EdTPA Lesson Plan Format, Grades 1 6

Fordham University Graduate School of Education

WHAT BEAR GOES WHERE?
CONTEXT &
DEMOGRAPHICS

EXPLANATION
Animal Charades will be facilitated to kick off the Animal Diversity unit. The key objectives of the lesson is
to aid students in defining the concept of wildlife and to distinguish between domesticated and wild animals.
The objectives of the lesson align with the New York City Department of Education K-5 Scope and Sequence
key ideas and science standards. This lesson will be used as an informal assessment to gauge student
knowledge of / familiarity with different animals. Student participation in Animal Charades will inform and
guide the teachers engagement and support of students throughout the unit.
Animal Diversity is planned for a 1st grade class of 25 students, in a New York City Department of
Education Public School located in a middle to low-income community. Six children in the class have an
individual education plan (IEP) and receive services for speech therapy, occupational therapy, and guidance
counseling. There are no English Language Learners in the class, and student reading levels range between B
and H.

CENTRAL FOCUS or
ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Can we build an environment where each the Polar Bear, Black Bear and Grizzly Bear can survive? What
would we have to provide them so they can live in their habitats?

LEARNING TARGETS &

ASSESSMENTS

Following Which Bear Goes Where? students will be able to identify the three different North American bear
species, their habitats, and the adaptations they have undergone for survival.

(AIM / OBJECTIVE)

As students create their posters, they also converse with the teacher, explaining their steps. Their selection of
images to create their poster, will be a gateway for student assessment of understanding. Through the activity
they will develop a clear understanding of a habitat, adapt, and survival.
Pre-assessment will have be conducted during previous lessons earlier in the week, when students shared out
information about the different bear species during the Morning Meeting.

NYS Common Core

STANDARDS

Key Ideas:
LE. Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.
LE. Key Idea 2: Individual organisms and species change over time.
LE. Key Idea 4: The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development.
NYC Science Standards:
-

Academic Language

Each animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and
reproduction.
Animals need air, water, and food in order to live and thrive.
In order to survive in their environment, plants and animals must adapt to that environment.

Directional:
-

poster: large printed picture used to display information or for decoration

Content Specific:
-

adapt: to adjust to new conditions

habitat: the natural home or environment of an animal

survival: efforts taken to continue to live

Language Function:
-

information: facts provided or learned about something or someone

GROUPING

The grouping for this lesson will be:

Day 1:
- whole group: for students to receive instruction, be broken into groups of three, and receive poster
materials - 5 minutes
-

three medium-sized groups (8 students each): students are broke up into three groups of eight to
create the posters - 20 minutes

whole group: clean up and transition - 5 minutes

Day 2:

PRIOR ACADEMIC
LEARNING AND
PREREQUISTE SKILLS
MATERIALS
/RESOURCES

three medium-sized groups (8 students each): students are broke up into three groups of eight to
create the posters - 15 minutes

whole group: clean up and return to carpet - 5 minutes

whole group: for students to discuss what they have learned about the bears, and where they live 15 minutes

Students will need to be familiar with Polar Bears, Black Bears, and Grizzly Bears. They will have learned
about these bears over the course of several days through the daily read aloud, and an evening homework
assignment, and through three brief videos.
The materials necessary for this lesson are:
-

INSTRUCTIONAL
SEQUENCE

printouts of the three bears: a Polar Bear, a Black Bear, a Grizzly Bear
poster board
construction paper
scissors
glue
poster paper
crayons
checklist of what students need to include on the poster (food, water, shelter, and space/habitat)

Motivation or Hook
Can you recreate the habitat a polar bear, black bear or grizzly bear lives in?
Procedures
Day 1:
Teacher calls students to the rug and explains they will be making posters that put a polar bear, black bear, or
grizzly bear in the type of habitat they live in, including the different things they need to survive.
The teacher explains they will be given construction paper and crayons/colored pencils to create images of
the items the bear would need. They will also be given a poster board and an image of their bear for it.
Students are showed a mini version of what they should create. Teacher notes that they also need to label
what they have included on their poster, and can use clues from our bear books and homework pages if they
need help spelling a word.
Students are then broke into three groups and given a checklist to follow as they collaborate and work as a
team.
Three students are asked to distribute the supplies from the back of the room. Then students are told to go to
their group tables, and to begin work.

Rev. 11/2015 Moliterno/Caballero/Huber

To end this first day, students clean up and set their posters aside.
Day 2:
Students have the opportunity to continue their poster for an additional 15 minutes, before cleaning up.
Closing
All students return to the carpet, and the groups share out their bear poster.
Students then return to their seat to do an exit ticket.
MODIFICATIONS FOR
DIVERSE LEARNERS

The classroom para will provide additional support to the six students with IEPs throughout the lesson,
should they require it.

FOLLOW-UP &
STUDENT WORK
SAMPLES
FORMAL ASSESSMENT
& STUDENT VOICE

Students will be required to complete an exit ticket at the end of the simulation, writing some information
about one of the three bears.
The exit ticket completed by students will be formally assessed for understanding of the students selected
bears habitat, adaptations for survival, etc.
Additionally, students nightly homework assignments will be reviewed for effort, and their participation in
Morning Meeting earlier in the week will be assessed as a gateway for understanding. Students choose what
information to write about and share with their classmates each night.
Student understanding of the three bears habitats and survival efforts, and adaptations will also be assessed
during the closing conversation, during Part II of the simulation.

TEACHER
SELF-ASSESSMENT

Teacher self-assessment to be completed following the lesson.

Anticipated issues:
-

students do not understand what makes up each of the bears habitats, food sources, survival
techniques, etc.
students cannot work together to create the posters

Rev. 11/2015 Moliterno/Caballero/Huber