West-Orange Cove CSD
The Third six
weeks has 38
instructional
days 1/3 –
3/01
Major Concepts


1/3 – 1/4 Bad
Weather days
1/7 Staff
Development.
1/21 Holiday
2/15 Early
Release
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
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During week 1-3, students will know and understand how
organisms maintain balance internally in response to
internal/external stimuli. Also, students will investigate the
phenomenon of fight or flight, describe homeostasis due to
internal/external stimuli in organisms and differentiate between
negative and positive feedbacks
During week 3-4, students will learn about the reproductive
system organs and functions. Also, students will know and
understand that sexual and asexual reproduction exists in
different organisms
During Week 5-6, students will recognize that relationships
exist in the genetic material from one generation to the next and
understand that Genetic material exists in the cells of the body.
During week 6-7, students will understand how Natural
Selection and Selective Breeding results in variation of traits
through gradual processes over time
2012 - 2013
Processes
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Use models to represent aspects of the natural world and identify its
advantages and limitations such as size, scale, properties, and materials
Use appropriate tools to collect, record, and analyze information
Implement comparative and descriptive investigations by making
observations, asking well-defined questions, and using appropriate
equipment and technology
Construct tables and graphs to organize data and identify patterns; and
Analyze data to formulate reasonable explanations, communicate valid
conclusions supported by the data, and predict trends.
Design and implement experimental investigations by making observations,
asking well defined questions, formulating testable hypothesis, using
appropriate equipment and technology.
Demonstrate safe practices during laboratory and field investigations as
outlined in the Texas Safety Standards
During week 7-8, students will learn and understand that
organisms have both inherited and acquired traits that enhance
their survival and that internal structures of organisms adapt to
perform specific functions
In order to use time, resources, and hold students accountable for their own learning, we must agree to continue using:

Notebooking. Also, remember to refer back to files sent during the first six weeks to expand on the use of notebooks in the science classroom.

SMART objective posted and used daily. For example, the TEKs for the lesson (week or weeks) is….
o Demonstrate and calculate how unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of an object's motion. 8.6A
o The SMART objective for the 1st week may be written in the following way,

Today, we (or I, based on preference) will demonstrate how unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of an object's motion by
using Rube Goldberg’s cartoons who created cartoon pictures of complicated machines to do simple tasks.

The next day, the underlined part of the objective may change for the next part of the lesson such as Today, we (or I, based on preference) will
demonstrate and calculate how unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of an object's motion by completing the Speed
Challenge Lab.

Developing Effective Science Lessons. During the first semester, we explored how to develop effective science lessons by referring to Figure 1.1, from Designing
Effective Science Instruction: What Works in Science Classrooms. As we continue to engage students in the learning of science, we will focus on providing
adequate time and structure for sense-making and wrap-up; enhancing the development of students’ understanding and problem solving through teacher’s
questioning; providing a classroom culture in which the climate encourages students to generate ideas and questions; and having a quality classroom culture where
intellectual rigor, constructive criticism, and challenging of ideas are evident (p.4).

Creating a Positive Learning Environment. At the beginning of the school year, we presented Table 4.1, from Designing Effective Science Instruction: What Works in
Science Classrooms, showing how to create a positive learning environment. During these fourth six weeks, we will explore the third strategy presented in this book.
Strategy 3: Develop Positive Attitudes and Motivation – Develop positive student attitudes and motivation to learn science p.150 - 160.

Using technology and interactive games to support student engagement.

Collaborative grouping

Formative assessment in science and other formative assessment strategies that will work depending the needs of your class(once you are in the page, click on
West-Orange Cove CSD
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
2012 - 2013
each formative assessment strategy to get more details)
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
Use of the 5E scientific model:
o Engage
o Explore
o Explain
o Elaborate
o Evaluate
Using a rubric or a criteria chart generated with the students, go over the expectations in the science lab as it concerns to safety, active participation, homework,
research and other projects.
Week 1, Week 2 and 2 days of Week 3
January 3 – January 23
Learning Standards
Organisms and
environments.
The student knows that a
living organism must be
able to maintain balance in
stable internal conditions
in response to external
and internal stimuli.
The student is expected
to:
Investigate how organisms
respond to external stimuli
found in the environment
such as phototropism and
fight or flight. 7.13A
Describe and relate
responses in organisms
that may result from
internal stimuli such as
wilting in plants and fever
or vomiting in animals that
allow them to maintain
balance. 7.13B
Instruction
Vocabulary
Emergence of seedlings, homeostasis, organism,
internal stimuli, external stimuli, homeostasis,
adaptation, environment, tropisms, phototropism,
positive growth, negative growth Negative feedback,
positive feedback, fight, flight, feedback mechanisms
ENGAGE students daily by

Using graffiti writing and some of the video clips of
emergence of seedlings, students will write down
their observations. Later, students will discuss
observations with the whole class.



Brainstorming with students the term “fight or
flight.” After getting some responses students will
watch a short video clip that explains the term "fight
or flight." This term describes a mechanism in the
body that enables humans and animals to mobilize
a lot of energy rapidly in order to cope with threats
to survival
Reviewing previous learning about responding to
external stimuli using annotated student drawings
or commit and toss
Watching the video segment Dolphin Behavior:
Stimulus Response, students will understand how
dolphins are taught to do tricks on command that
they have been observed doing on their own in the
Resources
Products, Projects, Labs
Assessment
https://www.scientificmin
ds.com/Teacher/Ancillary
Data.aspx
Use the following lessons
to support students’
understanding and
knowledge by using

Science Starter 52
Maintaining
Equilibrium

Science Starter 116
Responses to the
Environment

Science Starter 120
Disease
Gateways to Science 6th
grade Lesson 6.1 T.E 137 –
143
Students will participate of
this lesson to learn,
understand and describe
how and why organisms
respond to their
environment.
EVALUATE
Students will use
magazines, catalogs,
or newspapers to
create a poster that
illustrates how
organisms respond to
external stimuli found
in their environment.
Teacher’s Domain
Discovery Education
UT Dana Center
Some labs used from the
UT Dana Center were
based on the old TEKS
and still reference
previous numbering;
therefore, disregard the
TEKS number. Selection
of labs and activities are
based on new TEKS.
Tropisms in Seedlings Lab
Students will EXPLORE how
plants respond to their
environment. Students will
see a plant's directional
growth response to a
physical stimulus… the
growth of plants in response
to external stimuli such as
light, gravity, or contact.
Homeostasis Lab
Students will identify
conditions that need to stay
constant to keep the body in
equilibrium. Also, students
will describe how organisms
maintain stable internal
ELABORATE/
EVALUATE
Have students design
and conduct a simple
experiment to
illustrate a plant's
response to sunlight.
Students should
observe the plant for
several days, make
illustrations of it,
record observations
in a lab journal, and
identify the stimulus
that caused the
plant's movement.
Reflection –
Students will
complete the
West-Orange Cove CSD
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
wild. A stimulus response describes the dolphins’
behavior, since they are rewarded immediately
following their trick.

After learning about homeostasis, students may
play a game to review this concept.
Teachers will facilitate students’ learning and discovery
to reinforce skills and concepts

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN – Research physical
conditions that may result from some internal
stimuli such as headache, fever, vomiting, or
stomach pain. Research the probable cause or
causes of each of these conditions.

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN- Observe and identify pillbug
and/ or earthworm responses to food sources, light,
temperature, moisture, and other external stimuli.
Record and report findings.

