STEM%Unit%Proposal%Using%UbD%

Names:%

Jessica'Diaz'and'David'Thielen'

Grade%Level:%

3rd'

Title%of%Unit:%

Animal'Habitats'and'Biomes'

Summary%of%
Unit:%

The'purpose'of'this'unit'is'to'bestow'students'with'the'foundation'of'how'much'of'
an'influence'habitats'have'on'living'things'and'moreover,'how'large'of'an'influence'
humans'can'have'on'habitats.'In'addition,'students'will'gain'the'foundational'
knowledge'of'biodiversity.'This'unit'includes'guided'discussions,'handsCon'activities'
of'understanding'and'investigating'habitats'and'their'characteristics,'creating'
comparison'and'contrast'charts'of'the'four'main'types'of'habitats,'and'a'lab'where'
students'experiment'and'analyze'what'happens'when'an'impact'is'put'on'a'habitat.'

'

Please%identify%at%least%3%Enduring%Understandings%and%
3%Essential%Questions%that%will%be%covered%in%your%unit.%
Enduring Understandings

Essential Questions

(Students will understand that . . . )

(Open-ended significant questions related to

the Understandings)

- Where living things dwell, directly

relates to their needs.

- Why are there different habitats?

- Our actions affect our ecosystem for

better or worse.

- What might happen if you change an

animals habitats?

- Diversity throughout our planet is

essential for survival.

- What are the differences and

similarities across several habitats?

Please%list%at%least%4%things%your%students%will%know%and%
4%things%they%will%be%able%to%do%following%your%unit.%
Knowledge Students will know . . .

Skills Students will be able to . . .

- The four main biomes: rainforest, desert,

arctic, and grasslands.

- Compare and contrast the four main

habitats discussed

- Common characteristics of animals in

certain habitats.
- Physical features that help animals
survive in their habitat.
- Human impact on animal habitats.

-Discuss collectively in groups/pairs to

come to valid conclusions
- Effectively argues their point of view
with evidence through creating a habitat
- Efficiently write about a habitat.

Learning Clusters

Biomes (4 main habitats)

Physical features/characteristics of the four main habitats
Human impact on the four main habitats

How%do%you%plan%to%assess%the%knowledge%and%skills%listed%above?%%%
Please%describe%assessment%plants%for%each:%
Knowledge assessments

Skill assessments

-Post Assessment Test/Informal

Observation/Class Discussion

- Test/ Observation of Venn Diagram

Completed in groups, and then as a whole
class

-Post Assessment Test/Class

Discussion/Observation
-Observation of Activity/Group
Discussion. Checking write up for
accuracy using rubric

-Observation of group/pair discussions

-Observation of argument
-Checking journal entry for accuracy

- Test/ Checking Journals for accuracy

using rubric

Please%provide%a%brief%description%of%your%preI%and%postIassessments.%%%
Pre$assessment*should*be*a*select*response*and*the*post$assessment*
can*be*a*select*response,*essay*with*rubric,*or*performance*
assessment*with*rubric.**Your*assessments*must*cover*ALL*objectives*
from*your*lesson*plans.*
Our pre-assessment will consist of a selected response that specifically looks at our 3

essential questions and enduring understandings in order to get a feel for the types of
schema that our students have in the category of animal habitats. The questions will
test previous knowledge and give us an idea of how much the students know, and if
they are ready to continue to our lessons, or if we need to add a little bit more
background knowledge first. Our Post-assessment will be a selected response with an
essay component (which will include a rubric), but the rubric will be more generic and
the essays will be worth 3-5 points of the test. This test will help us to find if the
students can answer all of the essential questions given, and also if they grasp the
enduring understandings.

Please%provide%a%brief%description%of%what%you%think%your%lesson%plans%
will%consist%of:%
Lesson
Plan #1

Lesson

The first lesson will begin with a class discussion about

where we live as human beings, and what we need in
order to survive. We will write these on the board as
students give their thoughts, and then relate this to
how both animals, and ourselves, live in something
called habitats, but ours and theirs look very different.
As the ideas are written on the board, vocabulary words
from the book will be identified and tied in with
students prior knowledge, so that they can
comprehend the habitat book effectively. Students will
then design their own perfect habitat that they would
love to live in with a partner. We will then relate how
things like technology have improved our habitats and
ways of living to help us thrive. After the creation of
their habitat, a short story about an animal and its
habitat (rainforest) will be read to the class. Throughout
the reading, we will talk about the rainforest and its
characteristics have to offer for animals. The story will
explain why that animal lives in that habitat, and what
it has to do in order to survive. After the reading,
students will work in groups and develop reasons as to
why this animal lives in this type of habitat. We will
then ask questions for a pair and share activity to
discuss what may happen if something in the habitat
would change. Lastly, the students will finally make a
list of other animals that may also fit the same criteria
to live in a rainforest.
We will begin this lesson by referring back to the

STEM Area(s)
addressed:
Science
Engineering
Technology

Literacy
Connection(s):
Story Read
Writing a list of
animals with similar
characteristics

STEM Area(s)

