roots, and base words
Writing: C5A: Learn relationships between sounds and letters of the English language to represent
sounds when writing in English

Domjan & Wong (2016)

Vocabulary: Definition: Cognate (T or F):
Adaptation Any alteration in the parts of an organism Adaptación (T)
including form, structure, function, or behavior,
the organism becomes better fitted to survive in
its environment.

Physical Adaptation Some type of structural modification made to a Adaptación física(F)

part of the body.

Behavioral Is something an animal does - how it acts - Adaptación conductual

Adaptation usually in response to some type of external (F)
stimulus

Camouflage Allow an animal to blend into its environment Camuflaje (T)

Mimicry Allows one animal to look, sound, or act like Mimetismo(F)

another animal to fool predators into thinking it
is poisonous or dangerous

Hibernation This is deep sleep in which animal’s body temp Hibernación(T)

droops, body activities are slowed to conserve
energy

Migration The seasonal movement of a complete Migración (T)

population of animals from one area to another

Natural Selection The natural process by which living organisms Seleccion Natural (T)
have traits that better enable them to adapt,
survive, and reproduce to specific
environmental pressures.

Darwinism A theory of biological evolution developed by Darwinismo (T)

Charles Darwin and others, stating that all
species of organisms have developed from
other species, primarily through natural
selection.
Evolution La evolución (T)
The scientific theory which explains the change
in appearance or characteristics of species and
varieties over several generations through the
action of natural selection.

Domjan & Wong (2016)

Misconceptions:
● Only organisms that look alike share a common ancestor.
● Populations adapt when all of the individual members gradually change their traits.
● Natural selection can happen only when there are sudden changes to the environment.
● All individuals in a population are the same, except for differences between male and
female, and young and old.
● Genetic variations arise in response to selective pressure.
Materials/Resources/Technology Needs:
Materials:
● Pencil
● Interactive Science Notebook
● Picture and Description Card
Bird Beak Adaptations
● Cups to use as a “stomach” for birds to put eaten food in
● Bowls to put food or objects in.
● Ziploc bags to put the utensils or the “bird beaks” into.
● Instructions post on construction paper
● Spoons
● Dropper/Pipet
● Tweezers
● Clothespins
● Scissors
● Paper Clips
● Marshmallows
● M&m’s
● Oatmeal
● Water
● Seed
Book:
1. Living Dinosaurs written by Angela Scott and Jonathan Scott (Non-fiction)
2. Squirrels leap, Squirrels Sleep by April Pulleu Sayre (Fiction)
Technology:
● Computer
● Projector
● Online Timer

Safety:
1. Keep your hands to yourself
2. Be kind, polite, and courteous to others.
3. Be respectful of classmates, teachers, and property
4. Raise your hand if you need help or have a question
5. Use lab tools with care and precaution
6. Clean up your work area

Domjan & Wong (2016)

 5E Instructional Procedures
What Teacher Does What Student Does:

Engage The teacher will be able to do (TTW): The student will be able to do (SWBAT):
Visual (Shown on the Projector): ● Students are sitting at their desks
quietly.
● Students will raise their hands before
speaking
● Students need to participate in the
discussion such as answering
teacher’s questions
● Students will be called upon by the
teacher to come up to the
whiteboard and write their response
to either side
● Ask students, “What can people do or ● Students will create a t-chart of their
wear during the winter in order to keep own and jot down details written on
themselves warm?” the whiteboard by their fellow
● Students are able to do a turn-and-talk to classmates
their group for a minute.
● The teacher will allow the students a
moment to think before having them
share it out with members of their table.
● The teacher will call upon one of the
students from each table to stand up and
write on the whiteboard about what they
think can be an example for people and
animals.
● While so, the teacher will encourage the
rest of the class to create a t-chart like the
one from the whiteboard and write down
what that student is jotting in front of the
class.
● After the student writes down whatever
they think is an example to be used for
the t-chart, the teacher will make that
person who wrote the details on the
board explain why that is so.
Visual (Shown on the Whiteboard):

Domjan & Wong (2016)

 ● The teacher will ask the students that
animals do the same thing in their
environment.
● The teacher’s question will be, “So you
have just told me that when it’s time for
winter, people do….What about animals,
how do they do anything different from
people?”
○ Here students may mention
animals (penguins huddle
together)
○ Fur/Coat, Blubber, Hibernate,
Migrate, looking for shelter in the
ground, tree, or bottom of the
pond

Explore The teacher will be able to do (TTW): The student will be able to do (SWBAT):
● The teacher will use an attention getter, ● Students are sitting at their desks
so the students can listen to her/him. quietly and waiting for further
● I will tell them that I will be passing out instructions..
the materials for the activity/game. Instructions for Activity/What students
● While passing out the materials, I inform need to do
the students not to touch the 1. Open the bag of different tools
materials(bag of tools, bowl of (spoons, clothespin, dropper/pipet,
snack/objects, empty plastic cups, and a scissor, and tweezers.
time) unless I say and all of them should 2. Set the time at 5 seconds.
be seated in their group. In addition, I will 3. They will have 5 seconds to gather as
place the instructions in the middle of the much food from each bowl of
table, facing down. Remind students not food/object (marshmallows, m&ms,
to flip the paper. seeds, paperclips, water) by using
Instructions: the tool. So, use every tool and

Domjan & Wong (2016)

 collect each food/object.
4. Drop any food/object that is
collected into the paper cup
● Students will need to collaborate
with their other classmates by taking
turns on using the tools and using
the timer.
● While working the students should
not be yelling or talking at a loud
voice level.
● After the activity, the students will
clean up by putting the cup with
food/objects gathered should not be
thrown away. Just leave it to the side
● Students raise their hand if they
want to answer. While the rest of the
students would pay attention and
listen to the student talking..
● After passing the materials out. I will say,
“When I say “go” you flip over the
instructions and start on the
game/activity.”
● While the students are working on the
activity/game, I will be walking around
the classroom to see everyone is on task,
behaving, and providing any assistance or
clarification.
● After doing the activity/game for 10 to 15
minutes, the teacher will call the class
back together to the board.
○ Ask them to clean up by putting all
the bowls of food/objects and
extra empty cups in the middle of
the table.
○ The tools and cups of food/objects
that have been gathered out.
● At the board, I will tally what the amount
of food is collected to each tool by having
a pre-made chart. It would look like this:

Domjan & Wong (2016)

● When I being to tally the amount is
collected for each food/object for a
specific tool, I will first show the tool I am
talking by showing them a picture or just
show the actual tool that the students
should already have and use at their table
in order to help students if they don’t
know what the tools name or what it
looks like.
● The teacher will ask the students, “So,
now you did this activity, imagine these
tools were mouth of the animals, how
would you think it would affect their
survival?”
● Pick on a few students to answer

Domjan & Wong (2016)

Explain The teacher will be able to do (TTW): The student will be able to do (SWBAT):
● Students are sharing their answers
● After the activity/game the teacher will ● Students are sitting at their desks
ask students based “What do you think quietly after sharing
the game is all about?” In addition, the ● Students will show understanding
teacher will mention the Engage (T-chart using the thumbs up thumbs down
activity) as a hint. strategy
● The teacher will read the objective to the
class.
● The teacher will ask the students to come
up front and be prepared to take notes
● The teacher will discuss with students
that birds have different types of beaks
that allow them to eat different kinds of
prey items. Their beaks are suited to
match their food types/diet.
● The teacher will then ask some questions
for discussions
○ Why do birds have different
beaks?
○ Did any tools tie for any food
types?
○ Is there a tool that is not able to
pick or grab up food, but in a
different way?
○ Are there some beaks that are
able to pick a lot?
○ What do you think this bird eats
for this tool(beak)?
○ What makes you think that?
○ What bird do you think this is?
Why?
● The teacher will walk around listening
while the students turn and talk
● After finishing the discussion, the teacher
will show a video about adaptation so the
class could watch.
● Once the video ends, the teacher will
have a class discussion with students,
making them do a turn-and-talk on what
they learned for adaptation.
● After the students have shared the
teacher will settle them down and say “
many different animal have different

