Primary Subject Area and Grade Level: List the primary content area for this lesson.

List the
beginning and ending grade levels for which this lesson is appropriate.

Science - 7th Grade

Interdisciplinary Connections: Provide a listing of the subject area(s), in addition to the

primary subject area that is incorporated in this lesson.
(1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy)

Language Arts - written responses and poems

Arts - Writing Poetry

Lesson Duration: State the approximate time frame for this lesson.
(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)

104 minutes

Relevance/Rationale: Consider how your outcomes and plan will engage students
cognitively and build understanding. Why are the lesson outcomes important in the real
world? How is this lesson relevant to students in this class (interests, cultural heritages,
needs)?
(1b: Demonstrating Knowledge of Students)

Building knowledge about why frog adaptations can occur because of humans
intervening in their environment will help students build an understanding about how
their actions can affect other populations. The outcomes are important in real life
because what these students allow to go on in the world around them will affect other
animal populations. Being aware of this will help students make environmentally
conscious decisions. Learning about frogs in the context of the U.P. is relevant
because all of these students live in this area where there are frogs being affected by
the decisions of humans.

Outcomes/Objectives: What will students know and be able to do as a result of this

lesson? Outcomes should be written in the form of student learning and suggest viable
methods of assessment. For teachers of English language learners: What language
objectives will be addressed?
(1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes)

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to deduct how human activity impacts
organism adaptation (specifically frogs).
Next Generation Science Standard(s) and DCI(s): For example: HS-PS1-4 Develop a
model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system
depends upon the changes in total bond energy.
(1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes)

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the
growth of organisms. [Clarification Statement: Examples of local environmental conditions could include
availability of food, light, space, and water. Examples of genetic factors could include large breed cattle and
species of grass affecting growth of organisms. Examples of evidence could include drought decreasing plant
growth, fertilizer increasing plant growth, different varieties of plant seeds growing at different rates in different
conditions, and fish growing larger in large ponds than they do in small ponds.] [Assessment Boundary:
Assessment does not include genetic mechanisms, gene regulation, or biochemical processes.]

Crosscutting Concepts: For example: Describe how Cause and Effect are critical
concepts in the understanding of this content.

Patterns - looking at patterns of deformities to understand if they are being caused by

a human influence
Cause and Effect - looking at how something is created or altered by humans affects
frog adaptations
Structure and Function - looking at parts (adaptations) of a frog and why they work the
way the do and why they were created.
Stability and Change - why frogs are adapting because of influence from humans.

Science and Engineering Practices: Which of the 8 science and engineering practices
are included in this lesson.

Asking Questions and Defining Problems

Developing and Using Models
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Overview: Provide a brief overview of the lesson. The overview should provide the observer with a
description of the lessons content and how it relates to the larger unit. Include prerequisite knowledge
required to meet lesson outcomes and relationship to future learning.
(1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy)

Looking at photos of deformed frogs and think-pair-share (10 minutes)

Reading article with literacy strategy (20 minutes)
Worksheet about different adaptations that could occur from human interactions (7
minutes)
Partner Activity drawing an adaptation (10 minutes)
Brain Break (10 minutes)
Survival Game (20 minutes)
Writing poem about frog adaptations (20 minutes)
Wrap up and exit ticket (7 minutes)
Technologies and Other Materials /Resources: List all materials, handouts, resources,
and technology tools that are needed by the student or the teacher to execute the lesson.
Technologies may include hardware, software, and websites, etc. Materials and resources
may include physical resources (e.g. books, manipulatives, supplies, equipment, etc.) and/or
people resources (e.g. guest speakers, librarian, etc.).
(1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources)

Frog deformity images

Internet
Projector
Pencils
Paper
Copies of this article students to read:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/07/0709_020709_deformedfrogs_2.ht
ml
Bag of Jolly Ranchers or Starbursts
Worksheets on human caused adaptations
Environment Poem Example
Exit Ticket worksheet
Cards with scenarios of human interactions
Colored Pencils

Grouping Strategy: Describe how you will group students to facilitate learning of the
outcomes of this lesson. What is the rationale for the grouping strategy?
(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)

I will pre-make groups and pairing to make sure that they are working well together.
o I will use the list that we were provided by our teacher.

Academic Vocabulary: What key terms are essential to this content? What terms are
essential to develop and extend students vocabulary?
(1a: Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy; 1b: Knowledge of Students)

Adaptations
Human caused adaptations
Deformities

Lesson Procedures: The procedures should clearly describe the sequence of learning
activities and should identify where and how all materials, technology tools and student-
created technology products, and reproducible materials/handouts are utilized in the lesson.
Describe the lesson sequence:
How will the lesson launch?
How will the material be presented?
What questions will be posed to the students? What are the expected responses?
How and when will the teacher model?
What opportunities will there be for guided practice, group work and individual
practice?
How and when will you monitor student understanding throughout the lesson?
What opportunities will there be for reflection and closure?
Include approximate time allocations for each portion of the lesson. Be very precise when
explaining the teacher and student tasks during the learning activities.
(1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy; 1e: Designing Coherent
Instruction)

