UNLV/Department of Teaching & Learning

Elementary Lesson Plan Template

UNLV Student: Samantha Sifuentes-Jolly PSMT Name: Heather Swartzbaugh
Lesson Plan Title: We are Botanists Lesson Plan Topic: Reading w/Sci. Integrated
Date: 4/11/2014 Estimated Time: 2 hours (w/Daily 5)
50 min (w/o Daily 5)
Grade Level: 2
nd
School Site: Schorr ES
1. State Standard(s):
RI 2.2: Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of
specific paragraphs within the text
RI 2.5: Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print,
subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or
information in a text efficiently.
RI 2.10: By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including
history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2-3 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range
L 2.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words
and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array
of strategies.
(2) 4.4: Explain that many different kinds of living things exist on Earth.

2. Teaching Model(s):
Whole Group: Watching video, reading the newsletter
Kagan: Round Robin Brainstorming with Showdown
Lemov: Vegas, Precise Praise, Stretch It

3. Objective(s):
Students will understand what makes a coast redwood tree unique.
Students will know the parts of a plant (e.g., roots, stem, leaves)
Students will know what a plant needs to live (e.g., water, sun, nutrients)
Students will summarize the main ideas of the scholastic newsletter.
Students will create their own plants using what they know about plants.

4. Materials and Technology Resources:
IPhone/IPad
o x1. Teachers use only to show pictures of redwoods during Teachers
vacation.
Scholastic News Weekly Reader
o x22. Tree-mendous Trees. Teacher will call paper passers to pass one out
to each student, going group by group.
Scholastic News Assessment
o x21. Contains 4 main idea questions about each section in the Scholastic
News Weekly Reader. Teacher will pass out the test to each student, going
group by group.
No Peeking Folders
o x20. Used to prevent cheating. Paper passers will pass these out to each
student while Teacher is passing out the test.
Create A Plant Instructions
o x1. Explains the directions of the activity. Teacher will display on the
ELMO.
Create a Plant Diorama Paper
o x22. Students will describe and draw their plants on this. Teacher will help
set it up so that the diorama can be displayed. Paper passers will pass this
out to each student, going group by group.
White boards, Expo Markers, and eraser
o x5, 1 per group. Each group will designate 1 person to get their materials
out, when instructed by the teacher.
Pencils, Crayons, Glue, Scissors
o x20 each. Students will have these in their desk, and they will take them
out when instructed to do so by Teacher.
Computer/Internet Access
o For teachers use to show the newsletter, the video, and vocabulary words.
Site used: scholastic.com.
ELMO & Projector
o These are for teachers use to display test, and the project.

5. Instructional Procedures
Teacher Will Do

A. Motivation/Engagement
a. Teacher will share a story about herself:

Every winter break Teacher, her
husband, and his family go to Monterey
CA to visit the ocean and specifically
the redwoods. Teacher will explain that
seeing the redwoods are her favorite
part of the trip, and they are in fact her
favorite tree.

Teacher will bring in personal photos
of the redwood trees, which will also
show how big they are.

B. Developmental Activities or Learning
Experiences:
I . Concept Development (20 min)
a. Teacher will call up paper passers to
pass out the Scholastic News Weekly
Reader to each student.
Students Will Do

A. Motivation/Engagement
a. Students will listen to the teacher tell a
story about her trip to the redwoods.

Students will get to see pictures of
actual redwood trees.









B. Developmental Activities or Learning
Experiences:
I . Concept Development
a. Paper passers will pass out the
Newsletter.


Teacher will pull up the scholastic.com
website, preparing the issue viewer and
plant video.

b. Teacher will cover the vocabulary
used in the newsletter:

In this newsletter we will be reading
about trees, specifically the coast
redwoods. Does anyone know any
facts about this tree?
Bloom: Knowledge
DOK: Recall (1)

Coast Redwoods are the tallest trees in
the world! They can grow over 350 feet
tall. They live in the west coast.

