Comparing the UDL Sample lessons

presentation

Jake Thomas
EDUC 211
UDL Lesson 1: The Life Unit Description
● This 2 day lesson is part of a larger unit that
Cycle of Butterflies, focuses on the life cycle of butterflies, including
their habitats, eating habits, and growth cycle.
Day 2 In this particular set of lessons, students will
learn about the growth cycle of the butterfly,
Lesson Overview and will extend that knowledge to understand

Title: The Life Cycle

that the growth cycle of butterflies is different
● from many other animals. Students will engage
of Butterflies, Day 2 in several different activities to support their
learning and they will have several different
● Author: CAST opportunities throughout the next two days to

● Subject: Science share their new found knowledge.

● Grade Level(s): Lesson Description for Day

● In this second lesson, students will extend their
Pre-K–2 knowledge of life cycles to other animals.
UDL Lesson 1: The Life Unit Goals:
Cycle of Butterflies, ● Students will identify and describe the life cycle of a
Day 2 ●
butterfly
Students will demonstrate that the life cycle of the
butterfly is different than other animals

Goals
● Students will demonstrate their understanding that at
the beginning of an animal's life cycle, some young
animals represent the adult while others do not.

Lesson Goals:

● Students will—
○ understand that sometimes the young of a
species resemble the adults and sometime they
do not.
○ articulate differences the in the life cycles of
butterflies and at least one other animal (frog,
human, skunk, insect, farm or domestic animal).
 ● Options for Sustaining Effort and Persistence
○ The lesson plan incorporates hands-on activities and

UDL Reflection 1
encourages students to explore the life cycles of animals
independently. This promotes sustained effort and
persistence by fostering curiosity and engagement.
This lesson plan is ● Assessment Considerations:
○ The assessment methods are diverse, including ongoing
aligned with UDL formative assessments through observation,
encouragement, and correction during the lesson. The

through several end-of-lesson assessment involves student presentations,

allowing for varied means of demonstrating understanding.

aspects: ● Clear Learning Goals and Objectives:

○ The lesson plan clearly states its unit and lesson goals,
making the learning outcomes clear for students. This
helps in providing a sense of purpose and direction,
catering to the UDL principle of providing clarity in goals
and expectations.
● Support for Language and Literacy:
○ The lesson plan acknowledges the use of invented spelling
in the Book Center, recognizing and supporting early literacy
skills. This aligns with the UDL principle of providing
options for comprehension.
 ● Flexibility and Accessibility:

UDL Reflection 1
○ The use of technology, specifically the Erie School District
website with text-to-speech support, ensures accessibility
for students with different learning needs. Additionally, the
option for students to work alone or in pairs provides
flexibility based on individual preferences and comfort
This lesson plan is ●
levels.
Options for Action and Expression:
aligned with UDL ○ The lesson plan includes various activities in different
formats, such as group discussions, independent research,

through several artistic expression in the Art Center, and computer-based

work. This caters to students with diverse abilities and

aspects(continued): ●
preferences for expressing their understanding.
Multiple Means of Engagement:
○ The anticipatory set involves a carousel discussion,
encouraging active participation and engagement. By using
Mama's Wild Child and initiating a discussion based on
students' thoughts, the lesson captures attention and
promotes interest.
● Varied Representation:
○ The lesson incorporates diverse materials such as books,
Animal Life Cycle cards, and online resources. This caters
to different learning styles and preferences, providing
students with various ways to access information.
UDL Lesson 2:
Unit Description
This unit is designed as a UDL approach to supporting
Fractals, An Inquiry: student understanding of scientific inquiry. Students
experience first-hand each step in the inquiry process and
Day 4 how the steps systematically build toward understanding. A
simple art activity that involves creating fractals with paint

Lesson Overview serves as the context for the inquiry. By situating an

introduction to inquiry in art, students who might feel

● Title: Fractals, An
reluctant or incompetent in science have an alternative
environment for engaging in the inquiry process. Exploring
scientific inquiry through art is also a way to enable
Inquiry: Day 4 students to experience the inquiry process as a natural,
sometimes spontaneous process that is intrinsic to many
● Author: CAST learning experiences.

