This is a parallel curriculum to Scott Foresman Science curriculum and is intended for third grade students. Its content is aligned with the National Science Education Standards. This curriculum is based on the same textbook and content of the Scott Foresman Science curriculum, yet the instruction and activities are more structured. As opposed to the inquiry based and discovery learning approach used in the Scott Foresman Science curriculum, direct instruction is the method of instruction used in the parallel curriculum. Direct instruction is explicit and structured instruction, providing the students with the content, demonstrations, guided practice, and feedback about their progress. This method of instruction reaches all different types of learners and academic levels, including students with learning disabilities. Therefore, this curriculum can be used with third grade students in both the general education classroom and the special education classroom.

Teaching through direct and explicit instruction provides students with the structure, guidance, feedback and content necessary to master the material and to be successful learners.
Direct instruction, developed by Siegfried Engelmann, provides students with the exact content and material they need to meet the goals and objectives (Adams & Engelmann, 1996). By providing the students with this information they can practice the material correctly, without having to guess, figure out, or discover the content on their own. Discovery methods can lead to the students practicing the content incorrectly, forming misconceptions and ultimately leading to the instructor re-teaching the content. The content also is presented in a clear and logical sequence. Teaching the students in a bottom-up approach, they learn one skill at a time and build upon previous learning. Also, it is imperative to teach each new skill to mastery. By doing this the teacher can be certain that the students know the intended content and have a complete understanding of it before they need to build expand on that knowledge.
Teacher demonstration is necessary to show students exactly how to practice the content.
Once the new skill is taught and demonstrated, the teacher must provide guided practice for the student. Guided practice involves providing the student with immediate feedback about their progress and performance. Teacher instruction and guidance ensures that the student is practicing the intended concepts successfully and correctly.
Whether students are working at their current grade level in the general education classroom or have a learning disability and are placed the special education classroom, direct instruction addresses the needs of all learners by explicitly teaching the content and skills necessary to master the information needed and be successful learners. In addition, those

students who may be more advanced and are capable of practicing through hands-on activities, group work, and peer interactions should do this only as an extended activity after they have shown mastery of the concepts through direct instruction. This ensures that the students have a full understanding of the content and are capable of practicing without guidance and immediate feedback from the teacher.

The Scott Foresman Science curriculum is intended for students in the general education classroom. It has them engaging in hands-on activities and assignments where students are figuring out and practicing the concepts individually, with a peer, or in groups. The students are the ones responsible for their own learning and there is very little instruction, guidance, and feedback from the teacher. The purpose of this parallel curriculum is to provide students with direct and explicit instruction for skills, concepts, and the hands-on experiments. By telling the students exactly what they need to know and guiding them through practice, the teacher can ensure that all students are learning and practicing the content correctly. The objectives and goals within the Scott Foresman curriculum are very broad and vague, making it difficult to measure students’ progress. This curriculum takes the same science content and goals, making them specific and measureable, so that teachers can see if students meeting each and every objective.
The scope and sequence of the Scott Foresman Science and curriculum and this parallel curriculum are very similar. All of the units are presented in the same order as the textbooks.
However, the chapters within the units are rearranged so the content is presented in sequential and logical order, making it easier for students to build upon concepts. Therefore, teachers who use this curriculum will be teaching the same unit during the same time as teachers who are using the scope and sequence from the Scott Foresman Science curriculum.
Each chapter in the Scott Foresman Science curriculum contains many activities for the teachers to choose from. It is not clear which activities are essential for reinforcing the concepts and which activities can be done as extended practice if time permits. These activities are also

very student-centered, having students figure out the answers on their own and practicing the concepts without teacher feedback. The parallel curriculum provides teachers with structured activities that directly reinforce the concepts just taught and practiced. Throughout each activity, teachers guide students, making sure they are practicing correctly and making progress. The
Scott Foresman Science curriculum has students completing experiments at the beginning of each unit, before the skills and concepts have been taught. However, in this parallel curriculum, students will complete the same experiments, but at the end of the chapter after they have demonstrated mastery of the content. By doing this, students can reinforce the knowledge that they have about the topic and apply what they have learned throughout the experiment.
Through this parallel curriculum, the same content, experiments, and textbooks will be used as the Scott Foresman Science curriculum. However, by providing more direct instruction and structured activities, teachers can be sure that students are learning the content to mastery.
These changes allow for the curriculum to be taught in both in the general education classroom and the special education classroom, meeting the needs of all different learners.

