Living Organisms

Objective S8B1 March 23, 2016

8:30am
GENERAL OUTCOMES S8B1
Investigate living; and identify and apply scientific ideas used to interpret
their general structure, function and organization.
SPECIFIC OUTCOMES S8B1 a,b,c
Investigate and describe example scientific studies of the characteristics of
living things
Apply the concept of system in describing familiar organisms and
analyzing their general structure and function
Illustrate and explain how different organisms have similar functions that
are met in a variety of ways
PROCESS OUTCOMES (FOR MATH SUBSTITUTE FOR OTHERS)
Initiating and Planning
Performing and Recording
Analyzing and Interpreting
Communication and Teamwork
Demonstrate Interest in Science
Demonstrate Mutual Respect
Demonstrate Scientific Inquiry
Demonstrate Collaboration
Demonstrate Stewardship
Demonstrate Safety
CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS
Language Arts Gr. 8 Section 3.3 Organize, Record, and Evaluate
-organize ideas and information creatively, as well as logically, to develop a
comparison or chronology, or to show a causeeffect relationship
- organize ideas and information to establish an overall impression or point of
view in oral, print and other media texts
NUMERACY/LITERACY; ENGAGED/ETHICAL/ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDENT
Thinking critically
Identifying and solving complex problems
Managing information
Collaborating skill building
KAGAN STRATEGIES/INSTRUCTIONAL INTELLIGENCES
Place mat- each student writes down characteristics of living organisms,
discusses with group
Jigsaw/Walkabout 2 people move clockwise to share and retrieve
information from next table
Group Roles each group assigns 2 wallkers, 1 writer, 1 reporter
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES/LEARNING STYLES
Linguistic/Word writing on place mat

 Logical/Math using deductive reasoning to develop living organism

characteristics
Spatial/Art viewing pictures to smartboard to further understanding
People/Me group collaboration activities
Naturalist/Science solve problems by understanding nature
BLOOMS TAXONOMY GUIDING QUESTIONS
Compare and Contrast your ideas with your groups ideas.
Assess all the characteristics of living organisms that have been collected
and choose the top 3 and write them in the middle of the placemat.
Tell me your top 3 choices of characteristics of living organisms.
MATERIALS
MANIPULATIVES
Placemats x 7 (centre left

open)
Markers/Pens
Slips of Paper listing 6
characteristics of living organisms
Glue sticks
Exit slip papers
TEACHER ACTIVITIES
Anticipatory Set (Hook)
Have students look at
pictures on slide 1 and challenge
them to tell me 6 things that all
these items have in common
After class guesses on these
commonalities, explain that there
are 6 scientific characteristics that
are common to all of these that
allow them to be described as living
organisms.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Students verbally state
guesses

[ 5 min]
Practice/Development
Slide 1 Explain I can
statements
Slide 2 Instruct students to
think about characteristics of living
things, on their own, and then find a
spot on placement to write down

Students write down I can

statement
2 min [7 min]
Students think and then
write down characteristics on
placemat

these characteristics
- Teacher walks
around
Slide 3 Instruct students to
compare and contrast their ideas
with their group
- Teacher walks
around
Slide 4 Ask each group to
decide on 2 walkers, 1 writer, 1
reporter, The two walkers will
move clockwise to the next table
and have a group discussion on their
characteristics of living organisms.
Slide 5 Have the two
walkers return to original group and
group discusses new information.
Group then decides on top three
characteristics and writer will write
it down on center of place mat.
Slide 6 Teacher asks
reporter from each table to report
top 3 answers and teacher writes
them on the side of white board,
repeat answers are not written down
Slide 7 Teacher draws
table on whiteboard that has 6 slots.
Teacher guides class discussion on
all the reported characteristics and
puts them into slots, get students to
all agree on final list of 6
characteristics
Slide 8 Teacher shows
students list of 6 characteristics of
living things and guides discussion
on comparison between this list and
the list that the students generated,
Teacher hands out characteristic
sheet and has students glue sheet
into their notebook

4 min [11 min]

Students compare and
contrast their ideas with their group
3 min [14 min]
Students decide on positions
and 2 walkers leave and move to
next table clockwise. The new
groups then discuss characteristics
of living organisms.
5 min [19min]
Students assess all the
characteristics and agree on top 3
characteristics, writer will write top
3 in center of placemat.
4 min [23min]
Reporter from each table
tells teacher top 3 characteristics
4 min [27min]
Students group
characteristics into 6 categories with
guidance from teacher, agree upon
the list

4 min [31min]
Students compare lists and
discuss similarities and differences
with the class, students glue
characteristic sheet into notebook

3 min [34min]

 Slide 9 Teacher guides

class discussion on how each
organism in original slide fits into
each of the 6 characteristics, which
organisms are the same, different,
discuss how all these characteristics
are met in a variety of ways

Students discuss how

organisms fall into the 6
characteristics in a variety of ways

4 min [ 38 min]

Check for Understanding

Walk around and engage with each group to gauge understanding
Engage in class discussions
Exit slip After books are closed but before leaving each student fills out
exit slip showing 3 characteristics of living organisms and leaves slip with teacher
on way out of the class.
Closure/Reflection
Teacher and students revisit objectives of lesson, S8B1.1 and S8B1.2 and
ensure that these objectives were met
2 min[ 40 min]
MODIFICATIONS and EXTENSIONS
Move Students to ensure 4 people per group to benefit from assignment
Provide guiding questions to groups that are stuck
EVALUATION and ASSESSMENT
Use class discussions and exit slip to assess for understanding.
NOTES AND REVISIONS