1st Grade-Monsters We Are!

Grade Level: 1st
Lesson Developer: Saba Syed
Lesson Plan Title: Monsters We Are!
Concept / Topic To Teach:  
Science: Science is embedded in our daily lives. Students learn science the best when it is tied in with hands-on experiences. 
Writing: Writing is the core of every learning. No learning is complete without the essence of writing. Making students'  put their thoughts on a piece of  paper allow their brains to process well and articulate the learning as a whole.
Art: It allows students to give a picture to their thoughts. Using different mediums and tools helps in developing students' fine motor skills. 
Standards Addressed: 
Science: 
Strand 4: Life Science 
Life Science expands students’ biological understanding of life by focusing on the characteristics of living 
things, the diversity of life, and how organisms and populations change over time in terms of biological 
adaptation and genetics.  This understanding includes the relationship of structures to their functions and 
life cycles, interrelationships of matter and energy in living organisms, and the interactions of living 
organisms with their environment. 
Concept 1:  Characteristics of Organisms 
Understand that basic structures in plants and animals serve a function. 
PO 1.  Identify the following as characteristics of living things: 
• growth and development 
• reproduction 
• response to stimulus
Writing:
Strand 2: Writing Components 
This strand focuses on the elements of effective writing.  Good writing instruction incorporates 
multiple performance objectives into an integrated experience of learning for the student.  
Throughout the process, students should reflect on their own writing skills, set goals, and 
evaluate their own progress. The order of the concepts and performance objectives is not 
intended to indicate a progression or hierarchy for writing instruction.  Instructional activities 
may focus on just one concept or many.
Concept 4: Word Choice 
Word choice reflects the writer’s use of specific words and phrases to convey the intended message 
and employs a variety of words that are functional and appropriate to the audience and purpose. 
PO 1.  Select words that convey a clear, general meaning. 
Art:
Strand 1: Create
Concept  2: Materials, Tools, and Techniques 
The student will use materials, tools, and techniques in his or her own artwork.
PO  002.  Use materials, tools, and techniques appropriately in his or her own artwork.
General Goal(s): The students will learn about the creatures that call Sonoran Desert their home. They will gain in-depth knowledge about gila monsters. 
Specific Objectives: The students will collect data on gila monster and will create a poster which will include the facts and its pictures using their choice of art medium and tools. 
Required Materials: Colored construction papers, pencils, paints, colored pencils, markers, crayons. Internet, computer, printer, and white paper if students plan to print picture from internet. 
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In): Students will watch the Xtranormal video from the gila monster sub page. After watching the picture, the teacher will discuss what they learned from it.
Step-By-Step Procedures: 
  • The students will watch Xtranormal video from the Gila Monster sub page.
  • The teacher and the students will go over the introduction, who am I, where do I live, what do I eat, how do I look, and how do I reproduce, together. 
  • The teacher will read aloud all the above mentioned information provided on the sub page. 
  • The students will get all the information in a first person format such that gila monster is giving its own information. 
  • The students will also study the pictures along with the text.
  • The teacher will also provide some fun facts about gila monster.
Plan For Independent Practice: The students will spark up their imagination and create a mini poster of gila monster. The students will use a colored construction paper (8”x11”) for this super creative activity. The poster must include at least 1 picture (hand drawn or printed), and at least 3 hand written cool facts about the gila monster. The students can color it any way they want, using crayons, markers, paints, or colored pencils. 
Assessment Based On Objectives: The students will use the assessment from the sub page. 
Closure: The students will share their posters in a form of road show. The students will go around all the posters and will further enhance their learning.
Adaptations (For Students With Learning Disabilities): The students with learning disabilities will write at least 1 hand written fact. 
Extensions (For Gifted Students): Gifted students will extend their learning by making a bigger poster with at least 2 pictures and at least 4 hand written facts.
Possible Connections To Other Subjects: The students will gain a multi-content learning from this lesson. The students are learning about life science and how organisms grow, develop, reproduce, and respond to stimulus,  writing facts selecting words that convey a clear, specific meaning, and enhancing their creativity and fine motor skills by creating a project using different art materials and tools. 
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