Instructional Software

Lesson Idea Name: Habitats: Surviving in a Rainforest

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 3rd

Content Standard Addressed:

S3L1. Students will investigate the habitat of different organisms and the dependence of organisms
on their habitat.
Technology Standard Addressed:
3 – Knowledge Constructor – Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to
construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts, and make meaningful learning experiences for
themselves and others.

Selected Technology Tool: BrainPOP jr.

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

https://jr.brainpop.com/science/habitats/rainforests/

Type of Instructional Software:

☐ Drill and Practice ☒ Tutorial ☐ Simulation ☐ Instructional Game ☐ e-books/e-references

Features of this software (check all that apply):

☐ Assessment Monitoring/Reporting
☐ Allows teacher to create customized lessons for students
☐ Multi-user or collaborative functions with others in the class
☐ Multi-user or collaborative with others outside the class
☒ Accessible to students beyond the school day
☒ Accessible via mobile devices
☒ Multiple languages
☒ Safety, security and/or privacy features

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☐ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

BrainPOP jr. is a tutorial site that supports UDL in the following ways:
 Audio and visual components of the video support both auditory and visual learners.
 EL students can access the Spanish version of the video.
 Students with learning disabilities or developmental delays can watch the video as many times as
they need to help build their understanding of the content being addressed.
 Helps build background information of the habitat before students begin their research.
 Introduces them to a variety of animals they can choose to research.

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 Instructional Software
The research and creation of a slideshow support UDL in the following ways:
 Allowing students to customize the presentation of information.
 Optimizing the use of different technological tools (search engine, slideshow, Smart Board
presentation)
 Providing students with a choice when it comes to their research and presentation.

Lesson idea implementation:

The lesson will begin with the teacher presenting a BrainPOP jr. video to engage students and
introduce a new habitat – rainforests. The teacher will ask students to listen/look for the different animals
mentioned in the video that live in the rainforest. After watching the video, the teacher will ask students to
identify different animals they witnessed in the video and write them on a piece of large chart paper at the
front of the class.
Then she will explain the activity to follow – students will work with a partner, they will choose an
animal from the video to research, then create a slideshow presentation with the information they have
found. The slideshow should include the area of the rainforest the animal lives (canopy, understory, or forest
floor), what their home is like, what they eat, how they stay safe/defense mechanisms, whether they are an
endangered species, how they help our planet, and any other interesting facts they find about their animal.
Students will use the class set of laptops to research using the Google search engine. They will also
have access to the BrainPOP jr. video, so they can refer to it if they get stuck. Students should record
information in a graphic organizer provided by the teacher which will help them organize their thoughts and
ensure they include all the necessary information. Then, each group will use Google Slides to create a
slideshow with the information they have found, along with pictures to create an interesting presentation.
Students will be asked to include a reference page at the end of the slideshow with the links to each website
they used to find their information. This activity will take three days of science class time – the first day for
researching, the second day for creating their slideshow, and the third day to present their slideshows to the
class.

Reflective Practice:
To extend the lesson to a higher LoTi level, the teacher can use a rubric to assess each groups
presentation. The groups will get to review the rubric and make necessary corrections/improvements to their
presentations. After finalizing the presentations, the groups can publish their work by uploading the
slideshows to the class website. Other students and parents can view their presentations.
To extend this lesson further, we could visit other third grade classrooms and have students present
their slideshows to small groups of students from the other classes.

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