KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Diana Cucurullo Group Size: Individual

Date: 3/12/14

Allotted Time 45minutes Grade Level Grade 3 Section

Subject or Topic: Adaptations

STANDARD: S4.B.2.1.2: Explain how specific adaptations can help a living organism survive (e.g., protective coloration, mimicry, leaf sizes and shapes, ability to catch or retain water).

I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes): Students will be able to identify certain aspects of a living creature that helps them thrive in their environment.

II. Instructional Materials: A. Fabric swatches B. Computer C. Flashcards with Who Am I? animal game

III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea) A. Adaptations B. Camoflauge C. The Different Biomes D. Predator E. Prey F. Food Chain G. Gills H. Cold-blooded I. Warm-blooded

IV. Implementation A. Introduction Create your own dinosaur! 1. http://www.brainpop.com/games/constructasaurus/

 Did your dinosaur make it through his journey? Why or why not? What could you change so that he does survive?

B. Development What are adaptations? 1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX8VQIJVpTg As the seasons change, how do we adapt to our environment? Animals cannot put on jackets when they are cold or shorts on when they are hot. So, how do they adapt? 1. Pass around fabric swatches of the different (fake) furs, feathers, scales and blubber. a. What animals do these remind you of? Do they live in warm or cold climates? i. Draw pictures of what you think the animal looks like and what their environment looks like in your small groups. (Give students 5minutes on the timer so they can pace themselves). 1. Display each pictures in the front of the class and describe the adaptations that are identified. 2. Some animals live in the water, but, how do they breathe? Gills! Gills are like our lungs that we use to breathe. Can you name some animals that have gills? 3. Animals can either be warm-blooded or cold-blooded. Warmblooded means that the animals body temperature stays the same when its warm or cold outside. Cold-blooded means that the animals body temperature changes when the temperature outside changes. a. Make a T-table of warm and cold blooded animals with the students. Give them the first example of each to help them brain storm. Adaptations are not just to the animals body but everything around them especially where they live. We live in houses to protect us from outside and make us feel safe and warm. Here are some examples of different shelters: 1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO13kVDwl60 2. Why do some animals need to hide in their shelters? Animals can be classified as predator or prey. Predators survive by eating prey. Prey need to defend themselves from the predators in their environment. 1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhDS7YN_lII The relationships between predator and prey can change throughout an environment is called a food chain.

1. An example of a food chain could be: Grass gets their food from the sun, a cow eats the grass and then humans eat the cow. Below is an example of how it would look: 2. Sun Grass CowHuman 3. Here is a more challenging food chain: 4. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/images/tutorials/ecolo gy/trophic_levels/foodweb.gif a. Animals can change roles of predator or prey during the food chain. For example, a mouse is a predator to the grass but the owl is a predator of the mouse which is now the prey. b. Typically, animals that are predators have adaptations that help them catch their food such as speed, sharp claws, sharp teeth, size and so on. i. Make a list with a partner of different predators you can think of. (Allow 2 minutes on the timer) 1. With the answers given, sort the animals into the biomes we discussed earlier in the unit and discuss the adaptations they have to live in the environment as well as their adaptions that they need to get their food. c. Have students create their own food chain given four blank squares to fill. One square for each living thing in the chain. (Sun does not need to be included in one of the squares if the sun is needed in your chain)

C. Closure It is because of an animals adaptations that they are in a certain position on a food chain. If they can hide well or run fast, they can survive longer than the others!

D. Accommodations/Differentiation For a student that needs a more hands-on approach, I can give them toy animals to have him/her create their food chain.

E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan 1. Formative: Checklist that each student created an accurate food chain. 2. Summative: At end of lesson, hand out a card to each student that has a different animal on it. Each student will need to write down where the animal might live, if they are cold or warm blooded, one adaptation they need to live and give a three square food chain including that animal.

V. Reflective Response A. Report of Students Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (after lesson is taught) Remediation Plan B. Personal Reflection How can I make this more challenging for gifted students? Do I need to provide more practice for the food web section? How can I make this more student-based/more engaging? VI. Resources