Curriculum Unit 1

Introduction:
The over arching concept for this unit is relationships. The overarching concept is
relationships because there are many relationships present in the world of plants and
animals and this could present many connections with other subjects that have
relationships as well.
The program delivery model for this unit is cluster grouping.
Differentiation is shown in this unit by tiered lessons, open-ended activities, and places
for student choice.
The teaching model for this unit Understanding by Design.
Learning will be assessed in a pre and post assessment, activities/homework throughout
the unit and a performance assessment at the end of the unit.
Week 1: Designing Goals, Objectives, Knowledge, and Process Skills
License Key Criteria
A minimum of three clearly articulated goals that include objectives stated in the form
of what students will be able to do that demonstrates they have met the goal.
Goals and objectives are related to the dimensions of good curriculum for the gifted
learner. What does this mean?
Standards cited are from the Common Core State Standards and/or national standards
specific to the discipline.
More Specific Criteria

Only those goals or content standards that are directly relevant to the unit and will be
assessed are listed.
Key knowledge and skills needed to meet the standards and enable the desired
understandings are identified.
Fillable Template
Established Goals:
*This unit is for an accelerated Kindergarten class.
Grade K:
Observe and draw features of common plants & animals (K.3.1)
Describe and compare living animals in terms of shape, texture of body covering,
size, weight, color, and the way they move (K.3.2)
Describe and compare living plants in terms of growth, parts, shape, size, color,
and texture (K.3.3)
Grade 1
Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features and

describe how those features may provide an advantage for survival in different
environments (1.3.1)
Observe closely over a period of time in different habitats such as terrariums,
aquariums, lawns, and trees (1.3.2)
Describe how animals habitats, including plants, meet their needs for food,
waters, shelter, and an environment in which they can live (1.3.4)
Grade 2
Observe closely over a period of time and then record in pictures and words the
changes in plants and animals throughout their life cycles including details of
their body plan, structure, and timing of growth, reproduction and death. (2.3.1)
What knowledge will students acquire?
Define the following:

o animal (a living organism)
o texture (the feel of something)
o shape (how tall or long an animal is)
o color (the way an object reflects light)
o size (how big or small an animal is)
o appendages (a projecting part of an animals body - legs, wings,
tails)
Discover that animals come in different shapes and sizes.
Use different colors and shapes to create different animals.
Discover how color helps camouflage or hide animals.
Explore the different parts of the plant (stem, roots, leaves, flowers)
Describe how a relationship can change over time.
Tell what you need to have a relationship.
Describe how an animals habitat meets its needs for food, water,
shelter, and an environment in which they can live.
Definition of a graphic organizer.
Classify different organisms by their physical features
o Vertebrates
Birds
Mammals
Reptiles
Amphibians
Fish
o Invertebrates
Arachnid (eight legged creatures)
Insects (six legs and an exoskeleton)

Crustacean (hard outer shells called an exoskeleton)
Mollusk (animals with shells)
Worm (soft bodied invertebrates)
Marine Life (sea stars, jellyfish, coral, sponges)
Define exoskeleton - the outer skeleton that protects an
animals body (like a shell)
Describe the basic stages of an animals life cycle.
Draw a plant and an animal.
Explore how scientists use observation (drawing) to find out more

about animals (or new animals they may discover).
Identify the steps of a plants life cycle in the correct order.

Definition of an environment.
Describe how an animals features can provide an advantage for
survival in different environments.
Compare plants in terms of growth, parts, shape, size, color, and texture.
Observe the details of animals body structure, timing of growth, and reproduction
and death.
Describe how animals habitats meet their needs for food, water, and shelter.
Define shelter
Define habitat
Observe different environments like terrariums, aquariums, and trees.
Compare the different habitats of animals.
Observe the different environments and the things they provide the animals.
What skills will students acquire?

Observation
Compare & Contrast
Classify & Describe Record
Draw
Week 2: Creating Overarching Concepts, Enduring Understandings, and Essential

Questions
The overarching concept and an explanation for its selection.
Goals and objectives are related to the dimensions of good curriculum for the gifted
learner. What does this mean?
The enduring understandings derive from or are aligned with appropriate goals
(e.g., content standards or curriculum objectives).
The understandings are both overarching (to promote the transfer of Big Ideas) and
topical (specific enough to focus teaching, learning, and assessment).
The understandings are framed as full sentence generalizations in response to the
stem: The students will understand that
The understandings are not obvious or true by definition (i.e., factual knowledge).
They need to be uncovered in order for students to understand them.
Overarching essential questions clarify the big ideas and connect to other topics and
while topical essential questions frame and guide inquiry into the topic.
The essential questions are framed in appropriate kid language to make them
accessible to students.
Fillable Template
Overarching Concept: relationships/connections
Explanation for its Selection:
Relationships are present across disciplines for example in history you can find
relationships between two sides of a war, relationships between a law and why it
was created and explorers and their discoveries. The children could use it in any
class.
What overarching essential understandings are desired?
Relationships can change over time
What affects relationships?
What overarching essential questions will be considered?
What do you need to have a relationship?
How are relationships formed?
How do relationships change?
Specific Topic: Plants & Animals
What specific essential understandings are desired?
Relationships change over time in nature due to adaptations.
Relationships can be studied through observation and data collection.
What specific essential questions will be considered?
How can we see/show/observe/prove there are relationships in nature?
How do we know relationships change over time?
Week 3: Creating an Assessment Blueprint & Designing Pre/Post Assessments

