Download Teaching Through Science Trade Books MacLaren Stephanie

Teaching Through Science Trade Books
Stephanie MacLaren
Teaching through Science Trade Books
ECE 415: Math and Science Curricula
24 October 2013
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Teaching Through Science Trade Books
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Topic
The topic of evolution and adaptations was chosen because one of the third grade
essential questions is: What processes are responsible for life’s unity and diversity? Within the
Connecticut state standards children should be able to compare and contrast external features and
behaviors that enable different animals to survive and reproduce in different environments.
Therefore, I start out the unit by reading a book about how all things have evolved from a simple
single celled organism. Then, I will choose existing organisms (assorted moths and butterflies)
for the children to explore and discover why they look and behave the way that they do. I will
evaluate their ability to understand adaptations and evolution by having them select another
organism (with parental help) to present to the class and explain why that animal has certain
traits due to adaptations.
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Review of Science Trade Books
(https://www.msu.edu/~stanawa8/Science%20and%20Children's%20Literature.htm)
Book Title: Our Family Tree
Genre: Narrative non-fiction
Author and Illustrator: Lisa Westberg Peters
Interest level: 3rd Grade
& Lauren Stringer
Brief Outline: We have our family tree, but that reaches further back than our grandparents. Our
family tree, in the evolutionary past, started millions of years ago on Earth. We have changed
over time and some of our oldest relatives are from both land and water. Life forms have
changed greatly over time and evolution has led to our current form.
Science Content/Concepts: Evolution is a process that takes millions of years.
Life began with much smaller organisms and has evolved into the plants and animals we see
today. Many of these changes in life forms are due to changes in the Earth’s environment.
Science Process Skills:
Observing: similarities and differences of current life forms and ancient ones
Classifying: family groups based on their physical features
Comparing: differences and similarities of life forms
Measuring: history/ time
Communicating: are there certain things that provide evidence to evolutionary theory
Inferring: the Earth is constantly changing
Predicting: could we change in the future?
Hypothesizing: how could our bodies or other life forms change?
Defining and Controlling Variables:
Science Vocabulary: cells, genetic code, family tree, plants, animals, scales, insects, backbones,
eggs, blood, extinct, asteroid, bones, tools, brain, survive, continents
Connecticut Curriculum Framework:
Standards 3.2 and 3.2a
Other Related Books:
Evolution by Linda Gamlin
Related Websites: lisawestbergpeters.com
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Review of Science Trade Books
(https://www.msu.edu/~stanawa8/Science%20and%20Children's%20Literature.htm)
Book Title: Adaptation
Genre: Non-fiction
Author and Illustrator: Alvin, Virginia, & Laura Silverstein
Interest level: 3rd grade
Brief Outline: Pages 14-15 address the evolution of the Peppered Moth. In the 1800s the
Industrial Revolution began to influence the environment including the habitat in which the
peppered moth lived. Originally, moths blended into their surroundings but once the soot from
the factories settled on the trees, many of the moths stood out and were easily identified by prey.
The moths that were naturally darker survived and produced more offspring with their similar
coloring until the clean air laws were passed in the 1970s.
Science Content/Concepts: Adaptations to the environment
Science Process Skills:
Observing: what happens when an environment changes
Classifying:
Comparing: wing patterns of the different moths
Measuring: history/time
Communicating: what evidence supports adaptation/evolution theory
Inferring: are moths constantly changing?
Predicting: how else could moths adapt?
Hypothesizing:
Defining and Controlling Variables: What influenced the adaptation?- Human produced smog
Science Vocabulary:
Connecticut Curriculum Framework:
Standards 3.2 and 3.2a
Other Related Books:
Stewart, M. (2011). Butterfly or moth? Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers.
Related Websites:
Natural Selection in Black and White (n.d.). Peppered Moths. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from
http://www.techapps.net/interactives/peppermoths.htm
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Early Childhood Education Technology Evaluation Toolkit
From: McManis, L. D., & Gunnewig, S. B. (2012). Finding the education in educational technology with
early learners.Young Children, 67(3), 14-24.
Complete the following worksheet for each major educational technology purchase consideration. Please see accompanying directions for further explanation and examples.