Use this activity to have students learn how the
human body self-regulates to maintain a stable
internal environment despite changes in the
external environment -- a process called
homeostasis. Students will begin by looking at how
the human body regulates temperature and the
value of a fever in fighting infection. Then they use
an interactive Web activity to explore other ways in
which the body maintains homeostasis, such as by
controlling heart rate, respiration rate, blood sugar
levels, and blood pressure. Students use another
Web activity to discover how infection can upset
homeostasis and how the immune system fights
infection. Finally, they learn how exposure to
extreme environment conditions -- such as high
altitude -- can affect the body's ability to maintain
homeostasis
2012 - 2013
conditions while living in
changing external
environments
ELABORATE / EVALUATE
Students will conduct a brief
experiment on Measuring
Response Time based on
different stimuli.
question: “How are
fight or flight and
external/internal
stimuli related?”
West-Orange Cove CSD
2 days of Week 3 and Week 4
January 24 – February 1
Learning Standards
Organisms and the
Environment
The student knows that
living systems at all levels
of organization
demonstrate the
complementary nature of
structure and function.
The student is expected
to:
Identify the main
functions of the systems
of the human organism,
including the circulatory,
respiratory, skeletal,
muscular, digestive,
excretory, reproductive,
integumentary, nervous,
and endocrine systems.
7.12B
Organisms and the
Environment
The student knows that
reproduction is a
characteristic of living
organisms and that the
instructions for traits are
governed in the genetic
material.
The student is expected
to:
Compare the results of
uniform or diverse
offspring from sexual
reproduction or asexual
reproduction. 7.14B
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
Instruction
Teaching middle school-aged students about the
reproductive system can be awkward, but it is a must.
Letting young people know about their bodies in a
comfortable way is key to the way they will view
themselves. After all, the reproductive system is a body
system just like the circulatory or respiratory system. You
may want to let the parents know the lesson plan about
the reproductive system by sending home a lesson plan
and asking the parents for consent to teach the material
to their children. Many parents would prefer to be
included in this lesson and supplement the lesson at
home with their own lessons and advice. Let the kids
know about the reproductive system and what it is for.
Don't treat the subject material as awkward with them. If
you do, it will feel awkward to them, and they will view it
as a less serious matter
(http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1989702)
Vocabulary
Testes, scrotum, prostate gland, epididymis, vas
deferens, urethra, penis, sperm, ovulation, ovaries, um
(egg), fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, vagina, zygote,
sperm duct, oviduct
Asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction, fertilization,
binary fission, budding, spore formation, fragmentation,
regeneration, vegetative propagation, cloning, mitosis,
meiosis, gametes, haploid, diploid, nucleus.
Resources
Products, Projects, Labs
Assessment
https://www.scientificmin
ds.com/Teacher/Ancillar
yData.aspx
Use the following
lessons to support
students’ understanding
and knowledge by using
Reproductive System Lab
Students will learn, label and
understand the male and
female parts of the
reproductive system.
EVALUATE:
Students will create a
poster, rap, poem or
comic strip to compare
the outcomes of asexual
and sexual reproduction

Science Starter 80
Reproduction
Discovery Education
Science TEKS Toolkit
Some labs used from
the UT Dana Center
were based on the old
TEKS and still reference
previous numbering;
therefore, disregard the
TEKS number.
Selection of labs and
activities are based on
new TEKS.
Teachers’ Domain
ENGAGE daily using one of the following
University of Utah

Kids Health

Using this interactive site, students will learn about
the parts of the male and female reproductive
system.
Asking students to list various systems previously
studied and learn. After listing some of the systems,
ask, does the circulatory system function
different in a man and a woman? What about the
digestive system? Why do you think the male
and female reproductive systems function
differently while other systems in the human
body have the same function?
2012 - 2013
Gateways to science 6th
and 7th
Gateways to Science 7th
grade Lesson 5.4 T.E 110 –
112
Students will participate of
this lesson to learn,
understand and describe
asexual and sexual
reproduction.
EXPLAIN / EVALUATE
Students will create a Venn
diagram to compare and
contrast the female and
male reproductive systems.
ELABORATE
Students will go outside
(weather permitting) and
capture digital photos of
plants and their reproductive
organs to document
examples of sexual and
asexual reproduction.
Reflection
Students will write down
an explanation
comparing sexual and
asexual reproduction
while listing advantages
and disadvantages of
both forms of
reproduction.
West-Orange Cove CSD

7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
Using the two video segments Sexual and Asexual
Reproduction from the video Cell Division. Students
will understand the differences between asexual and
sexual reproduction, and terms of cell division.
Students will discuss, define, and draw a diagram of
these two terms.
Teachers will facilitate students’ learning and discovery to
reinforce skills and concepts

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN- Students will use their notes
and other available materials to demonstrate their
knowledge of the male and female reproductive
systems by matching the major organs with their
functions.

Perform a simple classroom investigation observing
the asexual reproduction of ivy stems, lily bulbs,
strawberry plants, or planaria. Keep a record over
time of the characteristics of the offspring. Observe
photographs of offspring, such as mammals, birds,
and reptiles, resulting from sexual reproduction.
Compare the diversity of asexually and sexually
produced offspring.

