SUBJECT: Science- Utah’s Forest CharacteristicsLENGTH OF LESSON: 1-2 days

GRADE LEVEL: 4th

Content, Scope, and Sequence, Core Standards:This lesson plan is part of a larger CORI Unit which focuses on the Utah forest environments and how they interact with living organisms.  For this lesson, students will write an acrostic poem individually to show their understanding of a forest’s characteristics.  Prior to the lesson, students will already have read texts describing forests and learned forest related vocabulary.

Lesson Ties:

4th Grade Science Core Curriculum:o Standard 5: Students will understand the physical characteristics of Utah’s

wetlands, forests, and deserts and identify common organisms for each environment.

Objective 2: Describe the common plants and animals found in Utah environments and how these organisms have adapted to the environment in which they live.

a. Identify common plants and animals that inhabit Utah’s forests, wetlands, and deserts.

b. Cite examples of physical features that allow particular plants and animals to live in specific environments (e.g., duck has webbed feet, cactus has waxy coating).

c. Describe some of the interactions between animals and plants of a given environment (e.g., woodpecker eats insects that live on trees of a forest, brine shrimp of the Great Salt Lake eat algae and birds feed on brine shrimp).

d. Identify the effect elevation has on types of plants and animals that live in a specific wetland, forest, or desert.

e. Find examples of endangered Utah plants and animals and describe steps being taken to protect them.

4th Grade Language Arts Common Core:o Writing

Standard 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

a. Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

c. Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).

d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Standard 5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revision, and editing.

Standard 6: With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

o Reading Standard 5: Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose,

and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.

Student Background, Rationale, Purpose:Utah has different biomes including wetlands, forests and deserts. These environments are inhabited by living things such as plants and animals. Each environment has unique characteristics and adaptations that allow the plants and animals to survive.  The plants and animals interact with each other and the environment to create a forest environment.  This interaction (the food chain) helps the preservation of forests and it is necessary for students to understand how living organisms interact with each other and the forest environment.

Students will have already been taught the writing process including revision, editing, and publishing. Students will also know the basic skills to publish their work on the computer by typing the final draft and printing it out.

Objective:

Students will be able to describe forest characteristics by writing an acrostic poem using the vocabulary words and text to find supporting details on their own.

Preparation:

You will need:o Food Chains in a Forest Habitat by Isaac Nadeauo Vocabulary Listso Forest Templateo Journals       

Vocabulary List:

Previously Learned:o Coniferous

o Deciduouso Environmento Foresto Habitato Hibernationo Interactiono Migrationo Rainfallo Adaptationo Carnivoreo Decomposero Herbivoreo Insectivoreo Nutrientso Omnivoreo Photosynthesiso Producero Scavengerso Vegetarianso Inferenceo Food Chain

Additional Resources:

Texts:o Food Chains in a Forest Habitat by Isaac Nadeauo Counting on the Woods by George Ella Lyono Forests by Cally Hallo Forest by Yvonne Franklino Woods and Forests by Patricia A. Fink Martin

Lesson Outline:

Introduction:The teacher will begin the lesson by asking the whole class, “What have you learned about forests?” She will then call on 2-3 students to give their answers. She will explain that they will participate in an inner/outer circle activity that activates students’ background knowledge of forests.

Content/Activities:

Activity 1: Inner/Outer Circle Activity

o Step 1:o The teacher will randomly ask student to form two equal circles; one circle inside

the other circle. o Step 2:

o The students in the inner circle will face outwards toward the students in the outer circle.

o Step 3:o Each student will be paired with the student they are facing in the opposite circle.

o Step 4:o The teacher will ask the students in the inner circle to state two

details/characteristics they have learned about forests to their partner. o Step 5:

o The teacher will direct the outer circle students to move to their right one person. This will allow students to talk with a new peer.

o Step 6:o The teacher will now ask the students in the outer circle to state two

details/characteristics they have learned about forests to their partner. She will emphasize the details cannot be the same as what their previous partner stated.

o Step 7:o The teacher will direct the inner circle students to move to their right one person.

Each student will have a new partner. o Repeat Step 4o Repeat Step 5o Repeat Step 6o Teacher will call on two students to share what they stated or what their partner stated. o Students will then sit back down.

