Artifact #6: Science Lesson

Intasc Standards:
Standard #1: Learner Development: The teacher understands how learners grow and develop,
recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the
cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements
developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
Standard #2: Learning Differences: The teacher uses understanding of individual differences
and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each
learner to meet high standards.
Standard #4: Content Knowledge: The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of
inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that
make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
Standard #6: Assessment: The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to
engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and
learner’s decision making.
Standard #7: Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student
in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum,
cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community
context.
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of
instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and
their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

New York State Code of Ethics:

Principle 1: Educators nurture the intellectual, physical, emotional, social and civic
potential of every student.
Principle 2: Educators create support and maintain challenging learning environment
for all.
Principle 3: Educators commit to their own learning in order to develop their practice.
Principle 4: Educators collaborate with colleagues and other professionals in the
interest of their students leaning.
DOE Claims:

Claim 2: Pedagogy and Best Teaching Practices

Claim 3: Caring Educators

CAEP Standards:
Standard 1. Content and Pedagogical Knowledge

Curriculum Standards:
New York State Standards
3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can
survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment
changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.
LS4.C: Adaptation  For any particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well,
some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. (3-LS4-3) LS4.D: Biodiversity and
Humans  Populations live in a variety of habitats and change in those habitats affects the
organisms living there. (3-LS4-4)
Ontario Standards
3.7 describe structural adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive in specific habitats

3.8 explain why changes in the environment have a greater impact on specialized species than on
generalized species
Ontario Code of Ethical Standards:
• Care
• Respect

• Trust
• Integrity
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Medaille College Department of Education

Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate’s Name: Kelly Cizar Date: June 27, 2020

Context for Learning (edTPA)

Where is the school where you are teaching located? City: __X_____ Suburb: _______ Town:_______ Rural: ______

Grade level: ___3_____ Number of students in the class: __24______

Students with IEPs/504 Plans

Complete the charts below to summarize required or needed supports, accommodations, or modifications for your students that will affect
your instruction in this learning segment.
IEPs/504 Plans: Number of Supports, Accommodations, Modifications,
Classifications/Needs Students Pertinent IEP Goals
1 Visual cues, repeat/ clarify/reduce oral instructions, stress
I.E.P- Autism Spectrum Disorder key words, additional wait time, extra time to complete tasks
, anchor chart
Students with Specific Language Needs
Language Needs Number of Supports, Accommodations, Modifications
Students
Level 4 English Language Learner Visuals with text, translator dictionary, provide concept maps
1 when appropriate, clarify vocabulary and language concepts
in first language when possible, anchor chart

Students with Other Learning Needs

Other Learning Needs Numbers of Supports, Accommodations, Modifications
Students
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Lesson ___3___ of a ____5__ Day Learning Segment

Subject and Lesson Topic: Habitats and Plant and Animal Adaptations

Grade Level: 3 Lesson Duration:

Central Focus of the Learning Segment

The central focus is an understanding that you want your students to develop. It is a description of the important identifiable theme, essential question, or topic within
the curriculum that is the purpose of the instruction of the learning segment (Making Good Choices, 2016).

Students will investigate the dependency of plants and animals on their habitat and the interrelationships of the plants and animals
living in a specific habitat.

Knowing Your Learners

Using Prior Knowledge
What do you know about your students’ prior academic learning as it relates to the central focus? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 2a)

Students were able to identify what is needed in a habitat by participating in a role play group activity of habitats. Students were able to
recognize the necessary components of a habitat; food, water, shelter, space. Students were able to identify that without one of these
elements, a habitat would be impacted. For example, soil erosion, urban development, polluted water, etc. In a follow up lesson, a class
discussion was had on various habitats such as the dessert, ocean, forest, etc. Students were then able to identify the various animals
and plants and decide which habitat they belonged to, based on their needs. As a class an anchor chart was created to visually
demonstrate the different habitats. Students have demonstrated their ability and enjoyment during art class and have enjoyed activities
where they are given create rights.

How will you use this knowledge to inform your instruction? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 3a)

I will use the animals previously discussed during the lesson on habitats to break them up further from a generalized species to a
specific species. We will examine the student’s new knowledge of habitats and scaffold how animals living in different habitats will
adapt in order to survive. When teaching, we will reference the anchor chart that was created in a previous lesson to build on new
knowledge. I will use my students’ creative interest to build an assessment activity where students create their own animal with
adaptations to survive in its habitat.
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Using Student Assets

What do you know about your students’ personal, cultural, and/or community assets as they relate to the central focus? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 2b)

Prior to beginning this unit on habitats, students were showing an interest in a new virtual zoo exhibit that had been announced by the
local community zoo. The students were excited about this idea and so as a class, we took a virtual field trip. Using the projection screen,
the whole class was able to observe the animal exhibits at the zoo.
The classroom environment also hosts many different live plants that have various students taking care of these plants as classroom
jobs. Students are learning the necessary steps required to maintain live plants in the classroom.

