Unit Overview

Unit Plan Title:

SUISUN MARSH ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS

Curriculum-Framing Questions

Essential Question

Why do living things adapt (in the wetlands)?

Unit Questions

What is adaptation?

How do plants and animals adapt to the wetland environment?

How could you adapt the human form for prolonged life in the wetlands?

Unit Summary:

Students will explore the wetland environment, which includes the plants, the birds and the animals.  They will investigate the relationship and the dependencies between these three groups.  They will demonstrate their understanding by describing the advantages of the adaptations of their chosen animal or bird.  This information will be presented through a PowerPoint presentation, a newsletter written in first person format, or the creation of a website.

Subject Area(s):

Grade Level:  

3-5

Targeted State Frameworks/Content Standards/Benchmarks:

3rd grade California Science Standards:
3.  Adaptations in physical structure or behavior may improve an organism’s chance for survival.

3^rd Grade California Writing Standards:

1.0 Writing Strategies: Students write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing shows they consider the audience and purpose. Students progress through the stages of the writing process (e.g., prewriting, drafting, revising, editing successive versions).

Listening and Speaking Standards:

2.0 Speaking Applications:  Students deliver brief recitations and oral presentations about familiar experiences or interests that are organized around a coherent thesis statement. Student speaking demonstrates a command of standard American English and the organization and delivery strategies outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0.

Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes:

-The student will be able to analyze how environmental changes affect plant and animal survival.

-The student will be able to explore how living things cause changes in the environment, and how the environment changes living things.

Procedures:

TEACHER SUPPORT (you may click on each hyperlink to view it OR right-click and save to your computer):

A. PowerPoint on the Suisun Marsh and animal adaptation
B. 3rd Grade Standards addressed in this unit
C. 3rd Grade Science Standards addressed in this unit
D. MLA Works Cited information (how to cite Internet references)
E. Newsletter rubric
F. PowerPoint rubric

Student Lessons:

1. The student will select a wetland animal or bird and investigate how it has adapted to its environment.
2. The student will examine and research their wetland animal or bird using the Internet,

             books and  other reference materials:

a. What do I already know?
b. PowerPoint Text Outline

3. The student will write and illustrate an expository report using:
   a. PowerPoint directions
   b. PowerPoint storyboard.
4. The student will present their adaptation report using PowerPoint.
   Examples to show students of what is expected:
   Cottontail rabbit adaptation
   Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse adaptation
5. The student will design a newsletter using Publisher, in which they will integrate their animal’s adaptations into a first person format.
   a. Newsletter directions
   b. Adaptation newsletter example (right-click and save as a Microsoft Publisher file - you must have this program to view this file).
   c. Harvest Mouse newsletter (right-click and save as a Publisher file)

Approximate Time Needed:

4-6 weeks

Prerequisite Skills:

-This unit would be the culmination of a unit study of the wetlands.

-Keyboarding skills

-Exposure to word processing and PowerPoint

Materials and Resources Required For Unit: This lesson plan is meant to be done in conjunction with the annual 3rd grade field trip to our local Suisun Marsh.

Technology – Hardware: computer(s), Internet, printer, projection system

Technology – Software:  desktop publishig (i.e. Publisher), Internet web browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, etc.), Multimedia (i.e. PowerPoint), and word processing (i.e. WORD)

Printed Materials:

Books on wetlands, animals, science textbooks

Supplies:

Internet Resources:

Students will be given acceptable Internet sites to conduct research on their animal.

Others:

Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction

Resource Student:

Assistance with research and organizing information will be given.  Resource students will be paired with on grade level students to complete the projects, and will receive outside assistance from the RSP teacher.  Additional time will be allowed if necessary.

Non-Native English Speaker:

Assistance with research and organizing information will be given.  Non-native English speakers will be paired with native English speakers to complete the projects, and will receive outside assistance from the ELL instructional assistant.  Additional time will be allowed if necessary.

Gifted Student:

The gifted student will be encouraged to produce a presentation with more depth and complexity.  More research and understanding of the interrelationship between the environment and living things will be encouraged.  Gifted students will be required to complete optional items within the unit.

Student Assessment:

Students will be assessed

-by the teacher using a rubric for their PowerPoint presentation, their newsletter, and the website.

-by their peers using a rubric at the conclusion of their presentation.

Key Word Search:

Wetlands, adaptation