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN – the teacher will facilitate the
Reproductive Strategies activity by splitting the class
in pairs. Each pair will have a reading selection of an
organism that reproduces sexually and another one
that reproduces asexually. Students will fill in a table
with information for each organism. Student then will
participate of a gallery walk to learn about other
organisms.

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN – students will learn about
how cells divide in Life’s Greatest Miracle. How
Cells Divide: Mitosis vs. Meiosis. Also, you may use
the Genetics Science Learning Center explanation
for a reinforcement explanation of Mitosis and
Meiosis.
2012 - 2013
West-Orange Cove CSD
Week 5 and 2 days of Week 6
February 4 - February 12
Learning Standards
Organisms and the
Environment
The student knows that
reproduction is a
characteristic of living
organisms and that the
instructions for traits are
governed in the genetic
material.
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
Instruction
Vocabulary
Offspring, Punnett Square, alleles, dominant, recessive,
phenotype, genotype, probability, heterozygous,
homozygous, percentages, hybrid, purebred,
monohybrid, DNA, chromosomes, genes, incomplete
dominance .
ENGAGE students daily
The student is expected
to:

Define heredity as the
passage of genetic
instructions from one
generation to the next
generation. 7.14A
Recognize that inherited
traits of individuals are
governed in the genetic
material found in the
genes within
chromosomes in the
nucleus. 7. 14C

Hold a class discussion about different physical
traits that students exhibit: straight and curly hair,
blue and brown eyes, the ability to roll the tongue.
Discuss DNA and explain that this is responsible for
the traits that a living organism inherits from its
parents. Some traits are passed through dominant
and recessive genes.
Students will use Commit and Toss to reflect on the
following statements and questions as students see
the attached picture.





Tyler has free earlobes like his father.
His mother has attached earlobes.
Why does Tyler have earlobes like his
father?
How is this trait passed on to offspring?
Look at your earlobes. Are they free or
attached?

Students will reflect with a partner on the question,
“How do we know which traits a child will inherit
from his/her parents?”

Students will watch the video segment The Basics of
Genes to learn how in recent history a number of
scientists have worked to develop what is the
current genetic theory of inheritance. Also, extensive
observation showed that traits are passed down
through generations with specific patterns; one, that
genes are located on the chromosomes in the nuclei
of cells, and the other one is that genes also control
the release of certain chemicals within an organism.
2012 - 2013
Resources
Products, Projects, Labs
Assessment
https://www.scientificmi
nds.com/Teacher/Ancill
aryData.aspx
Use the following
lessons to support
students’ understanding
and knowledge by using

Science Starter 73
DNA Structure
 Science Starter 74
Genetic Traits
 Science Starter 75
Punnett Squares
Gateways to Science 7th
grade Lesson 5.5 T.E 113 –
116
Students will participate of
this lesson to learn,
understand and describe
heredity as the passage of
genetic instructions from one
generation to the next
generation.
EVALUATE
Students will create a
story about themselves
writing details about
attributes and
characteristics they
inherited from their
parents. Use the sample
instructions found in My
Story of Me: Wearing My
Genes (material listed is
not needed).
Discovery Education
Indiana University
United States AntiDoping Agency
UT Dana Center
Some labs used from
the UT Dana Center
were based on the old
TEKS and still reference
previous numbering;
therefore, disregard the
TEKS number.
Selection of labs and
activities are based on
new TEKS.
Gateways to Science 6th
grade Lesson 5.5 T.E 123 –
128
Students will participate of
this lesson to learn,
understand and describe
genetics and heredity.
Do Your Earlobes Hang
Down? Lab
During this lab, students
investigate the frequency of
human traits and determine
whether certain traits are
dominant or recessive.
ELABORATE
Use a microscope to
observe slides of various
prepared plant and animal
tissues. Identify and draw
the cells observed in each
slide.
Use the cell drawings and
have students identify the
location of the cell's nucleus.
Reflection
Students will explain the
relationship of the terms
heredity, genes, and
traits as they relate to an
individual’s unique
qualities.
West-Orange Cove CSD
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
Teachers will facilitate students’ learning and discovery
to reinforce skills and concepts

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN – the teacher will use this
lesson on Chromosomes and Genes to support
students’ understanding of heredity and traits.

