Lesson Plan 2: ​Activity 5: Mid Unit Assessment Talk

Name:​ Lauren McBride

Grade Level​: 2nd

NGSS Performance Expectation: ​2-LS4-1 Make observations of plants and animals​ ​to compare​ ​the
diversity of life in different habitats.​ ​[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the diversity of living things
in each of a variety of different habitats.] [​Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include specific
animal and plant names in specific habitats.​]

Phenomenon and Driving Question:

·​ ​Phenomenon: ​Ecosystems provide resources to help support the animals.
·​ ​Driving Question: ​How do ecosystems help this species survive?

Connection to Framework Function: ​EPE (Explore)

Learning Objective(s): ​At the end of this instructional sequence, the students will be able to make
predictions about where certain species may be located around the world.

Time Estimate: ​15 minutes

Materials: ​Pictures of different habitats

Student idea sheet

Safety Considerations: ​N/A

Introduction (2 mins.)

● Set up the expectations of the science talk (i.e. raise your hand when you have an idea you would
like to share, be respectful listeners, sit on your bottom criss cross)
● Students will be seated on the carpet area facing the teacher.
● Teacher will introduce the topic by saying ​“I have been thinking a lot about animal habitats and
how animals have basic needs that need to be met like we have been talking about in class. I have
been really thinking a lot and I have a few questions that I thought you all could help me out
with.”

Main Teaching Activities (10 mins.)

● Revoice what we have been discussing so far in the unit, then question the next phenomena. ​“So
far we have discovered that animals have specific traits that help them survive in their habitat.
But now I’m wondering how do habitats help to support the animals that live there?”
● Students will raise their hand to share an idea. If I want to reiterate a student's thought, I will
either restate that idea or I will ask another student to restate that idea.
 ● I will have a variety of pictures from different habitats for students to engage with. Students will
identify different characteristics of the habitat that help to support the needs of animals. ​“Let’s
take a look at this polar bear in its habitat. How does this habitat help the polar bear to survive?
What do you notice? Tell your neighbor something you notice about where this polar bear lives.”
As students share out, I will label or list what they are saying around the picture to have the
thoughts interact with pictures.
● I will post another picture of a different habitat for students to look at. ​“We decided that all
animals have the same basic needs of food, water, and shelter to sleep. How is this tiger’s habitat
different than the polar bear’s? How does this habitat help the tiger survive?”
● Then we will compare how the different habitats are specific for the different animals. ​“Could the
polar bear survive here? Could the tiger survive here?”

Conclusion (5 mins.)

● Reiterate what we have talked about. ​“Wow, we have learned a lot about habitats today and how
they support the animals that live there.”
● Before I release students to their seats to fill in a thought sheet about what we discussed, I will
give them directions. ​“I would love to hear from you all now. Back at your seat, I put a piece of
paper where you can write down at least one thing you learned today, or one thing you still want
to know. This will help us all learn more!”
● I will call rows one by one to go back and sit down.

Formative Assessment: ​At the end of the science talk, students will fill in a thought sheet to show me
how they have engaged in the talk and can apply this knowledge.

Differentiation: ​I will use turn-and-talks and whole group discussion to support students learning. I will
also use visual, verbal, and written components to reach a wide variety of learners.

Differentiation During Assessment: ​For my current students, I have told them to write at least one
thought, but I gave space for multiple thoughts for my higher level thinkers. If I were conducting this
science talk with younger students, I would have them draw and label a different animal in their habitat
and basic needs. With older students, I would have them write about how a polar bear would survive in a
different habitat, like the rainforest.
 Lesson Plan 2: ​Activity 10: Animals in Their Habitat
Name:​ Lauren McBride

Grade Level​: 2nd

NGSS Performance Expectation: ​2-LS4-1 Make observations of plants and animals​ ​to compare​ ​the
diversity of life in different habitats.​ ​[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the diversity of living things
in each of a variety of different habitats.] [​Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include specific
animal and plant names in specific habitats.]​

Phenomenon and Driving Question:

·​ ​Phenomenon: ​Ecosystems provide resources to help support the animals.
·​ ​Driving Question: ​How do ecosystems help this species survive?

Anticipated Teaching Date:​ Friday 3/6

Connection to Framework Function: ​EPE (Explain)

Learning Objective(s): ​At the end of this instructional sequence, the students will be able to make
predictions about where certain species may be located within a habitat.

Time Estimate: ​30 minutes

Materials: ​Layers of the rainforest displayed on the document camera

Worksheet of 5 different species that live in the rainforest with space for students to decide where they
live.
Safety Considerations: ​N/A

Introduction (5 mins.)

● Students will be seated on the carpet.

● Teacher should start by making a connection to yesterday's lesson. ​“Yesterday we talked about
the different characteristics that animals have made a difference on where they are able to live.
Like birds have wings, so they are able to live higher up than an animal with no wings.”
● Display the layers of the rainforest image for the class. Explain that they will be given pictures of
five different animals and they will have to decide which part of the rainforest they live in, but
they need a reason. ​“Today, your job will be to decide which part of the rainforest these animals
live in. You will have to give me a reason why too!”

Main Teaching Activities (20 mins.)

● After the students have all of their materials for the lesson, we will do the first example together.
“Let’s look at the first picture. What does it say the name of that animal is? Yes, that is a poison
dart frog. Now, we need to decide which layer the poison dart frog would likely live in. Raise
your hand if you think the poison dart frog lives in the emergent
layer...canopy...understory...forest floor.”
● Students will then need to give a reason for their choice.
● As we decide as a class what we think, I will write my sentence on the white board so the layers
page can still be displayed on the document camera. Students will fill in that portion with me. ​“It
seems like we decided that the poison dart frog probably lives in either the understory or the
forest floor. Someone who thinks the poison dart frog lives in the understory, raise your hand to
give me a reason that you thought that. Someone who thinks the poison dart frog lives on the
forest floor, raise your hand to give me a reason that you thought that.” ​Explain to students that
the forest floor is about as tall as the classroom ceiling to give them a visual. Fill in the blanks
with ideas the students provided.
● After I model and we go through one example together, students will be instructed to follow the
same process for the other four animals. ​“Now you will be doing the same thing for the macaw,
sloth, anaconda, and jaguar. You will decide which layer the animals live in and you have to
provide a reason! A reason will help me understand your thinking. Go ahead and try it!”
● I will circulate to address student questions and redirect as needed.

Conclusion (5 mins.)

● As students finish up they will turn in their work into the blue basket at the front of the room. If
they do not finish, they will be instructed to leave their work on their name tag.
● Discuss the point of the assignment and how it is related to our goal. ​“Now this assignment was
to help me understand your thinking about animal and habitat characteristics and how to effect
where the animals live. That is why it is so important to give a reason for your choice.”
Differentiation: ​I modeled an example with the students as a warm up to go over my expectations. I also
provided multiple visuals to help the students make well-rounded choices.

Summative Assessment: ​Students will turn in this worksheet so I can assess their understanding.

Differentiation for Assessment: ​For my students, I provided a fill in the blank sentence to make their
writing really structured. For younger students, I would have them draw which layer they think the animal
lives in the rainforest. For older students, I would not have the fill in the blanks for the writing.