KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate:

Hillary Dankel and Natalie Schafer

Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

25

Subject or Topic:

Date: 10/13/15

Coop. Initials
Allotted Time

1 hour Grade Level

Reptiles

Section

3
10

STANDARD:
Standard 3.1.3.A1 Describe characteristics of living things that help to identify and
classify them.

I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):

The third grade students will recreate adaptations of reptiles by using teacher created
materials to change students senses (e.g. vision, touch) (see attached)
The third grade students will investigate adaptations that reptiles use by completing a
web quest. (See attached)
The third grade students will design a reptile of their own after researching reptile
adaptations by completing a field journal entry.
II. Instructional Materials
- One toilet paper tube mask per table (see attached on how to make)
- One set of claw gloves per table (see attached on how to make)
- Web quest (see attached)
- One iPad per two students
- Markers and crayons
- White construction paper
- Guided note sheet for web quest
- Word wall from previous lessons
III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills
1. Fine motor skills

2. Knowledge on how to use an iPad

B. Key Vocabulary
1. Predator: an animal that hunts other animals
2. Prey: an animal that is hunted by other animals
3. Carnivore: meat eater
4. Herbivore: plant eater
5. Omnivore: eats meat and plants
6. Defense mechanism: special characteristics animals use to protect
themselves from danger
7. Venomous: poisonous or toxic
C. Big Idea
1. What adaptations help reptiles survive?
D. Content
1. Some snakes use venom to poison their prey
2. Turtles use their shells as protection
3. Many lizards use camouflage to hide from predators and prey
4. Alligators and Crocodiles poke only their eyes out of water to look for prey
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. The teacher will begin by asking students if they recall observations they
made about the previous days inquiry and about Otto. (The bearded dragon)
2. The students will raise their hands and respond with observations.
3. The teacher will explain that the unique characteristics reptiles have are
called adaptations.
4. The teacher will explain that adaptations help reptiles survive in their
different habitats.
B. Development
1. The teacher will review key vocabulary with the students and write the
words on the word wall.
2. The teacher will introduce a webquest that the students will be
completing in pairs.
3 After introducing the webquest, the teacher will hand out the guided
note sheet and explain that the iPads will only be used to visit those
specific websites.
4. The teacher will handout an iPad to every pair of students.
5. The teacher will monitor the students for approximately 25 minutes
while they complete the webquest.

6. After the students have completed the webquest, the teacher will collect
the iPads.
7. The teacher will explain tonights homework assignment which will be
due the next day.
a. The students will use what they have learned and their guided
note sheets to come up with their own imaginary reptile.
b. The students will illustrate their reptile on white construction
paper and label the adaptations.
c. The students will write a name and description for their reptile
which includes their habitat, adaptations, and if they are identified
as a predator, prey, or both.
d. The teacher will use a rubric to score these field journal pages
the next day.
8. The teacher will hand out the bowls of rocks, claw gloves, and toilet
paper goggles to each table.
a. Each table of students will receive one bowl of rocks, one set of
claw gloves, and one pair of toilet paper goggles.
9. The students will take turns trying to pick up rocks while wearing the
claw gloves and try to read things around the room while wearing the
toilet paper goggles.
10. After two minutes the students will rotate their items until everyone
has had a turn with the gloves and goggles.
11. The students will summarize what adaptations they have learned about
in a whole group discussion.
C. Closure
1. The teacher will ask the students if they can think of a reptile with eyes
similar to the toilet paper goggles and claws like the gloves.
2. The teacher will tell the students that tomorrow they will discover more
about a reptile with these adaptations.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. To accommodate for Justin, a 3rd grade boy with Down Syndrome, the
teacher will allow him to draw a picture of his reptile during the webquest
and will have him label the adaptations for homework instead of writing
the description.
2. To differentiate for Jake, a 3rd grade boy with a visual impairment, the
teacher will allow him to not use the toilet paper goggles if he does not
feel comfortable using them. The teacher will offer binoculars as an option
for him.

E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative:
a. The teacher will walk around during the webquest to answer any
questions and use a checklist to mark if the students are on task. (See
attached)
b. The teacher will use a checklist to mark if the students comprehend
the key vocabulary. (See attached)
c. The teacher will make notes on the checklist if any students had
trouble sharing the gloves or goggles during the adaptation activity.
2. Summative:
a. The teacher will collect the field journal homework the next day
and use a rubric to score their comprehension of adaptations. (See
attached)

V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on
student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan

B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective

answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
1. How could this lesson be improved?

2. Were the students able to navigate the websites easily during the
webquest?

VI. Resources (in APA format)

Grr... animal adaptations. (2011, October 1). Retrieved October 13, 2015, from A 2nd
grade adventure website:
http://a2ndgradeadventure.blogspot.com/2011/10/grranimaladaptations.html

SNAKES | animals for children kids videos. (2015, January 7). Retrieved October 13,
2015, from Youtube website:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ7QfIUHvKU
Nile crocodile. (2015). Retrieved October 13, 2015, from National Geographic Kids
website: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/nile-crocodile/#nilecrocodlie-walking-sun.jpg
Reptiles. (2015). Retrieved October 13, 2015, from San Diego Zoo Kids website:
http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/reptiles

How to make Chameleon Eyes

Supplies
-toilet paper rolls
-duct tape
-safety goggles
Steps
1) Duct tape the 2 rolls of toilet paper to cover the rolls.
2) After you duct tape the rolls of toilet paper, duct tape the rolls together.
3) Use the duct tape to attach the safety goggles to the 2 rolls of toilet
paper. (See below)
4) The students will be able to compare their vision to a reptiles by
simulating eyes on the side of animals heads. (See below)

How to make Claw Gloves

Supplies
-yellow scrubbing gloves
-heavy duty plastic spoons
-duct tape
-small rocks
Steps
1) Duct tape the heavy duty plastic spoons to the yellow scrubbing gloves.
-The heavy duty plastic spoons represent the claws of a chameleon. (As show
below)
2) The students will use the claw gloves to pick up small rocks.

Name: ____________________________

Date: _____________

Reptile Webquest
Welcome discovery scientists! During this webquest, you will be exploring the
world of reptiles. Why do turtles have shells? How do lizards catch bugs to
eat? How do lizards hide or protect themselves from bigger animals? What
else will you find?
Heres what to do:
1. Open up Safari on your iPad.
2. Type in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ7QfIUHvKU OR
- go to youtube.com
- Type in All things animal TV snakes
- click on the first video.
3. Answer these questions:
a. What do snakes use to smell? Snakes do not have ears. How do they
feel sounds?

b. Do snakes chew their food? How do snakes eat?

c. Pythons do not shoot or inject venom. (Remember, venom is poison that

helps them catch their prey) How do pythons catch their meals?

4. Next, go to this website

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/nile-crocodile/#nilecrocodlie-walking-sun.jpg OR
- Go to google.com
- Type in National Geographic kids Nile crocodile
- Click on the first link that comes up
5. Answer these questions
a. Most reptiles lay their eggs and their babies take care of themselves. Why
is the mama Nile crocodile different?

b. How heavy, fast, and long can a crocodile be? (Tip: look at the colored
boxes under the map)

6. Last, go to this website: http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/reptiles

OR
- Go to sandiegozoo.org
- Click on kids along the very top of the page
- Click on animals (the blue button)
- Click on reptiles (the picture on the far right)
7. Now its your turn to research your own reptile!
8. With your partner, pick one of the reptiles pictures and click on it.
You can use the orange arrows to see more pictures.
9. Find out some information on your reptile:
a. What is this reptile called?

b. Look at the photos of the reptile. What do you notice? Write a few things
you see here:

c. What habitat can you find your reptile in? What does it eat?

d. What adaptations does your reptile have? Does it have claws? A tail that
can grip things? Sharp teeth? Can it change color or camouflage? Write this
reptiles adaptations here:

Awesome job! You are a great researcher. Remember that an adaptation is a

special skill or unique characteristic that helps an animal survive in their
habitat.
When you are finished, please close your web browser and lock your iPad so
your teacher knows that you have finished. If you are super speedy, you may
look at more reptiles from the last website you visited to learn more about
their adaptations.

Behavior Checklist for Webquest and Group Activities

Student

On Task Not on Task

During
During
Webquest Webquest

Concerns during group activities

Vocabulary Checklist for Lesson 3- Adaptations

Student

Predator

Prey

Carnivore

Herbivore

Omnivore Defense
mechanism

Venomous Needs
to
review

Rubric for Field Journal Homework Assignment

32- Getting
1- Needs
0- Not
Excellent!
There
Some
Scoreable
Work
Illustration

Habitat and
Diet

Adaptations

Conventions

Field journal Field journal Field journal Student did

image shows image shows
image is
not complete
effort and
some effort
somewhat
a field
creativity, if and creativity
messy, not
journal
not colored at
but seems
colored and
drawing
least details rushed or not is clearly not
like limbs or fully planned the students
scales
best effort
Student has
Student has
Student did
Student did
put thought
put some
not put much
not write
into their
thought into
thought into
about their
reptiles
their reptiles their reptiles
reptiles
habitat and
habitat and
habitat and
habitat or
diet e.g. a
diet but do
diet e.g.
diet on field
reptile that
not
animal that
journal page
likes to swim
completely
likes to swim
lives in an
make sense
lives in a
aquatic
e.g. animal
desert habitat
environment
lives in an
and eats
and eats
aquatic
jellyfish
jellyfish
environment
but eats fruit
that grows on
trees
Student
Student
Student
Student did
labels at least labels at least labels at least
not label
3 adaptations 3 adaptations 2 adaptations adaptations
that their
that their
but does not
their reptile
reptile has
reptile has
describe what
has
and describes and describes at least one is
what they are what at least
used for
used for
2 are used for
Three or less
5 or less
More than 5
Student did
spelling or
spelling or
spelling or
not write any
conventional conventional conventional descriptions
errors
errors
errors
for reptile

Total Score: _____/ 12 points

Total