Extended Content Standards Lesson Plan
Teacher (s):______________________
Date(s):_____________________________
Unit: Saltwater vs Freshwater
Lesson Title: Venn Diagram
Grade Level(s): 8th
Subject(s): Science
Standards and Goals: Explicitly state the specific Extended Content Standards and IEP goals that
are linked to your lesson.
8.ESP.2
Compare Earth’s saltwater and freshwater features (oceans, lakes, rivers).
8.ESP.1
Identify water features on the earth’s surface (oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers).
8.E.2
Understand the relationship between living things and their environment.
Essential Questions/Learning Targets:
1. Where do you find saltwater?
2. Where do you find freshwater?
3. How are the features of salt and fresh bodies of water different?
4. What plants and animals live in saltwater?
5. What plants and animals live in freshwater?
6. How can people conserve water?
“I can” Statements for Students: These are your learning outcomes for students that will be
explicitly stated to them and posted. This gives the students a clear understanding of what they are
supposed to be learning.
1. I can identify bodies of water on a map.
2. I can tell which bodies of water are saltwater and which are freshwater.
3. I can tell some differences between saltwater and freshwater.
4. I can name some fish that live in saltwater and freshwater.
5. I can name some animals that live around saltwater and freshwater.
Performance Measures: Through what authentic performance task(s) will students demonstrate
the desired understandings? By what criteria will “performances of understanding” be judged?
1. Use of vocabulary board and/or objects.
2. Use of sharing board.
3. Identify various pictures of animals and determine if they live near freshwater or saltwater.
4. Engage and participate in discussions concerning power point.
5. Participation in animal sorting activity.
6. Complete venn diagram activity.
7. Create 2 playing cards for Go Fish game.
Other Evidence: Through what other evidence (e.g. IEP progress monitoring, written products,
increased communication attempts, etc.) will students demonstrate achievement of the desired
results? How will students reflect upon and self-assess their learning?
1. Listen to and participate in discussion on power point, Animals All Around
2. Answer and ask appropriate questions during class instruction.
3. Use of vocabulary and sharing boards and/or objects.
4. Use of eye gaze color cards.
Materials:
1. Vocabulary board (included) or objects
2. Sharing board (included)
3. Way to project power point
4. Power point file (included)
5. Song clip (included)
6. Video clips (included)
7. Pieces for animal sorting game (teacher to prep before hand)
8. Net
9. 3 containers to sort animals into
10. Venn diagram template (included)
11. Venn diagram animals (included)
12. Index cards
13. Playing cards pics and facts (included)
Anchor/Hook: How are you going to introduce the lesson to your students? To motivate them or
get them “hooked"? To anchor the activity by activating their prior knowledge or building
prerequisite concepts?
You are getting better at identifying which animal lives where. Today we will complete a different
way to demonstrate which animal lives where. Of course, we will first do some “hunting” with our
net.
Activity Description:
Students will watch a power point and related video clips. They will then participate in a whole
group activity: an animal sorting game they catch in a net into 3 categories depending on if they live
in saltwater or freshwater or both. Students will complete a venn diagram, sorting animals by
habitat. Finally, each student will create their next set of go fish cards.
Multiple Means of Representation: How are you going to present the content of the lesson in
multiple ways so all students have access to it? Examples: Use of a variety of pictures, Board Maker
symbols, multiple types of books (audio, tactualized, squish), hands on materials, graphic organizers
1. Vocabulary board (included) with key picture symbols to assist in discussion on power point
2. Vocabulary objects (see suggestions)
3. Sharing board (included) to assist in participation
4. Adapted or electronic scissors
5. 2 large hula hoops to use if want to do venn diagram as a whole class activity
6. Yes/No Big Macs
7. Other forms of Assistive Technology
8. Way to hold net if student unable to hold independently.
Multiple Means of Engagement: How are you going to provide multiple means for students to
engage with the content so all students can learn? Examples: small group rotations with varying
activities (list activities for each center), whole group shared reading, independent practice,
computer aided instruction, writing center, etc….
1. Power point will be whole group with students having access to their assistive technology
devices as well as vocabulary board
2. For students still utilizing objects: gather suggested objects for vocabulary
3. For students that cannot sit with group for entire power point, have a paraprofessional ready
to move them to a separate area to explore the object vocabulary items
4. For students with motor issues, have way for them to direct an assistant through completion
of the activities
5. For students still utilizing objects more than pictures, have objects from vocabulary board
they can sort into 3 piles: saltwater, freshwater, I’m not sure
6. For students that finish early or need a break, have a reading center with various books on
saltwater and freshwater habitats for them to explore independently
Multiple Means of Expression: How will you provide assessment through multiple means for
students to demonstrate they have mastered the objectives of the lesson? Examples: student written
product, creation of Power Point book, reading aloud a decodable text to a classmate, identifying
words in context or other authentic tasks.
1. Participation in sorting activity
2. Finished venn diagram or participation in group activity
3. Level of engagement
4. Level of participation
5. Use of vocabulary boards or objects
6. Use of sharing board
7. Ability to work cooperatively with others (with guidance)
IEP goals: Optional. List below the specific IEP goals you will address and maintain data on in the
scope of this lesson.
Teaching the Lesson
Note: Items that are underlined indicate either digital or print resources that are
included with the unit plan.
Approximate
Activity
Time
5 min
Transition
 Play : The Ocean Song
 Put out AT devices
10 min
15 min
Power point: Animals all
Around
 Go through slides
focusing on the guiding
questions
 End with video clips:
Sea Lions on CA Coast
and Beaver Pond
Materials