Plan #2

Lesson
Plan #3

previous lesson on rainforests, and bridge that into the

two new habitats that we will talk about for this lesson,
which will be deserts and the arctic. The introduction of
the words arctic and desert will tie into and be added to
the students vocabulary terms. We will explain the two
different habitats and have the students discuss in
groups what it would be like to live in each habitat.
Students will be instructed to talk about where they
would live and how they would survive, and what tools
they would use to succeed. The students will then
write, in their journals, about which habitat (desert or
arctic) they would live in if they had to choose between
the two and why. They will need to justify their
argument with characteristics of their habitat and what
they would do to survive, such as building physical
structures or what to eat for food. Once this is
complete, we will teach about what certain animals in
these two habitats have as physical structures in order
to help them survive and thrive. For the conclusion, the
students will be guided into making a real life
connection to how we have physical structures that
help us survive, such as a houses and things in the
houses such as electricity, which will result in the
concept of technology advancing are habitats being
integrated.
We will first begin this lesson by reviewing our thoughts
on the previous three habitats that we talked about,
and then bridge into our final habitat, which is
grasslands. We will discuss grasslands and the
characteristics of it, as well as the animals that reside
there. Then, students will learn what a Venn diagram is
and be shown how it works. Following instruction, the
class will be divided into groups of four, where they are
to compare the two habitats that are assigned to them
using their Venn diagrams. Once they have that
completed (worked on) the diagrams, we will have them
their illustrated Venn diagrams and put them on the
board for a whole class discussion to compare and
contrast the four habitats. After the discussion, there
will be an activity where each student is given an
animal and a habitat, but the animal is not happy in
that habitat. The students must create a habitat that

addressed:
Science
Engineering
Technology
Literacy
Connection(s):
Writing in journal
about which habitat
the student would
chose and why

STEM Area(s)
addressed:
Science
Engineering

Literacy
Connection(s):
Writing description of
their new habitats and
why it will better the
animals living

will suit the animal better and also must give one
physical characteristic in the habitat that helps it
survive. Students will write on the back of their
drawings of what they changed and why it will help that
animal to survive and thrive.

Lesson
Plan #4

Lesson
Plan #5

STEM Area(s)
addressed:

This lesson will be a lab day. Prior to the lab, students

will briefly review what has been taught throughout the
week. Students will then play a quick matching game
where they are to match habitats characteristics to an
animal, or vice versa. After the matching game,
students will be paired up to experiment what type of
habitat a worm flourishes in. Students will hypothesize,
test, and analyze what habitat suits their the worm
best. Students will test 3-4 different habitats and then
create a bar graph, describing which habitat the
students think the worm liked best, and why they
believe that. As the students experiment, they will
record and analyze their data, so that they can utilize
this physical evidence in a guided class discussion
about our habitats and how they change across the
country, resulting in a variety of different living things
throughout our planet.

Students(will(play(a(quick(Jeopardy(game(to(review(
on(what(they(have(been(learning(this(past(week,(
animal(habitats.(After(the(game,(students(will(be(
given(the(post>assessment.(After(the(post>
assessment,(students(will(be(given(an(exit>slip(to(fill(
out(including(what(they(like(about(the(unit,(what(
they(would(change,(etc.(

Science
Engineering
Mathematics
Literacy
Connection(s):
Recording data and
supporting point of
view and data in a
guided class
discussion

Please%provide%a%list%of%standards%the%unit%will%address%across%the%
content%areas:
Please(copy(and(paste(the(FULL(standard((number,(text,(etc.).(((
Be(sure(to(include(the(goal,(benchmark,(standard(for(each(one(listed.(

Science

These are REQUIRED. Use NGSS standards.

3.Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can

survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment
changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.

Technology

These are REQUIRED. Use NGSS standards.

Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology

Engineering

Peoples needs and wants change over time, as do their demands for new and improved technologies.
(3- 5-ETS1-1)
These are REQUIRED. Use NGSS standards.
Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Construct an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model. (3-LS2-1)
Construct an argument with evidence. (3-LS4-3)
3-5.Engineering Design
3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each
is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Math

These are REQUIRED. Use Common Core standards.

'
CCSS.Math.Content.3.MD.B.3 Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a
data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less"
problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs.
Mp.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively

'
'

Literacy

These are REQUIRED. Use Common Core standards.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text,
referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain
how they support the main idea.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas
and information clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with
reasons.

Other
standards?
(Social
Studies,
Art, SEL?)

These are OPTIONAL. Some units may branch into these areas while others may not.
Social Studies
State Goal 17: Understand world geography and the effects of geography on society, with an
emphasis on the United States.
17.C.2c Explain how human activity affects the environment.
17.B.2b Explain how physical and living components interact in a variety of ecosystems including
desert, prairie, flood plain, forest, tundra.
Visual Arts
State Goal 26: Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced.

26.B.2d Visual Arts: Demonstrate knowledge and skills to create works of visual art using problem
solving, observing, designing, sketching and constructing.

Graphic%Organizer%for%Curriculum%Integration%
(You'will'add'to'this'throughout'the'unit'so'that'it'reflects'ALL'lesson'plans'from'phases'I'and'II).'

Topic: Animal Habitats

S%

T%

Make'informed'decisions'about'
technology'by'relating'its'
relationship'to'our'environment,'
by'explicitly'pointing'out'how'
technology'has'allowed'humans'to'
live'in'habitats'that'we'could'never'
be'able'to'survive'in'without'
technology'

Making'a'hypothesis,'
develop'and'use'models,'
plan'and'carry'out'
investigations,'construct'
explanations'in'testing'
worm'habitat''
environments'

E%%

'

M%

'

LITERACY CONNECTIONS:
CRead'along'
CGuided'Discussions'
CJournal'
CSupporting'evidence'in'designing'habitats'

Attend'to'precision'in'worm'
experiments'
Construct'viable'arguments'and'
critique'the'reasoning'of'others'in'
guided'and'group'discussions'
about'what'environment'each'
groups'worm'thrived'in'

Constructing'a'habitat'to'an'
animals'natural'needs'
Analyze'and'interpret'data'
in'worm'experiment'