KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate:

Hillary Dankel and Natalie Schafer Date: 9/30/15

Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

Coop. Initials

25

Subject or Topic:

Allotted Time 1 hour Grade Level 3

Reptiles

Section

10

STANDARD:
Standard 3.1.3.A1 Describe characteristics of living things that help to identify and classify
them.

I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):

The third grade students will identify four characteristics about reptiles by sorting animals into
categories to determine if they are reptiles or not.
The third grade students will model the process of a reptile shedding its skin by completing an
activity with Elmers glue and by taking part in small and whole group discussion.
The third grade students will construct representations of reptile and amphibian skin by
beginning an inquiry using different textured bags to describe why scaly skin helps reptiles
survive away from water.
II. Instructional Materials
-

Assorted pictures of reptiles and other animals (see attached)

Cups filled with small amounts of glue (one per group of students)
Paint brushes (at least one for each student)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCLvwk3zhh8- Bill Nye video on reptiles
Miles and Miles of Reptiles: All about Reptiles (Cat in the Hats Learning Library
Series) by Tish Rabe
Chart paper for word wall
Apple slices (two per pair)
Sandwich bags (one per pair)
Paper bags (one per pair)

III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of additional
content)
A. Prerequisite skills
1. Concept of an animal (breathing, eating, sleeping, etc.)
2. Fine motor skills (using paintbrush)
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Reptile- a cold-blooded, usually egg laying vertebrate such as a snake, turtle,
lizard, crocodile, tuatara, or dinosaur; has dry scales, breathes with lungs its entire
life.
2. Vertebrate- an animal with a backbone; includes fish, amphibians, reptiles,
birds, and mammals.
3. Ectothermic (Cold-blooded) - an animal whose body temperature is controlled
by the temperature of its environment. Examples: fish, amphibians, reptiles
4. Scales- small, thin spiky or bony plates protecting the skin of fish and reptiles,
typically overlapping one another
C. Big Idea
1. What characteristics make up a reptile?
D. Content
1. Many reptiles shed their skin.
2. Most reptiles lay eggs, but some dont (e.g. boa constrictor)
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. To introduce this lesson the teacher will read Miles and Miles of Reptiles to
the students to stimulate their curiosity and interest about reptiles.
2. The teacher will ask questions to check comprehension and guide students
focus through the reading.
a. What animals do you think you will find in this book?
b. How many toes do lizards have?
c. Does a tortoise live on land or in water?
d. What was your favorite reptile in this book? What makes them
unique?
B. Development
1. After reading the book out loud, the teacher will introduce the key vocabulary
terms mentioned in the book such as:
a. reptile
b.ectothermic (cold blooded)
c. vertebrate
d. scales
2. As the teacher reviews the meaning of each word, they will write the

word on the chart paper that will be used as a word wall to refer to throughout
the unit.
3. After the teacher writes the key terms on the word wall, they will play the
video Bill Nye the Science Guy on Reptiles found on youtube and display it
on a smartboard or projector. (approx. 2 minutes)
a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCLvwk3zhh8
4. After viewing the video, the teacher will ask the students questions to promote
active listening and check comprehension.
a. What is an example of a reptile with no legs?
b. What characteristics of reptiles that you know did Bill Nye talk about in the
video?
5. The teacher will explain to students that some reptiles shed their skin to
make room for new scales as they grow.
6. The teacher will explain the activity to the students.
7. The teacher will place one bottle of Elmers glue at each table.
8. The teacher will ask the students to paint a small amount of glue onto
the back of their hands using a paintbrush.
9. While the glue is drying, the teacher will ask students if various
animals (mammals, birds, people, reptiles, etc) are reptiles and have the
students respond yes or no chorally.
10. The teacher will ask why or why not that animal is a reptile and the
students will raise their hands to explain.
11. The students will peel the dried glue skin off the back of their hands
carefully to observe the pattern of lines from their skin. The students
will discover that shed reptile skin retains the pattern of scales in the
same way.
12. Have the students throw away their dried glue skin, and clean up any
remaining materials from the activity.
13. The students will participate in a game called What is a reptile?
14. The teacher will give each student a picture of a reptile or non-reptile.
15. By table, the students will come up to the board and categorize their
pictures by reptile and not a reptile with magnets or pieces of tape.
16. After all the students have placed their pictures on the board, the
teacher will check to make sure the pictures are on the right side and
will review and discuss the characteristics that the reptiles have in
common. (The students accuracy placing their reptiles will be
recorded on a checklist as a formative assessment
17. The teacher will introduce the inquiry to the students.
a. The teacher will pass out a paper bag, a sandwich bag, and two
slices of apple to each pair of students in the class.
18. The teacher will explain that the paper bag represents amphibian skin and that
amphibians need to stay near water so their skin does not dry out.
19. The teacher will explain that the sandwich bag represents reptile skin.
20. The teacher will instruct the students to place an apple slice in each bag.
a. The teacher will ask the students to hypothesize what will happen to the
apple slice in each bag when left out overnight.

b. The students will write their hypotheses on a sheet of paper that will be
collected and handed out at the beginning of the next days lesson.
C. Closure
1. The teacher will ask students what they think will happen to the apple slices
and form a class hypothesis based on the students answers.
2. The teacher will explain that tomorrow they will discover what happened to the
apple slices. (Inquiry to be continued in next lesson)
C. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. To accommodate for Justin, a 3rd grade boy with Down Syndrome, the teacher
will have him work with students he has chosen to work with and is comfortable
with and the teacher will also stay nearby to monitor the groups interactions.
2. Provide positive reinforcement and concrete reinforcement.
3. To differentiate for Jake a 3rd grade boy with a visual impairment, the teacher
will have him work with a partner during the glue activity as well as give Jake a
picture of an animal with bright contrasting colors so he can see it better.

D. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative:
a. The teacher will walk around during video and activities to answer
questions and to formatively assess the students comprehension.
b. The teacher will use a checklist or data sheet to assess the students
mastery of the key words and objectives. (see attached)
c. The teacher will use a checklist to formatively assess whether the
students placed their animal in the right category on the board. (see
attached)
2. Summative
There is no summative for this lesson

V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on student
performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for students who fail
to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan

B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective answers to

question recorded after lesson is taught)

1. How could this lesson be improved?

2. How was the students behavior managed during the glue activity?
How could this be improved?

3. Was I able to fill the time I anticipated for this lesson?

VI. Resources (in APA format)

Human skin crafts and activities. (2015). Retrieved September 17, 2015, from The Crafty
Classroom website: http://thecraftyclassroom.com/crafts/anatomy-crafts-for-kids/human-skincrafts-activities/
Nye, B. (2009, April 8). Bill nye the science guy on reptiles. Retrieved September 17, 2015,
from Youtube website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCLvwk3zhh8
Zap! Zoo activity packet related to reptiles. (n.d.). Retrieved September 17, 2015, from Fort
Wayne Children's Zoo website:
http://kidszoo.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/12/related2reptiles.pdf
Rabe, T., & Ruiz, A. (2009). Cat in the hat's learning library series: Miles and miles of
reptiles. Random house.

Student

Placed
animal
correctly
on board

Checklist for Reptile Introductory Lesson

Comprehends Comprehends Comprehends Comprehends Needs to
def. of reptile def. of
def. of
def. of scales review
vertebrate
ectothermic
terms
(coldblooded)

Animals that may be used for What is a Reptile? game