Section 1: Lesson Preparation
| Teacher Candidate Name: | |
| Grade Level: | 1 st Grade |
| Date: | |
| Unit/Subject: | Living and non-living things |
| Instructional Plan Title: | Lesson plan in science |
| Lesson Summary and Focus: | In this lesson plan, students explore characteristics that distinguish living things from non-living things. By interacting with living and non-living things provided in class as well as examining the video clips and still photographs of a variety of organisms and objects, students will gather evidence and develop criteria in differentiating between the two concepts. They will create the idea of living and non-living things and distinguishing characteristics. |
| Classroom and Student Factors/Grouping: | Classroom and Student Factors/Grouping: I will use differential instruction strategies to reach all learners and accommodate each’s learning style. Grouping students in varying ways make them more productive and can help differentiate. I will place different configurations of students where those with similar learning needs will be grouped. Students will also be assigned to groups based on the need for additional help, time and practice that will help master the content. The grouping will include a variety of characteristics such as students who differ in the time needed for learning a particular material and those who disagree in the mastery of skills |
| National/State Learning Standards: | This lesson will consider the state/national standards that must be met. The common core state standards for teaching science define the knowledge and skills that students should have in grade 1. This lesson plan will meet the curriculum standard of integrating quantitative and technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of the information conveyed visually. For example, the information conveyed in words will be made into flowcharts, diagram, tables or graphs while using real objects to express the concepts. |
| Specific Learning Target(s)/Objectives: |
Young children often have difficulties characterizing living and non-living things as well as the cycle of life. For example, they classify all nonliving things as dead and all moving things as alive, making it difficult to classify crops. This lesson plan targets to improve their knowledge regarding the concept that all living things require air, water, and food which is different from non-living things. Objectives By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: Develop the concept that all things can be categorized into living and non-living things. Students will be able to identify plants, animals, and people as living things. Discuss the characteristics of living and non-living things and differentiate between them Investigate and understand the basic needs and life processes of all living things including animals and plants Compare living things and non-living things by identifying the distinguishing characteristics of both living and non-living things. |
| Academic Language |
The key terms in this lesson plan include Reproduction Movement Respond and adapt to the environment Use of energy Living and non-living things I will teach these terms by linking them to the living organisms present in class and illustrate them through examples and demonstrations. |
| Resources, Materials, Equipment, and Technology: |
A set-off toy animal such as plastic bird, hamster, and crab Two hula hoops to help in engagement Non-living objects such as rocks, paper, coins, and plastic bottle caps A video on living and non-living things by Lindsay Schemm which explains Goldfish in its habitat and a large river rock Set of pictures of living and non-living things for group activity, such as cat, tree, bee, car, bicycle, and blocks Live rabbit and stuffed toy rabbit Butterflies and stuffed toy butterfly |
Section 2: Instructional Planning
|
Anticipatory Set The first thing will be a warm-up session where I will discuss with children and develop the idea of living things and non-living things by trying to find out what living things do. I will have students sit on a carpet and ask them if they are living or non-living and if their pets at home are living or non-living. I will ask each student to name one living thing and one non-living thing. I will write all contribution on the chalkboard under the column headings of living and non-living. I will record their ideas on the whiteboard and ask more questions about what they think are the characteristics of living things and non-living things. I will then tell students that they will be studying living things and have them reflect on the list of organisms generated while thinking about the features of living things. I will discuss the scientific definition of living and nonliving including characteristics of living things such as growing, breathing and ability to eat. Since children may confuse between the two, the explanation will entail using examples to explain that something can be dead but not classified as a non-living thing. After that, I will ask students to identify what they need to survive and write it down. I will write food, water, shelter and air and on the board as factors that define living things. I will lead a discussion about what it means to observe and predict. We will also work with students to discuss the characteristics and review the five senses that can help observe and predict. I will explain that we will not be using the sense of touch |
Time Needed |