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN – the teacher will use this
lesson on recessive and dominant genes to test and
practice students’ understanding.

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN- Determine if a trait is
dominant or recessive using a simple pedigree chart
displaying at least three generations. Describe
reasons for determining if the trait is dominant or
recessive.
2012 - 2013
West-Orange Cove CSD
3 days of Week 6 and 2 days of Week 7
February 13 – February 19
Learning Standards
Organisms and the
Environment
The student knows that
populations and species
demonstrate variation and
inherit many of their
unique traits through
gradual processes over
many generations.
Instruction
Vocabulary
(DNA) Deoxyribonucleic Acid, traits, mutation, heredity,
genetics, evolution, Charles Darwin, natural selection,
selective breeding, adaptation, extinct, population,
predator.
ENGAGE students daily in one of the following activities

The student is expected
to:
Identify some changes in
genetic traits that have
occurred over several
generations through
natural selection and
selective breeding such as
Galapagos medium
ground finch (geospiza
fortis) or domestic
animals. 7.11C
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks

Using the video segment Natural Selection:
Examples from the Galapagos, students will
understand adaptation as a way of species changing
overtime. Animals with the ability to adapt have a
competitive advantage and will survive better - a
process Darwin called natural selection.
Reviewing what is meant behind the idea of the
survival of the fittest. Then students will discuss
whether they agree or disagree with Darwin’s idea of
survival of the fittest?

Watching the video Selective Breeding Video to
have students understand this concept visually.
Students will take notes and think about the
advantages and disadvantages.

Students will engage in discussing the following
questions, How does selective breeding help
people? How can selective breeding be
dangerous for offspring organisms?

Students will give it a try to breeding tigers for higher
chance of survival. Playing this interactive game,
students will choose a breeding program that will
produce stronger tigers that can endure the rigors of
life in the wild.
Teachers will facilitate students’ learning and discovery
to reinforce skills and concepts

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN - using the Variations in a
Species PowerPoint, students will look at variation in
Resources
https://www.scientificmi
nds.com/Teacher/Ancill
aryData.aspx
Use the following
lessons to support
students’ understanding
and knowledge by using

Science Starter 72
Natural Selection
Discovery Education
Minnesota Zoo
UT Dana Center
Some labs used from
the UT Dana Center
were based on the old
TEKS and still reference
previous numbering;
therefore, disregard the
TEKS number.
Selection of labs and
activities are based on
new TEKS.
2012 - 2013
Products, Projects, Labs
Gateways to Science 6th
grade Lesson 5.6 T.E 129 –
133
Students will participate of
this lesson to learn,
understand and describe
changes in traits.
ELABORATE / EVALUATE
Tracking Down Traits
During this Lab, students will
be looking at human traits.
Most of these traits have
been passed down for
generations within the
human population. Students
may see that only a few
students in the class have
traits that are not so
common.
This activity should
emphasize some traits can
change over generations
through natural occurrence.
EXPLAIN: Create a Venn
diagram to brainstorm the
similarities and differences of
natural selection and
selective breeding.
Assessment
EVALUATE
Students will invent a
bird that feeds on a
particular food
source of student’s
choice. Remind
students to be sure
to include
adaptations in
addition to their
beaks, such as long
legs for a wading
bird like the heron.
Students will draw a
picture and write a
description of what
adaptations this bird
has to feed on its
chosen food source.
Or
Students can create
an organism through
selective breeding.
What would they
cross and why?
What would they be
trying to accomplish?
Students will write in
detail describing the
traits of their
organism and draw a
picture of the
organism they would
create.
Reflection
Students will use the
Venn diagram
created to write
down about the
similarities and
differences of natural
West-Orange Cove CSD
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
a species and selective breeding. Follow the student
tasks to have students collaborate in groups using
think-pair-share, table talk, or graffiti writing.

Collect information about breeds of plants and
animals like cattle, dogs, apples, and corn.
Compare traits of newer species with those of past
generations, and identify traits that may have been
altered through time.

