UMF Unit-Wide Lesson Plan Template

Name: Haley Estabrook Program: Elementary Ed. Course: EDU 450

Lesson Topic / Title: Vertebrate Unit - Fish
Lesson Date: October 2nd Lesson Length: 30 minutes Grade/Age: Fourth Grade
Learning Objectives & Content Standard Alignment - Selects, creates, and sequences learning
experiences and performance tasks that support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum goals based on
content standards.
Learning Objective(s) Instructional Decisions / Reasoning
Student Learning Target: - The learning targets in this lesson were
selected to reflect the goals of the lesson.
- I will be able to list the traits of fish that The lesson is designed to introduce the
make them unique vertebrates. traits that fish have and familiarize students
with how the fish are similar and different
to different classifications.
- An expectation of this lesson is that
students will be familiar with the traits of
fish and how those unique traits help
scientists classify different vertebrates.

Content Standard(s) Instructional Decisions / Reasoning

Maine Learning Results: - Students will be investigating the traits of
E1 Biodiversity Students compare living things fish and determining how scientists classify
based on their behaviors, external features, and fish using those traits.
environmental needs. - Students will be looking specifically at
Grades 3-5 a. Describe how living things can be external features of fish to become familiar
sorted in many ways, depending on which features with what traits makes them fish.
or behaviors are used to sort them, and apply this - Students will be working towards a large
understanding to sort living things. goal of being able to describe how animals
can be sorted into large groups and into
smaller more specific groups. Students will
be able to use their knowledge of each
vertebrate classification to sort animals into
the correct class.
Assessment - Uses assessment flexibly to expand and deepen understanding of learner performance and
determines best supports for continued learner growth.
Assessment Instructional Decisions / Reasoning
The teacher will assess students by using - The assessment used in this lesson is
observation. The teacher will be looking for specifically formative assessment because it
students to be making connections to prior
knowledge and applying their knowledge of sorting
vertebrates to their ability to learn about fish.
Students will also be given the opportunity to
complete and exit ticket at the end of the lesson to
help the teacher determine which students met the
learning objectives, and which students still need
more practice with material.
The classification notes on fish will be collected at
the end of the unit along with the graphic
organizers for each vertebrate classification.
is in the middle of the vertebrate unit. The
teacher is looking for students to be
understanding and applying their
knowledge of fish and their traits
throughout the lesson.
- Students will be given the opportunity to
prove that they have met the learning
objective for the lesson by completing an
exit ticket.
- Students will be held accountable for
quality work and note taking. Students
handwriting should be neat and legible. and
illustrations must be quality and have at
least 4 colors used.
- The assessment data collected will inform
the teacher which students have met the
standard and which students will need more
supports and review as they progress
through the unit.

Instructional Materials and Resources - Stays current in content knowledge and expands expertise in
reviewing instructional materials from the perspectives of both the discipline and individual learner needs.
Materials, Resources, and/or Technology Instructional Decisions / Reasoning
- Laptop/Projector - The materials selected to implement this
- Powerpoint presentation lesson were chosen to aid the needs of the
- Mentor text learners in the classroom. There are a lot of
- Handouts visual aids in this lesson in the form of
- Classification note sheet powerpoint presentations and books that
- Exit ticket allow students to better understand the
information that is being taught.
- The teacher will be using a variety of
methods to deliver instruction to students.
To be prepared for each part of the lesson,
the teacher will need to make sure that
handouts, books, and other resources are
prepared to allow the lesson to flow
seamlessly.
Instructional Methods: Selects, creates, and sequences learning experiences and performance tasks by
using a variety of instructional approaches, strategies, and technologies that make learning accessible to
all learners and support learners in reaching rigorous curriculum goals.
Teaching and Learning Sequence Instructional Decisions / Reasoning
1) Introduce FISH as the topic that students
will become smarter about.
2) Introduce learning objectives and
expectations for the class.
3) How many species of fish are there? Almost - Relating the material to the students lives,
30,000! We will be able to take a look at allows students to learn more about their
some of those different species thanks to the teacher and where she is from as well as
lobsterman from Frenchboro! - show about some fish that live off the coast of
slideshow. Maine.
4) Now that weve seen some neat looking fish - Students are also getting a little bit of Mane
from Maine - lets dive into a book and Geography by showing them where
become smarter about fish and learn what Frenchboro, ME is located on the map.
traits make them unique vertebrates. Read
Do You Know About Fish.
5) Come together on the floor in the front of
the room and brainstorm the traits for fish.
a) Fish live in water.
b) Fish have gills. --- Gills look a little
like filters. When water flows across
the gills, oxygen passes from the
water into the fish.
c) Fish have fins.
d) Most fish are cold-blooded.
(exceptions are Tuna family and
Mackerel Shark family).
6) Sparky hands out Fish note sheet. Ask for
more volunteers to hand out cover page,
rubric, and paperclip to keep all the
notebook pieces together. Explain the
rubric, and self-assessment.
7) Students copy down brainstorm from the
board and begin illustration. If there is time
left over, students have the opportunity to
go back and work on their other vertebrate
classification notes.
8) Students complete exit ticket and turn in.
Meeting students needs (differentiation,
extensions, modifications, accommodations)
- AMa will need to have frequent check ins to
make sure the student is attentive and not
distracted by something in desk. This
student will also need to be redirected
frequently during the independent writing
periods because they will not complete their
work.
- QM has been very fidgety and talkative
recently, taking away from their peers
ability to learn. While participation is
usually good, this student needs to make
sure they are getting all the pertinent
information - this will result in frequent
class reminders of giving 5 as to not single
out this student.
Differentiation:
- Hooking students with question
- Technology - Powerpoint presentation
- Mentor text
- Whole class instruction
- Independent work
- Illustration
- Guided note taking
- Homework
Instructional Decisions / Reasoning
- Specific students in the classroom need to
have frequent check-ins to be successful in
independent writing assignments. It is the
teacher's responsibility to provide those
students with the supports they need to
succeed and learn during instruction.
- The differentiation in this lesson was
designed to make sure each learner is able
to relate to and access the information being
presented. Students were able to share their
own knowledge about fish as they went
through the slideshow. The students had
many life experiences and questions about
fish as they were able to view the different
fish from Frenchboro waters.

