Design Topic: Earth Patterns Subject(s): Science Grade(s): 1st Designer(s): Rachel Chadwick

Understanding by Design
Unit Cover Page

Unit Title: Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change

Grade Levels: 1st

Topic/Subject Areas: Science

Key Words: Seasons, weather, adaptation, change, patterns
Designed By: Rachel Chadwick

Time Frame: 3 weeks

School District: Regent University

School: Teacher Ed & IDS Dept.

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):

In this unit, students will learn and be able to understand the effect of seasonal changes on animals,
plants, and humans, and how these changes are made in a pattern or cycle. Key concepts in the
established goals include how changes in temperature, light, and precipitation affect plants and animals,
including humans; that there are relationships between daily and seasonal changes; and changes in
temperature, light, and precipitation can be observed and recorded over time.

Unit design status:

X Completed template pages stages 1, 2, 3

X Completed rubrics

Completed blueprint for each performance task

Directions to students and teacher

Materials and resources listed

x Suggested accommodations
Status:

x Suggested extensions

Initial draft (date: ___________)

Peer Reviewed

Content Reviewed

Revised draft (date: ____________)

Field Tested

Validated

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Anchored

Design Topic: Earth Patterns Subject(s): Science Grade(s): 1st Designer(s): Rachel Chadwick
STAGE 1 DESIRED RESULTS
Unit Title: Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change
Established Goals:
Standard 1.7Students will investigate and understand weather and seasonal changes. Key concepts include:
a) Changes in temperature, light, and precipitation affect plants and animals, including humans;
b) There are relationships between daily and seasonal changes; and
c) Changes in temperature, light, and precipitation can be observed and recorded over time.
Understandings: Students will understand that

There are patterns in nature, natural cycles, and

changes that occur both quickly and slowly over
time.
All four seasons have distinguishable
characteristics, including observable weather
changes and different effects on humans and
animals.
Different types of precipitation, including rain, snow,
and ice are caused by different changes in
temperature.

Essential Questions:

What is weather and how does it affect daily life?

What are the differences in the four seasons?

How can weather be observed and measured?

What season is it? (continually) By looking around
you, how can you tell?
How do people and animals adapt during the
changes in different seasons?

Changes in plants include budding, growth, and

losing leaves. These changes happen in different
seasons.

What are some changes that you make/have

made during the different seasons?

Some animals hibernate and some animals migrate

as a result of seasonal changes, resulting in
changes in habitat.

Why is it important that we experience all four

seasons within a year? What would happen to
living things if we only had one season?

Students will know:

How climate changes affect plants and animals.

What other patterns of change can you think of

that happen in your life, as well as the world
around us?
Students will be able to:

Observe and chart changes in plants.

The difference between the types of precipitation

(rain, snow, and ice).

Relate a temperature, light, and precipitation chart

to the corresponding season (daily or weekly).

The terms temperature, precipitation, and light, and

how they relate to the corresponding season.

Observe and chart changes in plants, including

budding, growth, and losing leaves.

Activities of some common animals during summer

and winter, including squirrels, chipmunks,
butterflies, bees, ants, bats, frogs, and humans.

Predict how an outdoor plant would change

through the seasons.

Compare and contrast the four seasons of spring,

summer, fall, and winter in terms of temperature,
light, and precipitation.

Key concepts, including: hibernation, migration,

habitat.

How some common plants (e.g., oak trees, pine

trees, and lawn grass) appear during summer and
winter.
How to infer what season it is based on peoples
dress and activities.

Identify types of precipitation as rain, snow, and

ice, and the temperatures that result in each one.

Compare and contrast the activities of some

common animals during summer and winter by
describing changes in their behaviors and body
covering.
Comprehend at an introductory level that some
animals respond to seasonal changes by
hibernating (e.g., frogs, bats) or migrating (e.g.,
some birds and butterflies).

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic: Earth Patterns Subject(s): Science Grade(s): 1st Designer(s): Rachel Chadwick

STAGE 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Performance Tasks:
Other Evidence:

A Book about the Seasons: Students will

QuizThe four seasons and changes in weather,

independently develop a comprehensive book
including key concept words: hibernation,
about the seasons. It will include (in the template) 5
migration, and habitat.
written facts about the four seasons (based on their

Journal Prompts about the seasons.

own understandings), acrostic poems on the

Students will observe and track the daily weather

characteristics of each season, a reflective piece
trends for each season on a personal weather
about their favorite season, and drawings that
chart.
portray these characteristics. This book will be

Compare & contrast various seasons through the

turned in at the end of the unit.
use of Venn diagrams.

