Entire Lesson Plan
Entire Lesson Plan
6-8.RST.7: Identify and match scientific or technical information present as text with a version of that
information presented visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
8.SL.4: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with
relevant evidence, valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume,
and clear enunciation.
Literacy Standards:
Differentiation
Special Needs This class has two English Language Learners, Ernesto and Maria, who are both
of Students performing at a level 1 English proficiency according to the NYS ELA test, and
need special support when it comes to reading and writing. They are both able to
converse with other students in fluent English, though they do often converse with
each other in their native language.
Day 1:
Outcomes Assessments
Students will be able to…
discuss the effects of natural selection to predict what will Formative: Students will fill out two compare/contrast
happen to a population graphic organizers and use them to discuss possible
describe why natural selection causes evolution to happen relationships between the organisms they are
compare/contrast organisms in order to evaluate their comparing.
relationships
Day 2:
Outcomes Assessments
Students will be able to… Formative: students will perform a lab in which they
discuss why natural selection leads to changes in populations act as Darwin’s finches in order to see how certain
identify which beak type works best for different types of food traits are more advantageous. Students will use these
explain the advantages of variation and diversity in observations to infer these traits’ effects on the finch
populations population and their offspring.
Day 3:
Outcomes Assessments
Students will be able to… Formative: Students will complete a worksheet that explains how
Explain how different species evolve similarities don’t also mean animals are the same.
Define a species Students will also use one of four graphic organizers to summarize
Identify real world examples of species isolation an article that covers today’s lesson and provides students with
more examples of the different types of isolation.
Day 4:
Outcomes Assessments
Students will be able to… Formative: Students will invent an organism and
Compare and contrast organisms based on their physical and classify it based on comparisons to real organisms.
behavioral traits Students will also name the organism and defend their
Explain how organisms are named and classified naming choice based on the taxonomic system.
INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL SELECTION (DAY 1):
Content Differentiation Our two ELLs will be given a powerpoint with pictures
representing the vocabulary words alongside their definitions
to aide them with their K-W-L. If they struggle too much
with the K-W-L, they will then be asked to draw their own
image that will help them remember what the word means
instead.
Process Differentiation Since students will be working in groups, other students may
have to aid Ernesto and Maria with certain vocabulary, or the
instructor may be asked to assist.
Product Differentiation Rather than have them write the differences between the
organisms in the graphic organizers, they may be allowed to
simply circle the similarities and differences (preferably in
different colored pens) if describing them proves difficult.
Since the majority of learning in this segment is oral, there
should not be any other need for product differentiation.
Academic Language
Language Function Students will be able to discuss the effects of natural selection and
predict how populations will change.
Vocabulary Adaptation, Camouflage, Competition, Diversity, Environment,
Extinct, Fossil, Generation, Inherited, Natural Selection, Organism,
Population, Predator, Prey, Resource, Species, Theory of Evolution,
Trait, Variation
Syntax Students will use a venn diagram to compare a frog skeleton and a
fossil of a frog ancestor.
Students will be given sentence starters for their discussions during
lecture (If the mice live in the desert the ___ mice will survive more.
and If one fur color survives more, the population will…).
Students will use a comparison worksheet to compare two animals of
their choice (either a weasel and an otter or a pheasant and a guinea.
Discourse Students will be shown different colored mice living in different
environments. Using specific academic language, they will explain why
they think what mice will survive in which environment. Students will
also use a simulation in which they can directly see for themselves how
a change in the environment affects the population of organisms. They
will discuss their observations in class using academic vocabulary, and
provide reasons as to why a specific environment change caused a shift
Prior to beginning the lesson, students will have turned in the assigned K-W-L chart.
Students will discuss what “survival of the fittest” means to them in order to establish
whether or not students have misconceptions about the phrase (e.g., If an animal is
Pre-assessment &
bigger/stronger they will survive better). Students’ K-W-L charts will be briefly
Student Readiness
reviewed by the instructor in order to determine if there is any prior knowledge lacking.
Depending on students’ overall familiarity with the vocabulary words, lectures may be
altered to assure students have all the required prior knowledge.
