Lesson Plan Guide

Teacher Candidate:

Kierra Jamerson

Date:

April 29, 2015

Grade and Topic:

3rd grade Science

Length of Lesson: 80 minutes

Mentor Teacher:

Joey Weaver

School: University of Memphis IDT 3600

UNIT/CHAPTER OBJECTIVE/GENERALIZATION/BIG IDEA:

The Animal Habitats lesson is part of a unit plan on animal adaptation.
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
Given an Animal Habitat planning sheet, the learner will able to identify an animals habitat, its adaptive
behaviors and characteristics, and its predator and prey with 100% accuracy.

Given a computer with word processing software, the learner will be able to write a paragraph that
describes an animals habitat, its adaptive behaviors and characteristics, and its predator and prey with a
score of at least three out of four on the rubric.

Given a computer with Internet access, the learner will be able to create a comic using ToonDoo about
an animal in its habitat with 100% accuracy.

Student Participation
The goal of this lesson is for students to demonstrate a clear understanding of how animals adapt to their
environment. Students will create a visual representation of a specific animal living in its habitat.
STANDARDS ADDRESSED:
TN State Standards
Standard 5 Biodiversity and Change
SPI 0307.5.1 Investigate an organisms characteristics and evaluate how these features enable it to
survive in a particular environment.
ISTE Standard(s)
1. Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop
innovative products and processes using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
3. Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use
information.
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of
sources and media
d. Process data and report results

MATERIALS:
Materials used
Animal Habitat planning sheet
Computers with access to:
Rain forest Animals http://www.rainforestanimals.net/
Desert Animals http://www.desertusa.com/animals.html
Tundra Animals http://www.tundraanimals.net/
Grassland Animals http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/grassland/grassland.shtml
Ocean Animals http://www.skyenimals.com/browse_habitat.cgi?habitat=oceans
ToonDoo http://www.toondoo.com
Microsoft Word
Technology Integration
Students will use the website stated above to research and coolect information about a specific
animal and the use ToonDoo to create a comic about an animal in its habitat. The Word processing
software will be used to type and format a paragraph describing an animals habitat and how it
adapts to that habitat. A sample of what the students work should look like is included at the end of
this lesson plan.
BACKGROUND and RATIONALE:
Students will be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of how animals adapt to their environment.

Academic language is not addressed in IDT 3600.

Prior to this lesson, students have already learned the different habitats and what animals live in each
habitat.

We will refer to how animals adapt to their surroundings as we explore how some animals have become
endangered or extinct.

The lesson or technology use will be modified to meet the needs of diverse learners.

PROCEDURES AND TIMELINE:

Introduction:
Using a projector, begin by displaying examples of animals adaptive behaviors and traits. For
example, giraffes are tall and have long necks to eat leaves in tall trees or elephants have big, thin ears to
keep them cool in the sun.
Procedures:
Prior to the computer (20 minutes)

Teacher Procedures:

Student Procedures:

1. After the Introduction, explain to students

1. Students will go to the board and write

that they will identify the habitat, adaptive

write their name next to the animal they

behaviors and characteristics, and predator

want to research.

and prey of a specific animal. Display a list

animals the students can use for their
writing assignment and comic. Instruct
students to go to the board as you call them
up and write their name next to the animal
they want to research. Tell students that no
one can use the same animal.
2. Distribute the Animal Habitat planning
sheet that the students will use to organize
the information they gathered from research
before writing.
3. Write the list of websites on the board that
students will use to research their specific
animal.
At the computer (50 minutes)
Teacher Procedures:
1. Have students open both Microsoft Word
and an Internet browser.

Student Procedures:
1. Open Microsoft Word and an Internet browser.
2. Visit one of the provided websites to research

2. Direct students to the ToonDoo website.

information about assigned animal.

3. Instruct students to use only the websites

3. Using the Animal Habitat Planning sheet, record

provided on the board to research their

required information on assigned animal.

animal.

4. In Microsoft Word, write a paragraph describing

4. Monitor students and provide assistance

as needed.

the animals habitat, adaptive behaviors and

characteristics, and predator and prey. Type your

name and a title at the top of the document.

5. Correct any spelling errors and grammatical
errors, save work, and print a copy.
6. In the Internet browser, visit the website
http://www.toondoo.com and log in using the
username and password provided on the board.
7. Roll over Toons, select Create Toon, and
choose a layout.
8. Drag and drop the provided clipart, backgrounds,
and speech bubbles to create a comic about assigned
animal in its habitat.
9. Publish the comic.

After the computer (10 minutes)

Teacher Procedures:
1. Have students partner with their elbow
buddy.
2. Ask students to compare and contrast the

Student Procedures:
1. With a partner, students will compare and
Contrast the habitat and adaptive behaviors and
characteristics of their animals to discover what

habitat and adaptive behaviors and

the animals have in common and how they are

characteristics of their animal with their

different.

partner for 5-10 minutes.

Closure:
Students volunteer to share their comics with the class. At the end of class, the teacher collects each
students animal habitat paragraph.

ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE:
Paragraph rubric
Criteria

Description of
animals habitat

The paragraph does

not demonstrate an
understanding of the
animals habitat.

The paragraph
demonstrates a
somewhat vague
understanding of the
animals habitat.

The paragraph
demonstrates
somewhat clear a
understanding of the
animals habitat.

The paragraph
demonstrates a clear
understanding of the
animals habitat.

Adaptive behaviors/
characteristics

The paragraph does

not demonstrate an
understanding of the
animals adaptive
behaviors and
characteristics.

The paragraph
demonstrates a
somewhat vague
understanding of the
animals adaptive
behaviors and
characteristics.

The paragraph
demonstrates a
somewhat clear
understanding of the
animals adaptive
behaviors and
characteristics.

The paragraph
demonstrates a clear
understanding of the
animals adaptive
behaviors
characteristics.

Prey

Knew none of the

Knew little of the
Knew almost all of
animals prey and/or animals prey and/or the animals prey
predator.
predator.
and/or predator.

(Predator if any)

Knew all of the

animals prey and/or
predator.

MODIFICATIONS:
I am aware that modifications will be made for students who did not master the objectives and for those ready
for enrichment. However, modifications are not covered in this course and are not part of this particular lesson.
STUDENT SAMPLE:
Jane Doe
Toucan
Toucans are tropical birds with big beaks that live in tropical rain forests. A tropical rain forest is a forest
of tall trees in a region of year-round warmth that receives hundreds of inches of rainfall. Toucans live in holes
of the tall, hollow tress of tropical rain forests, and they travel from tree to tree by gripping their sharp claws
into tree branches and trunks. They eat small fruit and sometimes insects. Their large, curved beaks help them
pick up and eat food. As toucans are feasting on insects, they have to watch out for predators who will try to
feast on them, such as hawks, jaguars, and eagles.