Block Plan: What Makes Us

Lesso
n
Objec
tives

Stand
ards

Day 1
Math: Classifying
Quadrilaterals
By the end of this
lesson, students will be
able to classify all the
types of quadrilaterals
and visually represent
them on a geoboard.

Day 2
Science Inquiry: Prey and
Predator
Students will be able to
classify animals as
predators or prey and fit
them into a food chain.

Day 3
Guided Reading and
Workstations
Students will be able to
identify and use figurative
language, particularly
similes and metaphors, in
reading and writing poetry.

Process Standards:
P.S.4 Model with
Mathematics; PS.5: Use
appropriate tools
strategically
State: 5.G.2: Identify
and classify polygons
including
quadrilaterals,
pentagons, hexagons,
and triangles
(equilateral, isosceles,
scalene, right, acute
and obtuse) based on
angle measures and
sides. Classify polygons
in a hierarchy based on
properties.

State: 5.3.1 Observe and

classify common Indiana
organisms as producers,
consumers, decomposers,
predator and prey based
on their relationships and
interactions with other
organisms in their
ecosystem.
NSES Process
Standards: Standard A:
Teachers of science plan
an inquiry-based program
for their students
Standard D: Teachers of
science design and
manage learning
environments that provide
students with the time,
space, and resources
needed for learning
science.

State: 5.RL.1 Read and

comprehend a variety of
literature within a range of
complexity appropriate for
grades 4-5. By the end of
grade 5, students interact
with texts proficiently and
independently.
5.RL.4.2 Compare and
contrast stories in the
same genre on their
approaches to similar
themes and topics.
5.RV.2.2 Identify
relationships among
words, including multiple
meanings, synonyms and
antonyms, homographs,
metaphors, similes, and
analogies.

Day 4
Science Inquiry: Food
Chains
Students will be able to
describe the basic
structure of a food chain,
and will be able to justify
why they have created
their food chains in the
order they used.
State: 5.3.1 Observe and
classify common Indiana
organisms as producers,
consumers, decomposers,
predator and prey based
on their relationships and
interactions with other
organisms in their
ecosystem.
NSES Process
Standards: Standard A:
Teachers of science plan
an inquiry-based program
for their students
Standard D: Teachers of
science design and
manage learning
environments that provide
students with the time,
space, and resources
needed for learning
science.

Day 5
Writing: Classifying
Word Choice
Students will be able to
use rich word choice in
their writing, and
determine which words
could be richer in a
peers writing.
State: 5.W.4 Apply the
writing process toGenerate a draft by
developing, selecting
and organizing ideas
relevant to topic,
purpose, and genre;
revise to improve
writing, using
appropriate reference
materials (e.g., quality
of ideas, organization,
5.RL.4.2 Compare and
contrast stories in the
same genre on their
approaches to similar
themes and topics.
5.RV.2.2 Identify
relationships among
words, including
multiple meanings,
synonyms and
antonyms,
homographs,
metaphors, similes,
and analogies.
Sentence fluency, word
choice); and edit
writing for format and

Block Plan: What Makes Us

Mater
ials

Time per element:

- Anticipatory
set/Manipulation
of Geoboards (7
min)
- Purpose (1 min)
- Presentation of
squares as
quadrilaterals (7
min)
- Group Activity
(10 min)
- Group Sharing
(5 min)
- Closure/Assignm
ent (1 minute)
Students will be
seated at their tables,
working collaboratively
Students will be
managed by a call and
response (Class, class!
Yes, yes?)
Each student will be
using a geoboard and
rubber bands to stretch
and make
quadrilaterals
Each student will
construct a flip book to
use as a reference of
quadrilaterals
I will be using the
whiteboard to draw
quadrilaterals.

Anticipatory set: 5-10

minutes
Lesson Presentation: 5
minutes
Discovery: 10 minutes
Closure/wrap up: 10
minutes
Students will be
grouped in two ways.
First, they will be with
their tables at their
assigned seats. Next, in a
jigsaw format, I will pull
students from each group
to form new groups. The
groups will be (I will
provide supplemental
materials in case of
student absence):
- Lion: Jashaun, Kaleb,
Karrysa, Bailey, Anthony
- Elephant: Braylon,
Aubrey, Mikenzie,
Whitney, Molleigh
- Monkey: Dalainey,
Konnor, Haydn, Brianna,
Cruz
- Tiger: Ayrieanna, Jesse,
Xander, Wyatt, Abygail
- Bear: Hezekiah, Brayley,
Jackson, Peter, Seth
*I will have supplemental
materials in case of
absences or RTI

Mad Libs
Poems for Poetry
matching(1 haiku, 1
shape poem, 1 tanka, 1
acrostic, 1 ballad, and 1
sonnet)
When Its Winter Poem
Example poems (1 haiku, 1
acrostic, 1 sonnet, 1 free
verse)
Notecards with
personification examples
Extra notecards for guided
reading/closure
Student Group list:
- Station 1: Peter,
JaShaun, Ayrieanna,
Seth, Molleigh, Cruz
- Station 2: Konnor,
Braylon, Hezekiah,
Jackson, Kayrissa, Jesse
- Station 3: Bailey,
Whitney, Aubrey,
Caleb, Mikenzie,
Abbygail
- Station 4: Anthony,
Xander, Brianna,
Dalainey, Braley