This parallel curriculum is based on using direct instruction as the method of teaching the science content. Direct instruction has significant research supporting the use and effectiveness of this method. It was originally created by Siegfried Engelmann and used in an educational study called Project Follow Through which was used to teach at-risk students (Adams &
Engelmann, 1996). Researchers found that out of seven studied interventions, direct instruction was the only method that had strong evidence of student success. There were significant positive effects on the students’ basic, cognitive–conceptual, and affective skills (Marchand-Martella,
Kinder & Kubina, 2005).
Much research has been done about direct instruction and students with mild disabilities. A group of researchers completed thirty-seven investigations about the effects of direct instruction on students with mild disabilities including learning disabilities, behavior disorders, mild cognitive disabilities, and other health impairments. Out of the thirtyseven investigations, thirty-four of the studies showed students performing significantly better than students who received a different method of instruction (Marchand-Martella, Kinder &
Kubina, 2005). Through much research, it has been found that special education and direct instruction are an effective combination (Adams & Engelmann, 1996). Although there is a significant amount of positive research on direct instruction and special education, Adams, as cited in Hall’s article NCAC Effective Classroom Practices, found that all students benefit from well-designed and explicitly taught skills (Hall, 2002).
Direct instruction is mainly used for math and reading instruction. However, Klahr, as cited in Cavanagh’s article
NCLB Could Alter Science Teaching , completed an investigation where third and fourth grade students designed science experiments involving balls that could be

rolled down ramps of different heights, lengths, and surfaces. On average, students who received direct instruction created better experiments than students who did not. As Cavanagh stated,
Siegfried Engelmann supports this by stating that although science has more in-depth concepts, direct instruction should still be used as the method of instruction. Engelmann also stated that hands-on experiments should be used after instruction and students have a mastery of the material (Cavanagh, 2004).

References
Adams, G. L., & Engelmann, S. (1996). Research on direct instruction: 25 years beyond
DISTAR. Seattle, WA: Educational Achievement Systems.
Cavanagh, S. (2004). NCLB could alter science teaching. Education Week , 24 (11), 1,12-13.
Hall, T. (2002). NCAC effective classroom practices: Explicit instruction. National Center for
Accessing the General Classroom .
Martella, N., Kinder, D., & Kubina, R. (2005). Special education and direct instruction: An effective combination. Journal of Direct Instruction , 5 (1), 1-36.

Living Things and Their
Environments
How Plants Live and
Grow
How Animals Grow and
Change
Changing Environments
Changes in the Earth’s
Surface
Matter and How It
Changes
Forces, Machines, and
Work
Energy in Your World
Sound
Materials of the Earth
The Sun, Planets, and
Moon
Clouds and Storms
The Body’s Systems
Staying Healthy

Throughout the Life Science unit students are learning about different environments and the plants and animals within these environments. The underlying sameness throughout these units is how these organisms are constantly changing, forming a continuous cycle of life.

Organisms change their environments

Food chains

Populations sizes increase and decrease



Cycle of how green leaves make food
(photosynthesis)
Life cycle of a flower plant
Life cycle of a conifer

Three-stage life cycle of insects

Four-stage life cycle of insects

Life cycle of mammals




Changing habitats
Animals leaves and return to the same habitat
People change environments by polluting and protecting them
People depend on animals for food and animals depend on plants for food

Textbook Objectives:
Unit: Life Science
Living Things and Their Environments
Parallel Curriculum Objectives:
1. Discover what a habitat is.
2. Explore how organisms can change their environments.
3. Understand what an adaptation is.
4. Discover how adaptations help organisms meet their needs.
5. Learn the difference between producers and consumers.
6. Describe the parts of the food chain.
7. Describe how the size of a population can change.
8. Learn what makes up a community.
9. Explore how increasing populations affect an environment.
1.
Define habitat.
1.
Name the five things that an organism gets from its habitat.
(1 day)
2.
Explain how organisms can change their environments and give examples.
(1 day)
- Experimenting with a Plant Habitat (1 day)
3.
Define adaptation and give examples. (1 day)
4.
Identify animals’ adaptations for their environment. (1 day)
5.
Define and contrast producers and consumers. (1 day)
6.
Identify the parts of food chain using the terms producer, consumer, predator, and prey. (2 days)
6.
Give an example of a food chain using the terms producer, consumer, predator, and prey.
(1 day)
7.
Describe how the size of a population can increase and decrease.
(1 day)
8.
Describe how predators, prey, and food chains make up a community and depend on each other for food and shelter.
(2 days)
9.
Explain how increasing populations can cause damage to the environment.
(1 day)
How Plants Live and Grow
Textbook Objectives:
1. Learn how roots are important to plants.
2. Learn how stems are important to plants.
3. Explore how green leaves make sugar for a plant.
4. Explore how flowers form seeds.
5. Describe how pollen is scattered.
Parallel Curriculum Objectives:
1. Explain how roots hold plants in the ground and take water and minerals from the soil. (1 day)
1. Define minerals and explain why they are important to plants.
2. Identify the three things that the stem carries from the roots to the other parts of the plant.
3. Define carbon dioxide. (1 day) 6. Learn how cones form seeds.
7. Identify the parts of seed.
8. Learn how seeds are scattered.
9. Explore the life cycle of a flowering plant.
10. Explore the life cycle of a conifer.
3. Describe the cycle of how green leaves make sugar using the terms energy, sunlight, water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.
(2 days)
3. Identify the three places plants store the sugars.
4. Define petal and pollen. (1 day)
- Exploring Parts of a Flower (1 day)
4. Identify the two parts of a flower where pollen must be moved in order for seeds to form.
5. Define pollinate and name the two living things that can pollinate flowers. (1 day)
5. Identify the two ways that pollen can be scattered from flowers.
6. Name the one way that pollen is scattered from cones. (1 day)
7. Name and define the three parts of a seed. (1 day)
8. Name the four ways seeds are scattered. (1 day)
9. Define life cycle, germinate, and seedling.
9. Explain the four parts of a plant life cycle using the terms seeds, germinate, seedling, growth and pollination.
(2 days)
10. Define conifer and give an example of a conifer.
10. Explain the four parts of a conifer life cycle using the terms seeds, seedlings, growth, cone development and pollination.
(2 days)
- Observing Fruits and Seeds (1 day)
Instructional Key
Blue font : Facts Red font : Concepts Purple Font : Experiment Complete Activity