● Subject: Science
Fractals, intriguing in their complexity and beauty, have
been charted mathematically, and serve as the connection
for the inquiry. By experimenting with the effects of various
● Grade Level(s): 6–8 art media on the formation of fractals, such as the
thickness of paint or types of paper used to make them,
students' initial encounter with the inquiry process occurs
in a non-threatening, intuitive way, so they will arrive at an
understanding of the inquiry process inductively.
UDL Lesson 2:
Fractals, An Inquiry:
Day 4
Lesson Description
for Day
In today's activities, students will put their
growing understanding of the scientific
inquiry process to work as they use paint
to implement their plans to experiment
with how changing one aspect of the
fractal making process influences their
appearance.
Goals
● Unit Goals:
○ Students will gain an understanding of the process
of scientific inquiry.
○ Students will gain independence in conducting and
reporting on their own inquiries.
○ Students will become aware that scientific inquiries
can happen anywhere, and are a natural part of
exploring the world.
● Lesson Goals:
○ Students will gain independence in applying their
understanding of the scientific inquiry process to an
experiment that tests how changing one variable in
the fractal-making process affects their appearance.
● Assess Student Perceptions of Progress:
○ Have students do a quick write or record, in which
they describe what additional supports would help
them be independent in planning and conducting an
inquiry.
 ● Options for Action and Expression:
○ The lesson includes various activities such as planning
and conducting experiments, reflecting on observations,

UDL Reflection 2 drawing conclusions, and planning new inquiries. These

activities offer students multiple ways to express their
understanding, aligning with the UDL principle of
providing options for action and expression.
● Scaffolding and Support:
This lesson plan is ○ The lesson plan includes a Think Aloud model to scaffold
support for students struggling with generating
conclusions. This scaffolding is a form of support that
aligned with UDL can be adjusted based on individual needs, adhering to
the UDL principle of providing scaffolds and supports.

through several
● Assessment Variety:
○ The formative assessment involves active participation
in small group experiments and discussions, allowing the

aspects: teacher to gauge students' understanding and provide

additional support or challenges accordingly. The
self-assessment checklist and potential
mini-conferences cater to different ways students can
demonstrate their progress.
● Real-World Connections:
○ The lesson emphasizes that scientific inquiries can
happen anywhere and are a natural part of exploring the
world. This real-world connection helps students see the
relevance of scientific inquiry in their lives, promoting the
UDL principle of providing authentic and meaningful
learning experiences.
 ● Multiple Means of Representation:
○ The lesson leverages an art activity involving the creation

UDL Reflection 2
of fractals with paint to introduce scientific inquiry. This
allows students to explore complex concepts in a
non-threatening, intuitive way, catering to diverse learning
styles and providing multiple means of representation.
● Options for Engagement:

This lesson plan is ○ By incorporating art as a context for scientific inquiry, the
lesson engages students who might feel less confident

aligned with UDL

or interested in traditional science activities. This
approach provides an alternative environment for those
with different interests and preferences, supporting

through several ●
multiple means of engagement.
Clear Learning Goals:

aspects(continued): ○ The unit and lesson goals are explicitly stated, providing
a clear understanding of the purpose and expectations.
This supports the UDL principle of providing clarity in
goals and objectives, helping students comprehend the
desired learning outcomes.
● Flexibility and Accessibility:
○ The lesson allows students to work independently on
their experiments, providing them with autonomy and
flexibility. The incorporation of a self-assessment
checklist at the end enables students to reflect on their
progress, promoting metacognition and catering to
diverse learning needs.
 Unit Description

UDL Lesson 3: Rocks and In this unit, entitled Rocks and Their Properties, students will
engage in cooperative research projects in order to learn about
Their Properties: Day 1 the properties of the three basic rock types and the processes
that form them.