Pre-assessments of content or process skills are contained in the unit.
Criterion-referenced and authentic assessments are present.
Assessment tasks are specifically related to the overall goals of the unit/ lesson.
(Assessments are fully aligned with goals and designed to assess student growth.)
Assessments make accommodations for diverse learners (including within the gifted
learner group)
See Figure 6.2 on page 104-105 in Checking for Understanding for detailed criteria.
Template
Assessment Blueprint
UNIT FOUNDATIONS
ASSESSMENTS
Knowledge
What are common plants & animals
Sounds of common animals
Animals can be classified into different
kingdoms
Features of common plants & animals
(includes shape, texture of body covering,
size, weight, color, way the animal moves,
parts of a plant, how the plant grows)
Texture (define, explain)
Weight (define, explain)
Color (define, explain)
Explain how physical features help
organisms survive in different
environments
Terrarium (define, explain)
Aquarium (define, explain)
This will be covered on a summative and

performance assessment.
This will be covered on a summative and
This will be covered on a summative
assessment.
This will be covered on a formative and
This will be covered in a short answer
section on a summative assessment.
This will be covered on a summative
assessment.
Classify organisms by their physical

features
This will be covered in a multiple-choice

Explain how habitats meet an animal or

plants needs for food, water, or shelter

Observe change of plants and animals

through a life cycle
This will be covered on a formative

assessment.
Explain that physical features of an

organism has can provide advantages for
survival in different environments.
Animals change or develop through life
cycles in terms of structure, reproduction,
timing of growth, and details of their body
plan.
Explain that organisms can live in different
habitats.
Explain how plants and animals rely on
each other (have a relationship) in nature

Habitat (define, explain)

Process Skills
Draw
Gather Information through observation
Use a Venn Diagram
Compare & Contrast
Writing
Research

assessment.
assessment.
This will be covered on a performance
assessment.
This will be covered on a formative and
assessment.
assessment.
Overarching Concept
Relationships

assessment.
Enduring Understandings
Relationships can change over time
Relationships are affected by a break in
connection

assessment.
assessment.
Essential Questions
How do relationships change?
This will be covered on a short answer
How are relationships formed?

What do you need to have a relationship?

Design your table of specifications. (See Table 5.2 on page 98 from Student Involved
Assessment for Learning for an example.)
List your propositions. (You may include this in your table or separately.)
Table of Specifications
Objectives/Cont
ent
Explai
n
Applyin Analy
g
ze
Evalua
te
Observe and draw

features of common
plants and animals
(K.3.1)
Propositions
Common plants can live on land
and in water (examples): flowers,
trees, corn stalk, peas, cabbage,
grass, weeds, cotton plants.
Common animals can live on land

and in water (examples):
dolphins, whales, fish, sharks,
coyote, seals, snakes, turtle, cat,
dog, cow, chicken, goat, pig,
rabbit, horse, frog, elephant,
giraffe, deer, sheep, rhino,
monkey, hippopotamus, bear,
tiger, lion.
Animals make different sounds.
Animals have different
characteristics which define the
kingdom it gets placed in.
Describe and
compare living
animals in terms of
shape, texture of
body covering, size,
Animals can be compared and

contrasted with a Venn Diagram
by looking at texture of body
covering, size, weight, color, way
they move, and their overall
weight, color and the

way they move
(K.3.2)
Describe and
compare living plants
in terms of growth,
parts, shape, size,
color and texture
(K.3.3)
Classify living
organisms according
to variations in
specific physical
features and describe
how those features
may provide an
advantage for
survival in different
Observe organisms
closely over a period
of time in different
habitats such as
terraiums,
aquariums, lawns and
trees. (1.3.2)
Describe how
animals' habitats,
including plants,
meet their needs for
food, water, shelter,
and an environment
in which they can live
(1.3.4)
Observe closely over
a period of time and
then record in
pictures and words
the changes in plants
and animals
throughout their life
cycles-including
details of their body
plan, structure and
timing of growth,
reproduction and
shape.
Plants can be compared and

contrasted with a Venn Diagram
by looking at how the plant grew,
the parts the plant is made up of,
shape, color, and texture of the
plant.
Living organisms can be
classified by their specific
features.
The physical features an organism
has can provide advantages for
survival in different
environments.
Organisms live in different

habitats.
1
The habitats in which plants and

animals live in meet their needs
for food, water, and shelter.
Animals change or develop

through life cycles in terms of
structure, reproduction, timing of
growth, and details of their body
plan.
death. (2.3.1)
What will you use as a pre-assessment? (Include an actual copy.)

For this I was planning to use a quick 5 question pre-assessment that covers a range of
the topics we would cover in the unit. I dont plan the children to answer the questions
correctly, but I will set it up on the overhead and let them answer individually. I will be
able to gauge then if everyone is at the same level or if I would have to step it up on some
of the material for others.
Animals with a backbone are called __________.
Vertebrates.
Animals without a back bone are called __________.
Invertebrates.
What kind of texture does the outside of a dolphins body have?
smooth
Explain what a habitat is.
The natural home or environment of a plant, animal, or organism.
What is the word we use to describe how an animal or plant changes for the environment
they live in?
Adapt/adapts/adaptation
What will you use as a post-assessment? (Include an actual copy.)

I think as the post assessment I would ask the same questions, to assess if learning did
take place. I would probably try to even add a few more to make it even more in depth. I
might also add how the students how they can put their new knowledge into practice and
how their attitudes and feelings have changed about the material since the lesson.
Animals with a backbone are called __________.
Vertebrates.
Animals without a back bone are called __________.