Domjan & Wong (2016)

 functions and structures that help them
live in their environment”
● The teacher will then provide examples
and explain them so students can
understand how animals can survive
thanks to this structure and functions.
● The teacher will then stop and check for
understanding using thumbs up and
thumbs down. If everyone understands
the teacher will proceed and if not the
teacher will explain in a different way and
use different words to explain how and
why different animals use different
structures and functions to survive.
● The teacher will show students different
animals pictures and the teacher will
compare and contrast them so students
can see how different each animal is.

Elaborat The teacher will be able to do (TTW): The student will be able to do (SWBAT):
e ● Today, you will be doing this activity ● Students will be sitting at their desk
which is collaborative learning. quietly
● There would be two different sets of ● After the teacher explains the
cards: picture and description. activity, the student will receive their
● The picture card will show images of card.
different animals around the world. While ● Students will walk around the
the description card will have information classroom and talk to others about
about where the animal comes from and what they have, and find the student
their adaptation which could either be who has a card that matches them.
physical, behavioral adaptation, or a ● Students will sit back down and be
mixture. able to share out what is their animal
● I am going to pass a card randomly to and adaptations.
each student
● You will only have one card which is
either a picture or description card.
● You will need to match what adaptation
fits to which animal the best by looking
for them around the classroom
● Those with description cards need to
think about the animal this card is
describing.
● While students with animals picture what
traits of animals that this animal has.
● Remind the students about the rules

Domjan & Wong (2016)

 ○ No running around in the
classroom
○ Do not talk very loud
● I will put an online stopwatch/timer on
the projector and set the time for 2
minutes. When I press start, you should
begin walking around.
● The teacher will be walking around to
monitor the students' actions and also
assist students if there are terms that
they don’t know.
● If there are students who finished early,
they need to find me another adaptation
they think this animal has?
○ For example, the elephant in the
picture from below has a long
nose that lets it eat, clean, drink,
and pick things up.
○ Another adaptation, the student
can think of is that their tusk
(students may call it something
else) to dig or defend from
predators. Or their ears to keep
them cool by flapping it like a fan.

● Students are allow to search this on the

school’s technology (laptop, Ipad, etc) or
in books
● If the teacher sees most students are
done or got a partner, the teacher would
end the activity.
● The teacher would get the student’s
attention and ask them to sit down in the
closest seats with their partner.

Domjan & Wong (2016)

 ● The teacher will then have a discussion on
the activity. The teacher would pick on a
random pair and ask:
○ What animal do you and your
partner have?
○ What adaptation does it have?
○ Is physical or behavioral
adaptation?
○ For those who finished early:
What is another adaptation that
you find about your animal?

Evaluate The teacher will be able to do (TTW): The student will be able to do (SWBAT):
● The teacher will ask questions to assess ● Students will be sitting at their desks
the students: quietly.
● The teacher will say or recap today of ● Students will attentively listen to the
things we have managed to learn about teacher going over all the things they
adaptation and what it is. We learned have been able to learn of
about various types of adaptation. adaptation.
● Can someone tell me what is an ● Students will directly respond to
adaptation? different questions that were asked
● Can someone tell me the two types of by the teacher with a good
adaptation explain to me the difference explanation.
between them? ● Students will be taking out a blank
● Afterwards, the teacher will explain to the sheet of paper and jot down a free
students that in their science notebook: response focus around two
○ They will pick an animal of their organisms and the kinds of
choice and research about it adaptations it could utilize to survive.
○ Draw a picture of the animal or ● Students will also need to pick an
find an image of the animal animal of their choice to find out
○ 1. They will write down where the more about the animal and its
animal lives adaptation
○ 2. Is the animal a herbivore,
carnivore, or omnivore?
○ 2. What do they eat?
○ 3. They have to name at least one
physical and behavioral adaptation
of the animal. What is the purpose
of this adaptation?

Domjan & Wong (2016)

Domjan & Wong (2016)