Lesson Plan 2 Students work collaboratively to produce a paragraph that representsthe different stages of the life cycle of a butterfly. National Geographic Documentary Video 'Growing Up Butterfly' - See Video resource.
In this lesson students are to watch a three minute documentary video about Butterfly Life Cycles.The class then collectively constructs the body of an explanation which summarises the different stages in the life cycle of a butterfly from the information in the video. The students work in groups with each group assigned to a particular stage. The lesson comprises of visual, verbal and written phases in activity.
UNIT TITLE: Life Cycles
LESSON: 2/10
Year 3 Stage 2
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Science and Technology - (Living Things) S2.3: - Identifies and describes the structure and function of living things and ways in which living things interact with other living things and their environment. Science and Technology - (Using Technology) UTS2.9: - Selects and uses a range of equipment, computer-based technology, materials and other resources with developing skill to enhance investigation and design tasks. Science and Technology - (Investigating) INV S2.7:
- Conducts investigations by observing, questioning, predicting, testing, collecting, recording and analysing data, and drawing conclusions
ENGLISH English - (Talking and Listening) TS2.1: - Communicates in informal and formal classroom activities in school and social situations for an increasing range of purposes on a variety of topics across the curriculum. English - (Talking and Listening) TS2.2:
- Interacts effectively in groups and pairs, adopting a range of roles, uses a variety of media and uses various listening strategies for different situations.
English - (Reading and Viewing) RS2.7: - Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes. English - (Reading and Viewing) RS2.8: - Discusses the text structure of a range of text types and the grammatical features that are characteristic of those text types.
English - (Writing) WS2.9: - Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features
ASSESSMENT: - Questioning students throughout lesson - Observe students' engagement in discussion and contribution to group discussions - Listen to students' feedback for peers when editing paragraphs.
PART AND TIMING
SUBJECT MATTER
Teaching practice
Resources/ Organisation
Introduction: 5-10 mins Allowing students to link prior knowledge with new knowledge will ensure they create cognitive learning links that enable students to recognise features and access information quickly. Providing students access to modelled factual text guides them to learn the literacy attributes and features needed when writing their own factual text in the future.
INV S2.7Conducts investigations by observing, questioning, predicting, testing, collecting, recording and analysing data, and drawing conclusions
observes, collects and records information of the stages from the video viewed
TS2.2 Interacts effectively in groups and pairs, adopting a range of roles, uses a variety of media and uses various listening strategies for different situations.
listens to sustained information reports on familiar and researched topic
Living Things S2.3 Identifies and describes the structure and function of living things and ways in which living things interact with other living things and their environment.
identifies the different stages of the lifecycle of a butterfly
recalls some facts on the different stages learnt previously
- Discuss with students what they learnt in previous lesson so that they may go through the process of 'assimilation' and 'accommodation' (McInerney, 2010, pp.37-38), which consists of the integration of previously existed schemes with the newly registered information and experiences. Refer to (Lesson Plan 1). - Ask students to identify the different stages of the life cycle of a butterfly, which was learnt from previous lesson. - Write these stages on the SmartBoard and brainstorm different facts students know about each stages (description words about the different stages of the life cycle e.g. pupae/cocoon, caterpillar, transformation etc.)* This can be listed or organised in a visual organiser such as a mind-map. - Save the document file of the brainstorms made. - Instruct students to get into groups of four and allocate a stage for each group (The Egg, The Larva or Caterpillar, The Pupa or Chrysalis, and The Adult Butterfly). The groups are asked to concentrate in listening and taking notes on post-it notes of facts about their allocated lifecycle stage whilst playing the video. - Play the 'Growing Up Butterfly' video from the National Geographic website. - Play the video again, however pause for discussion at vital points, particularly when technical language or descriptive words are used so that students are able to write these technically terms in their notes.
Resources- National Geographic website- Postit Notes and pens- SmartBoard, projector, computer, speakers
Organisation- Students are seated in front of the board on the floor.- Students who have their hands up can answer. - Students are allocated into groups with mixed literacy abilities.
