SETON HILL UNIVERSITY

Lesson Plan Template

TOPIC DETAILS CK
Name Savannah Monroe
Subject Science and Health
Grade Level 4th Grade
Date/Duration 1 class period
Big Ideas All living things have similarities and differences.
Living things have certain functions.


Essential Do I notice similarities and patterns in living things?
Questions Can I explain why living things need air and water?
Can I use my senses to help solve problems?


PA/Common Standard - 3.1.4.A1
Core/Standards
Classify plants and animals according to the physical
characteristics that they share.

o Using human and plant cutouts, in groups of two,

4th science students will compare external
structures of 4 human and plant similarities OR 4
human and plant differences.
Informal: asking mid work what the
definition of physical Characteristics
means.
Tier 1: My friends, what does
physical characteristics mean that we
learned at the beginning of the
class?
o Looking for, the features and
traits of your body.
Tier 2: Can everyone point to a
difference that humans have that
plants dont on their body? (Looking
for eyes, mouth, hands, feet, etc.)
Formal: handing in cutout at end of the
activity with four similarities and
differences to inform me if the students
know similarities and differences
Summative: The groups of 2 students will
create a show me describing the four
similarities OR differences that their group
created from their cut out. Students should
have a picture of their cutout in their show
me.

Objective In groups of two, 4th grade science students will
compare plants and humans on a plant and human
Bloom's cutouts and get at least 4 similarities OR differences
Taxonomy correct.

Webb's Depth of
Knowledge
(DOK)
Formative & Informal: asking mid work what the definition of
Summative external means.
Assessment o Tier 1: My friends, what does physical
Evidence characteristics mean that we learned at the
beginning of the class?
Looking for, the features and traits of your
body.
o Tier 2: Can everyone point to an external
structure on their body? (Looking for eyes,
mouth, hands, feet, etc.)
Formal: handing in cutout at end of the activity with
four similarities and differences to inform me if the
students know similarities and differences
Summative: The groups of 2 students will create a show
me describing the four similarities OR differences that
their group created from their cut out. Students should
have a picture of their cutout in their show me.
o
ISTE Standards Learning about nature and how humans relate to nature
for Students is life skills
Students must be responsible for their work
Framework for Analyze how the student feels and compare it to how a
21st Century plant works
Learning They will use inferred based knowledge to determine
differences/similarities between plants and humans
Accommodation Pictures will be given of human body parts (eyes,
s, Modifications mouth, ears) and of plant parts (stem, leaves, flower)
o Students will place the pictures on the respective
cut out and explain why they are different
SUPERVISING
TEACHERS
SIGNATURE

Seton Hill University Lesson Plan Template Step-by-Step

Procedures
RATIONALE for CK
the Learning
Plan
Introduction Activating Prior Knowledge
The students will answer if all plants are alike and if
they/their guardian have ever grown a plant at home:
 Have any of you planted plants at home or gone to a
garden?
Are ALL plants the same?
o For content differentiation, the students will be
grouped and regrouped based on the information
they give during the prior knowledge (teachers
discretion)
o Because many students have ADHD and are OCD,
they might have a hard time staying focused
based on their groups they are in.
Hook/Lead-In/Anticipatory Set
The students will be shown a video about living and non-
living things. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=p51FiPO2_kQ)
Explicit Big Idea Statement
Instructions All living things have similarities and differences.
Essential Questions Statement
Do I notice similarities and patterns in living things?
Objective Statement
Students will understand that there are similarities
between themselves and other living things.
Transition
Students will be given the necessary materials to
complete the independent practice
The students may become distracted while everything is
being passed out.
o Perhaps they could be the ones passing out the
materials
o I could give my students something to work on
while everything is being passed out.
o I could also give the materials before to avoid
getting off task
What needs to be passed out?
o The human and plant cutouts will be passed out
o Writing utensils will be passed out
Key Vocabulary
Living
Non-living
Plants
Similar
Different

Lesson PreAssessment of Students

Procedure What are some characteristics that you have that a plant
does not?
Modeling of the Concept
The teacher will have a print out of humans and plants.
The students will help the teacher decide what the
teacher has in common with the plant and what is
 different about the plant. One example of a similarity
and one example of a difference. The similarity and
difference can be external or a function.
o For Product differentiation, the students will use
sticky notes to label their bodies as well as a plant
provided (an in season plant)
o The students will have the opportunity to go
outside to observe plants. The students should use
the definitions of different and similar while
observing these plants to make conclusions about
why plants and humans are different, but have the
same functions. A change in environment will aid
some students to further their learning so they are
able to achieve a tier 3 summative assessment at
the end of the unit.
It will be very hard for students in
wheelchairs to go on an adventure outside
The teacher could bring the adventure
inside and have students do some
observation on different items from
the outside

Guiding the Practice
The students will begin their independent practice of
writing on both the plant cutout and the human cutout.
The students will conduct most of their work on the
cutouts by writing the similarities and differences on the
cutouts.
o For process differentiation, the students may
complete a Venn Diagram instead of writing on the
cutouts.
o The students can also be given a manipulative to
create this activity
This is due to different modalities that each
student has (kinesthetic, audio, visual, etc.)
Providing the Independent Practice
If the students finish early, they can color their cutouts
Transition
In rows/tables, the students can get/put away their
supplies.
o This could again create some havoc in the
classroom based on how crazy the students are.
Making sure they go in pairs will ensure that
they get items put away correctly and stay
away from havoc.
Reading Youtube video
Materials Colored pencils
Technology iPads
Equipment Worksheets of plants and humans
Supplies
Evaluation of Formal Evaluation
the Formal: handing in cutout at end of the activity with four
Learning/Master similarities and differences to inform me if the students
y of the know similarities and differences
Concept Informal Evaluation
Asking mid work what the definition of similar and
different means.
o Tier 1: My friends, what does physical
characteristics mean that we learned at the
beginning of the class?
Looking for, the features and traits of your
body.
o Tier 2: Can everyone point to difference that
humans have that plants dont on their body?
(Looking for eyes, mouth, hands, feet, etc.)

Closure Summary & Review of the Learning
The students will fill out a K-W-L Chart in case they arent
comfortable speaking out loud about what they are still
unsure of.
o For product differentiation, the students will create
a KWL chart as a whole class.
The students will have to answer the questions that
were asked at the beginning of the lesson.
o Tier 1: My friends, what does physical
characteristics mean that we learned at the
beginning of the class?
Looking for, the features and traits of your
body.
o Tier 2: Can everyone point to difference that
humans have that plants dont on their body?
(Looking for eyes, mouth, hands, feet, etc.)
For Content differentiation, based on the
answers the students give at the end of the
lesson, such as I dont know or pointing to
objects around the classroom, the students
will be grouped according to their mastery
levels, and the lesson will have to be
retaught according to their interests and
types of learners they are to that group of
students.
Homework/Assignments
Go home and (depending on the season) find a plant
that they really like and bring it to next class. If able, do
research on the plant to share with the class.
o For process differentiation, the students will look
up on the Internet their favorite plant.
Teacher My lesson uses the solidarity CST strand because
Self-reflection students will work together to make conclusions.
 Solidarity goes beyond working on projects, but it goes
into being there for one another, which my students will
work on in this activity.
This lesson has potential to go far beyond just a science
aspect of the same and different between plants and
humans. The lesson could go into earth day and how to
make the earth a better place for living objects. I think
that some landmines that this lesson has could include
where I would get the cutouts, or make them, and this is
not how every student learns by drawing and making
conclusions on cutouts. I believe that taking a field trip
outside or to a local greenhouse would enrich the
learning further and apply it to a tier 3 summative
assessment. For older students, I would teach them
further about the functions of plants and how they
directly relate to humans and have them do a project on
what they have learned. This lesson needs to be further
thought out I believe, I am just dipping my toes into the
world of assessment and still have much to learn. But I
love how the standard used, 3.1.K.A1.
Identify the similarities and differences of living and non-
living things, can go so much farther than just describing
living and non-living things. I will continue to make
changes to this lesson plan to make it the best it can be.