Living Vs - Owl Corner



Living Vs. NON Living

Jenica Arntz

Julie Hollister

Brenda Massung

Cristina Neher

Subject/Topic:

- This unit is on living and non-living objects, growing and changing, life cycles, the five senses, plants and animals.

- The students will learn:

o About living and non-living things.

o That fish are living things and rocks are nonliving things.

o The differences between living and non-living things.

o How living things grow and change, and that all living things grow and change.

o Plants need room to grow, the right temperature, light, water, air, nutrients and time.

o Animals need food, water, shelter, and air.

o Humans need food, water, air, shelter, love and time.

o The life cycle of a plant and butterfly.

o Mammals, birds, insects are all living things.

o The different characteristics of reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

- The students will learn these things through:

o Sorting pictures that are living and non-living.

o Observing fish and rocks.

o Observing live kittens and a stuffed animal kitten.

o Exploring growth changes between young animals and adult animals by comparing.

o Exploring growth cycles of people and how their looks change.

o Drawing pictures of themselves at two different stages of life.

o Completing a flower life cycle activity.

o Reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

o Creating butterfly art.

o Reading The Bernstein Bears Grow It.

o Planting beans.

o Reading Brave Little Monster.

o Observing and using the five senses to experience many different objects.

o Completing a matching activity.

o Identifying the characteristics of mammals, birds, and insects.

o Sorting reptiles, amphibians and fish.

- The individual lesson plans are based on students:

o In a class size of 15-20.

o Who at times work in small groups of 3-5

o Two lessons accommodate for a deaf student in the classroom, who works individually with a tutor.

- Time Allotted:

o The individual lesson plans range in a time frame of 25-40 minutes

Rationale/Purpose

- Why should students learn this material in the lessons/what is the value?

o They need to know the characteristics of living and non-living things.

o Kindergarten is a perfect time to begin building the knowledge of the children.

o So students can better understand the process of life.

o Lessons have real world application and teach students that all living things have life cycles.

o Students will gain an appreciation for their five senses, and how to use them in their daily lives.

o So students can better understand the process of plant life and how to care for plants.

o Lessons have real world application and teach students how to care for living things.

o Helps them relate to their surroundings; they are able to classify mammals, birds and insects around them.

o So they can learn how animals live in the world.

o Gain knowledge about the characteristics of many animals.

- Grading Criteria in the various lesson plans:

o Participation: Whether they asked questions, answered questions, listened, and completed the activities/assignments.

o Classifying objects correctly as living/non-living.

o Matching games: correct pictures should be put together.

o Drawing

o One lesson is based upon a seven point scale.

o Content and depth of journal entries.

o A mammal, bird and insect chart.

o Explanations of drawings.

- How these lessons fit the needs of the students:

o They are interactive with the ability to have one on one time with the teacher. There are discussions and hands-on activities that promote all learning styles.

- How these lessons relate to real world concerns:

o Students see animals everyday and will gain answers to many questions they may have about them.

o Students will learn more about their body, and how it sees, touches, hears, tastes and smells, this is a part of their everyday lives.

o Students are surrounded by living and non-living things and they be able to understand the characteristics of them.

o Mammals, birds, and insects are a part of our world.

- How this relates to our philosophies of teaching:

o Children have the opportunity to learn about living and non-living things in the world which God created.

o Students have the potential to do well and will be successful by working hard and being enthusiastic about what they are learning.

o Honesty, trust, dependability and compassion are the goals and this will be demonstrated through the desire to help the students succeed and learn.

Identification of Goals/Objectives

- What will the students be able to understand or do after the unit?

o Recognize the difference between living and non-living things.

o Understand how all living things grow and change.

o Recognize the similarities and differences between the different stages of life.

o Explain the five senses and how they help us everyday.

o Explain the life processes that living things go through.

o Distinguish between the many animal groups.

o Identify characteristics of fish, reptiles and amphibians.

- Goals for the Unit:

o Students will explore living and non-living things while learning about animals.

o Students will gain a clear understanding of living things. They will understand why living things grow and will be able to classify living things in three categories: mammals, birds, and insects.

o Students gain a better understanding of their five senses and how it affects their daily lives as a living human being.

- National, state, and/or local goals:

o Science. Strand I. Content Standard 1. Benchmark 1, 5

o Science. Strand III. Content Standard 2. Benchmark 1, 2.

o Science. Strand III. Content Standard 5. Elementary Benchmark 2.

o Science. Strand IV. Content Standard 1. Elementary Benchmark 1.

o MCF.EG.III.2.2.2

▪ Compare and contrast (K-2) or classify (3-5) familiar organisms on the basis of observable physical characteristics.

▪ Key concepts: Animal parts

▪ Real-world contexts: Animals that look similar.

o MCF.EG.III.2.3

▪ Describe life cycles of familiar organisms.