Middle Phase
Guided Practice
Students will be shown 2 images of different colored mice living in different environments: snow and
desert. They will be asked which mice do they think will survive better in which environment, and be
asked to explain their reasoning.
Independent Practice
Students will do a simulation in which they can change various environmental and genetic factors of
bunnies. They will observe the differences in the populations as they change factors (why are there fewer
white bunnies in the desert when you introduce wolves to the environment? Why do more bunnies have
long teeth when food is tough?) in order to discuss the changes they made and their effects with the class.
Concluding Phase
Closure/Summary
Students will be shown an image of a T-Rex and be asked “What farm animal is related to this dinosaur?”
They will be allowed to discuss with each other in small groups before each student hands in a post-it
note with their answer.
Follow up: Students will be given a homework assignment in which they will fill out a venn diagram and
identify the similarities and differences between a Triadobatrachus fossil and a frog skeleton. They will
also complete a different comparison chart for the animals of their choice (guinea and pheasant OR
weasel and otter) and they will discuss with their classmates in the next class if they think their animals
are related and why.
Middle Phase
Guided Practice
While students perform the lab, the instructor will walk around the room, answering student questions and
offering guidance and suggestions where needed. It may be necessary to have students walk you through their
thought processes in order to better gauge their understanding.
Independent Practice
Following the hands-on portion of the lab, students will create a graph to illustrate their results. Each group will
have been assigned a different kind of beak so following the lab the class will come together as a whole and share
their results between groups. Once data has been shared, students will analyze all of the results to determine
which beak type worked best with which food. Students will also reflect on what they did in the lab in order to
connect it to natural selection and determine how future generations will evolve.
Concluding Phase
Reflective Beach Ball Activity: On a beach ball, there will be 10 reflection questions. Students will GENTLY toss
the beach ball to a peer and their RIGHT THUMB determines which question written on the ball they have to
answer. The questions on the ball:
1. What are you most proud of from today’s lesson? 7. Were there any obstacles you had to overcome? How
2. How did today’s lesson make you feel? did you do it?
3. What was one thing you learned today? 8. List 3 words to describe today’s lesson.
4. What was one thing you found interesting today? 9. What do you want to learn more about from today’s
5. Is there anything you would do differently? lesson?
6. What part of today’s lesson worked best for you? 10. Explain what you learned today to a 5-year old.
Discourse Students will participate in a lab activity in which they will act as they are Darwin’s Finches.
Using materials such as chopsticks, spoons, and paperclips, they will simulate the different beak
sizes of finches to pick up food. In the post-lab questions, students will use different academic
vocabulary to explain the significance/implications of this simulation, along with defining key
terms and various “what-if” questions, to help them in thinking about how to apply what they did
in the activity to other scenarios.
Follow Up:
Students will fill out one of the two vocabulary graphic organizers for homework in which they define natural
selection by breaking it up into part. This graphic organizer will also prepare them for the upcoming lesson on
speciation.
Materials:
Lab Handout
Beach Ball with reflective questions written on it in sharpie
Both vocabulary graphic organizers
- Organizer 1
- Organizer 2
WHAT IS A SPECIES? (DAY 3):
Academic Language
Language Function Students will identify examples of speciation and explain why we have
different species and how we know they’re different.
Vocabulary Speciation, Ancestor, Offspring, Sterile, Fertilize, Habitat,
Syntax After reading the article Five Types of Isolation, students will select a
graphic organizer (four choices) to summarize the article. Depending
on the graphic organizer selected, students may summarize key points
from the article and then again in their own words to ensure they
understand the topic, draw what they learned to visualize their learning,
or identify the main idea and structure of the text, with a summary of
the article.
Discourse Students will communicate with their peers to discuss how they think
the “animals” in their stations are different and how/why they think
they became different.
Differentiation
Content Differentiation There is a Spanish translation of the article available (though
the vocabulary is still in english) and the video students will
watch has Spanish closed captions available, should they
have difficulty understanding the video and need clarification
on certain words/phrases. There are also images on each slide
during direct instruction to make the point clearer, even if not
all the words are understood.
