ALEX | Alabama Learning Exchange

Prairie Portrait Interactive Science Lesson

Classroom Resource Information

Title:

Prairie Portrait Interactive Science Lesson

URL:

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/net-sci-il-prairieportrait/prairie-portrait-interactive-science-lesson/

Content Source:

PBS

Type:

Lesson/Unit Plan

Overview:

Investigate a prairie inhabitant—the bee. Students gather information about a bee’s internal and external parts and use this information as evidence to make a claim about how the bee’s internal and external parts work together as a system to ensure survival. The lesson supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by focusing on an insect familiar to learners in most environments and providing contextual definitions for vocabulary as well as illustrations and video, helping learners from areas without prairie to engage with and understand the lesson.

This NET Nebraska student lesson uses the photographs, observation notes, and online blog from the Nature Conservancy’s Science Director, Chris Helzer. Helzer's photography is featured in his book, Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter.

Content Standard(s):

Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: 4

9 ) Examine evidence to support an argument that the internal and external structures of plants (e.g., thorns, leaves, stems, roots, colored petals, xylem, phloem) and animals (e.g., heart, stomach, lung, brain, skin) function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

NAEP Framework

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:

Engage in Argument from Evidence

Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models; Structure and Function

Disciplinary Core Idea: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Evidence Of Student Attainment:

Students:

Argue from evidence to support that the internal and external structures of plants function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Argue from evidence to support that the internal and external structures of animals function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

Teacher Vocabulary:

argue
articulate
evidence
internal
external
structure
survival
function
behavior
reproduction

Knowledge:

Students know:

Internal and External structures serve specific functions within plants and animals.
The functions of internal and external structures can support survival, growth, behavior and/or reproduction in plants and animals.
Different structures work together as part of a system to support survival, growth, behavior, and/or reproduction.

Skills:

Students are able to:

Articulate an explanation from evidence explaining how the internal and external structures of plants and animals function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Determine the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence collected, including whether or not it supports a claim about the role of internal and external structures of plants and animals in supporting survival, growth, behavior, and/or reproduction.
Use reasoning to connect the relevant and appropriate evidence to support an argument about the function of the internal and external structures of plants and animals.

Understanding:

Students understand that:

Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction.

AMSTI Resources:

AMSTI Module:
Animal Studies

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards

AAS Standard:
SCI.AAS.4.9- Identify basic parts of plants and animals.

Tags:

animal, bee, external, internal, structures

License Type:

Custom Permission Type
See Terms: https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/help/terms-of-use/#permitted
For full descriptions of license types and a guide to usage, visit :
https://creativecommons.org/licenses

Accessibility

Text Resources: Content is organized under headings and subheadings

Comments

PBSLearningMedia is free for teachers. Teachers need to create a free account to access all available resources.

This resource provided by:

Author:

Stephanie Carver

ALEX Classroom Resource

Prairie Portrait Interactive Science Lesson