Thinking of trees, does anyone know
what the crown is?
Bloom: Knowledge
DOK: Recall (1)

It is the branches and the leaves of a
tree.

What about resin, does anyone want
to guess what this is?
Bloom: Knowledge
DOK: Recall (1)

Resin is the sticky ooze that comes
from trees, like pine trees. Well learn
more about what it is in the newsletter.

Lastly, does anyone know what
photosynthesis is?
Bloom: Knowledge
DOK: Recall (1)

Photosynthesis is when leaves use the
sunlight to make food for the plant.

c. Teacher will open up the newsletter (on
the computer) and the students will





b. Students will answer vocabulary
questions.

Students may share any facts they
know about the coast redwood trees.









A student(s) may explain what a crown
of the tree is.






A student(s) may explain what resin is.








A student(s) may explain what
photosynthesis is.






c. Students will open the newsletter.

follow.

d. Teacher will call on individual students
to read paragraphs.


Throughout the reading Teacher will
ask comprehension questions:

We read that resin is fireproof, can
someone explain how that may help the
tree?
Bloom: Evaluation
DOK: Strategic Thinking (4)
Explain what is happing during
photosynthesis?
Bloom: Comprehension
DOK: Concept (2)
Who can compare, or contrast a
normal tree, like pine tree to a Coast
Redwood?
Bloom: Evaluation
DOK: Concept (2)


e. After reading the newsletter together
Teacher will ask 1 person from each
group to take out their whiteboard,
eraser, and marker.

Once each group has a white board and
the material out they will play
showdown:
Teacher will read the questions aloud,
one at a time. The class will have 30
seconds to discuss the answer with their
groups and write it down. (Kagan)
Teacher will say showdown and each
group will hold up their white boards
with their answer.
Teacher will mark the correct answer
on the issue viewer on the
computer/projector.
This will continue for all 4 questions.

f. Teacher will ask the paper passers to


d. Individual students will read aloud a
paragraph at a time, when the teacher
calls on them.

The rest of the class will follow along.
Preparing to answer any questions the
teacher may have.
















e. 1 student will take out their
whiteboard, eraser, and marker.



Students will have 30 seconds to work
as a group and write down an answer.





When they hear showdown 1 student
will hold up their whiteboard to show
their answer.
Students will mark the correct answer
on their newsletter.



f. Paper passers will pass out the test
folders. Students will put them up.
pass out the test folders.

Teacher will place the Scholastic News
Assessment onto the ELMO.

Teacher will pass out the Scholastic
News Assessment to each student.
**Remind students to write their
names.

g. Teacher will read each of the 4
questions out loud to the class.

When finished, please turn into the
black basket, and go to rotation 2.


I I . Rotation 2 PSMT (20 min.)
Orange: Read to Self
Turquoise: Read to Self
Purple: Listening
Blue: Teacher (PSMT) Table

I I I . Activity (30 min)
h. PSMT will call students back to their
desks.

Were going to use our new
knowledge about plants and become
botanists! Who can tell me what a
botanist is, and what they do?
Bloom: Knowledge
DOK: Recall (1)

A Botanist is a scientist who studies
and works with plants. As botanists we
are going to create our own plants!
Bloom: Synthesis
DOK: Strategic Thinking (4)

i. Teacher will call paper passer they
will pass out the Create a Plant
Diorama Paper.

When you get your paper, turn it
around and write your name in the





Students will write their name on the
test, and wait for further instructions.



g. Students will listen to the questions,
and begin test.

When finished with the test Students
will turn it in to the black basket and
go to rotation 2.

I I . Rotation 2 PSMT
Orange: Read to Self
Turquoise: Read to Self
Purple: Listening
Blue: Teacher (PSMT) Table

I I I . Activity
h. Students will go to their desks.


A student(s) may explain what a
botanist is and what they do.











i. Paper passers will pass out the diorama
paper to each student.


Students will turn their paper around
and write their names in the upper
upper middle section of the paper.
Teacher will demonstrate this.

Teacher will place Create your own
Plant directions on the
ELMO/Projector.