Process Differentiation When learning the different methods of isolation this
slideshow allows Ernesto and Maria to read along with the
audio and look at more examples of isolation in action, rather
than just pictures of different species.
Product Differentiation Some of the graphic organizers are broader than others,
giving Maria and Ernesto less words to focus on when
summarizing the article.
When students come into class they will hand in their vocabulary organizers from the
previous lesson (defined what natural selection was and its effects on populations).
Students will then get back their K-W-L charts (turned in at the beginning of the unit)
Pre-assessment &
and, going around the room, students will be asked to list two words that need to be
Student Readiness
moved from one column to another. Should students not have the majority of the
vocabulary in the “What I Learned (L)” column, do a review of natural selection and the
theory of evolution to ensure proper background knowledge.
Middle Phase
Guided Practice
To ensure understanding students will discuss their new knowledge in terms of the skittles populations they
viewed. Station 1 should be defined in terms of habitat isolation, station 2 in terms of size, station 3 in terms of
mating times, and station 4 in terms of a new species as a result of the combination of two others, or hybrid
formation.
Concluding Phase
To close out the lesson, toss a stress ball around the room at random, ensuring every student goes once. When a
student receives the ball, they must state one thing they learned today, avoiding repetitions.
Follow Up: Students will be asked to read this article and fill out one of four graphic organizers to review today’s
lesson and ensure proper understanding before beginning the lesson on how different species come about.
Materials:
Language Function Compare the similarities and differences between various organisms
using different taxonomic methods.
Vocabulary classify, binomial nomenclature, hierarchy, domain, derived traits,
bacteria, archaea, eukarya, kingdom, animalia, plantae, protista, taxon,
taxonomy, genus, tree of life, physical, behavioral, habitat, diet
Syntax Oral discussion and collaboration to sort imaginary organisms. Students
will also research organisms individually to fill out a worksheet and
identify its physical and behavioral traits.
Discourse Students will create an animal, classify it, and give it a name (scientific
and common) and will classify based on the taxonomic system.
Differentiation
All students will participate in a small group activity in which they will work together to
sort buttons based on categories of their choosing to ensure all students have some
understanding of how to classify objects.
Pre-assessment
Following the button activity, students will work in the same groups to organize pictures
& Student
of various animals into categories in the same way they did with the buttons. Students will
Readiness
then be asked to explain their classifications and methods.
Both activities will have a focus on collaboration and oral communication skills so as to
not discourage students with difficulty in english.
Students having difficulty with the pre-assessment will receive a more in-depth
Content explanation regarding classification; i.e: explaining/giving examples of categories, why we
Differentiation classify things, how to identify similarities/differences. The vocabulary for this lesson has
a powerpoint with it that defines the words alongside images/examples of them.
All students will be required to use various graphic organizers to complete the
Process
classification assignments. Ernesto and Maria will be allowed to use pictures alongside a
Differentiation
written description within the graphic organizers.
Product Presentations will be presented orally with the option to use a powerpoint with graphic
Differentiation support.
All students will par cipate in a small group ac vity in which they will work together
to sort bu ons based on categories of their choosing to ensure all students have
some understanding of how to classify objects.
Pre-assessment
Following the bu on ac vity, students will work in the same groups to organize
& Student
pictures of various animals into categories in the same way they did with the bu ons.
Readiness
Students will then be asked to explain their classifica ons and methods.
Both ac vi es will have a focus on collabora on and oral communica on skills so as
to not discourage students with difficulty in english.
Follow up:
Students will be asked to make up an organism of their own and classify it. They will be asked to come up
with a habitat, diet, lifespan, and specific physical characteristics of the organism. It will be recommended
that their organisms be based on a real life organism to make it easier to classify and complete research.
Next class, students will present their organism to the class and provide a brief explanation of why they
classified it the way they did (comparing it to other similar organisms).
Materials: (items, technology, etc.)
Anticipatory Set
Powerpoint
Picture Vocabulary
Guided Practice
List of Organisms for Guided Practice
Organism Classification (HW)