▪ Key concepts: Life cycle stages—egg, young, adult; seed, plant, flower, fruit; larva, pupa. Real-world contexts: Common plants and animals such as bean plants, apple trees, butterflies, grasshoppers frogs, and birds.

o MCF.EG.III.2.4

▪ Compare and contrast food, energy, and environmental needs of selected organisms.

▪ Key concepts: Life requirements—food, air, water, minerals, sunlight, space, habitat. See LEC-III.5 e.2. Real-world contexts: Germinating seeds, such as beans, corn; aquarium or terrarium life, such as guppy, goldfish, and snail.

- Objectives

o TLW explore living and nonliving things by comparing.

o TLW recognize the characteristics of living things and nonliving things.

o TLW demonstrate their knowledge of living and non-living things through activity.

o TLW explore growth changes between young animals and adult animals by comparing.

o TLW compare growth differences and similarities among animals.

o TLW explore growth cycles of people and how their looks change.

o TLW draw pictures of him/herself as a baby and how they look now.

o TLW order the stages of a plant life cycle.

o TLW describe what plants need to stay alive.

o TLW recognize the four stages of a butterfly’s life.

o TLW describe at least one thing that butterfly’s need to stay alive.

o TLW create their own chrysalis and butterfly.

o TLW exhibit proper behavior when being read to.

o TLW treat the objects with respect.

o TLW match the objects correctly.

o TLW describe the plant growth of a bean.

o TLW explain the three things needed to make plants grow.

o TLW identify the characteristics of mammals.

o TLW identify the characteristic of birds.

o TLW identify the characteristics of insects.

o TLW describe why mammals, birds and insects are living things.

o TLW explore differences in animals through classifying.

o TLW be able to explain the characteristics of reptiles.

o TLW be able to explain the characteristics of amphibians.

o TLW be able to explain the characteristics of fish.

Prepared by: Julie Hollister

Living vs. Nonliving Things

Subject/Topic:

Living vs. Nonliving Things

Grade Level:

Kindergarten/First Grade

Rationale/Purpose:

Students will learn the differences between living and nonliving things. They will learn that fish are living things and rocks are nonliving things.

MCFB: Strand I, Content Standard 1, Benchmark 1, 5 & Strand III, Content Standard 2, Benchmark 1, 2.

Objectives:

TLW explore living and nonliving things by comparing.

TLW recognize the characteristics of living things and nonliving things.

Materials:

Bulletin Board

-Background paper

-Ribbon Border

-Letters

-Envelopes

-Pictures of living and nonliving things

Rocks

Fish

Fish Cups (see through)

Magnifying glasses

Cards saying “Living” and “Nonliving”

White Board

Marker for white board

Engage:

The teacher should take all the children to the bulletin board. It may be located in the classroom or outside in the hallway. The board will be divided between living and nonliving words with a line down the middle. The children will have to figure out what side their picture belongs on.

When the children are in front of the bulletin board the teacher needs to explain that nonliving means that it is not living. Then the teacher should give one picture to each of the children. The teacher should ask the each child one by one if they think their picture is living or nonliving. Whatever the child says to the teacher, the teacher should put the picture on the right section of the board. The teacher should ask the children what they think living things are. The teacher should then ask the children what nonliving things are.

The teacher should then walk the children back to the classroom if they are out in the hallway.

Explore:

The teacher should put two fish cups with a fish inside and two rocks on each table. The teacher should ask the children to watch the fish and rock. While the children are looking at the rock and fish, the teacher should walk around to each table.

Explain:

After about three to five minutes the teacher needs to write Rock and Fish on the white board. He or she can ask the children what they think the differences are about color, size, and shape. The teacher can write all the answers on the board. The teacher can ask one by one with color, size, and shape. The teacher can ask:

Color: What color was the rock? What color was the fish? Tell me about the color of rock and fish you had at your table.

Size: What the rock big or little? Tell me about what you think the size of your fish or rock.

Shape: Was your fish fat or skinny? Tell me about the shape of your fish or rock.

Elaborate:

The teacher should then ask the children what the fish or rock did while you were watching them. The teacher should ask if the fish or rock moved. Ask the children about food for the fish and rock. Ask them how they are alike and different. After the children answer, the teacher can write all the answers on the board.

Evaluate:

The teacher will give a nonliving and living card to each child. The teacher will show a picture or call out a living or nonliving item. The child will then have to hold up the correct card. Then the teacher should ask to explain why they think something is living or nonliving. If the child holds up the right card for the item then the teacher knows if the child knows the difference between living and nonliving things.

Individual Difference:

If there is a deaf child in the classroom then they can just hold up the card without saying anything. If any child who are having trouble understanding the difference between living and nonliving things then the teacher will have one on one with that child.

Evaluate:

The teacher will evaluate the children by looking at the cards which they hold up.

The teacher will listen for the answers when the children give them.

Prepared by: Brenda Massung

Super Science Friday

Living vs. Non-Living

Subject/Topic:

A K-1 lesson with a living vs. non-living subject.