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN Bird Beak Lab. Students will
understand natural selection and selective
pressure, by examining the relationship between
bird beaks and preferred food types. In this
simulation, students will imitate birds, gather
different kinds of food items, and record and
analyze your data

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN: Students will demonstrate
that natural selection results in populations different
from the original by completing the Peppered Moth
Simulation. Students will describe the importance
of coloration in avoiding predation, relate
environmental change to changes in organisms,
and explain how natural selection causes
populations to change
2012 - 2013
selection and
selective breeding.
West-Orange Cove CSD
3 days of Week 7 and Week 8
February 20 – March 1
Learning Standards
Organisms and the
Environment
The student knows that
populations and species
demonstrate variation and
inherit many of their
unique traits through
gradual processes over
many generations.
The student is expected
to:
Explain variations within a
population or species by
comparing external
features, behaviors, or
physiology of organisms
that enhance their survival
such as migration,
hibernation, or storage of
food in a bulb. 7.11B
Organisms and the
Environment.
The student knows that
living systems at all levels
of organization
demonstrate the
complementary nature of
structure and function.
The student is expected
to:
Investigate and explain
how internal structures of
organisms have
adaptations that allow
specific functions such as
gills in fish, hollow bones
in birds, or xylem in plants.
7.12A
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
Instruction
Vocabulary
Organism, structure, function physiology, variation,
inherited (innate) traits, instinctive behavior, learned
behavior, adaptation, migration, hibernation, dormancy,
perish.
Internal, external, echinoderm, xylem, phloem, gills,
camouflage.
ENGAGE students daily by


Reviewing about inherited traits and learned
behaviors using an interactive quiz. In this quiz
students will learn the definitions and differences
between inherited and learned traits. Students will
also learn the difference between genotypes and
phenotypes and how they relate to inherited and
learned traits. Students will also be able to identify
and distinguish between both types of traits.
Reviewing about inherited traits and learned
behaviors using annotated student drawings or
commit and toss

Watching selected segments of Adapting to the
World, students will understand and explain how
change is constant in the natural world. Four
chapters demonstrate how adaptations have
enabled various species to evolve and thrive.
Through familiar examples, students gain better
understanding of how adaptation works.

Using pictures of various animals, students will
explain adaptations and why they occurred.
Teachers will facilitate students’ learning and discovery
to reinforce skills and concepts

EXPLORE / EXPLAIN – Teacher will guide students
in the learning of how plants and animals adapt to
Resources
https://www.scientificmi
nds.com/Teacher/Ancill
aryData.aspx
Use the following
lessons to support
students’ understanding
and knowledge by using

