Unit Outline

Colorado Mountain College

Teacher Candidate:

Morgan Bethke

Name of Mentor Teacher:

Asia Oleszczak

Title of Unit:

Animal Adaptations- Informative Report

Content Area(s): Grade: Date/Duration:

Literacy SPED 3rd 4days- 155min.

Planning the Lesson:

Lesson Preparation
Enduring (Conceptual)
Understandings:
How do living things adapt to change?
What do you want students
to remember five years from
now about their learning?

Standards:
What content standards are
aligned with this lesson?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they
support the main idea.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Other Content Areas: Science:

What other content areas and 3-LS4-2. Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in
standards will you be characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in
integrating into this unit? surviving, finding mates, and reproducing

Pre-Assessment:
What pre assessment data do
you have that helped identify
the specific learning targets
for the unit?
Learning Target(s):
What are the learning targets
for the lesson that should be
posted in student friendly
language and should be
measurable
Informal and Formative
Assessment:
What evidence will students
provide during the lesson to
demonstrate their learning?
What learning can you
observe?
Summative Assessment:
What evidence will show
that students successfully
learned what the lesson was
intended to teach?
Speaking and Listening:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or
information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally. 
Students have been working on opinion writing for the first two units of the
school year. They have not yet been exposed to informative writing, but I do
have a variety of writing samples from the previous units that demonstrate their
strengths and weaknesses within the general mechanics of writing.
Content Learning Targets:
I will understand how to create an informative report using the key details to
support my main idea
Language Learning Targets:
I will be able to verbally explain an animal adaptation by using the key details
written in the note catcher.
Performance Tasks:
Students will use their note catcher to create a key detail paragraph
Other Evidence:
Participation through the KWL chart, responses to guiding questions, and ability
to generate notes on the note catcher
Students will use their note catcher to independently develop a supporting key
detail paragraph.
Differentiation:
How will you accommodate
ALL learners in your
classroom? (i.e. SSN/ELL)
Resources and Materials:
Are there ways that
technology can be used to
support and enhance
instruction and student
learning? What other
materials will you need?
Motivation/Student
Engagement/Activating
Prior Knowledge and
Connecting to Previous
Learning:
What will you do to activate
previous learning that does
not include the new
learning?
Communicating Learning
Targets:
How will you communicate
your learning targets before,
during and at the conclusion
of the lesson?
Key Vocabulary:
What vocabulary is essential
to student learning and how
will you use best practices to
teach that vocabulary?
Instruction:
What kind of grouping will
you use to present the
lesson: whole group: small
I will provide students with:
- A note catcher to organize their writing
- Visuals
- Handwriting paper
- Modeling
- “Amazing Animal Senses” book
- Lesson slides with learning target, key terms, and visuals
- Note catcher
- Pencils
- Handwriting paper
- Student Chromebooks
- Computer to display slides, images, and video
- KWL Chart
Teaching the Lesson:
Lesson Sequence & Activities
Introduce the term adaptation by showing a small video clip and using visuals to
support the information I orally provide.
Using the “k” portion of the KWL chart
The learning target will be displayed on the television screen and I will read it
aloud to the students. I will take a moment to explain main idea and key details a
little bit further on the first day and refer back to it throughout the lesson and
remaining three days.
- Animal adaptations
- Main idea
- Key details
- Senses
Small group – guided reading
Gradual release model
group: cooperative groups;
combination?

Lesson Sequence I will introduce the new, guided reading book, “Amazing Animal
Senses,” and allow students to explore the text through a picture walk.
Next, I will teach what a main idea (learning target) is and ask students to
keep this in mind while I do the initial model reading of the text. I will
also provide students a note catcher that outlines main idea, key details,
and the five senses the text discusses. While reading the text, I will
explicitly model my writing, contributing the main idea and one key
detail/sense.

Parent involvement:
Communicating with parents/caregivers
Parent involvement: I would ask parents to ask their student about what their favorite animal
adaptation is thus far and why they think it is important for that animal’s
What are ways in which survival.
parents/caregivers can be
part of this lesson?

Communicating with We are currently learning about animal adaptations in class. We have discussed
parents: ​How would you how these adaptations help animals to survive and how they relate to animal’s
explain this lesson to a senses.
parent/caregiver?
Lesson #1- 1 day/45min

Essential Question:

How do living things adapt to change?

Standard(s):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information
clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the
main idea.

Learning Target:

I will understand how to determine the main idea of a text by using key details

Criteria for Success:

I know I am doing a good job when I can identify the main idea and one detail that support it.

Introduction:

The learning target will be displayed on the television screen and I will read it aloud to the
students. I will take a moment to explain the terms ​main idea​ and ​key details​ a little bit further
and then refer back to it throughout the lesson. For this session, I will begin by explaining that
we will be reading the book “Amazing Animal Senses.” “​This book is an informational text. An
informational text gives facts and details about a topic. As we read, let's pay close attention to
the topic of ​animal adaptations​.”

“I am curious what you may or may not already know about animal adaptations.” Fill in K
portion of KWL- What do you already know about animal adaptations?

Introduce the term ​adaptation​ by showing a small video clip and using visuals to support the
information I orally provide.

Fill in W portion of KWL with students thinking

​During this time, guiding questions will help students explore the book. (Ex: What do you see
on the front cover? What animal do you think the eye might belong to? Think about the title
and the cover photograph. What do you think the book is about?) I will also provide students
with a note catcher that outlines main idea, key details, and the five adaptations the text
discusses. When I identify the main idea and key details in a text, I start by asking myself, "What
did I learn first?" Then I look back at the first few pages. In this book, the author states the main
topic on page 3: "Some animals have amazing senses. S​o from all of these "clues" and details
we are talking about, I can likely determine that the main idea of this book is Animal
Adaptations. I will write that under Main Topic on my note catcher. ​Now we need to search for
key details that support this topic​.​”​ ​I will explain to students that their job while I am reading
will be to be thinking about a key detail that shows that animal adaptations is my main idea,
while I do the initial model reading.

Modeling/Instruction:

While reading the text, I will explicitly model my writing while they copy the same information
onto their note catchers. For this session I will choose 1-2 senses to focus on so the majority of
the time is not spent on writing, but exploring the new material.

Questioning/Discussion throughout reading:

- Pg.2-3: “What are our five senses? Why are these senses important for animals?”
- Pg. 4-5: “Wow! These animals have something special about their sight? What is so
special? Why do you think that is important for them to survive?”

**Point out key features (captions, tables) and explain how they offer important information
for what we are reading

“I notice that sight is one of my five adaptations on my note catcher! I am going to look through
these pages again and see if I can find key details that support my main idea.”

I will model writing on doc cam as the students copy

sight:

cats can see well in the dark which helps them to find food.

An owl can see well at night to catch food and also turn it’s head around to see behind them.

- Pg. 8-9: “ The title of this page says it is about hearing and I see a picture of a snake. I
wonder where the snakes ears are located?”
- Pg. 12-13 “I notice that these animals have another special sense that helps them
survive. This adaptation is smelling, which is also on my note catcher. I will use this
information to add on more key details.”

I will model writing on doc cam as the students copy

smell:

Some animals have wet or long noses that help them smell better.

Animals can use their sense of smell to stay safe and find food.

Closure:
I will close with a discussion where I ask, “We agreed that our main idea was Animal
Adaptations, what were some key details from the text we read today that helped us support
that?”

Lesson #2- 1 day/45min

Essential Question:
How do living things adapt to change?

Standard(s):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information
clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the
main idea.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.

Learning Target:

I will understand how to determine the main idea of a text by using key details

Criteria for Success:

I know I am doing a good job when I can use my notes to create a 5 star paragraph

Introduction:

Review the KWL and note catcher from day #1.