We will begin the lesson by looking at images of frogs who have deformities that have
been linked to human contamination. I wont be telling the students that this is why
these deformities have been occurring. I will ask them to think for 2 minutes about all
the reasons they think this could happen and to jot down a couple notes if they would
like so they can remember their thoughts. We will then turn and talk with our partners
about what thoughts we had.
Once conversation has begun to die down between partners, I will ask a few students
to share with me what their partners ideas were. I will then ask other students if they
would agree or disagree with those ideas and why or why not.
I would then pass around an article for the children to read and ask them to underline
the most important parts of the articles that give us clues as to why frogs have
deformities.
(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/07/0709_020709_deformedfrogs_2.ht
ml )
We will complete a worksheet following this about what types of adaptations could
occur from certain human interactions with frogs and their environments.
After finishing the worksheet, I will split the class into partners and they will work
together to come up with a drawing of an adaptation that occurs because of a human
interaction with a frogs life.
a. They will need to include a description of what humans did to intervene with
the frogs life or environment. It will also need to include a brief description of
what the adaptation is and if it is helpful to the frog or is a harm caused to the
frog by humans
b. If they finish quickly, I will ask them to think and write about if this type of
adaptation would happen to frogs in the U.P. and why or why not.
Brain Break: Meet in the Middle
. The students will split into two groups, one on each side and will have a partner on the
other side. I will call out an activity that they must do, such as shake hands or a high five.
a. I will continue to call out a new activity each time once they have met in the middle
and completed it and they will have to repeat the sequence as many times as possible with
the team who can go the longest being the winner.
We will now play a game where each student is a frog and they must attempt to
survive each situation. During each round, a new human induced change will be
introduced that they must either work around, or they will not survive. Situations listed
below.
. Hotel built
a. Drought
b. Flood
c. Invasive species
d. Wall
e. New street
f. Mine
g. Pipeline
h. Oil spill
i. Kids torturing them
j. New pond
k. Frog Sanctuary created
l. Pesticides
m. Insecticides (new mosquito lamps added and killing off food source
n. BWW being created
o. Scarcity in food
p. No mates
q. Four Wheeling tears up your habitat
r. Ozone layer
s. Run over by a car
t. Garbage dumped into environment
u. Deforestation
v. Overpopulation
w. Acid Rain
x. Swamp filled in for new development
y. Selected for animal testing
With each new scenario, some frogs (students) will die off and sit down to represent
how human interactions with frogs affect them.
After all the frogs have been affected, I will have the students move back to their seats
if they arent in them, and I am going to model how to write a poem about another
animal or topic.
I will show the students a few different poem forms, and then ask them to write one of
their own using any form I showed them, a different form, or a narrative if they would
rather do that.
. They will need to include how the frogs were affected by humans
a. If any adaptations would occur will also need to be included.
To wrap up, I will pass around an exit ticket for the students to complete. On the exit
ticket, there will be a real-life scenario of something going on in the U.P. and I will ask
the students to work individually and write how they think this will affect frogs in our
areas.

Differentiation: Describe how you will differentiate instruction for a variety of learners,
including students will special needs, English Language Learners, and high achieving
students to ensure that all students have access to and are able to engage appropriately in
this lesson. Be specific.

(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)

High Achieving Students - I will have students to write as much as they can in a given
amount of time, rather than giving expectations of how much they write. I will also tell
high achieving students to try different types of poems if they have finished one ahead
of everyone else or to try and turn their poem into a song.
ELL - I will be sure to give clear and concise directions that are printed for each
activity and go step by step rather than giving two-step directions.
Students with Special Needs - I will adapt as needed. I will ask my other teachers in
the room to please assist when and where needed. I will be sure to ask them to work
for short periods of time on short directions rather than working for extensive periods
of time. During games, I will be sure to give them directions and assigned actions as I
see fit for their abilities.
 Assessment Criteria for Success:
How and when will you assess student learning throughout the lesson (formative)?
How will you and your students know if they have successfully met the outcomes?
What is the criteria for mastery of the lesson outcome(s)?
Describe any (formative and summative) assessments to be used.
(1f: Designing Student Assessments)

During the lesson, I will do formative assessments based on what students are talking
about and the points that they are making to gauge if they are understanding how
human interactions affect other species.
I will assess their exit tickets to see if they have a grasp on how adaptations can occur
and how this can be affected by human decision. This will be a formative assessment.

Anticipated Difficulties: What difficulties or possible misunderstanding do you anticipate that

students may encounter? How will you prevent them from occurring?
(1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy)

I foresee students not understanding that these adaptations are caused by human
interactions and as well as genetic and that they act together. I can prevent this from
occurring by explaining these links in the beginning of class.
I foresee the students becoming a little out of control during the game. I can prevent
this by having them sit back down once they are out or ending the game early if i see
they cannot handle it for much longer.

Reflections: List at least three questions you will ask yourself after the lesson is
taught.

(4a: Reflecting on Teaching)

Did the students understand that human decision can impact other species directly?
Do the students see how there are real-world examples in our community of these
adaptations occurring?
Did I adapt my teaching as the lesson progressed based on how the class was acting
within the lesson?
Addenda: Identify websites or resources used and attach any worksheets that will help
another teacher use your lesson.