How Animals Grow and Change
Textbook Objectives:
1. Learn how animal babies grow to look like their parents.
Parallel Curriculum Objectives:
1. Give an example of an animal that looks the same as its parents
2. Discover how animals grow from eggs.
3. Learn to describe the life cycle of a spider.
4. Learn about the life cycle of fishes and frogs.
5. Learn about the life cycle of mammals.
6. Learn what animals babies know when they are born or hatched.
7. Find out about ways that animals learn. when it is born.
1. Give an example of an animal that looks different than its parents when it is born.
1. Name the five groups of animals that scientists have identified.
(1 day)
2. Identify the first stage of an animal’s life cycle.
2. Name three animals that lay eggs. (1 day)
2. Define embryo and name the two ways an egg helps the embryo live.
2. Name the three different kinds of eggs that animals come from.
(1 day)
- Exploring Eggs (1 day)
3. Compare and contrast the life of spiders and insects.
(1 day)
3. Describe each step of the three-stage insect life cycle using the terms egg, nymph, and adult.
3. Give an example of an insect that has a three-stage life cycle.
(2 days)
3. Describe each step of the four-stage insect life cycle using the terms egg, larva, pupa, adult.
3. Give an example of an insect that has a four-stage life cycle.
(2 days)
- Exploring the Life Cycle of a Beetle (1 day)
4. Define amphibian and give an example of one.
4. Describe the four steps of a frog’s life cycle using the terms eggs, tadpole, and adult. (2 days)
5. Define mammal and give an example of a mammal that lives on land and a mammal that lives in water.
5. Describe the four stages of a mammal’s life cycle using the terms embryos, babies, young animals, and adult.
(2 days)
6. Define instinct and explain how animals use their instinct as soon as they are born.
7. Name the three ways that animals can learn and give an example of each. (1 day)
Changing Environments
Textbook Objectives:
1. Explore how changes in habitats affect organisms.
Parallel Curriculum Objectives:
1. Give an example of how a habitat could change.
2. Determine how water affects habitats.
3. Learn how some organisms return to a changed habitat.
4. Discover why some organisms are endangered.
5. Find out about some extinct organisms.
6. Learn how people change environments.
7. Explore how pollution affects the environments.
8. Discover ways that people protect habitats and living things.
9. Learn about some foods that come from plants and animals.
10. Learn about some other products that come from plants and animals.
1. Identify two reasons why an animal would leave its changed habitat. (1 day)
2. Explain how animals’ habitats are affected by droughts and floods.
(1 day)
3. Explain how seedlings can change an environment and why animals would return to the changed environment.
(1 day)
4. Define endangered organisms and give an example of an endangered species. (1 day)
5. Define extinct organisms and give an example of an extinct animal.
5. Give two reasons why animals are endangered or extinct. (1 day)
- Exploring Habitats (1 day)
6.
Give three reasons that people change environments. (1 day)
7.
Define pollution and give four examples of pollution.
7.
Explain how pollution affects living things.
8. Name and explain the five ways that people can protect habitats and living things. (2 days)
- Cleaning Polluted Water (1 day)
9. Explain why people and animals both need plants for food.
(1 day)
10. Name four products that people depend on plants and animals for. (1 day)
Instructional Key
Blue font : Facts Red font : Concepts Purple Font : Experiment Complete Activity

Lesson Topic: Scattering Seeds
Unit Objective : Name the four ways seeds are scattered.
Standards Addressed:
The following Science standards will be covered in this lesson:
5.3 Life Science: All students will understand that life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
5.3.2.C.2
: Identify the characteristics of a habitat that enable the habitat to support the growth of many different plants and animals.
Lesson Objectives:

When given four fill in the blank sentences, students will correctly fill in 4/4 of blanks with the four different ways seeds are scattered with 100% accuracy.
Set/Launch: Begin by reviewing yesterday’s material. Remind students that they learned about the three different parts of a seed. Ask students to recall the three different parts of a seed and their definitions. If students answer incorrectly, immediately correct them with the correct answer and then have them repeat it. Tell students that seeds are scattered from the plant in many different ways. Tell them that today we will be learning about the four different ways that seeds are scattered. The four ways are falling to the ground, animals, wind, and water.
Procedures:

Refer to the Instructional Strategies for teaching Facts. Use this procedure to teach the four ways that seeds are scattered (falling to the ground, animals, wind, and water) using isolation.