Body: 45 mins By going through the activity step-by-step and giving examples, the teacher is able to guide students along whilst enabling them to use their own previous knowledge and ideas to further expand upon the activity.
Discussion amongst students ensures individuals will gain multiple insights into information.
UTS2.9Selects and uses a range of equipment, computer-based technology, materials and other resources with developing skill to enhance investigation and design tasks.• manipulates the use of the SmartBoard and the video to gain information
RS2.8 Discusses the text structure of a range of text types and the grammatical features that are characteristic of those text types.
recognises the structure and grammatical features of a factual text, explanation
recognises cohesive links in a text, e.g. text connectives.
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.
understands and creates notes for relevant writing purposes
- Ask students what type of text format the video is using (explanation through narration). - Ask students to write on the board (as a mind-map) some aspects of an explanation they heard throughout the video, including formal language, technical terms, and structure (statement of phenomena, explanation and conclusion). Discuss how they were used in the video. - Scaffold on the board some key sequencing text connectives and discuss why they should be used in explanations. - Move students back into groups and hand out a piece of A3 paper so that students are able to write a paragraph about their allocated stage, using the notes taken previously.* Encourage students to use the features of an explanation such as text connectives, technical language. Students are able to review the video if needed. - Teacher observes students in group work and assesses their input and contribution to work. - Students come back together as a whole class, and places their group paragraphs on the board in the right structure and order according to the stages.
Resources: - Video - Four pieces of A3 paper - SmartBoard
Organisation: - Students are seated on the ground when the whole class comes together but when in groups students are allocated to different parts of the room. This is for noise control.
Conclusion: 5-10 mins Encouraging students to be able to edit their own work and the work of others will help students improve their level of understanding in grammar and punctuation.
TS2.1Communicates in informal and formal classroom activities in school and social situations for an increasing range of purposes on a variety of topics across the curriculum.* communicates with peers and group members of the structure of the explanation
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.* demonstrates self-editing and peer editing skills of the paragraphs RS2.7 Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.* recognises the purpose of an explanation and describes the features of an explanation to achieve the purpose.
- Encourage class discussion and peer editing as the body of the joint explanation is read as a class. Questions such as:- Is anything missing? - What else should be added in the future to make the explanation complete? (e.g. diagrams and pictures, title, statement of phenomena, conclusion, etc.) - Ensure all paragraphs are kept for safe keeping so that it may be used for the final production of the video.
Resources:
- Finished paragraphs on A3 paper Organisation: - Students are seated in front of the board on the floor.
Lesson Evaluation:
Did students achieve the lesson outcomes? If not, what would need to be modified to enhance student learning?
Were students engaged in the learning throughout the process? Why/why not was this the case?
Did the students understand the relevance of the concepts explored? In what ways was this evident?
Were the concepts explored relevant for subsequent lessons? How?
Were the works finished or was there not enough time? How could this be improved?
How effectively did students contribute to editing and creating final piece of work?
How were students motivated to achieve a finished piece of work?
Students work collaboratively to produce a paragraph that representsthe different stages of the life cycle of a butterfly.
National Geographic Documentary Video 'Growing Up Butterfly' - See Video resource.
In this lesson students are to watch a three minute documentary video about Butterfly Life Cycles.The class then collectively constructs the body of an explanation which summarises the different stages in the life cycle of a butterfly from the information in the video. The students work in groups with each group assigned to a particular stage. The lesson comprises of visual, verbal and written phases in activity.
Science and Technology - (Living Things) S2.3:
- Identifies and describes the structure and function of living things and ways in which living things interact with other living things and their environment.
Science and Technology - (Using Technology) UTS2.9:
- Selects and uses a range of equipment, computer-based technology, materials and other resources with developing skill to enhance investigation and design tasks.
Science and Technology - (Investigating) INV S2.7:
- Conducts investigations by observing, questioning, predicting, testing, collecting, recording and analysing data, and drawing conclusions
ENGLISH
English - (Talking and Listening) TS2.1:
- Communicates in informal and formal classroom activities in school and social situations for an increasing range of purposes on a variety of topics across the curriculum.