Teacher will read the instructions of the
activity aloud-whole class. Check for
any questions.

Teacher will demonstrate where the
drawing goes (top section) and where
the fact sheet goes (bottom section) on
the diorama. Teacher will place an
example on the white board.

j. Teacher will walk around, observe and
help where needed.

C. Closure:
a. When finished raise your hands and
myself or Mrs. Swartzbaugh will come
around and help put the diorama
together (cut, fold, glue). When we do
that, you need to tell us one fact about
your plant and show us the roots, stem
and leaves. Then you can go to rotation
3.

I V. Rotation 3 PSMT (20 min)
Orange: Read to Someone
Turquoise: Teacher (PSMT) Table
Purple: Read to Self
Blue: Listening

V. Rotation 4 PSMT (15 min)
Orange: Intervention Group (PSMT)
Turquoise: Read to Someone
Purple: Read to Someone
Blue: Read to Self

D. Extension
Between rotation 3 & 4 the class will
take 3 minutes to walk around and look
at each others dioramas.
middle section of the paper.






Students will follow along while the
teacher reads the instructions.

Students may ask any questions they
have about the project.





j. Students will begin working on their
plants.

C. Closure:
a. When finished, students will raise their
hands so that a teacher will help create
the diorama.
When this is being done students have
to tell the teacher one fact about their
plant and point to the roots, stem and
leaves.
They will then move on to rotation 3.

I V. Rotation 3 PSMT
Orange: Read to Someone
Turquoise: Teacher (PSMT) Table
Purple: Read to Self
Blue: Listening

V. Rotation 4 PSMT
Orange: Intervention Group (PSMT)
Turquoise: Read to Someone
Purple: Read to Someone
Blue: Read to Self

D. Extension
Students will walk around and
observe each others
plants/dioramas.
Teacher will have student freeze where
theyre at after 2-3 min and ask:
Who can list the parts of a plant that
you saw?
Bloom: Analysis
DOK: Recall (1)

Teacher will bring in books (different
AR levels) about trees, plants, and our
environment. Students can read more
about plants, and what they do for us.
Students will raise their hands and
answer the questions.





Students can read a plant, tree or
environment book, which will
deepen their knowledge about
plants and what they do for our
environment.

6. Accommodations, Modifications, and Differentiations for Diverse Learners:
a. Accommodations
Teacher will pull out the difficult vocabulary in the newsletter and explain
their definitions. Teacher will explain that we will see the word used in a
sentence with in the newsletter as well.
o Teacher will ask comprehensive questions when the vocabulary
word shows up in the text to further break down the word.
Teacher will read all problems aloud to the class during the assessment, as
well as the instructions for the activity.
o Teacher may need to reread the questions directly to Elliana once
the test has begun.
If Linus or Ali is having problems with the fact sheet Teacher may want to
pull them to a small group to give specific details about what is needed in
fact sheet, or write down on their fact sheet what is needed so they can fill
in the rest (e.g., Name:.; What they need to live:.; etc. ).
A sign language translator will be provided for Theresa.
o This will allow Theresa to follow along with the rest of the class,
plus she will have the chance to answer the questions as well.
b. Modifications
PSMT added specific details on the assessment so that the class
understands exactly what the question was asking.
c. Differentiations
Teacher is showing the plant video so that students who learn visually can
see what each part of the plant looks like, and what they do rather than just
listening or reading about it.
The activity allows students to be creative with what they just learned and
actually apply this new information. The will allow the class to be hands
on with the information, rather than keeping it all abstract.

