Unit

FallFall
08
08
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Unit Introduction and Purpose
Target Grade Level:
2nd Grade
Unit Purpose:
The purpose of the unit, “Living Things Grow and Change,” is for
students to build a strong foundation about plants and animals. In
order for students to completely understand plants and animals, they
need to understand living and nonliving things. Each section then
scaffolds from living and nonliving things up to lessons about plants
and animals and how they grow and change. At the end of the unit,
students should not only understand plants and animals but also
synthesize their knowledge in order to compare how the plants and
animals grow and change.
Engaging and Motivating Students:

In order to encourage learning, students will be able to apply their
desire to discover. In several lessons, students will be going outside of
the classroom in order to find and categorize certain things. They will
be challenged to compare, group and possibly discover a reason to
learn more about plants and animals. Students will also be able to use
the computers. Because many students love to use technology, this
should encourage them to build the necessary background knowledge
that they will need in order to complete the computer activity. The
homework and independent activities also involve finding images in
magazines. This allows students to explore and look at interesting
pictures in magazines.
Justification for the Lesson Sequence:

• Lesson 1: What are Living and Nonliving Things?
In order for students to understand plants and animals, they need to
understand which objects are living and nonliving. Once students
know which objects are living and nonliving, they will be ready to
learn how to classify living objects into plants or animals.
• Lesson 2: How do Plants Grow and Change?
Before comparing plants and animals, students need to have a
foundation in plants. They need to understand how and why plants
are living. It is often a misconception that plants are nonliving
because they do not move like animals. This lesson teaches
students why and how plants are living things.
• Lesson 3: How are Plants Alike and Different?
Once students understand that plants are living things, students
need to understand how plants are alike and different. Just like
animals, different plants live in different environments. Plants have
different physical characteristics in order to accommodate their
survival in their environment. Students will learn how these
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characteristics are important for the plants survival in their
environment.
• Lesson 4: How are Animals Alike and Different?
After the students have learned about how plants are alike and
different, they will compare how animals are also alike and different.
Because many students only think that mammals are animals, it is
important for students to learn about other classifications of
animals. This allows students to compare these classifications and
categorize the different animals as animals.
• Lesson 5: What are some Animal Life Cycles?
Just as it was important for students to learn how plants grow and
change, it is also important for students to learn how animals grow
and change. Learning how the different animals grow and change
allows students to compare plants and animals in the next lesson.
• Lesson 6: Comparing Plants and Animals
This lesson completes the unit by comparing how plants grow and
change and how animals grow and change. The lesson requires all
of the other lessons in order for students to have the necessary
foundations to compare and analyze plants verses animals.
• Unit Assessment
Once students have completed all of the lessons, they will be ready
to use their knowledge on the assessment.
Science Background:
CA Science Standards:
Life Sciences
• 2a. Students know different plants and animals inhabit different
kinds of environments and have external features that help them
thrive in different kinds of places.
• 2b. Students know both plants and animals need water, animals
need food, and plants need light.
• 2c. Students know animals eat plants or other animals for food
and may also use plants or even other animals for shelter and
nesting.
• 2d. Students know how to infer what animals eat from the
shapes of their teeth (e.g., sharp teeth: eats meat; flat teeth:
eats plants).
• 2e. Students know roots are associated with the intake of water
and soil nutrients and green leaves are associated with making
food from sunlight.
AAAS Benchmarks:
By the end of the 2nd grade, students should know that:
• Some animals and plants are alike in the way they look and in
the things they do, and others are very different from one
another. 5A/P1
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• There is variation among individuals of one kind within a
population. 5B/P1
• Offspring are very much, but not exactly, like their parents and
like one another. 5B/P2
• Most living things need water, food, and air. 5C/P2
• Animals eat plants or other animals for food and may also use
plants (or even other animals) for shelter and nesting. 5D/P1
• Living things are found almost everywhere in the world. There
are somewhat different kinds in different places. 5D/P2
• Plants and animals both need to take in water, and animals need
to take in food. In addition, plants need light. 5E/P1
• Different plants and animals have external features that help
them thrive in different kinds of places. 5F/P1
Elaborations:
The target science content for the unit in more detail:
Most importantly, students should understand these content
standards:
• 2a. Students know different plants and animals inhabit different
This is important because students need to understand the
physical features of each animal in order to understand how
those physical features help support the animal in their
environment in order to grow and change.
• 2b. Students know both plants and animals need water, animals
In order for plants and animals to grow and change, they need
water, food, and light.
• Some animals and plants are alike in the way they look and in
the things they do, and others are very different from one
another. 5A/P1
This is very important because students use higher level thinking
skills in order to compare the knowledge that they already
learned about in different animals and plants.
What are the big science ideas that you want the elementary student
to understand?
It is important that students understand which things are living
and nonliving so they can then compare living things. Then it is
important for students to learn why plants are living things. After
they learn why plants are living things, they need to learn about
how they reproduce and what physical features help them in
their environment. Now they can apply why plants are living
things, they can use the same structure to analyze why animals
are living things. In addition, the students will be able to
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differentiate and classify different animals. Lastly, after all of the
knowledge has been scaffolded, students will be able to compare
how plants and animals are different from one another.
What are some different ways that you might talk to the elementary
students about the science content?
In order for students to understand all of the vocabulary, it would
be important to frontload the vocabulary. First, a student friendly
definition of the vocabulary words should be introduced. Then
the teacher should use the vocabulary in a sentence that uses
the word in a direct context. Lastly, the students should be
provided an opportunity to apply this word in an
activity/sentence. In addition to vocabulary content, the teacher
should access prior knowledge by including a discussion before
the lesson. At the end of the lesson, a quick discussion about
what we learned is usually a good closure.
Possible Student Misconceptions:

1. Plants, fungi, eggs and seeds are not living.
2. Young children do not recognize trees as living although they
understand that seedlings are alive.
3. Only large land mammals are animals.
4. Plants are not living.
5. Young children do not recognize trees as living.
7. Plants only need water to live.
8. Seeds can grow with just water.
9. A seed is not living
10. Animals are big creatures with hair.
11.Only mammals are animals.
12.All animals are characteristically the same.
13.Only mammals are animals.
14.Animals need to have hair/fur on their body
15.Animals do not live in water.
16.Fish are not animals
17.Only large land mammals are animals.
18.Penguins and turtles are amphibians because they are both in
and out of water.
19.Whales, jellyfish, and starfish are all fish.
20. Storks deliver babies
21.Animals poop eggs
22.God makes babies
23.All animals are born from eggs
24.All babies grow in the mom’s tummy
Day 1: What are Living and Non-living Things?

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Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is to allow students to start to think
about how living things grow and change. In order for students to
understand how living things grow and change, the students
need to identify and analyze what things are living and what
things are not living. This lesson introduces the concept of living
verses nonliving. The students will be able to compare their
similarities and differences by grouping objects, listening to a
read aloud, filling in sentence frames, and completing an
independent activity. After learning how to identify living and
nonliving objects, the students will begin the next step in the unit
about how plants grow and change.
Time Required:
1 hour
Materials:
5 paper bags
Large T-chart
Tape
20 pictures of living and non-living things
Sentence frame
Living and Nonliving by Angela Royston
Paragraph Frame and/or worksheets
A place to post charts on wall for following days of review.
Material Management:
In the anticipatory set, the students will have 1 paper bag at
each table group. We will go outside as a class for 5 minutes.
The 20 pictures of living and nonliving things will have to be
printed the day before.
Tape will be precut and ready on the table next to the chart.
Homework activity will be handed out in the weekly homework
packet.
Student Misconceptions:
1. Plants, fungi, eggs and seeds are not living.
2. Young children do not recognize trees as living although they
understand that seedlings are alive.
State Standards:
2a. Students know different plants and animals inhabit different
2b. Students know both plants and animals need water, animals
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Learning Objectives:
The students can distinguish living and nonliving things by
categorizing pictures on a T-chart after the book, Living and
Nonliving is read aloud. The students can evaluate the
characteristics of both living and nonliving objects by applying
the characteristics to either a living or nonliving thing. The
students can independently compile images of living and
nonliving things by finding pictures and placing them in the
correct list.
Instructional activities:
Anticipatory Set (15 minutes):
1. Give each group a paper bag and have them go outside and
collect ten items.
2. The students can also collect objects within the classroom as
well.
3. Have each group dump their bag on their desks and sort their
items.
4. Discuss how each group has sorted their items.
5. Are there any other ways to sort them?
Input (10 minutes):

1. Read Living and Nonliving by Angela Royston.
2. The students will come up to the reading carpet and I will sit in
the reading chair.
Modeling (1-3 minutes):

1. Regroup my group of objects into a living and nonliving group
Check for Understanding (5 minutes):

1. Have groups sort their items again.
2. Discuss characteristics of living and nonliving things.
a. grows and changes
b. needs food, water, and air
3. I will walk around to groups and make sure that the students are
grouping correctly.
Guided Practice (20 minutes):

1. Make a T-Chart: Provide information about what makes living
things different from non-living things. Give each student a
picture of a living or non-living thing. They will tape their picture
under one of the categories of the t-chart. Students use the
sentence frame to describe why their picture is a living or
nonliving thing. (A _______ is __________ because ___________.)
(15 min)
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2. Check for Understanding: Think-pair-share: What affects the
way living things look and grow? How do you think a small plant
will change? What would happen if the small plant didn’t get any
water? (5 min)
Closure (20 minutes)

1. Paragraph frame for students to write what they know about
living things (Worksheet):
2. Example:
a. A ________ is a living thing because ___________, ___________,
and __________. A ___________ is not a living thing because
__________, _____________, and _____________.
3. For ELLs, they can draw a picture of a living object and a
nonliving object that was not mentioned during class.
4. For those who finish early, they can go online and take an online
quiz at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/ourselves.sht
ml
Independent Practice:
1. Students will make their own t-chart at home. They will fill in the
living and non-living side with images that they cut out from
magazines. (See attached)
Resources

California Content Standards- Science
http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
Pictures for T-chart
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=1996
Day 2: How Do Plants Grow and Change?

Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is to allow students to start to think
about how living things grow and change. In order for students to
understand how living things grow and change, the students
need to understand how and what plants need to grow. By
understanding this, the students will be able to describe ways a
plant maybe affected by its environment. By understanding how
plants grow and change, the students will have a better
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understanding of the characteristics of a plant in order to
compare how plants are alike and different in the next lesson.
Time Required:
1 hour
Materials:
Worksheet about stages of a plant
Worksheet about what a plant needs to grow
The Life of Bean Book
Computers
Document Camera
Science Textbooks
Because the students are using a website in their independent
study, I will already have the website up and ready on the screen
for them to start. I will open several tabs of it so students can
have it up after another student is finished.
1. Plants are not living.
2. Young children do not recognize trees as living.
4. Plants only need water to live.
5. Seeds can grow with just water.
6. A seed is not living
State Standards:
2e. Students know roots are associated with the intake of water
food from sunlight.
The students can identify the things plants need to grow.
Students can describe ways a plant may be affected by its
environment by analyzing the parts of a plant based on the
plants current characteristics. By analyzing the parts of a plant,
students will be able to compare different plants in the Day 3
Lesson.
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1. Have the students come up to the front of the carpet.
2. Read The Life of a Bean
Input (15 minutes):

1. Show students a seed. Show them the seed coat. Tell students
that a plant starts as a seed. Draw a seed and label seed coat.
Students do this on their worksheet #1. I will follow along on
the doc camera and model.
2. In box 2, show the seed growing from water and sunlight.
Write germinate: to grow. Tell students that the roots grow
down first to stabilize the plant before it grows up. The plant is
called a seedling. Students do this on their worksheet.
3. As the seed grows it makes more leaves and stems. Draw this
in box 3 of the work sheet.
4. When the plant is full grown, seeds form in one part of each
flower. This flower part becomes a fruit that protects the
seeds. The seeds may later germinate and grow into a new
plant. Draw this in box 4 of the worksheet.

1. (Worksheet #2) Show students that the plant needs dirt to
live in. (label)
2. Show students that a plant needs water when it’s thirsty.
(Label the rain)
3. Show students that a plant needs heat (label the sun)
Closure (5 minutes each group = 15 minutes)

1. I will number off students by three. Everyone with a 1 may go
to the computers. Everyone else will independently read the
science text about plants until students finish at the
computer.
2. Students who finish can go do the activity at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/tests/plants_
grow.shtml
3. For students who struggled during the lesson, they can
complete this activity
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/growing_p
lants.shtml
4. After completing the activity, the students will complete the
online quiz after the activity.
Independent Practice:
1. For homework, the student will identify which plants received
all the necessary requirements to live. (Homework Worksheet)
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Resources
BBC Science Clips:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/
Supplementary Text:
Life of a Bean
Discovery Channel Clip Art:

http://www.discoverychannel.com
Day 3: How are Plants Alike and Different?

Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is to allow students to identify
characteristics of plants. After identifying the characteristics of
plants, students will be able to compare different types of
plants. Once they students compare the plants, they will be able
to describe the differences in terms of physical characteristics.
When students understand that plants are different, we will be
able to discuss how there are other living objects such as
animals. Because we can identify characteristics of plants, we
can apply our identification strategies to the next lesson about
animals. In the next lesson, we will be able to compare how
animals are alike and different just like how we compared how
plants are alike and different.
Time Required:
1 hour
Materials:
Pinecones
Pine Needles
Cactus Needles
Oak/Maple Leaves
8x10 pictures of the desert, forest, and farm areas (different
environments)
Before the lesson, I will collect some pinecones, pine needles,
cactuses, and oak/maple leaves. I will also print 8x10 pictures of
the different environments so students can place their plant in
the correct environment.
1. Cactuses are not plants
2. All plants have the same type of leaves.
3. Cactuses do not have leaves.
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4. Pine cones are leaves
5. The seeds always look like a bean sprout seed.
6. Only plants that make flowers have seeds.
State Standards:
food from sunlight.
The students can identify the environments in which cactuses,
pine trees, and maple/oak trees live in. Students can describe
how these plants are similar and alike by analyzing their
scientific characteristics.
1. Students will walk around the school collecting as many
different types of leaves and seeds as possible.
2. When the children get back, they will spread and sort their
leaves in their table groups.
3. Give each group an additional bag of plant leaves and seeds
(focus on plants from pine forest, oak forest, and desert). Ask
students to classify the leaves into 3 groups. Leaves in each
group should be alike in some way. Students write a label for
each group that tells how the leaves are alike.
Input (15 minutes):

1. Model how to classify the leaves and seeds.
2. Combine classified leaves into one area (pine: thin, needle-like
leaves, seeds grow in cones; oak: broad, flat, leaves, seeds
are acorns; cactus: store water in stem, leaves are sharp
spines to protect plant from animals, cactus seeds inside
fruit.)
3. Place the classified leaves and seeds onto the appropriate
picture of the environment. Connect leaf classifications to the
plants’ environments.
4. Label on chart how the plants’ are affected by the
environments in which they live.
5. (5 minutes) Check for Understanding: Think, Pair, Share with a
partner: Where are some places plants live? How are plants in
different places alike and different?

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1. (Worksheet #1) The worksheet consists of a T-chart. Students
work in partners to fill the T-chart out.
How Plants are Alike How Plants are Different

Plants have different
Plants are living things
environments
Plants need water, air, and light to
Plants have different leaves, seeds
grow and change.
Plants need different amounts of
light, water, and air to survive.
Closure (5 minutes)
2. Today we learned about the different places that plants can grow.
Tell your partner one place a plant can grow.
3. We also learned about the different plants that grow in those
different places. Tell your partner what kind of plant might grow
in the area that you said.
4. Now that we know how plants are alike and different, we’re going
to learn about how animals are alike and different.
Independent (10 minutes)

1. Students will find a picture of 2 different plants and create a
Venn Diagram that compare them to see how they are alike and
different. The students must use some of the examples that we
created on the T-chart in class.
Day 4: How are Animals Alike and Different?

Purpose:
The purpose of the lesson is to allow students to compare
different animals in a systematic format. In the last lesson, the
students learned and applied how to compare plants within scientific
terms. Now the students will compare animals in scientific terms. This
is important for the students to comprehend because animals are very
different and are classified in different groups. Once students
understand how to classify and compare animals, they will learn more
about the animal life cycle.
Time Required:
1 hour
Materials:
Projector
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Document Camera
Tape to put up the poster on the whiteboard.
21 copies of Animal Web Worksheet
Large poster size animal web with room for pictures and
descriptions.
21 pictures of different animals (3inx3in)
5 small whiteboards for the groups to write their answers during
Jeopardy
5 markers (1 for each group)
Because the students will be placing their pictures of animals on
the animal web, I will have to create a large poster size animal
web. I will also have to pick at least 21 different animals and cut
them out so they are about 3 square inches so they can all fit on
the poster. I will also precut tape so that they can just grab it and
put it on the poster.
1. Only mammals are animals.
2. Animals need to have hair/fur on their body
3. Animals do not live in water.
4. Fish are not animals
6. Penguins and turtles are amphibians because they are both in
and out of water.
7. Whales, jellyfish, and starfish are all fish.
State Standards:
2c. Students know animals eat plants or other animals for food
nesting.
The students can identify the categories for mammals, birds,
reptiles, amphibians, fish, and animals without bones. Students
can describe how these animals are similar and alike by
analyzing their scientific characteristics.
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1. Thumbs up if you think this is an animal. Thumbs down if you
think this is an animal.
2. Fish, bird, peacock, walrus, turtle, lizard, frogs, starfish
3. If you put your thumbs up for ALL of them, you are correct!
4. It is often very hard to think of some of those animals as
animals because they are so different from one another.
5. Today we’re going to be classifying, which is another way of
giving a group of things or animals a name. For example, out
of everybody at this school, I’m going to classify you in the
third grade because you’re 8 and 9 years old and you have
already completed 2nd grade. Now that we know what
classifying is, we are going to classify the different types of
animals.
Input (15 minutes):