Date:___10/18/13___
Evaluator(s):____Stephanie MacLaren___________________________________
Age group: _____Older Toddlers _____Preschoolers _____School Age (Grades_3________________________)
Type: _X_ Regular Education ____Special Needs ( Disability:________________________) ____ELL ____Title 1
____a. Approaches to learning (curiosity, attention, flexible thinking/creativity, persistence)
GOALS
____b. Language/Literacy ____c. Mathematics _X_ d. Science
____e. Social Studies ____f. Social-Emotional (cooperation, collaboration, identifying emotions)
HARDWARE
_X_a. Desktop or laptop computer (mouse and keyboard) ____b. Desktop or laptop computer (touch screen)
____c. Interactive whiteboard ____d. Tablet ____e. Multi-touch table or surface
Software Title: Natural Selection in Black & White: Peppered Moths (1=No 2=Unsure 3=Somewhat 4=Yes)
1. Educational
SOFTWARE
2. Appropriate
a. Learning versus focus on winning?
b. Content research and/or learning standards based?
c. Feedback informative/teaches?
a. Appropriate cognitive skill(s)/subject matter?
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b. Set in interesting/appealing context?
c. Pre/non-readers can navigate?
d. Free from bias?
a. Simple/clear choices?
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b. Multiple, positive opportunities for success?
c. After adult support, children can use independently?
4. Enjoyable/Engaging a. Enough activities with varieties?
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b. Appropriate use of rewards?
c. Realistic graphics and appealing to intended age?
d. Activities match well to attention span?
5. Progress Monitoring/Assessment
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a. Covers all the key areas the software teaches?
b. Easy to use and interpret?
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a. Can be customized for child’s needs?
b. Allows creation of new activities?
INTEGRATION
SCORE
a. Initial training/professional development on integration included?
b. Ongoing training/professional development opportunities?
(Total Score ÷ 80) x 100 = ______76______
____Purchase _X_ Continue to Consider this Option
(90-100=A,80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, <59=F)
____Do Not Purchase ____Consider other Options
URL: http://www.techapps.net/interactives/peppermoths.htm
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Curricular Connections
Standard 3.2 states that children should understand that organisms can only survive and
produce offspring in environments that meet their basic needs. Standard 3.2a states that children
should understand that plants and animals have structures and behaviors that help them survive
in different environments. Children will be able to meet these state standards because they will
be able to compare and contrast external features and behaviors that enable similar (but different)
species of moths and butterflies to get food and water and survive and reproduce. Students will
also meet these standards by understanding how moths and butterflies benefit from their
camouflage. Based on their exploration and inquiry they will be able to evaluate whether an
adaptation gives an animal a survival advantage in a given environment.
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Content Paper
Animal Evolution and Adaptations
The Beginning of Evolution
The theory of evolution states that the first life appeared on Earth about three to four
billion years ago, after the planet’s crust formed and cooled to a livable temperature. The first
living things believed to appear on the planet were microscopic single celled organisms.
Eventually, these simple organisms evolved to more complex life forms appropriate to their
environment. The complex cell groupings had specific cells with different purposes. Some multicell organisms turned into plants that produced their own food and others turned into animals.
Animals ate other plants or animals in order to survive. Animals developed outer shells for
protection and movement. These complex organisms passed particular qualities to their offspring
and future generations. This process eventually produced all the different species that have lived
on our planet. When two or more species evolve from a common ancestor and become
increasingly different over time is known as divergent evolution. Convergent evolution is when
distantly related species develop similar adaptations due to similar pressures. These structures
can be analogous because they look similar and serve similar needs but differ in structure.
Structures that are homologous have the same basic structure but have evolved into different
forms for different uses.
There are millions of different and varied organisms that live on Earth, and they all have
something in common. Each life form is suited to the habitat in which they live. This is because
over many generations species have adapted or altered to meet the demands of the environment
that they live within. Over billions of years, Earth’s water, land, climate, and overall weather
patterns have changed and sometimes very drastically. All living things that exist today, or are
extinct, slowly adapted to the changing planet that they lived on. These slow adaptations
eventually resulted in the countless categories of plants, animals, and microscopic organisms that
scientists have discovered. Each small change in a species facilitates in the next generation’s
survival and struggle to live. Typically, each living organism has a particular function in its
habitat and adaptations assist with completing this role. Every specimen has adapted to fit into a
role in the hierarchy of living creatures. Adaptations need to be reliable in that the changed
mechanism develops in most of the species members under normal circumstances. Also, it needs
to perform dependently in the context that it adapted in. Adapted traits also need to be efficient
and effectively designed for their species within their habitat. As fitness in one system increases
the fitness in another will decrease because species are in constant competition to improve their
design.
Why is there a need to adapt?
Adaptations are vital for survival and endurance of a species especially when a habitat
changes. When a given habitat changes, the living organisms must adapt to the newest
conditions. Animals can develop new ways to acquire food, find shelter, defend themselves and
their offspring, as well as survive any new weather. The living things that are unable to adapt and
cannot move to a different environment most often die. If the habitat changes are too extensive,
all organisms in a specific species may grow to be extinct. Some animals are able to adapt to
habitat alternations by changing their behavior. For example, some animals migrate south for the
winter while others hibernate through the colder winter weather. Living organisms must also
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adapt to the other living things in their habitat which could be a way to get food or avoiding
predators. Some organisms will join up with another organism to have mutual benefits such as
when birds eat pests off of larger animals to save from harmful effects. Animals can also develop
physical traits to adapt to a changing environment.
The Peppered Moth
Before the 1800s evolution was gradual, and in most instances people could not observe
biological adaptations that were happening in just a short human lifespan. However in the mid
1800s the human population grew exponentially in a short period of time. This influx of people
led to changes in how materials were produced. Factories and industrial machinery drastically
altered or ruined many natural habitats that organisms lived within. The coal that was being
burned for fuel in the factories gave off dark smoke and soot covered the surrounding areas. One
example of a species that was able to adapt to this change in human industrious behavior was the
Peppered Moth. These moths lived in Great Britain and were typically white with black spots,
but a select few were mostly dark grey in color. Their lighter wing color pattern matched the
trees that were lighter in color because they were covered in lichen. The darker moths were
easily visible when resting on the lighter lichen and therefore birds could spot them and consume
them. This consequence made their numbers relatively small and they were less likely to
reproduce. However, the smoke from the factories began to blacken the tree bark where the
moths nested, and consequently the once prosperous lighter moths now stood out to predators.
The darker moths were now at an advantage because they were less likely to be spotted against
the darkened wood. The darker moths quickly multiplied in number until they were almost the
entire population of Peppered Moths. This adaptation of the Peppered Moth is an example of the
theory of natural selection proposed by Darwin.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin is considered to be the father of Evolutionary theory. Early in the 1830s,
Darwin’s was able to go on a voyage to the Galapagos Islands, hundreds of miles off the coast of
South America. He found species on these islands that were found nowhere else on Earth. He
was especially interested in the finches he found on these islands because while they looked
similar they had unique physical beak traits that reflected specific eating habits such as seeds or
berries or insects. He believed that each of these different finches were decedents of the
mainland species but had all adapted to different sorts of food available where they settled on the
island. Each generation’s beaks were slightly different from the last, because birds with a
particular beak may have been able to consume enough to become stronger and fit enough to
produce more offspring with their desirable trait. Darwin suggested that organisms that happen to
be well-matched to varying habitats are more likely to survive and reproduce. The individual
organisms that produce offspring typically produce too many for the environment to support and
therefore all members of a species population must compete for resources to survive. Members
within a species have a variety of qualities and nature selects traits within a population that are
best suited for survival and reproduction of offspring.
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Bibliography
Coyne, J. A. (2009). Why evolution is true. New York: Penguin Group
Gamlin, L. (2000). Evolution. New York: Dorling Kindersley.
McGinty, A. B. (2009). Darwin. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Larson, E. J. (2004). Evolution. New York: Modern Library.
Majerus, M. (2005). The Peppered Moth. Truth in Science. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from
http://www.truthinscience.org.uk/tis2/index.php/component/content/article/127.html
Montgomery, S. (2009). Charles Darwin and evolution. The Darwin Society at Christ's
College. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from
http://darwin200.christs.cam.ac.uk/pages/index.php?page_id=j
Natural Selection in Black and White (n.d.). Peppered Moths. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from
http://www.techapps.net/interactives/peppermoths.htm
Peters, L. W. (2003). Our family tree. New York: Harcourt, Inc.
Silverstein, A., Silverstein, V., & Silverstein-Nunn, L. (2008). Adaptation. Minneapolis, MN:
Twenty-First Century Books.
Spilsbury, R. (2010). Animal verification and classification. New York: The Rosen Publishing
Group.
Stewart, M. (2011). Butterfly or moth? Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers.
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Glossary
Adaptation- the modification of an organism or its parts that make it more fit for existence under
the conditions of its environment
Analogous- trait that is similar in function but not in structure and evolutionary origin
Cells- The smallest structural unit of an organism
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)- English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by
natural selection
Complex- Composed of two or more units, involved or intricate in structure or design
Discover- To find, learn of, or observe an experience or object or idea
Divergent Evolution- two or more species evolve from a common ancestor and behave
increasingly different over time
Environment- combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth,
development, and survival of organisms
Extinct- species that is no longer existing or living
Family Tree- all the ancestors or descendants of a given family, species, or group
Generation- a successive stage in natural descent of organisms: the time between when an
organism comes into being and when it reproduces
Habitat- The area or environment where an organism normally lives
Homologous- similar in structure and evolutionary origin, though not necessarily in function
Microscopic- too small to be seen by the unaided eye but large enough to be studied under a
microscope
Natural Selection- the process in nature by which only the organisms best adapted to their environment
tend to survive and transmit their genetic characteristics to succeeding generations while those
less adapted tend to be eliminated.
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Offspring- descendants/children of a person, animal, or plant
Organism- an individual form of life, such as a plant, animal, bacterium, or fungus
Pattern- a natural or accidental decorative design
Reproduction- the sexual or asexual process by which organisms generate new individuals of the
same kind
Species- a fundamental category of taxonomic classification of organisms
Traits- genetically determined characteristic or condition
Wing- a pair of movable organs for flying
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5E Model of Inquiry
Engage
Show students the cover of Our Family Tree and introduce the author Lisa Westberg
Peters and the illustrator Lauren Stringer. Then, ask the children to look at the cover art and infer
what the book may be about. Ask students if they know what a family tree is and if they have
ever created one. Link the human relative family tree structure to the evolutionary version of the
family tree by saying that humans have not always walked the Earth, but instead started off as a
very different creature or organism long before our grandparents were alive.
A chart paper will be prepared in advance with vocabulary words that may be unfamiliar
such as cells, family tree, vertebrates, extinct, survive, amphibian, mammal, primates etc. Then,
the book will be read aloud and the teacher must pay careful attention to make sure that children
are able to hear clearly and see the illustrations. The goal of reading this book is to focus
student’s attention on the nine stages of our ancestry (single cells, worm-like vertebrates, fish,
amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, primates, early upright walkers, and humans). They also
should focus on why creatures have changed over time, which is because organisms can only
survive in an environment that meets their basic needs (CT SDE standard 3.2). While reading,
the children will learn new vocabulary relating to evolution and adaptations.
After reading, the teacher can ask students what the book was about and what they
observed about the sequence of events or the illustrations. Ask the children if they think the story
is real or did the author come up with this timeline from her imagination. Then, directly state that
the book is nonfiction and that evolution is a theory that scientists use today to explain why
plants and animals change and the author must have done a great deal of research to write the
book. Eventually, the students and the teacher can take a walk through the book once more and
create a timeline of our ancestry so they can compare the new structures and behaviors that
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developed to help organisms survive in new and changing environments (CT SDE standard
3.2a). If children would like to take the book home with them to share with their parents they
may do so, and every child can bring it home for one night and then return it to the classroom. If
parents are interested in the topic or the particular book they may contact the teacher via e-mail
or letter and the teacher can link them to other resources.
Explore
Tell students that, like humans, many different types of animals and plants have adapted
to their environment and changed through the years. They will be focusing on different types of
moths and butterflies and eventually they will have to decide what makes a specific moth or
butterfly well adapted and create one using materials that can be found in class or brought in
from home with parent permission and involvement. Moths and butterflies that are dead and
have been incased in a clear material will be provided for the children to observe and compare. If
possible, live butterflies and moths will be brought into the classroom for more interactive
observations. Also, pictures of different types of butterflies and moths in their natural habitat will
be provided (these pictures can be taken by parents, students, the teacher, or from websites with
permission from the photographer). Students can choose a few butterflies or moths and chart any
relevant observations or comparisons they have made regarding different traits of the insect’s
color, pattern, flying behaviors, wing shape, and any other aspects of their natural habitat such as
where they get food or the color shades of their environmental surroundings and potentially
make connections and infer why those specific moths or butterflies look or behave the way they
do (CT SDE standard 3.2a). Students will be provided with tools such as magnifying glasses and
rulers to inspect the specimens closer. Students can complete this activity by themselves or with
another person (especially if they need more assistance and peer/teacher support is required by
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their specific learning abilities) but they must all fill out their own data and observation table to
the best of their abilities with either words or drawings or both to help them make a hypothesis in
the next step of the model.
Explain
Please see below for lesson plan.
Extend
To interest the children in the extend portion the teacher will project the final activity,
that can be found on the technological resource, on the SmartBoard for the students. This screen
shows an animated simulation of some lighter Peppered Moths resting on a tree; these moths are
clearly visible against the darkened wood, while other darker colored moths are not as easily
seen. While this screen is being projected I will explain that sometimes humans can influence the
evolutionary traits that are inherited in another species. I will explain that at one time humans
used coal in their factories to assist in the production of materials, and that this coal gave off very
dark smoke and soot that eventually changed the habitats of the environment around the cities
with the factories. At one time the lighter moths were able to blend seamlessly into their
surroundings, but now they are easily noticed. Children should hypothesize why the lighter
moths are now easier to spot, given the information they have learned about adaptations, and
predict what may happen to the lighter and darker moths given their changing habitat conditions
(CT SDE standard 3.2a).
After, children will be given the book Adaptation by Alvin Silverstein, Virginia
Silverstein and Laura Silverstein Nunn. They will look at the specific section, pages thirteen and
fourteen, in the book that relate to the evolution of peppered moths in Great Britain during the
1800s. Children, in small groups of three or four, can take turns reading the short passage. They
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will then fill out a chart that asks: Why did humans begin using factories? What did those
factories produce? What color were most peppered moths to begin with? What happened after
the soot covered their habitat? What happened to the light colored moths? Why? What happened
to the darker Spotted Moths? Why? Did the moth population ever return to normal?
Once they have completed this stage they will be able to utilize one of the two computers
or the SmartBoard to interact with the applet called Natural Selection in Black and White:
Peppered Moths (http://www.techapps.net/interactives/peppermoths.htm). They can click on the
four informational tabs: The Life cycle of the Peppered Moth, Pollution and Peppered Moths, Dr.
Kettlewell Tests Natural Selection, and A Birds Eye View of Natural Selection. They will be
able to take notes about new material that the applet presents to them as well as interact with the
applet. In A Birds Eye View of Natural Selection, the virtual rendering of Peppered Moths that
was shown in the beginning of the lesson will appear. This part of the applet will allow children
to interact with the moth’s habitat as a bird so they will understand how and why the lighter
moths were noticed and consumed more readily than the darker moths in the altered habitat (CT
SDE standard 3.2). They can communicate their findings within their group and infer what may
happen if the factories stop producing so much soot. This applet allows for two models of
integration: part of a whole because it is an on computer activity that provides an important stand
along segment that is embedded within a larger evolutionary and adaptation unit of study focused
on moths. Also, it could be an enhanced model because it is an on computer activity that is
significantly improved due to cognitive capabilities of the students and challenges offered by the
software application.
Evaluate
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The teacher will challenge the students to choose another animal that they believe has a
few very good adaptive behaviors and traits that allow them to effectively survive and reproduce
in their natural habitat. They can create this new animal using material similar to the Explain
portion of the lesson. If they would like, they can work on this project at home with their parents
and they can bring home books from the classroom or school library relating to their chosen
animal, but time and materials will be provided in the classroom as well for those children that
do not have the opportunity to work with parents or guardians. If two children would like to
work together on the project, then they must identify twice as many adaptive traits in their
animal. Once the new animals are created and all the research has been compiled (by filling out a
similar chart to the Explore portion) the students will present their animals to the class. The
children will be asked why they chose to use the materials/ textures they did to create their
animal. The students should be able to explain the purpose of each of the materials and how they
relate to the adaptations of their particular animal in their natural habitat. They will be assessed
on this oral communication presentation as well as their written notes relating to their
observations, comparisons, and hypotheses.
