LESSON PLAN
Class Title Lesson Title Unit Grade Anchoring Phenomena Total Minutes
Two very different birds in very different
Life Science Natural Selection Evolution 7 50 mins
environments. Both are called “juncos”.
STANDARDS AND LESSON OBJECTIVES
Next Generation Science Standards Common Core State Standard Connections
WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the
selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content
SL.8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in
a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid
reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact,
MS-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes adequate volume, and clear pronunciation
how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some ELA Standards:
individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific Collaborative 1. Exchanging information and ideas with others
environment. through oral collaborative discussions on a range of social and
academic topics
Interpretive 5. Listening actively to spoken English in a range of
social and academic contexts
Productive : 10. Writing literary and informational texts to
present, describe, and explain ideas and information, using
appropriate technology
Lesson Objective(s) Evidence
• Accessing prior academic knowledge - Reflecting on sources
of evidence to further strengthen their
arguments/explanations on evolution
• Displaying understanding in response to guiding questions
Students will construct an explanation based on evidence to
• Investigate and apply the principles of evolution
support how natural selection causes populations to change.
• Making inferences - Relate environmental changes to changes
in populations
• Utilize a self-assessment to identify areas of strength and
areas that need improvement
STUDENT ASSESSMENT
Type Purpose/Focus of Assessment Implementation Feedback Strategy How Informs Teaching
To gather student’s prior
IA – Bell Ringer Confirms the students’
knowledge on other examples Asking questions to elicit
Entry Think-Pair-Share standing on the concept of
of evolution. To drive learning student responses
Level adaptation
through student interest
IA – To gather data on how Monitoring student work This will inform the teacher of
Natural Selection Virtual Lab
Progress environmental changes drive throughout the activity and the students’ ability to identify
(Claim and Evidence)
Monitor changes in populations asking guiding questions cause and effect relationships.
Students should be able to
Construct a Reasoning that
relate environmental change to
connects Evidence to the Claim Students will receive feedback
IA – changes in organisms and
to explain how natural Reasoning via a rubric from the self-
Sum. further develop their reasoning
selection affected moth assessment
as to how natural selection is a
populations over time
mechanism of evolution
Student should be able to
Visiting each group and to
Identify areas of strength and identify their strengths and
SA Self-Assessment review their self-assessments
areas that need improvement areas in need for improvement
and asking questions
within their understanding
FOCUS OF INSTRUCTION
Instructional Strategies
• UDL Principle: Daily Conversations – supports students’ language skills through reciprocal exchanges throughout the lesson
• Vocabulary development through the use of academic language throughout the lesson
• Think-Pair-Share
• Online interactive to support active learning
• CER – support literacy and academic development through analysis, evaluation, and synthesis
• Providing scaffolds for students to develop strong statements
• Facilitating Revision – students refine their originally submitted written assignment by adding on or correcting based on new feedback
Lesson Introduction/Anticipatory Set
Time Teacher Does Student Does
• Teacher explains the agenda for today’s lesson:
including classwork, lesson objectives and homework.
• Watch video clip from Finding Nemo (Lesson Level
Phenomenon)
• Allow students to engage in think-pair-share to drive a • Students write down the agenda on their planner and
class discussion for the Bell Ringer and access students’ read the objective/lesson goals
15 mins prior knowledge on adaptation • Watch video clip and complete the Bell Ringer
Guiding Questions: • Engage - Students share their understanding of
- Nemo and Dory are very similar but also very adaptations
different – why?
- What are some characteristics that are specific to
each of the characters? How does it help them
survive?
Lesson Body
Time Teacher Does Student Does
• Direct students to use their Chromebook for the virtual
• Students carefully listen to the directions given by the
Peppered Moth lab – provide directions for the
teacher for the Peppered Moth Lab
simulation and how to collect data
• Explore - Students individually collect data and analyze
15 mins • As students are conducting their investigation, walk
patterns of evolution in the moth populations
around the class to probe student thinking
• Explain - Develop a strong claim and graph to represent
• Review the parts of a CER and assist students in
their collected data
developing a strong claim and finalizing their data
Lesson Closure
Time Teacher Does Student Does
• Facilitate a class discussion where students share their
findings and examples • Learners share their findings of the Peppered Moth Lab
• Allow learners to develop a rationale guided by their • Elaborate - Construct a well-supported reasoning based
evidence to explain how environmental changes can on the collected data
cause populations to change through natural selection • Students will ask questions or answer any questions
20 mins • Continue to walk around and monitor student progress, prompted by the teacher to show their understandings
clarify misconceptions, and direct student thinking • Evaluate - Conduct a self-assessment on each section of
• Once the students are done with their CERs provide the CER and make improvements
them with a rubric for self-assessing • Students clean up and put away any other materials
• Direct students to clean up and remind them of the they used during the lesson
homework
Instructional Materials, Equipment, and Multimedia
• Science journals (notebooks)
• Life Science Textbook
• Chromebooks
• Rubric
• Finding Nemo Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TryGbC8o5_0
• Virtual Lab - https://askabiologist.asu.edu/peppered-moths-game/play.html
DIFFERENTIATION
English Learners Striving Readers Students with Special Needs Advanced Students
Students with special needs will
ELLs are supported through the be paired with an advanced These leaners should be able to
Striving readers will make use of
fossil lab activity as they get visual student to ensure they have utilize their prior knowledge to
analyzing supplemental online
learning experience along with consistent support through the lab personalize with the lesson and
articles to find more information
the content knowledge. activity. They will also receive a dive their expression of the
and evolutionary patterns.
Videos will also contain subtitles. color-coded rubric to help them content.
stay organized.
REFLECTION: SUMMARY, RATIONALE, AND IMPLEMENTATION
This lesson will allow learners to solidify their understanding of evolution and adaptation by looking at natural selection in action. Mainly, this
lesson will help learners extend their existing knowledge of species changing over time by studying how changes in a population can arise from
various environmental factors Additionally, students meet multiple ELD strategies of collaboration, productive, and interpretive through their
group lab activity that allows them to listen to spoken English and express their information/ideas through writing. Listening to the presented
models will also guide the development of Identified English Learners who may be too shy to present and receive feedback. Involving student in a
self-assessment prior to the lab will allow me to modify instruction to clarify ideas and guide students’ thinking in a more constructive manner. The
lesson will also give the teacher multiple opportunities to informally assess the students through direct communication which can pave the way for
an in-the-moment adaptations or accommodations for the future lesson.
