Developmental Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Shannon Robicheau Date: 4/9/2021

Group Size: Whole class & 2 Allotted Time: 1 hour Grade Level: 3rd

Subject or Topic: Rabbits and how they survive predators and the change in the environment

Common Core/PA Standard(s):

- Standard - 3.1.3.C2: Describe animal characteristics that are necessary for survival.
- Standard - 4.1.3.C: Identify sources of energy.
- Standard - 3.1.3.A2: Describe the basic needs of living things and their dependence on
light, food, air, water, and shelter.

Learning Targets/Objectives:
- Students will be able to observe and describe an animal's characteristics with accuracy.
- Students will be able to classify the animal into predator/prey categories along with
carnivore/herbivore/omnivore categories with accuracy.
- Students will show their understanding and knowledge of adaptation by describing how
an animal's body and diet changes in order for survival.
- Students will be able to show their understanding and knowledge by explaining that
animals depend on basic environmental resources in order to survive.

Assessment Approaches: Evidence:

- “I am a rabbit” sheet: The students
will fill out a “I am a rabbit” sheet that
has guiding questions that the students
will answer.
- Thumbs up/down: The teacher will
check in on the students throughout
the lesson and ask them if they
understand the material so far. the
students must give a thumbs up or
down to indicate if they do or do not
understand. If some students have
their thumbs down, the teacher must
go over the material further.
Assessment Scale: (I am a Rabbit sheet)
- “I am a rabbit” sheet: The “I am a
rabbit” sheet will have the students fill
out answers using guided questions
that are given on the sheet. This will
show the students understanding in the
material that was covered within the
lesson.
- Thumbs up/down: The whole class
should give a thumbs up to show that
there is a general understanding of the
material. The teacher will observe and
go over the material further if there are
students with their thumbs down
-

- 14-18 points on the rubric: The student is proficient in the material.

- 11-13 points on the rubric: The student is basic in the material.
- 10 and below on the rubric: The student is below basic in the material
Subject Matter/Content:
- Rabbits and how they survive in their habitats.

Prerequisites:
- Understanding habitats such as forests, deserts, and grasslands.
- Being able to make predictions and observe.
- Knowing some of the other animals that live within their area (squirrels, bunnies, birds,
deer, etc.).
- Predators and prey
- Food chain
- Animal identification
- characteristics identification
- herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.
- Adaptations of animals within an environment.

Key Vocabulary:
- Burrow: (of an animal) make a hole or tunnel, typically for use as a dwelling.
- Maintain: Provide with necessities for life or existence.
- Distribute: Occur throughout an area.
- Flee: To run away often from danger or evil
- Coat: An animal's covering of fur or hair.
- Blood vessels: A tube through which the blood circulates in the body.
- Shed: (of a mammal) lose (hair) as a result of molting, disease, or age.

Content/Facts:
- Rabbits have the ability to flee from an area fast, which helps them escape any possible
predators.
- Rabbits can fight off predators by using their power back legs to try and kick/intimidate
the predators. This only works for smaller predators rather than larger predators.
- Rabbits also have sharper claws that can not only be used to dig and burrow, but to also
fight off some predators.
- Due to the rabbits eye placements, they almost have a 360 degree view of the area that
they are in.
- Since the rabbits ears are able to swivel and are in a cupped form, they are able to
detect the area of which a predator is coming from and can flee from the area.
- A rabbit's ears have a wide range of blood vessels in their ears, so when a rabbit is in
colder temperatures, it conserves body heat by cooling their ears so that the heat does
not have to be dispersed around the body.
- Rabbits also slow their breathing during the winter in order to trap their body heat.
- Rabbits also grow a thicker coat during the winter to create more body heat, and shed it
during the warmer times of the year.
- Rabbits like to feed on vegetation, but can adapt to the lack of those resources during
the winter time and eat wood plants, twigs, and bark for nutrition.
- Rabbits constantly look for food resources in order to build an extra layer of fat that is
used for insulation.
 - Rabbits reduce their activity when resources are not readily available in order to
conserve body fat and insulation.
Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:

Engage
- The teacher will start by saying that she is so proud of all of the work and identification
that the students have been doing throughout the unit, and that this will be the last class
that they work on this topic.
- The teacher will cover what they have done so far, saying that they have learned how to
identify predators and prey, how to categorize animals into groups based on their eating
patterns, and how they’ve learned more about animals in eastern PA forests and how
they adapt to each other and their environment.
- The teacher will then introduce the topic of the lesson by telling them that they will be
applying all of their knowledge to observe and identify rabbits.
- The teacher will start by reading the students the story “Home For a Bunny” by
Margaret wise Brown.
- Once they have gone through the book, the teacher will ask the students what were
some characteristics that they identified while they were learning about the main
character (a rabbit).
- The students will have a minute to turn and talk to their partners before coming back
together and share their answers as a class.
- The teacher will say that they’ve done a great job with identification, and that they’re
going to go more in depth within this lesson.

Development/Teaching Approaches

Explain
- The teacher will pass out the colored sheets along with a rabbit stencil. This will be for
the rabbit foldable.
- The students will be given five minutes to cut out their foldable and decorate it
however they want to. The teacher will have a pre-made foldable that can be used as a
reference for the students.
- Once they have completed their foldables, the students must write down what they
know about rabbits on the top section of their foldable. The students will be given 2
minutes to do so.
- The students will write their new knowledge on the bottom of the foldable in order to
compare the previous knowledge to their new knowledge to show how much they have
learned.
- Once they have all written down their information, the teacher will then show the
students a video of rabbits in their natural habitat. They will be asked to observe the
rabbits in the video, and they will discuss their findings as a class.
- Once the video is finished, the students will be able to raise their hands and say one
thing that they found about the rabbits. Some answers should include:
- The rabbits had long ears.
- The rabbits were eating the grass.
- The rabbits could hop fast when moving.
 - The rabbits could move their ears around a lot.
- The teacher will then ask the students if the rabbit is a carnivore, herbivore, or
omnivore based on the video. The teacher will state each category, and the students will
raise their hand for which one they think the rabbit is. The answer should be herbivore.
The teacher will ask the students to explain why they think that is, and the students are
given a chance to raise their hand and explain their reasonings.
- The teacher will then ask if they think the rabbit is a predator or prey based on their
characteristics, and will state each category. The students must raise their hand for
which one they think Rabbits are. The answer should be prey.
- The teacher will ask the students why they think they’re prey, and the students are
given the chance to raise their hand and explain their reasonings.
- Once they have gone through the small activity, the teacher will set up the anchor chart
and begin with the information. This was done to access their prior knowledge before
they start the lesson.
- The teacher will start with rabbit characteristics that help them adapt to their predators.
The teacher will refer back to the anchor chart to find key points, which the students
can refer back to if needed.
- The teacher will also make sure to check on the students, and to make sure that they are
on track and understand the material so far. The students must give a thumbs up or
down, and if there are students with their thumbs down, the teacher must teach the
content further.
- The teacher will then go over how the rabbit adapts to their environment, pointing out
key points found on the anchor chart that the students can refer back to when needed.
- The teacher will check up on the students and make sure that they understand and are
on track with the material. they must either give a thumbs up or down.
- The students will write down their new knowledge on the bottom of the foldable, and
can take a minute to compare the two.
- Once the material on the anchor chart is covered and the students are on track, the
teacher can then start the activity.

Explore
- The teacher will pass out the large colored piece of paper of the student’s choosing,
along with a rabbit crown, “I am a rabbit” sheet, and a small slip of white paper.
- The teacher will inform the students that they will be going through a similar activity
as yesterday, but now putting themselves in the place of a rabbit. This will help give the
students perspectives on both predators and prey and how they are similar and
different.
- The teacher will give the students 20 minutes to complete this activity.
- The students must first complete the “I am a Rabbit sheet” and then draw and color
their own rabbit on the small slip of white paper. The students must then take both of
these when completed and glue the rabbit sheet on the top and the drawing of their
rabbit underneath.
- The teacher will come around and observe and ask questions/prompt the students if
needed.
- Once the students are completed with their activity, they can then turn and talk to their
partners and act out their rabbit sheets.
 - Once the students have all had an opportunity to share their sheets, they can then come
back together as a class.
- The students will be given a chance to act out their rabbit sheet to the class if they want
to. This involves them pretending to dig and hop like a rabbit as they act out their
sheet, for a more fun and immersive activity.
- Once the students have gotten the chance to act out their sheets, the teacher will then
praise the students and tell them how proud and amazed she is at all of their hard work
during the unit.

