Is it living? (Day 1 of 4)
Teacher: Susan Pittinaro______________________________ Subject Area: GH Biology_______
Standard:2.1.2 Analyze how various organisms accomplish the life functions
through adaptations within particular environments ____________________________________
Content Standards: Identify living and nonliving. Infer some of the elements of life
based on “Biologist on Safari” _____
English Language Development Standards:Read and summarize a paragraph
orally with a table partner __________________________________________________________________
Title of mentor text and ancillary materials:
“Biologist on Safari” problem/reading (located on CMS Science Resource page.
Modified for lesson)
BBC “What a Wonderful World” (You Tube)
Is It Living? Activity (can be teacher created)
Vocabulary Powerpoint
Vocabulary Notes/Worksheet
Lesson Outline:
1. Find Someone Who …
2. Watch “What a Wonderful World” (What were some things you saw in the
video?)
3. Vocabulary Powerpoint
4. Vocabulary Notes/Worksheet
5. Rewatch “What a Wonderful World” (What were some biotic organisms you
saw in the video? What were some abiotic objects you saw in the video?)
6. Model/Partner Read “Biologist on Safari”
7. Is It Living? Activity
8. Journal Entry
PRE-TEACHING VOCABULARY & DISCOURSE: Targeted words and clusters for
reading comprehension, discussions and text-based writing
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Biology
biotic
organism
abiotic
dormant
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
Team Formation and Team Building Activities:
Find Someone Who ….
Discourse strategy throughout the lesson (Corners, Clock Buddies, Circle of
Friends, etc.)
Table partners
Lab groups
Teacher Read-Aloud-Think-Aloud to model strategy students need to use:
Identify and apply descriptors
Student reading approach:
Partner Reading + Summary/Answer the Question
-Partner read “Biologist on Safari” and determine “Is it a living organism?”
After-Reading Strategy:
-Students will re-watch “What a Wonderful World” and with table partners identify
biotic and abiotic images from the video; class will create and post a list after
watching video
-Students will participate in “Is It Living? Activity. Stations are set around the room
with various items (fire, fish, plant, sea shell, chalk, fish food, etc). Students
assemble in lab groups at a station and as a team identify the item as living, living
but dormant, once living but now dead, produced by a living organism, or nonliving.
Class will choral respond answer choices after the activity and further identify as
biotic or abiotic.
Writing Strategies for: Not applicable for this lesson, though students will utilize
vocabulary in subsequent lab summaries.
Drafting: class notes and daily journal at end of class
Revising
Editing
Publishing
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS for:
Vocabulary: video response; Is It Living? Activity, daily journal
Reading: partner discussion for “Biologist on Safari”
-table partners find clues in the paragraph on what to consider when determining
if something is alive or not
Writing: later assessed on lab write-up
Content Knowledge: assessed on activities and journal; later assessed on lab
summaries and unit test
TEACHER REFLECTION WITH THE EOP:
Targeted EOP Indicators:
Reflection:
Next steps: