Name: _______________________ Number: ___________ Date: ____________________
\
Fourth Grade Lesson Plans
Subject: Science
April 8-12
4-2.1
4-2.2
Classify organisms into major groups (including plants or animals, flowering or nonflowering
plants, and vertebrates [fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals] or invertebrates)
according to their physical characteristics.
Explain how the characteristics of distinct environments (including swamps, rivers and streams,
tropical rain forests, deserts, and the polar regions) influence the variety of organisms in each.
Science
Standard: \
1. Students read MacMillan/McGraw-Hill South Carolina Science, pp. 64-65.
2. Students complete “The World of Plants Classification” concept map as
you progress (Resource 3).
DAY 1
3. Students observe flowers/fruits of flowering plants, cones of nonflowering plants (if ferns are available, show the spore cases
underneath the fronds). I placed a powerpoint in the commons folder
on FLOWERING AND NON-FLOWERING PLANTS.
4. Students look through magazines to find pictures of both flowering and
non-flowering plants. Put pictures on a poster and label them as
flowering and non-flowering plants. Or you can create a collage on
paper.
5. If time watch a USV on Flowering Plants of your choice.
6. TSW complete the Test/Quiz on Vertebrates/Invertebrates/Flowering
and Nonflowering. They may or may not use their notes…..you can
decide this.
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT STUDENTS KNOW:
 Flowering Plants
 Flowering plants are those plants that make seeds within flowers.
 Some flowers become the fruits that contain seeds.
 Examples are grasses, roses, oak trees, fruit trees, tomatoes, or bean
plants.
 Nonflowering Plants
 Nonflowering plants are those plants that produce seeds within cones
or produce spores instead of seeds.
 Some examples of nonflowering plants are pines, spruce, or cedar
trees that produce cones, and ferns, mosses, and lichens that
produce spores.
Assessment: Test
MATERIALS
Science Notebooks
Science Books
Test/Quiz (In
Commons Folder)
Magazines
Google Images
USV of your
choice on
Flowering or
nonflowering
plants
Flowering Chart
(Commons Folder)
pp-Flowering and
Non-flowering
plants
Name: _______________________ Number: ___________ Date: ____________________
Day 2
Standards:
1.
Students will choose one of the following plants or animals and tell where
it lives. Why does the plant or animal live there? Options: polar bear, fish,
cactus, fruit tree, shrimp.
2.
The class will discuss how environmental characteristics (such as
temperature, water, etc.) determine the type of plant and animal life that
can survive.
3.
We will now start our focus on Animal Enviroments. Today we will work
on Rainforest and Deserts.
4.
Students read MacMillan/McGraw-Hill South Carolina Science, p. 131
(rainforests), p. 132 (deserts).
5.
TSW begin to fill in their Environments Chart (ATTACHED).
6.
To help fill in the chart, TSW watch the USV’s Tropical Rainforest (11 min)
and American Deserts: What is in a Desert (10 min).
7.
Also show the Virtual Rainforest found at
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/00/earthpulse/rainforest/index_fla
sh.html
8.
Once the chart has been filled for Rainforest and Deserts, TSW draw
minipictures of a Rainforest and a Desert. Make sure they include details
from what is in their charts. (Picture sheet in commons folder)
Science Notebooks
Science books
USV
Minipicture Chart
(Commons Folder)
Environments
Chart
(ATTACHED)
9. TTW introduce Polar Region.
10. TTW use this website to help teach ithttp://scienceresources.anderson5.net.
11. TSW fill in their chart.
IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR STUDENTS TO KNOW:
Tropical Rainforests
Are very humid and warm and have an abundance of rain that leads to lush plant growth
(for example, tall trees, vines, ferns, orchids, and other colorful flowering plants).
Animals that live in the rainforest are colorful, to match the many varieties of plants.
Many animals are also tree dwellers (for example birds and monkeys), moving across the
tree canopy rather than traveling on the ground.
Deserts
Are dry with extreme temperature ranges.
Some deserts are covered with sand.
During the day it is very hot, whereas the nights are very cold.
Most of the plants (for example cacti), and animals (for example lizards, scorpions, and
jackrabbits) have ways to conserve the moisture, are able to go long periods without
water, or can withstand the extreme temperature changes.
Polar Region
Cold
Lichens and mosses grow there
Seals, Polar Bear, Penquins
Assessment: Science Notebooks and Minipicture Chart
Summary of Characteristics of Distinct Environments
Swamps
Temperature
Warm-
Rivers and
Streams
Varies
Tropical
Rainforests
Hot
Deserts
Hot-Cold
Polar
Regions
Cold
Name: _______________________ Number: ___________ Date: ____________________
hot
Water
Plant Life
(examples)
Animal Life
(examples)
Abundant
Water
Environment
Cypress
trees,
Bushes/trees
ferns,
on banks,
water
water plants
lilies
Alligators,
Fish,
water
crayfish,
birds,
snakes,
turtles
insects
Humid
Dry
Dry/Frozen
Abundant
trees, vines,
lush growth
Scarce
cactus
Mostly
lichens,
mosses
Birds, Frogs,
Monkeys
Lizards,
scorpions,
rabbits
Seals,
polar
bears,
penguins
Name: _______________________ Number: ___________ Date: ____________________
Environments Chart
Swamps
Rivers
and
Streams
Tropical
Rainforests
Deserts
Polar
Regions
Temperature
Water
Plant Life
(examples)
Animal Life
(examples)
Environments Chart
Swamps
Temperature
Water
Plant Life
(examples)
Rivers
and
Streams
Tropical
Rainforests
Deserts
Polar
Regions
Name: _______________________ Number: ___________ Date: ____________________
Animal Life
(examples)
Name: _______________________ Number: ___________ Date: ____________________
ORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT QUIZ
**You may use your notes to help you complete this.
1.
Which animal might you find in the stream environment?
2.
A. shark
B. sunfish
C. octopus
D. alligator
Which animal is an invertebrate?
3.
A. Canadian goose
B. Monarch butterfly
C. elk
D. brown bear
Which plant below is a non-flowering plant?
A.
B.
C.
D.
4.
rose
fern
daisy
sunflower
Organisms that live in the environment shown in the picture below have
special needs in order to survive in that environment. Those organisms
must be able to _______________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
gather sunlight
conserve water
protect against cold
breathe underwater
Name: _______________________ Number: ___________ Date: ____________________
5.
Explain the difference between a vertebrate and an invertebrate. Give
one example of each.
Answer in a complete sentence. What am I?
6. I am an environment that is very humid, has LOTS of plant and animal life
and I am becoming endangered. What environment am I?
7.
I am an environment that is made up of cypress trees and water. I can also
be humid. What environment am I?
8.
I am an environment that can be found in your neighborhood. Some people
like to fish from me. What environment am I?
9.
I am an environment that is very dry, cactus and other plants conserve
water because I do not get a lot of rain. What environment am I?
Short Answer/Paragraph
10. Pick your favorite environment and describe EVERYTHING you know
about the environment. (15 point question)
Name: _______________________ Number: ___________ Date: ____________________