Activity 2:o Introduction: Teacher will introduce the next activity by sharing two acrostic poems and

describing the characteristics of an acrostic poem. o The teacher will make sure to explicitly state the characteristics of acrostic poems.o The teacher will then model how to create an acrostic poem by first writing the topic

word on the board. For this modeling activity the teacher will use the word SNOW.o She will then show students how to write a sentence beginning with each letter that

describes the topic.

o S mall, white flakes fall from the sky.o N ew winter scenes appear.o O utside the streets are empty.o W hen it snows, many children play outside.

o The teacher will review the criteria for an acrostic poem and ask students what they need to have in their poem.

Activity 3:o The teacher will remind students they can use ideas they have learned about forests or

any ideas they heard from their peers in the two previous activities. o The students will then work individually on their poem. They will write their first/rough

draft in their journals. o The teacher will walk around and observe students writing and help those who need

assistance.o They will turn their journals with their rough draft into the teacher to check after school.

Activity 4: The students will edit and revise their poem using the comments from the teacher. After their poem is finalized, they will publish it on the computer by typing it into the

forest template provided by the teacher. Students will print off their published piece and turn it in to the teacher to display in the

hall.

Closure:The teacher will group students in small groups for students to read their poems. After

the groups are done sharing, the teacher will allow students to read their poem to the whole class if they would like.

Evaluation:The teacher will observe students while they are working individually on their poems. She will also read the poems at the end of day one and give feedback to students. This will help her know who to assist on day two. The final poem for each student will be evaluated through the use of a rubric.

Lesson Differentiation- Advancing, Adapting:o To adapt for Early Finishers, they can choose another word from the vocabulary list to

create a second poem. They may use the texts, computer, encyclopedia, etc. to obtain more information.

o ELL students will be allowed to use their vocabulary cards in order to see the definition and also use them for a visual representation of the poem. They can use pictures on their forest template to support their poem.

Technology:Each student will use the computer to publish their Forest poem. Early Finishers will be able to

use the computer to find more information for their second poem. ELL students may use the computer to find pictures to support their poem.  

Other Family/Community Interactions: Students will be able to display their poems in the hall for the school and family members to see. They will also be able to take a copy of their poem home to share.

Resources:  

o Food Chains in a Forest Habitat by Isaac Nadeauo Counting on the Woods by George Ella Lyono Forests by Cally Hallo Forest by Yvonne Franklino Woods and Forests by Patricia A. Fink Martin

Rubric for Forest Poem

Total Points = 16

1 2 3 4Poem Format Poem does not

have the word FOREST

capitalized and in a vertical layout. The sentences do not begin from the letter in the

word forest.

Poem has the word FOREST capitalized but not in a vertical

layout. The sentences do not begin from the

letter in the word forest.

Poem has the word FOREST

capitalized and in a vertical layout. The sentences do not begin from the letter in the

word forest.

Poem has the word FOREST

capitalized and in a vertical layout.

Each sentence will begin with a letter in the word

forest.

Vocabulary Poem includes 0-1 words from the vocabulary list.

Poem includes 2 words from the vocabulary list.

Poem includes 3 words from the vocabulary list.

Poem includes 4 or more words

from the vocabulary list.

Grammar Poem has 5 or more

grammatical errors (spelling,

punctuation, etc.)

Poem has 3-4 gramatical errors

(spelling, punctuation, etc.)

Poem has 1-2 gramatical errors

(spelling, punctuation, etc.)

Poem does not have any

grammatical errors (spelling, punctuation, etc.

Sentence Structure

Sentences do not describe forests

and has syntactical errors.

Sentences do not describe forests but have correct

syntax.

Sentences describe forests,

but have syntactical errors.

Sentences describe forests,

have correct syntax, and

Sample Poem can be found here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B71vF-kAai0qWGZkYXg2V3RQNzg/edit

Forests have coniferous and deciduous trees.

Omnivores eat both plants and animals.

Rain falls often in the forest.

Every forest needs the sun to survive.

Some animals hibernate in the forest.

The food chain is how animals and plants interact with each other and the environment.