Anticipatory set: 5
minutes
Lesson Presentation: 5
minutes
Discovery: 15 minutes
Closure/wrap up: 10
minutes
Notecards
Yarn
Tape
Computer/projector/
YouTube
Papers with directions
and animal lists
Student group list:
- Lion: JaShaun, Kaleb,
Karrysa, Bailey, Anthony
- Elephant: Braylon,
Aubrey, Mikenzie,
Whitney, Molleigh
- Monkey: Dalainey,
Konnor, Haydyn, Brianna,
Cruz
- Tiger: Ayrieanna, Jesse,
Xander, Wyatt, Abygail
- Bear: Hezekiah, Braley,
Jackson, Peter, Seth

standard English
conventions.
- Walter the Farting
Dog by William
Kotzwinkle & Glenn
Murray
- Prompt sheet
- Writers notebook
- Whiteboard
Management
a. Time
- Anticipatory Set/
Introduction/Minilesson: 10-12 min
- Writing: 25 min
- Partner Reading: 10
min
- Closure: 5-7 min
b. Space
- Students will be
seated at their desks to
write
- Students may move
anywhere around the
room with the partner
of their choice during
partner reading
- Students will move
back to their desks
during sharing and
closure
c. Students
- I will monitor behavior
as they work
independently and
redirecting as needed
- There is a positive
reinforcement system
that I implemented;

Block Plan: What Makes Us

Body/ Show students how to

Activi
use geoboards
ties
Students will visualize
what they learned
about polygons and
show that shape on
a geoboard
I will also create a
shape and they will
compare it with mine
I will say/write on the
board: A
quadrilateral is a
four sided polygon
By the end of the
lesson, they will be
able to classify and
construct
quadrilaterals
Students will construct
a square on the
geoboard and then
transfer it to the
flipbook along with a
definition and

description
The first shape will be
guided by me, then
table groups will be
given one shape to
construct, draw, and

define.
Each group will share
with the class at the
end so that each

Before we start talking

about content, I will
mention that if we can
remain attentive, on task,
and maintain good
behavior, they will earn
two jolly ranchers.
Write the words
predator vs. prey on the
board.
Ask them if they know
what the words mean.
They should have an
idea that prey are
hunted and predators
are hunters
I will have popsicle sticks
with animals written on
them in a cup
First Mrs. Worrell and I will
pull sticks. We will
decide which of us is
predator and which is
prey
We will continue this
activity 3-4 times with
students
Ask students if they can
think of animals that
would be predator and
prey
Learning about predators
and prey is important so
that you can understand
food chains within

To catch attention, show a

video reviewing similes
and metaphors.
https://www.youtube.co
m/watch?
v=JcEV_3009gM
Ask students what they
noticed. Figurative
language is used a lot in
music
Brief mini lesson review
over figurative language
Students will discuss what
they think it is.
Def.: Figurative language
is saying something
other than what it
literally means, for
effect.
Ask if they can think of
figurative language
Say: Today, we are
focusing on poetry. We
are going to have
stations and explore
different similes and
metaphors in different
types of poetry! You are
also going to learn
another type of
figurative language if
you meet with me. Its a
surprise! Today, lets
just keep the focus on
having a fun time

Recap predator and prey

with students. Have
them give a summary
Introduce food chains by
showing a video
(https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=CsfJLIIVz4)
It is important to learn
about food chains so

that you can

understand how
nutrition and energy is
passed from creature to
creature
Say: In our last science

lesson, we answered
the question, what

makes an animal
predator or prey? We
decided that an
animals size, speed,
and strengths
determine whether it is
predator or prey. Now, I
want you to think
about putting predator
and prey into a chain
Students will work in their
jigsaw groups (above)
in order to discover
how food chains work
Each group will be given a
set of animals
They will be given

students receive Jolly

Ranchers at the end of
the lesson (which I
defined on a poster)
Students will help me
decide how to make
phrases that I have
written on the board
richer
Using good word choice
in writing makes
writing more
interesting and
unique
Share the first 5 pages
of Walter the Farting
Dog by William
Kotzwinkle & Glenn
Murray
Have students pay
attention to the
colorful word choice
They will be given 3
different writing
prompts to choose
from (1 informative, 1
narrative, 1 poem)
Give students 25
minutes to draft their
writing
They need to practice
using rich word choice
(can practice using
similes and
metaphors to improve
word choice)
After they have written,
they will pair up and
share their writing

