Instructor:
Lesson Title:
Stephanie Thompson
Shoe Lab Classification
Grade & Subject:
Date:
7th Grade Life Science
Feb 4, 2015
1. LESSON PLAN LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PROCEDURES
Essential Question(s) /
Central Focus
Learning Objective(s)
CCGPS or GPS
Standard(s)
Instructional Strategies & Learning Tasks that Support Diverse Student Needs
Introduction to
Lesson
Body of Lesson
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Why do biologists classify organisms?
How are living things classified?
 Students will be able to make inferences about an organism’s Latin name.
 Students will be able to explain what scientific names are.
 Students will be able to describe how a dichotomous key is used.
 Students will be able to create a classification system.
 Students will be able to understand the reasons for classification in science.
S7L1. Students will investigate the diversity of living organisms and how they can be
scientifically compared
a. Demonstrate the process for the development of a dichotomous key.
b. Classify organisms based on a six-kingdom system and a dichotomous key.
S7CS6. Students will communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly.
c. Organize scientific information using appropriate simple tables, charts, graphs,
and identify relationships they reveal.
Opening
10 minutes
As students walk into the classroom, students will be provided with the “Binomial Names”
handout. Students will be told to use the information they have available to make
inferences about an organism’s Latin name to guess where the organism is from. They will
also have to analyze an organism’s scientific name and match it to the common name that
it describes.
Students will have 5-7 minutes to complete this activity and then we will go over the
answers. Students will be advised the opening ties into their homework associated with
Binomial Nomenclature which will provide them a deeper understanding than previously
discussed during Day 1 of the unit.
Body of Lesson
40 minutes
Dichotomous Key – Identifying People
10-12 minutes
 The teacher will open up the activity by asking the students if they have ever
played the game “Guess Who?”
o If students are familiar, the teacher will ask students to describe how to
play the game and the purpose of the game. The teacher will ask
students what type of questions are asked during the game. The
students will ultimately respond the questions are set up as “Does Your
Person ____?” or “Is your person____?” They will answer either “yes” or
“no”. Questions will be asked until they can guess who the player chose
as their person.
o If students are unfamiliar, the teacher will explain that each player had a
board and choose a card (random person) which is kept secret from the
other player. The player trying to guess the random person that was
chosen will ask a question like “Does your person have blond hair?” If the
answer is yes, they will put down all the people on their board that don’t
have blond hair. Then they will ask another question like “Does your
person have blue eyes?” If the answer is no, they will put down down
every person that has blue eyes. They will keep asking questions until
they are able to identify the person.
 The teacher will then tell them they will be playing a similar game to “Guess Who”
on the Promethean board to identify people. The teacher will then tell students
this is very similar to the way a dichotomous key is set up and this is the use of a
dichotomous key in action. Students will be told:
A dichotomous key is a tool that allows the user to determine the identity of items
in the natural world. Keys consist of a series of choices that lead the user to the
correct name of a given item. Dichotomous means “divided into two parts”,
1
Instructor:
Lesson Title:
Stephanie Thompson
Shoe Lab Classification
Learning Supports:
Differentiation,
Modification(s), and
Accommodation(s)
Formal and Informal
Assessment
Academic
Language
RESOURCES
Language
Functions
Vocabulary
7th Grade Life Science
Feb 4, 2015
therefore dichotomous keys always give two choices in each step. After that, the
students will go through the activity.
Shoe Classification Lab:
25-30 minutes
This activity will be done as a whole group. The activity is calls for classifying shoes.
Students will be told there are 8 different shoes located at the front of the room. Students
will have an opportunity to write down as many qualitative observations as they can about
each shoe in the table they have making sure to describe each shoe in as much detail as
possible. The students will then be told divide the shoes into different groups based on
similar characteristics. Once the shoes have been grouped by characteristics and a diagram
is created on the flip chart paper, the students will be told create a dichotomous key and
give scientific names to the shoes based on the diagram we created as a class. After
students create the dichotomous key, a mystery shoe will be displayed. Students will have
to use their dichotomous key to identify the shoe or extend their dichotomous key.
Closing
5 minutes
The students will have to answer analysis questions on a half sheet after the lab is
completed. The will receive a handout with the following questions on it which will be
their ticket out of the door:
 What were some of the common characteristics that you used to classify the
shoes?
 Is there more than one way you could have classified the shoes?
 Was it difficult to use your dichotomous key for the mystery shoe?
 Write 2-3 sentences on what you learned.
Students can also use this opportunity to ask any questions to clear up misconceptions
they may have.
At this time, the homework assignment “Binomial Nomenclature” will be passed out to the
students.
 Accommodations:
o Struggling writers: Students will receive handout for the analysis questions
instead of having to write them down from the Promethean board to extend
the amount of time they have to work on the questions.
o Low-income students: The shoe lab can be done in groups of four using the
students own shoes, but it will be completed as a whole group so students
aren’t singled out based on the type of shoes they present to their group.
 Differentiation:
o Presenting ideas through both auditory and visual means.
o Using tiered activities through which all learners work with the same
important understandings and skills.
Formative Assessment:
Teacher observation during in-class activities. The students’ responses to the shoe lab
classification analysis questions will be used to determine what the students learned
during the activity and how comfortable they are with classification.
Interim/Summative Assessment:
Students will complete “Binomial Nomenclature” as homework. The homework will be
graded.
Closure
2.
Grade & Subject:
Date:
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Students will be able to understand the reasons for classification in science.
Students will be able to make inferences about an organism’s Latin name.
Students will be able to explain what scientific names are.
Students will be able to describe how a dichotomous key is used.
Students will be able to create a classification system.
Classification
Taxonomy
2
Instructor:
Lesson Title:
Stephanie Thompson
Shoe Lab Classification
Syntax or
Discourse
Materials
Technology
Grade & Subject:
Date:
7th Grade Life Science
Feb 4, 2015
 Dichotomous Key
 Binomial Nomenclature
 Qualitative Observation
Syntax:
Students will use rules of American English.
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“Binomial Names” Handout – 26 copies
Shoe Classification Lab Analysis Questions – 26 copies
“Binomial Nomenclature” Handout – 26 copies
Flipchart paper
Flipchart markers
8 different shoes
Promethean Board
Computer
3