School of Education
Service – Leadership – Competence – Character
Lesson Design Template: Simplified for Teaching
Teacher Candidate
Mentor Teacher
University Coordinator
School
Grade
Subject
Date
Malorie Cook
NA
NA
NA
1st grade
Science
May 1, 2012
3. Learning Targets – What are the objectives for the lesson?
3.3 – Cite the EALRs/standards using the numbers and text. Usually limit the lesson to 1 – 2 EALRs.
EALR 4: Students learn that all plants and animals live in and depend on habitats. Earth has many
different habitats, and these different habitats support the life of many different plants and animals,
including humans. People have the ability to make rapid changes in natural habitats and to keep a
habitat healthy so that living conditions can be maintained.
3.4 – Cite the corresponding GLEs/performance expectations using the numbers and text.
K-1 LS2A: There are different kinds of natural areas, or habitats, where many different plants and animals live
together.
3.5 – Cite the objectives (skills or concepts) for the lesson. What do you want students to think, know
and/or be able to do at the end of the lesson? They need to be aligned with the GLEs/performance
expectations and EALRs/standards.
Students will define habitat in their own words.
Students will be able to explain that different plants and animals live in different habitats.
Students will be able to match plants and animals to their corresponding habitat.
4. Lesson Assessment – How will students demonstrate their learning?
4.8 – Complete the following table to highlight what the students will do to demonstrate competence
specific to learning for this lesson.
Description of
What the assessment is
formative assessment
Evaluative criteria
Feedback to students
designed to assess
activity
1) Answering questions
during the PowerPoint
presentation about the
different features found in
the habitats (Questioning)
2) Working with peers
(Observation)
3) Discuss the different
characteristics of the
habitats to determine
where their assigned
animal and plant go
(Discussion)
1) Student responses to
deep thinking questions.
2) Short, quick notes are
taken in a notebook, so that
on-task behavior and
cooperative skills can be
tracked.
3) Listening to responses
and taking notes.
1) Helps teacher check for
understanding and concept
retention.
2) Determine whether or
not students are on task
and understanding the new
material.
3) Helps students develop
critical and creative thinking
skills.
SPU Lesson Plan Template – simplified for teaching
1) Students get instant
feedback, teacher will help
students arrive at the
correct/logical answer.
2) Can use collected data to
modify instruction to better
fit the needs of the
classroom
3) Students get to further
their thinking will help from
their classmates--thinking
furthered, or taken to a
deeper level.
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Description of
summative assessment
activity
Evaluative criteria
What the assessment is
designed to assess
Feedback to students
No summative assessment
activity for this lesson.
5. Instructing and Engaging Students in Learning – What will happen in the lesson?
ITIP: Total lesson length 50 minutes
Objective and Purpose (why)
Anticipatory Set (interest)
Input (content)
Modeling (show)
Check for Understanding (get it)
Guided Practice (guide w/ help)
Independent Practice (own)
Closure (summary)
Lesson Materials
-Computer (with internet access)
-PowerPoint presentation
-"Habitat Song" lyrics for every student
-7 habitat posters (11x17)
-20 plant picture cutouts
-20 animal picture cutouts
-double stick tape
-Student science journals
-Homework handout
Time
Learning experiences
Objective and Purpose
3 min.
Student Stated Objective: I will define habitat. I will be able to describe the main features of
the 7 (grasslands/savanna, temperate forest, wetlands, tropical rain forest, desert, polar ice,
and ocean) major types of habitat and identify which plants and animals live there.
The lesson will start by presenting the students with the word habitat, and asking them to
share what they already know about the term. After the students have shared, as a class, we
will come up with a single definition for habitat and I will write it on the board (where it will
stay for the entire unit). (During this portion of the lesson students will be seated at their
desks)
Habitat: A place where plants and animals can get food, water, shelter, and space necessary
for life.
Anticipatory Set
7 min.
Video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAqNeEYPw7Y
To get students excited about the lesson and capture their attention, I will follow up our
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definition of habitat with the "Habitat Song," written by Bill Oliver. This song is not only
catchy, but talks about several important habitats that will be the focus of this lesson (i.e.
forest, ocean, rivers/wetlands); it's mild beat will also help grab the students’ attention and
interest. After listening to the YouTube version, I will pass out the lyrics to the song and we
will sing it together as a class (and will do so throughout this unit), which will work to
familiarize the students with the importance of habitat in a fun and interactive way. (During
this part of the lesson students will be seated at their desks).
Chorus:
Habitat, Habitat, Have to Have a Habitat
Habitat, Habitat, Have to Have a Habitat
Habitat, Habitat, Have to Have a Habitat
You have to have a Habitat to carry on!