Rationale/Purpose:

Science. Strand III. Content Standard 5. Elementary Benchmark 2.

Objectives:

- Students will demonstrate their knowledge of living and non-living through activity.

Content:

1. Live cat vs. stuffed animal.

2. Living vs. non-living discussion

3. Magazine cut out activity.

Materials:

- Cat stuffed animal

- Live cat(s)

- Pencils

- Crayons

- Scissors

- Old Magazines

- Paper

- Glue sticks

Strategies and Activities:

Engage:

- “Welcome class! Today I want you to look at this cat” (show stuffed animal “cat”). “What can you tell me about this cat?” (Students will respond with answers such as eyes, nose, etc). “Very good, this cat has a tail, eyes, and a nose all of those things.”

- “Then bring out a real cat” (in my case I will be using kittens). “Now, what about this cat? What can you tell me about this cat?” (Students will respond with similar answers to the questions before). “Very good, this cat also has a tail, eyes and a nose just like the other cat.”

Explore:

- “Now, can you tell me which one is living?” (Students respond). “How do you know it is not living?” (Students respond).

- “When you observe two different things you are comparing them and how they are different and how they are alike, just like we just did. We compared this living cat to this non-living cat. You told me that both of them have tails, and eyes and ears, and that shows that they are the same. But what about how they are different? What can you tell me about how these cats are different?” (Students respond). “Correct, the living one eats, sleeps, goes to the bathroom.” (Elaborating on any one of these subjects can happen at this time).

Explain:

- “Let’s talk about living things. Living things do many things that non-living things don’t do. Living things grow and change. They need air, food, and water to grow and change. All living things make other living things like themselves. Animals, plants, and people are living things.

- Non-living things do not grow. They do not need air, food, or water. They do not make other things like themselves. Cars and rocks are nonliving things.”

Elaborate:

- “What are some living things that you can think of?” (Students respond and with that the teacher identifies why the particular object is living) “What are some non-living things you can think of?” (Students respond and with that the teacher identifies why the particular object is non-living).

Evaluate:

- “Well now we are going to apply what we learned today by looking through some magazines and finding pictures of living and non-living objects. Hand students two pieces of paper each. On one of your pieces of paper I want you to write the word living, and on the other piece of paper I want you to write non-living. And as you look through the magazine I want you to find the things that are both living and non-living. And then you may cut them out and glue them to your pieces of paper. You may also draw things that are living or non-living. I want you to find a minimum of four things for each page.

Plan for Individual Differences:

- Have the ability to not only monitor the students during this time, but also to work with individual students on their cutting skills, gluing skills and/or writing skills.

Evaluation:

Scoring Rubric for magazine activity.

- 5 points

o Child finds four correct examples for both the living and non-living categories and correctly places the four examples on the appropriate sheets.

- 4 points

o Child finds three correct examples for both the living and non-living categories and correctly places the three examples on the appropriate sheets.

- 3 points

o Child finds two correct examples for both the living and non-living categories and correctly places the two examples on the appropriate sheets.

- 2 points

o Child finds one correct example for both living and non-living categories and correctly places the examples on the appropriate sheets.

- 1 point

o Child finds living and non-living examples, but they are not placed under the correct category.

- 0 points

o Child does not complete the activity.

Prepared by: Cristina Neher

Super Science Friday Lesson

Subject/Topic:

Living Things Grow and Change

Rational/Purpose:

The purpose of this lesson is to teach students about how all living things grow and change. They are learning about living and non-living things in a unit and this lesson specifically addresses one characteristic of living things. It is a characteristic that non-living things do not have.

MCF.EG.III.2.2.2

Compare and contrast (K-2) or classify (3-5) familiar organisms on the basis of observable physical characteristics.

Key concepts: Animal parts

Real-world contexts: Animals that look similar.

MCF.EG.III.2.3

Describe life cycles of familiar organisms.

Key concepts: Life cycle stages—egg, young, adult; seed, plant, flower, fruit; larva, pupa. Real-world contexts: Common plants and animals such as bean plants, apple trees, butterflies, grasshoppers frogs, and birds.

MCF.EG.III.2.4

Compare and contrast food, energy, and environmental needs of selected organisms.

Key concepts: Life requirements—food, air, water, minerals, sunlight, space, habitat. See LEC-III.5 e.2. Real-world contexts: Germinating seeds, such as beans, corn; aquarium or terrarium life, such as guppy, goldfish, and snail.

Objectives:

• TLW explore growth changes between young animals and adult animals by comparing.

• TLW compare growth differences and similarities among animals.

• TLW explore growth cycles of people and how their looks change.

• TLW draw pictures of him/herself as a baby and how they look now.

Content:

• All living things grow and change.

• All living things come from seeds. All seeds need food, water, air, space, care, warmth and protection in order to grow.

