First and Last Name(s): Debbie Craft & Sherry Morgan
School District(s): Knott
School Name(s): Hindman & Carr Creek
Unit Overview
Unit Title
Structures of Plants and Animals
Unit Summary
Students will need to know that plants and animals have internal and external structures that support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction and will construct an opinion writing piece that supports a point of view with reasons and information.
Students will choose 4 structures (internal or external) from plants or animals. At least one of their structures has to help them to survive, help them grow, be a useful behavior, and a way to attract a mate. Students will construct a system model that demonstrates these four structures.
Content Area(s)
Life Science
Grade Level
4th
Estimated Time Needed
13 Days
Unit Foundation
Targeted Standards
LS1-1: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. (Clarification Statement: Examples of structures could include thorns, stems, roots, colored petals, heart, stomach, lung, brain, and skin. ) (Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to macroscopic structures within plant and animal systems).
Crosscutting Concept: Systems
W.4.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
SL.4.5: Add audio recordings and video displays to presentations when appropriate.
4th (MA:Cr1.1): Conceive of original artistic goals for media artworks using a variety of creative methods, such as brainstorming and modeling.
Learning Targets
I can recognize parts of a plant.
I can describe the functions of plant parts.
I can explain how the plants structure helps it to survive, grow, reproduce, and react to its environment.
I can explain how an animal’s structure helps it to survive, grow, reproduce, and react to its environment.
I can recognize how the internal structure and function of a system help animals to survive.
I can construct an argument that plants have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
I can construct an argument that animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Problem Addressed
I want to be a Superhero one day. I can choose 4 structures (internal or external) from plants or animals as my superpowers. At least one of them has to help me to survive, one has to help me grow, one has to be a behavior that I will use, and one has to help me find a mate.
Essential Questions
What plant parts help them to survive, grow, behave, and reproduce?
What plant behaviors support the survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction?
What animal parts help them to survive, grow, behave, and reproduce?
What animal behaviors support the survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction?
What evidence can I find for my claims about plant structures?
What evidence can I find for my claims about animal structures?
Labeling Plant Part Worksheet-Were students able to label the plant parts correctly? Were students able to describe the function of plants correctly?
I can explain how the plants structure helps it to survive, grow, reproduce, and react to its environment.
I can explain how an animals structure helps it to survive, grow, reproduce, and react to its environment.
Life Science Assessment Probe: “Plants in the Dark and Light.” Project the probe so all students can view it. Use “Four Corner” strategy. Each student will decide which friend they agree with and write and explanation as to why they agree with them. Then have the four corners of the room divided by each friend (Carl, Monique, Jasmine, or Drew). Have students to go to the corner they agree with and have a discussion as to why they believe their friend is correct. Assign to students Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning organizer.
Exit Slip: 3-2-1 (3 things you have learned about animal structures, 2 thing I found interesting and 1 question I still have)
I can recognize how the internal structure and function of a system help animals to survive.
Bumper Sticker: Have students to write a slogan-like bumper sticker to demonstrate a concept they learned.
I can construct an argument that animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning Organizer on how an animals internal and external structures help to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
I can construct an argument that plants have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning Organizer on how a plants internal and external structures help to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
I can construct an argument that plants or animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Opinion Writing on how their Superhero can survive, grow, behave, and find a mate because of their structures they have.
Summative Assessments
Students will write an opinion piece that supports their claim that their superhero can survive, grow, behave a certain way, and find a mate because they have these “powers” or structures from plants or animals. They will show evidence by how these structures helped the plant or animal to do these things. They will use their Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning Organizers as their basis for the writing piece.
Students will create their Superhero. They will choose 4 structures (internal or external) from plants or animals as their superpowers. Their 4 structures must be one to help them survive, one to help them grow, one has to be a behavior they will use, and one has to help them find a mate.
