Total Duration: |
91 to 120 Minutes |
Materials and Resources: |
Student Materials
Teacher Materials
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Technology Resources Needed: |
Teacher Technology Resources
Student Technology Resources
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Background/Preparation: |
Student Background Information: Students will need to be familiar with the terms trait and environment and how these terms relate to living things. Students will need to have background knowledge regarding the different habitats of living things, which is related to the Second Grade Alabama Course of Study Standard 7: 7.) Obtain information from literature and other media to illustrate that there are many different kinds of living things and that they exist in different places on land and in water (e.g., woodland, tundra, desert, rainforest, ocean, river). This lesson will require students to conduct research using print or digital sources and take brief notes. This lesson will also require students to develop an explanatory writing piece in a claim-evidence-reasoning format. If students do not have experience with these two skills, the teacher may wish to provide more scaffolding and support during the after strategy of this lesson. Teacher Background Information: There are many arctic animals that experience a seasonal change in fur color, such as the arctic hare and the arctic fox. Scientists are not completely sure why this change happens for some animals but does not happen for others, such as polar bears, although they have hypothesized that the animals’ seasonal change in fur color does provide some evolutionary advantages. First, the animals that experience a seasonal change in fur color are able to camouflage themselves during the snowy seasons and also during the summer, when the snow melts. Also, scientists believe that white fur, which lacks melanin, leaves air spaces in the animal's hair shaft which provides an extra layer of insulation. The beginning portion of this lesson will focus on the arctic fox, but students will have the opportunity to conduct research on other animals that experience a seasonal change in fur color. Please see these two websites for additional information about these animals: Arctic Fox article from National Geographic and 7 Animals That Turn White in Winter article from Britannica. This lesson will conclude with a writing project that will follow the claim-evidence-reasoning format. If the teacher is unfamiliar with this method of scientific writing, he or she can visit “Claims and Evidence” from Ambitious Science Teaching to learn more about this strategy. If the students will not have access to internet-capable devices for research during the lesson, the teacher should locate non-fiction texts related to some of the animals described in the 7 Animals That Turn White in Winter article from Britannica. |
Before Strategy/Engage: 20 minutes
During Strategy/Explore & Explain: 20 minutes
After Strategy/Explain & Elaborate: 60+ minutes
-In the claim section, the students should write the name of their chosen animal in the blank, then circle can or cannot to complete the claim. Example: The traits of the arctic hare can be influenced by its environment. -In the evidence section, the students should write a fact they learned about their animal during their research to prove that their claim is true. Example: In my research, I found that arctic hares change from a brownish-gray color in the summer to white in the winter. -In the reasoning section, the students should explain how and why the traits of their chosen animal are influenced by its environment. Example: The reason for this is because the brownish-gray fur helps the arctic hare camouflage in the summer, but white fur helps it camouflage itself better in the winter. 6. Lastly, the teacher should allow students to re-write their claim, evidence, and reasoning on a new sheet of paper. The teacher may wish to proofread the student’s writing before they create a final draft, or allow students to peer edit each other’s paper for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. After students rewrite their claim, evidence, and reasoning statements, they should add an illustration to their writing that helps to show how their chosen animal’s traits are influenced by its environment. For example, the students could draw the arctic hare with brownish-gray fur in a summer scene, and an arctic hare with white fur in a winter scene. |
Assessment Strategies |
Formative Assessment: The teacher should informally assess students in the before strategy as students share information related to animal traits and their environment. In addition, the teacher should assess students’ current knowledge of the topic of this lesson as students share their initial responses to the essential question. The teacher should informally assess students in the during strategy of the lesson as the class works together to create the T-chart related the arctic hare. The teacher should observe students during the after strategy of this lesson as students research their chosen animal to ensure students are collecting accurate information that will be useful in the writing project. The teacher should review each student’s Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Graphic Organizer to ensure students have followed directions and understand each section of the graphic organizer. Summative Assessment: To formally assess students, the teacher should review each student’s final draft of the writing piece. The teacher can ensure the student met the objectives of this lesson by assessing student’s writing using the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Checklist. |
Acceleration: |
To further explore the concepts of this lesson, students requiring acceleration can explore the Peppered Moths-Natural Selection in Black and White Interactive Game. This game will show students a real-world example of how an animal’s traits can be influenced by its environment. In addition, students will explore how an animal’s traits can impact its survival. |
Intervention: |
The teacher should be sure that students who require intervention strategies are provided with additional help and scaffolding while researching and completing the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Graphic Organizer. In addition, the teacher or a peer may provide additional assistance during the after strategy of the lesson, while students are completing the final draft of their writing piece. Students who struggle with writing may dictate their writing to the teacher or a peer.
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View the Special Education resources for
instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations
for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.
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