Closure/Summarizing Strategies:

Elaborate
- The teacher will ask the students what was one thing that they learned that day. The
students are given the chance to raise their hand and share their answer.
- The teacher will ask why the students think this information is important. The teacher
can also reiterate and add in some reasonings as well to make sure that the
understanding is clear. Some answers should involve:
- To know if an animal is safe to approach or not.
- To know what the animal eats if you want to feed them if it is safe to do so.
- To know what animals you may encounter in a forest environment.
- This is important when it comes to connecting the unit to the “so what?” factor and
how students can use this knowledge in the future.

Evaluate
- The teacher will collect and assess the student’s “I am a rabbit” activity using the rubric
below.
- The teacher will be able to use this to assess the students' understanding in the material.
Accommodations/Differentiation:
Follow all IEPs

- A student in the classroom has a visual impairment. I will accommodate for the student
by having an enlarged version of all of the worksheets and material that will be used in
the lesson along with a projector to set up so that the student can see the book that is
read in the introduction section of the lesson clearly.

Materials/Resources:

- “Home For a Bunny” by Margaret wise Brown: Brown, M. W., (2015), Home For A
Bunny, Golden Books, Illustrated edition.
- Scissors
- Glue/tape
- Rabbit crowns (20)
- Large pieces of colored paper (20)
- “I am a rabbit” sheets (20)
 - White slips of paper (20)
- Paper for rabbit foldable (20)
- Rabbit stencil for foldable (20)
- Crayons
- Pens/pencils
- Anchor chart
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMD9StDG6Y0

Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels

Remediation Plan (if applicable)

Personal Reflection Questions

Additional reflection/thoughts
 “I Am A Rabbit”

Name:

Date:

Advanced Proficient basic below basic No evidence of

4 points 3 Points 2 points 1 point understanding
0 points

organization The Student The student The student The student The student did
followed the Followed the vaguely did not not cut out or
example given. The example given. followed the follow the glue the pages to
student also cut out The student example example the paper.
the papers on the also cut out the given. The given. The
guided line and paper student cut out student did
glued it to the page semi-neatly and the sheet, but not cut the
properly. glued it to the not neathly. paper on the
paper properly. The student guided line
glued it to the and is glued
paper with sloppily to
some the paper.
messiness.

drawing The student’s The student’s The student’s The student’s The student
drawing accurately drawing drawing drawing does does not
shows a rabbit and accurately somewhat not resemble complete the
displays shows a rabbit resembles a a rabbit and drawing and
characteristics of a and shows most rabbit and displays little shows no effort
rabbit. The student of the displays some to no in their work.
shows their effort characteristics. characteristics characteristic
through their work. The student . The student s. The student
shows effort shows some shows little to
through their effort through no effort
work. their work. through their
work.
prompt The student The student The student The student The student
responses completes the completes the completes the completes the does not
prompt sections of prompt sections prompt prompts but complete the
the sheet with full of the sheet sections but does not use prompts and
sentences and proper with full does not use whole does not show
grammar. They use sentences and full sentences sentences. their
information from the mostly proper and has many The student understanding in
unit and show great grammar. The grammatical does not use the material.
understanding in the student uses errors. The information
material. information student uses from the unit
from the unit some and shows no
and shows information understandin
understanding from the unit g in the
in the material. but does not material.
show much
understanding
in the
material.

completion The student The student The student The student The student
completes the entire completes the mostly barely does not
assignment and entire completes the completed complete the
exceeds in showing assignment and assignment the assignment at all
their understanding shows and shows assignment and does now
and effort in their understanding some and shows show
material. and effort in understanding little to no understanding or
their material. and effort in understandin effort in their
their material. g and effort material.
in their
material.

total points: ___/18