DIXIE STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE

Teacher Candidate: _Adriana Villanueva
Grade Level: 4th
Content Area: Language Arts and Social Studies
(Compare/Contrast)
Step 1 DESIRED RESULTS
A. Contextual Factors

28 Students

21 boys 7 girls

5 students with behavior problems.

4 students with IEP: 1 for depression and defiant behavior, 1 for

academic support, 1 for anxiety and social misconduct, and 1 for
Aspergers.

7 High-ability students: High abilities include mathematics,

reading, writing, and other language arts functions.

7 struggling learners.

3 ELL students, 2 of them have tested out of the ELL program

(tested on a WIDA level 6 or higher), 1 is WIDA level 4. 1 of
these students receives additional academic support as outlined
in their IEP.

Classroom environment:
The students are all seated in tables and there are 4-5 students at
each table. There is a Smart Board located at the front of the
classroom that is connected to an overhead projector. There is also an
Elmo projector that is connected to the computer and can display on
the Smart Board. Each student has a designated iPad where they
complete multiple assignments throughout the day.
B. Utah State Core or Common Core Curriculum Standard

Language Arts:
Reading: Informational Text Standard 5
Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison,
cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or
information in a text or part of a text.
Social Studies:

Standard 1
Students will understand the relationship between the physical
geography in Utah and human life.
Objective 1
Classify major physical geographic attributes of Utah.
b. Examine the forces at work in creating the physical geography of
Utah (e.g. erosion, seismic activity, climate change).
C. Enduring Understanding/Big Idea

Utahs present desert environment is the result of many geologic

forces that have shaped it overtime, and it also shares many
differences and similarities to other environments around the world
(e.g., a coral reef off of the coast of Australia).
D. Essential Questions/Guiding Questions

How do the animals and plant life found in coral reefs differ from
those found in Utahs deserts?
What role does the presence and/or scarcity of water play in both
coral reef and desert ecosystems?
How do the animals and plants in coral reefs and deserts rely on
each other for survival?
What was different about Utahs climate when Lake Bonneville
existed?
How is Lake Bonneville an example of the effect that global
warming has on Utahs environment?
If the climate in Utah becomes drier, how would it affect the
people and animals that inhabit it?

E. Concepts

The greatest difference between coral reefs and desert

ecosystems is the availability and amount of water found in
these biomes.
There are great climatic differences regarding temperature
between coral reefs and deserts.
Utahs climate has changed vastly over history, and scientific
experts infer that Utahs climate will become warmer and drier.
The Great Salt Lake is only a small portion of a much larger body
of water, Lake Bonneville, which used to cover the majority of
the state of Utah.
The existence and disappearance of Lake Bonneville suggests
that Utahs climate has dramatically changed.
Treasures vocabulary: reef, partnership, current,
eventually, brittle, suburbs.

F. Skills

Compare and contrast the similarities and differences that

exist between coral reef and desert biomes.
Reflect on how Utahs ever-changing climate affects the
environment and people of Utah.
Record the similarities and differences between various topics
(i.e., coral reefs and deserts, Utahs present climate and Utahs
past climate) on a Venn diagram.
Illustrate using a picture showing how Utahs environment has
changed overtime.

Step 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

1. Pre-Assessments
Vocabulary and comparison pre-assessment.
2. Formative Assessments/Evidence
Students must work with their peers to complete the vocabulary
activity.
Students are required to fill out a series of Venn diagrams while
we read At Home at the Coral Reef.
Venn diagram comparing and contrasting a desert and a coral
reef biome.
Discussion about Utahs changing climate.
3. Summative Assessments/Evidence
Treasures Test
3-4 paragraphs comparing and contrasting desert and coral reef
biomes.
Picture illustrating Utahs past and present environment.
Big Venn diagrams (to be filled out as a class throughout the
week).

Step 3 Lesson Objectives with Instructional Strategies

Day 1: I will compare and contrast the animals and plant life that
exist in coral reefs.

Pre-assessment (to be done as bellwork).

Vocabulary activity: Students will work together in their table groups to

match each of the weeks vocabulary words (reef, partnership, current,
eventually, brittle, suburbs) with their correct definition. The
definitions are posted on posters around the room, and the students
will have 2 minutes to match each word to its definition.

Prezi Presentation: Introduce students to the concepts that will be

discussed this week. The presentation includes a video on coral reefs,
and discussion prompts.

Main selection: Read At Home at the Coral Reef as a class. While

reading, fill out Venn diagram worksheet.

Day 2: I will compare desert biomes with coral reef biomes.

Compare deserts with coral reefs: Using the information that we

learned about coral reefs from reading At Home at the Coral Reef and
the information on deserts that we learned from reading A Walk in the
Desert, complete a Venn diagram comparing the two biomes. Begin
this lesson by guiding students into thinking about all of the different
things that they can compare (animals, plant life, climate, water
availability, etc.)

Instruct students to come up to the front of the room and add

information to the big Venn diagram on coral reef biomes and desert
biomes.
Day 3: I will identify the similarities and differences between desert
biomes and coral reef biomes.

Using the Venn diagrams from yesterday, write a 3-4 paragraph essay
comparing and contrasting desert and coral reef biomes.
Day 4: I will examine the forces at work in creating the physical
geography of Utah.

Present a video about Lake Bonneville to the class.

Instruct students to discuss as a table, and then as a class about how

Lake Bonneville is an example of how Utahs environment has
changed.
o How is global warming related to the flooding of Lake
Bonneville?

Instruct students to come up to the front of the room and add

information to the Venn diagram comparing Utahs past and present
environment.

Draw a picture illustrating Utahs past and present environment.

Day 5: I will reflect on the effect that Utahs changing climate has
on the environment and people in Utah.

Present a video about Utahs changing climate to the class.

Have a classroom discussion about how Utahs changing climate will

impact the environment and people of Utah.
o Scientists infer that Utahs climate will become warmer and
drier. How will this affect Utahs people and environment? Will
it affect Utahs neighboring states?

Write a reflection about how Utahs changing climate can affect the
environment and people of Utah.
, VA: ASCD.; Ainsworth, L. (2003). Unwrapping the standards: A simple process to make standards manageable. Denver, CO:
Advanced Learning Press.