Block Plan: What Makes Us

student can learn
ecosystems
learning about poetry,

Students
will
be
the quadrilaterals
because poetry is
hypothesizing about
and fill in their
something that is meant
what makes and animal
flipbooks
to simply be enjoyed.
The shapes are:
Explain stations
predator or prey. They
- 15 min per station
rectangle, rhombus,
will discuss with their
- Only visit 2 stations
parallelogram,
table
- Guided reading station
Synthesize thoughts and
trapezoid, and
1: read When Its
create a hypothesis.
trapezium
Winter poemanalysis
Students will turn in
Write it on the board
of personification in
their flipbooks for
and students write it on
poem
me to look over,
the paper. (An animals
- Poetry Matching
then I will hand them
size, speed, and
station 2: as a group,
back to be inserted
strength determine
students will read
in their math binders
whether its prey or
examples of different
predator)
types of poetry and
Students will decide if
match it to the
different marine animals
type/description of the
are predators or prey
poem
They will research on
- Write Your Own Poem
laptops
station 3: students will
Each table group will be
be writing their own
given a different animal
poetry using examples
(1. Killer whales, 2.
at the table. They can
Great white sharks, 3.
brainstorm their own
Seals, 4. Salmon, 5.
topics, or use the list
Shrimp)
that I place there
Record findings on their
- Made Lib station 4: in
scientific method papers
partners (or groups of
In a jigsaw groups,
3) students will be
students will share their
filling out mad libs in
findings (groups above)
order to practice parts
I will ask students which
of speech and
animals are predators or
figurative language
prey.
Students will return to
Check to see if hypothesis
their seats
is correct. Have students While they are taking their
write it as their
seats and as they are
conclusion
seated, I will read some

notecards. Each
student in the group is
responsible for drawing
and labeling a different
animal from the group I
have given them
They will decide
altogether the order of

the animals
Then they will tape the
notecards in order on
the yarn
There might be several
different interpretations
of this, and thats ok!
Then they will pick 2
people from each group
to present the food

chains
The groups will need to
discuss why they have
arranged their animals

this way in the food

chain. They will defend
their thoughts
All of the food chains will
be taped to the board
for when we discuss

food webs
Students will be doing an
exit slip on a notecard
at their table. They will
write their names and
how food chains work
and turn it into me
when they are finished

with their partners

It is the partners job to
help the student
identify words that
could be better and to
highlight words or
phrases that are
outstanding (10 min)
The green table will be
sharing one
outstanding word
choice that their
partner utilized
I will thank students for
their hard work and
tell them how much I
enjoyed hearing their
word choices
They will submit their
journals to me on the
back table, and I will
read them.
I will write a note to
each student in the
journal about good
word choices and I
will also make
suggestions
Students will receive
the feedback the next
day

Block Plan: What Makes Us

Asses
smen
ts

Safet
y

mad libs that they

For an exit slip, on the
created
back of their papers,
Ask: What did you like
students will write two
about todays stations?
things they learned, and
What was your favorite
whether or not they
activity? Will somebody
liked the content
from the guided reading
group tell us what you
learned?
For the assessment, I
Students will be
Mrs. Worrell, Callie, and I
will monitor
completing a graphic
will observe student
understanding
organizer during their
engagement and progress
throughout the lesson.
discovery and jigsaw
throughout the groups so
During group work
times. I will collect these
that we can gage student
time, I will check each
sheets and look them
understanding. I will also
table to see if students
over to see if students
assess them in my
are on-task and
misunderstood anything. I questioning during guided
understand the lesson
would then reteach if
reading and in the closure.
objective. Before
necessary. I have grouped I will collect all of their
students can share
students in dynamic
work in order to see their
their quadrilaterals
groups that will support
level of competency with
with the class, I will
their understanding of
the material. Ideally, I
check to make sure
content. Since the
would reteach if I noticed
they are correct, and I
expectations are set high, any shortcomings in their
will offer assistance
each student is expected
work.
when needed. I will
to master their animal,
collect their flipbooks
they will more likely gain
before they insert them a high level of
into their binders, as a
understanding. I will also
formal assessment of
have students write out
their understanding for on a scrap piece of paper
this objective. There
2 things they learned and
will be a unit test that
if they enjoyed the lesson
will include the
or not.
objective from this
lesson.
Students will be
All inquiry is done online,
The mad lib station will be
explicitly told how to
as a group. The
monitored to ensure that
use the geobands.
appropriate firewalls are
students are using

A pair of students from

each group will be
justifying to the whole
group why they have
arranged their food chains
in the order they have.
This will give me a
summative assessment of
the groups knowledge, as
they are explaining their
thought processes and
conclusions. I will
disprove their
hypotheses if necessary.
Students will also be
completing a brief exit
slip. They will be writing
about how food chains are
organized on a notecard.
This will help me quickly
gage their level of
understanding.

I plan to assess
knowledge primarily
during writing time. I
will circulate around
the room and observe
and conference with
students to gage their
understanding of word
choice. I anticipate
most students to take
this idea and run with it
because it allows them
to be creative, and I
have many creative
students. As a formal
assessment, I will read
each students writing
and write a brief note
to highlight word
choice and also to
make some
suggestions. This
feedback will be given
to the student when
they get their journals
back tomorrow.

Students could possibly

get a paper cut on
notecards. This is the only

Students are just

writing; there arent
any safety concerns.

Block Plan: What Makes Us

They will also be told
not to flip rubber bands
everywhere; otherwise
their geoboards will be
taken from them.

set up on the internet to

protect students from
harmful sites.

appropriate words and

phrases. Behavior
expectations will be
explained for transitions.

safety concern.