Invertebrates.
What kind of texture does the outside of a dolphins body have?
smooth
Explain what a habitat is. What kind of habitat might a tiger live in?
Q1: The natural home or environment of a plant, animal, or organism.
Q2: Swamps, grasslands, rain forests.
Anywhere where there are tress, bushes, and clumps of tall grass.
What is the word we use to describe how an animal or plant changes for the environment
they live in?
Adapt/adapts/adaptation
How do you think you can use your new knowledge of plants and animals? How has your
attitude and feelings changed about the plants and animals since the unit?
Responses will vary
Week 4: Creating Performance Assessments and Rubrics
Criterion-referenced and authentic assessments are present.
Performance-based assessments are used.
Assessment tasks are specifically related to the overall goals of the unit/lesson.
A rubric includes levels of development that are different from one another, clearly
described and the higher levels of demonstration include higher order thinking.
Descriptors are stated in a positive way, i.e. what is included.
The rubric is clear enough that students can apply the rubric to their own work or to a
peer's work.
For major assignments, exemplars and non-examples are provided to assist students
in self-evaluation.
See UbD workbook page 207.
Template
What understandings and goals will be assessed through this task?
Students will be assessed on compare and contrast skills.
Students will be assessed on Venn Diagram skills.
Students will be assessed on identification and pairing of an animal to the environment it
lives in.
Students will be assessed on the description given of the one of the two animals and
environment.
Students will understand that animals and environments have a relationship.
What criteria are implied in the standards and understandings regardless of the
task specifics? What qualities must student work demonstrate to signify that
standards were met?
Features of common plants & animals (List features of the animal on the description
plate)
What are common plants & animals (Choose two animals and give description of the
two)
Concept Map
Research (Finding out where the animal lives, looks like, etc.)
Writing (description plate)
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate that
understanding? (Include the exact prompt you would provide to your students.)
You will be taking on the role of a zookeeper and designing a zoo exhibit to display an
animal in its native environment. The exhibit must include a visual of the animal and the
environment it could be found in (plants, flowers, trees, etc). You also must include what
the animal receives from its environment and the animals classification. You will also
need to include the live cycle stages of the animal in your exhibit.
The exhibit will require a description plate for the animal that has the following details of
the animal and environment;
Shape of plant and animal
Texture of animal
Approximate weight of animal
How the animal moves
By what criteria will students products and performances be evaluated? (Include

the actual rubric.)
Category
Description of
Animal
Insufficient - 0
There is little to no
description of the animal
Description of
Points
Average - 3
There is some
description of the
animal, but missing a
few key descriptions
listed (color, texture,
size, shape)
There is some
Proficient - 5
There is excellent
description of the
animal including
(size, color, shape,
texture)
There is excellent
Environment
description of the
environment
description of the
environment, missing a
few key pieces
Visual
Inaccurate visual given of

the animal in the
environment that does not
match the description
Animals and Environments
are not correctly identified
Accurate visual given of

the animal in the
environment that
matches the description
Animals and
environments are
correctly identified
Animal and
Environment
Match
description of the
environment that
includes plants and
other animals the
animal may eat
Total _____/ 16
Is it possible to provide an example or non-example of the project? Would you want
to do that?
Yes it is possible and I would provide an example so the students know exactly what I am
looking for.
Overview of Lessons
Table 2
Alignment with Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions
(You may need to alter this table depending on the number of EU and EQ your unit uses.)
Week 1
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Pre-assessment
Introduce
Animals
K.3.2
Introduce
Plants
K.3.3
How animals
and plants
relate to each
other (their
relationship)
1.3.4
Types/ kinds of
animals
(vertebrates)
1.3.1
Types/kinds of
animals
(invertebrates)
1.3.1
Lesson 1
Drawing
common plants
and animals
K.3.1
Lesson 2
Life Cycles of
Animals
2.3.1
Lesson 3
Life Cycles of
Plants
2.3.1
Lesson 7
Lesson 8
Lesson 4
Week 2
Lesson 6
Week 3
Change of
animals &
plants over time
(start plants in
classroom)
What effects the
relationships of
plants and
animals
2.3.1
Lesson 5
Comparing
Comparing traits
Animals
of plants
Physical Features (Quiz on plants
and how the
and
Physical Features animals/review
help the animals game over
adapt.
material)
1.3.1
K.3.3
Lesson 9
Habitats (how
they meet
animals
needs)
1.3.4
Zoo field trip

