Life Cycle Unit Lesson Plan Overview 

 Lesson #1: Pre-Assessment and Introduction Big Idea: Students express their prior knowledge about life stages.

Overview Assessment Methods Instructional Design Notes • Students speculate what

mature plants and animals might have looked like before they became adults.

• Teams choose illustrations and draw in notebook about what the plants and animals were before.

• Students draw pictures to show their ideas and display them on a team poster.

• Teams compare posters, and reflections are recorded within a Google form.

• Students will complete a Google form expressing prior knowledge.

• Students will create a drawing of “what came before” scored according to rubric.

• Students will work in cooperative groups to compare posters and complete a Google form.

• Engage stage of 5Es • Wiggins and McTighe Pre/Post

Assessment model for data-driven instruction

• Merrill’s Activation Principle, activating existing knowledge as a foundation for new knowledge

• Remembering level of Bloom’s Taxonomy

• Marzano Strategies o Identifying Similarities and

Differences o Reinforcing Effort and

Providing Recognition o Non-Linguistic Representation

 

Lesson #2: Doing Science Big Idea: Students review the Scientific Method and prepare for collaborative investigation.

Overview Assessment Methods Instructional Design Notes • Students review the

definition of and reason for conducting a fair test.

• Students complete Google Forms while watching embedded video of a "Fair Test."

• Students then use Kidspiration to demonstrate understanding of the scientific process.

• Students will complete Google forms throughout this lesson for evaluation.

• Students create a diagram of the scientific process using Kidspiration.

• Merrill’s Activation Principle, activating existing knowledge as a foundation for new knowledge.

• Understanding level of Bloom's Taxonomy

• Marzano Strategies o Non-linguistic representation

 

   

Life Cycle Unit Lesson Plan Overview 

 Lesson #3: Mystery Objects

Big Idea: Brine shrimp grow from eggs and pea plants grow from seeds. Overview Assessment Methods Instructional Design Notes • Students express prior

knowledge of what seeds and eggs need to grow.

• Students use Google forms to plan and conduct an investigation that will allow them to distinguish seeds from eggs.

• Formative assessment will be conducted using Google Forms.

• Anecdotal notes should also be taken during observation of students.

• Explore stage of 5Es • Merrill’s Activation Principle,

activating existing knowledge as a foundation for new knowledge

• Creating level of Bloom's Taxonomy

• Marzano Strategies o Questions, Cues, and Note

Taking o Generating and Testing

Hypotheses  

Lesson #4: Crazy Caterpillars Big Idea: Caterpillars change in predictable ways as they grow. Overview Assessment Methods Instructional Design Notes • Students use a Google

form to express their prior knowledge of a caterpillar before raising one of their own.

• Students observe and record changes in the caterpillar using a digital camera, blog, and Power Point presentation.

• Students are pre-assessed using a Google form.

• Throughout this unit, students will also be blogging and creating a Power Point presentation. These should be assessed following simple rubrics.

• Explore stage of 5Es • Merrill’s Activation Principle,

activating existing knowledge as a foundation for new knowledge

• Bloom’s Taxonomy levels: comprehension, knowledge, application, analysis

• Marzano Strategies o Summarizing and Note taking o Collaborative Working o Reinforcing Effort and

Recognition

 

   

Life Cycle Unit Lesson Plan Overview 

 Lesson #5: Alien Invasion Big Idea: Beetles go through predictable changes as they grow.

Overview Assessment Methods Instructional Design Notes • Students sort beetles of

various life stages and record findings using a Google form.

• Students observe and record changes for mealworms as they become darkling beetles using a digital camera, blog, and Power Point presentation.

• Students may record audio for their presentations using Audacity. Sample

• Throughout this unit, students will also be blogging and creating a Power Point presentation.

• These should be assessed following simple rubrics.

• Explore stage of 5Es • Bloom’s Taxonomy levels:

comprehension, knowledge, application, analysis

• Marzano Strategies o Summarizing and Note taking o Collaborative Working o Reinforcing Effort and

Recognition o Non-linguistic Representation

 

Lesson #6: The Circle of Life Big Idea: Beetles go through predictable life stages that are part of a life cycle.

Overview Assessment Methods Instructional Design Notes • Students use information

from a reading, "Beetle with a Bite," by Judy Brooks, to describe and sequence the life stages of a beetle in Kidspiration.

• Students create a diagram in Kidspiration demonstrating the life cycle of the beetle. This will become part of the capstone project.

• Students will also reflect on this exercise in a blog.

• These should all be assessed following a simple rubric.

• Explain stage of 5Es • Blooms Taxonomy Levels:

creating, analyzing, understanding, and remembering

• Marzano Strategies o Identifying Similarities and

Differences o Summarizing and Note Takingo Cooperative Learning o Cues, Questions, and

Advanced Organizers  

   

Life Cycle Unit Lesson Plan Overview 

 Lesson #7: From Aardvark to Zucchini Big Idea: Every plant and animal has a life cycle. Overview Assessment Methods Instructional Design Notes • Students work in groups

using technological resources to research a plant or animal of their own choosing and create a Power Point Presentation for the class on its life cycle.

• Students use Wall wisher to provide peer feedback on presentations.

• Students create a group Power Point demonstrating the life cycle of a plant or animal of their choosing and present it to the class.

• This should be assessed following a simple rubric.

• Elaborate stage of 5Es. • Blooms Taxonomy Levels:

creating, analyzing, applying, understanding, and remembering

• Marzano Strategies o Identifying Similarities and

Differences o Summarizing and Note talkingo Reinforcing effort and

providing recognition o Nonlinguistic representation o Cooperative learning o Cues, Questions, and

Advanced Organizers  

Lesson #8: Life Cycle The Movie Big Idea: A life cycle is the pattern of life stages that living things go through to produce young. Overview Assessment Methods Instructional Design Notes • Students watch a short

movie produced by the teacher of life cycle posters created by the students during the pre-assessment.

• Students reflect upon what they have learned in the unit about insects, life stages, and life cycles.

• Students take all previous Power Points and use the pictures, data, and other information to create a movie in Movie Maker.

• Students create a movie using Movie Maker to demonstrate what they have learned about life cycles.

• Students also complete an assessment and self evaluation in Google forms.

• Evaluate stage of 5Es • Wiggins and McTighe Pre/Post

Assessment model for data-driven instruction

• Blooms Taxonomy Levels: creating, evaluating, analyzing, applying, understanding, and remembering

• Marzano Strategies o Setting Objectives and

Providing Feedback