P-3, Novice Proficiency, High School, Biology
Lesson Plan
PRE-PLANNING: KNOW, SO, SHOW
The quality of the objective is assessed in P-2(1).
OBJECTIVE.
What will your students be able to do?
SWBAT identify, list, compare, and contrast the characteristics of the phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata (Fish, Amphibians, and Reptiles).
SWBAT explain the evolutionary process from Chordata to Subphylum to Vertebrata.
ASSESSMENT.
How will you know whether your students have made progress toward the objective? How and when will you assess mastery?
Through an independent practice essay that asks students to analyze the process of evolution from fish to amphibians to reptiles.
KEY POINTS.
What three-five key points will you emphasize?
 Fish—bony fish, two chamber heart, gills for O2 transfer (no lungs), reproduce sexually (internally and externally);
 Amphibians—water necessary for reproduction, lungs/three-chambered heart, skin must remain moist for gas exchange, limb placement;
 Reptiles—first animals to become adapted to life on land, scales, reproduction eggs, limb placement, 4 chambered heart;
 Compare and contrast fish, amphibians, and reptiles—sense organs, reproduction, gas exchange
LESSON CYLCE: GO
P-3(3): Ten minutes is likely to be “generally feasible” for students to complete an anticipation guide and for the teacher to prepare students for the
lesson. (BP)
P-3(1): The opening only broadly introduces the topic because the teacher focuses on the first objective here, but not the second objective. (N)
P-3(2): This part of the opening technically aligns with the purpose behind this step of the lesson cycle because it communicates the what, how and
why for what is about to happen and connects the lesson to previous material. (BP)
OPENING. (10 min.)
How will you communicate what is about to happen? How will you communicate how it will happen? How will you communicate its importance?
How will you communicate connections to previous lessons? How will you engage students and capture their interest?
 Entrance quiz: MC quiz on sponge/cnidaria/flatworm/roundworm
 SPONGE: Anticipation guide that deal with adaptations for animals to move from water to land (specifically, gas exchange, limbs,
reproduction, skin)
 What is about to happen: “Today we are going to start talking about the chordates with vertebrates.”
 Importance: “We’ll start by going over the bony fish, amphibians, and reptiles. These three classes of animals share certain characteristics, but
differ in key areas. These differences highlight the process of evolution from water-based life to terrestrial life—life on land as we know it.”
 Connections: The animals we are now discussing are fundamentally different than the invertebrates we were discussing last class. All
vertebrates have an INTERIOR BACKBONE, while all invertebrates DO NOT.
 How it will happen” Students will complete a chart that diagrams the main characteristics of each class of animal. There will also be
definitions of the different terms used to describe the animals (ex. Swim bladder for fish, amniotic egg for reptiles). After the notes, we will
do a couple of activities to practice our knowledge of different characteristics of fish, amphibians, and reptiles.
P-3(3): Twelve minutes is likely to be “generally feasible” for students to fill in a graphic organizer. (BP)
P-3(1): The introduction to new material is generally aligned to the first objective (“…identify, list, compare, and contrast the characteristics….”) but
does not address the second objective. (N)
P-3(2): The introduction to new material technically aligns with the purpose behind this step in the lesson cycle. Although it accomplishes the
purpose of presenting new content to students, it requires students to “read the description on the note card” and guess where the characteristic should
go. Therefore it does not present information in the most efficient and effective manner. (BP)
INTRODUCTION TO NEW MATERIAL. (12 min.)
What key points will you emphasize and reiterate? How will you ensure that students actively take-in information? How will you vary your approach
to make information accessible to all students? Which potential misunderstandings will you anticipate?
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I will provide students with a graphic organizer. It will have categories for fish, amphibians, and reptiles that include key characteristics such
as reproduction, respiration, body structure, etc.
Students will be provided with note cards of the various characteristic descriptions.
I will have a student read the description on the note card and will ask the class where on the chart the characteristic should go.
After student input, I will reveal the correct spot and they will write the information in that area.
Along with the notes, there will be accompanying pictures to reference from a power point presentation.
