Lesson Plan

Name

Sara Perazzo

Grade Level(s)

K-2

Lesson Title

Animals All Around

Subject area(s)
English Language Arts: Reading, Writing, Multiple Literacies
Science: Life Science

Academic Standard(s): What academic standard(s) will you address?

LA 0.1 Reading: Students will learn and apply reading skills and strategies to comprehend text
LA 2.1.1 Writing Process: Students will apply the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writing
using correct spelling , grammar, punctuation, and other conventions of standard English appropriate for gradelevel.
LA 0.2.2.a Communicate information and ideas effectively in analytic, descriptive, informative, narrative, poetic,
persuasive and reflective modes to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
LA 0.4.1 Information Fluency: Students will evaluate, create, and communicate information in a variety of media
formats (textual, visual, and digital).
LA 0.4.1.a With guidance, use provided print and digital resources to gather information, answer questions, and
demonstrate understanding of valid information.
LA 0.4.2.a Practice safe behaviors when communicating and interacting with others digitally.
LA 0.4.2.b Use appropriate digital tools to communicate with others for conveying information, gathering opinions,
and solving problems.
SC 3: Life Science Structure and Function of Living Systems
3.1. Students will investigate the characteristics of living things.
Characteristics of Life
2.3.1. b Identify the basic needs of living things (food, water, air, space, shelter)
2.3.1d Observe and match plants and animals to their distinct habitat

Essential learnings/questions: What question(s) should students be able to answer upon completion of
the lesson?
What are different things animals need to survive?
11.1
What is a habitat?

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Process: Summarize the lesson plan process.

Students will work with a partner to research an animal of their choice. To avoid duplicate animals the teacher will
have a sign-up sheet on a first come first serve basis. Research materials available will include books from the
school library as well as research from National Geographics website. Information the students will be collecting
will include: what the animal eats, their habitat, and any other interesting facts.

Product: What will students do to demonstrate understanding?

Students will use the program, WriteReader to create a short non-fiction book about the animal chosen to
research. In the book students must describe what their animal is, what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats,
and what makes it unique. The book is to include illustrations drawn by the students. Upon completion the books
will be posted to the WriteReaders online kids library as well as the WriteReaders classroom library. Students
will be required to read their classmates books and write one comment in the feedback section. In addition, they
will read one book in the WriteReaders kids online library relevant to life science and post a comment.

Reflection Questions
ISTE Standard 1a: How does this lesson address ISTE Standard 1a?
This lesson addresses ISTE Standard 1a, because students have the ability to decide which animal they want to
research and by which means they want to conduct their research. They may use the library to find books or use
the internet and National Geographics website.

ISTE Standard 1b: How does this lesson address ISTE Standard 1b?
This lesson addresses ISTE Standard 1b, because animals are a real-world issue, they are all around, and some
are even facing extinction. It is important for students to be able to identify the needs of living things such as
animals and the ability to find the information they are looking for through books and online materials.

ISTE Standard 1c: How does this lesson address ISTE Standard 1c?
The lesson addresses ISTE Standard c, because students post their stories to the WriteReaders kids online
library. They are able to read other kids books and compare their peers books to their own. Reading the students
books will allow the teacher to verify the students writing abilities as well as their understanding of the
assignment.

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ISTE Standard 1d: How does this lesson address ISTE Standard 1d?
The lesson addresses ISTE Standard 1d, because the students work collaboratively with their partner to research
their animal of choice. They write and illustrate their own book to demonstrate the information they gather. Their
books are published to the WriteReaders online kids library as well as the classroom library for others to view
and comment on.

Assessment
Formative Assessment Plan: How could you use technology to formatively assess your students? What
will your formative assessment(s) tell you? How will your formative assessment help student(s) manage
their own learning?
Ways in which I can use technology to formatively assess my students include: using Plicker cards and Socrative to
create short quizzes that can be used to play a class game called Space Race. Plicker cards do not require me to
have a lot of technology. Each student will have an assigned card, throughout lessons, I will randomly ask
questions relating to the content material. Students will hold up their cards according to what they believe the
answer to be, I will use my phone to snap a photo using the Plickers app. I will be able to see which students got
which answers correct and incorrect. This can help me to see where students are struggling and see if they are
actually understanding the material.
Using Socrative to play the class game Space Race adds some fun to the learning process. Students are split into
two teams picked by Socrative. They can see their progress on the Smartboard by their teams rocket. Kids love to
play games and this would be a good way to review as well as see if there are areas the class needs to go back
and relearn.

Summative Assessment Plan: What is the summative assessment in your lesson?

The summative assessment in my lesson is the final project, which is to create their own non-fiction book about
the animal they researched. I will be able to evaluate the students learning through the book they make based on
their writing. I can compare my students books to each other in order to understand where each of students are
in their writing and research abilities. WriteReaders online kids library is also a resource for me to use to
evaluate my students writing and overall knowledge of the material and project in comparison to other kids.

ISTE Standard 2a: How does this lesson and assessment plan incorporate digital tools and resources to
promote student learning and creativity?
This lesson and assessment plan incorporates digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
in several ways. The lesson plan requires students to use the internet to research an animal, gathering information to
use to create their book. Students will use the program WriteReader to design and create their very own short nonfiction book about their animal. In addition, students will share their books WriteReaders online kids library, where
they can view and comment on other kids books.
The assessment plan uses Plicker cards that can help students feel more comfortable answering questions in group,
because their answers are unknown to their peers. Playing the Space Race game using Socrative, students can
create their own quizzes to be used to play against each other.

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ISTE Standard 2b: How does this lesson and assessment plan enable students to become active
participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and accessing their own
progress?
This lesson plan enable students to become active participants in setting their own goals, managing their own learning,
and assessing their own progress in many ways. Students get to choose which animal they would like to research and
use for their project. They are required to use the tools available to them- books from the school library and research for
the internet to collect the information they need. Using WriteReader to create and submit their own non-fiction book to the
online WriteReaders kids library allows them to compare their writing to kids their own age as well as their classmates.
In the same way the assessment plan enables students because using Socrative to create quizzes or play class games:
the student can gain an idea of what it is they need to know and if they know it or not. They can see where it is they need
to study more. Using Plickers the students will be more confident to answer and be forced to participate in the lesson
discussion.

ISTE Standard 2c: How does this lesson and assessment plan personalize learning?
This lesson and assessment plan personalize learning in a few ways. The lesson plan requires students to research
an animal of their choice and write a short non-fiction book about it. The students are required to comment on their
classmates books posted in the classroom library as well as one similar book in the WriteReaders kids online library.
In addition, they are required to post their books to this online library, where students from across the nation can view
and comment on their books. Students draw their own pictures and upload them for use as the illustrations. The
entire book is wrote and illustrated by them.
The assessment plan personalizes learning because using the Plicker cards, I can see which students may need
extra assistance such as after school tutoring. This also, allows me to see which areas students are doing well in and
where they may be struggling. The Plicker cards are a good way for students to answer without having to be
embarrassed if they get the answer wrong.

ISTE Standard 2d: How does this assessment plan inform learning and teaching?
This assessment plan informs learning and teaching, because both students and teachers are able to easily see
where extra time and lessons are needed in specific content areas. Students gain an idea of how they are doing
by if they are able to answer the questions asked using the Plicker cards and the game with Socrative.

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