ALEX Classroom Resource

  

Digging Up Details on Worms: Using the Language of Science in an Inquiry Study

  Classroom Resource Information  

Title:

 Digging Up Details on Worms: Using the Language of Science in an Inquiry Study

URL:

 http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/digging-details-worms-using-917.html

Content Source:

 ReadWriteThink
Type: Lesson/Unit Plan

Overview:

Foregrounding scientific vocabulary, these integrated lesson plans invite students to research worms in order to create a classroom habitat. Students are first introduced to inquiry notebooks and then use them to record what they already know about worms. Next, students observe the cover of a fiction book about worms and make a hypothesis on whether the book is fact or fiction, and then check their hypotheses after the book is read aloud. Next, after an introduction to related scientific words such as hypothesis, habitat, attribute, predator, and prey, students conduct and record research and findings in their inquiry notebooks. Once they have gathered the necessary information, students plan and build a worm habitat, which becomes the springboard for further scientific exploration, observation, and experimentation.

Content Standard(s):
Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: K
5 ) Construct a model of a natural habitat (e.g., terrarium, ant farm, diorama) conducive to meeting the needs of plants and animals native to Alabama.

NAEP Framework
NAEP Statement::
L4.1: Organisms need food, water, and air; a way to dispose of waste; and an environment in which they can live.*

NAEP Statement::
L4.2: Organisms have basic needs. Animals require air, water, and a source of energy and building material for growth and repair. Plants also require light.

NAEP Statement::
L4.3: Organisms interact and are interdependent in various ways, including providing food and shelter to one another. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their needs are met. Some interactions are beneficial; others are detrimental to the organism and other organisms.

NAEP Statement::
L4.4: When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce; others die or move to new locations.

Unpacked Content
Scientific And Engineering Practices:
Developing and Using Models
Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models
Disciplinary Core Idea: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Construct a model of a natural habitat conducive to meeting the needs of plants and animals native to Alabama.
  • Use the model to describe the relationships between the different plants and animals and the materials they need to survive.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Construct
  • Model
  • Natural
  • Habitat
  • Conducive
  • Needs
  • Plants
  • Animals
  • Native
  • Alabama
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • Needs of plants and animals native to Alabama.
  • How to construct a model of a natural habitat and can identify and describe the components of the model
  • Places where the different plants and animals live.
  • The relationship between where plants and animals live and the resources those places provide
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Construct a model of interactions that occur in a natural habitat.
  • Use a model to represent and describe the relationships between the components.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • Systems in the natural environments of Alabama have parts that work together and can be represented.
AMSTI Resources:
AMSTI Module:
Plants and Animals
*Exploring Plants and Animals, STC
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SCI.AAS.K.5- Participate in the construction and/or care of a model habitat of plants and animals native to Alabama.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: K
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R1.
  • Active listening
  • Discussion
  • Conversation
  • Rules
  • Participation
Knowledge:
R1. Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • How to engage in discussions and conversations in a variety of settings.
  • Agreed-upon rules for participation.
Skills:
R1. Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings.
  • Converse in pairs, small groups, and large groups.
  • Practice the agreed-upon rules for participation.
Understanding:
R1. Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow agreed-upon rules which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: K
2. Actively engage in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers to build background knowledge needed to be successful as they learn to read and, later, read to learn.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
2.
  • Actively engage
  • Teacher-led reading experiences
  • Collaborative discussions
  • Background knowledge
  • Peers
Knowledge:
2. Students know:
  • How to engage in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers to build background knowledge.
Skills:
2. Students are able to:
  • Build background knowledge by actively engaging in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers.
Understanding:
2. Students understand that:
  • They need to build background knowledge to be successful as they learn to read and read to learn.
  • They need to actively engage in teacher-led reading experiences and discussions with peers to build their background knowledge.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: K
30. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
30.
  • Ask
  • Answer
  • Key details
  • Literary text
  • Informational text
  • Prompting
  • Support
Knowledge:
30. Students know:
  • Key details in literary and informational texts.
Skills:
30. Students are able to:
With prompting and support,
  • Ask questions about key details in literary and informational texts.
  • Answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts.
Understanding:
30. Students understand that:
  • Text includes key details.
  • After reading a text, knowledge and understanding can be expanded by asking and answering questions.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 1
16. Use grade-appropriate academic vocabulary in speaking and writing.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
16.
  • Grade-appropriate academic vocabulary
  • Speaking
  • Writing
Knowledge:
16. Students know:
  • Grade-appropriate academic vocabulary in spoken and written forms.
Skills:
16. Students are able to:
  • Identify grade-appropriate academic vocabulary.
  • Use grade-appropriate academic vocabulary in speaking and writing.
Understanding:
16. Students understand that:
  • Using grade-appropriate academic vocabulary expands their knowledge.
  • Academic vocabulary is more formal than their spoken, conversational language.
  • Building our vocabulary helps us to clearly express our ideas and share information with others.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
4. Orally answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about a text or conversation, using complete sentences to provide key ideas and details.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
4.
  • Orally
  • Who, what, when where, why, and how questions
  • Complete sentences
  • Key ideas
  • Key details
Knowledge:
4. Students know:
  • Key ideas and details should be included when answering questions.
  • Complete sentences, which contain a subject and a predicate, should be used when answering questions.
  • Who, when, and where questions will have a concrete, objective answer.
  • What, why, and how questions may have a more abstract, subjective answer.
Skills:
4. Students are able to:
  • Orally answer questions about a text or conversation using complete sentences that provide information about key ideas and details.
  • Orally answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about a text or conversation with appropriate key ideas and details.
Understanding:
4. Students understand that:
  • When answering who, what, when, where, why, and how questions they should provide key ideas and details from a text or conversation to demonstrate their comprehension.
  • Speaking in complete sentences helps them clearly communicate their message and their understanding.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
25. Identify and use various text features to locate ideas, facts, or supporting details in both written and digital formats.