Multiple Means of RepresentationI will start a T chart and record characteristics of living things in one column based on what students have observed from the resources, and use this information to record attributes of non-living things under another column. Visual displays will be crucial in displaying helpful information that will help the students understand and remember concepts easily. Pictures of living and non-living things will be provided, and students asked to select and categorize them. I will be asking students what they see from the description and require all of them to participate while providing positive feedback. I will also be giving visual aids during instructions such as drawings, photographs and concrete items that will help them understand the content. I will discuss what makes each living and non-living thing, then have students list the three types of living things such as people, animals, and plans. In the drill, I will show the video and pictures to students and ask them to identify five living things and five non-living things that can be found in the video and image. Students will get to watch the video of living things while identifying and categorizing living and non-living things from the video. I will lead students in the discussion in determining all the characteristics of living things such as the ability to grow, use food, give off wastes and reproduce offspring. To assess student’s prior knowledge about living and non-living things, I will randomly display pictures of living and non-living things such as flower, tree, cat, bicycle, bee, and an airplane. I will then ask the student to identify and write down what they consider living and non-living to be reviewed later in class. I will then share ideas about living things and non-living materials and write them down in the appropriate column Tired activities will also be used when dealing with students with special needs, such as giving ELL students modified work with simpler vocabulary while assessing their speed of understanding the content. The lesson plan will use a curriculum focused on content to allow students to learn the essentials without getting confused and frustrated with the fluff. I will provide verbal, visual and technological aids to helps students with special needs. ELL students will also have differentiated learning because of their skills. As such, I will use visual and auditory complements to make them learn better. I will also use repetition of terms while teaching the lesson, for example when defining living things and non-living things as well as when listing the characteristics. Emphasis will also entail saying the name of objects as often as possible so that ELL students can remember them Since there are students who are on IEP and 504 plans, I will be reading loudly everything I write on the board to help them be at par with others. ELL students may struggle to follow up with other students due to language barriers. I will alter the instructional strategies by reducing the pace of teaching to ensure they follow in the same way as other students. Students who are slow moving slowly will be given supplementary material while those who move faster will be given advanced equipment that will help them slow down. I will be speaking slower and use more gestures and visual cues during the lesson to accommodate all students. The content will be the same but delivered differently to assist all students. Pictures and charts will be used as visual displays to augment the class readings and accommodate students with special needs in class I will use images and symbols to represent written texts to ELL students and those with special needs. This lesson will be tailored to individual needs by pairing struggling students with those who are more capable. This will provide an opportunity for students with special needs to learn through visual and auditory activities I will end the lesson by asking students whether they can make changes to the original list they made about living and non-living things. Tired activities will also be used when dealing with students with special needs, such as giving ELL students modified work with simpler vocabulary while assessing their speed of understanding the content. The lesson plan will use curriculum focused on content to allow students learn the essentials without getting confused and frustrated with the fluff. I will provide verbal, visual and technology aids to helps students with special needs. ELL students will also have differentiated learning because of their skills. As such, I will use visual and auditory complements to make the learning better. I will also use repetition of terms while teaching the lesson, for example when defining living things and non-living things as well as when listing the characteristics. Emphasis will also entail saying the name of objects as often as possible so that ELL students can remember them Since there are students who are on IEP and 504 plans, I will be reading loudly everything I write on the board to help them be at par with others. ELL students may struggle to follow up with other students due to language barriers. I will alter the instructional strategies by reducing the pace of teaching to ensure they follow in the same way as other students. Students who are moving slowly will be given supplementary material while those who move faster will be given advanced material that will help them slow down I will be speaking slower and use more gestures and visual cues during the lesson to accommodate all students. The content will be the same but delivered in a different way to accommodate all students. Pictures and charts will be used as visual displays to augment the class readings and accommodate students with special needs in class I will use pictures and symbols to represent written texts to ELL students and those with special needs. This lesson will be tailored to individual needs by pairing struggling students with those who are more capable. This will provide an opportunity for students with special needs to learn through visual and auditory activities. I will end the lesson by asking students whether they can make changes to the original list they made about living and non-living things. |
Time Needed |
