CEP 452 Lesson Plan

Section 1: The Plan

Lesson Overview
Title: Animal Variation and Adaptation
Author: Amanda Wenzel adapted from http://lessonbuilder.cast.org
Subject: Animal Science
Grade Level: 4
Duration: 2 days, 45-60 minute sessions
Unit Description: This lesson is a part of a science unit covering animals that will focus on animal differences
and adaptation variation. We will explore the similarities and differences between animals and their specific
features or behaviors in their associated habitats while focusing on the importance of adaptations for survival.
Lesson Goals:

Provide students with an awareness of different types of animals and associated adaptations
Introduce or expand upon students prior knowledge of the idea that animals have certain features that
develop to help them survive in their specific habitats
Students will be able to show their understanding of concepts discussed through a nontraditional
assessment
Students will learn how to ask questions about animals based on the way they look to determine things
such as where the animal lives, what they eat, how they behave, who their predators are, etc.

Common Core Standards:

L.EV.E.2 Survival- Individuals of the same kind differ in their characteristics, and sometimes the differences
give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.
L.EV.04.21 Identify individual differences (color, leg length, size, wing size, shape) in organisms of the same
kind.
L.EV.04.22 Identify how variations in physical characteristics of individual organisms give them an advantage
for survival and reproduction.
Big ideas:

Students will recognize the relationship between adaptations and organisms, specifically animals, but
be able to relate this idea in a larger context such as plants and peoples adaptations as well
Recognize what causes changes in organisms and why
Recognize what adaptations might be more successful than others and why

Barriers:

Student cannot read at grade level during vocabulary instruction, difficulty with comprehension of lesson main
ideas, difficulty mastering unit vocabulary, English language learner students may need help defining
vocabulary further through use of translation resources or picture dictionary, difficulty with technology
stations during independent practice, student needs help conducting research during guided and independent
practice investigation.

Method:
Anticipatory Set: 3.1 Activate or supply background knowledge, 4.1 vary methods for response and
navigation, 7.1 optimize individual choice and autonomy
Place Students into table partners. Have them take turns telling their partner their favorite food without
speaking or writing. They may use any other method, which may include drawing the food, using sign
language, or displaying an image of food through some other method such as looking through their textbook.
Give the pairs a few moments to plan how they will communicate with each other. Remind students this is a
silent activity. Invite paired volunteers to attempt the task in front of the class. Encourage the rest of the class
to observe methods used.
Following this activity, ask the class:
1. If you could no longer speak, how would you communicate? Why?
2. If we gradually lost the ability to speak over thousands of years, do you think anything would change
about our behaviors or our bodies? What?
3. How do animals communicate?
4. Do you think any animals will ever learn to speak like we do? Why? Why not? If so, how?
Use this activity to begin an introductory discussion about adaptations. Explain that organisms adapt as their
needs change. But unlike this activity, changes in nature usually happen very slowly over many years which
give certain species a long time to adapt or change.
Time permitting, read The Magic School Bus Explores the World of Animals
Introduce and Model New Knowledge:2.1 clarify vocabulary and symbols, 2.3 illustrate through multiple
media, 3.2 highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships, 5.1 use multiple media for
communication
Motivating students with new information, use textual representation to define and explain new terms with
examples by providing examples through use of multiple medias on the board
Climate: the normal weather conditions in a particular area
Habitat: the normal environment in which an organism lives
Predator: an organism that lives by eating other organisms
Prey: an organism that is eaten, or preyed upon

Use graphic examples from books in the classroom library and an interactive web page about animal
adaptations in different environments
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/living_things/plants_animals_environment/read/3/
Guided Practice: 3.3 guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation, 5.3 build fluencies with
graduated levels of support for practice and performance, 6.3 facilitate capacity for monitoring progress, 8.3
foster collaboration and community
Students are encouraged to work in pairs or groups of three. They will work with the teachers resources that
include websites, books, movie clips, and interactive activities to extend the learning process of animal
adaptations. The internet resources can be linked to the classroom website or provided on the classroom
board. Some of the websites have audio capabilities and screen reading software for students who might need
reading support. Allow time for students to browse and investigate animal adaptations using different
resources provided. During this investigation time, students will collect interesting facts about animal
adaptation using graphic organizers and prepare a presentation of the group or individual findings. Students
will have a choice of how to share their knowledge. They can choose what technology stations will work better
for their presentation such as PowerPoint or UDL Book Builder.
Independent Practice: Provide multiple media and formats and offer flexible opportunities for demonstrating
skill, offer choices and content and tools providing adjustable levels of challenge as above.
Set up two technology stations in the classroom to promote different tools that students will use to create the
final presentations of their investigation about animal adaptation.
PowerPoint Station: create a presentation with pictures, questions, and textual facts about animal adaptation
UDL Book Builder: make an online notebook with original facts, questions, interactivity, and images about
animal adaptation

Wrap Up:
Encourage students to volunteer and share their work with the class. Display material on the board for
students to view while each group presents their findings and describes their research.

Formative Assessment:
8.1 heighten salience of goals and objectives, 9.1 promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation,
9.3 develop self-assessment and reflection through presentation
Throughout the lesson, observe and encourage students discussion, ask open ended questions while
monitoring students work, visiting technology stations, evaluate individual work vs partner work, provide
support, motivate students with their successes, ask questions about the topic to evaluate the accuracy of
answers.
At the end of the lesson, evaluate students presentation about animal adaptation based on accuracy of facts,
students use of technology tools to elaborate their investigation and presentation, graphic representation

according to their topic, and could the students understand the differences and similarities in animal
adaptation.
Students will be evaluated on their use of given technology sources (used or not), accuracy of facts given
(most facts accurate, some accurate, not accurate), graphic representation (images used in presentation),
student understanding and explanation (can the students identify the differences and similarities in animal
adaptations and explain), vocabulary and key terms (did the students use key terms covered throughout the
lesson), questions asked (did students include questions to be asked in presentation).

Materials:

The Magic School Bus Explores the World of Animals by Nancy White and other text materials
BBC Animal Environments
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/living_things/plants_animals_environment/read/3/
Animal Adaptations Activities
http://www.uen.org/blooms/animal-adaptations/understand.shtml
Microsoft PowerPoint
UDL Book Builder
Animal Adaptations Interactive Game
http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.cfm