KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER PROGRAM
LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Jennifer Jenkins Date: 11/15/2017

Cooperating Teacher: _________________________________________________ Coop. Initials: ________________
Group Size: _______________ Allotted Time: 40 minutes Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Subject or Topic: Classifying Animals Unit (Lesson One) Section: _____________________

STANDARD: (PA Common Core):

Standard - 3.1.3.A1

Describe characteristics of living things that help to identify and classify them.

I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes)

The students will describe the difference between a vertebrate and invertebrate by making
a foldable and discovering through inquiry.

II. Instructional Materials

Playdough
Pipe cleaners
Janga Blocks
Science Journals
Inquiry sheet (see attached)
Exit slip (see attached)

III. Subject Matter/ Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea)
Prerequisites
o Writing
o Group work
Key Vocabulary
o Vertebrate- Animals with a backbone.
o Invertebrate- Animals without a backbone.
Big Idea:
o Understanding the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates.
 Facts/Content:
o In this lesson the students will be learning about the difference between
vertebrates and invertebrates. Throughout this lesson the students will be taking
away this information through a foldable and their experiment using playdough
and pipe cleaners. By the end of this lesson students will be able to describe the
difference between a vertebrate and invertebrate.

IV. Implementation

A. Introduction
The teacher will transition into science.
Materials for the activity (pipe cleaners, Janga blocks, and playdough) will be
pre-set on trays at the back of the room.
The teacher will play the vertebrate vs. invertebrates video from YouTube to
get the students thinking about todays lesson.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAiZKiuFcPU
This video will introduce the key vocabulary
The teacher will say This week boys and girls we are going to become
zoologists! We are going to learn about different kinds of animals and what
classifies them. Today, we will be learning about verabrates and invertebrates.
In the video we just watched it mentioned two science words, invertebrates
and vertebrates. We are going to talk a little more about what these two words
mean.

B. Development
The teacher will instruct the student to get out their science journals and a
writing utensil.
o While the students are getting ready the teacher will pull two big
pieces of paper and write vertebrates on the top of one and
invertebrates on the top of the other. These two paper will hang on the
board in the front of the class.
The teacher will intrigue the students by asking a question about their new
vocabulary
 o What do you think it means to be a vertebrate?
The teacher will direct students to talk amongst their groups
During this time the teacher will walk around the classroom for about a
minute to check on any struggling groups.
o Context clues may be given
You are a vertebrate
Dogs are vertebrates
Vertebrates have something inside them that helps them stand
up
Once the students come up with their own definitions the teacher will ask each
group to share what they think it means to be a vertebrate.
The teacher will now write the real definition of vertebrate on the poster.
o Vertebrates- an animal with a backbone.
The teacher will instruct the students to take out their foldable and write either
the definition of vertebrate or draw a picture to help them remember the
definition.
The teacher will tell the students to lean over and feel the middle of their
backs.
o The teacher will say Do you feel that bumpy bone in the middle of
your back? That is called your backbone.
The teacher will now move on to the next vocabulary word, invertebrates.
o The teacher will say Now that we know what it means to be a
vertebrate what do you think it means to be a invertebrate?
The teacher will direct students to discuss amongst their groups
During this time the teacher will walk around the classroom for about a
minute to check on any struggling groups.
o Context clues may be given
A snail is a invertebrate
What is the opposite of having a backbone?
Once the students come up with their own definitions the teacher will ask each
group to share what they think it means to be a invertebrate.
The teacher will now write the real definition of invertebrate on the poster.
o Invertebrate- an animal without a backbone.
The teacher will instruct the students to take out their foldable and write either
 the definition of invertebrate or draw a picture to help them remember the
definition.
The teacher will say Has anyone ever held a worm? What does it feel like? It
is squishy because a worm is a invertebrate, it does not have a backbone.
The teacher will say Now that we know what a vertebrate and invertebrate is
what animal do you think will be stronger? The one with or without a
backbone? We are going to do an experiment to find out.
The teacher will now hand out one tray of materials to each table.
o The teacher will remind the children not to touch the objects on the try
till instructed to.
The teacher will say On your tray is some building materials. You have
playdough, pipe cleaners, and Janga blocks. We are going to be creating our
own vertebrate and invertebrate animals.
o The teacher will hold up the already created model.
The teacher will ask the students What do you think the pipe clear running
down the middle of my one animals back represents?
o Call on students by hand raise to answer the question.
The teacher will hand out the inquiry sheet.
o The teacher will go over each part of the worksheet with the students
on the document camera.
The teacher will ask the students What animal do you think will hold the
most weight the vertebrate or invertebrate?
o Direct students to write their prediction on the inquiry sheet.
The students will now have 7 minuets to each build a vertebrate and a
invertebrate using the materials provided.
o During this time the teacher will walk around to the different groups to
answer questions and further thinking.
Once the students completed building their animals it is time to test their
theory about which animal would hold the most weight.
o The teacher will say now its time to test your theories! We are going
to place Janga block on top of our animals to see which one will hold
the most weight. As you place the blocks on your animals mark down
how many blocks you used using tallies on your inquiry sheet.
Teacher will point to where the student will make the tallies on
 the worksheet using the document camera.
The students will now test the strengths of their creations for 8 minutes.
o During this time the teacher will walk around to further learning and
answer questions.
o The teacher will give a one minute warning time to notify the children
it is almost time to clean up.
The teacher will direct the student to return the trays to the back of the room
and return to their seats.
o When returned to their desks the teacher will ask the student
What happened to each of their animals?
What animal the vertebrate or the invertebrate held the most
blocks?
How many blocks did each animal hold?

C. Closure
The teacher will hand out the exit slips
When the students finish the exit slips the will hand them back in to the
teacher
The teacher will say Today in science we learned about vertebrates and
invertebrates. Tomorrow were going to expand on vertebrates and find out
what kind on animals fall into that category, but for now I would like you to
get out your reading books and turn to page 56.

D. Accommodations / Differentiation
Accommodations:
o Child: I.J.- Low vision
They will be give large print inquiry sheet and large print exit
slip.
Differentiation:
o Choice on whether to write the definition or draw a picture on the
foldable
o Foldable for a visual learner
 o Experiment for kinesthetic learners

E. Assessment/Evaluation plan
1. Formative: Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down
Evidence: Number of thumbs up or down
Exit Slip
Evidence: Shows knowledge of the difference between
vertebrates and in vertebrates.

2. Summative: There is no summative assessment in this lesson

V. Reflective Response

A. Report of Students Performance in Terms of States Objectives

a. Reflect after lesson is taught

B. Remediation Plan

C. Personal Reflection Questions

Was I clear in my directions?
Did the students have enough time with the experiment?

VI. Resources
Invertebrate vs Vertebrate. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2017, from
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Invertebrate_vs_Vertebrate
Vertebrates vs Invertebrates. (2017, February 16). Retrieved November 13, 2017, from
https://www.theowlteacher.com/vertebrates-vs-invertebrates/