• Plants need room to grow, the right temperature, light, water, air, nutrients, and time.

• Animals need food, water, shelter, and air.

• Humans need food, water, air, shelter, care, love, and time.

Materials:

• Matching Game

• Construction paper

• Glue

• Crayons

• Book: Something Grows by Marilyn Schima and Polly Bolian

Strategies and Activities:

Engage

Get the children together for circle time. Read part of the book, Something Grows by Marilyn Schima and Polly Bolian. (The book is too long to read in entirety at a kindergarten level.) Discuss the book with them and explain how we are going to be learning about how all living things grow and change.

• What did you learn from this book?

• Well, today we are going to learn about how all living things grow; and we are going to learn some of the needs for plants, animals and humans to grow.

Explore

Students should go back to their seats. Each student will complete a matching game. They have to match baby animals and a human baby with their parent. For example, they will have to match the chick with the chicken, the puppy with the dog, the kitten with the cat, and a human baby with a human adult. They should recognize the similarities between the baby and the parent and should notice differences as well. Then, each student will glue their pictures side by side on construction paper to show the changes from the baby to the adult. Have volunteers share which animal they think changed the most and why.

Explain

Ask the students these questions.

• How did you know which pictures went together?

• What are the major differences and similarities between the baby pictures and the adult pictures?

• How do some animals grow and change?

Allow them to share what they know and think. Then tell them that young animals grow to look like their parents. For example, when dogs are born, they can not see or walk, but eventually they can. They drink their mother’s milk and this helps them to grow and change. All living things develop their physical and behavioral abilities as they grow up and get older. Living things grow and change through a life cycle. Every living thing has many stages to go through in life and they look different in each stage.

Elaborate

Human beings like yourself grow and change too. As people grow, their looks change and they do different activities. Ask students these questions.

• Do you remember how you looked when you were a baby?

• How have you changed?

• Could you walk when you were a baby?

• Could you run around and play outside when you were a baby?

• Could you eat the foods you eat now when you were a baby?

o These are just a few examples of changes in yourself since you have grown.

• What are some other living things that grow?

Have a class discussion, allowing students to raise their hands and share.

Living things have needs in order to grow. Explain the needs of plants, animals, and human beings.

• All living things come from seeds. All seeds need food, water, air, space, care, warmth and protection in order to grow.

• Plants need room to grow, the right temperature, light, water, air, nutrients, space, and time.

• Animals need food, water, shelter, space, and air.

• Humans need food, water, air, shelter, care, love, and time.

Evaluate

Have students draw two pictures, a picture of themselves as a baby and of themselves right now. Then have them think of the differences and similarities between the pictures. Once pictures are done, Take volunteers to come up and share the differences and similarities that they found in themselves.

Plans for Individual Differences:

• I will be cutting out the pictures before the lesson so those students who are struggling with the development and coordination in their hands will not have to take time to cut them out. The focus of the lesson is not cutting, it is how things grow. This will allow them to have more time to play the game and make their projects.

• This lesson is very interactive as well. I will be reading to them, asking them questions and they will be asked to participate in discussions. They also have hands on activities to complete. This will help those students who have a hard time sitting still or listening for a long period of time.

Evaluation:

The children will be graded upon these aspects.

• Participation

o Whether they asked questions, answered questions, listened, and completed the activities/assignments.

• The matching game

o The correct pictures should be put together and glued on construction paper side by side.

• Their drawing

o Two pictures: one as a baby and one of themselves currently.

Parts of this lesson were adapted from

Moyer, Richard; Daniel, Lucy; Hackett, Jay; Baptiste, H. Prentice; Stryker, Pamela;

Vasquez, JoAnne. Science, Teacher’s Edition. National Geographic Society. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Prepared by: Jenica Arntz

Super Science Friday Lesson (Life Cycles)

Grade: Kindergarten

Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Subject/Topic: Life Science: Plant and Butterfly Life Cycles

Rationale: Students will learn that all living things have life cycles. This is important so students can better understand the process of life.

Objectives:

1. TLW order the stages of a plant life cycle.

2. TLW describe what plants need to stay alive.

3. TLW recognize the four stages of a butterfly’s life.

4. TLW describe at least one thing that butterfly’s need to stay alive.

5. TLW create their own chrysalis and butterfly.

Content:

I. Part 1: Plant Life Cycle

a. Flower life cycle activity

II. Part 2: Butterfly Life Cycle

a. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

b. Butterfly activity

III. Vocabulary: cocoon, chrysalis, life cycle

Materials:

• Glue

• Pictures of plant life stages (found at )

• Paper

• Life cycle worksheet

• Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

• Pictures of butterfly life stages (found at )

• Crayons/markers

• Toilet paper tubes (one per student)

• Tongue depressor or ice cream pop stick

• Pipe cleaner

• Butterfly cut-outs

Strategies and Activities:

I. Part 1: Plant Life Cycle

a. Engage

i. I want all of you to think way back when we talked about plants and what they needed to grow. Can anybody tell me what three things we said a plant needs to stay alive? (soil, water, sunlight)

b. Explore

i. I am going to give you some pictures of a flower and I want you to try to put them in order from when the flower was just planted all the way until it became a full flower.

ii. Give each student a set of flower life stages.

iii. Give them a couple minutes to sort through the pictures and put them in the order they think they should go in.

c. Explain/Elaborate

i. What is the first thing we need when we are going to plant a flower, even before we have the seed? What do we need to put the seed in? (soil) Okay, so first we will dig a hole in the soil to put the seed in. This is the first picture stage.

ii. What picture would come next? (seed)

iii. Who thinks they know what we need to do after we plant the seed? (water it) Plants need water in order to grow.

iv. Then we just watch the flower grow. It will first grow a stem, then the flower will bloom, and continue to grow bigger.

v. Have student paste their life stages pictures on paper.

vi. Once the flower is big enough, it will spread seeds and another seed will go through all these steps again to become a new flower.

vii. This is called a life cycle because these same steps keep happening to over and over again. All living things have a life cycle. We are going to look at another kind of life cycle today too.

II. Part 2: Butterfly Life Cycle

a. Engage

i. Before reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle:

ii. Ask students questions about the book

1. Has anyone ever read this story before?

2. Who wants to share with us, what they think the story will be about?

b. Explore

i. Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar

ii. Who can tell one of the stages that the Hungry Caterpillar went through? (Egg, caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly)

1. The cocoon is also called a chrysalis. Can everyone say chrysalis? Chrysalis is the science name for cocoon.

iii. Have students share until all the stages are given. Go back through the story if students have trouble listing all four.

iv. What is one thing that the caterpillar needed to stay alive and make his cocoon? (food)

c. Explain

i. While students give the four stages of the life cycle, tape the pictures of the life cycle on the board in the correct order.

ii. These are the four stages that a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly. Once it is a butterfly, it will lay another egg which will hatch into a caterpillar and the same thing will happen.

iii. I have made my own chrysalis (show example of butterfly activity that students will do) which will become a beautiful butterfly. Show students how the chrysalis comes off and a butterfly is made.

iv. Now, you are each going to have a chance to make your own chrysalis and butterfly.

d. Elaborate

i. Have students make their own butterfly inside a chrysalis.

ii. Color the butterfly cut-out and put a small hole at the top of the butterfly’s head.

iii. Color the toilet paper tube to look like a chrysalis.

iv. Take a piece of pipe cleaner and bend it into a ‘V’ shape. Put one point through the little hole in the butterfly’s head and twist it to look like an antenna. Butterflies use these “feelers” to learn about their environment.

v. Glue the butterfly to one end of the ice cream pop stick.

vi. Curl the butterfly’s wings and slide it into the chrysalis.

vii. Pull the stick to make the butterfly come out of the chrysalis.

e. Evaluate

i. Students will use their chrysalis and butterfly to describe the four stages of a butterfly’s life cycle.

ii. Students will tell three things a plant needs to stay alive.

iii. Students will be graded on a seven point scale. Each butterfly stage given is one point as well as what plants need to stay alive.

Plans for Individual Differences: This is a great lesson for students with different learning styles because students will have hands on experience with the materials. There are also visual and auditory representations of the each life cycle.

*Butterfly activity found at

Plant Life Cycle

[pic]

Prepared by: Brenda Massung

5 Senses

Subject/Topic:

A K-1 lesson talking about our five senses.

Rationale/Purpose:

Science. Strand IV. Content Standard 1. Elementary Benchmark 1.

Objectives:

- TLW exhibit proper behavior when being read to.

- TLW treat the objects with respect.

- TLW match the objects correctly.

Content:

1. Read story.

2. Look/feel at objects.

3. Explain objects.

4. Monster fun senses handout

Materials:

- An interesting photograph

- Whistle or musical instrument

- Piece of sand paper

- Soft or furry piece of material

- Perfume or sweet smelling flower

- A piece of candy or sugar cube for each child.

- Monster fun senses handout

- Brave Little Monster by Ken Baker

Strategies and Activities:

Engage:

- Read Brave Little Monster by Ken Baker.

Explore:

- Pass around most of the objects for the “explain” portion of the lesson. Let them see each object and begin to spark heir prior knowledge as to what these things may be.