Birds
Mammal
s Animals without
bones
Animals
Amphibians
Reptiles Fish
1. (15 minutes) Make a web. In the middle, write “Animals.”
Make categories for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians,
fish, and animals without bones.
2. Describe the characteristics of the classifications and model 1
example of an animal. Have students follow along on their
worksheet that explains each classification and describes
what a classification is.
3. Students will write the description of Amphibians underneath
the subtopic amphibians and so forth with the rest of the
classifications.
4. I will model this underneath my large poster of the animal
web.

1. Students are given a picture of different animals. Each
student fills in the sentence frame on their worksheet to
classify their animal.
2. Encourage students to refer to the Animal Web to create their
sentence. Ex. My animal is a __________ because _________. (My
animal is a bird because it has wings, feathers and a beak.)
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3. After all students write their sentence, bring students to the
rug and have them read their sentence as they tape their
animal to the web.
4. We will have a group discussion comparing 2 classifications
(ex. Amphibians and birds) comparing their similarities and
differences.

1. Now that we have learned how to classify different animals,
we’re going to play a quick jeopardy round in our class.
2. I am going to name an animal, when your group knows the
classification, one person is going to write the classification
down on your small whiteboard and hold up the answer. Be
prepared to explain why you picked the classification! We will
keep tallies on the large whiteboard with the correct answers
for each group.
Independent Practice (15 minutes):

1. Answer the questions on the guided website link about the
animals.
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/Esheet.cfm?DocID=103
2. The questions on the worksheet will follow along with the
questions asked on the webpage. There will be space for the
student to write the answer underneath the question on the
worksheet.
Resources
Science NetLinks webpage:
Day 5: What Are Some Animal Life Cycles?

Purpose:
Now that students can classify animals, students will learn about
the life cycle in each classification of animals. By learning about the life
cycle of the animals, the students will be able to compare the life cycle
of a plant to an animal in the next lesson.
Time Required:
55 minutes
Materials:
Frog life cycle information & Trade book
Pacific Salmon life cycle information & Trade Book
Chicken life cycle information & Trade book
Octopus life cycle information & Trade book
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Dolphin life cycle information & Trade Book
Turtle life cycle information & Trade book
Computers
Internet
Life Cycle Stages Worksheets
I will photocopy 21 copies of the life cycle stages worksheet. I will
also supply the students with a trade book about each of the
classifications of animals. I will also have the computers turned
on with the Google webpage up so they can search the life cycle
of their animal.
1. Storks deliver babies
2. Animals poop eggs
3. God makes babies
4. All animals are born from eggs
5. All babies grow in the mom’s tummy
State Standards:
nesting.
2d. Students know how to infer what animals eat from the
shapes of their teeth.
The objective of the lesson is for students to comprehend that
different animals have different life cycles. The students will use
textbooks to search for information about the life cycle of their
animal. The students will use their findings in order to classify
the life cycle in the correct order. Once students understand the
life cycle of their animal, they will teach their classmates about
the life cycle of their animal.
1. Have the students pair-share the different classifications of
animals. Have the students give an example of an animal in
each classification.
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Input (10 minutes):
1. Describe how each animal has a different life cycle.
2. Read a trade book about the life cycle of a butterfly.
3. Discuss the stages in which a butterfly lives.

1. I will model one of the classifications of animals (butterfly).
2. I will use the my trade book and the internet in order to
correctly order the preprinted life cycle cards for the butterfly.
3. Show the students the life cycle stages cards. Tell them that
each group will get their own animal in a different
classification. I will then hand out the life cycle stages cards to
each group. The students will have to cut the stages out and
paste them on construction paper in the correct order. (There
will be a different life cycle stages worksheet that correlates
with each animal)
4. The group will use the trade book and the Internet in order to
correctly order the life cycle stages cards.
5. Once the groups have correctly ordered their life cycle stages
card, they will come up to the class and describe the process
to the class.
Closure (5 minutes)
Have the students watch this QuickTime movie that summarizes
animal life cycles:
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.cyc.meta
morph/
Independent Practice (15 minutes):

1. I will hand the students a visual worksheet that shows the
correct order of the life cycle in each animal classification.
2. The students will write one sentence underneath the stages
describing what is happening.
Resources:
QuickTime Movie:
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.cyc.metamorph/
Life Stages Cards:

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.cyc.lp_lifecycle/
Day 6: How are Plants and Animals Similar and

Different?
Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is to summarize the previous lessons
in one lesson. The students will use the knowledge that they acquired
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in the last lessons to compare plants and animals and the
environments in which they live.
Time Required:
55 minutes
Materials:
Pictures of a Desert with plants and animals
Pictures of a farm with plants and animals
Pictures of a forest with plants and animals
Pictures of the arctic with plants and animals
Pictures of the ocean with plants and animals
Worksheet with Venn diagram
Lined paper
Paragraph frame for the lower level students.
The students will be analyzing the pictures of environments with
different plants and animals. I will have to preprint a few copies
of each environment. If I cannot find an image, I will have to
make the image and paste a picture of the plants and animals in
the environment picture. I will also have to photocopy a Venn
diagram worksheet for each student. For lower level students, I
will either photocopy a graphic organizer or a paragraph frame in
order to assist them in their writing.
All of the misconceptions from the previous lessons
State Standards:
nesting.
2d. Students know how to infer what animals eat from the
shapes of their teeth.
food from sunlight.
The students will use their knowledge about plants, animals, and
their environments in which they live to compare and contrast
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the plants and animals in their environment. The students will
create a Venn diagram about how the plants are similar to the
animals and how they are different from the animals in the same
environment. The students will use their analysis to write 3
paragraphs about the picture that they analyzed.
1. Think-pair-share with a partner:
• What are some of the physical characteristics of a cactus
that help it survive in a desert?
• What are some physical characteristics of a shark that help
it survive in the water?
• What do plants need in order to live?
• What do animals need in order to live?
Input (5 minutes):
1. We learned how plants have physical characteristics that help
them survive in their environment. We also learned about
animals that live the same environments as theses plants.
2. We are going to compare and contrast the plants and animals
that live in the same environment.
3. In order to understand all of the concepts, we need to recall
some of the information that we learned in the last lesson.
4. What do plants need to survive?
5. What do animals need to survive?

1. Model one of the pictures of the environment (cactus and
camels).
2. Create the Venn diagram. Write Cactus on one side and Camel
on the other side.
3. In the middle, write “They both live in the desert.” “They both
store water for long amounts of time.” They both need water
to survive.” “They both reproduce.”
4. On the cactus side, write “Is an plant.” “Has needles to
protect it from animals.” “Creates seeds.” “Has long roots.”
“Produces flowers.”
5. On the Camel side, write “Is an animal.” “Needs food to eat.”
“Can travel for long periods of time.” “Is camouflaged with it’s
color.”
6. Tell students that they can use the Internet to help learn more
about these plants and animals when creating the Venn
diagram.
7. Then model how I will organize my paragraphs in my writing.
The first paragraph will be about the plant. The second
20
paragraph will be about the animal. The third paragraph will
be about the similarities.
8. For lower level students, allow them to use a paragraph frame
to help guide them in their writing.

1. Have students from each environment share their writing and
picture to the class.
Resources:
Google Images:
www.google.com
Assessment:
1. Circle the NONLIVING thing.
a. An ant
b. A cow
c. A flower
d. A car
2. Circle the LIVING thing.

a. A rock
b. A bean sprout
c. A computer
d. A bicycle
3. A living thing _____________ and ______________ over time.
4. Describe why a book is not a living thing.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________.
5. Germinate means:
a. To grow
b. To move out
c. To eat
d. To drink
6. A plant needs __________ to live in, ____________ to drink, and
____________ to grow.
7. True or False: Plants are able to get water through their roots.
21
a. True
b. False
8. Tell me about the environment that this plant lives in. How do you
know that?
9. List one way in which plants are alike:
10.Plants are different from each other:

a. Plants have different environments
b. Plants have different leaves and seeds
c. Plants need different amounts of light, water, and air to survive.
d. All of the above
e. A and B
f. B and C
g. None of the above
11.True or False: Animals need to have hair on their body.

a. True
b. False
12.Name one example of a reptile:
______________________
13.A chicken is a bird because _______________________________
________________________________________________________.
22
14.Circle the animal that is an amphibian:
a. Butterfly
b. Beetle
c. Frog
d. Goldfish
15.Circle the correct order of a frog’s life cycle.

a. Tadpoles with legs  tadpoles egg  frog
b. Tadpoles  tadpoles with legs  frog egg
c. Egg  tadpoles  tadpoles with legs  frog
d. Frog egg tadpoles with legs  tadpoles
Answer Sheet:
1. D (1 point)
2. B (1 point)
3. Grows and changes (2 points)
4. A book does not need air, food, water, or sunlight. (3 points)
5. A (1 point)
6. Dirt, water, sunlight (3 points)
7. A (1 point)
8. The leaves on the plant are sharp to keep other animals away. The cactus
holds lots of water for long periods of dryness. (3 points)
9. Plants are living things
Plants need water, air, and light to grow and change (2 points)
10. D (1 point)
11. B (1 point)
12. Turtle, lizards, snakes, crocodiles, alligators, etc. (1 point)
13. Wings, beak, and feathers (3 points)
14. C (1 point)
15. C (1 point)
Total Points: 25 points
Rubrics:
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
The student The student
The student does
describes how the describes how the
not correctly
book does not book does not
respond with ANY
grow or change grow or change
the
Question # 4 over time OR over time AND
characteristics
How the book How the book
that a book would
does not need does not need
need if it were
food, water, or food, water, or
living.
sunlight. sunlight.
Question #8 The student lists The student lists The student lists
that the cactus that the cactus that the cactus
lives in the desert lives in the lives in the
with no desert. The desert. The
explanation as to student describes student describes
why. how the leaves how the leaves
protect the plant protect the plant
23
AND how the
OR how the stems
stems of the plant
of the plant hold
hold large
large amounts of
amounts of water
water for long dry
for long dry
periods.
periods.
The student lists
The student lists
The student lists all three
2 of the
Question #13 1 characteristic of characteristics of
characteristics of
a bird. a bird (beak,
a bird.
wings, feathers)
Grading Scale:
25, 24 A
22, 21, 20 B
19, 18 C
17, 16 D
15 and below F
References:
Science NetLinks webpage:
BBC Science Clips:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/
Supplementary Text:
Life of a Bean
Trade Books:
The Life Cycle of a Butterfly (The Life Cycle) by Bobbie Kalman
Camels (Nature Watch) by Cherie Winner
The Life Cycle of a Frog (The Life Cycle) by Bobbie Kalman
The Life Cycle of a Salmon (The Life Cycle) by Bobbie Kalman
Early Themes: Life Cycles: Butterflies, Chicks, Frogs, and More! by
Maria L. Chang
The Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle (The Life Cycle) by Bobbie Kalman
The Life Cycle of a Whale (The Life Cycle) by Bobbie Kalman
Life Cycle of a Chicken by Angela Royston
Octopus lives in the ocean (Life-cycle stories) by William M Stephens
QuickTime Movie:
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.cyc.metamorph/
Discovery Channel Clip Art:
24
http://www.discoverychannel.com
California Content Standards- Science:

http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
AAAS Benchmarks:
http://www.project2061.org/publications/bsl/online/index.php
Pictures for T-chart:

http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=1996
Reflection:
Explain the process you went through to develop your unit:
First, I started by looking through a 2nd grade textbook. I decided
to keep the unit concept but change many of the lessons in order
to create more unity. After I reviewed over the textbook lessons, I
created my own outline. I created the lesson topics first. Then I
went through each lesson and created a brief lesson plan for the
topic. In this brief lesson plan, I included the purpose, objective,
and brief description of the instructional activity. I turned this in
to be graded.
After the outline was evaluated, I created a detailed lesson plan

to turn in. I made sure to include an objective based off of
Bloom’s Taxonomy. I also created 2 worksheets to go along with
the lesson. The instructional sequence was very detailed in what
I would say to the students.
Once the detailed lesson was complete, I had to create an

assessment to go along with the unit. This was the most difficult
part because I had not completed each lesson in the unit so I had
to strictly base the questions off of the standards and unit
headings. I wished that I could have created the assessment
after all of the lessons had been created but I couldn’t due to
time restraints.
After assessment and lessons were created, I added the unit

