Animal Habitats

by Linda New Levine |

A third grade science lesson for a differentiated classroom of ELLs and monolingual English children. The Massachusetts standards are used to determine the science objectives for this lesson.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

Audience: Elementary

Audience Language Proficiency: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Duration: 1+ week of daily lessons

Materials And Technology:

rubrics and graphics included in the lesson plan

Objective:

Content Objectives

  • Describe an animal’s habitat in regard to: water source, temperature, climate, food sources and members of the animal community
  • Describe one animal member of the habitat, its body and adaptations
  • Compare two diverse habitats in regard to: water source, temperature, climate, food sources and members of the animal community


Language Objectives

  • Describe or illustrate the key features of an animal’s habitat
  • Describe or illustrate one member of the habitat, its body and adaptations
  • Orally compare the differences between two diverse habitats using a Venn diagram
  •  Use comparative adjectives and signal words of comparison with a Venn diagram as support

Language Skill: Grammar, Listening, Reading, Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing
Content Area: Elementary school science
Procedure:
Preparation/Activation of Prior Knowledge
1. The children explore a forest area near the school to locate animals and insects in the habitat. They work in Buddy pairs and record their sightings on a teacher-prepared handout responding to the questions:
  •  What did you see? (record and draw)
  •  What was the animal doing? (record and/or draw)
While in the area, the teacher models target vocabulary, refers to the “habitat” and points to water sources, identifies the temperature (thermometer), and gathers examples of food to bring back to the classroom.
Back in the classroom, a classroom chart is created (with small copies for each student). The teacher leads the group in completing the chart to define a deciduous forest habitat. Pictures and realia are used to explain each entry. The teacher then models sentences from the chart:
  • “ The water source of the habitat is a small pond and a stream.”
  • “The food sources in the habitat include insects, berries, grass and worms.”
These sentence structures are written on the board as key sentence frames so that students will use them to support their oral retellings. Students complete their small charts and report in Buddy pairs about the habitat. In order to differentiate for lower language proficiencies, ask these students to illustrate the habitat and label the key features with buddy support.
2. The teacher provides students with forest habitat books, articles, and animal picture cards (with descriptions). Students have the opportunity to peruse these items and choose one animal from a deciduous forest to describe to the class. Each student finds information to complete a teacher prepared chart. Students may work in Buddy pairs if they choose the same animals. Limited proficiency students may draw and label animal parts and provide other information via pictures.
Assessment:
  1. Use the Presentation Rubric to assess oral presentations.
  2. Use the Venn Diagram Rubric to assess Venn diagrams.
  3. Assess final essays according to grade level writing rubric.

Supporting Files:
Animal Habitats.pdf

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