Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Standards-Aligned Unit Planning Process Group 3 - Allie Kleinschmidt, Savannah Monroe, Meaghan Sherer
1. Unit Overview
1a. Brief description of the unit of study

Content Area: Science

Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Essential Question: How do arctic animals survive the harsh conditions of Antarctica? Focus - Penguins
In this unit, students will explore what it is like to be an arctic animal. They will learn about where arctic animals live, and will
identify the characteristics of these animals that allow them to survive sub-zero temperatures and other harsh conditions. Students
will conduct hands-on experiments that help will help them make connections to concepts in this unit.

1b. Grade level standard(s) to be

addressed in this unit of study

CC.3.1.3.A1- Describe characteristics of living things that help to identify and classify them.
CC.3.1.4.A2- Describe the different resources that plants and animals need to live.
CC.3.1.3.C2- Describe animal characteristics that are necessary for survival.
CC.1.2: Reading Informational Text: Students read, understand, and respond to informational text with emphasis on
comprehension, making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.
5. CC.1.4.3.T- With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, and editing.
6. CC.2.1.3.C.1- Explore and develop an understanding of fractions as numbers.
7. CC.2.4.3.A.1 Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of temperature, liquid volume, mass or length.
8. CC.2.4.3.A.4 Represent and interpret data using tally charts, tables, pictographs, line plots, and bar graphs.
9. CC.1.2.4.J- Acquire and use accurately grade- appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and
phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.
10. CC.1.1.3.E- Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension: Read on-level text with purpose and understanding,
Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings, Use context to confirm or
self- correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Big Ideas:
Antarctica is one of the seven continents in the world.
The climate in Antarctica is harsh.
Antarctica is home to arctic animals, such as penguins, and very few plants.
Arctic animals possess special characteristics that help them survive subzero weather conditions.

August, 2013

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education
2. Learning Targets
2a. Learning targets (concepts and
competencies) for all students
Concepts:
1. Analyze informational text
2. Conduct investigations using the
scientific method
3. Use digital technology to access
information
4. Represent and interpret data

2b. Prioritized learning targets (concepts and competencies) for students with complex instructional needs

Read modified text about Antarctica and Arctic Animals

Identify physical characteristics of penguins using modified materials

Explore the concepts of freezing temperatures, icebergs, and the physical characteristics of penguins through hands-on
experiments and manipulative materials.

Competencies:
1. Describe characteristics of
living things that help to
identify and classify them.
2. Describe the different resources
arctic animals need to live.
3. Describe characteristics
necessary for arctic animals to
survive.
2c. Key vocabulary for all students
1.Blubber- The fat of sea mammals;
especially in whales, penguins, and
polar bears
2, 3, 4. Preening- process that penguins
do; the process of spreading oil on and
around their feathers from an oil gland
found near their tail
4.Down (feathers)- the layer of
feathers that is very soft
2, 3, 4. Molt- Shed old Feathers; make
way for new feathers.
5, 7.Sub-zero temperatures-

August, 2013

2d. Prioritized key vocabulary and ideas for students with complex instructional needs
Content Specific Vocabulary
1. Fat- makes animals big and keeps them warm (show fat animal/skinny animal)
2. Penguin- a large black and white bird that cannot fly found in Antarctica/South Pole. It has flippers that help it swim under
water. (Provide a picture of a penguin.)
3. Feathers- grow from a bird's skin (provide real feather - allow the student to hold and feel it)
4. Molt - old feathers come out and new feathers grow in.
5. Down (feathers)- the layer of feathers that is very soft
6. Cold- the feeling caused by low temperature (provide cold objects for the student to touch and feel)
7. Warm (provide warm objects for the student to touch and feel)
8. Ice- frozen water (provide an ice block for the student to touch and feel)
9. Antarctica - a large area of land covered in ice (show picture)
10. Rookery- group of penguins
11. Revising/Editing- making changes to improve a paper
12. Fractions- parts of a whole number; not a whole number