I will use the new Popsicle Stick method for calling on the students throughout the intro to new materials to check for their understanding by
asking them questions on topics we just discussed. If anything is unclear, I will go back to it and cover it again.
Potential misunderstandings: How the process of evolution is taking place (must show them that each difference represents advancement
towards life on land.) How the certain anatomical structures work and what they look like. (have a lot of pictures to show.)
P-3(3): Twenty-two minutes for students to complete the comparing and contrasting activity is likely to be “generally feasible”. (BP)
P-3(2): The guided practice technically accomplishes the purpose behind this step in the lesson cycle because it gives students a chance to practice
the material with teacher support. However, it only allows students to practice one characteristic (i.e. respiration, reproduction, body structure, etc.)
rather than having the opportunity to interact with other aspects of the objective. (BP)
P-3(1): The guided practice is generally aligned to the first objective (“…identify, list, compare, and contrast the characteristics….”) but leaves out
the second objective. (N)
GUIDED PRACTICE. (22 min.)
How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations? How will you ensure that all students have multiple
opportunities to practice? How will you scaffold practice exercises from easy to hard? How will you monitor and correct
student performance?
 I will have areas of the room labeled with different characteristics of the 3 classes of animals.
 Each characteristic will be labeled with different colors (ex. Respiration will be in Blue, Reproduction in Red, etc.)
 Students will receive different note cards with the three different classes of animals on them.
 I will model how the exercise goes: “When the question is about Respiration, you will look at the note card in blue.
The animal you have in blue will be the one you have to match up with respiration. For example, I have reptile in
blue, so I will be looking for the sign that describes how a reptile goes through the process of respiration.”
 Students will have two minutes to determine where they should go and to find the sign they should be at. They may
use each other and their notes, but at the end of two minutes, they should be by their characteristic.
Materials
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Station
Descriptions
Note cards for
students
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At that time, I will quiz students about the similarities and differences they notice based on which animals are where
(ex. Both amphibians and fish lay their eggs in the water). This will be done using the popsicle stick method.
If students finish this activity quickly, they will start work on some worksheets that may also be assigned for
homework.
P-3(3): Eight minutes for students to complete an analytical essay on the process of evolution from fish to amphibians is not likely to be feasible. (N)
P-3(1): The independent practice aligns with the second objective (explain) but is not aligned with the first objective (identify, list, compare and
contrast). (N)
P-3(2): The independent practice technically aligns with the purpose behind this step in the lesson cycle because it gives students the opportunity to
engage with the material without teacher aid. However, it only allows students to demonstrate independent mastery of one of the objectives (explain).
(BP)
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE. (8 min.)
How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations? In what ways will students attempt to demonstrate independent mastery of Materials
the objective? How will you provide opportunities for extension?
 Students will write an essay using a fish, amphibian, and reptile. This essay will require them to analyze the process of evolution
from fish to amphibians to reptiles. They will reference one of the characteristics we discussed today (reproduction, respiration,
body structure) and how it enabled animals to move from water to land environments.
Exit slips
 Extension question: I’m sure you’ve all seen a lizard sunning itself on the sidewalk when it’s colder outside, and lizards hiding in
the shadows when it’s hot. Using what you know about ectotherms, explain why this is the case.
P-3(3): Eight minutes to discuss the anticipation guide and to highlight the purpose of the lesson is likely to be “generally feasible”. (BP)
P-3(1): This part of the closing is generally aligned to the first objective (“…identify, list, compare, and contrast the characteristics….”) but leaves
out the second objective. (N)
P-3(2): The closing technically aligns with the purpose behind this step in the lesson cycle because it enables students to summarize what they
learned as well as its significance. (BP)
CLOSING. (8 min.)
How will students summarize what they learned? How will students be asked to state the significance of what they learned? How will you provide all
students with opportunities to demonstrate mastery of (or progress toward) the objective?
 Go back to the anticipation guide from the beginning of class and have students discuss if they would keep their original response of change
them and why.
 Ask students why we learned what we did today (process of evolution, basic vertebrates lead into complex vertebrates, like humans, etc.)