introduction, purpose, and justification of lesson sequence into
the introduction. Then I researched the NAAS benchmarks and
expanded upon which ones were the most important in the unit.
Lastly, I created the Reflection after everything was complete.
If you were teaching this unit in your elementary classroom,

what is the one main thing that you would hope the students
would get out of the unit? Why?
I would really like students to understand the difference between
living and nonliving things. This is the most important part in
25
order to expand and build onto the differences between plants
and animals. I would also like students to understand what plants
need in order to survive and live. Then I would like students to
understand what an animal is and how different animals are from
each other. Then I would like students to take everything that
they have learned and compare the plants and animals.
Do you feel like your unit would meet the needs of diverse
learners? Why or why not?
I think my unit would meet the needs of diverse learners because
I differentiated instruction throughout the unit. For example, I
created sentence frames and paragraph frames in order for some
of the students to also understand concepts of a sentence. I also
had two websites during the independent activities. These two
websites were practically the same except one of them went
more into depth about the subject being covered. There are
activities that would challenge higher level learners and then
there are activities that would accommodate lower level learners.
Is this a unit you would feel comfortable teaching in your

future elementary classroom? Why or why not?
I do not think I would feel comfortable teaching this whole unit
because I do not think it is realistic in terms of time. I would feel
comfortable teaching this unit if the lessons were cut down.
While creating this unit, I felt like I needed to include more detail
and activity in order for the lesson to meet the standards. If I
were teaching this in class, I would eliminate a lot of the
independent activity because there is just not enough time
during the day. Or, if I did include the independent activity, it
would be completed during a different time of day such as when I
am meeting with a small group for guided reading.
In your future elementary classroom, do you think science will

be a part of your classroom instruction? If so, to what extent?
Why or why not?
Science will obviously be a part of my classroom because science
is required in the curriculum. I will most likely include the
suggested amount of science time into my schedule because I
think it is important to follow the guidelines that the state
suggests. In my opinion, math and language art are key for
students to be successful. In order to included science, I would
integrate it into both math and language arts. For example,
during my student teaching experience, I have already included
a guided reading group with the science text. This allows me to
teach students how to read nonfiction text. It also allows me to
meet with students in small groups in order to help read science.
Because science can often be hard for inexperienced readers to
26
comprehend, it is important to either do guided readings or
shared readings about science topics.
27

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FallFall

Engaging and Motivating Students:

Justification for the Lesson Sequence:

Possible Student Misconceptions:

Day 1: What are Living and Non-living Things?

Input (10 minutes):

Modeling (1-3 minutes):

Check for Understanding (5 minutes):

Guided Practice (20 minutes):

Closure (20 minutes)

Living and Nonliving by Angela Royston

Day 2: How Do Plants Grow and Change?

Input (15 minutes):

Guided Practice (15 minutes):

Closure (5 minutes each group = 15 minutes)

Discovery Channel Clip Art:

Day 3: How are Plants Alike and Different?

Input (15 minutes):

Guided Practice (15 minutes):

How Plants are Alike How Plants are Different

Independent (10 minutes)

Day 4: How are Animals Alike and Different?

Input (15 minutes):

Guided Practice (20 minutes):

Closure (10 minutes)

Independent Practice (15 minutes):

Day 5: What Are Some Animal Life Cycles?

Guided Practice (20 minutes):

Independent Practice (15 minutes):

Life Stages Cards:

Day 6: How are Plants and Animals Similar and

Guided Practice (40 minutes):

Closure (10 minutes)

2. Circle the LIVING thing.

3. A living thing _____________ and ______________ over time.

4. Describe why a book is not a living thing.

6. A plant needs __________ to live in, ____________ to drink, and

9. List one way in which plants are alike:

10.Plants are different from each other:

11.True or False: Animals need to have hair on their body.

12.Name one example of a reptile:

13.A chicken is a bird because _______________________________

15.Circle the correct order of a frog’s life cycle.

BBC Science Clips:

Discovery Channel Clip Art:

California Content Standards- Science:

Pictures for T-chart:

After the outline was evaluated, I created a detailed lesson plan

Once the detailed lesson was complete, I had to create an

After assessment and lessons were created, I added the unit

If you were teaching this unit in your elementary classroom,

Is this a unit you would feel comfortable teaching in your

In your future elementary classroom, do you think science will

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3. A living thing _ and __ over time.

6. A plant needs to live in, __ to drink, and