After the second fact has been taught, begin using discrimination. Phrase the statements as questions and have students respond using slates. Allow them about 30 seconds to think about their answer and write it on their slates. Signal students to hold up their slates all together so that you can check their answers and see if anyone needs more instruction before continuing. Say the correct answer and have students erase their slates.

Continue to teach all four facts in isolation and discrimination. Add other facts into the discrimination from previous taught lessons.

Provide guided practice by asking students multiple choice questions. Say, “Seeds are scattered by _____”and read three answer choices. One of the answer choices will always be one of the four ways that students were just taught and two choices will be incorrect choices. Read the questions aloud, and give about thirty seconds for students to think about the correct answer and write it on their slates. Cue students to reveal their answers. Call on a student who has the correct answer to read the entire sentence aloud filling in the correct answer. Have students erase their slates and read the next question.
Use the following questions during guided practice. The correct answers are in red.
o Seeds are scattered by

Wind

Germination

Pollen o Seeds are scattered by

Seed coat

 Oxygen

Animals o Seeds are scattered by

Roots

Falling to the ground

Minerals o Seeds are scattered by

Leaves

Soil

Water o Seeds are scattered by

Animals

Carbon dioxide

Sugars o Seeds are scattered by

Petals

Wind

Leaves o Seeds are scattered by

Falling to the ground
 Pollination

Cones o Seeds are scattered by

Seed leaf

Germination

Water o Seeds are scattered by

Minerals

Animals

Roots o Seeds are scattered by

Wind

Stems

Oxygen
Assessment:

When given four fill in the blank sentences, students will correctly fill in 4/4 of blanks with the four different ways seeds are scattered with 100% accuracy.
Materials/Resources:

Instructional Strategies for Teaching Facts

Guided Practice questions

Assessment

Slates

Dry erase markers and erasers

Lesson Topic: How Pollution Affects the Environment
Unit Objective : Explain how pollution affects living things.
Standards Addressed:
The following Science standards will be covered in this lesson:
5.3 Life Science: All students will understand that life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
5.3.2.C.3: Communicate ways that humans protect habitats and/or improve conditions for the growth of the plants and animals that live there, or ways that humans might harm habitats.
Lesson Objectives:

Given 5 examples and 5 non-examples of pollution, students will correctly underline all 5 forms of pollution with 100% accuracy.

Given 5 examples and 5 non-examples of how pollution affects the environment, students will correctly underline all 5 examples of how pollution affects the environment with
100% accuracy.
Set/Launch: Begin by reminding students that they have previously learned the definition of pollution. Have students recall the definition of pollution and provide examples of pollution that they have learned from the previous lesson. Tell students that today we are going to learn about how all of these different forms of pollution affect the environment.
Procedures:

Refer to the Instructional Strategies for Concepts. The rule for pollution is anything harmful added to air, water, or land. Use the following teaching examples and nonexamples and use the Instructional Strategies for Concepts. o Teaching Examples: fertilizers, pesticides, garbage, chemical waste, gasoline, car exhaust, chemicals, smog, pet waste o Teaching Non-examples: grass seed, oxygen, fruit, clouds, trees, clean water, plants

After modeling the examples and non-examples, provide guided practice by asking students whether a statement is pollution or not pollution. Tell students to use the rule when responding (Pollution is anything harmful added to air, water, or land). Model the following example first: o Is litter pollution? Yes, because it is harmful when added to air, water, or land.
Ask the following guided questions to individual students have them respond using the rule. If they answer incorrect, immediately tell them the correct answer and have them repeat it. o Are empty cans pollution? Why or why not? o Is factory smoke pollution? Why or why not? o Is planting flowers pollution? Why or why not? o Are glass bottles pollution? Why or why not? o Are leaves on the ground pollution? Why or why not?

o Is a fallen tree pollution? Why or why not? o Is sewage pollution? Why or why not?
Assessment:

Given 5 examples and 5 non-examples of pollution, students will correctly underline all 5 forms of pollution with 100% accuracy.

Given 5 examples and 5 non-examples of how pollution affects the environment, students will correctly underline all 5 examples of how pollution affects the environment with
100% accuracy.
Materials/Resources:

Instructional Strategies for Teaching Concepts

Teaching examples and non-examples

Assessment

Lesson Topic: Observing Fruits and Seeds
Unit Objective : To Observe the Similarities and Differences among Seeds
Standards Addressed:
The following Science standards will be covered in this lesson:
5.3 Life Science: All students will understand that life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
5.3.2.C.2
: Identify the characteristics of a habitat that enable the habitat to support the growth of many different plants and animals.
Lesson Objectives: After completing the experiment, students will receive a score of 20/20 on the teacher’s Activity Rubric.
Set/Launch: Begin by having a review of past material about seeds. Have students share what they remember about parts of seeds, how they affect the growth of a plant or fruit and how they are scattered. Tell students that now that they have learned all about seeds, they are going to be observing the seeds inside of different fruits and looking at their similarities and differences.
Procedures:

Refer to the Instructional Strategies for Experiments and complete steps one and two.