Explain:

- Explain that almost every person has five senses, sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Teach the students about each of the individual senses as follows:

o Sight - Explain what the sense of sight is in your own words. Let the students look at the photograph. Explain that everything they see with their eyes is through their sense of sight. Colors, movement, light, dark, people, animals, and places are all things that they see with their sense of sight.

o Sound - Explain what the sense of sound or hearing is in your own words. Blow the whistle or play the musical instrument. Explain that they heard that noise and that they hear all noises with their ears using their sense of sound or hearing. Shouting, whispering, singing, laughing, lions roaring, frogs croaking, all animal noises, noises in the city, noises in the country, and all noises are heard through the sense of hearing.

o Touch - Explain what the sense of touch is in your own words. Let them feel the soft material and the rough sand paper. Explain that they use their sense of touch in their skin, fingers, and all parts of their body, inside and out) to know how something feels. Pain, cold, heat, hunger, soft textures, rough textures, etc. are different things they can feel with their sense of touch.

o Smell - Explain what the sense of smell is in your own words. Let them smell the perfume or flower. Explain that everything they smell with their nose is using their sense of smell. Flowers, perfume, skunks, and cookies in the oven are all things that they can smell.

o Taste - Explain what the sense of taste is in your own words. Let them taste and eat the candy or sugar cube. Explain that when they eat, that the taste buds on their tongues lets them taste all the different flavors found in food. They taste the sweet, sour, salty, and bitterness of different things with their taste buds.

Elaborate:

- Talk about our bodies and how they are living and we use our five senses to explore the world around us.

- Have the students match the monster fun senses handout. Talk to them about how these objects were in the book. You may need to reread the book so that the children can remember the specific parts from the story.

Evaluate:

- Evaluate the students based on their matching from the monster fun senses handout.

Plan for Individual Differences:

- This lesson is perfect to talk with the entire class about students who may not have the ability to see or hear. Take time to teach the class about a child who may be in your class with a disability. Show them that even with their loss of one of their senses that there are plenty of other things they can do to experience the world around them.

Evaluation:

This is the matching game “answers.” Evaluate the students on the following matching abilities. The following represent the most obvious scenes in the story where the senses are used and which pictures are provided for in the handout:

-          Albert the monster thinks he sees a girl in his closet (sight)

-          The girl is eating an ice cream cone (taste)

-          Albert picks up a smelly sock off the floor (smell)

-          Albert hears crayons squeaking (hearing)

-          Boys like to grab your feet and playing piggy on your toes (touch)

-          Albert sees a coloring book under his bed (sight)

-          Albert sees the boy and girl dancing (sight)

-          Albert sees the tree waving in the wind (sight)

-          Albert feels his mom’s kiss (touch)

This lesson plan adapted from

Prepared by: Jenica Arntz

It’s Alive: Plants Lesson

Grade: Kindergarten

Time: Daily (over a two to four week period)

Subject/Topic: Life Science: Plants

Rationale: Students will learn that all living things have life cycles. This is important so students can better understand the process of life.

Objectives:

6. TLW describe the plant growth of a bean.

7. TLW explain the three things needed to make plants grow.

Content:

IV. Engage: Read The Berenstain Bears Grow It

V. Explore: Plant beans

VI. Elaborate: Plant beans without water, sunlight, soil

Materials:

• Book: The Berenstain Bears Grow It

• Beans

• Paper cups

Strategies and Activities:

1. Engage

a. Read The Berenstain Bears Grow It

b. Discuss what the plants in Farmer Ben’s garden need to continue growing.

c. What plants live on a farm?

2. Explore

a. Have each student plant a bean and give it what it needs to continue growing.

b. Have each student chart the growth of their bean, when it was watered, how much sun it received, etc.

c. As well as charting the growth, have students write/draw in their journal the observations they have as their bean continues to grow.

3. Explain

a. Discuss the importance of giving the plants what they need in order to stay alive.

b. Discuss the stages of growth the plants go through.

c. Discuss the life cycles of a plant.

4. Elaborate

a. Have students complete the same experiment without giving the plant water. Without giving it sunlight. Without it being planted in soil.

b. Have student chart the progress and explain the differences in each of the experiments.

5. Evaluate

a. Assess each student’s journal entries and charting of progress.

b. Students will write/draw a final journal entry that explains the differences in the plants with/without water, soil, and sunlight. Student will also list each thing a plant needs to grow successfully and stay alive.

Plans for Individual Differences: This is a great lesson for students with different learning styles because students will have hands on experience with the plants. They will be able to chart the progress of the assignment in the way that best fits their learning style.

*This lesson idea was taken from

Lesson prepared by: Cristina Neher

Second Lesson

Subject/Topic:

Living Things: Mammals, Birds and Insects

Rational/Purpose:

The purpose of this lesson is to teach that mammals, birds and insects are all living things. They are different but the same in the fact that they are all living. The students will learn about mammals, birds and insects and relate them to what they have learned about living things.

MCF.EG.III.2.2.2

Compare and contrast (K-2) or classify (3-5) familiar organisms on the basis of observable physical characteristics.

Key concepts: Animal parts

Real-world contexts: Animals that look similar.

MCF.EG.III.2.3

Describe life cycles of familiar organisms.

Key concepts: Life cycle stages—egg, young, adult; seed, plant, flower, fruit; larva, pupa. Real-world contexts: Common plants and animals such as bean plants, apple trees, butterflies, grasshoppers frogs, and birds.

MCF.EG.III.2.4

Compare and contrast food, energy, and environmental needs of selected organisms.

Key concepts: Life requirements—food, air, water, minerals, sunlight, space, habitat. See LEC-III.5 e.2. Real-world contexts: Germinating seeds, such as beans, corn; aquarium or terrarium life, such as guppy, goldfish, and snail.

Objectives:

• TLW identify the characteristics of mammals.

• TLW identify the characteristic of birds.

• TLW identify the characteristics of insects.

• TLW describe why mammals, birds and insects are living things.

Content:

• Mammals are a group of animals with hair or fur. All mother mammals feed milk to their young. All mammals can move. Some mammals may walk, run, fly, hop or swim. Mammals have the ability to reproduce. There are many kinds of mammals such as: dogs, foxes, hamsters, rabbits, cats, kangaroos, lions, etc. They are all mammals but they are also very different from one another. Many mammals can be pets.

• Birds are not mammals, but they are living things. Birds are animals with feathers. They have two legs and two wings. Most birds fly and they breathe with body parts called lungs. There are many different kinds of birds with different colors and sizes. Some examples of birds are: ducks, rheas, robins, eagles, and bluebirds.

• Insects are not mammals either, but they are living things. Insects are animals with three body parts and six legs. Most insects have hard body coverings. Most insects also have wings. Some examples of insects are: ants, butterflies, and spiders.

• Mammals, birds and insects need food, water, and air to survive, which makes them living things.

Materials:

• Pictures of mammals, birds and insects

• Chart

• Glue

• Index cards

• Paper

• crayons

Strategies and Activities:

Engage

I will put three pictures on the board: a dog, an eagle, and a butterfly. I will ask the students what they know about each of them. I will ask them if they are living or non-living. Today we are going to be learning about mammals, birds and insects. Can anyone tell me which picture is a mammal, which is a bird and which is an insect? Allow students to answer and then make sure to tell them the correct answers. A dog is a mammal; an eagle is a bird; and a butterfly is an insect.

Explore

Students will be put in groups of two. Each group will receive pictures of mammals, birds and insects out of magazines. They will do their best to group the pictures in the correct category. After everyone has placed them on the chart, we will go over it as a class to make sure that they are all correct. Then each group will glue them on a chart in their correct category.

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Explain

There are many different kinds of animals, all of which are living things. Today we are learning specifically about mammals, birds and insects.

• Mammals are a group of animals with hair or fur. All mother mammals feed mile to their young. All mammals can move. Some mammals may walk, run, fly, hope or swim. Mammals have the ability to reproduce. There are many kinds of mammals such as: dogs, foxes, hamsters, rabbits, cats, kangaroos, lions, etc. They are all mammals but they are also very different from one another. Many mammals can be pets.

• Birds are not mammals, but they are living things. Birds are animals with feathers. They have two legs and two wings. Most birds fly and they breathe with body parts called lungs. There are many different kinds of birds with different colors and sizes. Some examples of birds are: ducks, rheas, robins, eagles, and bluebirds.

• Insects are not mammals either, but they are living things. Insects are animals with three body parts and six legs. Most insects have hard body coverings. Most insects also have wings. Some examples of insects are: ants, butterflies, and spiders.

Elaborate

Now that we have learned about mammals, birds and insects, can anyone tell me what makes them living things? (Allow students to share). Make a list on the board of their responses. They should at least understand that mammals, birds and insects need food, water, and air to survive, which makes them living things.

Then, hold up pictures of animals in all three categories. Each student will get three index cards. One will say mammal; one will say bird, and one will say insect. The students will have to hold up the correct index card as pictures are shown.

Evaluate

Have each student draw a picture of a mammal, a bird and an insect. Then they must explain each animal that they drew fits in the category of mammal, bird or insect. Each student will share their picture with the class.

Plans for Individual Differences:

• In order to accommodate for students who are still struggling with reading, each index card will not only have the word but it will have an example picture to go along with it.

• This is a very actively engaging lesson. It is not lecture only. Students will do hands on activities as they learn and investigate. This allows for individual differences because it will help those who have a hard time listening, especially students with ADD or ADHD. The hands on activities will especially help the visual/spatial learners.

Evaluation:

Students will be graded upon:

• Participation

• Mammal, Bird and Insect Chart

o The pictures are in the correct categories

• Drawing and explanation

Parts of this lesson were adapted from

Moyer, Richard; Daniel, Lucy; Hackett, Jay; Baptiste, H. Prentice; Stryker, Pamela;

Vasquez, JoAnne. Science, Teacher’s Edition. National Geographic Society. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Prepared by: Julie Hollister

Living vs. Nonliving Things

Subject/Topic:

More Animal Groups—Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish

Grade Level:

Kindergarten/First Grade

Rationale/Purpose:

Students will explore the differences in animals. The students will learn the many characteristics of other animal groups. They will learn about reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

MCFB: Strand I, Content Standard 1, Benchmark 1, 5 & Strand III, Content Standard 2, Benchmark 1, 2.