Multiple Means of EngagementThe lesson will require students to work in groups and also individually to complete activities of the teaching. The students will work in groups of two and asked to categorize materials as living or non-living based on their characteristics. One group will work on living things by naming as many things as they can. The second group will be tasked with non-living things, giving all types of nonliving things and explaining why they selected them. There will also be a question and answer session where I will be asking students to discuss what they learned in class. I will have students talk with each other the characteristics of living things and record their responses on the interactive smartboard. In the same groups, I will require students to brainstorm answers to questions such as characteristics of living things, aspects of nonliving things and what differentiates the two from each other. I will model one example of living and non-living things by setting up and displaying a goldfish habitat in a fishbowl. I will then place a rock beside the fishbowl and have students observe them and discuss any differences in their behavior. I will present the living organisms present in class and have children closely observe them to describe their characteristics. For example, they will look at the live rabbit and observe its components such as the eyes, their movement, how they eat and other features Students will then compare the living rabbit with a hamster or plastic bird to examine whether they can breathe, move or eat, I will then have them choose a partner and work in pairs to classify each example as living or non-living. At the same time, I will provide a list of living and non-living things mixed and ask students to categorize the items into specific groups During the presentation, I will ask students to name the living things they know such as plants and animals and ask them to make a long list of as, many plants and animals as possible. Students will then have to focus on living things only by classifying them into similar groups and in their broadest sense, such as plants, birds, fish, insects, and animals. I will also find out what the students know about living things by asking whether they own a pet at home. I will then have each student draw or paint pictures of a living thing and a non-living thing and add captions. I will use direct observation to gain a more comprehensive understanding of students, which includes walking around the classroom to monitor them while they work and record the progress. I will place the living organisms in a safe place and provide them with food and water then ask the student to observe if they move and eat. I will then place the non-living material to food and water and ask them to watch whether they walk and eat. I will divide students into interest groups based on their abilities and have them draw or paint their favorite animal and caption. The groups will put into consideration the different capabilities of students to learn and master content. For example, I will have students work in groups according to their language ability. Another strategy will be pairing ELL students with other students with a better grasp of English to support them during the lesson in understanding things. To increase engagement, I will spend more time with low ability students since they spend more time before understanding a concept. I will adjust teaching strategies and the classroom environment to help students with disabilities as well as monitor their progress. I will also provide reading material with essential vocabulary for the ELL students and other pupils with special needs. I will have students in need of enrichment draw objects on a paper that are living and explain why they classify them as a living object. After completing the task, I will ask students to explain the differences between living things and non-living things. I will also have students mime the ways different animals move, and others guess the animals to determine whether they understand their distinguishing characteristics. |
Time Needed |
Multiple Means of ExpressionI will require students to complete a one-page paragraph reflection of the lesson on the characteristics of living things and how to differentiate from non-living things. They will write a paragraph describing the features of living things and non-living things as learned in class. I will have them outline what differentiates living things from non-living things. All students will get a chance to share their ideas and answers regarding the lesson, helping them to put concepts into words and discuss with other students. The lesson plan will use formative assessment techniques to determine students in need of additional practice or reteaching and work with them individually or in small groups to reinforce the understanding of new vocabulary. Assessment of students will be based on how they will do in the sorting activity. Each student will be expected to move around the room and find a non-living thing. I will ask students questions after they have watched the living and non-living things video by Lindsay Schemm to describe what they have observed from the video. Students will be raising their hands to get a chance before speaking their points, which will be received with a positive impact. Students will also be required to participate in the hula hoop exercise. I will place the two hula hoops on the ground and present students with various living and non-living things from the materials in class. Each student will be called upon to the hula hoops and place objects in the hula hoops in wither the living and non-living category. Differentiation will also happen during the assessment. While gifted students will be required to write a whole page on what they learned in class regarding living and non-living things, ELL students will write a short paragraph instead of an entire page. Giving a written homework assignment will also be differentiated among students in the class. I will differentiate assignments for ELL students and others with special needs. ELL students will be given tests with more straightforward language and definition compared to the gifted students. For example, I will ensure all students have a fair amount of time to complete their work. Differentiation will be employed to ensure students understand the concept and can demonstrate it in class. The distinction will be in several areas including questioning and support. For example, I will ask stronger students questions that require higher-level analysis skills such as inference compared to ELL students whom I will ask direct questions with easy vocabulary. |