Complete step 3. Give students Lab Manual page 3-4 and have them label the three names of the fruits they will be working with. They will be making their recording on this.

Complete step 4 of the Instructional Strategies for Experiments and follow the procedures found on pages A12-A13 titled “Follow This Procedure” when modeling. Be sure to model filling in the data on the Lab Manual chart. Tell students to use the crayons or colored pencils when drawing their fruits.

Pass out the materials to students.

Tell students to independently complete steps 2-5 under “Follow This Procedure”, which is step 5.
 Have students independently complete “Interpret Your Results”, which is number 1 on page 4 of the Lab Manual and numbers 2 and 3 on page 5 of the Lab Manual. Students do not need to complete “Inquire Future” in the Lab Manual.

Students should complete the self-assessment checklist at the bottom of page 5 of the Lab
Manual to ensure that they completed all steps of the experiment.

When all students are finished, have them share their results noting which fruit had the most seeds, which fruit had the least amount of seeds, how the seeds are alike and how the seeds are different.
Assessment:
After completing the experiment, students will receive a score of 20/20 on the teacher’s Activity
Rubric.
* This Activity Rubric is found on page T1 of the Teachers Edition.
Materials/Resources:


Hand lends from Scott Foreman Science Activities Kit

Lab Manual page 3-4

Variety of whole fruits and fruits cut in half

Paper towels

Metal spoons

Colored pencils or crayons
Activity Rubric – page T1
Scoring Criteria
Student followed instructions to observe fruits and seeds
Student counted seeds in each piece and estimated number of seeds in the whole fruit
Student reordered and made drawings of observations
1
Student compared and contrasted the different seeds
Student made an inference about the relationship between fruits and seeds
2 3 4
Scoring Key
4 points correct, complete, detailed
3 points partially correct, complete, detailed
2 points partially correct, partially complete, lack some detail
1 point incorrect or incomplete, needs assistance

All of the activities should be completed after teaching the content to students. These activities will reinforce the concepts taught. All activities are represented by the symbol on the Scope and Sequence and placed exactly where they should be taught within the curriculum.
Living Things and Their Environments
Activity 1: Where Do I Live?
Begin by having a picture of an animal on the SMARTBoard and three pictures of different environments. Have a student come up and circle the correct habitat for the animal shown. If the student is correct, praise them and ask the student to explain why they chose the answer they did. If they are incorrect, immediately correct the student and explain to them the correct answer. This will continue with at least five examples, having the animal and habitat choices change each time.
After completing the group activity, give each student a worksheet titled “Where Do I
Live?” On the left side of the worksheet will be a column of different animals. Across from each animal, on the right side of the worksheet, will be three different pictures of habitats. The student will circle the picture of the habitat in which they think each animal lives. The teacher should monitor students as they work, providing feedback and correcting any mistakes. Once all of the students are finished, they should share their answers and state why they think each animal lives in the habitat chosen.
Activity 2: The Food Chain
Provide each student with a cycle graphic organizer that has four boxes. Give students a handout that has four different organisms and animals. Students are to cut out all four pictures and glue each one in a box of the cycle, creating a food chain. Each picture should be labeled with the name of the organism or animal. Students should also label each picture using the words producer, consumer, prey and predator. Some will possess more than one trait and should be labeled with all the terms that apply.
Once students complete this correctly, they will then create their own food chain. Using another copy of the cycle graphic organizer students will draw their own animal or organism in each box and label it with its name. Students are also to label each box with the terms producer, consumer, prey or predator. Some will possess more than one trait and should be labeled with all the terms that apply.

How Plants Grow and Live
Activity 1: Parts of a Plant
After teaching students the definition and characteristics of the parts of a plant on pages
A8-A11, provide each student with a “Parts of a Plant” organizer. Students are to fill in each section of the table with the facts that they have learned. Students should write at least two facts in each column.
Roots Stems Leaves
Once students have completely and correctly filled in the “Parts of a Plant” organizer, they will label a picture of plant, identifying the roots, stems, and leaves. Underneath each label, students will use the information from the chart to write a one to two sentence description about each of the three parts. Example:
Activity 2: Comparing and Contrasting Flowering Plants and Conifers
After reading pages A22-A25 and teaching students the facts and concepts of flowering plants and conifers, give each student a Venn diagram. Have students compare and contrast flowering plants and conifers using the information they have learned. Tell students to include information about how their seeds scattering, appearance of their leaves and seeds, their life cycles, and what they produce. Monitor students’ answers as they work and provide them with feedback. Once the students have finished, create a Venn diagram on the board, filling it in as students share their answers. Have students fill in their diagrams with any shared facts that they did not think of.