Objectives:

TLW explore differences in animals through classifying.

TLW be able to explain the characteristics of reptiles.

TLW be able to explain the characteristics of amphibians.

TLW be able to explain the characteristics of fish.

Materials:

Text Books

Toy animals

Construction Animals

Markers

Sheet with empty circles

Day One:

Engage:

Prior to this lesson the children will have already learned about mammals and birds.

The teacher can have the children to look at the illustrations in their book. The teacher will then ask the children “What animals can you find in these pictures?” The children may respond frog, praying mantis, and green snake. The teacher can then ask the children “Are they mammals? How do you know?” The children should respond by saying “no they do not have fur. They do not feed their young milk.” The teacher may need to help the children because the answer is not directly in the pictures. The teacher then should ask “How are the animals alike?” The children should answer “they are green and have two eyes.”

Explore:

The teacher can have the students work in groups of three children per group. The teacher needs to explain the directions to the children.

First the children need to look at the animals. They need to put them into groups. They can draw sorting circles on their piece of construction paper. They also need to label each sorting circle. The teacher needs to demonstrate how to draw and label sorting circles by separating objects into groups.

Explain:

Next, the children need to tell how the animals in each group are alike. The children should classify the animals into groups such as feathers, wings, or legs. The teacher should walk around to the groups asking the children to explain the reasons for their sorting the animals in that way.

Lastly, the children should repeat this activity by creating more groups. The children could use movement on land, in water, or in air. The children should note whether any animals are left out or in more than one group. The teacher should continue to walk around.

Day Two:

Elaborate:

The teacher should have the children look in their books. The children need to read the question at the top of the page which explains about fish. Ask the children what they think fish are. The teacher needs to explain that fish have a pair of gills, one on each side of the head. The children look at the pictures for the following questions. The teacher should ask “Where are the fins, scales, and gills on each fish?” The children should be able to point to the many structures. The teacher can ask “How are these fish alike?” The children should answer “they have gills and scales.”

The teacher should then have the children turn the pages in their book. The children need to read the question at the top and middle of the page in red lettering. The teacher should then have the children explain what they think amphibians and reptiles are. After the children have answered, the teacher should write frog and snake on the board. While the teacher is writing the words on the board, the teacher needs to explain that a frog is an amphibian and a snake is a reptile. The teacher can then ask the children “how are the two animals different?” The children should answer by explaining that frogs have legs and snakes do not. Frogs have damp skin while scales cover snakes.” After the children have discussed frogs and snakes, the children can then discuss salamander-turtle and toad-alligator.

Evaluate:

The teacher needs to give a sheet to each child with four empty circles. The children need to write the names of four different animal groups in the circles. The children also need to draw a picture of an animal which belongs to each group.

Individual Difference:

If any children in the classroom have difficulties understanding the different animals groups the teacher will have one on one time with that child. For the child in the classroom who is deaf, that child will have one on one time with a tutor.

Evaluate:

The teacher will listen for the answers the children give orally.

The teacher will look at the sorting animals done in groups.

The teacher will check the sheets of animal groups with the drawing of each animal group.

Assessment Goals:

- There is both informal and formal assessments in our lessons. We have worked hard to meet our standards and goals and demonstrated this through the variety of assessment throughout our unit.

Evaluation:

- Julie Hollister

o What are you feeling about unit planning now that you taught it?

▪ Feel good about the lessons we taught.

o What modifications would you want to make if you were teaching it again?

▪ The teacher should try not to have all living things come into the classroom on one day. The teacher should spread out the lessons for the children.

o What questions or concerns do you still have?

▪ +How to control the children with live animals in the classroom?

- Cristina Neher

o What are you feeling about unit planning now that you taught it?

▪ Unit planning takes a long time to do. I am definitely realizing how time consuming the job of being a teacher really is. I enjoy teaching, but making lesson plans is not my favorite thing to do.

o What modifications would you want to make if you were teaching it again?

▪ I would spend more time preparing for the lessons and organizing materials earlier.

o What questions or concerns do you still have?

▪ How long would it take to teach everything students needed to know about living and non-living things?

- Jenica Arntz

o (I don’t really know what to say here because I haven’t taught my lesson yet. I don’t know what I would change.)

- Brenda Massung

o What are you feeling about unit planning now that you taught it?

▪ I think that I am eager to do individual planning – a.k.a. By myself– it was hard to find times to get together. I loved the ability to bring live animals into the classroom and was encouraged by the student’s reactions.

o What modifications would you want to make if you were teaching it again?

▪ I would have to recheck with all the parents to make sure there were not any allergies to the specific animal that was being brought in.

o What questions or concerns do you still have?

▪ None

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