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Lesson Plan
Develop a standards-based lesson plan by aligning your resources with Wisconsins education initiatives to support the
diverse learning needs of the range of learners within your local context. This resource can be used to create a process
for developing lesson plans that outline essential elements of lesson designstandards, high quality instruction, and a
balanced assessment system. A lesson can vary in length, is recursive in nature, and allows students several
opportunities for practice.

GENERAL
INFORMATION
Grade

Class

Preschool, Kindergarten and 2nd Grade

Unit Title and Lesson Title
Unit Title
Lesson Title
Nature

Length of Lesson

TED 329
1 hour
Sequence: Where does this lesson fit within the
unit?

Exploring Nature

At the beginning of the Unit

LESSON OVERVIEW
Provide brief summary of what is boing to be happening:

o We will be going on a nature walk at Hoffman Hills in Menomonie, WI. At the beginning of the
walk I will let the children explore. Then we will come together and talk about what they saw
during their exploration. We then will do a scavenger hunt looking for different objects that
are found outside. After that we will look for items that we would want to collect to create
something at the end of the walk.

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TED 329 Lesson Plan

LESSON STANDARDS
Which standards (i.e., WMELS, content standards, Common Core Literacy Standards for All Subjects, and Standards
for Mathematical Practice) can be integrated to deepen learning?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1
o Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and
texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.C
o Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under
discussion.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.D
o Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who, what, where, when, why,
how).
A.EL. 1 Derives meaning through listening to communications of others and sounds in the
environment.
A.EL. 2 Listens and responds to communication with others.

LESSON TARGET(S) / OBJECTIVES

And SUCCESS CRITERIA
What is/are your learning target/s? What does proficiency look like? How will you communicate that to students?
Students will

o Students will focus on their surroundings and explore them.

o Students will then talk about what they have learned or seen during exploration.
o I will then take what I am seeing them explore and talk about and implement that into the
lesson.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
What open-ended, grade-level appropriate questions will prompt exploration, innovation, and critical thinking about the
big ideas?

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Why are we on this walk exploring?

What have seen so far on the walk?
Why are there no leaves on the tress?
Do you see trees in the shapes of different letters?
What are the trees with the green leaves on them?
What animals do you see?
What do you here?
What colors do you see?
What items would be great for our art project?
Why are there animal tracks there? What animal?

Adapted from September 2013 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

TED 329 Lesson Plan

Page 3

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

ASSESSMENTS
Assessments should link to learning targets/objectives

o Formative Assessment will be shown though questions, observation and at the end of
project.
o Watching the students interact with nature and explore nature is a great way to assess
students knowledge.
o Asking them essential questions and having them answer the questions as a group or
individually.
LESSON CONCEPTS AND
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
What general academic and domain-specific words deepen student understanding?
perimeter, evaporation, condensation)

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

(e.g. main character, plot, area,

Nature
Leaves
Animals
Trees
Mud
Grass
Tracks
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE AND
PURPOSE

They need to some understand or prior knowledge of what they can find outside or in the
woods. They need to have prior knowledge of the different colors or different letters for when
I ask questions about letters or colors. Have prior knowledge of the sounds that animals
make, like birds. The students need to have have prior knowledge or understanding of using
their imaginations when exploring in the woods.

Adapted from April 2013 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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TED 329 Lesson Plan

LESSON PROCEDURE

As you plan, consider the following:

Steps/Lesson Procedures
1. Materials and Preparation - What materials do you need and how will you prepare the
environment?
a. Tennis shoes
b. Jackets, Hat and Mittens (Based on the weather)
c. Notebook & Pen (For Me)
2. Engagement How will you motivate students?
a. I will engage students first by letting them explore the nature in their own way. As long
as they are safe and having fun.
b. I will engage students by asking them many different questions about what they have
seen on the walk. What have you seen so far? Or What animals do you think live in
the woods? Or How many different colors have you seen so far? Or What was your
favorite thing to do?
c. Students will engage in conversation and discussion about what they have seen or
explored in the woods?
3. Content and Strategies
a. Being out in the woods there is some management that I will need to teach or provide
directions. They need to know not to wonder to far from me and to make safe choices.
I dont want to give to much direction because I want them to explore as much as they
can and become closer with nature.
b. I will observe them explore nature during the walk and find what seems to interest
them and focus on those interests.
c. Have the students talk about things they have seen or did during the walk and
exploring.
d. First the children will explore then we will come together and discuss. Then do a
scavenger during the second portion of our walk and also discuss things during it.
Then, as we are walking back have them gather items to create some cool artwork.
4. Differentiation How does your lesson allow ALL students to be successful?
a. My lesson allows preschoolers to explore nature in their own way by doing things
outside that they enjoy. This lesson will allow them to learn new things about nature,
the colors that are outside, learn new vocabulary and animals that live in the wood.
This lesson for Kindergarteners and 2 nd graders will help them learn more about
nature and become more aware of things that you can see or find in the woods. It will
also provide them with some new vocabulary that they may not know at all. I know
there is a big age difference with my group but I feel that this lesson can be modify for
all ages just based on the questions that you ask or by the observation that you see.
With the younger ages my questions need to be short and simple and for the older
ages my questions can be more direct or may need more explanation on the students
end.

Adapted from September 2013 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

TED 329 Lesson Plan

Page 5

LESSON PROCEDURE

Lesson Plan Outline

Before heading out for our walk I will explain to them what I plan on doing on our walk.

Let them explore and discover new things that they wouldnt being inside or at home.
Gather them back for a large group discussion: What did you see on the walk so far? and
What is the coolest thing you have seen so far or What was your favorite thing to see or do
on the walk so far? Then would talk more about the things they enjoyed talking about or
looking at. Then after discussion we will do the scavenger hunt and find things that we
havent talked about yet or that I think we need to talk more about.

After the scavenger hunt we will stop for a water break and a bathroom break. After the
breaks we will begin our walk back.

As we walk back I will let them explore but remind them to collect things that they think will
make something cool. Explain to them that when we get back we will create an art project
using the items that we found on the walk.

TEACHER REFLECTION & POST-LESSON

ANALYSIS REFLECTION
(For Lessons Taught)

My students will demonstrate evidence that learning occurred through discussion when we
talked in a group or individually. Also it was shown through observation of watching the
students explore during the walk.
For students who didnt meet the expected learning assessment I would maybe try doing
more of a one on one assessment because maybe they are shy or feel uncomfortable
outside. I would maybe walk with them during the walk and individually ask them questions
about what they are seen? Or what they are learning about the outdoors?
Students who discuss or even ask questions show me that they are exceeding the learning
assessment. I think asking them even more elaborate questions or challenging them to
explore more and find items that are harder to find in the woods.
For me to grow professionally to better the learning of my students is by making clear
observations of my students likes or dislikes about nature. Also, providing students with the
chance to learn in so many different is better for them be helps me grow as a professional.

Adapted from April 2013 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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TED 329 Lesson Plan

TEACHER REFLECTION & POST-LESSON

ANALYSIS REFLECTION
(For Lessons Taught)

Jamie Dodge
TED 329
Part A
November 11, 2015
Lesson Plan Outline Reflection

Before heading out for our walk I will explain to them what I plan on doing on our
walk.
a. I explained to them that we will be going on a walk through the woods and they will
learn new things about the woods. Also they will get to play and explore the woods.
They seemed really excited to be going on a hike because its not something they do
on a daily basis.

Let them explore and discover new things that they wouldnt being inside or at home.
a. During my observation I noticed that these students are very caution about what they
do in the woods and werent very risky. The oldest student Emma was very timid
about exploring the woods or like she wasnt very big on that. That seems to make the
other kids a little timid too or not as eager to explore too. So I started to participate or
guide them to be more open to exploring nature by doing activities with them. That
really showed me how much true experience of nature these children get. Chloe and
Ellie really started to get into and then I was able to step back and watch. Ellie is the
youngest (preschool) she was into playing in the mud and finding things in it. She also
was very into the walking on died or cut down trees. Chloe and Emma were really into
finding pine cones, rocks or bark that was on the ground. They also would walk across
the logs too. Chloe was full of questions and curiosity! Ellie was really enjoying herself
and she really loves to learn new things. Emma was full of questions and answers for
all the younger girls questions.

