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Lesson Guide Organisms and their Habitats

Gradual Release of Responsibilities of the Teacher Responsibilities of the

Responsibility Student
Grade: 3rd Notes: Students have already learned quite a lot about
Standards: the different environments of the world and how these
are habitats for different types of organisms. Can name a
wide variety of organisms. They have also learned the
difference between living and nonliving things.

English Language Arts: Reading Use text features and search

- Informational Text Standard 5 tools (e.g., key words,
sidebars, hyperlinks) to
locate information relevant
to a given topic efficiently.

Science: Standard 2 Students will understand that

organisms depend on living
and nonliving things within
their environment.

Objectives:
Use websites to conduct
research.
Identify characteristics of living
things.

Materials: Projector
Copies of graphic organizer
Computer
Pencils
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iPads/Tablets

Essential Questions:
What do organisms need to
survive?
How are organisms different
based on where they live?

Vocabulary:
Organism
Habitat
Living
Nonliving
Resource
Research

Adaptations for EL: Provide frequent opportunities for interaction and

discussion.
Group students to support language and content
objectives.
Personal dictionaries for key vocabulary.

Adaptations for Students with
Special Needs:
Seat student in area free from distractions.
Use a checklist to help student get organized.
Break long assignments into small sequential steps,
monitoring each step.
Provide copies of overhead notes to take home.

DAP: Social interactions/relationships drive the

learning/teaching process. The design encourages the

Phase I:
Exploration and Explanation
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development of productive relationshipsdeepens your
understanding of your students, their understanding you,
and their understanding of each other.
The guide incorporates multiple areas of the curriculum
(integrated learning).
The guide begins with an assessment of prior knowledge.
Students from a wide range of abilities are able to
participate successfully and throughout,
accommodations are included.
Hands on experiences are central to the design of the
guide.
Assess prior knowledge on different habitats; rain forest, Engage with the concepts of
tundra, desert, etc organisms, habitats, and
Assess prior knowledge on what a living organism is. research through discussion
Assess prior knowledge on what research is. and active participation in
Describe the activity that is going to be done and show determining appropriate
students the graphic organizer. Tell them what they will websites to use as resources.
be able to do in Phase III by themselves. Be thinking about their end
Place graphic organizer on the projector. Describe the goal of researching an
different pieces of the organizer: name of organism, organism on their own.
habitat, a lift of elements in the environment that help
the organism to survive that are living, a list of elements
in the environment that help the organism to survive
that are nonliving, a fictional story that pictures a day in
the life of the organisms.
Go through different domains on the internet and
describe the reliability of each: .org .edu .com .gov .net.
Describe what a search engine is. Provide examples of
good key terms to use during this assignment and
vocabulary that they will need to know.
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Model filling out the graphic organizer with a selected

organism and have the students assist in finding websites
to use as resources for information.
Transition to Phase II: Review the concepts of research. What makes a good Participate during the review.
Review resource? How do we know if we can trust what a Volunteer to demonstrate
Phase II Expectations website says? Review the different domains, habitats, what is expected during
and resources used. Phase II.
Explain directions for Phase II exerciseno new concepts
are introduced in the transition.
QUALITATIVE SHIFT IN RESPONSIBILITY--THE TEACHER WILL NO LONGER BE TEACHING THE WHOLE CLASS AS ONE UNIT.
EVERY STUDENT NOW TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR CARRYING OUT THE CONCEPT, STRATEGY, SKILL, ETC.
Phase II: Take the information from Phase I and use what was Work on Phase II exercise
Guided Practice learned during the Phase II activity. cooperatively with their
One-on-One Differentiation Students will work with a partner to fill out their own partner. Work as
Formative Assessment graphic organizer about a living organism of their independently as possible
Plans for early finishers choosing. Take prior knowledge of different habitats and away from the teacher.
Closure researched materials to fill out each section. Know how to ask for further
Release responsibility to each group to carry out the new scaffolding when they are in
skills and strategies of web based research. need.
Walk around the room, talking to each group. Scaffold
the groups to be successful while filling out their graphic
organizers with information from the resources.
If the majority of the class seem confused about how to
fill it out, step back to Phase I and complete another
example.
When the class has completed their research, they
should create a short story that highlights what each
organism needs to survive. When these are completed,
have each group share.

Transition to Phase III:
Review and Phase III
Expectations
QUALITATIVE SHIFT IN RESPONSIBILITYSTUDENTS WILL NEXT WORK INDEPENDENTLY EXCEPT WHEN UNFEASIBLE
Phase III:
Independent Practice
Summative Assessment
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Review the concepts of research and the parts of the Participate during the review.
graphic organizer. Review the original example that was Volunteer to demonstrate
provided for them during Phase I. what is expected during
Explain directions for Phase III exerciseno new Phase II.
concepts are introduced in the transition.
Release responsibility to each student to carry out the Independently complete
new skills and strategies independently during an at Phase III exercises.
home assignment. If they need assistance,
Scaffold to follow students needs. students should feel
Formally assess students graphic organizers for correct comfortable to ask.
information, fullness, and the short story.
Next step includes using these graphic organizers to
produce an art lesson creating a diorama of the
environment and the elements that the organism needs
to survive.