The forest is a habitat, a very special habitat
It's where the tallest trees are at
It's where a bear can scratch her back
It keeps the ground from rolling back
Renews the oxygen, in fact
The forest is a habitat we depend on! (Chorus)
The farm is a habitat, a very special habitat
It's where the freshest food is at
It's where the richest soils at
Farmers create habitat
For owls, snakes and brown bats
The farm is a habitat that we depend on! (Chorus)
The river is a habitat, a very special habitat
It's where the freshest water's at
For people, fish, and bobcats
But when people dump their trash
Rivers take the biggest rap
The river is a habitat that we depend on! (Chorus)
The ocean is a habitat, a very special habitat
It's where the deepest water's at
It's where the biggest mammal's at
It's where our future food is at
It keeps the atmosphere intact
The ocean is a habitat that we depend on! (Chorus)
People are different than foxes and rabbits
Affect the whole world with their bad habits
Better to love it while we still have it
Or rat ta-tat-tat, our habitat's gone! (Chorus)
Input
7 min.
Now that my students know what they will be learning about, I will present the 7
main habitats (grasslands/savanna, temperate forest, wetlands, tropical rain forest,
desert, polar ice, ocean). The presentation will be done using an interactive
PowerPoint with moving graphics and sound (i.e. animals sounds). During the
presentation, students will be asked (at random) to describe what they see or do not
see in the habitat (for example, grasslands appear dry, flat, contain a lot of grass, not
a lot of trees, etc.)--- this activity solicits existing knowledge while introducing new
ideas/concepts. (students will remain at their desks for this presentation)
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Modeling
12 min.
After presenting students with a general overview of the 7 different habits, I will call them to
the carpet where I will explicitly describe and demonstrate the main features of each habitat
(including the plants and animals that live there) through the use of 7 poster which contain
an iconic image of each habitat.
I will use the images from the following National Geographic website as a model for each of
the 7 habitats: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/ and blow
them up on the overhead projector and trace each environment and then color it in.
I will display all 7 habitats on the board and will go through one by one and place animals and
plants in the given habitat. (I will have cutouts of different animals and plants that
corresponds with each habitat)
Grasslands/Savanna --windy, dry, rainy at times
(this picture will be split down the middle to illustrate their differences and similarities)
Plants
-Indian grass (grasslands)
-Baobab tree (savanna)
Animals
-Prairie dog (grasslands)
-African elephant (savanna)
Temperate Forest--cool, rainy
Plants
-Ferns
-Pine tree
Animals
-Snowy owl
-White-tailed deer
Wetlands--damp, cool or warm
Plants
-Cattail
-Duckweed
Animals
-American alligator
-Great blue heron
Tropical Rain Forest--warm, very wet
Plants
-Bamboo
-Mangrove forest
Animals
-Tiger
-Orangutan
Desert--dry, hot or cold
Plants
-Cactus
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-Joshua tree
Animals
-Bighorn sheep
-Tortoise
Polar Ice--very cold, ice/snow
Plants
-Cotton grass
-Bearberry
Animals
-Polar bear
-Emperor penguin
Ocean--very wet, cold or warm
Plants
-Seaweed
-Coral
Animals
-Blue Whale
-Octopus
Check for Understanding
3 min.
In order to ensure that students are understanding the key differences between the 7
habitats, I will ask students (at random) to identify differences or similarities between them.
Possible questions I could ask...
Q: How is the desert similar to the savanna?
Q: Where would you expect to find a black bear?
Q: How are temperate and tropical forests different?
Q: Where would you expect to find a crab?
Q: How are temperate and tropical forests similar?
Q:Why are the grasslands and savanna grouped together?
Q: Where would you expect to find a cheetah?
Q: How are deserts different from the polar ice habitat?
Q: Where would you expect to find a green tree frog?
Asking these questions will allow me to check for understanding.
Guided Practice
7 min.
Now that students have learned about the 7 different habitats, they will be placed in groups
(3-4 students), given 1 plant picture and 1 animal picture and will be asked to place them in
their appropriate habitat as well as provide an explanation as to why they think it belongs
there. Doing this activity not only gives students a chance to work cooperatively, but also
lets them practice what they learned. As students work in groups, I can walk around and ask
them about their thinking and again measure their understanding.
Plants
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-Sage brush (desert)
-Maple tree (temperate forest)
-Vines (tropical rainforest)
-Lilly pads (wetlands)
-Kelp (ocean)
-Wild flowers (grasslands)
Animals
-Arctic fox (polar ice)
-Dolphin (ocean)
-Hyena (savanna)
-Camel (desert)
-Grizzly bear (temperate forest)
-Lemur (tropical rainforest)
Independent Practice
10 min.
Upon completion of the group activity, students will return their desk, and answer the
following question in their science journals:
Q: If you could live in any habitat what would it be? What would you see there? Give an
example of 1 plant and 1 animal you would find in your desired habitat. When you are done
writing, draw a picture of this habitat.
This activity will reinforce the concepts presented during the modeling presentation and will
give students the opportunity to practice what they have learned.
Closure
1 min.
The lesson will conclude with independent practice, and students will be sent home with an
assignment, asking them to look through old magazines to find 1 plant and 1 animal that they
will bring to school and add to the classroom posters the following day. The hope is to fill up
each of the 7 habitat posters with a plethora of plants and animals in order to help
demonstrate the diversity found in each habitat.
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