Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Lesson Developer: Raimee Mawson
Lesson Plan Title: Let’s Explore the Sonoran Desert
Concept / Topic to Teach:
Standards Addressed: 2nd Grade Science
· Strand 1: Inquiry Process – This establishes the basis for students’ learning in science. Students use scientific processes: questioning, planning, and conducting investigations, using tools and techniques to gather data, thinking critically and logically about relationships between evidence and explanations, and communicating results.
o Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling) – Participate in planning and conducting investigations, and recording data.
§ PO 4: Record data from guided investigations in an organized and appropriate format (e.g., lab book, log, notebook, chart paper)
o Concept 4: Communication – Communicate results of investigation
§ PO 1: Communicate the results and conclusions of an investigation (e.g., verbal, drawn, or written).
General Goal(s): To educate students on the Sonoran Desert.
Specific Objectives: The student will create a booklet with details about a crawler, vegetation, wildlife, snake, and lizard. They will compile the information they have investigated into a simple book that they will be able to refer to.
Required Materials: Computer, internet access, Word (or a compatible program), paper, pencils, markers, crayons, and a stapler.
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In): Do you love to read? What is better than learning from a book that you make yourself? Well here is your chance to be a great author of your own book! Now start thinking about the title you will use, the books topic is Sonoran Desert, and you will use this website to help you complete it.
Step-By-Step Procedures:
· Start by reviewing the website. Really get a feel for the different animals and vegetation.
· Next chose one crawler, one vegetation, one wildlife, one lizard, and one snake. These can be your favorite or even the ones you found the most interesting.
· Now use the book template attached or make your own.
· (To make your own just get sheets of paper (6) and staple them in the middle to make the fold of the book).
· Begin designing and adding to your book. You can use pictures you draw or print from the internet.
· You will need to become like an investigator not. Search the pages of the crawler, vegetation, wildlife, lizard, and snake you choose. Make sure you watch the movie and read the descriptions, also take the assessment to see what you know.
· For the description of each you will need to answer these simple questions:
o Who am I?
o What is my habitat like?
o How do I look? (describe what I look like)
o Why did you choose me for your special book?
· When you have completed the investigation, compile you book to suit your image of what your book should look like. Don’t forget that exciting title you have been thinking of. Be creative and have fun with the design, you are the author!
· When you have completed your book share it with others. Teach them about what you have learned and use your book to help you.
Plan For Independent Practice:
- Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set): Now that you are completed with your book. Think about what you have just accomplished. You were an investigator to gather the data you need. You were then an artist and author to complete your book. Those are all fun things to be all at once!
- Assessment Based On Objectives: The student has taken the data he/she recorded and compiled a book. He/She was able to gather information and present it in a written form, and even verbally if he/she chose to read the book.
- Adaptations (For Students With Learning Disabilities): Students can choose to do one or two animals for their book. They can also draw the pictures of what they chose and just write the name of what they chose.
- Extensions (For Gifted Students): Make a more elaborate book. Make the description into a paragraph (5+ sentences), also draw the pictures to correlate with the description, so for example add a picture of what the animal eats or where they sleep.
- Possible Connections To Other Subjects: Writing Standard – Strand 3– Concept 6 – PO 1, Strand 1 – Concept 1-5,