Science Starter 71
Adaptations

Science Starter 76
Traits and The
Environment
2012 - 2013
Products, Projects, Labs
Assessment
Blending Butterflies Lab
Students will be able to
explore & simulate
camouflage in animals
EVALUATE
Students will share
their understandings
from the Blending
Butterflies Lab.
Owl Family Survival
Students will simulate the
struggle for survival of an
owl family, will simulate
bringing food back to the
nest despite obstacles, and
will experience how
adaptations affect a species.
EVALUATE
Students will share
their understandings
from the Adapting to
the World video and
Adaptations guided
instruction using the
PowerPoint
presentation.
Discovery Education
Science-Class
Middle School
Science
TAMU
Squirrel Island Lab
To explain how adaptations
help organisms survive in
different environments
Reflection –
Students will create
a drawing of an
animal that is able to
live on a planet with
very little oxygen,
water, food or other
vital necessities that
may have caused an
adaptation over the
past 2 million years
West-Orange Cove CSD
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
their environment in order to survive using the
adaptations lesson plan. Students will learn and
understand how plants and animals might adapt to
avoid predators or to be a more efficient predator.
Or they might adapt to survive their environment.
Through the Adaptations PowerPoint and the
adaptation creation activity, students will learn how
different and even similar animals and plants survive
in different biomes.
2012 - 2013
West-Orange Cove CSD
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
2012 - 2013
SMART Objective
In the book, Learning by Doing, P. 126, Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Thomas Many, and Robert Eaker, talk about SMART goals and how
establishing these goals will assist stakeholders in creating a collaborative effort oriented by results.
According to Dufour et al, SMART objectives are Strategic and Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Oriented, Timebound. For our
purposes in the classroom, we will use SMART objectives in the following manner:
Standards-based – use the wording of the TEK
Makes a connection – find a way to connect to everyday situation
Attainable - do students feel they can learn the concept?
Results oriented – how will students know they have learned the concept?
Tell – Students are able to tell what they are learning
The objective does not have to change every day as you write it on the board or keep it in a prominent place. Keep in mind that by posting
the learning objective in this manner and using with the students before, during, and after the lesson then the students will know the what,
how, and why of the learning. Besides, using the standard will support the students learn the vocabulary they are expected to know and
master by the end of the lesson.
West-Orange Cove CSD
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
2012 - 2013
Some Examples of Formative Assessments in Science
(Source: Science Formative Assessments by Page Keeley)
Concept Cartoons
(p.71)
Familiar Phenomenon Probe/
Friendly Talk Probe
(p.85 & 102)
Interest Scale
(p.115)
I Used to Think…Now I Know
(p.119)
KWL (and its variations)
(p.128)
Pass the Question
(p.149)
Popsicle Stick Questioning
(p.158)
R.E.R.U.N.
(p.172)
Sticky Bars
(p.178)
Terminology Inventory Probe
(p.180)
-cartoon of people sharing their ideas on common, everyday phenomenon/concept
-students choose the cartoon they agree with most and explain their reasoning
-used to assess and address misconceptions, diagnostic
-see: www.conceptcartoons.com for examples
-a dialogue between characters addressing a concept
-students choose the character they agree with most and explain their reasoning
-used to assess and address misconceptions, diagnostic
-students use sticky notes to indicate their interest in a subject on a low to high scale (e.g. a
thermometer with the heading “How Hot is the Topic?”)
-kinesthetic, student interest
-at the end of a lesson, students reflect and compare what they knew at the beginning of a lesson to
what they know after a lesson
-metacognition, assessment as learning
KWL – what I know, what I wonder, what I learned
OWL – what I observed, what I wonder, what I learned
KWLH – KWL + H = how I learned it
-students begin to respond to a question; halfway through, they exchange responses and complete,
modify, or change each other’s responses
-can be done in pairs and then exchanged with another pair
-cooperative learning
-names of students are written on a popsicle stick
-pull popsicles sticks for name of student to call on (e.g. for questioning)
-reflection/exit card for a lab activity
-recall (summarize), explain the purpose, results (describe their meaning), uncertainties
(list/describe), new things you learned
-to answer a multiple choice question, students write their responses on a sticky note, hand in to
their teacher, teacher posts answers to show the variety of answers from all students
-diagnostic, metacognition
-give a list of terms to students
-students use a checklist to indicate what they know of a term using a range from “I have never
heard of the this” to “I clearly know what it means and can describe it”
-students revisit the list at the end of learning
-ask students to reveal their understanding by providing a description, drawing a picture, etc.
West-Orange Cove CSD
Synectics
(p.186)
Traffic Light Cups
(p.201)
A&D Statements
Annotated Student Drawings
Commit and Toss
Concept Card Mapping Concept
Missed Conception
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
2012 - 2013
-“the fitting together of different and apparently irrelevant elements”
-analogies/metaphors
e.g. a physical change is like a milkshake because different ingredients are put together and
combined to make something different but each ingredient can still be physically separated
-teacher can assess student’s conceptual understanding of a concept
-link to Marzano’s “identifying similarities and differences” instructional strategy
-red, yellow, and green stackable party cups
-used to signal whether a group does not need help from the teacher (green), needs some feedback
