Next Generation Science Standards
4-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms Structures and Processes: Construct and argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
CCSS for Reading Informational Text
Grade 4 students explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
CCSS for Writing
Grade 4 students write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Grade 4 students conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
Big Ideas
• Animals have external structures that promote survival and growth
• Plants have external structures that promote survival and growth
Unit Enduring Understanding
• Animals and plants have unique internal and external structures depending on their environment. These structures help promote the growth and survival of the animal or plant. Without these structure, the growth and survival of the animal or plant would be compromised
Unit Essential Questions
• How do external structures of plants and animals promote growth and survival in a given environment?
Knowledge and Skills
Students will know…
• Benchmark vocabulary: structure, function, environment
• Basic plant structures and functions
• Basic animal structures and functions
Students will be able to…
• Use a Chromebook to conduct research on select plants and animals
• Use a digital graphic organizer to record notes
• Use Blogger to publish their findings to the web
Summative Assessment
Students will create blog from their research notes to show and explain their findings.
The blog should include key elements including text, images, hyperlinks, and comments.
Students will comment on at least 2 other classmate’s blogs.
Rubric
Scoring Category
This product provides…
Score Point 5
The student created a blog with the key elements of text, images, hyperlinks, and comments The student created a blog that showed evidence of learning through the key elements. The blog was easy to follow and understand. The student showed a clear grasp of the content of structure and function.
Score Point 3
The student created a blog that showed evidence of learning. The blog was missing 2 of the key elements. The blog was easy to follow and understand. Evidence of learning was not complete.
Score Point 1
The student created a blog that showed evidence of learning. The blog was missing 3 of the key elements. The blog was disorganized. Evidence of learning was unclear.
Student response to 2 other blogs
Score Point 5
The student responded to 2 blogs with a grammatically correct response. The response was thoughtful and showed evidence of learning.
Score Point 3
The student responded to two blogs. However, the responses were not grammatically correct or were not constructive to learning.
Score Point 1
The student only responded to 1 blog and the response was not constructive.
Total Score: _________
Above the Standard: 8-10
Meets the Standard: 6-7
Below the Standard: 0-5
Materials Needed
• Chromebooks
• Animal and Plant choices handout
• Sticky notes
• Google Docs graphic organizer
• List of websites
• Google log on information for creating/ accessing accounts (Google Classroom, Blogger, Google Web
Search)
Strategy One: Gathering Information
Begin the unit with an anticipatory set. Students will utilize Chromebooks to access Kahoot, an online quiz game. The Kahoot will be designed to check for student’s background knowledge on plant and animal structure and functions. Click here for Kahoot.
Introduce the lesson by explaining that students will conduct independent research on a plant and animal of their choosing. Hand out the list of choices (Cut into strips prior to handing out. Give students ample time to make and record their selection. Students will record their selection on a sticky note and leave the note stuck to their desk so the teacher will be able to easily see the selected plant or animal as he conferences with each student during the research phase.
Students will log into Google Classroom on their Chromebooks. In Classroom, Students will locate the graphic organizer and the list of approved websites. Students will use the list of websites to navigate and find information necessary to complete the graphic organizer.
Students will submit the graphic organizer through Google Classroom when they complete their research
Formative Assessment 1: Students submit graphic organizer through Google Classroom
Rubric
2 – The graphic organizer is complete and shows clear evidence of understanding of structure and function of the selected plant or animal
1 – The graphic organizer is incomplete and or does not show evidence of understanding of the structure and function of the selected plant or animal. Student will be asked to revise.
Strategy Two: Reasoning
Students will use their Chromebooks to access their Google Drive. Once in Drive, students will create a new Google Doc. Students will use their notes from strategy one to construct an argument that their chosen plant or animal has unique structures that function to support their growth and survival.
Students will share the Google Doc with their teacher when complete.
Formative Assessment 2: Students share Google Doc with their teacher
Rubric
2 – The Google Doc shows clear understanding of the plant and or animal’s structure and function. The argument is clear and concise showing clear evidence of learning.
1 – The Google Doc shows understanding of the plant and or animal’s structure and function. However, the argument is not clear or concise. Evidence of learning is incomplete. Student will be asked to revise.
Strategy Three: Communicating
Students will utilize their argument from strategy 2 to create their blog.
Students will log into their Chromebooks and access Blogger (Google’s blogging application). Students will create a blog that creatively shows their learning from their research. The blog should include at least one hyperlink to a website and one hyperlink to a video. The blog should also include images to support their arguments. The text should come from the student’s writing in strategy two and can be copied and pasted to increase efficiency.
Handout 1: List of animals and plants for student choice
Plants
Saguaro Cactus
Venus Fly Trap
Baobab Tree
Pitcher Plant
Corpse Plant
Cape Sundew
Lithops
Bladderwort
Animals
Maned Wolf
Sunda Flying Lemur
Gerenuk
Irrawaddy Dolphin
Tufted Deer
Arizona Royal Flycatcher
Fish Hook Ants
ET Salamander
List of approved websites (located in Google
Classroom)
http://listverse.com/2013/06/14/10-rare-animals-with-bizarre-adaptations/
http://www.biology4kids.com/files/plants_structure2.html
https://www.britannica.com>
https://owlcation.com/stem/10-Most-Wacky-Plants-of-the-World
http://udlibsearch.lib.udel.edu/highschools/
http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/products?ed=all&gr=Welcome+UDLib%2FSEARCH
https://a-z-animals.com/
http://www.animalfactsencyclopedia.com/
http://www.wildanimalsonline.com/
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/
r>http://www.onlineplantguide.com/Index.aspx
GraphicOrganizer: (Located on Google Classroom)
Plant or Animal Choice:
Common Structures Function of the Structure
Unique Structures Function of the Structure
Wh
atstructures are necessary for survival and growth? Why?
Is there any structure that the plant or animal could live without?
