MolloyCollege

EducationDepartment
LessonPlan
Student:ArielleFitzgerald
Course:EDU521
Grade:4
Topic:StructuralandBehavioralAdaptations

Professor:ProfessorEsposito
Date:June20,2016
ContentArea:Science

InstructionalObjectives
Afterreviewingallofthestationsinthedifferentstationswithintheclassroomstudentswill
beabletodemonstratehowanimalsadapttotheirenvironmenttogettheirfood,hide
themselves,migrateandmovearoundtheirhabitat.Studentswillalsobeabletoexplainthe
termsstructuraladaptationandbehavioraladaptationandgiveexamplesofstructuraland
behavioraladaptationsofanimals.
CCLS/+NYSStandardsandIndicators
Science(NYS)Standard4.3.1
Studentswillobserveanddescribehowoffspringareverymuch,butnotexactly,like
theirparentsoroneanother.Describehowthesedifferencesinphysical
characteristicsamongindividualsinapopulationmaybeadvantageousforsurvival
andreproduction.
Indicator
o Thiswillbeevidentwhenstudentsaremovingaroundtheclassroomand
identifyingthedifferentcharacteristicsthatconnectsimilaranimalsinagiven
environment.
Science(NYS)Standard4.3.2
Studentswillobserve,compareandrecordthephysicalcharacteristicsoflivingplants
oranimalsfromwidelydifferentenvironmentsanddescribehoweachplantoranimal
isadaptedtoitsenvironment.
Indicator
o Thiswillbeevidentwhenstudentsareutilizingtheirsciencejournalsinorder
tocomparethedifferentcharacteristicsofeachanimalbyusingdescriptive
language.

Motivator
Theteacherwillaskthestudentstomakealistoffivethingsthattheymayhave
incommonwiththepersonthatissittingnexttothem.Theywilllisthowthese
attributeshelpthemtobeactivemembersoftheclassroomsetting.
Materials

Sciencejournal
Pencil
2pairsoftweezers
chopsticks
spoons
clothespins
piepans
Strategies

DirectInstruction:Studentswillbeguidedbytheteacherinordertoknowwhichstations
theywillstartobserving.
DoNow:Studentswillmakealistoffivethingsthattheyhaveincommonwiththe
personnexttothem.
GroupDiscussion:Studentswillbedividedintogroupsandwillvisitthevariousstations.
Adaptations
Acopyofthedirectionswillbeprovidedforstudentswhoarevisualleanersalong
withpicturesofhowtousetheobjectsateachstation.
ForstudentswhoareEnglishLanguageLearnerstheywillbeprovidedwithallof
thematerialsintheirnativelanguagesothatitiseasierforthemtounderstandand
comprehend.
Extratimewillbeprovidedforthechangingofstationsandgroupdiscussionfor
thosethatrequireit.
DifferentiationofInstruction
Level1:Studentswillbeabletogoaroundtheroomtoeachstationanddocument
thesimilaritiesanddifferencesintheirsciencejournal.

Level2:Studentswillgoaroundtheroomtotheindividualstationsandwith
assistanceofapartnercompleteeachactivityanddocumentthesimilaritiesand
differencesintheirsciencejournal.
Level3:Studentswillgiveadetaileddescriptionfromeachstationandanimalin
theirsciencejournal.
DevelopmentalProcedures
1. Placethestudentsingroupsoffive.Alistofthequestionwillbegivenateach
stationandaseparatesheet.Prepareeachcopyforthestudentsandtheymust
pastethequestionsonseparatepiecesofpaperwithintheirjournals
2. ThefirststationisentitledtheCanyoufindmestation?.Studentswilllook
throughthefourbooksthatareprovidedateachstationtofindtheanimals
withthehiddenpictures.Intheirsciencejournalstheyaretoanswerthe
followingquestions(Aretheseadaptationsanexampleofstructuralor
behavioraladaptations?,Intheartic,whathidtheanimalsthebest?,Inthe
forest,whathidtheanimalsthebest?,inthegrassorpasture,whathidthe
animalsthebest?)
3. ThesecondstationthestudentswillvisitistheCanyouhidemestation?.
Studentswilltaketurnsonthewebsitecreatingeitherapredatororpreyand
hidingit.Studentswillthenanswerthefollowingquestionsintheirscience
journal(Aretheseadaptationsanexampleofstructuralorbehavioral
adaptations?,Whathappensifyouranimaliswellhidden?Why?,What
happensifyouranimalisnotwellhiddenandwhy?)
4. ThenextstationthatthestudentswillbevisitingisentitledtheHowdoI
Move?station.Theteacherwillprintoffeachofthepicturesandnumber
eachoneoftheanimalpicturesandlettereachoftheanimalhabitatpictures.
Studentswilllookateachpictureofananimalstructureanddeterminewhich
habitattheyareadaptedfor.Studentsintheirsciencejournalswillanswerthe
followingquestions(Whatphysicalfeatureishelpfultohaveifananimallives
inthetrees,why?,whatphysicalfeatureishelpfultohaveifananimallivesin
themountains?,howhavehumansadaptedtomovearoundinour
environment?)
5. ThenextstationthatthestudentswillvisitistheWhatIcaneatstation.
Studentswillbeassignedtoonetypeofbirdbasedonthetypeofbeakthey
use.Studentswillbeassigneddifferentbirds,theywilltrypickingupthe
differentfoodswiththeirbeaksandchoosewhichfoodtheirbirdisadaptedto
eatingbestbasedonhowthebeakswork.Studentswillthenanswerquestions
intheirjournals(whichtypeofbeakdidyouhave?Whatfoodwasyourbeak
adaptedtoeating?,Doestheshapeandsizeofabirdsbeakdeterminewhatit
caneatandhow?).
6. Studentswillthencomprisetheirnotebooksandsharewithothergroupsinthe
classroom.

Assessment
Studentswillcreateanewsbroadcastwheretheycanchooseaspecificanimalthat
theymayfindinteresting.Withtheseanimalstudentsaretodescribetheanimals
physicalcharacteristicsincludingwhattheymayeat,howtheymoveandwhere
theycanbefound.
IndependentPractice
Followingthelessonstudentswillobserveanimalsintheircommunityand
compareandcontrasttheseanimalstothosewediscussedinclass.
FollowUp:AcademicIntervention
Thestudentswillusethecomputerstoidentifycentersthathelpanimalstoadapt
tothechangesinclimateorchangestotheirenvironment.
References
Coldrey,J.,&Morrison,.K.(1986).Hideandseek.NewYork:Putnam.
Ganeri,A.,&Verrinder,H.(1995).Animalsindisguise.NewYork,N.Y.;Little
Simon
Shwartz,D.M.,Schy,Y.,&Kuhn,D(2007).WhereintheWild?,camouflaged
creaturesconcealedandrevealed:earticklingpoems.