Gwynedd Mercy University-School of Business and Education

Lesson Planning Framework

Subject Area: S
​ cience​ Grade Level: ​3rd Grade

GMercyU Student Name: M

​ iranda Dorsey

Domain I: Planning and Preparation

PA Core/Academic Standards):
● 3.1: Biological Sciences
_____________________________________________________________________________
Big Idea: Overarching Theme
● Animals adaptation and survival in their environment

Essential Question(s):
Students will consider and reflect on throughout the lesson:
● How do adaptations help animals (organisms) survive in their habitat?
● How does blubber help penguins survive in their environment?

Objective/Performance Expectations
What will students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
● Students will be able to describe the importance of animals adapting their environment
by writing a summary in their writers notebooks

Assessment Evidence/Level of Learning Differentiated Instruction​:

Students will show what they know by evidence
of/list names of formative or summative checks,
quizzes, tests which indicate evidence of learning:
● After discussing the activity, students
write a brief summary in their
journals/notebooks/lab books
describing the importance of blubber in
the survival of penguins and other
marine animals.
Modifications in instruction and
assessment for students with learning
differences, specifically those with 504’s
and IEPs.
1. Fill a sandwich-size plastic bag
with shortening and two
sandwich-size bags with ice.
2. Student places one bag of ice
on partner’s hand.
3. Place the bag of shortening
(blubber) on the partner’s other
hand. Place the second bag of
ice on top of the bag of
shortening.
4. Time and record how long
before each hand feels cold.
5. Have partners switch roles and
repeat the investigation.
6. Students record their
observations in their
 journal/record sheet and
discuss the role of blubber in
penguin survival.

Domain II Classroom Environment​: Refer to Classroom/Behavior Management Plan

Domain III: Instruction

Motivation/Prior Knowledge:
Preparing students for the lesson: How will you activate prior knowledge, build background, or
review previous lessons?
● I will active prior knowledge by showing my students a quick video about penguins. we
will then discuss some characteristics about penguins and their environment

Materials Needed:
● 4 sandwich-size storage bags (self-sealing preferred)
● 2-3 cups of blubber (solid shortening such as Crisco)
● Bucket/container of ice water
● record sheet
● watch/clock with second hand
● pencil/ pen
● masking tape
● paper towel

Sequence the Lesson:

What learning activities/strategies will you use to engage the students in the learning? What
will students do to use and apply new concepts or skills (independent practice if relevant)?
How will you monitor and guide their performance? Include relevant vocabulary. (Please use
bullets to sequence your lesson.)
1. As a class, watch the PBS video ​Passport to Antarctica, Program 4: Penguin
Power - At Home On the Ice.
2. Discuss some of the physical characteristics of penguins, such as their ability to
survive in very cold water.
3. As a class, discuss the nature of the activity and record predictions about
expected outcomes (the length of time one could hold hand in ice water, how it
might feel, etc.).
4. Divide class into groups of 2-4 students.
5. Have students cover one hand with one plastic storage bag.
6. Put a generous amount of solid shortening into another bag.
7. Have the student put the bag-covered hand into the bag with the shortening.
Knead the shortening to make sure the hand is completely surrounded by
shortening.
8. Wrap masking tape around the portion of the bag covering the wrist to seal the
bag.
9. Cover the other hand with 2 bags without shortening (control).
 10. Place the hands simultaneously into a bucket of ice water. Other team members
time and record how long each hand remains under water until it feels cold.
11. Have partners switch roles and repeat the investigation.
12. In groups and then as a class, discuss the results and observations. Compare
with predictions made prior to the activity.

Closure​: What will you do to bring closure to the lesson? How will you ​summarize this
lesson and preview the lesson that will follow?
● To bring this lesson to a close, we will review everything that we had done for this
lesson, I will then ask my students if they enjoyed the lesson and what their favorite
part of the lesson was. Finally, we will have a class discussion and I will then ask what
they learned from the lesson