Divide the class into four groups. Each group will

Skill checkInterpret information about given

be assigned a season to represent to the whole
temperatures, precipitation, and habits/activities of
class in the form of a song, poem, rap, mural, or
humans and animals to infer the corresponding
poster. Information about the weather, animals,
season.
plants, and peoples adaptations during this season

Students will sequence a series of pictures to

should be included.
correctly show the growth cycle of a plant in order.

GRASPS activity: Oh whats the weather, whats

Also, they will sort picture cards into a sequential
the weather like today? Students will take the role
cycle of seasons. The student will write two
of a meteorologist and present their own weather
sentences telling about the season in each picture.
show, highlighting a day in one of the seasons.
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

Self-assess A Book about the Seasons, including an editing period and peer-reviewing students facts about the
seasons with information their classmates have. This will give students time to clarify/fix any part in their book
before having it graded by the teacher.

As a class, each group will be evaluated on how well they portrayed their season through whatever form they
chose. Suggestions for improvement will be made, questions raised to clarify any information presented, as well as
compliments given by both students and teacher.

Both individually and as a class, students will reflect on patterns of change that are observable in real life and how
having a cycle of seasons is important for various living things.
STAGE 3 LEARNING PLAN
Summary of Learning Activities:
Week 1
Day 1
1. Hook: Take the whole class on a Weather Walk. Tell students that they will be observing what they see about the
weather. Have them bring paper and pencil to write or draw observations. Ask questions like What type of weather do
you see? How would you describe the sky? Return to class and have students share their observations (Virginia
Department of Education).
2. Introduce the topic of study, including established goals and essential questions. Students will understand the importance
of what they will be learning.
3. What is a Cycle? Engage students in an introductory discovery of cycles, by brainstorming examples seen around
us. Explain that seasons and weather occur in cycles, or patterns, then as a class construct a KWL chart on poster paper
on what students already know and want to know about seasons and weather patterns. Students get to add what they
know, want to know, and later learn by placing sticky notes on the chart.
4. Administer a short pre-assessment (worksheet) of weather and seasons as an exit ticket before lunch or other special.
The pre-assessment has the students matching pictures that describe the weather and season.
Day 2
5. Lesson: Fall, including weather and temperature in that season. Begin with a short clip on the changes fall brings, then
read How Do You Know Its Fall? by Allan Fowler. Introduce vocabulary words related to fall as part of a word web.
6. Tell students that they will be making observations and collecting data about the weather for the next month, but also
continually throughout the year. Give them a weather chart and complete it for that particular day. **This will be done at
the beginning of every day in this unit, but will not be noted in the lesson plan each day.
7. Introduce and hand out A Book about the Seasons, which students will be working on during the unit. Have them
complete the facts about fall page today. They can work on the fall acrostic poem and drawing portion during learning
centers.
Day 3
8. Continue lesson on fall weather, including the precipitation (wind and rain), and the changes in fall, such as: the
sunlight is decreasing, birds are getting ready to migrate, or hibernate, resulting in changes in habitat.
9. Have students create a chain to tell everything they know about fall. Use strips of construction paper to write one fact
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic: Earth Patterns Subject(s): Science Grade(s): 1st Designer(s): Rachel Chadwick
about fall. Give students at least 5 strips each. (Georgiastandards.org).
Day 4
10. Lesson: Winter and its weather. Read the book The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Show students pictures of winter
weather, including pictures of what animals may be doing, and what plants look like. As a class, create a word web that
describes winter.
11. Students continue in their Book about the seasons, filling out winter facts and drawing a picture of a tree in winter. They
will also complete their winter acrostic poem.
Day 5
12. Lesson: Spring and its weather, including precipitation. Read the story How Do You Know its Spring? by Allan Fowler.
Discuss features of spring and introduce vocabulary words related to spring as part of a word web.
13. Activity: students make rain (without knowing it). Have them sit in a circle, and divide the class into three groups- rubbing
hands, snapping fingers, and clapping hands. Turn off the lights and start with one group, then add the others. Discuss
with the class what they think the sounds they made represent in nature. Tell the students they made rain!
(Georgiastandards.org)
14. Students continue in their Book about the seasons, filling out the spring section.
15. Journal take-home prompt: Pretend you are a water drop. Tell about your life on a day it rains, snows, or you turn to
ice. How did the weather affect you?
Week 2
Day 1
16. Lesson: Summer and its weather. Read How Do You Know its Summer? By Allan Fowler. Discuss characteristics of
summer and introduce vocabulary words related to summer as part of a word web.
17. Students will continue in their Book about the seasons and complete the summer section.
18. Group activity- sorting clothes by season. Students will work in groups of four to sort pictures of different outfits by season.
19. Assign and talk about GRASPS project. Students will need to give their presentations the last Friday of the unit, and
parents will be encouraged to attend. Hand out rubric.
Day 2