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education
temperatures below 0 degrees
Fahrenheit (model word analysis (ex.
Submarine- Sub (below) marine (water)
5, 7.Freezing- 32 degrees Fahrenheit or
0 degrees Celsius; extremely cold
5, 7. Harsh- unpleasant, severe
8. Antarctica/South Polesouthernmost continent that surrounds
the south pole that is almost all ice
5, 7, 8.Glaciers/Icebergs- a slowly
moving mass of ice formed by the
accumulation and compaction of snow
on mountains or near the poles
9. Rookery- breeding colony
10. Revising- reconsidering an idea
after further consideration
10. Editing- correcting, improving, and
modifying a pre-written paper
11. Fractions- a numerical quantity
that is not a whole number

August, 2013

Core Vocabulary
Big/Small
Yes/No
In/Out

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education
3. Instructional Process
Universal Design for Learning Principles:
Multiple Means of Representation, Expression and Engagement
Instructional
Components
Students will read
informational text
about Antarctica and
arctic animals

Instructional
Practices
Independent and
group reading

Materials, Resources and Tools

Assessment

Book: Penguins in Antarctica: A Nonfiction

Companion to Eve of the Emperor Penguin by
Mary Pope Osborne

Barriers to
Access
Readings too complex

Video presentation

Students will locate

and label oceans of the
world on a map.

Group modeling,
followed by
independent
practice

Students will locate

Antarctica among the
continents on a world
map.

August, 2013

Provide sensory
experience/feel ice

Video: Passport to Antarctica, Program 4:

Penguin Power - At Home On the Ice

Modified text
Pictures of ice/glaciers

Book: Scholastic Discover More: Penguins

Students will watch:

PBS video Passport to
Antarctica, Program 4:
Penguin Power - At
Home On the Ice

Accommodations
and Modifications

Sensory: Video too

loud

Provide ear protection

Task too complicated

One-on-one modeling
and support

Computer
Projector
Screen

Create interactive bulletin board with world

map and removable Velcro labels

Students will locate

and label five oceans
and seven continents
on a world map
Students will label the
cardinal directions:
north, south, east and
west on a map.

Reduce the labeling

requirement
Review page 13 in
Scholastic Discover
More: Penguins, to
support recall

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education
Students will read
informational text
about the
characteristics of
penguins that make
them well suited for
life in Antarctica.

Independent and
group reading

Book: Penguins in Antarctica: A Nonfiction

Companion to Eve of the Emperor Penguin by
Mary Pope Osborne

Group activity: List

penguin characteristics/
label penguin

Concepts too abstract

Task too complicated

Book: Scholastic Discover More: Penguins

(pp. 14-15)
Penguin picture and labels
Toob Penguin Toys
Feathers
Ice

Handle feathers

Use penguin
toys to
demonstrate
webbed feet,
wings, penguin
sliding on belly

Provide word cards for

student to choose from

Create paper iceberg

Mats

Provide a picture for the

student to label
independently

Create emperor penguin pieces

The students,
individually, will select
one species of penguin
from pages 7-11 of
Scholastic Discover
More: Penguins.

Provide sensory
experiences:
Jumping to
icebergs

Students will create a

life-size replica of a
penguin using paper and
art materials.

Too many choices

Too many steps

Ask student to identify

the biggest penguin on
pages 10-11 of
Scholastic Discover
More: Penguins.
Provide precut materials
to create the emperor
penguin

Students will compare

their height to the height
of the penguin they
selected

August, 2013

Task too difficult

One-on-one support to
measure and compare
height of student and
penguin

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education
Students will
investigate a research
question using
informational text and
digital resources.

Students will read

informational text to
identify arctic
predators and prey
Students will read
informational text to
identify how penguins
protect themselves and
their offspring

Students will work

in collaborative
groups of two or
three students

Whole class
demonstration of
rookeries and
melting iceberg,
using ice and
penguin toys

Book: Penguins in Antarctica: A Nonfiction

Companion to Eve of the Emperor Penguin by
Mary Pope Osborne

Technology difficult
to navigate

Student will use a

preselected website

Book: Scholastic Discover More: Penguins

Too many
resources/websites

Teacher will select and

modify relevant text

iPads

Text too complicated

Student will contribute

one idea, in one
sentence, to the paper.

