Differentiated Lesson Plan #3

Rainforest Animals and Their Adaptations

Iowa Core Standard: Grades 3-5:
Understand and apply knowledge of organisms and their environments, including:

Structures, characteristics, and adaptations of organisms that allow them to

function and survive within their habitats.

Content Objectives:
Students will be able to identify and name the layers of the rainforest.
Students will be able to describe characteristics of animals that live in the
rainforest.
Language Objectives:
Students will be able to discuss, both verbally and in writing, adaptations of
animals that live in the rainforest.
Students will be able to write important rainforest vocabulary.

Activity One: Pre-reading

Vocabulary Lesson:
Words to be taught:
o Forest floor
o Understory
o Canopy
o Emergent Layer
o Camouflage
o Predator
o Herbivore
o Habitat
o Equator
o Adaptation
Students will be grouped in groups of three with levels 1-3 together and levels 4FEP together.
Students will be building their personal dictionaries
The vocabulary words will be written on the board and defined verbally and in
writing by the teacher.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
FEP
Students
Students
Students
Students
Students
Students
will write a
will write a
will write a
will write a
will write a
will write a
short phrase phrase for
short
sentence for complex
complex
for each
each
sentence for each
sentence for sentence for
vocabulary
vocabulary
each
vocabulary
each
each
word
word
vocabulary
word using
vocabulary
vocabulary
word, and
mostly
word using
word using
Template for Template for draw a
grade-level
grade-level
grade-level
vocab book
vocab book
picture of
grammar,
grammar,
grammar,
provided
provided
each word
and draw a
and draw a
and draw a
picture of
picture of
picture of
Pictures
Pictures
Template for each word
each word
each word
provided to
provided to
vocab book
be matched
be matched
provided
Template for Template for Template for
to the
to the
vocab book
vocab book
vocab book
correct word correct word Sentence
provided
provided
provided
frames
Phrase
Phrase
provided
Pictures
Pictures
Pictures
Frames
Frames
shown along shown along shown along
provided
provided
Pictures
with verbal
with verbal
with verbal
shown along definition of definition of definition of
Pictures
Pictures
with verbal
each
each
each
shown along shown along definition of vocabulary
vocabulary
vocabulary
with verbal
with verbal
each
term
term
term
definition of definition of vocabulary
each
each
term
Students
Students
Students
vocabulary
vocabulary
will work in will work in will work in
term
term
Students
groups for
groups for
groups for
will work in language
language
language
Students
Students
groups for
support
support
support
will work in will work in language
groups for
groups for
support

language
support
will help
with phrase
frames

language
support

Activity Two: During Reading

Graphic Organizer:
Students will be asked to fill out a graphic organizer with animals and their
characteristics.
o This will be done while students read/are read to by the teacher.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
FEP
Graphic
Graphic
Graphic
Graphic
Graphic
Graphic
organizer
organizer
organizer
organizer
organizer
organizer
contains
contains
contains
provided
provided
provided
pictures and pictures and sentence
sentence
sentence
frames
The book
The book
The book
frames
frames
students read students read students read
The book
consists of
consists of
consists of
The book
The book
students read pictures and pictures and pictures and
students read students read consists of
simple
paragraphs
paragraphs
consists of
consists of
pictures and paragraphs
pictures and pictures and sentences
Students
Students
labels
short
Students
may use
may use
sentences
Students
may use
their
their
Students
may use
their
personal
personal
may use
Students
their
personal
dictionaries dictionaries
their
may use
personal
dictionaries to assist with to assist with
personal
their
dictionaries to assist with vocabulary
vocabulary
dictionaries personal
to assist with vocabulary
to assist with dictionaries vocabulary
vocabulary
to assist with
vocabulary
Teacher will
read the
Teacher will
sentence
read the
frames to
sentence
students
frames to
students
The teacher
will read the
labels to
students as
needed

Activity 3: Post-reading:
Discussion:
Students will be broken into groups of three-five.
o Grouping will be between levels 1-3 and 4-FEP.
The teacher will model the discussion with a student volunteer. This will help all
levels understand what is expected.
o Discussion will be about what adaptations animals in the rainforest have,
and how these adaptations may help these animals survive.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
FEP
Students
Students
Students
Students
Students
Students
will use their will use their will use their will use their will use their will use their
graphic
graphic
graphic
graphic
graphic
graphic
organizers to organizers to organizers to organizers to organizers to organizers to
support
support
support
support
support
support
discussion
discussion
discussion
discussion
discussion
discussion
Students
may use
their
personal
dictionaries
as additional
support

Students
may use
their
personal
dictionaries
as additional
support

Students
may use
their
personal
dictionaries
as additional
support

Students
may use
their
personal
dictionaries
as additional
support

Students
will have
pictures
available to
manipulate
to assist and
support
conversation

Students
will have
pictures
available to
manipulate
to assist and
support
conversation

Sentence
frames
provided

Sentence
frames
provided

Sentence
frames
available (If
students can
read)

Sentence
frames
provided

Teacher will
closely
monitor
discussion
and will
provide
assistance

Teacher will
closely
monitor
discussion
and will
provide
assistance
where
needed.

Students
may use
their
personal
dictionaries
as additional
support

Students
may use
their
personal
dictionaries
as additional
support

where
needed.
Assessment:
Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Fully
English
Proficient

Language-based
Expectations:

Language-based
Expectations:

Language-based
Expectations:

Language-based
Expectations:

Language-based
Expectations:

Language-based
Expectations:

Students will
draw and label 23 pictures, using
some pre-taught
vocabulary.

Students will
write two simple
sentences using
some pre-taught
vocabulary.

Students will
Students will
write a short
write a paragraph
paragraph (3-4
(at least 5
sentences) using
sentences) using
some grade-level mostly gradegrammar and
level grammar
vocabulary.
and vocabulary.
Standards-based Content/Topic:

Students will
write a paragraph
(6 or more
sentences) using
grade-level
grammar and
vocabulary.

Students will
write a paragraph
(6 or more
sentences) using
grade-level
grammar and
vocabulary.

Discuss adaptations of animals that live in the rainforest.

Scaffolding/Supp
ort:

Scaffolding/Supp
ort:

Scaffolding/Supp
ort:

Scaffolding/Supp
ort:

Scaffolding/Supp
ort:

Scaffolding/Supp
ort:

Students may use

their personal
dictionaries

Students may use

their personal
dictionaries

Students may use

their personal
dictionaries

Students may use

their personal
dictionaries

Students may use

their personal
dictionaries

Students may use

their personal
dictionaries

Students may use

their graphic
organizers

Students may use

their graphic
organizers

Students may use

their graphic
organizers

Students may use

their graphic
organizers

Students may use

their graphic
organizers

Students may use

their graphic
organizers

Teacher may
read graphic
organizer to
students (if
necessary)

Sentence frames
provided (same
as for activity
three)

Sentence frames
provided (same
as for activity
three)

Students may
write additional
material in their
native language
Students may use
a bilingual
dictionary
Can ask an
aide/teacher for
assistance

Students may
write additional
material in their
native language
Students may use
a bilingual
dictionary