English - (Talking and Listening) TS2.2:
- Interacts effectively in groups and pairs, adopting a range of roles, uses a variety of media and uses various listening strategies for different situations.
English - (Reading and Viewing) RS2.7:
- Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.
English - (Reading and Viewing) RS2.8:
- Discusses the text structure of a range of text types and the grammatical features that are characteristic of those text types.
English - (Writing) WS2.9:
- Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features
- Questioning students throughout lesson
- Observe students' engagement in discussion and contribution to group discussions
- Listen to students' feedback for peers when editing paragraphs.
Allowing students to link prior knowledge with new knowledge will ensure they create cognitive learning links that enable students to recognise features and access information quickly.
Providing students access to modelled factual text guides them to learn the literacy attributes and features needed when writing their own factual text in the future.
- observes, collects and records information of the stages from the video viewed
TS2.2 Interacts effectively in groups and pairs, adopting a range of roles, uses a variety of media and uses various listening strategies for different situations.Living Things S2.3 Identifies and describes the structure and function of living things and ways in which living things interact with other living things and their environment.
- Ask students to identify the different stages of the life cycle of a butterfly, which was learnt from previous lesson.
- Write these stages on the SmartBoard and brainstorm different facts students know about each stages (description words about the different stages of the life cycle e.g. pupae/cocoon, caterpillar, transformation etc.)* This can be listed or organised in a visual organiser such as a mind-map.
- Save the document file of the brainstorms made.
- Instruct students to get into groups of four and allocate a stage for each group (The Egg, The Larva or Caterpillar, The Pupa or Chrysalis, and The Adult Butterfly). The groups are asked to concentrate in listening and taking notes on post-it notes of facts about their allocated lifecycle stage whilst playing the video.
- Play the 'Growing Up Butterfly' video from the National Geographic website.
- Play the video again, however pause for discussion at vital points, particularly when technical language or descriptive words are used so that students are able to write these technically terms in their notes.
Organisation- Students are seated in front of the board on the floor.- Students who have their hands up can answer.
- Students are allocated into groups with mixed literacy abilities.
By going through the activity step-by-step and giving examples, the teacher is able to guide students along whilst enabling them to use their own previous knowledge and ideas to further expand upon the activity.
Discussion amongst students ensures individuals will gain multiple insights into information.
RS2.8 Discusses the text structure of a range of text types and the grammatical features that are characteristic of those text types.
- recognises the structure and grammatical features of a factual text, explanation
- recognises cohesive links in a text, e.g. text connectives.
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.- Ask students to write on the board (as a mind-map) some aspects of an explanation they heard throughout the video, including formal language, technical terms, and structure (statement of phenomena, explanation and conclusion). Discuss how they were used in the video.
- Scaffold on the board some key sequencing text connectives and discuss why they should be used in explanations.
- Move students back into groups and hand out a piece of A3 paper so that students are able to write a paragraph about their allocated stage, using the notes taken previously.* Encourage students to use the features of an explanation such as text connectives, technical language. Students are able to review the video if needed.
- Teacher observes students in group work and assesses their input and contribution to work.
- Students come back together as a whole class, and places their group paragraphs on the board in the right structure and order according to the stages.
Resources:
- Video
- Four pieces of A3 paper
- SmartBoard
Organisation:
- Students are seated on the ground when the whole class comes together but when in groups students are allocated to different parts of the room. This is for noise control.
Encouraging students to be able to edit their own work and the work of others will help students improve their level of understanding in grammar and punctuation.
WS2.9 Drafts, revises, proofreads and publishes well-structured texts that are more demanding in terms of topic, audience and written language features.* demonstrates self-editing and peer editing skills of the paragraphs
RS2.7 Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.*
recognises the purpose of an explanation and describes the features of an explanation to achieve the purpose.
Questions such as:- Is anything missing?
- What else should be added in the future to make the explanation complete? (e.g. diagrams and pictures, title, statement of phenomena, conclusion, etc.)
- Ensure all paragraphs are kept for safe keeping so that it may be used for the final production of the video.
Resources:
- Finished paragraphs on A3 paper
Organisation:
- Students are seated in front of the board on the floor.