EDUC 2220- Educational Technology Lesson Plan

Explorations of Living Things

Dhamayanthy Naguleswaran
Grade: Pre-Kindergarten

Common Core Standards:

Domain: Cognition and General Knowledge

Sub-Domain: Science
Strand: Life Science
Topic: Explorations of Living Things
Standard Statement: With modeling and support, demonstrate an understanding that living things
change over time (e.g., life cycle).

Lesson Summary:

The purpose of this lesson plan is to demonstrate an understanding of the fact that living things
change overtime. This will be shown by exploring living things in the natural world. Use pictures of
baby animals and adult animals and explain the relationship among them. Place down pictures of
a butterflys life cycle and explain the sequence among them. Show the relationships between a
seed and a mature plant. Show how a baby grows into an adult.

Estimated Duration:

This lesson will take about 150 minutes. I plan on dividing the lesson into five days, with each day
lasting 30 minutes long.

Commentary:

To begin the lesson, we will talk about what living thigs are and discuss some examples and see
why they are living things. To hook, or engage, students, I will talk about recent animal movies
like Secret Life of Pets and Coco to examine why the characters are living things and how they
become changed from baby animals to adult animals and this will transition us back to the main
lesson. Have some picture files of animals pictures and questions written on the back of those
pictures for discussion.
Instructional Procedures:

Day 1: As a class teacher will have colorful picture files handy with 3 questions written on the back
of each picture related to the lesson plan. Show and ask questions and involve in a discussion
about what living thigs are and how they change from baby to adult ones. First 10 minutes will be
an introduction time and students will answer questions and having an idea of whats coming. Next
20 minutes I will start explaining about how baby animals change into adult animals and how big
are they now. Students will understand that living things change overtime.
Show this age appropriate and developmentally appropriate video to the kids on the Smart Board
about what the living things are:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+living+things+change+videos&view=detail&mid=A15
D10745ABE04157B4FA15D10745ABE04157B4F&FORM=VIRE
Day 2: After all the kids have gathered as a group during circle time, the teacher will engage the
students by asking them to share if they have ever seen a caterpillar, cocoon, or a butterfly.
Explain to them how these animals are related to each other and the term called life cycle.
Explain to students that today we are going to learn about butterfly life cycle. Have butterfly life
cycle in a big poster and have some manipulatives to go along with the poster and demonstrate
the understanding that living things change over time.
Day 3: After all the kids gathered as a group during circle time again on the carpet, teacher will
engage students with showing laminated pictures of baby and adult animals/birds/trees/insects. On
an easel match the pictures of baby animals with adult animals pictures. Have some challenging
pictures as well to engage the students. Explain how they change over time.
Day 4: After gathering, involve in a discussion with how a seed change into a mature plant. Have
ready with the series of laminated pictures and explain the understanding of how living things
change overtime by arranging the pictures in order of the growth.
Show this educational video on the Smart Board to the kids about how a seed geminates:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+living+things+change+videos&&view=detail&mid=55
6E25DB7F170FB9A6DA556E25DB7F170FB9A6DA&&FORM=VDRVRV
Day 5: Describe what happens to human from infancy to adulthood and explain the meaning of
how living things change overtime.

Pre-Assessment:
Prior to move directly into the lesson, involve in a conversation as a group. Teacher will ask the
students to see any understanding of animals change overtime. As students recall and answer
questions, instructor can understand their knowledge about the lesson plan going to teach.

Scoring Guidelines:
Teacher will use her judgements to determine how students understanding about the concept.
Teacher ask some extra and repeated question to students for an observation to see how they
understood the concept on Day 3 lesson plan. Also conduct an ongoing teacher assessment and
student self- assessment to check the students understanding about the concept that we are
teaching.

Post-Assessment:
The group discussion will revolve around the teachers idea of how the class can understand the
concept. In addition to this, A plant life cycle worksheet with series of cutouts will be given to
students to check the understanding of the concept of how living things change overtime. Students
could able to place the cutouts in order. This activity is a kind of cut and paste in order and a
teacher directed assignment.
Scoring Guidelines:

Out of six parts, if students get four parts put in the right order, they will be assessed as having
mastered the content. Students miss three parts will be advised to recheck their work on one-on-
one instruction. Students who miss more than four assessed as not mastered the content and will
receive a individual follow-up to get a better understanding of the concept.

Differentiated Instructional Support

Describe how instruction can be differentiated (changed or altered) to meet the needs of gifted or
accelerated students:
For students who have already displayed a mastery knowledge on the content will be given a
challenging worksheet with matching the correct seeds with the correct mature plant.

Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be struggling
with the material:
Students who are struggling to ordering the parts will be scaffolded by a teacher. If a student
continues to struggle with the content during the post assessment will check their work again and
will identify the correct order with the help of the teacher.

Extension
http://www.kindergarten-lessons.com/teaching-science/
This is a helpful website will send home with students to have a better understanding of the
concepts of how living things change over time and have a great idea about natural world and
have a great understanding of science.

Homework Options and Home Connections

Students are encouraged to identify many other living things and how they change over time.
Interdisciplinary Connections
Students can use their artistic skills to color the pictures in their worksheets.
Students are using the skills necessary for collaboration: Listening, taking turns, focusing, paying
attention.
Students are interacting with the subjects of the pieces they are coloring and exploring the natural
world.

Materials and Digital camera, color printer, laminating machine, glue sticks, scissors, internet
Resources: accessed computers
For teachers

For students Glue sticks, scissors, construction papers, papers

Key Vocabulary

Living things, infancy, adulthood, seed, seedling, sprouting, mature

Additional Notes

Examples of students photos, students feedbacks and post assessments details.

This is a Pinterest activities link for this lesson plan:

https://in.pinterest.com/dnaguleswaran/student-activities/