DIXIE STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE

Teacher Candidate: Courtney Jensen
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Content Area: Science
Step 1 DESIRED RESULTS
A. Contextual Factors
Contextual Factors:
20 Students
10 Boys
10 Girls
10 ESL
2 IEP
Classroom environment:
The students desks are set up in 4 rows, with 9 desks in each row split up in groups
of 3. The teachers desk is to the right of the students desk. There is an ELMO on the
teachers desk. There is a SMART board in the middle of a white board. The class has a
classroom set of Chromebooks that are stored in the back. 2 computers are on the right
side of the classroom. There are also 2 small group tables; one in the back of the room
and one right as you walk in.
B. Utah State Core or Common Core Curriculum Standard
Standard 5: Students will understand the physical characteristics of Utah's wetlands,
forests, and deserts and identify common organisms for each environment.
o Objective 1: Describe the physical characteristics of Utah's wetlands, forests,
and deserts.
a. Compare the physical characteristics (e.g., precipitation, temperature,
and surface terrain) of Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts.
b. Describe Utahs wetlands (e.g., river, lake, stream, and marsh areas
where water is a major feature of the environment) forests (e.g., oak, pine,
aspen, juniper areas where trees are a major feature of the environment),
and deserts (e.g., areas where the lack of water provided an environment
where plants needing little water are a major feature of the environment).
d. Based upon information gathered; classify areas of Utah that are
generally identified as wetlands, forests, or deserts.
e. Create models of wetlands, forests, and deserts.
o Objective 2: Describe the common plants and animals found in Utah
environments and how these organisms have adapted to the environment in
which they live.
a. Identify common plants and animals that inhabit Utah's forests, wetlands,
and deserts.

b. Cite examples of physical features that allow particular plants and

animals to live in specific environments (e.g., duck has webbed feet, cactus
has waxy coating).
C. The Enduring Understanding/Big Idea is:

Students will know the three environments of Utah and how plants and animals
have adapted from each.
D. Essential Questions/Guiding Questions are:

What do I know about deserts, wetlands, and forests? What are they? Where are
they located? What types of plants and animals live there?
What are deserts and where are they located in Utah? What types of plants and
animals can survive there and what are their adaptations?
Where are wetlands located in Utah? What are the different types of wetlands and
what plants and animals have adapted to survive in them?
What are forests? What types of plants and animals have adapted to live in Utahs
forests and where are they located?
What do deserts, wetlands, and forests look like in Utah? What are the plant and
animal interactions that happen in each environment?
What did I learn about Utahs deserts, wetlands, and forests? What are some
specific plants and animals that have adapted to live in each environment? Where
are the three environments located in Utah?
E. Concepts
What are physical characteristics of deserts, wetlands, and forests.
What are the different types on deserts, wetlands, and forests.
Where is each environment located in Utah.
What types of animals have adapted to live in each environment.
What types of plants have adapted to live in each environment.
What are some plant and animal interactions.
F. Skills
Write about the physical characteristics of Utahs deserts, wetlands, and forests.
Discuss the different types of deserts, wetlands, and forests.
Locate Utahs deserts, wetlands, and forests on a map.
Create models depicting deserts, wetlands, and forests.
Write about the plants and animals in each environment.
Read about plant and animal interactions.
Step 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

A. Pre-Assessments
I will have a 10 question pre-test for students to take. There will also be a map
included where students shade where each environment is located. There will be
questions about deserts, wetlands, and forests.
B. Formative Assessments/Evidence
For three of the lessons there will be a Utahs Environment Journal students will fill
out with notes.

 One lesson will include creating a diagram/diorama of a desert, wetland, and

forest.
C. Summative Assessments/Evidence
I will give students the same assessment as my pre-test. At the end of the
assessment I will have students write down their favorite part of the unit on the back of
their journals.
Step 3 INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Lessons:
o 5.
1.a: Compare the physical characteristics (e.g., precipitation, temperature,
and surface terrain) of Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts.
I can discuss the vocabulary words and show what I know about
deserts, wetlands, and forests through a pre-test.
o Discussion of vocabulary words desert, wetland, forest,
adaptation, hibernation, migration
o Utahs Environment pre-test
o 5.
1.b: Describe Utahs wetlands (e.g., river, lake, stream, and marsh areas
where water is a major feature of the environment) forests (e.g., oak, pine,
aspen, juniper areas where trees are a major feature of the environment),
and deserts (e.g., areas where the lack of water provided an environment
where plants needing little water are a major feature of the environment).
1.d: Based upon information gathered, classify areas of Utah that are
generally identified as wetlands, forests, or deserts.
2.a: Identify common plants and animals that inhabit Utah's forests,
wetlands, and deserts.
I will fill out my pages about deserts in my Utahs Environment
Journal.
o Desert section of Utahs Environment Journal
o Desert PowerPoint presentation
o 5.
1.b: Describe Utahs wetlands (e.g., river, lake, stream, and marsh areas
where water is a major feature of the environment) forests (e.g., oak, pine,
aspen, juniper areas where trees are a major feature of the environment),
and deserts (e.g., areas where the lack of water provided an environment
where plants needing little water are a major feature of the environment).
1.d: Based upon information gathered, classify areas of Utah that are
generally identified as wetlands, forests, or deserts.
2.a: Identify common plants and animals that inhabit Utah's forests,
wetlands, and deserts.
I will fill out my pages about wetlands in my Utahs Environment
Journal.
o Wetland section of Utahs Environment Journal
o Wetland PowerPoint presentation
o 5.

1.b: Describe Utahs wetlands (e.g., river, lake, stream, and marsh areas
where water is a major feature of the environment) forests (e.g., oak, pine,
aspen, juniper areas where trees are a major feature of the environment),
and deserts (e.g., areas where the lack of water provided an environment
where plants needing little water are a major feature of the environment).
1.d: Based upon information gathered, classify areas of Utah that are
generally identified as wetlands, forests, or deserts.
2.a: Identify common plants and animals that inhabit Utah's forests,
wetlands, and deserts.
I will fill out my pages about forests in my Utahs Environment
Journal.
o Forest section of Utahs Environment Journal
o Forest PowerPoint presentation

o 5.

1.e: Create models of wetlands, forests, and deserts.

2.b: Cite examples of physical features that allow particular plants and
animals to live in specific environments (e.g., duck has webbed feet, cactus
has waxy coating).
I can create a diorama showing deserts, forests, and wetlands and
the interactions between plants and animals.
o Create a group diorama in groups
Desert
Wetland
Forest
o Interactions between plants and animals

o 5.

1.a: Compare the physical characteristics (e.g., precipitation, temperature,

and surface terrain) of Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts.
I can discuss what deserts, wetlands, and forests are and show what
I learned thorough a post-test.
o Utahs Environment post-test
o Paragraph describing favorite part of lessons

Adapted from: McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2005). Understanding by design, 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA:
ASCD.; Ainsworth, L. (2003). Unwrapping the standards: A simple process to make standards
manageable. Denver, CO: Advanced Learning Press.