Computer
Book: Penguins in Antarctica: A Nonfiction
Companion to Eve of the Emperor Penguin by
Mary Pope Osborne

Students will journal

observations

Writing too difficult

Pages 24-25 of
Scholastic Discover
More: Penguins

http://tarheelreader.org/2009/03/26/antarctichabitat/17/

Tarheel text

Book: Scholastic Discover More: Penguins

(pp. 46-47, 68-69)

Sensory experience- hop

on iceberg mats
(musical chairs)

Ice
Toob penguin figures
(Penguins, fish, orca whale, leopard seal,
shark)
Measuring tape
Arctic Drink Recipe
Clear plastic cups
Straws
Drink Ingredients (sprite, blue food coloring,
ice, Swedish Fish)

August, 2013

Collaborative research
paper

Use plastic figures to

classify arctic animals as
predators and prey
Bethany will make
arctic drink recipe

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education
Students will conduct an
experiment with water,
oil and feathers.
Students will conduct a
hands-on blubber
experiment using ice
water and shortening.

The teacher will

model the processes
for conducting the
experiments, and
then the students
will conduct them in
small groups.

Feathers
Water
Oil
Dawn dish soap
4 bowls
Ice
Water
8 plastic bags
Crisco

The students will fill

out a lab reports using
the scientific method.
The short story will be
graded for grammar,
complete sentences,
and their knowledge of
subject

Worksheet too
complicated

One-on-one prompting
and support

Difficult vocabulary

Modified lab report.

Writing too difficult

Short story requirement

changed to spoken 4-5
word sentence, with
prompting and support.

4. Individualized Student Planning

Student

A Bethany

Standards-Aligned IEP Goals

When given direct instruction and different trials at
school, Bethany will demonstrate fluent reading skills
in areas of phonics and phonemic awareness during
daily activities 4/5 opportunities with at least 90%
accuracy.
When given direct instruction and different trials at
school, Bethany will demonstrate fluent math skills
during daily activities during 4/5 opportunities with at
least 80% accuracy.
Speech/Language: Given visual and verbal cues,
Bethany will imitate functional words/phrases pertinent
to her daily routine with 80% accuracy in 4/6 trials.
Speech/Language: Given picture and
auditory prompts, Bethany will expand her core
vocabulary to include action verbs with 80% accuracy
in 4/6 trials.
When given simple reading stories, Bethany will
follow along with the story with decreasing prompts.
When presented with a number, Bethany will identify
the given number.

August, 2013

Student-Specific IEP Goals

Given social opportunities with
verbal prompts and modeling as
needed, Bethany will demonstrate
age appropriate social skills with her
peers with decreasing prompts in
4/5 opportunities throughout her
school day.
When given functional tasks,
Bethany will demonstrate the ability
to complete the tasks with
decreasing prompts during daily
activities 4/5 opportunities with at
least 90% accuracy given verbal and
visual cues as needed.
OT: When given the opportunity,
Bethany will utilize proprioceptive
exercises for an indicated amount of
time/regular intervals throughout
her school day to improve selfregulation of her sensory diet needs,
given minimal verbal and visual cue
cards, 75% of trials.

Individualized Student Supports

Reading assignments will be
modified to reduce complexity of
the passage and simplify
vocabulary.
Unit specific picture cards will be
prepared for Bethanys
communication boards/PECS
system prior to beginning
instruction.
The teacher or paraprofessional will
introduce new picture cards and
vocabulary to Bethany upon
introducing the concept.
Material for lessons will be prepared
and provided to the student before
instruction begins. .
Bethany will receive one-on-one
support and prompts from the
teacher or paraprofessional during
unit tasks.

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education
When presented with a number, Bethany
will use manipulatives to count out objects to identify
that given numbers quantity.

Physical education-meeting
a short term goal-imitating
chosen action cards- jump,
hop, and slide for jumping,
hopping, and sliding
between icebergs placed on
the floor

Math- Use plastic penguin

manipulatives and feathers
for math component

ELA-Bethany participates in
a partner cooking lesson and
shares with another
classmate

ELA- sight words using

puffy paint to have a tactile
component

Given action picture scenes, Bethany will

spontaneously name each verb.
-Bethany will choose and initiate 1 sensory exercise
given a choice of 3 via visual cue cards, given minimal
verbal cues

August, 2013

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Lesson Plan Summaries

Lesson Plan 1
Antarctica - Habitat
The students will read pages 14-17, 19-21 Penguins and Antarctica: A Nonfiction Companion to Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne
This lesson will introduce the students to the harsh conditions of Antarctica. The students will locate and label the oceans and continents on a world map by using a large
interactive bulletin board with removable Velcro labels. Labels will also be included for the cardinal directions: north, south, east and west. The teacher will model this activity for
the whole class, and then students will complete the activity independently.