How Animals Grow and Change
Activity 1: The Life of Spiders and Insects
Give each student a worksheet with facts about the life of spiders and the life of insects.
Have students cut out each fact on the dotted lines. Also provide students with a worksheet that has three columns. The first column titled “The Life of Spiders”, the second “The Life of
Insects” and the third titled, “The Life of Spiders and Insects”. Have students carefully read each fact. If it applies to the life of spiders, it should be placed in that column. If it applies to the life of insects, it should be placed in that column. And if it applies to the life of both spiders and insects, it should be placed under the column “The Life of Spiders and Insects”. An enlarged version of this chart should be placed on the SMARTBoard. Have students share their answers and write each fact under the correct column. Correct any incorrect answers and provide them with the correct answer. Tell students if they placed a fact in the wrong column, to move any facts on their own sheet to the correct column. Once all of the answers have been shared and students have the all of the correct answers, they should glue the facts onto the worksheet.
Here is an example:
The Life of Spiders

Called an arachnid

Have eight legs

Do not have wings
The Life of Insects

Called an insect

Have six legs

Can have wings
The Life of Spiders and
Insects

Covered in skeletons

Have joints in their legs

Do not have bones
Activity 2: Sequencing Life Cycles
Each student will be given three sets of laminated index cards and a cycle graphic organizer. Each set will be the life cycle of mammals, frogs (amphibians), and insects. Each card will have the picture and name of each stage of the cycles. The teacher will tell students which life cycle they will be practicing first. The teacher will explain to students that they will have two minutes to place the cards in the correct order of that animal’s life cycle. Students work will independently, placing the cards in the correct order. As the students work, the teacher will circulate the room, monitoring students’ progress, making corrections if necessary. After two minutes are up, or all students have finished the teacher will ask students to hold up the first stage of that life cycle, checking that students have it correct. This will continue through each stage of the life cycle. Once it is finished, this activity would start over with the remaining two life cycles.

Changing Environments
Activity 1: Before and After
After completing pages A86-A93, about changes in environments and habitats, provide students with photos of a changed habitat. The photos show the same environment that has been greatly changed over time. Pages A87 and A91 in the student textbooks can be used or the photos below. Students will take time to examine the difference in the photos. Here is an example:
After looking at the photos students will answer the following questions in their science journals:

What do you think could have caused these conditions?

How do you think it affect the plants and animals?

How could the environment change back to the way it used to be? Draw a picture of what this would look like.
The following words will be put on the board for students to include in their answers: drought flood forest fire plants animals extinct endangered
When students have finished, have them share their answers and provide them with feedback.
As students answer, discuss how different events can change plants, animals and organisms in an environment.
Activity 2: Pollution Patrol
Give each student the picture “Pollution Patrol”. Tell students to circle every form of pollution they see. The teacher should monitor student responses as they work, immediately correcting any incorrect answers. When students are finished, have them share what items they circled. If any student replies incorrectly, immediately correct them with a right response. Once all seven items of pollution have been identified, pair students up with a peer. The students will have three minutes to discuss how they think that these forms of pollution harm the environment.
Students should also discuss at least one thing that could be done differently to help the environment. After the three minutes are up, have the students share their answers. Provide the students with feedback about their responses.

Pollution Patrol Worksheet:

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that recognizes that individuals learn differently and provides a curriculum that gives all individuals equal opportunities to learn. This is contrary to a "one-size fits all" curriculum where all students are expected to learn in the same manner. Researchers believe that the three major parts of the brain make up the framework of Universal Design for Learning. The first part is recognition networks, which is how we collect and categorize the facts that we see and hear. To incorporate this into a lesson and address different types of learners it is important to present information in a variety of ways or providing Multiple Means of Representation . The second part is the strategic networks which is how we organize and express our ideas. To address strategic networks in lessons, you should allow students to express their knowledge on a subject in a different ways or provide
Multiple Means of Expression . Affective networks are the third group which is how we are engaged, motivated, and challenged. You can address by stimulating the students' interest in a subject or providing Multiple Means of Engagement.
UDL is addressed through the lessons and activities in the following ways.
Multiple Means of Engagement : Each lesson begins with a cumulative review and an anticipatory set to inform students of what they will be doing. This grabs the students’ attention and allows them to know and focus on exactly what they will be doing. Hands on activities and experiments are a fun way to reinforce concepts that have already been taught and to keep students engaged in the lesson. Using choral responding and response cards during lessons, students participate and practice throughout instruction remaining focused and on task.
Multiple Means of Representation : The content and material is presented to students in various ways throughout instructional lessons, activities, and experiments. The teacher presents the information orally, written, on the SMARTBoard, in charts and graphs, websites, books, through pictures, and through the textbook and less questions per page on evaluations. The content is also reinforced through experiments that allow students to see what they have learned and to make real life connections.
Multiple Means of Expression : Students express their knowledge and understanding in many different ways throughout the curriculum. They respond orally, through choral responding, written responses, multiple choice questions, response cards, graphic organizers, charts, drawing and coloring, and the use of the SMARTBoard. Students with more severe disabilities can use speech-to-text software, word processors and spell checkers for written assignments.

All of the lesson assessments are adapted from the Scott Foresman Science assessments found in the teacher’s manual. The evaluations found in the parallel curriculum contain the same content, however have fewer questions. The evaluations are also cumulative, assessing students on previously taught content from the unit.
Lesson Assessments
Students will be evaluated after each lesson to see if they mastered the goals and objectives for that lesson or more teaching is required. The lessons are aligned with the lessons in the Scott Foresman Science textbooks and completed at the same time. These assessments will be cumulative, including information from previous taught lessons. Students should complete these assessments individually, without assistance from the teacher. Lesson assessments should be given after all teaching, practice, and activities have been completed for the following pages:
1
A58-A63
2
3
4
A66-A69
A70-A73
A74-A76
A8-A11 1
2
3
A14-A17
A20-25
A32-35 1
2
3
4
A36-39
A42-47
A48-51
1
2
3
A86-89
A90-93
A94-99

Chapter Assessments
After each chapter, students will be assessed on the content from the whole chapter.
These assessments will address the same content that the Scott Foresman Science evaluations do, but will contain few questions. These chapter assessments will be cumulative, containing content and information from previously taught chapters in the unit. Students should complete these assessments individually, without assistance from the teacher. Chapter assessment should be given after all teaching, practice, and activities have been completed for the following pages:
3
A54-A79
1
2
A4-A27
A28-A51
4 A82-A105
Unit Assessment
After all teaching, practice, activities, and experiments have been completed for the entire unit of Life Science, pages A4-A105, the unit assessment should be given. Students should complete these assessments individually, without assistance from the teacher. This assessment will address the same content that the Scott Foresman Science evaluations do, but will contain few questions.

How Plants Live and Grow
Lesson 3 Assessment
Directions: Circle the answer that best completes each sentence.
1. Seeds are scattered by a. falling to the ground b. the wind c. animals d. all of the above
2. Germinate means a. to begin to grow b. to stop growing c. a young plant d. to carry pollen
3. A conifer is a. a young plant b. a petal c. a tree or shrub that has cones d. pollen
4. Pollen is scattered by a. the wind b. insects c. birds d. all of the above
:
5.

How Plants Live and Grow
Chapter Assessment
Directions: Circle the answer that best completes each sentence.
1. Minerals are a.
not needed to grow plants. b.
natural, non-living materials found in the soil. c.
the food that leaves make. d.
a kind of plant stem.
2. Plant roots a.
take minerals and water from the soil. b.
use energy from the sun. c.
pollinates the flower. d.
keeps insects and birds away.
3. Green leaves a.
hold the plant in the ground. b.
make sugars the plant needs to live. c.
are not important to plants. d.
are found in the soil.
4. Carbon dioxide is a.
a mineral found in the soil. b.
poisonous to plants. c.
a gas in the air that goes in tiny opening in leaves. d.
a liquid made by the leaves.
5. When seeds germinate a.
tiny plants insides begin to grow and develop. b.
it protects the inside parts of a seed. c.
you see a yellowish powder called pollen. d.
they are a full grown plant.
6. A conifer is a.
a young plant that grows from a seed. b.
a tree or shrub that has cones. c.
the outside covering of a seed. d.
part of a the roots of the plant.
7. When leaves make sugar, what do they put into the air? a.
minerals b.
pollen c.
carbon dioxide d.
oxygen

Unit Assessment
Directions: Circle the answer that best completes each sentence.

* All chapters will use the Scott Foresman materials included in the Activity Kit for all of the experiments.
Living Things and Their Environments
Teacher Resources: http://science.pppst.com/foodchain.html
This website has many PowerPoint presentations, lesson plans, video clips, interactive games, and clip art. http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/animals/foodchain/grownups.weml
Brain Pop Jr. has a short kid-friendly video about food chains. This page also provides a large summary of food chains, classroom activities and suggested activities for parents.
Student/Parent Resources: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.htm
This website is an interactive game that has students put the animals and organisms of the food chain in the correct order. The food chains gradually get more difficult and use various environments for generalization. It will not let students place the pictures in the incorrect places.
This game also provides students with feedback about their progress telling them how many mistakes they have made so far and proving a link that reviews food chains for clarification.
After students correctly complete the food chain, a short clip plays showing the process of that food chain. http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.cfm
Students are presented with an animal and have to choose the animals adaptations based on their environment. You are presented with four options and three of them are correct. You cannot move on onto the next question until you have checked all three correct adaptations. http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/habitat/
The Magic School Bus website has a fun game that has students match the animal to their correct habitat. This game will not allow students to choose an incorrect answer and has them keep trying until they get it correct.
Books:
Fur, Feathers, and Flippers: How Animals Live Where They Do? by Patricia Lauber
Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs by Patrica Lauber
The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten: A Book About Food Chains by Pat Relf and Carolyn
Bracken
Animal Habitats! by Judy Press

