Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

LTC 4240: Art for Children

Lesson Title & Big Idea: Animal Adaptations

Grade Level: 4

Lesson Overview/Summary:
Class Periods Required:
In this lesson students will research why different animals survive in different habitats. They will than create their own
animal on the computer first and than recreate that using clay and other objects. In addition to creating their own animal
the students will also build a diagram in a shoe box of a habitat that their animal can survive in. Along with the habitat
1 2 3+
they must write a one-page paper on why they chose to create that animal and why they think the animal will survive in
the habitat.
Key Concepts
Essential Questions:
1. Visual Art: How to create their own model of an animal off.
What adaptations does an animal have to have in order for it to
2. Literacy: How to effectively defend an argument and create an opinionated
survive in a certain habitat?
piece to persuade the reader that the animal will survive.
How would it change an animal if its traits where modified?
3. Science: Identify the traits and characteristics of an animal that allow them
How can you take a drawing and turn it into a 3D model?
to survive in a habitat.
How can you persuade your reader to agree with your opinion?
Lesson Objectives: What you want the students to do. *
1. Visual Art: The students will be able to visual think of a new animal that combines several traits of other animals. First the students will draw a picture in
pencil of what they think would be a good combination. Than they will create a 3D model of their animal out of clay. Finally they will take a shoebox from
home and create a habitat for their animal to survive in.
2. Literacy: The students will give a creative name to their new animal and will also be able to write a paper describing why and how their animal will survive
in that particular habitat and also why they chose to give the animal the different traits and adaptations. They should be able to defend their choices in a way
that persuades the reader that this animal is a real animal.
3. Science: The students will be able to research and learn about how each habitat is different. Through research on the computer and recalling on previous
knowledge of animal adaptations. They will also think about how combining traits of different animals will effect where an animal will live, what it will eat,
and the characteristics of it.
Grade Level Expectations (GLEs)
1. Visual Art:

(3-4) (http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/GLE/)

1.PP. 2. A. 4. Modeling with clay or a similar material; Make

organic forms

Identify & define common vocabulary that connect the art form with the
other identified content areas:
1. Sculpture
2. Representation

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

2.EP.1.C.4. Identify and demonstrate relief sculpture. Identify

and use organic form
2. Literacy:
2.W.3.A.4. Compose
a. narrative, descriptive, expository, and/or persuasive texts, using
appropriate text features
b. text emphasizing the format of diary/journal entries and friendly
letters
2.W.2.B.4 Compose text with
a. a clear controlling idea
b. relevant details /examples
3. Science:
4.E.1.A.4. Scope and Sequence Interactions Among Organisms and
Their Environment
a. Identify the ways a specific organism may interact with
other organisms or with the environment (e.g., pollination, shelter,
seed dispersal, camouflage, migration, hibernation, defensive
mechanism)
b. Identify and describe different
environments (i.e. pond, forest, prairie) support the life of different
types of plants and animals.
4.E.3.C.4. Scope and Sequence Interactions Among Organisms and
Their Environment
b. Identifyspecialized structures and senses and describe how they
help animals survive in their environment (e.g., antennae, body
covering, teeth, beaks, whiskers, appendages)
c. Identify internal cues (e.g., hunger) and external cues (e.g., changes
in the environment) that cause organisms to behave in certain ways
(e.g., hunting, migration, hibernation)
d. Predict which plant or animal will be able to survive in a specific
environment based on its special structures or behaviors.

3. Model

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

Content Areas Integrated:
1. Visual Art (Inspiration Artist: Nick Cave
2. Literacy
3. Science

Lesson Activities & Procedure(s) (please be very specific):

Class Period 1
1. Introduce the activity by asking students questions on how and why
different animals are suited for different habitats. Encourage them to recall
that animals have different adaptations in order to live in different
environments. Ask the students Why cant polar bears live in the jungle?
and Why monkeys dont live in the artic. Build up to ask why each of these
animals are suited for their habitats rather than others.
2. As a whole class or individually have the students go to the website
switchzoo.com have them watch a short video on what switchzoo is and how
it is a magically place with different animals and different biomes.
Demonstrate to them the different animal combinations that they could
create using the websites simulator. Have them be considering the different
animal options that their animals could adapt to.
3. Ask the students if they were able to create their own animal in switchzoo
that combines the traits of multiple animals what it look like. Inform the
students that they will be creating their own switchzoo in the classroom.
4. Have the students construct a detailed drawing of the new animal they
want to add to the zoo. Included in the drawing should be short sentences
as to why they chose the different animal parts for their project. If they do
not finish in the first class period make sure they know to work on it at home
so that they can move onto creating the animal in class.
Class Period 2
4. Provide each of the students with a package of modeling clay that they
can use to sculpt their animal. As they are creating their animals the teacher
should be walking around making suggestions or asking questions about why
they chose the traits that they did.
5. Allow the sculptures to dry during that time, introduce the essays and
habitat boxes that the students will be presenting with their animals. There
will be time to work on the essay in class but the habitat will have to be an at
home project.
6. Instruct the children that for the essays they will have to persuade their
reader why their animal should be added to the switchzoo. They should
include: the adaptive traits they chose for their animal and why they have
choose those traits, how those traits will help the animal survive in its
habitat, what the animal would eat, how it would move, and finally why it

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

would fit into switchzoo.