In order to ensure that students can express what they learned

Lesson Overview as accurately as possible, a variety of options will be available
for communicating their new knowledge.
Title: Rocks and Their
Properties: Day 1 This investigation of the properties of rocks should take 6–7
class periods.
Author: CAST The UDL approach used in this unit provides the following:
Subject: Science ● presentational options to make information accessible to
Grade Level(s): 3–5 ●
all students
varied strategies and techniques to reach all students
● motivational options to ensure that all students can be
engaged
● flexible classroom management techniques that increase
opportunities for all students

UDL Lesson 3: Rocks and
Their Properties: Day 1
Lesson Description for
Day
Today, students will explore the word morphologies of
the three basic types of rocks, igneous, sedimentary,
and metamorphic, in order to have a mnemonic device
for remembering the processes that form them.
They will then explore samples of the three rock types,
share their findings, and determine what other types
of information they will need as they further their
study of rocks.
Goals
● Unit Goals:
○ Students will describe the natural and physical processes
that create metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks.
○ Students will successfully complete a cooperative
research project that refines their basic understanding of
○
rock formation processes.
Students will apply their understanding of the processes
that create sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks
to making predictions about how the rock cycle could be
impacted by changes in the forces that contribute to rock
formation.
● Lesson Goals:
○ Students will gain a basic understanding of the three rock
formation processes.
○ Students will effectively communicate results of their
explorations of rock samples with others.
○ Students will develop a basic understanding of how the
relative hardness of rocks can be tested using simple
tools, and that hardness is one characteristic applied to
categorizing rocks.
 ● Presentational Options:
○ The lesson recognizes the need for varied presentational
options to make information accessible to all students. By

UDL Reflection 3 incorporating a 'thumb's up–thumb's down' activity at the

beginning, it provides a visually engaging and interactive
way to introduce the topic, ensuring that information is
presented in different ways to support understanding.
● Formative and Summative Assessment:

This lesson plan is

○ The formative assessment involves continuous monitoring
as students explore rock samples. The teacher notes any
confusion and identifies students who may need more

aligned with UDL guidance. While there is no formal summative assessment

at this early point, the focus on ongoing assessment aligns

through several
with the UDL principle of providing continuous feedback for
improvement.
● Real-World Connections:
aspects: ○ The lesson plan makes connections to real-world scenarios
by discussing the origins of the words related to rock types.
This approach aids in creating a meaningful context for
learning, aligning with the UDL principle of providing
authentic and relevant learning experiences.
● Varied Strategies and Techniques:
○ The introduction of small group investigations encourages
collaborative learning, accommodating various learning
preferences and providing multiple ways for students to
engage with the content. The incorporation of hands-on
activities such as examining rock samples and conducting
scratch tests offers diverse strategies and techniques for
exploring the subject.
 ● Scaffolding and Support:
○ The teacher's role during the guided practice involves

UDL Reflection 3
modeling and providing guidance on how to compare and
contrast rock samples. This scaffolding supports students,
especially those who may need additional assistance,
aligning with the UDL principle of providing scaffolds and
supports.
● Motivational Options:
This lesson plan is ○ The anticipatory set with the 'thumb's up–thumb's down'
activity serves as a motivational strategy, capturing

aligned with UDL

students' curiosity and expectations about rocks. This
activity adds an element of interest and engagement,
motivating students to participate in the subsequent

through several ●
discussion and exploration of rock types.
Flexible Classroom Management Techniques:

aspects(continued):
○ The lesson plan mentions flexible classroom management
techniques that increase opportunities for all students.
The use of small group investigations allows for flexibility
in managing diverse student needs, as the teacher can
provide individualized support and guidance during the
exploration of rock samples.
● Options for Action and Expression:
○ The guided practice section provides multiple options for
students to express their understanding. Whether through
observation and sketching, scratch tests, or
measurements, students can choose the method that
aligns with their strengths and preferences, promoting
options for action and expression.
References
http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/explore.php?op=static&p
id=butterflies_2

http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/explore.php?op=static&p
id=fractals_4

http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/explore.php?op=static&p
id=rocks_1