a. Identify and locate captions, bold print, subheadings, indexes, graphs, maps, glossaries, and illustrations.

b. Explain how specific features can clarify a text or enhance comprehension.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
25.
  • Identify
  • Text features
  • Ideas
  • Facts
  • Supporting details
  • Written formats
  • Digital formats
25a.
  • Captions
  • Bold print
  • Subheadings
  • Indexes
  • Graphs
  • Maps
  • Glossaries
  • Illustrations
25b.
  • Features
  • Clarify
  • Enhance
  • Comprehension
Knowledge:
25. Students know:
  • Text features can be used to locate information in printed and digital text.
25a.
  • Captions, bold print, subheadings, indexes, graphs, maps, glossaries, and illustrations are important text features that can help provide or locate information.
25b.
  • Text features can clarify or enhance the meaning of text.
Skills:
25. Students are able to:
  • Identify text features in printed and digital text.
  • Use text features to locate ideas, facts, and supporting details.
25a.
  • Locate captions, bold print, subheads, indexes, graphs, maps, glossaries, and illustrations within a text.
  • Identify captions, bold print, subheads, indexes, graphs, maps, glossaries, and illustrations by naming them within a text.
25b.
  • Explain how text features can clarify the meaning of text.
  • Explain how text features can improve comprehension of text.
Understanding:
25. Students understand that:
  • Printed and digital text has predictable features that can be used to locate important ideas, facts, and supporting details.
  • Using text features helps support their overall comprehension.
25a.
  • Locating and identifying text features can aid in comprehension.
  • Viewing these text features prior to reading, can provide a preview of the material and give them a purpose for reading.
25b.
  • They can use text features to better understand, or comprehend, the meaning of a text.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
46. Gather and use research to answer questions to complete a research product.

a. Create topics of interest for a research project.

b. Create questions to gather information for a research project.

c. Find information from a variety of sources.

Examples: books, magazines, newspapers, digital media

d. Define plagiarism and explain the importance of using their own words.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
46.
  • Gather
  • Research
  • Questions
46a.
  • Create
  • Topics
  • Research project
46b.
  • Questions
46c.
  • Variety of sources
46d.
  • Plagiarism
Knowledge:
46. Students know:
  • Information must be gathered from a variety of sources, and the information can be used to answer questions.
46a.
  • A topic of interest must be selected before beginning a research project.
46b.
  • Generating questions and finding information to answer those questions is an important component of a research project.
46c.
  • A variety of sources can be used to find information and answer research questions.
46d.
  • Plagiarism is presenting someone else's words or ideas as their own without crediting the source.
Skills:
46. Students are able to:
  • Gather and use the research to answer questions and create a research product.
46a.
  • Generate a list of interesting topics for a research project.
46b.
  • Create questions and gather information to answer those questions to complete a research project.
46c.
  • Find information to answer research questions using a variety of sources, such as books, magazines, newspapers, or digital media.
46d.
  • Define plagiarism.
  • Explain the importance of using their own words in their writing.
Understanding:
46. Students understand that:
  • A research product requires gathering information from a variety of sources and using the research to answer questions.
46a.
  • Creating topics of interest prepares them for the writing process.
  • By creating topics of interest for a research project, they are completing the brainstorming part of a research project.
46b.
  • Asking questions helps get information for their research projects.
  • Creating questions helps guide their research and that questions may be changed or added based on answers to previous questions.
46c.
  • Information can come from a variety of sources.
  • They should use different sources to gather information for a research project.
46d.
  • It is important to use their own words and ideas in writing and/or presentations.
Tags: animal inquiry, attribute, classroom habitat, experimentation, hypothesis, inquiry notebooks, observation, predator, prey, science, scientific vocabulary, worms
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Author: Cassie Raulston
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