“Yesterday we made some predictions about what we thought animal adaptations were.” (Read
through the K portion) “After we made our predictions we watched a short video and began
exploring our new book. Who remembers what your job was yesterday when we read the
book?”(Solicit that they were to be looking for key details to support the main idea.) “We used
this organizer to take notes on the animal adaptations because they provided us with details
that supported the main idea. Yesterday we found out that… (Read notes taken from the day
before).” Today, you will still be looking for more key details that support the main idea, but I
will also be showing how to use this note catcher to create a 5 star paragraph. Last week I
mentioned that note catchers are helpful for us to remember what we read, but it does not
have to be complete and proper sentences. So, you will help me to keep filling out this
organizer so we can remember what you read, because you will also be writing a paragraph
using these notes.

Modeling/Instruction:
Students will take turns reading the text, while I model my writing while they copy the same
information onto their note catchers, but also allow for student input in creating some of the
supporting details. For this session I will choose 1-2 senses to focus on again.

“Why are we writing this note? How do we know it is important?”

Questioning/Discussion throughout reading:

- Pg.2-3: “What are our five senses? Why are these senses important for animals?”

I will guide students through using the note catcher to build a 5 star paragraph. “My notes only
say night vision cats... should I just write my sentence like that?” I will also utilize COPS
throughout my writing and purposefully make mistakes so students are able to correct me.

Closure:

I will close with a discussion where I ask “Today I wrote a paragraph about animals taste. Do all
of these details match my main idea? How do you know?”

Add onto the L portion of KWL if time. Otherwise, save for Day #3

Lesson #3- 1 day/45min

Essential Question:

How do living things adapt to change?

Standard(s):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information
clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the
main idea.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.

Learning Target:

I will understand how to support my main idea with key details in my writing.

Criteria for Success:

I know I am doing a good job when I remember to use COPS in my writing.

Introduction:

Review the KWL and note catcher from day #1&2

“We have been working on identifying key details in our reading, that support our main idea.
What is our main idea? How do you know that is our main idea?” (If students struggle, refer to
note catcher and KWL)

“Today when you read, you will still have your same job but it will be even more important than
before! You will begin turning your notes into a paragraph, like I did yesterday, so you will be
making sure you have all the notes that you need to create your own paragraph. Remember we
are looking for key details that support our main idea.” Ask students to give thumbs up if they
would like us to stop and take more notes.

Modeling/Instruction:

Students will take turns reading the text and stop us when they find any additional details they
would like to add on to their notes. If students are struggling, use questioning to prompt them
to add more onto their note catcher.
Ex: “I did not know that __________. That seems important for supporting our main idea. Do
you see that note on your paper already?”

Choose a couple of pages for students to make connections to.

You can now choose one section of your note catcher to turn into your own paragraph. (Refer
back to my example from lesson 2, if students struggle) Because students struggle with writing,
I will give them the option of typing on the chromebooks or writing with a pencil/paper.

I will guide students through using the note catcher to build their own paragraph using COPS.

Closure:

Add onto the L portion of KWL as an exit ticket. “Last week we really weren’t so clear on what
an animal adaptation really was. After watching the video and discussing it a little bit, you were
all able to generate some great questions! Let’s finish up our chart with some ideas on what we
have learned about animal adaptations.” (Allow students to add 1-2 points onto chart)
Lesson #4- 1 day/20min

Essential Question:

How do living things adapt to change?

Standard(s):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information
clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the
main idea.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.

Learning Target:

I will understand how to ​use key details to support the main idea.

Criteria for Success:

I know I am doing a good job when I remember to use COPS in my writing.

Introduction:

“We have put in a lot of hard work in reading and writing about animal adaptations. Today, I
would like to polish our writing and make sure it is ready for display.”

This day will be spent finishing student writing and wrapping up any lose ends.

List of to-dos:

1.) Students have 3-5 sentence paragraph built off of their notes from the note catcher
2.) Guide students through making sure they used COPS (capitalization, organization,
punctuation, and spelling).
3.) Choose one photo to print to accompany their writing
Closure:

I will close with a discussion. “Our goal for this unit was to create an informative report using
the key details to support the main idea. We all greed last week that our main idea was animal
adaptations help animals to survive. How do you paragraphs support or prove that was our
main idea?”

Allow time for students to display their writing and photo on our outside bulletin board.