Gather them back for a large group discussion: What did you see on the walk so
far? and What is the coolest thing you have seen so far or What was your favorite
thing to see or do on the walk so far? Then would talk more about the things they
enjoyed talking about or looking at. Then after discussion we will do the scavenger
hunt and find things that we havent talked about yet or that I think we need to talk
more about.
a. During decision I had to focus my one asking questions individually and as a group
because questions that I wanted Ellie to ask the older girls would answer before her.
b. So first question that I ask was, What did you see during the walk this far? Emma
said, trees, leaves on the ground and dirty Chloe said, trees, grass and trees that
have fallen down Ellie said, Mud, trees that are on the ground and leaves.
c. We then just started to talk about things that they say or really loved to do. Ellie asked
me, why dont the trees have leaves? Instead of asking that question, I turned to

Adapted from September 2013 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

TED 329 Lesson Plan

Page 7

TEACHER REFLECTION & POST-LESSON

ANALYSIS REFLECTION
(For Lessons Taught)

Emma (the oldest) and asked if she could explain to ellie, Why there are no leaves
on the trees? and she was able too! She told her cause its getting closer to winter, so
then I explained to Ellie that the leaves tell us that nature is getting ready for snow
and cold weather to come. Chloe then said, That means its going to be winter soon!
So after we talked about the different things they saw or enjoyed doing. I explained
that we will be starting our scavenger hunt were we will be doing or looking for
different items in the woods.
d. I really enjoyed just talking with them and watching them come closer to nature. I also
really loved just walking around with them talking about the different things that we
see or saw. We just had some great conversation and they seemed to really enjoy it.
e. As we walked along the trail, I asked them to find something in the shape of the first
letter of their first name. Emma found hers in the branches of a tree. Chloe found hers
in the piece of birch tree bark because it curled. Ellie I had to help guide because she
doesnt know her letter super well yet. So I told her what the letter was, in the mud I
took a stick and together we wrote the letter in the mud for an example. As a group we
helped her find a letter E on a tree. The next item we talked finding was finding three
different colors by themselves and they all did great. The youngest did just as well
with find the colors as the older students. As we were doing the scavenger hunt we
came to a split in the trail and trying to decide which way to go. We were sitting there
talking and all of a sudden a deer came running out of the woods about 20 feet away.
The students loved it and that changed the topic of discussion as we kept walking. We
also came across a few different animal tracks and that seemed to really interest
them. We would find an animal track and the students would try and guess what
animal it is.

After the scavenger hunt we will stop for a water break and a bathroom break. After
the breaks we will begin our walk back.
a. During break time the students were talking about the deer and Ellie told me that the
deer was running away because it heard us talking about it. Chloe said that its
because it was hungry and trying to find food. Emma was really into the tracks and
asking me about the different animals tracks that we haven seen so far. She really
wanted to keep looking for more animal tracks.

As we walk back I will let them explore but remind them to collect things that they
think will make something cool. Explain to them that when we get back we will create
an art project using the items that we found on the walk.
a. As we were walking back they were picking up some items like pine cones, rocks,
bark, sticks and leaves. As we were exploring and walking back we found a t-pee that
someone made. Ellie and Chloe really loved playing in it but I felt that Emma was
starting to lose interest because it was starting to winder and colder as we were
walking back. Ellie thought the t-pee is where the deer slept at night but Emma told
her t-pees are for people like us. We had to do a lot of climbing hills or going down
hills and the students all found long sticks so that they could have walking sticks.
b. Well by the time we got back they were all cold and tired so we werent able to get to
the art project. As we are driving back I asked them, if the had fun and really enjoyed
going on a hike. They all yelled, YES!! I asked them if we should do this again
Adapted from April 2013 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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TED 329 Lesson Plan

TEACHER REFLECTION & POST-LESSON

ANALYSIS REFLECTION
(For Lessons Taught)

someday and they said, yes again!!

PICTURES:

Adapted from September 2013 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

TED 329 Lesson Plan

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TEACHER REFLECTION & POST-LESSON

ANALYSIS REFLECTION
(For Lessons Taught)

Adapted from April 2013 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction