Technology Integration in the ESL Classroom

Lesson Plan Template

Lesson Title Amazing Animals

Subject(s) Science, Language Arts, Technology

Grade/Level 1

Standard 4: Living Organisms

Concept 1: Characteristics of Organisms
Understand that basic structures in plants and animals serve a function.
PO 3. Identify observable similarities and differences (e.g., number of legs,
body coverings, size) between/among different groups of animals.

TESOL:
Goal 1, Standard 1: To use English to communicate in social settings:
Students will use English to participate in social interactions.
Descriptors:
Sharing and requesting information

Goal 2, Standard 2: To use English to achieve academically in all content areas:

Students will use English to obtain, process, construct, and provide
subject matter information in spoken and written form. Descriptor:
Representing information visually and retelling information
Standards Include the content, technology, and TESOL standards that you will address in
this lesson.

Goal 2, Standard 3: To use English to achieve academically in all content areas:

Students will use appropriate learning strategies to construct and apply
academic knowledge.
Descriptors: Actively connecting new information to information previously
learned. Taking notes to record important information and aid one’s own
learning

Technology (ISTE Standards):

Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct
knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
Students will
apply existing knowledge to generate products and create original works as a
means of personal.

-What are the differences you see in birds and mammals, reptiles and fish,
amphibians and arthropods?
-How do these differences help the animal to survive in its habitat?
Essential -What would happen to the animals if their habitats changed?
Question(s) -How could the animal change to adapt to the new habitat?
-How do humans affect animal habitats, and what can be done to stop negative
effects from humans on animal habitats?
 As a result of this lesson, each student will understand:
-the main characteristics of the six different types of animals (mammals,
amphibians, arthropods, birds, fish, reptiles)
Understandings
-how to use KidPix to create a digital image of animals in their habitats
-how the characteristics of each animal allows the animal to survive in its
habitat

The ELL students will learn the essential vocabulary related to animal
Language
characteristics and habitats. They will also learn to summarize their findings in
Understandings
paragraph form and present their findings orally.

Each student will create a digital picture with an animal in its habitat and type a
Evidence paragraph about the characteristics of that particular animal and how those
characteristics help it to survive in its habitat.

The student’s Animal Characteristic Web will be evaluated before the student
write his/her paragraph to check the accuracy concerning the animal facts. The
student’s digital picture will be assessed in regards to whether the student
Assessments labeled the animal appropriately and placed it in the proper habitat. The
student’s paragraph will be assessed for the proper use of capitalization,
punctuation, sentence structure, and grammar. The oral presentation will be
assessed based on fluency, voice, and expression.
PROCEDURES

Anticipatory Set:
-The teacher will show students different pictures of animals and will ask the students about different
animals they have as pets and animals they see outside or at the zoo.
-Each student will verbally provide their favorite animal and the reasons for the favoritism.

Procedure:
-The teacher will introduce the six different animal types and provide visual examples of each type.

-The teacher will then provide non-fiction animal books for the students to look through in pairs. The
students should note different characteristics that the animals have and the different habitats in which the
animals live.

-After the partner discovery session, the teacher will ask the whole group following questions:
• What are the differences you see in birds and mammals, reptiles and fish, amphibians and
arthropods?
• How do these differences help the animal to survive in its habitat?

-The teacher will pass out the Animal Characteristics Web to each student. The students and teacher will
fill out the web accordingly as a whole group.

-The teacher will ask the students to provide examples of each animal type. Then the teacher will ask the
students to list the characteristics they notice about that animal that is different from other types of
animals on their webs.

-After listening to the students’ responses, the teacher will add any important characteristics that the
students did not provide.

-The teacher will then show the students tadpoles in water and quickly review the life cycle of frogs
(previously taught in another lesson). The teacher will ask the students about the habitat of frogs
(amphibians).
• What kind of habitats do amphibians live in? (Water and Land)
Learning • From what we see with amphibians:
Experience o What would happen to the animals if their habitats changed? (Animals can adapt to
some degree to survive in a different environment.)
o How could the animal change to adapt to the new habitat?
(Example: Tad poles have gills and a tail to survive in water, but when it becomes a
froglet, it grows lungs and legs to survive on land.)

-The teacher will then ask:

• How do humans affect animal habitats, and what can be done to stop negative effects from
humans on animal habitats?

-After the habitat discussion, the teacher will tell the students that they will create a digital picture of their
favorite animal type in its natural habitat using KidPix (previously taught program). The students will also
type a paragraph using the text tool that describes the characteristics of the animal group and why those
characteristics are important to the animal’s survival in that habitat (ex. Fish need gills to breath in water).

-The teacher will show the students a completed example. And review the requirements for sentence
structure, capitalization, and punctuation.

-The students will create their digital pictures and type their paragraphs.

-After each student has finished and printed their picture. The teacher will model how to orally present the
picture and paragraph by fluently reading his/her paragraph with expression.

-The will practice orally reading their paragraphs in partners.

-Each student will orally present their digital picture and paragraph and answer questions from peers.

Conclusion
-All the students will add their pictures and paragraphs to create a class book and the teacher will present
the book to the students.
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

-Partner discovery session with books about animals

Student- -Whole group web creation (each student having their own web to fill in)
Centered -Creation of the digital animal picture and paragraph relating to the animal.
Strategies -The practice session for the oral presentation
-The oral presentation of the student’s favorite animal type

-The student will be able to choose the appropriate reading level book to
compare animals.
-The student will be able to write the paragraph with words he/she understands.
Differentiation
-The student will be able to practice with a more fluent speaker before
presenting the oral presentation.

-The students will work in partners to discover differences between animals

using pictures and books.
Authentic -The students will observe live tadpoles in their habitat and note how the
Learning tadpoles change and live in a new habitat.
-The students will create a correct representation of an animal type in its habitat
and present an oral presentation about the animal type.
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
Instructional -Animal Characteristics Web
Materials -Computers with the KidPix program

-KidPix computer program

-Color Printer
Resources
-Non-fiction books about the different types of animals and their characteristics
and habitats