Field Course Only Post lesson

Reflection
This lesson went really well, however, it took much longer to teach than expected. During this time I
needed to use instruction decision making to determine what they best route would be to take with this
lesson and the students. The science block is 30 minutes, so I had to be careful to make sure that I could
get to all the material planned. However, when the students started watching and reflecting on the
powerpoint presentation, it was clear that I should not rush the students through the lesson. These students
were eager to learn about the fish living offshore in Maine and had many questions and knowledge to
share with the whole class. I took this opportunity to allow the students to teach themselves. The students
were carrying the conversation, and I was just using some pictures and questions to guide them through
their discussion. This resulted in the lesson being broken up into two lessons. The first day was dedicated
to thoughts, ideas, questions and the second day was dedicated to more direct instruction.
Students were asked to fill out an exit ticket during this lesson to demonstrate their understanding of the
learning objectives. Here are the results of the exit ticket assessment:
- Six students exceeded the learning objectives (by providing extra information not required).
- Eight students met the learning objectives.
- One student partially met the learning objective.
- One student did not finish the assignment, and two students were absent.
Overall, I was very pleased with this exit ticket. I gave the students the exit ticket when they returned
from their snack break, so I was not sure how well the students would recall information from the lesson.
They did very well. The student who partially met the standard listed the traits of the fish, however the
student did not include a question or additional information. This was where I was looking for students to
dig deeper with their information and include something they are still wondering about or another fact
that stood out to students. This part of the exit ticket looks to see how carefully the students were listening
to instruction.
If I were to teach this lesson again, I would definitely keep the section about Frenchboro fish, this was
one of the most engaging introductions that I have done with the students so far, and they responded
really well. By making the material relate directly to their lives, they were able to realize they may have
known more about the material than they thought, and this lead to higher participation levels.
If I were to teach this lesson differently, I would select a longer block of time if possible. This would
allow the great discussions students were leading, and allow that discussion to blend seamlessly into the
lesson. I would also make sure that I was better able to check in with students more often while filling out
the exit ticket. During this lesson I was meeting with table groups to help them set up their Vertebrate
Classification Notebook. While I was doing that I should have been getting up and walking around
between each group, since I did not do that, the students who need the extra support and guidance during
independent work did not get as much work done as planned. This allowed me to see the importance of
balancing between whole class, small group, and individual student.
Teaching Standards and Rationale
Standard 1:
Paraphrase: The teacher is able to demonstrate understanding of how students learn. The teacher
understands that each student learns and develops differently in cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional,
and physical areas. With that knowledge of individual learners, the teacher can create developmentally
appropriate and challenging classroom experiences.

Rationale: This lesson was developmentally appropriate for all learners in the classroom. When the lesson
was created, each learner in the classroom was taken into account. The lesson was modified during
instruction when the teacher realized that students were enjoying and teaching each other about fish. The
students were interested in the material because the teacher related it to their own lives. The learning
objectives for the lesson are age appropriate and ask the students to synthesize the information delivered
to them in the lesson practice the science skills from the Maine Learning Results.

Standard 2:
Paraphrase: The teacher understands that each student learns differently and each student comes from a
diverse culture. The teacher applies that knowledge to create a classroom community that is an inclusive
learning environment.