7. Assessment and Evaluation of Learning
a. Formative
Showdown Teacher will ask the class the questions on the back of the
newsletter. She will give the class 30 seconds to write down their answers
on their whiteboards. Teacher will say showdown and each group will
hold their answers up.
o Teacher can ask a group to explain their answer. This will allow
for the other groups to hear and make corrections, or prompt the
other groups to argue their different answers.
o Teacher will explain the correct answer and where she found it in
the newsletter.
Observation Teacher will walk around during the activity to observe and
read what each student is creating. She will be looking for:
o The plants correct parts: roots, stem, and leaves
This will also be done during the closure: each student has
show the teacher the plant parts.
o What the plant needs: air, sun, water
o Students including all facts required: name, needs, location.
Debriefing After the activity (between rotations; the extension) Teacher
will ask students to reflect on their creations, as well as discuss what they
saw on their classmates creations.
o Teacher will be checking for understanding of the material
presented in the last 2 hours: parts of the plant.
b. Summative:
The Scholastic News Assessment worksheet will be used as the summative
assessment for standard (2)4.4. This assessment asks students to summarize
the main ideas of each section from the newsletter.

8. Homework
a. Students need to take home their creations and explain it to a parent, sibling,
grandparent, etc.

9. Reflection
a. Strengths
The Activity
o Thinking of an activity for this lesson was really difficult. The only
thing I had to go off of was trees, so that was what I was researching,
specifically Coast Redwoods. During my research I was coming up
with nothing, so I had gone back to a go-to activity, a flipbook. I was
unmotivated about the entire lesson, and continued to search for ideas
on my free time. Soon after my PSMT gave me her Scholastic News
login information so I could go through the material. With this
material was a video, that my PSMT usually uses, and after I watched
it I was able to change my whole idea! It was like a light bulb went
off, and I was excited again. Instead of just restating what we just
learned, we instead applied it, became botanists, and created a plant!
The activity was put into a small diorama that each student created. In
this diorama they need to draw a detailed picture of their creation and
create a fact sheet, which included: a name for the plant, where it
lived, what it needed to live, and how it gets what it needs. The only
requirement I had was that the drawing of the plant needed to include
the basic parts of a plant (stem, root, leaves), which we had just
learned from the Scholastic News video. The class had so much fun
creating their own plants, and I got to witness them become fully
involved and invested in their ideas. The end products were amazing! I
had real plants like a daisy, and some made up ones like Candy, which
had Hershey chocolate petals. Afterwards, I had them walk around the
room and look at what their classmates had come up with. Everyone
was proud of what they created, and enjoyed showing off their work.
The activity connected with the afternoon activity.
o For the activity I had them label the plant parts, and anything else they
wanted in their picture. This actually was good practice of labeling
because after lunch they created candy maps with my PSMT and the
rest of the 2
nd
graders. This wasnt planned that the lessons could
potentially have aspects of each other, but happened to be a happy
coincidence. Luckily, I had thought about the connection at the
beginning of the plant activity, so I was able to share with the class. In
the end, they never did need to label their afternoon maps, but I was
still proud that I was able to catch the connection. It is a goal of mine,
to implement multiple subjects at a time, especially if we are currently
learning about it in class.
b. Concern
My Hook
o I personally love Redwood trees, they are my favorite tree. Every
winter I go to Monterey, CA with my husband and we go to Big Sur
specifically to see the Redwood Trees. I decided to bring in personal
pictures from those trips to share with the class because they not only
showed the trees, but they could possibly help put into perspective
how big these trees actually are. However, the class just didnt seem
that impressed, or at all interested. This could be just me reading into it
differently then what really happened, but it wasnt my best hook. I
think something I should think about next time, or during student
teaching, is what is my class interested in? This way I can try and
connect it more to them so that theyll be more interested in the
activity and lesson as a whole.
c. Insight
Look at all (given) materials before deciding on the activity.
o I had read the newsletter and the assessment multiple times before I
began my lesson plan, so I knew what I needed to focus my activity
on, but I just wasnt excited about it. However, as mentioned above,
when my PSMT gave me her Scholastic News login I was able to view
all the other materials that came with the newsletter. One of them
happened to be a video about plants. This was perfect because it
allowed me broaden my search for activities. In past lessons I never
really had materials ready for me to teach off of, so I didnt realize the
opportunities that they came with. My lesson was better than I could
have ever imagined. I learned a valuable lesson, to always remember
to look at all the available resources before making a concrete
decision.