Baldwin-Wallace University/School of Education/Universal Lesson Plan

I. Subject: Reading in Content Area – Sci – Dinosaurs Date: 4/10/17 Grade Level: 2/3

II. Alignment to Standards:

A. Ohio’s Learning Standards:

ODE.LS.2.2.1: Some kinds of individuals that once lived on Earth have completely
disappeared, although they were something like others that are alive today.
ODE.RI.2.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including
history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

III. Central focus of the learning segment:

During this unit, students will be using reading strategies to aid them as they learn about
dinosaurs. The unit will begin with a guided imagery taking place during the time of the
dinosaurs. The students will then discuss dinosaurs and complete a KWL chart with the teacher
during small group. Students will then have the remainder of class time to look through various
texts about dinosaurs. During the second lesson, the teacher and students will read together the
book, Can You Tell a Brachiosaurus from an Apatosaurus? As the book is read, the students will
work together in small groups to complete a Venn Diagram comparing the two dinosaurs.
Finally, during the final lesson, the students will work in small groups with the teacher to read
pages 26-27 of Monster Dinosaurs, the section of the book that details the theory as to how the
dinosaurs became extinct. The students will work together to complete a cause-and-effect chart
and will discuss how this process happened and hypothesize why certain creatures survived.

IV. Learning Objective(s)/Target/s:

By the end of the 25-minute class/unit, the students will be able to complete a Venn Diagram
(with at least 5 similarities and 5 differences) in small groups comparing the Brachiosaurus to the
Apatosaurus, drawing on information from the text Can You Tell a Brachiosaurus from an
Apatosaurus?

V. Assessment/s:

A. Formative assessments during the lesson:

-Students will work in small groups to complete a Venn Diagram with at least five
differences and five similarities of Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus. The teacher will check
for accuracy and completion. If students are at least 90% accurate, the class will move on to a
new concept about dinosaurs. If students struggle with the activity, the class will spend more
time reading the book and using visual aids in order to compare and contrast the two
dinosaurs.

B. Summative assessment:
-There is no summative assessment during this lesson.
 VI. Academic Language:

A. Function:
-Students need to understand this vocabulary in order to comprehend the book about
dinosaurs, and then compare and contrast the Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus

B. Content vocabulary:
-Dinosaur: prehistoric reptilian animals that roamed the earth more than 60 million years
ago
-Brachiosaurus: a type of dinosaur that is a sauropod, similar to Apatosaurus
-Apatosaurus: a type of dinosaur that is a sauropod, similar to Brachiosaurus
-Sauropod: a group of dinosaurs that had long tails and necks, tiny heads, and strong legs
-Migrate: travel in large groups called herds

VII. Materials/Candidate Resources:

-Can You Tell a Brachiosaurus from an Apatosaurus – by Buffy Silverman
-Venn Diagrams (1 per group)
-Pens/Pencils

VIII. Behavior Expectations:

-Students are expected to listen respectfully during the story. If they have something to say, they
should raise their hand first. Additionally, students should be respectful to one another during the
discussion and should take turns speaking and writing ideas on the Venn Diagram.

IX. PROCEDURES:

A. Motivation/Hook:
The teacher will ask the students to name as many dinosaurs as they can think of
(Tyrannosaurus Rex, Brachiosaurus, Pteradactyl, Apatosaurus, Triceratops, Megalodon,
etc.) (1 minute).

B. Instructional Strategies:

What the teacher will What the student Theorist/ Differentiation (one Anticipated Time
say/do: is expected to do: Best Practice or more of the
following groups –
above level; below
level; ESL; urban or
rural disadvantaged)
The teacher will tell The students will Marzano – Spatial/Logical 1 minute
the students that today look at the Venn using graphic learners will benefit
they will be learning Diagram as the organizers from use of the
about two specific teacher describes diagram.
dinosaurs – the the activity.
Brachiosaurus and
Apatosaurus. As they
learn about them, they
will be filling out a
Venn Diagram.
The teacher will begin The students will Rogers and Auditory learners will 1 minute
reading the book Can listen as the story Renard – benefit from repeating
You Tell a is read. learning occurs the word “sauropod”.
Brachiosaurus from an when students
Apatosaurus? On page As the teacher are actively Below Level learners
4, the teacher will pauses, they will engaged and ESL students may
pause and ask the discuss the given draw icons next to
students to repeat the topic and will add each item on the Venn
word “sauropods” and words and icons to Diagram.
discuss its meaning. the Venn Diagram.
When working with
Below Level
Learners, the teacher
may read aloud to the
students.

When working with

advanced students,
they may take turns
reading to each other.
On page 7, the teacher “” Marzano – Picture Smart students 1 minute
will pause and ask the finding will benefit from
students to look at the patterns, comparing/contrasting
images of the similarities, the two pictures.
Brachiosaurus and differences
Apatosaurus. Can they
tell them apart? What
looks different?
On pages 8-9 the “” Protheroe – Number Smart 2 minutes
teacher will pause and interaction, students will do well
ask the students to collaboration at comparing the
explain how the two different lengths.
dinosaurs’ legs were
different from each
other. They will add
their ideas to the Venn
Diagram.
On pages 10-11 the “” 2 minutes
teacher will ask the
students to describe
how the dinosaurs got
their energy. Students
will add their ideas to
the Venn Diagram.
After page 14 the “” Protheroe – Rural – students may 4 minutes
teacher will ask the link content to discuss what types of
students to compare real life foods are grown in
the foods the dinosaurs experiences our area – why?
ate. Why do they eat
these different types of Suburban – discuss
plants? The students the types of foods
will add to the Venn available in our stores
Diagram. and how they all
come from different
places – discuss why
After page 19, the “” 4 minutes
teacher will ask the
students to compare
the dinosaurs’ teeth.
After page 23, the “” Math/Number Smart 4 minutes
students will compare
the sizes of the
dinosaurs.

C. Review/Closure: At the end of the book, the teacher will ask the students if they could
now tell apart the Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus – how? What was the most
interesting fact that they wrote on the Venn Diagram? The teacher will tell the students
that during the next lesson, they will be talking about why there are no more dinosaurs
on Earth today... (5 minutes)

X. REFLECTION (For 300-level courses and beyond)

1. Were today’s learning objectives/targets met for individuals, small groups, and the whole
class?

2. What would you do differently if you could teach the class again to the same students?
(This could include changes in the organization of the lesson plan, strategies used, use of
technology, use of differentiation, formative assessments and closure.)

3. Based on your questions, checks for understanding, and/or assessment data/analysis, what
will happen next for the entire class and for specific groups/individuals in this class?

Cooperating Teacher Signature Date


Long front legs, shorter
Brachiosaurus
Both
back legs
Could reach higher so ate
tree ferns and tall plants
12 neck bones
Spoon-shaped teeth to
grab lots of tough leaves
As tall as a 4-story
building
Tail is smaller than
apatosaurus' tail
Answer Key
Sauropods Short front legs, longer
Apatosaurus
Long tails and necks back legs
Tiny heads Neck closer to the
ground, ate low-growing
Walked on land plants
Strong legs 15 neck bones
Ate 100s of pounds of Long, peg-shaped teeth
plants each day to strip soft leaves off
Save energy by staying in plants
place As tall as a 3-story
Hollow bones in neck building
Did not chew food, Bigger tail
swallowed it whole
Swallowed stones to
grind up the leaves
Migrated in herds to find
more food
Very big so predators
didn't attack them
Predators would eat their
eggs and young