Teacher Candidate: Amanda Wood

Date and Time of Lesson: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 12:30 p.m. Subject/Grade Level: Science/ 2nd grade

School: Merrywood Elementary

Description of Lesson: Students will sort different types of animals into categories. After sorting, we will discuss how to classify animals; mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and insects, based on their physical appearances.

Lesson Title: Classifying Animals

Curriculum Standards Addressed: SC Curriculum Standard(s): Standard 2-2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the needs and characteristics of animals as they interact in their own distinct environments. (Life Science) EEDA Standard 2: Students will demonstrate decision-making, goal-setting, problem-solving, and communication skills. SC Academic Indicator(s): 2-2.2 Classify animals (including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and insects) according to their physical characteristics. 2.3. Describe how choices are made. SSCA (1) Harassment, intimidation, or bullying means a gesture, an electronic communication, or a written, verbal, physical or sexual act that is reasonably perceived to have the effect of: (b) insulting or demeaning a student or group of students causing substantial disruption in, or substantial interference with, the orderly operation of the school.

Cross Curricular Connections: The lesson will be integrated with math because students will be sorting based on certain attributes.

Instructional Objective(s) Criteria: Students will cooperatively work together in partners to explore different pictures of animals and sort them into different groups. After discussion of animals, students will classify animals by their physical characteristic, and

Assessment(s) of the Objectives: Pre-Assessment: Students will match each type of animal to the correct characteristic. This worksheet will be used to see if students have

will sort pictures of animals based on these characteristics.

any ideas about classifying animals by their physical characteristics. The worksheets will be collected and graded. The grades will be recorded in a grading table (attached).

During: Students will work together, in partners, to sort animals into categories. A checklist (attached) will be used to record if students are able to sort the animals into categories based on some sort of physical characteristic. After the teacher presents a PowerPoint about classifying animals, students will work together in partners to divide poster paper into six categories and place the pictures of animals that they previously sorted into the correct categories.

Pre-assessment: Students will complete a quiz (attached) that will determine if they can classify each of the six types of animals by physical characteristics. This quiz will be collected and graded. The grades will be recorded in a grading chart (attached).

Materials/Resources: pictures of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, and insects (enough for 2 of each for each group)

poster paper glue markers SmartBoard science notebooks animal classification handouts powerpoint of animal information quiz (20) Prerequisites (Prior Knowledge): This is the first time that students are learning about specific examples of animals. Students should be able to sort things based on some sort of characteristic.

References: Science support document: second grade. (2007, August). Retrieved from http://ed.sc.gov/agency/se/Teacher-Effectiveness/Standards-and-Curriculum/Science.cfm Procedures: Step 1: Pre- assessment- Provide students with a worksheet that has the six types of animals listed as well as a description for each. Instruct students to match the type of animal with the correct description by drawing a line. Collect these worksheets. Provide students with a handout that has six types of animals and their characteristics. Instruct them to place these handouts in their science notebooks by taping them on an empty page. Explain to students that they will be learning more about each specific animal later in the lesson.

Step 2: Divide students into partners. Provide each group of 2 with twelve pre-cut pictures; 2 mammals, 2 birds, 2 reptiles, 2 amphibians, 2 fish, and 2 insects. ** Partnering students: A list of partners was created before the lesson. The students will not be partnered with their usual partners. Students are divided into five groups. Each student will be partnered with a student from a different group. Students need to work with various learners.

Step 3: Instruct students to cooperatively work with each other to sort the animals into groups based on what they look like. Do not give students any examples. Allow them to think about how

they can be sorted. Explain to students to talk with each other about reasons why they are sorting animals the way that they are.

Step 4: After groups have sorted their animals, ask each group how they sorted their animals and why they decided, as partners, to sort them that way (EEDA 2.3). Talk with students about their various sorting decisions.

Step 5: Instruct students to leave their pictures of animals on their desks and dismiss each set of partners to the carpet.

Step 6: Once students are seated on the carpet explain to them that they will be learning how to classify animals into six different categories based on their physical appearances. Allow a few students to explain what they think physical appearance means. Present the PowerPoint that has the six different types of animals listed with the different characteristics for each type. **These characteristics are listed in the support document for the science standards.

Step 7: Talk with students about each of the types of animals. Allow them to ask questions after each type. There will be a few pictures of each type of animal on each slide of the presentation. Encourage students to think of different examples of each type of animal.

Step 8: After presenting the PowerPoint, dismiss each set of partners back to their desks. Instruct students to begin sorting their animal pictures based on what they just learned about classifying by physical appearance.

Step 9: Provide each group of 2 with a piece of poster paper, markers, and ask them to take out their pencils and glue. **Remind students to limit the amount of glue they use.

Step 10: Model to the students how they will be dividing and labeling their poster paper (it will be divided into six categories; mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, and insects). Instruct students to label their categories and glue their pictures of animals to the correct categories. Also encourage students to decorate their poster in a way that describes the animals they were given.

Step 11: Walk around to observe if each group is matching the animals correctly. If they seem to be having trouble matching an animal to the correct category, remind them of the characteristics of that particular animal. For example; if the students are not sure where to place a picture of a

deer, explain to them that deer have fur and give birth to live young.

Step 12: After each group completes their poster, they will present them to the class. Discuss with the class the importance of being respectful while others are presenting (SSCA). Instruct the students to describe their posters and why they chose to decorate it the way they did (EEDA 2.3). After each presentation, allow a few students to ask the group that presented questions about their poster.

Step 13: After all students have presented, collect the posters. These will be displayed for others to see. Provide each student with a quiz. Explain the instructions to the students (fill in the blank with the correct answer) and allow them to complete the quiz. The quiz is a fill in the blank. There is a word bank at the top of the page to assist students with spelling.

Step 14: Collect the quizzes once students have completed them. Present the quiz on the SmartBoard and go over it with the class.

Step 15: Grade the quizzes and correct the answers that are wrong. After quizzes have been graded and corrected, return the quizzes back to the students and instruct them to glue them into their science notebooks for later reference. After gluing quizzes into their science notebooks, instruct students to clear their desks in order to be prepared to transition to the next activity.

Accommodations: Students who finish early will discuss with their partners what each animal on their poster is. A model of how the students posters should be divided will be presented before they start the activity.