Time Needed |
|
Extension Activity and/or Homework After the lesson, I will provide extension activities and homework tasks as appropriate to help students in their mastering of the concept. I will require students to carefully observe the animals at home and describe their characteristics as part of the homework. This will entail observing the way they move, how they eat and how they breathe then note it down to present in class the following lesson. The extension activity will require students to classify activities on whether they are living or non-living by naming and giving a reason for the classification. Students should be able to show an understanding of living and non-living things through the grouping of pictures. They should be able to recognize the fundamental needs for all living things including food, air, and water. The assignment will require students to write at least four characteristics of living things as part of the formal assessment to help monitor students. I will be asking students to illustrate having learned new vocabulary that gives an opportunity to assess |
Time Needed |
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Writeup
The student’ enthusiasm for this lesson reinforces the importance of hands-on, active learning for grade one students, especially in teaching science. The reading helped students to come up with concepts about living things by observation as well as adapt how to learn through practice by observing the materials provided in class and deduce information. They made observations from pictures, videos and other materials in class showing that they can understand a broader meaning through observation.
Opportunities for growth in this assignment entails designing a reteach session for students with special needs who are yet to conceptualize the lesson on living things and non-living things. The reteach will entail spending more time with low ability students since they spend more time before understanding a concept. I will adjust teaching strategies and the classroom environment to help students with disabilities as well as monitor their progress, which requires paying more attention in what the student does on their own and in groups accompanied with appropriate feedback. I will also provide reading material with essential vocabulary for the ELL students and other pupils with special needs.
Next, I will develop effective teaching by creating a supportive learning environment for students with special needs. I will look towards ensuring all students participate in the lesson and through communication and providing of feedback. The effective teaching strategies will focus on using evidence-based teaching strategies in this lesson which entails cooperative learning, inquiry-based instruction, use of case studies as well as providing formal assessment to evaluate their understanding of the lesson. The focus of these teaching styles is to increase engagement and involvement in the lesson that increases their chances of understanding. For example, the formal assessment helps understand whether students understood the topic and provides an opportunity for feedback on their performance. Using real life animals to illustrate the point also helped students to develop critical thinking skills as well as cooperative learning, since students are more inductive than deductive in reasoning. Realia was used in the lesson as a teaching tool allowing the student to connect to the world.
I used differentiation in this paper to cater for the needs of students with special needs. Differentiation came in different ways including the use of pictures and symbols to represent written texts to ELL students and those with special needs. The focus on students with special needs entailed providing verbal, visual and technology aids at the same time to help students connect the dots and master content with ease. The students need differentiated learning because of their skills that necessitates the use of visual and auditory complements to make the learning better.
Clear communication was another strategy to ensure all the learning needs are met. In this lesson, clear communication entailed speaking loudly while reding the pace of speech to ensure no students miss out on the message. I was communicating clearly and consistently to ensure all students get the content without any distortion, which entailed using repetitive phrases to emphasize the point and ensure students are at par with understanding the topic. At the same time, the lesson involved using language and vocabulary that is easy for everyone to understand while avoiding colloquialisms and jargon that can affect ESL students in the class. I also deployed differentiation techniques when assessing students to ensure their tests are not complex compared to other students in terms of vocabulary used and requirements in the test.
In future, I will be observing students as they participate in activities and use it to assess their knowledge of the concept. The assessment will entail the completed journal of their observation on the characteristics of living and non-living things to determine how well they have mastered the content. I will also tailor the lesson to accommodate individual needs by pairing struggling students with those who are more capable and ensuring they learn from each other. Sometimes learning from fellow students appear to have more impact on the student, and this strategy utilizes the concept.
