KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Samantha Koenig & Christal Horn

Cooperating Teacher: Dr. Krista Varano
Group Size: 20

Coop. Initials

Allotted Time: 40 minutes

Subject or Topic: Pennsylvania Animals

Date: 3/03/16

Grade Level: 2nd

Section: Habitats

STANDARD:
S.K-2.B.2.1.1: Identify and describe habitats (e.g., wetlands, meadow, forest, lake, river,
ocean, pond).

I.

Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):

A.
The 2nd grade students will identify which animals live in an
aquatic habitat by placing the picture in the corresponding habitat.

II.

Instructional Materials
A.
Habitat Booklet
B.
Episode of the Magic School Bus Hops Home
C.
5 packs of crayons 1 on each table
D.
Laminated pictures of the three main habitats discussed
wetlands, woods, and meadows.
E.
20 white boards
F.
20 dry erase markers
G.
20 tissues used as erasers for the white boards

III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key

vocabulary, big idea, outline of additional content)
A.

Prerequisite skills
1.

B.

Knowledge of Pennsylvania animals.

Key Vocabulary
1.
Habitat: the natural home or environment of an animal, plant,
or other organism
2.
Wetlands: land consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated
land
3.
Meadow: a piece of grassland, especially one used for hay
4.
Woods: an area of land, smaller than a forest, that is covered
with growing trees

C.

Big Idea
1.

D.

Content
1.
2.

IV.

Identifying which animals live in which habitat

Describe the main habitats discussed.
Name animals that live in specific habitats.

Implementation
A.

Introduction
1.
Boys and girls! We are going to watch the Magic School Bus
Hops Home. Students will then watch a clip from the video (7:20
10:00).

B.

Development
1.
Ask the students where Ms. Frizzle and her students were
doing?
2.
Allow students 1 minute to discuss with tablemates.
3.
Ask each table to share what they came up with about what
went on during the video.
4.
Those are all great answers! Ms. Frizzle and her students were
exploring something called a habitat. We only were able to see Ms.
Frizzles class explore one type of habitat, but we are going to explore
some on our own.
5.
Hang the pictures of the habitats on the board. Next to each
picture hang an anchor chart where you will be writing notes about
that habitat.
6.
Point to the picture of the wetlands and ask students, What do
you see in this picture?
7.
Students raise their hands and give answers. Answers that
should be written on the anchor chart include: water, grass, types of
animals in the pictures.
8.
Say to students, This is a picture of a wetland. Wetlands are
very muddy and it is where land and water overlap. Write this on the
anchor chart then.
9.
Follow steps 6, 7, and 8 for the meadow and woods picture.
a. Answers for the meadow include: field, grass, flowers, trees,
types of animals in the picture.
b. This is a picture of a meadow. A meadow is a piece of
grassland that is usually used for hay.
c. Answers for the woods: trees, plants, dirt, grass, types of
animals in the picture.
d. This is a picture of woods. Woods are covered by trees that
keep growing and are smaller than forests.
10.
After explaining the habitats, hand out the Habitat Booklets.
11.
Turn on the overhead projector and put up the first page of the
booklet, which is the page where it says _________s Habitat Book.
12.
On the front cover instruct the students to put their names on
the line. Demonstrate this on the overhead.
13.
Ask the students to turn to the next page which is titled
Wetlands.
14.
Allow students 3 minutes to create a picture of a wetland.
15.
Ask the students, What type of animals do you think live in
wetlands?
a. Answers should include: frogs, bugs, and birds.

16.
On the wetland page, there is a line that says Wetlands are
homes to. Underneath this there are lines for students to write in
animals that were discussed. Write the animals on the anchor chart.
17.
Continue steps 13-16 for meadows and woods.
a. Answers for meadows should include: mouse, deer, fox, birds,
snakes, and spiders.
b. Answers for woods should include: fox, squirrel, bear,
opossum, raccoon, and deer.
18.
Have a two helpers pass out dry erase markers and tissues. The
teacher passes out the white boards.
19.
Explain to the students, I will be asking a question about the
habitats we went over today. Whatever habitat you think I am talking
about, I need you to write it on your whiteboards and hold them high
in the air. If you need help on the spelling, look up on the board at our
charts.
20.
Ask questions:
a. What habitat is really wet? Wetlands
b. This habitat has growing trees? Woods
c. A mouse and snake live in this habitat? Meadow
d. Hay is usually seen in this habitat? Meadow
e. There are two answers for this questions. A deer and fox can
live in both of these habitats. Woods and Meadow
21.
Ask another two helpers to collect the dry erase markers and
throw away the other students tissues. Teacher will collect white
boards.
22.
Direct students to gather on the carpet.
23.
Boys and girls, what did we learn about today? The answer
should be animals and habitats.
24.
Great job today! We are going to read a book called, I Took a
Walk by Henry Cole.
25.
Read the book.
26.
After reading, What types of habitats were in this book?
Answers should include: meadow, wetland, and woods.

C.

Closure
1.
Remember how I said that the deer and the fox can live in the
woods and the meadows? Well, how is this possible? Tomorrow we
are going to talk about something called adaptations, which will help
us get a better understanding of how animals can do this.

D.

Accommodations/Differentiation
1.
Tony who has dysgraphia will be provided with his Habitat
booklet filled out. The animals that are discussed will be already in the
booklet, but the words will be dotted. Tony is expected to trace over
the dotted lines to form the letters and write the animal name we are
discussing.
2.
If white boards are unavailable, just have students raise their
hands to answer questions. Every child should answer one question.
Therefore go around the room to have students answer questions.

E.

Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1.

2.

V.

Formative
a. Students will be asked questions about specific habitats. They
have to write wetland, woods, or meadow to correspond with
the question. When students have finished writing they will
hold the white boards up in the air. The teacher will monitor
answers to see who is understanding the content and who is
not.
Summative
a. Not at this time

Reflective Response
A.
Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught.
Reflective answers to question recorded after lesson is taught).
1.
Did students understand questions being asked, or where they
too difficult? Explain.

2.
Was the Magic School Bus a good enough introduction, and
did the students understand what was being taught? Explain.

3.
Was the anchor chart effective and encouraged students to be
in charge of their own learning? Explain

VI.

Resources (in APA format)

A.
B.

Youtube: Magic School Bus Hops Home

Teachers Pay Teachers: Habitat Booklet