Hunting Activity

 Using a tall barrier, have
student on one side with 
the net, and the teacher,
Projection
device
Song clip
Vocabulary
board and
objects
Projection
device
Power point
Vocabulary
board and
objects
Video clips
Sharing
board
Vocabulary
board
Questions to ask
I generally do not ask
questions during the
transition time to help
decrease negative
behaviors
Today you will be
learning that different
animals that live around
saltwater and freshwater.
1. Why do you think
some animals like the
ocean rather than a
lake or river?
2. How do you think
animals that live
where it is really cold
survive and find food?
3. Do you think there are
some animals that
could live in both
places?
4. What do you think
would happen if a sea
lion got put into a lake
or river? What would
it eat?
5. What do you think
would happen if a
beaver got put into
the ocean? Do you
think it would
survive? Where
would it get wood to
make its home?
1. What makes you think
this animal would live
near saltwater/
freshwater?


10 min
10 min
assistant or other
student on the opposite
side with the animal
Attach an animal to the
clip
After student retrieves
the animal, have
him/her sort it into
correct container
Venn diagram Activity
 If you choose to do this
activity as a whole
group rather than
individual, you can use 2
hula hoops as your venn
diagram. If doing this,
utilize the animals from
the sorting/net activity
above.
 Have students cut out
and paste animals in
correct location on venn
diagram
 If students have
difficulty understanding
the venn diagram, you
can color code the
diagram to match the
coloring activity from
yesterday to provide
more visual support
Go Fish cards
 Have each student cut
out, paste, and complete
2 go fish cards
 Be sure to put students
name or identifying
mark on back of card













Net
Animal
pictures
Sorting
labels
Sorting
containers
(one with
saltwater
label, one
with
freshwater
label, one
with both
labels)
Vocabulary
board
Sharing
board
Hula hoops
(if doing as
group
activity)
Venn
diagram
template
Venn
diagram
animals
Vocabulary
board
Sharing
board
4x6 index
cards
Go fish
templates
(2@)
2. How many do we have
in each group?
3. If we have more in the
freshwater group,
does that mean there
are more freshwater
animals on earth?
How do you know?
1. What does each area
of this diagram
represent?
2. What about the area
where the circles
overlap?


Saltwater
and
freshwater
fish facts
Saltwater
freshwater
labels