Class Period 3
7. Have the students work on painting their animals. Provide them with
paint, brushes, feathers, eyes, and other materials they may need to make
their animal as realistic as possible. Once they are done with painting they
can work on the rough draft of their essays.
8. Over the next week allow the students to work on revising their essays
and creating a final draft they can present with their animal.
9. Have the students bring in their habitats and their essays and present
them to the class. Encourage the class to ask questions about other
students projects.
10. If possible have the habitats on display outside the classroom so that the
other students can see the Switchzoo as well.

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

Anticipatory Set (Gaining Attention):

Gain the students attention in this lesson by asking them questions about the
different animals adaptations for survival. Also by introducing the switchzoo
website and showing them the video for what the switchzoo is will gain their
interest as well. Allowing them to play around on the website will also foster a
deeper interest in what these strange animals will look like.

Closure (Reflecting Anticipatory Set):

To close this activity, have each of the students present their switchzoo
animal. When having each student present their animal have the rest of the
class ask questions so that they can better explain why they choose the
animal traits that they did. Once done with the presentations lead a
discussion with the class about why they did this assignment and what they
have gained from it. Ask
Which animal do you think was the most creative one?
Why do you think that this animal will survive?
What have you guys learned about animals from doing this project

Formative Assessment strategy:

Ask the students a series of questions along the lines of why does a monkey
live in a jungle? and why do you think the monkey has a long arms and a
tail? The students should be able to point out why the animals have these
different traits and how these traits effect its survival in the habitat.

Summative Assessment strategy:

The students will be graded on the final presentation of their animal, habitat,
and essay. They will be evaluated on if they have clearly taken the
assignment seriously and correctly defended their animal in their essay.

What student prior knowledge will this lesson require/draw upon?

1. This lesson with draw upon the prior knowledge of habitats and animal adaptive traits.
2. The students must recall the different biomes that they have learned previously and how animals in those biomes are better suited to live there.
3. The students will have some experience using clay and creating a sketch before.

How will you engage students in imagining, exploring, and/or experimenting in this lesson?
1. The students will be first able to explore and experiment with the switchzoo website where they can visually see the changes in the different animals.
2. Than using their own imagination they can decided on an animal they want to create and than visually create it using first pencil and paper and than
using modeling clay.
3. They also get to experiment with creating the different types of habitats that their animal can inhabit.

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

How will this lesson allow for/encourage students to solve problems in divergent ways?
1. The students will be challenged to make sure their animal can actually survive in its habitat.
2. Since they are required to persuade the class to put their animal into the switchzoo every choice they make for their animal must be justified and
useful for the animal.
3. There will not be two animals that have similar traits because the students will be encouraged to think out of the box and use their imagination.

How will you engage students in routinely reflecting on their learning?

At every step of the project I would have the students think about how their choices about the animal will effect how it lives. They will have to justify each of
their decisions in the process of first drawing their animal on the paper. Than again in building the animal if something is not working or if the animal can not
stand up because the structure will not work they can analyze how their decisions effected that. Finally in the essay they will have to explain and defend their
animal to the class. This requires a lot of reflection back on the building process of the animal.
How will you adapt the various aspects of the lesson to differently-abled students?
This lesson may be adapted fore differently abled students easily depending on their needs. If the child can not build a model of the animal they can simply
create an animal on switchzoo and print off a picture of it instead. They can also color the habitat as a background rather than building the habitat. They can
cut and past the animal into the habitat and than turn that in instead of the 3D model.
What opportunities/activities will students be given to revise and improve their understandings and their work?
1. Students will be given room to revise and improve their animal at multiple stages along the way of the project. If they do not like how their drawing
of their animal turned out they have the opportunity to change it before starting their sculptures.
2. When working on their sculptures if they do not like the way the animal looks or if their structure is not working for their animal they have the chance
to change it even more.
3. Until the students turn in their final product they can revise any part of their project where they think there should be improvement.
What opportunities/activities will you provide for students to share their learning in this lesson?
1. The students will share their final habitats and read their essays for the class.
2. A big part of the assignment is to convince other people that the animal could survive in the switchzoo. They will have to work on sharing what they
have learned about the structure of their animal to the class so that their fellow classmates will agree that it should be allowed in the switchzoo.
3. Their projects will also be on display for the rest of the school to see so that not just the class sees the hard work they have done.

Lesson Resources/References (please be very specific by providing links, authors, titles, etc.):
www.swichzoo.com
[tubeheadince]. (2006, November27). The Mystery of Switch Zoo. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqCvN7u3sk8

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template