or assistance (yellow), or does not know what to do next (red)
-allows teacher to circulate and differentiate the process based on readiness
Students use A & D Statements to analyze a set of “fact or fiction” statements. In the first part
of A & D Statements, students may choose to agree or disagree with a statement or identify
whether they need more information. In addition, they are asked to describe their thinking
about why they agree, disagree, or are unsure. In the second part of the FACT, students
describe what they can do to investigate the statement by testing their ideas, researching what
is already known, or using other means of inquiry.
“If a picture is worth a thousand words, perhaps drawing and visualizing can help science
students enhance their learning potential” (National Science Teacher Association [NSTA],
2006, p. 20. Annotated Student Drawings are student-made, labeled illustrations that visually
represent and describe student’s thinking about a scientific concept.
Commit and Toss is an anonymous technique used to get a quick read on the different ideas
students have in the class. It provides a safe, fun, and engaging way for all students to make
their ideas known to the teacher and the class without individual students being identified as
having “wild” or incorrect ideas. Students are given a question. After completing the question,
students crumple their paper up into a ball and, upon a signal from the teacher, toss the paper balls
around the room until the teacher tells them to stop and pick up or hold on to one paper.
Students take the paper they end up with the share the ideas and thinking that are described
on their “caught” paper, not their own ideas.
Card Mapping is a variation on the familiar strategy of concept mapping (Novak, 1998). Instead of
constructing their own concept maps from scratch, students are given cards with the concepts
written on them. They move the cards around and arrange them as a connected web of knowledge.
They create linkages between the concept cards that describe the relationship between concepts.
Moving the cards provides an opportunity for students to explore and think about different linkages.
A Missed Conception is a statement about an object or phenomenon that is based on a commonly
held idea noted in the research on students’ ideas in science. Students are asked to analyze a
statement, describe why some people may believe it is true, describe what one could do to help
someone change his or her “missed conception” in favor of the scientific idea, and reflect on their
own ideas in relation to the statement.
West-Orange Cove CSD
Two-Minute Paper
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
2012 - 2013
The Two-Minute Paper is a quick and simple way to collect feedback from students about their
learning at the end of an activity, field trip, lecture, video, or other type of learning experience.
Students are given two minutes to respond to a predetermined prompt in writing.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CHYQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdpcdsbcla.wikispaces.com%2Ffile%2Fview%2FSome%2BExamples%2Bof%2BFormative%2BAssessments%2Bin%2BScience.doc&ei=w5fmT6iMCIfm2
QXOueHZCQ&usg=AFQjCNGgWKsjp9jPPrnqbALNk3Gc7vpP5Q&sig2=cY2Br5Y_HYLjmrQRQ5MBGw
West-Orange Cove CSD
7th Grade Science –4th Six Weeks
2012 - 2013
Graffiti Writing
Graffiti Writing is a cooperative learning structure that facilities brainstorming and also doubles
as a group energizer. Each cooperative group of 3 or 4 students is given a piece of chart paper
and different colored markers. Group #1 might have black markers; group #2 green markers,
etc. There needs to be a different color marker for each group so that the teacher can track
each individual group’s contribution. If you have small enough classes you can give each
student a different color marker and track individual performance, but this is not usually
possible. Each group is given a different question, topic, issue, or statement to which they
respond. All students can respond to the same topic but I find it more effective if three or more
different topics are used. For a short time period (3-5 minutes), every group writes their “graffiti”
(words, phrases, statements, pictures) on their particular topic. For example: Your students
have just read the book Who Moved My Cheese; I would use a graffiti sheet for each character
and have students describe these characters with words, phases, and pictures. All students in
the group write on the same piece of chart paper at the same time. It is very important that, as
the teacher you monitor total participation to get the most out of this activity. After about three to
five minutes, the teacher stops the groups and asks each group to pass their graffiti sheets to
the next group. The new group with the sheet reads what has already been written or drawn on
the sheet and adds additional new information. Continue the process until each group’s original
sheet has been returned to them. Once a group has their original sheet back, as a group, they
read all of the contributing comments, discuss them, summarize them, and prepare a brief
presentation to the class as outlined by the teacher. I often have the students categorize the
comments in order to draw conclusions as part of their presentation phase. A specific outcome
must be set by the teacher for the presentation part of this assignment in order for it to be
effective.
Graffiti writing works very effectively as an anticipatory set, a closure activity or as an energizer
during any lesson where the generation of ideas or the recall of facts is desired. Please
encourage your students to draw during graffiti writing as this will motivate students who love to
doodle and often are not super productive in your classroom. Also, for extremely large classes
the same lesson can be going on twice in your classroom which will result in two groups
presenting on the same topic at the end. This keeps both groups and the scope of the lesson
appropriate in size and depth.
http://keystoteachingsuccess.blogspot.com/2009/07/graffiti-writing.html