How will you use this knowledge to inform your instruction? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 3a)

I will use the animals that students have gained that we saw in the virtual fieldtrip background knowledge in to create group activities
where the students examine the various adaptations to its habitat. I will reference the animals and habitats that we saw while exploring
the zoo. I will also reference the plants in our classroom as examples of what plants require in their habitat in order to survive.

Curriculum Standards
New York State P-12 Learning Science Standards
3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some
cannot survive at all.
3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that
live there may change.
LS4.C: Adaptation  For any particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at
all. (3-LS4-3) LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans  Populations live in a variety of habitats and change in those habitats affects the organisms
living there. (3-LS4-4)
Ontario Curriculum Standards
3.7 describe structural adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive in specific habitats

3.8 explain why changes in the environment have a greater impact on specialized species than on generalized species
Objectives Assessment Modifications to Assessments
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy, include statements that Using formal and/or informal assessment tools, how If applicable, explain how you will adapt
identify what students will be able to do by the end of will you evaluate and document your students’ assessments to allow students with specific needs to
the lesson and are aligned to the standards identified progress on each of the objectives? demonstrate their learning.
above. (edTPA Task 1, Prompt 5b)
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By the end of the lesson, students will be able
to identify physical characteristics of a plant or
animal that help it to adapt to its
environment/habitat.
I will check in with each group to assess their Visual cues/anchor charts present
ability to present the adaptations to their Vocabulary/Word wall present
animal/plant. I will take anecdotal notes on
whether they were able to identify the
adaptations. I will have students hand in their
creative assignment to demonstrate their
ability to identify adaptations based on
habitat.

Academic Language Demands Instructional Supports

(edTPA Task 1, Prompt 4c)
Function
Looking at your standards and objectives,
choose the one Bloom’s word that best
describes the active learning essential for
students to develop understanding of
concepts within your lesson.
Vocabulary
Key words and phrases students need to be
able to understand and use
Syntax
Describe ways in which students will
organize language (symbols, words,
phrases) to convey meaning.
Strategies teachers provide to help learners understand, use, and practice the
concepts (edTPA Task 1, Prompt 4d)
identify I will support my students to use the language function by
modeling how to identify various adaptations and make
connections to the habitat.
Habitat I will support my students to understand new vocabulary by
Population posting new words to the “Science and technology word wall”
Community with supporting images for ELL and IEP students.
Adaptation I will have students record new vocabulary words in their
science journals. For my IEP Student, we will use the talk to text
feature to record words to science folder in IPAD.
I will encourage students to use new vocabulary words by
modeling language in class discussion.
As a group, we will create a Previous anchor chart from lesson one will be present for
graphic organizer to show students to recognize and connect with various plants and
various species of animals and animals and their habitats.
how they adapt to their I will post the graphic organizer created as a visual aide.
habitats. I will model in group discussion how to refer to the habitats by
pointing to the anchor chart and labeling the various habitats.

Discourse Students will participate in

group activity to determine the
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How members of a discipline talk, write,
and participate in knowledge construction
and communicate their understanding of
the concepts
features of a plant or animal
that are adaptations to its
habitat.
Students will create their own
animal or plant living in a
habitat with three specific
adaptations by drawing,
labeling and writing about it.
I will support students to recognize and label features of
various animals and plants and encourage higher order
thinking by asking questions such as “why do think it has that
feature?”” How does that plant/animal get its needs met?” “If
we were to move this plant/animal to a different habitat, would
it survive? Why/why not”.

Instructional Process Accommodations and/or

Modifications and/or Supports
Anticipatory Set/Motivator Video will give visual demonstration of
black bears, grizzly bears and polar
bears in their habitat. Environments,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8gvF7OOpOw hunting, eating and drinking can all be
seen to give students background
knowledge for adaptation lesson.
So for our science unit, we have been talking about where animals live and what types of
environments/space, food and water they need to survive. Who can tell me what that is called?
Yes! Habitats are the places where a population can survive in its natural environment.

Instructional Procedures

Today we are going to examine what the term adaptations. Adaptations allow plants and
animals to survive in their habitats.

Structural adaptations include physical features that protect a living thing. If you look at a
hawk, it has a hooked beak that is made for it to be able to rip and tear at food. If you look at Point to animals on the habitat animal
a sparrow’s beak, it is pointed so it can crack open seeds. Water birds have fat beaks that poster so students get a visual of these
allow them to scoop food from the water. specific animals mentioned.
Body colour is another form of adaptation that protects animals or plants by camouflaging
them. Raise your hand if you’ve seen a chameleon? Yes! How cool are these guys? What
special feature does a chameleon have?
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That’s right, their skin blends into the colour of their environment. This protects them from
predators.

We are going to look at some pictures of bears.

Pull up 3 bears image on projector. Keep images up during class discussion. (3 bear Image )

Have chart paper ready to go with three columns written out: Black bear, Grizzly bear, Polar
Bear

I would like to look at these three bears and tell me what you see. With each student Keeping the pictures up in front of the
observation, encourage students to identify what the adaptation is for. Example why is the class will allow students to reference
polar bear’s fur white? them back for students that do not have
background knowledge of these animals.

Questions to ask:
• Think about how each bear looks. Does the bear’s physical characteristics help it to survive where it
lives?
• Think about what each bear eats. Why does it eat this food? What physical characteristics help it get
the food it eats?
• What are the needs of the grizzly bear? How does a grizzly bear meet its needs in its habitat?
• What are the needs of a polar bear? How does a polar bear meet its needs in its habitat?
• What are the needs of a black bear? How does a black bear meet its needs in its habitat?
• If someone took a polar bear to the national park in central Canada and took grizzly bears to the artic
coast, do you think the bears would be able to survive in their new homes? Why or why not?

So looking at our chart, we can see that these bears have adapted to their environments in
order to survive. All plants and animals need to make some adaptations in order to survive.
Changes to the environment can and will affect a specialized species of animals like polar
bears then on a generalized species like all bears.

You are going to go back to your working groups when give you the signal and on your
tables, you will find some pictures on a specific animal or plant. I want you to use the chart
paper and markers and discuss and jot down some notes about your specific animal or plant.
Notice if you can find any features that might be its specific adaptation to its habitat. We are
going to present to each other so we can learn about each animal or plant. Each group will
have books with facts that might help you understand what the adaptations are. I will be
walking around for questions.
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Group activity 1: I will walk around and encourage

-snowshoe rabbit has white coat in winter and a tan coat in summer (blending in with students to use new vocabulary to
surrounding) identify specific adaptations to their
-Chameleons: change color to blend in with their surroundings habitats. I will support my ELL and IEP
-Cactus: Have fleshy stems to hold water during periods of drought. learners by providing additional time
-Walking stick Insect: looks like twigs to protect from enemies. and having them work in smaller groups.

Have students hang chart paper up on

wall when they are finished, and we can
add to it as the unit continues. i.e. Food
chains
Closure

Independent Activity:
You are now going to create a brand new animal of your own. Your animal must have at least I will provide additional time for IEP and
three adaptations that help it survive in its environment. You are going to complete your ELL Learners. I will provide written
rough draft today with a picture. Remember you can create any features you would like your instructions with a visual worksheet of
animal to have but you must have at least 3 adaptations and be able to explain why they will where to draw and where to label the
help it survive. adaptions.

You must choose one Habitat in which it lives and make sure your adaptations reflect the Place rubric on overhead for student to
environment. be able to self monitor

This afternoon during writers workshop, we are going to use your drawing to write about
your animal, its habitat and its adaptations.
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List all materials and/or technology tools required for the lesson.
Key instructional materials must be attached. These materials might include such items as class handouts, assignments, slides, and
interactive white-board images.

-habitat anchor chart

-Books/ Pictures of polar bears, grizzly bears and black bears
-Chart paper
-Markers
-Animal habitat poster
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Overhead for whole class activty:

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC

BY-NC

Bear Adaptations
Polar Bear
Long slender necks (searching for
seals in holes in ice)
Black skin (absorbs heat from the
sun)
Live in artic (mostly on polar ice)
Feed on fish and seals
Have thick fur (to provide warmth)
Have webbing between toes (for
swimming)
Grizzly Bear
Long claws (dig up most of their
food)
Have distinctive hump between
shoulders (muscle mass for powering
forelimbs)
Eat berries, roots, fish, gophers,
smaller rodents (occasionally kill
larger animals for food)
Live on the edge of the forest
Feed mostly in mountain meadow
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Black Bear
Shorter claws (climbing trees)
Live in forest
Eat berries, nuts, insects, rodents
(occasionally larger animals)
Smaller than grizzly bears
Have pointed Heads
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Anchor Charts
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Group Activity

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under
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Independent Activity:

Animal Adaptations
You are going to create a brand new animal! Your animal must have at least three
adaptations that help it survive in its environment. Please label your adaptations.
You must choose one Habitat in which it lives and make sure your adaptations
reflect the environment.
Good Luck!

My animal is called a:
_____________________________________________________
Please draw your rough copy here: (don’t forget to label the adaptations)

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

I have chosen a
habitat for my animal
My animal has three
adaptations to help it
survive
My picture shows all
three adaptations
I have written what
habitat my animal lives
in, and the three
adaptations