Rationale: The lesson took into account the individual differences between learners in the classroom. The
students needs were a priority in creating this lesson, as all students were encouraged to share their
personal knowledge or new ideas. By showing the powerpoint presentation that related to their lives,
students were able to share out prior knowledge and experiences. Individual students were also
accommodated in the lesson to ensure they were able to successfully explain what they learned and
demonstrate to the teacher that they met the learning objectives for the lesson.

Standard 3:
Paraphrase: The teacher works with learners in the classroom to foster a collaborative learning
environment that encourages positive interactions with peers, and actively engaged, self-motivated
learners.

Rationale: This lesson encourages positive social interaction because it validated students ideas. The
teacher began the lesson by reviewing expectations for respectful interactions and individual
responsibility for quality work. Because of this, the students were actively engaged in the material and
most were willing to take risks and share out their ideas. Those ideas were written on the board for all
students to see, making the activity exciting for students to allow them to see their ideas written out on the
whiteboard.

Standard 4:
Paraphrase: The teacher understands the material that is being delivered to students. The teacher creates
classroom experiences that allow learners to access and create meaningful connections to the material.

Rationale: The teacher demonstrated understanding the content being taught by using multiple
representations of the material that allows the learners to understand the skills that are being taught. In the
lesson, the teacher encourages students to use inquiry as they sort through the classification traits,
learning about the classifications in a reverse order. Students were asked to think about the fish that they
were viewing in the presentation and notice what those fish have in common.

Standard 5:
Paraphrase: The teacher is able to connect concepts during instruction and engage students in deeper
thinking by using and encouraging different perspectives. The teacher creates a learning environment that
fosters critical and creative thinking, connecting material to local and global issues.
Rationale: This lesson uses innovative applications of content by allowing students to lead the discussion
during the presentation section of the lesson. The students were allowed to create meaningful connections
between their own lives and the material. Students were able to learn about the fish that live off the coast
of Maine.

Standard 6:
Paraphrase: The teacher is able to apply multiple methods of assessment to aid students in becoming more
aware of the progress they are making. The teacher is able to analyze assessment data to inform planning
and instruction.

Rationale: The lesson implements different forms of assessment to monitor student understanding. The
teacher carefully observes and listens to student responses while the students are discussion their prior
knowledge and experiences. The teacher is also able to listen to many different answers from students
throughout the lesson to gain knowledge on student understand as well as misconceptions the students
may have. Students are also asked to fill out an exit ticket to allow them to demonstrate meeting the
learning objectives for the lesson.

Standard 7:
Paraphrase: The teacher draws upon multiple factors such as learner development, knowledge of content,
and pedagogy to develop lessons that supports and challenges each learner in the classroom.

Rationale: This lesson was carefully planned out to help students meet their learning objectives. Students
were given supports such as handouts guide students through the note taking process. The lesson was
appropriately sequenced to allow students to take their learning into their own hands, synthesize the
information given to them, and make generalizations about that information. The material was
differentiated to allow students to receive information in multiple ways and create multiple opportunities
for students to access information.

Standard 8:
Paraphrase: The teacher is able to implement multiple instructional strategies to promote deep
understanding of content and material by helping students create connections and build skills to access
and apply information.

Rationale: The teacher implements many different teaching and instructional styles into the lesson to
encourage learners to develop a deep understanding of the material. Examples of the different
instructional strategies implemented in the lesson are: Hooking students with questions, technology -
Powerpoint presentation, mentor text, whole class instruction, independent work, illustration, guided note
taking and homework.
Standard 9:
Paraphrase: The teacher is a reflective practitioner that is always evaluating their teaching practice and
interactions with individuals. The teacher is continuously seeking opportunities improve their practice to
meet the needs of their learners.

Rationale: The teacher demonstrates reflection and continuous growth in this lesson by sitting down after
the lesson is taught and analyzing student assessment data, student participation, and instructional
practices. The teacher analyzes about what went well during the lesson that helped the students meet the
learning goals, and what could be changed in the future to allow students to be more successful in
meeting their learning objectives.

Standard 10:
Paraphrase: The teacher finds opportunities to take on leadership roles and opportunities to take
responsibility for student learning. The teacher collaborates with students, parents, community members,
and other professionals to advance the profession and foster learner growth.

Rationale: In this lesson, the teacher demonstrated collaboration by meeting with their mentor teacher to
ensure that the lesson was meeting the needs of all the learners in the classroom. This allowed the teacher
to effectively differentiate the lesson and develop strategies that allowed the teacher to meet the needs of
all the learners in the classroom and encourage achievement. The teacher used the pre-assessment given
to students to mold the plan for the instruction.

ISTE (11.2):
Paraphrase: The teacher designs, develops, and evaluates learning experiences and assessments using
technology to maximize content learning.

Rationale: Technology was implemented to create and plan this lesson. The teacher used technology to
create a personalized powerpoint presentation that fostered independent learning and put the learning into
the students hands as they shared prior knowledge and experiences surrounding fish.