How Plants Grow and Live
Teacher Resources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxaELwrTChs
This is a five minute video that shows the life cycle of plants. It is animated and kid friendly that can be showed after teaching about plant’s life cycle. http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=20ab9a48-2750-40ca-9ffb-74b3b7774238
Interactive SMARTBoard activity that has students define plant terms, label a plant, create a plant lifecycle by dragging the pictures into the correct order, and then answering multiple choice questions. This would be a good review activity after the content has been taught. http://superteacherworksheets.com/plant-worksheets.html
This site has various student worksheets, activities, and informative articles that could supplement instruction.
Student/Parent Resources: http://www.mhschool.com/mmh_games/content/mac_sci/g3/u1/c1/l2/conc_game/index.html
A concentration matching game that has students match plant vocabulary words with its meaning. Students have the choice to be timed or not. http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/evscps_int_seed/
This is an interactive site that allows students to watch a seed grow into a fruit. Students can read along as the narrator explains each step. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/growing_plants_fs.shtml
This site simulates plant grow by showing elapsing time and having students water the plant and provide it with sunlight. Students can also see what would happen to a plant if it did not get watered, enough sunlight, or both. There is also an interactive game where students can label the roots, stem, roots, and flower. The game will not let students choose the incorrect answer.
Students can also take a multiple choice quiz about plant growth.
Books:
The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow by Joanna Cole,
John Speirs and Bruce Degan
The Life Cycle of a Flower by Molly Aloian and Bobbie Kalman
A Seed Grows: My First Look at a Plant's Life Cycle by Pamela Hickman and Heather Collins
What Is Pollination? by Bobbie Kalman
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
The Life Cycle of a Pine Tree by Tagliaferro and Linda

How Animals Grow and Change
Teacher Resources: http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/animals/life-cycle-frog-wheel.pdf
This is great visual of the frog life cycle for student. Just print the two pages and cut out the circles. It creates a wheel which provides a step-by-step visual of the frog’s life cycle. http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/lifecycle.htm
This website has many worksheets depicting the life cycle of butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, spiders, penguins, sharks, bats, and snakes. Teachers can choose whether they want worksheets with just the pictures of the life cycles or pictures and a brief explanation of each stage. http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/tdc02_vid_metamorph/
This is a four minute narrated video clip that shows the life cycle of frog.
Student/Parent Resources: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/scienceforkids/life_cycle/games.htm
This site has three interactive games for students. They can chose to complete the life cycle of a frog, butterfly, or bird. When students chose the correct answer, a short clip plays showing that stage of the life cycle. http://www.fossweb.com/modulesK-2/AnimalsTwobyTwo/activities/findtheparent.html
This is a game that has students match a young animal with its parent. You are prompted with a picture of a baby animal and then given three pictures of adult animals to choose from. If you get the incorrect answer, you are immediately told so and prompted to try again. When you get the correct answer, it gives you a statement saying what the baby animal grows into.
Books:
From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer and Holly Keller
The Life Cycle of Insects by Susan Gray
From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Gerald Legg and Carolyn Scrace
The Life Cycle of Mammals by Susan Gray
Egg to Bird by Carolyn Franklin and Carolyn Scrace
Animals and Their Young: How Animals Produce and Care for Their Babies by Pamela
Hickman and Pat Stephens
Animal Eggs by Dawn Cusick and Joanne O'Sullivan

Changing Environments
Teacher Resources: http://science.lotsoflessons.com/pollution.html
This site has a large selection of PowerPoint presentations on pollution created for elementary students. There are also links for video clips on pollution for teachers. http://animals.pppst.com/endangered.html
This site has many teacher presentations, games, and video clips about endangered animals. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/sci_nat_how_the_world_is_changing/ht ml/1.stm
BBC has pictures shows pictures of the same environment over time and how it has changed due to floods, fires, and droughts. http://www.brainpop.com/science/ourfragileenvironment/extinction/preview.weml
Brain Pop has a short and kid-friendly video about extinct animals, classroom activities about extinct animals, and a short multiple choice quiz about the video content.
Student/Parent Resources: http://www.recycleguys.org/games.html
This website has many games, activities, and coloring books about recycling and protecting the environment. This would a good resource for parents to help raise awareness about recycling in their home. http://funschool.kaboose.com/globe-rider/earth-day/games/game_clean_up_your_world.html
This is an interactive game that shows a polluted environment. Students clean up the environment by picking up the pollution and then sorting it into its proper recycling container.
Books:
Floods (Disasters Up Close) by Michael Woods and Mary B. Woods
Droughts (Disasters Up Close) by Michael Woods
Fire!: A Renewal of A Forest by Celia Godkin
Gone Forever: An Alphabet of Extinct Animals by Sandra Markle, William Markle and Felipe
Davalos
Endangered Animals by Rhonda Lucas Donald
Pollution: Problems & Solutions by National Wildlife Federation
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People Who Are Helping to Protect Our Planet by
Harriet Rohmer