(to observe
different
habitats)
1.3.2
Comparing
habitats
1.3.2
Lesson 12
Lesson 13
Lesson 14
Lesson 10
Performance
Assessment
1.3.2, 1.3.4, K.3.1,
1.3.1, 2.3.1
Lesson 15
Lesson 11
Lesson
3
EU1
Relationships
change over
time
EU2
EU3
Relationsh
ips can be
studied
through
observatio
n and data
EU4
EQ1
How can
relationshi
ps
change?
EQ2
EQ3
What do
you need
to have a
relationshi
p?
collection.
Relationsh
ips can be
studied
through
observatio
n and data
collection.
Relationsh
ips can be
studied
through
observatio
n and data
collection.
Relationsh
ips can be
studied
through
observatio
n and data
collection.
Relationsh
ips can be
studied
through
observatio
n and data
collection.
Relationships
change over
time.
10
11
What
effects
relationshi
ps?
Relationsh
ips can be
studied
through
observatio
n and data
collection.
Relationsh
ips change
over time
in nature
due to
adaptation
s.
Relationsh
ips change
over time
in nature
due to
adaptation
s.
How are
relationshi
ps
formed?
How are
relationshi
ps
formed?
12
14
Relationsh
ips can be
studied
through
observatio
n and data
collection.
Lesson 1
Objectives
Define the following:
animal (a living organism)
texture (the feel of something)
shape (how tall or long an animal is)
color (the way an object reflects light)
size (how big or small an animal is)
appendages (a projecting part of an animals body - legs, wings, tails)
Discover that animals come in different shapes and sizes.
Use different colors and shapes to create different animals.
Discover how color helps camouflage or hide animals.
Materials
Video Animals In Action
Crayons
White construction paper (1 per student)
Glue
Printed pictures of animals
Colored construction paper of different shapes and colors (triangles, squares, circles,
rhomboids)
Lesson
Watch the video Animals in Action and have the students participate in the exercises
with the video. After the activity, start the discussion of how animals are different from
each other. Define animal, texture, appendages, color, and shape. Use the Compare &
Contrast WS to discuss differences of animals.
Practice/Activity
Use manipulatives to create animals with different colors and shapes. Observe the
children as they work. Ask questions as they are creating their animals based off of the
printed pictures of animals they were given.
Example Questions:
What part of the animal is most like a circle?
What does color do for an animal?
How many legs does your animal have?
How many colors does your animal have?
Closure
Ask:
What is the texture of an animal?
What is an animal?
What is the word that determines how tall or long an animal is?
Why do animals come in different colors?
Assessment
Three points: Highly engaged in the class discussion and activity. Can demonstrate
understanding of the purpose of color in the animal world. Can define all of the
vocabulary words correctly. Correctly used the shapes and colors to make animals.
Two points: Students participated in class discussion. Can define half of the vocabulary
correctly. Can demonstrate understanding of the purpose of color in the animal world.
One point: Students minimally participated in class discussion. Could not demonstrate
an understanding of color in the animal world. Can define less than half of the
vocabulary correctly. Could not create an animal with the colored shapes provided.
This lesson was adapted from the lessons here & here
Lesson 2
Objectives
Explore the different parts of the plant (stem, roots, leaves, flowers)
Materials
Markers
Big Paper
Enough plants for groups of 4-5 students (4 or 5 plants)
Toothpicks
Magnifying glasses
Lesson
Return to the discussion of what is a non-living and what is a living thing. Have students
recall what that means and examples of each.
Show a picture of a plant or have a physical plant in the room and ask the students what
they know about plants and what types of plants theyve seen around their homes. Is it
living or nonliving?
Compare our bodies to plants to get the students to relate that different parts do different
things.
Do our bodies include one big part or do we have many pieces?
Examples:
Our legs help us walk
Our hands help us write, eat
Plants are very similar, they have different parts, too. Introduce the new vocabulary to
the students (stem, roots, leaves, and flowers). Make a KWL chart with the students
known knowledge, what they wonder, and what they want to learn. Then on a new piece
of paper draw the plant from the bottom to the top and explain what each piece does.
Also make observations about the plant to model for the students. Oh, the roots are
brown and strong.
Stem - Like a road - it carries the water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves.
Roots - straw-like objects that suck water and nutrients from the soil. Plants
need
nutrients to grow. The roots also help a plant stay up right.
Leaves - make food for the plant (like a restaurant)
Flowers - Important in spreading seeds through insects.
This lesson was adapted from a lesson I found here.
Practice/Activity
Give each group their own plant. Let the students dissect the plants and look at them
with their magnifying glasses. Have them record their observations in a pre-made
notebook or on a sheet of plain white paper with four sections drawn on it.
The students will draw pictures of their plants and label them with an observation about
that part of the plant next to the picture they have drawn. (Examining - Analyzing,
Drawing - Applying, and Describing - Remembering)
Assessment
The assessment for this lesson will be based off of teacher observation and the
drawings and observations of the group plants the children do.
Three Points - Engaged in the classroom discussion. Labels all parts of the plant
properly. Has detailed descriptions in their observation.
Two Points - Somewhat engaged, offers some input into the discussion. Labels most of
the parts of the plant properly (2-3). Has some detail in the observation.
One Point - Minimally engaged. Labels less than half of the parts correctly. Has little or
no detail in the observation.
Lesson 3
Plants & Animals (The Relationship)
Strategy Used: Specific organizers for content analysis, process, or product
development (e.g.
writing model, vocabulary development, scientific process, grammar, etc.) (graphic
organizer) / Greater Complexity than Grade Level / student choice (choose which plant
and animal they compare in their diagram)
EU: A relationship can change over time
EU: Relationships can be studied through observation and data collection.
EQ: How can relationships change?

EQ: What do you need to have a relationship?
Standards:
Describe how animals habitats, including plants, meet their needs for food, water,
shelter, and an environment in which they can live (1.3.4)
Objectives:
Describe how a relationship can change over time.
Tell what you need to have a relationship.
Describe how an animal's habitat meets its needs for food, water, shelter, and an
environment in which they can live.
Definition of a graphic organizer.
Materials:
Giant paper for the graphic organizer
Paper for the children to draw graphic organizers
List of different plants & animals
Lesson:
Example Questions for class discussion:
How are plants and animals related to each other?
Example Answers:
Some animals eat plants (plants provide food)
Some animals pollinate plants or carry their seeds away to create more plants
Some animals live in plants (trees, flowers, grass - plants provide shelter)
What is a relationship?
What are some examples of relationships?
How can a relationship change? How do you know?
Explain how a relationship can change over time regarding plants and animals.
To help stimulate discussion:
Some animals may die, less pollination - plants may die.
Some plants may die forcing the animal to find new shelter
Make a graphic organizer as a class with animals on one side and plants on the other.
Explain how they are different in each separate part but how they are similar or what
things can contribute to their relationship in the middle.
Example Questions:
What do they eat?
How do they move if they move?
How do they reproduce (or make more of)?
What do they both need to survive?
Activity:
Allow the students to create their own graphic organizer and pick an animal and a plant
and describe how those two (the plants and the animal) specifically relate to each other.
Assessment:
Points will be given based off of teacher observation and the graphic organizers made
by the students.
Sections for
Grading
Class discussion
Points
3
Highly engaged
Somewhat engaged
Not in engaged
Correctly identified the

relationship between
the plant and animal
Incorrectly identified
the relationship
between the plant and
animal
Identified less than

three differences or
less than three
similarities
Identified only one

difference or similarity
Graphic Organizer
Identified at least
three differences
(each) and three
similarities
___ / 8
Lesson 4
Types/Kinds of Animals (Vertebrates)
Standard:
1.3.1 - Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features and
environments.
Objectives:
Classify different organisms by their physical features
vertebrates
birds
mammals
reptiles
amphibians
fish
Materials:
Glue
Scissors
Animal Description worksheet
Animal Classification worksheet
Crayons/markers
Lesson:
Different types of animals can be classified by their physical features. There are two
main categories vertebrates and invertebrates. Today we will be talking about
vertebrates or animals that have backbones. There are five different types of
vertebrates:
Can you name any of them?
They are Mammals, Fish, Birds, Reptiles, and Amphibians.
Examples Questions for discussion:
What are birds? (Animal with wings, warm blooded, beak, feathers, and two legs.
Breathe air with lungs, lay eggs)
What are fish? (animals with breathe using gills, cold-blooded, lay eggs, have scales,
and live in water)
What are mammals? (have hair or fur, born alive, warm blooded, breathe using lungs,
mothers produce milk for babies)
What are reptiles? (scaly skin, cold-blooded, breathe using lungs, some live on land,
some in water)
What are amphibians? (born with gills start in water, cold- blooded, grow legs and lungs
with they are older and live on land. i.e. frogs)
Activity:
All students will be given two charts to match the animals with their proper classification.
Tier 1: Below Grade Level Learners

The students will receive both of the fillable charts below and the corresponding sheets
of animals and descriptions and match the different pictures and descriptions to the
different animals classes with teacher guidance.
Tier 2: Grade Level Learners
The students will receive both charts and the paper with the descriptions to match the
descriptions and animals to their classifications, but must draw the different animals
themselves. If they students are having trouble, they will then be given the sheet with
the animals to look off of, but still must draw them into the fillable chart.
Tier 3: Advanced Learners
The students will be allowed to come up with their own differences/descriptions of the
animals first. If they cannot complete the description chart on their own, they will then be
given the paper on animal classification to help them finish.
The students will also be able to draw the animals first, if they dont know what they look
like or are having trouble, then they can use the pictures given on the animal picture
sheet as well to help them finish their paper.
I got this idea for this activity and the worksheets from here.
Assessment:
The assessment will be based off of the students worksheet and correct matching of
animals to classes and descriptions to classes.
Animal Classification worksheet and fillable chart.
Animal Description worksheet and fillable chart.
Lesson 5
Types/Kinds of Animals (Invertebrates)

Strategy Used: student use of technology & student collaboration & constructivist
learning
Standard:
1.3.1 - Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features and
environments
Objective:
Students will classify animals
Invertebrates
Arachnid (eight legged creatures)
Insects (six legs and an exoskeleton)
Crustacean (hard outer shells called an exoskeleton)
Mollusk (animals with shells)
Worm (soft bodied invertebrates)
Marine Life (sea stars, jellyfish, coral, sponges)
Define exoskeleton - the outer skeleton that protects an animals body (like a shell)
Materials:
Computer access for all students
Activity:
Have the students make up their own classifications for the invertebrates. Have the
students share and discuss with their classmates why they classified the animal the way
they did.
Did everyone classify the animals the same?
Why did you put them together in groups like you did?
How did you classify them?
What makes your categories different from your classmates?
How are these different than the animals we talked about yesterday?
Lesson:
Yesterday we talked about animals with a spine called vertebrates. Today we will
explore animals without spines called invertebrates.
Can you think of any animals that may not have a spine?
How could we tell the different animals apart?
Like vertebrates, we have categories that the invertebrate animals can fall under.
They are called:
Arachnids - eight legged creatures that have two segments (a head and a body)
Insects - six legged creatures that have an exoskeleton
Crustaceans - sea creatures that have an exoskeleton

Mollusks - animals with a shell
Worms - elongated soft bodied invertebrate
Marine - starfish, jellyfish, coral, and sponges. Can sometimes live at the depths
of the
ocean where no other life can live.
Why do you think its important to have categories?

If you were a scientist, how would you classify the invertebrates?
Could you come up with separate categories for the marine life?
Did you have more categories than the scientific ones we use today or less? Why?
Did you find one category less important than the others or did you find one that needed
to be added?
Assessment:
Students will get onto kahoot.it and take the

quiz.
PIN: 234793
The scores are automatically graded and this
will count as the students grade for this
lesson.
Resource
Lesson 6
Drawing Common Plants and Animals
Strategy Used: (Opportunities to foster the connection between unit activities and
potential career fields, leadership opportunities, or real-world applications.)