20. Using PowerPoint Slides, show pictures of different seasons and what animals, people, and plants (especially trees) look
like during each one. Prompt student discussion about what they observe, and any patterns that they notice. Include
interactive smart board activity where students come up and match a caption to each picture at the end of the PP
presentation.
21. Read A Tree for All Seasons by Robin Bernard, and use think-pair-share to ask questions about the patterns in the
seasons and why trees are changing and looking different.
22. Independent practice: Using a trees in seasons handout, have students create seasons Lift-A-Flap with a 12x8 white
piece of construction paper. They will glue the trees in each season on the top flaps, and underneath will tell about the
four seasons and review the differences of each (Virginia Department of Education).
Day 3
23. Show students what a newscast and weather report looks like by showing them a video/example of one, and the
components a meteorologist would have in their weather show. Use this time to explain expectations for GRASPS project
and what makes a good presentation, especially in their role as being meteorologists.
24. Review activity on seasons: I have the question, who has the answer? (Rutherford, 2012, p.95). Each students card
has both an answer to someone elses question in the class, and a question that another student has the answer to. In
this way, everyone participates.
25. Journal Prompt: Tell about the season you like the most. Explain why it is your favorite, and give specific things that
happen in that season that make you like it best. Add a picture of you enjoying that season.
Day 4
26. Lesson on changes in plants, including budding, growth, and losing leaves. Read a book about the changes plants
undergo throughout the seasons, and integrate vocabulary.
27. Activity: Four Corners. Using the information students just learned, have each corner of the classroom represent one of
the four seasons, and ask students, Which season is this plant in? Show a series of pictures with plants exhibiting
different changes.
Day 5
28. Part 2 of plant lesson: track a plant over four seasons. As a class, the teacher and students will pick a plant and track
what this plan will look like over the four seasons, both in writing and pictures (using anchor chart paper). They will explain
why the plant changes, how it looks, and what it does related to the weather of the season.
29. Formative assessment activity: Students will sequence a series of pictures to correctly show the growth cycle of a plant, in
order. They will also write two sentences below, describing each picture.
Week 3
Day 1
30. Introduce Temperature Lesson. Students will observe temperature by stepping outside of the classroom (with teacher),
discussing their observations, and then will be introduced to the use/function of thermometers. Group exploration will take
place where students will measure the temperature of room temperature and warm water, and predict & test what will
happen when two ice cubes are added to room temperature water (Meadows, n.d.).
31. Evaluation- students will receive cut-outs of thermometers with different temperatures (in Fahrenheit) and will match them
to pictures of various seasonal activities. These pictures will be glued under the headings Temperature and Activity
Day 2
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic: Earth Patterns Subject(s): Science Grade(s): 1st Designer(s): Rachel Chadwick
32. Show students a series of Brain Pop videos on temperature and how to record different temperatures. This will give them
a visual understanding of different activities associated with hot or cold temperatures, and when it is important to measure
temperature (brainpop.com).
33. In their science journal, students will then illustrate and write reflections about their exploration of temperature. Have them
also answer the questions: Why is studying temperature important? What is it used for in the real world? In what
situations would I need to know or use the temperature of something?
Day 3
34. Seasons Review (15 min): Comparing and Contrasting with Hula hoop Venn diagrams. Students will be placed in groups
of 4-5 students each comparing two different seasons (given by teacher). Pictures, vocabulary words, and descriptions of
activities will either be specific to one season, or both. They will have to arrange these in two hula hoops forming a Venn
diagram. This includes precipitation and weather concepts related to each season. Then, each group will take part in
reciprocal teaching. They will become the experts on their Venn diagram and teach the different groups the similarities
and differences between their two seasons.
35. Formative assessment (10-15 min): students will sort picture cards into a sequential cycle of seasons. The student will
write two sentences telling about the season in each picture (Meadows).
36. Finish Book about the Seasons (10-15 min). Students not done with any part will finish at this time, and will be able to
peer review their work with other students, in order to compare facts and check spelling. They can also finish this during
learning centers.
Day 4
37. Performance task: Divide the class into four groups. Each group will be assigned a season to represent to the class in the
form of a song, poem, rap, mural, or poster. Information about the weather, animals, plants, and peoples adaptations
during this season should be included. Time and materials will be given to this task, and each group will present their
season.
Day 5
38. GRASPS project presentations. Each student will take the role of a meteorologist and present their own weather show.
Parents are welcome, and students presentations will be filmed for future reflection and enjoyment with other first grade
classes.
39. Seasons quiz- students will take this summative assessment without the help of the teacher or any other students. The
quiz is multiple choice, and includes 10 questions.
40. Students will turn in their Book about the Seasons for grading. This is part of their assessment to see how they have
synthesized the information over the course of the unit.

Stage 3 Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Tuesday
2

Wednesday
3

Thursday
4

Friday

activity)

12

13

14

a song, poem, mural, or

poster. Devote class time &
materials to this, and then
have all groups present.

34.
32.
38.
31.
30.
37. 39.
Review: comparing and Performance
Summative
assessment:
GRASPS project
task: students
Evaluation: students Introduce Temperature Show Brain Pop videos on Seasons
temperature and how to record contrasting with Hula hoop Venn dividedMultiple
seasons
into fourchoice
groups
and quiz. presentations. Parents
match thermometer
lesson using
diagrams (with reciprocal
different temperatures.
welcome! The students
each
group
represents
a
pictures with seasonal thermometers (group
teaching)
weather shows will be
season to the class through
activities
exploration)
recorded.

11

23. 27.
11
10
20.
28.
26.
example ofactivity:
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seasons. Include discussion. show/expectation for GRASPS
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weather.
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what season is plants during the four track a plant over the four
project.
seasons.
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this plant in?
seasons.

section.

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Design Topic: Earth Patterns Subject(s): Science Grade(s): 1st Designer(s): Rachel Chadwick
Consider the WHERETO elements. You must include enough instruction for 15 lessons. If you require more
instructional days, copy and paste the calendar template onto an additional page below. Do not exceed 6 weeks.

Design Topic: Earth Patterns Subject(s): Science Grade(s): 1st Designer(s): Rachel Chadwick

Still Learning:
Keep trying!

Most Always:
Good effort!

All the Time:

OUTSTANDING job!

Meteorologist Presentation Rubric

Miss Chadwicks First Grade
1.

Structure

Creativity

My presentation
does not make
sense and does not
last 1-2 minutes.

1.

I do not include any

props or pictures in
my presentation.

1.

Eye Contact

I do not look at my
audience or make
eye contact.

1.

Voice

Information

2.
My presentation
makes sense some of
the time, and does
not last 1-2 minutes.

2.
I only include 1 prop
or picture in my
presentation.

2.

I look at my audience
and make eye contact
only some of the
time.

2.

It is hard to hear
my presentation,
and I do not speak
clearly or loudly.

I speak clearly, but

not loud enough for
all to hear.

1.

2.

I do not have a
good understanding
of the weather &
changes in my
season.

I have an
understanding of the
weather & changes in
my season, but with a
few errors.

3.

Name:

My presentation makes
sense, and lasts 1-2
minutes.

3.
I use at least 2
interesting pictures,
drawings, or props.

3.

I look at my audience
and make good eye
contact.

3.

I speak loudly and

clearly for all to hear.

3.

I have a good
understanding of the
weather & changes in
my season.

____________________________ Name of show: __________________________

Comments:
Resources:
Georgia Performance Standards Framework. (n.d). Retrieved from
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic: Earth Patterns Subject(s): Science Grade(s): 1st Designer(s): Rachel Chadwick

https://www.georgiastandards.org/Frameworks/GSO%20Frameworks/1%20Science%20Frameo
ork%20Weather%20and%20Seasons.pdf on October 4, 2014.
Meadows, Debbie. (n.d.) Changing Weather, Changing SeasonsA First Grade Unit. Retrieved from
Meadowsnet.com on October 4, 2014.
Rutherford, Paula. (2012). Instruction for All Students. Alexandria, VA: Just ASK Publications.
Virginia Department of Education (n.d.). Weather Patterns and Seasonal Changes. Retrieved from
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/science/2010/lesson_plans/grade1/earthp
patterns_cycles_changes/sess_1-7bc.pdf on October 3, 2014.
Virginia Department of Education (n.d.). Seasonal Changes. Retrieved from
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/science/2010/lesson_plans/grade1/earth_
patterns_cycles_changes/sess_1-7a.pdf on October 3, 2014.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)