KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER PROGRAM
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher: Victoria Castner
Group Size: 20

Date: Day 1
Allotted Time: 50 minutes

Grade Level: 2

Subject or Topic: Biomes: Observing Outdoors

STANDARD: (PA Common Core):
4.1.2.D: Identify differences in living things (color, shape, size, ect.) and describe how
adaptations are important for survival.
I.

Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes)

A. The 2nd grade students will investigate their outdoor environment by walking
outside and recording at least 5 observations.

II.

Instructional Materials
A. Smartboard
B. 20 pencils
C. 20 white sheets of drawing paper
D. Coloring supplies for each table
E. 20 science journals for observations
F. Teacher created Powerpoint of pictures

III.

Subject Matter/ Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, new content)
A. Prerequisite Skills:
1. The students know the safety rules while going outside to observe.
B. Key Vocabulary:
1. Biome-a community characterized by specific plants, animals, climate and
environmental factors.
2. Habitat-home to plants and animals
3. Grasslands-a biome that is like a prairie, with a subhumid climate.
4. Deciduous Temperate Forest- Forest where seasons and weather changes.
Plants and animals change/adapt for each season.
5. Aquatic-living or growing in water.
6. Rainforest-tropical forest of tall trees with heavy rainfall and many species.
7. Tundra- one of the vast, nearly level, treeless plains of the arctic regions of
Europe, Asia, and North America.
8. Desert-area with little or no vegetation and rainfall.
C. Big Idea:
1. We live in the temperate forest, an area with a climate that changes each
season, and where animals and plants adapt according to the season.
D. New Content:

We live in a temperate forest habitat. This habitat consists of many specific trees,
plants, and animals. We must protect the temperate forest and keep it clear of
litter.

IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. The teacher will hook the students with a chance to let them draw a picture.
2. The teacher will hand all the students a blank piece of computer paper. Within
their tables they will already have coloring supplies.
3. The teacher will tell the students to all look out the window and draw her a picture
of what they see.
4. The students will have five minutes to draw a picture of the view outside their
classroom.
5. The teacher will have the students turn and talk with the people at their tables
about their picture and what they have drawn.
a. Expected student ideas will include grass, trees, the sun, small animals such as
squirrels, flowers, ect.
6. The students will share their pictures with each other.
7. The teacher will then ask students to raise their hands and tell her ideas about
what other parts of the world may look like outside. She will give an example that
where she goes on vacation is a sandy beach and an ocean.
8. The teacher will keep a list on the smart board of student responses such as desert,
mountains, rainforests, ect.
9. The teacher will say that today we are going to learn about biomes, or the
different environments and habitats of the world.
B. Development
1. The teacher will display the text set for this new unit in the front of the room.
2. The teacher will explain that the world is broken into biomes. We are going to
learn about 6 of them, including the tundra, desert, rainforest, aquatic, grasslands,
and temperate forest.
3. The teacher will show a powerpoint with a picture of each. Based of the pictures
she will have students turn and talk about which picture she showed, looks the
closest to the picture they drew of the view out the window. The powerpoint is
also attached on the Day 1 page of the lesson.
4. The students will turn and talk about which biome they think we are in.
5. The teacher will call on a student, and will say that we do live in the temperate
forest.
6. The teacher will say today, we are going to observe first hand the biome we live
in by going outside. She will review safety rules of outside. She will review an
observation should have a picture and a caption or label.
7. The teacher will hand out each student his or her science journal. She will explain
they use the next page to start their observations on and must have at least five.
She will give an example. She will hold up a leaf. She will draw a picture of it and
write, Yellow leaf that might have fallen from a nearby tree.
8. The students will line up.
9. The students will go outside to the courtyard only and make observations about
the plants, animals, and possibly trash they may see.

10. After about 20-30 min, (teacher will use her discretion based on how quickly the
class is working), the class will line up, teacher will take a headcount, and go back
to the classroom.
11. The students will return to their tables.
12. The teacher will tell the students to compare findings with their tables.
13. The teacher will then ask for volunteers and start writing a class list (bullets) on
the board. Expected responses are specific plants, animals, dirt, or litter.
14. The teacher will praise the class and say that all of these things are a part of the
temperate forest biome. She will explain that over the next week, we will take a
closer look at certain plants, animals, and ways to prevent litter and trash from
ruining this biome.
15. The teacher will collect the students journals with observations to be scored.
C. Closure
1. The teacher will play the following brain pop jr. video on forests up until
2:47. The teacher will ask students to turn to a partner and tell their partner at least
one thing they learned today.
2. The students will turn and talk.
3. The teacher will call two students to share.
4. The teacher will say tomorrow we will take an even closer look at examining
the forest.
C. Accommodations / Differentiation
1. The students will work in small groups and partners.
2. The class will participate in whole group discussions.
3. For a student with autism, the teacher will provide a checklist of the days
activities:
a. Draw picture
b. Class talk
c. Go outside and make 5 observations
d. Share observations
e. Turn in work
f. Video
g. Class talk
E. Assessment/Evaluation plan
1. Formative- The teacher will collect the observation handouts from each
student. Using a checklist the teacher will mark how many observations
each student has made. 5 will be proficient. Above 5 will be considered
advance. Less than 5 will be considered incomplete. This will result in the
student needing to go outside again for homework and add more to meet
the required 5 observations.
2. Summative-A unit test will be given at the end of the study.

V. Reflective Response

A. Report of Students Performance in Terms of States Objectives (Reflection on students

performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for students who failed to
meet acceptable level of achievement)
B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught.)(Reflective answers to
questions recorded after lesson is taught.)
1. Was I able to keep the class under control outside?
2. Was I able to assist and answer questions as needed?

VI. Resources
BrainPOP Jr. - K-3 Educational Movies, Quizzes, Lessons, and More! (n.d.). Retrieved October
25, 2015.