Standard:
K.3.1 - Observe and draw features of common plants & animals.
Objective:
Students will draw a plant and an animal.
Students will explore how scientists use observation (drawing) to find out more about
animals (or new animals they may discover).
Materials:
white paper for class
crayons/markers/colored pencils
Lesson:
Example Questions:
Why is observation important to scientific research?
Why do we need pictures of new discoveries?
How would a scientist observe a new animal?
Part of learning about new things is the way we observe them. When scientists discover
a new animal or plant they have to observe it and describe its characteristics as well as
draw it.
How do you think historians use observation?
Think back to our lesson on vertebrates and invertebrates. How do you think
observations helped classify those animals?
Activity:
Today we will draw a plant or an animal. You can pick an animal that you have seen
before or look for one through our resources provided. For our plants, we will go outside
and find different plants to observe and draw.
Students will console their classmates to see if their drawing looks like the animal or
plant. After the classmates give the student feedback on their drawing, they will be
allowed to redraw a new picture. This will happen until the students classmates feel that
the drawing is significantly close enough to the original.
Assessment:
One point:
The colors of the plants and animals are close to a real-life representation.
Two points (one for each picture):
Drew a plant and an animal
Gave observations of a plant and an animal.

Correctly identified the name of the plant and if the animal drawn is a vertebrate or
invertebrate.
___/ 7
Lesson 7
Life Cycles of Animals
Strategy Used: Blooms Taxonomy
Standard:
2.3.1 - Observe closely over a period of time and then record in pictures and words the
changes in plants and animals throughout their life cycles - including details of their body
plan, structure, and timing of growth, reproduction and death.
Objective:
Students will correctly identify the basic stages of an animals life cycle.
Materials:
Frog life cycle worksheets
Butterfly life cycle worksheets
Scissors
Glue
Crayons
Lesson:
Lets describe a caterpillar.
Example Questions to guide discussion:
How is a caterpillar made?
Where do they come from?
First caterpillars start out as an egg (color and glue egg picture to the First circle). Then
the egg becomes a caterpillar (color and glue the caterpillar picture on the Next circle).
After that, the caterpillar spins a cocoon and starts to grow (color and glue picture of the
cocoon on the Then circle). Last, the caterpillar emerges the cocoon as a butterfly (color
and glue picture of the butterfly into the Last circle). Then the cycle starts all over again
when the butterfly lays its egg on a leaf.
Post Lesson Questions:

Do all animals get reproduced this way?
What other ways do animals go through a life cycle?
Activity/Assessment:
As an assessment activity, students will be asked to do this
life cycle of a tadpole on their own and answer some
questions.
Does this life cycle look like it takes more time than a
butterfly?
How does the butterfly cycle and the frog cycle compare
directly?
How does the frogs life cycle start?
If you removed one of the developmental stages how would it

affect the frog in the end stage?
What would the tail be useful for if the frog never lost it?
Assessment:
The assessment will be the individual activity of the students. The cycles and questions
will be graded for a score.
Lesson 8
Life Cycles of Plants
Strategy Used: Creative thinking/Student Communication of findings in a variety of
formats/Student Collaboration/Use of student technology (if they do a powerpoint)
Standards:
Objectives:
Identify the steps of a plants life cycle in the correct order.
Materials:
Worksheets
Scissors
Glue
Examples of different representational projects
Lesson:
Lets describe a plant.
Which part do you think grows first?
How do you think a plant is made? - Where does it come from?
Students will work on the worksheet below as we discuss the life cycle of a plant.
So when plants begin growing they have certain steps they have to follow. The start as
a seed (color and glue the seed into the seed box), then go onto a sprout (color and glue
the sprout into the sprout box), then transform to a seedling (color and glue the seedling
into the seedling box), then the grow into a plant (color and glue the plant into the plant
box).
Activity:
Students will be given the opportunity to show the steps of the plant cycle in their own
way. Through a diorama, poster board explanation, a trifold pamphlet, a chart with 3-D
images made by the student, or a powerpoint.
Students will be allowed to share with their peers their representations of the models
they made.
Questions to consider for follow up.
Why did they choose to show the plant cycle the way they did?
Even though they may be different do they explain the same information?
How do these cycles compare to those of the frog and butterfly discussed the day
before?
Does everything have a cycle?
Is there a dog cycle? Human cycle?
Examples of different representations:
Assessment Rubric:
The assessment scores are based off of the students personal representation of the
plant cycle.
Description
Points
3 points
Stages of Plant Life

Cycle
Accurately displayed
all stages in the right
order.
Created a
Representation of the
2 points
1 point
Displayed half of the

Only had one stage
stages correctly in the correct.
right order.
representation of the
plant cycle
life cycle is in a
different format other
than a simple chart
like the class activity.
__ / 6
Lesson 9
EU: Relationships can change over time
EU: Relationships change over time in nature due to adaptations.
EQ: How are relationships formed?
Standard:
Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features and

Objective:
Describe how an animals features can provide an advantage for survival in different
environments.
Summary of Lesson:
This lesson is how animals physical features help them survive in different
environments. At first we review that weve been talking about how animals are
classified and what makes them be classified into certain groups is how the animal is
shaped or looks or what is has or does not have, then we move into talking about how
those certain features animals have can help them survive or adapt to different
environments.
Example Questions:
How do you think these features help the animals survive?

