I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Models

Essential Question:

How do the models of “living” and “non-living” differ?

Bridge:

Growth

Content:

Living Things

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To enhance their experience of the difference between living and nonliving things.

Activity: Children plant bean seeds. (Any good primary level science text will list materials and process.) Introduce living animals to classroom for children to observe and enjoy. Discuss proper care. Have the children collect and post pictures of living things.

Assessment: Quality of picture collections.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To help students understand that objects may be classified as living or nonliving things. To learn to systematically observe changes in growth.

Activity: Children collect stones, leaves, insects, weed, sea shells, twigs and seeds. Divide class into groups of four children. Children classify the objects into two groups: living and nonliving. Each group of four children labels its display. Children keep a record of their bean seed planting: I planted seeds on __________ I saw a stem on __________ I saw roots on __________ I saw leaves on __________ Children are given observation worksheets for their bean plants.
Observation sheets:
1. How does it grow?
2. How much water does it need? How can I tell?
3. How often do I have to turn it so it gets equal light? Why is that? Children keep a growth record of what their plant looks like each day (for 6 days), drawing the progress. Discuss growth of plants and other activities.

Assessment: Bean seed planting record, observation sheets, growth records

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To help children understand that living things grow and nonliving things do not.

Activity: Have them bring in pictures of themselves as babies, post them. Collect pictures of: a baby, a child of 6-7, a child of 12-13, a young person of 18-19, a person about 40 a person of 60.

Assessment: Picture collection.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: To understand major elements needed for growth. To understand living things grow, eat and move.

Activity: Teach lesson on plants taking food, animals needing food, etc. Any good science text will contain the information needed. Children also read from their science texts, review the properties of living things.

Assessment: Quality of student engagement, teacher checking for understanding.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: To reinforce their understanding of growth and change in living and nonliving things.

Activity: Worksheets, end of chapter questions, and activities from text.

Assessment: Quality of worksheets, etc.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: To personalize their learning in some meaningful, unique way.

Activity: Children choose an activity with teacher's help and begin collecting materials. Examples: Construct a mobile of living things. Construct a mobile of nonliving things. Do two sculptures in clay: one living, one nonliving. Write a poem about how living things grow. Do seed mosaics. Encourage them to use the materials they collected in Step Two.

Assessment: Completion of project.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: To teach them how to systematize a project plan.

Activity: Students fill in the data for the following form: I am making a __________ I will need __________ It will show (lesson concept) __________ It will be finished on __________ Name __________ Teacher's Signature __________

Assessment: Project plan.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To follow through on a plan to personalize their learning. To share what they learn and do with others.

Activity: Children complete their projects and display them in the classroom. They explain them to their classmates.

Assessment: Completion of project and students' enjoyment of each other's work.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: