LESSON PLAN OUTLINE

JMU Elementary Education Program

The following information should be included in the header of the lesson plan:
Amanda Scheid
Mr. Mongold, Fulks Run Elementary School, 3rd grade

4/16/15 2pm
Taught on 4/17/15
A. Adaptation Investigation
B. CONTEXT OF LESSON AND UNWRAPPING OF THE STANDARD
The students have previously learned about animal adaptations. They have forgotten some of what
they learned previously. This lesson serves as a reminder and an investigation. It reminds them of the
term adaptations and gives them a real world inquiry into how bird beaks are specialized to what they
eat. The students enjoy hands on activities and it helps them to scaffold their knowledge and make it
relatable to an animal they see in everyday life. All students have some background knowledge of
birds; because birds surround us in everyday life and outside their classroom is a bird feeder that
constantly has birds eating at it.
C. STANDARDS OF LEARNING
3.4 The student will investigate and understand that adaptations allow animals to satisfy life needs and
respond to the environment. Key concepts include

a) behavioral adaptations; and

b) physical adaptations.
D. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand
Know

- The students will understand

physical adaptations.

- The students will know the

meaning of adaptation.
- The students will know how bird
beak adaptations have changed
due to their diet.

Do

- The students will explore the

different beak adaptations birds
have.
- Students will identify how
adaptations help the bird eat.

E. ASSESSING LEARNING

Objective
Know-The student will know the
meaning of adaptation
Know- The students will know how
bird beak adaptations have
changed due to their diets
Do-The students will explore the
different beak adaptations birds
have.

Assessment
- The students will fulfill the
snowball assessment and will
explain adaptation.
- The students will fill out a
worksheet to document their
findings based on the experiment
students will conduct.
- The students will conduct an
experiment comparing and
contrasting the different beaks and
how they work.

Data Collected
- Student responses will includeanimal or plant, environment,
food, camouflage, nature.
- Student responses will include
adaptation, beak data (see
attached), comparisons
- Student responses will include
adaptation, beak data (see attached
key), comparisons

Do-Students will identify how

adaptations help the birds eat.

- The students will conduct an

experiment comparing and
contrasting the different beaks and
what foods they are more adapt at
catching or picking up.

- Student responses will include

adaptation, beak data (see attached
key), comparisons

F. MATERIALS NEEDED
All materials but the markers and colored pencils will be provided by the student teacher
Sunflower seeds
Swedish fish
Gummy worms
Assorted nuts
Plastic bowls
Spoons-8
Tweezers- 8
Clothespins- 8
Chopsticks- 8
Worksheets- see attached
Plain white paper
Markers- in classroom
Colored Pencils- in classroom
Birds Powerpoint
G. MISCONCEPTIONS or ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTIONS
Students may have only seen birds with beaks for eating seeds; they may never have seen waterfowl
with scoop beaks or long beaks. This may lead to some confusion about how birds beaks are an
adaptation. To help this I will show pictures of all the different bird beaks that we will investigate
with. This will help scaffold children to use background knowledge and build from there.
H. PROCEDURE
1. Preassessment (5 minutes)
Snowball assessment- What do you know about adaptation?
After students write their response have them throw it to the front of the classroom in a ball.
Next have the students pick another persons snowball and take it back to their seat.
Then have students read the others response and put their thumb up or down to show their
person understands adaptation.
Then collect all of the snowballs.
2. Introduction (10 minutes)
What does adaptation mean? Adaptation is any alteration behavioral or physical that changes
on an animal or plant to better fit the environment in which they live in.
Can you name any animals that have developed adaptations (giraffe, butterflies, camels, etc.)
Why are these adaptations important for animals?
Do you think birds have developed any adaptations?
3. Bird Beak Activity (20 minutes)
Students will be broken into groups of two each person will receive one data collection
worksheet.
Each group will move through four stations, each station will be set up with a different type of
food (worms, Swedish fish, sunflower seeds, and nuts). Each station will have a pair of
tweezers, clothespin, chopsticks, and a spoon to simulate the different beaks of birds.

Students will move through the stations and investigate which beaks are better at collecting
and eating the different foods.
Students will have four minutes at each station to explore the food there and record their
findings on the data collection sheet.
Once students rotate through all stations the class will gather back as a whole group to share
their findings.
Show the PowerPoint of the different birds and their beaks and which utensil matches up with
which beak.
4. Create Your own Bird Activity (15 minutes)
Still in their groups of two allow students to work together to create their own bird. Have
them give their birds adaptations and write why that adaptation was needed. For example this
bird breaths fire to keep its predators away.
Give students paper, markers, and colored pencils.
Every adaptation students give their bird must have a reason for the adaptation and record it
on their worksheet.
Students will then take turns explaining their birds to the class.
I.

DIFFERENTIATION

Content

Process

Interest

Students will work with a

partner to explore the
different bird beaks and
how they pick up food.

Students will use their

knowledge of
adaptations to identify
which beaks were
adapted for which
food sources.

Readiness

Supply table tent

directions to help guide
students through the
stations. Pictures with be
used on the table tents for
students who have trouble
reading. Students who
have trouble reading will
also be placed with a
strong reader to help them
read.

For students who

finish early on the
back of their data
worksheet have them
draw the different
beaks that they
investigate with.

Product
Students will fill out a
data sheet to help them
understand and identify
adaptations and then
apply this knowledge to
the creation of their own
adapted bird.
Students must fill out
their data sheet in its
entirety. Student created
birds must have a list of
why their birds
adaptations help them live
in their environment.

J. WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Students might get rowdy while interacting with the different stations and become off task. It is a fun
lesson where they get to play and be interactive but they still need to learn what adaptations are. To
work on this I will keep the stations times short so they are constantly moving around and engaged. I
will also be mindful of my classroom management and make sure to implement it in a correct and
helpful manner.

Name __________________________
Create Your Own Bird Adaptations
Adaptation ________________________________________________________
Reason for Adaptation _______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Adaptation #2______________________________________________________
Reason for Adaptation _______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Adaptation #3______________________________________________________
Reason for Adaptation _______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Name: ________________________
Bird Beak Investigation
What type of beak best helps birds catch their food?
I think _____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
Results:

Food

Chopstick
s

Tweezers

Spoon

Clothespi
n

Observations: ________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
Conclusions: __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________

Name: ____Key_________
Bird Beak Investigation
What type of beak best helps birds catch their food?
I think ______ Include which beaks they think will be best for
picking up which foods and why. This is just a prediction so there
are no wrong answers as long as the students ______
Results:

Prey
Gummy worms
Sunflower seeds

Chopstick
s
Easy to use

Tweezers
Hard didnt open
wide enough

Spoon
Hard wouldnt
stay on spoon

Medium kind
stayed

best

Assorted nuts
Swedish fish

Clothespi
n

best
best

Observations: _____Which beak is best at picking up which food

spoon- fish, tweezers- sunflower seeds, chopsticks- gummy
worms, and clothespin- assorted nuts________________
Conclusions: _____Birds beaks have adaptations to help them
survive and get the food they need.____