Example Answers: (wings help the birds fly up in trees to lay eggs / gills allow the ocean
animals to breathe underwater - fins to swim through water

If it was snowy, rainy, sunny, how have the animals adapt by the physical features they
have?
How are relationships formed between the animal and the environment they live in?
How do these relationships differ, if at all?
Given the example of a tadpole, has does the relationship change over time between a
tadpole and water?
The activity the students will do to practice looking at this is in groups, they will pick an
animal and identify why/how they think the features of that animal helps that animal
survive. After a few minutes of discussion, the class will receive their own animals and
do the same thing, but own their own. The students will be assessed by how well they
identified the specific features of the animal that may help them adapt or survive in an
environment.
Lesson 10
Comparing traits of plants
Standard:
K.3.3 - Describe and compare living plants in terms of growth, parts, shape, size, color,
and texture.
Objective:
Compare plants in terms of growth, parts, shape, size, color, and texture.
Summary of Lesson:
Remember yesterday when we talked about relationships between animals and their
environments, well plants have a similar relationship to their environment.
In this lesson we will start off by review the parts of the plant. Then we will look at
pictures of several plants.
Questions:
What might be considered an extra part on a plant?
What makes some plants different than others?
How have plants adapted to the environment around them?
We will do a comparison activity together as a class so the students can know what to
look for.
After discussion in an activity, the students will be allowed to pick two different plants to
compare. The students will be assessed on how well they compared the two plants.
Name: _______________
Redraw your plants in the spaces below
Plant 1:
Plant 2:
How are these two plants alike?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
How are these plants different?
Plant 1:
Plant 2:
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
Lesson 11
EQ: What affects the relationships?
Change of animals & plants over time
Standard:
Objective:
Students will observe the details of animals body structure, timing of growth, and
reproduction and death.
Summary of Lesson:
In this lesson we will review that animals have life cycles in which the animal or plant
develops. Today will will be focusing on the changes in specific of a life cycle.
How long does it take an animal to develop fully?
Do all animals develop at the same rate? How do you know?
Give students animal fact cards. (Example: Giraffes can walk in about eight hours but
humans normally take up to a year.)
How do life cycles start? Give some examples
How could the relationship of the animals life cycle be affected by change? (For
example, if an animal laid its eggs on a certain plant each time they started over and the
plant goes extinct, how would the animals life cycle be affected?)
After a discussion, the students will practice looking at different life cycles in groups.
They will be able to use resources provided to find the timing of a life cycle, how the
animal is reproduced (how the cycle is started) and the death of the animal. First the
students are asked to predict before they check their guesses with the in classroom
resources.
Did your prediction turn out like you thought it would?
What part of the life cycle takes the longest?
For the individual activity the students will look at the example of the butterflys life cycle.
They will have to identify the changes in body structure, the timing of growth, the
reproduction process, and the death. Students will be assessed by their correctness of
their answers.
Example of paper that students will be given:
Lesson 12
EQ2: How are relationships formed?
Standard:
1.3.4 - Describe how animals habitats, including plants, meet their needs for food, water,
shelter, and an environment in which they can live.
Objective:
Describe how animals habitats meet their needs for food, water, and shelter.
Define shelter
Define habitat
Summary of Lesson:
This lesson is similar to a previous lesson about adaptation to an environment, but it is
more about how that environment meets the needs of the animal not how the animal has
changed for the environment.
In this lesson we will be learning about how an animals habitats can meet their needs so
they can survive. We will talk about how animals adapt to their surroundings. (For
example: to keep warm, fish that live further down in the ocean have blubber.)
Show students pictures of different animals.
What are some other ways you think animals have adapted to meet their needs?
Define shelter and habitat to the students.
Talk about how relationships are formed between an animal and the environment and
how they depend on each other (Example: a bee and a flower).
Example Questions:
What other relationships can you think of? (bird & tree)
Why is it important to identify these relationships?
For the activity and assessment, the students will create an animal and draw or create
the environment it lives in (Example: Mars, outer space, The Sun, a volcano). The
student will have to explain how that environment meets that animals needs for food,
water, and shelter.
Criteria
Points
3 Points
2 Points
Animal
Environment
1 Points
Animal is clearly
represented
Environment is
represented in great
detail and
represented in a
realistic way
Environment is
represented, there
may be a few pieces
missing
Environment is not
realistic/represented
properly
Food
Describes how food

is found in the
environment by the
animal and gives
three or more
examples
Is not very clear on

how food is found or
gives less than three
examples
Water
Describes how food

is found in the
environment by the
animals and gives an
example
Is not very clear on

how food is found or
does not give an
example
Shelter
Shelter is clearly
identified and
represented
Shelter is not very

well identified or
represented
__ / 10
Lesson 13
Strategy Used: Opportunities to interact with role models, community resources,
mentors, or professionals in the field (zoo field trip - interacting with zoo keepers)
Standard:
1.3.2 - Observe closely over a period of time in different habitats such as terrariums,
aquariums, lawns, and trees
Define aquarium
Define terrarium
Objective:
Students will observe different environments like terrariums, aquariums, and trees.
Summary of Lesson:
In this lesson we will be having a field trip to the zoo to observe different habitats of
several animals. The students will be asked to observe the different habitats and record
in pictures what they see. The students will also be asked to observe how the different
habitats meet the needs of the different animals in terms of shelter, food, and water.
Define terrarium and aquarium for the students before reaching the zoo.
Questions to consider to prepare the students for the trip:
What do we call something fish can live in? (Definition of aquarium could be given.)
What do we call something that reptiles and amphibians can live in? (Definition of
terrarium could be given.)
If an animal lives in Africa, how do we preserve that kind of habitat here?
For the assessment, the students will pick one of the habitats they observed from the
zoo. They will have to research to find out where in the world you can find a habitat like
that. Then the student will have to compare the actual habitat to the one in the zoo.
How realistic was it?
Was there something missing that would have met the animals needs in a better way?
I will have them make their own type of graphic organizer like the one below to organize
their thoughts. Instead of words, I expect the students to fill the organizer out with
pictures, and then they can present their organizer to the class.
Lesson 14
Comparing Habitats
Standard:
1.3.2 - Observe closely over a period of time in different habitats such as terrariums,
Objective
Lesson Summary:
Lets think about all the zoo exhibits we saw yesterday.
Lets name some.
Whats the difference between where a lion lives and a bird?
Does one environment provide something the other does not?
Can more than one animal survive in the same environment?
What about what each animal receives from the environment, does it differ from animal
to animal?
I got this activity idea from here.

