Awesome Animal Adaptations: Rationale

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Unit Goal

The purpose of this unit is for students to learn the about animal adaptations through an integrated curriculum approach. The essential question is: How do changes in animals help them survive in their environment? Students will answer this question through participation in group work, research, investigations and projects in Mathematics, Reading, Language, Writing and Science.

Prior Knowledge

Prior to this unit, the students have studied classifying animals, ecosystems and habitats. They have learned to measure to the nearest inch and have experience using rulers from previous grades. They have discussed informational texts and text features during their library pull outs. They have knowledge and experience researching, working with computers, and doing experiments. This unit will build on and extend their current knowledge.

Standards:

Science –

3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

3-LS4-2 Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.

Mathematics –

AR.Math.Content.3.MD.B.4 Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch.

AR.Math.Content.3.MD.A.2 Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units such as: grams (g), kilograms (kg), liters (l), gallons (gal), quarts (qt), pints (pt), and cups (c)

Reading –

RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

RI.3.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

Language –

L.3.1.A Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.

L.3.1.D Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Writing –

W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

W.3.3.B Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.

W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

Objectives

Throughout this unit, the students will investigate animal adaptations with an 85% accuracy (DOK 3, BL 4). During the first week, the students will research the physical differences of animals through texts and internet sources with an 85% accuracy (DOK 3, BL 4). Over the course of the second week, the students will research how an animal’s adaptations help it survive through investigations and text with an 85% accuracy (DOK 3, BL 4). Through their final project, the students will create their own frog with adaptations that will aid it in survival 85% accuracy (DOK 4, BL 6).

Topic

This unit is focused around animals, specifically animal adaptations. Students encounter animals every day. Most children enjoy animals and are naturally interested in and curious about them and their uniqueness. This unit offers opportunities for them to research and explore questions they have about animals; how they are different, how they change, how their differences help them survive. It provides an experience in which students can experiment with using different types of “beaks,” and how this affects what foods they could eat. This topic would be most engaging after students have learned about animals or different habitats, and are naturally questioning why some animals are able to survive in certain environments and others are not.

The topic provides an opportunity for natural integration of subjects. Animal adaptations is a scientific topic, but informational texts are an excellent source to learn about this. Physical characteristics and adaptations of animals offer an excellent chance for students to measure length and mass. Students’ natural curiosity about this topic makes for an engaging research prospect, which students may write about. This topic also provides an opportunity for students to get creative and imagine their own types of adaptations that could help an animal survive in certain environments.

Developmental Appropriateness:

Awesome Animal Adaptations is developmentally appropriate for third grade students. It is based on Arkansas Frameworks and Next Generation Science Standards for third grade. According to Next Generation Science Standards, this is the age when students should be learning about why certain traits of animals may change and how this aids in survival. This is just one of the subtopics covered in this unit. In addition, the unit provides instruction using whole group, small group and independent activities to scaffold learning, as well as a variety of assessments.

List of Unit Outcomes:

Upon completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

· Define adaptation.

· Explain why animals adapt.

· Explain how adaptations aid in an animal’s survival.

· Research using a variety of tools (e.g. texts, internet, and experiments).

· Perform and record results of an experiment.

· Measure to the nearest half and fourth inch.

· Estimate the mass of an object in grams or kilograms.

· Identify the main idea of a text.

· Identify sequence and cause/effect in a text.

· Write about information they accumulate through research.

· Identify action, helping and linking verbs.

· Ensure subject/verb agreement.

· Create an informational booklet by synthesizing information accumulated through

The skills taught in this unit are important for students to know. Many of them the foundation students will need for success in later classes and life. It is vital to this unit that students are asked often to think about when they may use these skills in real life. They may be asked to think of jobs in which measurement is crucial, or when they may need to measure something around their house. They may be asked to think of examples of animal adaptation they see in everyday life, such as a raccoon learning to find food in trash cans to adapt to humans. This unit will be most successful when clearly connected to real life and proven applicable beyond the classroom.

Methods of Instruction:

This unit incorporates a variety of methods of instruction. This unit is primarily designed to be student-centered and based off of student questions and ideas. The teacher will act as a supporter and present ideas for the sole purpose that students build off of them. Literacy instruction will be accomplished through whole group shared reading, small group guided reading, and independent graphic organizers. Formal writing will be completed independently based on independent research. Language instruction will be done whole group, with small group and individual activities for support. Mathematics instruction will begin with whole group teaching, go into small group hands-on activities and end with independent practice or assessment. Science information will be incorporated through small inquiry groups and collaborative learning, as well as individual research.

Strategies for Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences:

The concept of multiple intelligences is an extremely important one to consider when planning instruction. Accordingly, this unit was designed to accommodate many intelligences and learning styles. There are many different activities that provide opportunities for success for many intelligences. For example, research, writing and reading activities will be good for verbal-linguistic intelligences. Logical-mathematical students will find enjoyment with the measurement activities. Both interpersonal and intrapersonal students will find comfort in the equal opportunities to work in small groups and independently in the variety of activities.

Visual-spatial intelligences will enjoy the many graphic organizers, and the opportunities to create their own tables in several of the activities. They will have the opportunity to create and draw many of the subjects we measure during the first week of the unit. Bodily-kinesthetic students will appreciate the subject/verb agreement game in which they are able to move around the room to answer questions, as well as being able to physically use “beaks” to pick up different foods in one of the experiments. In order to further include students with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, the unit may include asking students to move like certain animals. For those students who have a musical intelligence, I will incorporate songs that help them learn about adaptations, such as the Adaptation rap from Flocabulary. Those students with a naturalist intelligence will enjoy discussing the environments animals live in and how they affect an animal’s traits.

Examples of Modifications and Adaptations:

The lessons and activities in this unit include accommodations for academic, behavioral, cultural and physical diversities. There are three special education students in my classroom. They all three get pulled out for reading. I will read any directions and problems in other subjects to them. I will give them lower fluency passages to work on during language arts assignments. Two of these students get pulled out for math. For these two, I will change the numbers on problems to lower level math. I will also give them the option of working on educational math apps on the iPad when they are overwhelmed or cannot complete a math assignment. There are five students in my class who are allotted extra time to complete assignments, which I will give them. I will use homogeneous groups during reading to better instruct different reading levels. For all other subjects, I will use heterogeneous groups to scaffold learning.

There are two students who have difficulty listening and following directions. I will write most or all of my instructions on the board for them to reference when they cannot process the verbal information. I will use proximity control to monitor their behavior and keep them on task. There are four English Language Learners in my class. I will ensure that they understand what they are supposed to be doing, and repeat or clarify instructions when necessary. Most importantly, I will explain vocabulary I anticipate will be difficult or confusing for them. We will discuss in what parts of the world different animals live, and how this may affect their adaptations. I will consult the ELL specialist at the school for any extra adjustments I feel are necessary.

One student in the classroom is missing her left arm from the elbow down. She needs little to no adaptations or modifications. However, I will make sure she is able to fully participate in every activity in this unit. For example, I will allow the students to work with partners for most of the measurement activities in order to accommodate her.

Parental Involvement:

This unit contains a parent letter explaining the theme and student learning expectations. Attached in the letter was a schedule of the Animals of the Day for the span of the unit. The purpose of this was to encourage parents to talk about these animals at home and hopefully allow their children to do some research. Also included were several websites for parents to visit with their children. These gave information about animal adaptation and some had games that supported the learning. The goal of this was to extend the learning into the home and get families involved in a fun way.

References