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Adaptations of Moths and Butterflies
“Explain” Lesson Plan
Student Teacher: Stephanie MacLaren
Grade Level: 3rd
Length of Lesson: 90 minute
Content Standards:
CT SDE Standard 3.2: Organisms can survive and reproduce only in environments that meet
their basic needs
CT SDE Standard 3.2a: Plants and animals have structures and behaviors that help them survive
in different environments
Prior Knowledge/ Connections:
Students have been exposed to the topic of evolution and adaptation in humans through the book
that was read as a whole class: Our Family Tree by Lisa Westberg Peters. The children have
discussed how different organisms have changed over many years and they are continuing to
change and adapt as time goes by. They have explored and examined different types of moths
and butterflies and their environment/habitat and have taken extensive notes in a chart about a
few select moths or butterflies of their choosing.
Student Learning Objectives:
-Students will determine what traits make for a good moth
-Students will create a butterfly/moth with appropriate materials to represent certain adaptive
traits
-Students will use their collected notes to communicate why they chose certain materials to
represent traits and behaviors
-Students will hypothesize why adaptive traits have occurred because they have compared the
butterfly/moth to their surrounding habitat
-Students will communicate their findings about their particular butterfly/moth’s adaptations
with the rest of the class
-Students will predict if they believe their moth/butterfly will continue to change and how it may
adapt
Vocabulary:
Moth, butterfly, adaptation, habitat, environment, structure, behaviors, survival
Assessment:
The purpose of this assignment is for children to identify what adaptive traits have led to a moth
effectively surviving in its habitat. Initially, children will participate in sharing some of their
notes (from charts that were completed during the Explore portion) that can be compiled onto the
SmartBoard to gain an understanding of the type of data and observations the students collected
about their moth/butterfly and its habitat. Students will then create a butterfly/moth with
particular materials to represent design and structure based on their notes and observations (or
the notes of others) due to inferences that they have made about why their moth/butterfly adapted
traits and behaviors that it currently has. Then, the children will present these created creatures
with the class and communicate their findings about their particular butterfly’s or moth’s
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adaptations and why they chose certain materials to create their organism. They will hypothesize
why these adaptive traits have occurred due to their organism’s surrounding habitat and predict
whether they believe their organism will continue to change and adapt. Their responses and
presentation will be assessed through a rubric after they have presented.
Materials:
Charts (previously filled out), SmartBoard, paper of assorted colors and thickness, scissors, glue,
tape, fuzzy material, pipe cleaners, markers, crayons, colored pencils, stamps, rulers, stencils,
toothpicks, and anything a child may bring in from home
Technological Resources:
The only technological resource would be for the teacher and students to compile some of their
notes and observations prior to the activity on a SmartBoard, for children that may need more
assistance in the variety of data that needed to be collected about a selected moth/butterfly. This
could help students that may not have as advanced cognitive abilities as others in the class and
collaboration and communication of findings is essential.
Learning Activities:
Instructional Strategies:
This lesson will begin with the children sharing some of their notes with the rest of the class,
which will be beneficial to certain students who have not collected enough data to fill out the
chart or who may not have been able to make as many observations of the butterflies/ moths.
Also, these children can work in a small group with another child interested in the same
organism to collaborate and share their inferences about their observations. During the activity
students will be scaffolded by the teacher, other students, or parents that wish to come into the
classroom and help for the lesson. We can ask them about their observations and assist them with
making appropriate material choices if they are unsure. Children will be given some time to
explore and investigate the materials and will be told in advance about the project if they have
any materials they are allowed to bring from home.
Grouping Strategies:
This lesson will be most effective with small groups of children (no more than 3) or children
working on their project individually.
Initiation:
The initiation will consist of a very brief conversation that will allow some students to
communicate their observations to the rest of the class. These observations and comparisons of
their different butterfly/moth’s traits and its environmental habitat will be posted on the
SmartBoard, and the information will remain on the projector for the remainder of the lesson for
reference. Students will then be sent to their table where various materials have been provided,
and they can examine and explore and make predictions about what materials will work best to
showcase their intended adaptive traits of a butterfly/moth.
Lesson Procedure:
Students will choose a few different traits (from their completed observation chart or from
SpartBoard notes) in their chosen butterfly/moth that they would like to simulate with the
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materials that are provided. They will fill out a chart with the list of materials they will be
utilizing to build their creature and the corresponding reasoning for using each material relating
back to their adaptive trait. They will use these selected materials in any way that they please to
create a realistic representation of their chosen organism.
Closure:
As a whole group each student (or small group) will present their created organism based on a
real moth/butterfly. They will have to address the question: What makes a good (well adapted)
moth or butterfly? Students can use their chart with their observations of the butterflies and
comparisons to their habitat and potential predictions and inferences regarding why their traits
may be adaptive. They can also utilize the chart with the materials and reasoning for using them
based on their data from the first chart. Students will use these collective notes to communicate
why they chose certain materials to represent adaptive traits and behaviors. Students will share
their hypothesis as to why those certain adaptive traits have occurred due to their organism’s
surrounding habitat. Students will then make a prediction about the potential for their
moth/organism to change in the future. Through this experience and shared knowledge children
will be able to communicate their ability to understand that organisms can survive only in
environments that meet their basic needs by adapting their structures and behaviors.
Intervention:
The teacher, other students, and volunteer parents will be available to aid children who might
need added support during this activity. Extra books and numerous pictures will be provided for
children to look at if they would benefit from additional pictures or information to reflect upon.
Teachers and other aids will be able to write down what they children say if they are delayed in
their writing abilities; however the child will be asked to draw pictures if they would like to help
explain what has been written on their chart.
Enrichment:
Children who may need some graded challenges will also benefit from this activity. Children can
assist their peers in the completion of this activity including the completion of various charts for
observations, inferences, and predictions of the moths/butterflies, habitats, and the various
materials. Children will also be able to extend their knowledge with the use of books on wings
and butterflies or moths to develop richer predictions, inferences, and hypotheses about their
selected organism. This will help students make connections to other animals and the endless
possibilities of adaptations depending on environmental factors.
Teaching Through Science Trade Books
MacLaren 20
Materials for Selected Butterfly Chart
Butterfly or Moth Species: _______________________
Material Used
What trait does it represent and why?
Teaching Through Science Trade Books
MacLaren 21
What makes a good moth/butterfly? Rubric Assessment
Student Name: ___________________
Category
Student effectively
determines at least
tree adaptive traits in
a moth/butterfly of
their choosing.
Student created their
butterfly/moth with
appropriate materials
to represent traits
Student completed
both charts and used
them to communicate
their creation with
peers
Student hypothesizes
why an adaptive trait
occurred with
reasoning to support
Student able to
express understanding
of changing habitats
and influence on
adaptations for
survival
Additional Comments:
3
Student correctly
identifies three
adaptive traits of their
butterfly/moth
2
Student correctly
identifies one or two
adaptive traits of their
butterfly/moth
1
Student does not
identify any adaptive
traits for their
butterfly/moth
All materials to
represent
moth/butterfly traits
were realistic and
appropriate
Student completed
both charts with detail
and referred to them
during presentation
Most materials to
represent
moth/butterfly were
realistic and
appropriate
Student completed
charts with moderate
details and
observations and
utilized some
knowledge in
presentation
Student made a
hypothesis without
referring to notes as a
guide
Few or no materials to
represent
moth/butterfly were
realistic or appropriate
Student expressed a
general understanding
of what may cause an
adaptation to occur
Student was unable to
express the reasoning
behind adaptations
Student used
reasoning supported
by charts to make a
reasonable hypothesis
with support
Student effectively
expressed
understanding of
habitats and their
influence on
adaptations for
survival
Student did not
complete charts and
did not refer to them
during their
presentation
Student did not make
a hypothesis or made
a guess about a trait’s
purpose