Unit Plan Part 3:

Instructional Sequence & Assessment Plan

Kelsey Krieger

Grade Level: Kindergarten

NGSS Performance Expectation: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals
(including humans) need to survive. K-LS1-1

Learning Objectives:

1. At the end of this unit, the students will be able to explain how plants and animals including humans
have basic requirements for maintaining life which would include need for air, water, and a source of
energy
2. At the end of this unit, the students will be able to classify plants and animals based on their
characteristics and needs.

Phenomenon/Driving Question:

1. How does a plant survive?

2. How does an animal survive?

Instructional Sequence:

Activity Activity Description (1-2 sentences) I-AIM Section I-AIM Function

Title (Experiences, (Which of the 13
Patterns, functions does this
Explanations, or activity
Application?) represent?)

1 Dying Plant Bring in a plant that is slightly dying. Show Experience Establish a question
students the plant and let them observe/discuss
ideas about it. This will elicit their initial ideas Elicit Students
about what the plant needs to survive. Initial Ideas

2 Science The first day the students will draw a picture of Experience Experience
Journal what the plant looks like now and what they Phenomena
would like to add to it to bring it back to life.
Students will check on the plant a few days after
they have supplied the plant with what it needs
to live and draw a picture of what it looks like
now that it has these things. Students will write
sentences about what is happening with the plant
in the various stages as they check on the plant
in small increments.
3 Growing a Now that students have a general idea of how to Pattern Explore ideas about
plant/bean save a plant, they can brainstorm what it takes to patterns
sprout grow a plant from a seed. Students will grow
plants in small groups in various areas of the
room with altering conditions chosen by the
students. Students will be grouped by what they
wrote about plants needing in their journals.

4 Science Students draw progress of their plant/bean Experience Explore phenomena

Journal sprout every few days as they grow. They add for patterns.
labels of what they see and the varying
conditions of how they are growing their plants.

5 What do you Elicit student background knowledge about Experience Elicit Students
know about animals, Make a graphic organizer to be added Initial Ideas
animals? to and edited later.

6 What do Using information from what we know and Experience Explore Phenomena
animals need learned about plants, they will compare what for patterns
to live and they think animals need to live and grow. How
grow? are these the same? How are they different?
What does this mean about plants and animals?
(they are both living things!)

7 Worms Students will discuss as a class what the class Experience Explore a
worms need to live and grow. Two students will Phenomena
be chosen each day to care for the worms and
make sure they have what they need. After,
students will observe worms and see how they
consume things and live in their habitat.

8 Animal Students will draw worms with labels and write Patterns Explore Ideas
journal about what they think they need to live. Ideas About Patterns
will be taken from this and added to graphic
organizer to implement when worms are
attained.

9 How are we Students will track their food/drink consumption Experience Explore Phenomena
like worms? for the day and compare it to what the worms for Patterns
have. Class will discuss how we are the same
and different from worms.

1 Habitats Explore Student Background Knowledge about Patterns Explore Ideas

0 where animals live. What are animals that live in About Patterns
our neighborhood? Where do other animals that
 you know about live?

1 Animal Students will draw an animal out of the mystery Application Apply to Similar
1 Habitat hat. They can do research on the animal if Contexts with
shelter needed from leveled readers or other books. Support
They will write in their journal what kind of
habitat they think the animal needs and what
they need in their habitat to survive. They will
need to draw a picture with labels as well as
sentences.

1 Venn Students will use a hula-hoop Venn Diagram Application pply to Novel
A
2 Diagram of that compares and contrasts needs of plants and Concepts with
needs of animals. As a class we will discuss each aspect Fading Support
plants and that students put into the diagram and why it is
animals or isnt in the correct place. What does this mean
for plants and animals?

Assessment Plan:

Activity Number & Title Assessment Task Rationale:

5: Plant Journal This assessment task will
measure students understanding
towards the beginning of the unit.
Mid-Unit FORMATIVE Learning Objective:
It is open-ended and allows for
Students will document what plants need to survive and grow. students to express their
understanding in a way that they
NGSS Performance Expectation this task addresses: feel most confident in as well as
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and at their academic level. It is a
animals (including humans) need to survive. K-LS1-1 written assessment that I will be
able to monitor as they are
completing it to best understand
my students representations.
Task Detailed Description: Exemplary Assessment Response
Features:
Students will draw in their plant journals each time we check on the
plants progress in science time. They will document everything they
know that goes into the plant's growth, what it looks like now, and 1. Plants need water, sunlight, and
what they think it needs. By doing this multiple times, I will see the a place to grow
growth of my students knowledge and on their understanding of the 2. Plants grow by changing and
process. They will show me by drawing pictures and providing labels.
getting bigger
We will label the days that we check the plant on each page and I will
3. Students need to add water to
use the last page to formally assess the students. On the last page,
students will show all the things they needed to do to keep the plants the plant often to make sure it
growing and healthy. They will write about what the plants needed gets what it needs. It also needs
throughout the experience. to stay in the sun in a place
where it has access to air.

End-Unit SUMMATIVE Learning Objective(s): Assessment Task Rationale:

At the end of this unit, the students will be able to explain how This assessment is high level, engaging,
plants and animals including humans have basic requirements for hands-on and models something that
maintaining life which would include need for air, water, and a happens in a real world environment. It
source of energy allows student creativity to create a
place for something of their choosing -
giving them a sense of pride and
NGSS Performance Expectation this task addresses: responsibility in their work. Students
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and will be able to display their ideas in a
animals (including humans) need to survive. K-LS1-1 way that they can explain academically
and linguistically at their own level.
Task Detailed Description: Exemplary Assessment Response
Features:
Students will create a place for a plant or animal of their choosing to
live, survive, and flourish. They will need to draw or create, using
provided materials, everything their plant or animal need to survive in 1. Students drawings/creations
the place that they live. They will present to a small group about their should include that
drawing/project and why it is sufficient for their living thing to survive plants/animals need somewhere
there.
to live that is specific to that
type of living thing.
2. Students drawings/creations
should include that
plants/animals need a food
source or an energy source.
3. Students drawings/creations
should include that
plants/animals need water to
survive.