The students will be asked to draw four different types of habitats they saw at the zoo.
Then, after they are done they will have to find an animal that goes into the habitat.
Criteria
Points
1 Point
2 Points
3 Points
Dioramas
One or two distinct

environments are
present, two or three
may be too similar to
another.
Three distinct
environments are
represented, one
may be too similar to
another.
Four distinct different

environments are
present.
Animal
Only one or two

animals are placed in
the correct
environment.
Three animals are

placed in the correct
environment.
All four animals are

placed in the correct
environment.
____ / 6
Lesson 15
This is the day for the performance assessment.
Strategy Used: Opportunities to interact with role models, community resources,
mentors, or professionals in the field (zoo field trip - interacting with zoo keepers)
Standards:
1.3.2 Observe closely over a period of time in different habitats such as terrariums,
1.3.4 Describe how animals habitats, including plants, meet their needs for food, waters,
shelter, and an environment in which they can live

K.3.1 Observe and draw features of common plants & animals
1.3.1 Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features and
environments
2.3.1 Observe closely over a period of time and then record in pictures and words the
changes in plants and animals throughout their life cycles including details of their
body plan, structure, and timing of growth, reproduction and death
Objective:
Create a zoo exhibit to display your knowledge of plants and animals.
Summary:
The students will be asked to take on the roll of a zoo keeper and create a zoo exhibit that
explains the following:
What the animal receives from the environment it lives in
Where the animals lives
Picture/Drawing of the animal
The classification of the animal
The life cycle of the animal
The students will have to include two description plates:
A description template for the animal that has the shape of the animal, texture of the
animal, approximate weight of the animal, and how the animal moves.
A description template for a plant in the animals environment and the parts of the plant, a
visual of the plant, and the relationship the plant has in the animals environment.
The students will use class time to present their exhibits to the class in a science fairlike way.
Category
Points
Insufficient - 0
Average - 3
Proficient - 5
Description of
Animal
description of the animal
There is some
description of the
animal, but missing a
few key descriptions
listed (color, texture,
size, shape)
There is excellent
description of the
animal including
(size, color, shape,
texture)
Description of
Environment
description of the
environment
There is some
description of the
environment, missing
a few key pieces
There is excellent
description of the
environment that
includes plants and
other animals the

animal may eat
Visual
Inaccurate visual given of

the animal in the
environment that does not
match the description
Accurate visual given

of the animal in the
environment that
matches the
description
Animal and
Environment
Match
Animals and
Environments are not
Animals and
environments are
Total _____/ 16
Reflection of Unit:
By creating this unit, I experienced making 15 lessons that were geared towards
gifted learners. I got to incorporate many strategies into my lessons that make them
appropriate for gifted learners. I think that by constructing this lesson my knowledge of
how to teach and create lessons for gifted learners has been broadened.
I think one of the strengths of this unit is definitely the performance assessment. I
think that by having the students do that at the end it sums up everything weve been
learning about during the unit. It includes five of the units seven standards. While all of
the standards are taught more than once, I think its great that the performance assessment
can hit so many at once.
I think a weakness of this unit is some of the activities. In Lessons 1,5,7, and 10 I
feel like the activities the students do arent as challenging as the other ones in the unit. I
also feel like in a couple lessons I repeat activities and this makes me worry that the
students might get bored because of repetitiveness.

Curriculum Unit 1

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Curriculum Unit 1

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Introduction:

More Specific Criteria

Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features and

Define the following:

Insects (six legs and an exoskeleton)

Explore how scientists use observation (drawing) to find out more

Identify the steps of a plants life cycle in the correct order.

What skills will students acquire?

Week 2: Creating Overarching Concepts, Enduring Understandings, and Essential

Week 3: Creating an Assessment Blueprint & Designing Pre/Post Assessments

This will be covered on a summative and

Classify organisms by their physical

This will be covered in a multiple-choice

Explain how habitats meet an animal or

This will be covered in a short answer

Observe change of plants and animals

This will be covered on a formative

Explain that physical features of an

This will be covered in a short answer

Habitat (define, explain)

This will be covered in a short answer

This will be covered on a formative

This will be covered on a formative

This will be covered on a formative

This will be covered on a short answer

How are relationships formed?

section on a summative assessment.

Observe and draw

Common animals can live on land

Animals can be compared and

weight, color and the

Plants can be compared and

Organisms live in different

The habitats in which plants and

Animals change or develop

What will you use as a pre-assessment? (Include an actual copy.)

What will you use as a post-assessment? (Include an actual copy.)

Animals without a back bone are called __________.

By what criteria will students products and performances be evaluated? (Include

Inaccurate visual given of

Accurate visual given of

Zoo field trip

EQ: How can relationships change?

Correctly identified the

Identified less than

Identified only one

Types/Kinds of Animals (Vertebrates)

Tier 1: Below Grade Level Learners

Animal Classification worksheet and fillable chart.

Animal Description worksheet and fillable chart.

Types/Kinds of Animals (Invertebrates)

Crustaceans - sea creatures that have an exoskeleton

Why do you think its important to have categories?

Students will get onto kahoot.it and take the

EU: Relationships can be studied through observation and data collection.

K.3.1 - Observe and draw features of common plants & animals.

Two points (one for each picture):

Post Lesson Questions:

How does the frogs life cycle start?

If you removed one of the developmental stages how would it

Stages of Plant Life

Displayed half of the

Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features and