STEM 434/534 Lesson Planning Template Spring 2021

(Complete answers in Purple font)

Topic: Living Systems and

Name: Grace Hobbs Grade: Kindergarten
Processes

Brief Lesson Description: This lesson is going to be planned out over the course of 6 school days. The students will learn
about different environments, including the animals that live in the environment (including what they need to survive,
introduction to food chain and about offspring), the climate, and the plants in the environment. At the end of the unit, the
students will be placed into groups and assessed on their ability to construct an appropriate habitat that includes appropriate
plants and animals. Each group of 4 will present their environment to the class. Each group member will be in charge of one
role (presenting the environment, explaining the animal parts/diet/role, explaining the plant parts/diet/role, explaining how
the baby animals differ from the adult animals).

Specific Learning Outcomes: The students will understand what living things need from an environment, different body
parts of animals, how animals grow, and what living things are in each environment.

How did this lesson develop as a result of your examination of research and data about employing culturally sustaining
pedagogical strategies? (Think equal opportunity, student interests, race, gender, disabilities etc.)
This lesson has different interactive pieces that the students will be assessed on, which allows for them to pick which
aspect to be specifically assessed on. For example, a student who like exploring their creative side can choose the
modeled environment portion. The students can collaboratively pick which role works best for them.

Narrative / Background Information

Prior Student Knowledge:

Prior to instruction, the students will need to know the difference between a plant and an animal, know how to use
scissors, and how to use glue.

Science VA SOL Health VA SOL NGSS (You may have to look to a

K.7 The student will K.1 The student will identify and different grade level for the
connection)
investigate and describe key health and safety K-LS1-1.
understand that plants concepts. Use observations to
and animals have basic Body Systems describe patterns of
needs and life processes. a) Identify major body parts what plants and animals
Key ideas include (e.g., head, torso, arms, legs, (including humans) need
a) living things need hands, feet, muscles, bones). to survive. [Clarification
adequate food, water, Statement: Examples of
shelter, air, and space patterns could include that
to survive; animals need to take in
b) plants and animals food but plants do not; the
change and have life different kinds of food
cycles; and needed by different types
c) offspring of plants of animals; the requirement
and animals are of plants to have light; and,
similar but not that all living things need
identical to their water.]

parents or to one
another.
Science & Engineering Practices: (You must tie engineering practices into your plan)
The students will construct their appropriate habitat for their given environment based upon the information learned
with the provided materials. This model has to be able to sit up on its own and be 3D, which requires the students to
understand support systems so that the structure won’t fall.

Possible Preconceptions/Misconceptions:
The students could believe that any animal or plant can live anywhere (a polar bear at the beach). The students could
believe that a baby animal name is the same as the adult animal name (baby cow instead of calf). The students could
believe that plants eat other plants in order to survive. The students could believe that every animal only eats other
animals in order to survive.

LESSON PLAN – 5-E Model

ENGAGE: Opening Activity – Access Prior Learning / Stimulate Interest / Generate Questions: (Discrepant events are
awesome to use here)
At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher will instruct the students that they are no longer students. They are now
investigators. They are in charge of figuring out what is different about this book, something that doesn’t fit with real life.
The students will gather on the reading carpet and listen to the teacher read Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach by James Dean
(also available for audio read aloud at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfnym_JvR20). After reading the story, the teacher
will ask the students if there was anything that they noticed in the story that they thought was strange or something that
could not really happen in the real world. The teacher will write a list on the board of the “weird investigation events.” The
list should look something like this:
• Cats are driving the car
• Cats are wearing clothing and hats
• Cats are surfing
• Cats are talking
• Cats build a sandcastle
• Cats are at the beach
• Cats eat sandwiches and drink lemonade
Then the teacher will go through each bullet point and ask the students why they thought this aspect was weird or not
normal. Then the teacher will ask why the crab being at the beach was not listed as being strange. Then the students and the
teacher will discuss why the cat does not belong at the beach, but the crab does belong at the beach.

EXPLORE: Lesson Description – Materials Needed / Probing or Clarifying Questions:

The students will then leave the reading carpet and return to their desks in groups of 4. Each group will be assigned a
different environment (the beach, the forrest, the dessert, the Arctic, and the swamp. Each group will have a picture of
the environment labeled with the name of the environment, 2 stuffed animals of animals that live in that environment,
and a booklet with pictures and short descriptions of plants in that environment. As a group, the students will first need
to figure out which environment their group has and look through their materials. Then, as a group they will write on the
large piece of paper on their desks the answers to the 3 questions (Is this environment hot, regular, or cold? What does
this environment look like? Would you want to live here?). Then on the same page, the students will draw a picture of as
many animals that they can think of that live in that environment (must have at least 5 animals) and write the first letter
of the name of the animal next to the picture. Then, the students will draw 3 types of plants that live in their
environment (at least one of the plants cannot be pictured in their booklet) and write the first letter of the name of the
plant next to the picture. After all groups have finished their collaborative paper, the teacher will collect the papers.
The students will meet back on the reading carpet and the teacher will present each environment paper to the class by
explaining what environment each group had, the answers to the questions each group had, and list the animals and
plants that each group came up with.
EXPLAIN: Concepts Explained and Vocabulary Defined:
The students will return to their desks and will be instructed to fill out their environments book throughout the
teacher’s presentation. The presentation will include a breakdown of each environment’s characteristics, including
pictures, videos, describing the animals, how the animals survive, describing the plants, and how the plants survive. As
each slide is presented the students will either color in or circle the correct plant/animal based upon which environment
is being covered. This will occur over the course of 2 days. After the booklet is filled out, each student will have a
detailed description and understanding of each environment. For homework, each student will have to match the
meanings to each vocabulary word on a worksheet. Each term will also have a picture with it, with the exception for
gifted students having no picture. The term will also be listed in student’s native languages as well as English for ELL.
Vocabulary:
• Climate
• Offspring
• Habitat
• Environment
• Shelter
• Life cycle
• Head
• Torso
• Legs
• Feet
• Tail
• Wings
• Photosynthesis
• Decompose
• Food chain

ELABORATE: Applications and Extensions:

Now that the students each have a detailed understanding of each habitat and what lives in each habitat, the students
will be placed into the same groups of 4 but now with a new environment to assess. Now the students must utilize the
information from their peers presentations, the information in their environment booklet, and the different books in the
room pertaining to the different environments to complete a project on their newly assigned environment. Each student
in the group has a different role in the project and the presentation. One student will be mainly in charge of
constructing a 3D model of the environment. This model must include pictures of at least 8 different animals(one has to
be a baby animal) in the environment, an appropriate climate scenery, and at least 4 different plants in the
environment. One student will be mainly in charge of creating a costume to represent an animal that lives in the
environment. The costume must have labels of the different main body parts included (head, torso, legs, feet, tail,
wings). One student is in charge of drawing the life cycle of one plant that lives in the environment on a large piece of
presentation paper. This drawing must include labels of each step in the process. One student is in charge of creating a
book that features at least 5 different animals life cycle growth. Each animal must have a picture and correct name label
for when it is a baby and when it is an adult. The students are required to fulfill their role and collaboratively help each
other to complete the entire group project. The students can bring resources from home or use the resources given to to
the class to use (ex: coloring utensils, construction paper, scissors, glue, cardboard pieces, tape, and other recycled
materials). This process will take 2 days.

EVALUATE:
Summative Assessment (Quiz / Project / Report) (Include a rubric):
Each group will now have to present their portion to the class. The student in charge of the 3D model will be assessed on
the accuracy of the models appropriateness, required contents, whether or not the model can stand up on its own, and
the students ability to explain what it would be like to live in this environment. The student will need to discuss what
the temperature would be like, what they could eat if they lived their, and what kind of shelter they could make if they
lived there. The student who is in charge of the animal costume will be assessed on the accuracy of the costume, the
creativity of the costume, and the correct labels on the costume. The student will need to discuss what the animal that
they are dressed up as is, what each body part of the animal is, what this animal would eat in this environment, and
what this animals main method of moving around is (ex: flying, swimming, walking/running). The student who is in
charge of the plant cycle poster will be assessed on the accuracy of the plant cycle pictures depicted, the creativity of
the poster, and the accuracy of the assigned labels of the plant cycle. This student will need to discuss what plant they
chose, what is happening in each step of the life cycle, where their plant gets its “food” from, and if they would eat this
plant if they were living in this environment. The student who is in charge of the animal growth book will be assessed on
the required content of the book, the creativity of the book, and the accuracy of the labeled names of each animal. The
student will need to discuss the name of each animal from baby to adult in the book, one food that each animal eats, and
whether or not they would have each animal as a pet. This process will take one day.

Formative Monitoring (Questioning / Discussion):

After each person presents, the students will say thank you (name of student) in their Turtle Tom voice (a slow whisper).
This will make each student feel accomplished after they present while also ensuring that the audience is paying
attention to the presenters. This will allow the teacher to ensure that the student-audience’s attention is on the
presenters.
Plan for differentiation: (Be sure to specifically address the following learners)
• Students with high-incidence disabilities (e.g., autism, ADHD, mild learning disorders)
These students can present with a buddy if they are uncomfortable or unable to present on their own.
• ELL
These students will receive information both in their native language and in English on the powerpoint for Explain and the
vocabulary homework sheet.
• Gifted learners
These students will not received pictures on their vocabulary homework sheet, which will have them rely solely on word
comprehension.

Elaborate Further / Reflect: Enrichment:

• How will you evaluate your practice? This will be evaluated through their vocabulary homework page and their
presentations.
• Where might/did learners struggle in the lesson? Learners might struggle in presenting because they might be nervous
to stand in front of the class.
• How can the lesson be strengthened for improved student learning? The lesson could be strengthened if I had physical
objects from each environment for the students to physically connect the lesson with.
• Did the lesson reflect culturally sustaining pedagogies? If not, how can this be enhanced? This lesson does cover
different places and what goes in each place, but does not discuss people or culture.

Materials Required for This Lesson/Activity

Quantity Description Potential Supplier (item #) Estimated Price
A lot Coloring utensils ? Should already
be in
classroom
20 Glue ? Should already
be in
classroom
20 Scissors ? Should already
be in
classroom
A lot Colored Construction paper ? Should already
be in
classroom
40 Cardboard pieces ? Can be
recycled
pieces brought
from home
(Free)
A lot Tape ? Should already
be in
classroom
10 Stuffed animals ? $20 ($2 beanie
babies)
Multiple Printed pictures ? Free, printed
at school
5 Large paper ? Should already
be in
classroom
1 Pete the Cat book ? $3 on
scholastic
website if not
at library
1 Powerpoint presentation ? Made by
teacher (Free)
20 Vocabulary matching worksheet ? Made by
teacher (Free)
20 Environment presentation ? Made by
“follow along” information book teacher (Free)