Lesson Plan 2
Animals that live in Antarctica - Penguins
The students will read pages 25-55 of Penguins and Antarctica: A Nonfiction Companion to Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne. The students will be instructed to
pay special attention to the characteristics of penguins that help them survive the harsh conditions in Antarctica.
Whole class discussion:
The teacher will ask the students to write one penguin characteristic from the research guide on a dry erase response card and hold it up.
The teacher will explain to the students that some of the characteristics that help penguins survive can be observed with the naked eye, and some are inside the penguin's
body.
The teacher will draw an outline of a penguin on the board and have student volunteers label the penguins visible physical characteristics.
The students will list other characteristics next to the picture.
Characteristics mentioned in the research guide:
Heavy bones
Flipper tail
Wings to help with swimming
Jump and swim quickly
Can store food and live off it for months
Coloration that confuses predators in the water and helps warm or cool them
Neck feathers that fluff up to cool them down
Bob in and out of the water
Blubber
Webbed feet
Oil sacs help their feathers become waterproof
Slide downhill on their stomachs
Can jump on land (up to 6 feet high)
Males have a brood patch to keep the egg warm

August, 2013

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Form groups for protection against cold and predators

Parents trade places taking care of the young
Can walk/waddle long distances

Research Project
The students, individually, will select one species of penguin from pages 7-11 of Scholastic Discover More: Penguins, create a life-size representation using paper and art
materials; and make a height comparison to him or herself.

Lesson Plan Summary 3

Survival - Predators and Prey
The students will read pages 59-72 Penguins and Antarctica: A Nonfiction Companion to Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne
Whole Class Discussion:
Penguins live in large breeding colonies, called rookeries, during the breeding season. (pages 46-47 Scholastic Discover More: Penguins)
Very few plants grow on Antarctica. Animals must eat other animals to survive.
Adult penguins make nests away from the ocean to protect their offspring.
Penguins must walk a long distance to get food from the sea.
When the weather gets warmer, some of the ice melts and the penguin chicks have a much shorter journey to the sea.
Penguins stay away from predators by staying on icebergs when they are not diving for food in the ocean.
Ask the students to identify the arctic animals mentioned in Penguins and Antarctica: A Nonfiction Companion to Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne.
Which of these animals are the penguins predators? (orca whales, leopard seals, sharks)
Ask the students to identify the penguins prey. (krill, fish)
Read page 24-25 Scholastic Discover More: Penguins
Orca whales are also known as killer whales.
Orca whales love to eat penguins (They go under icebergs and wobble them back and forth until the penguins fall off.)
Leopard seals can grow to 11 feet (Have students measure the distance)

August, 2013

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Lesson Plan Summary 4

Penguin Feathers
Baby chicks are born with fluffy feathers that are warm, but not waterproof. (pages 52-53 Scholastic Discover More: Penguins)
Baby chicks molt when they are 4-9 months old, and new waterproof feathers grow in.

What is preening? (Grooming or cleaning feathers)

Instead of adult feathers, what are baby penguins covered in? (Down, which is a kind of feather)
Researchers have discovered that penguins have approximately Twenty-two feathers per square inch.
Provide the students with a block of clay. Have the students measure and mark a 1-inch square in the clay.
Have the students place twenty-two feathers inside the 1-inch square.

Feather Density Activity

Have students measure a block of clay at 1 square inch, and stick 22 feathers into it, to understand penguin feather density.
Read pages 42-43 of Scholastic Discover More: Penguins
Oil spills are a serious threat to penguins. If a penguins feathers get covered oil, they are no longer waterproof and the penguin can freeze to death.
When oil spills in the ocean, penguins must be rescued from the water and their feathers must be cleaned with special soap.
Have students conduct the oil spill experiment.

Lesson Plan 5
Blubber
Essential Question: How does blubber help penguins survive in their environment?
Materials: PBS video Passport to Antarctica, Program 4: Penguin Power - At Home On the Ice
Each work team of 2-4 students will need:
4 gallon-size storage bags (self-sealing preferred)
2-3 cups of blubber (solid shortening such as Crisco)
bucket/container of ice water
record sheet
watch/clock with second hand

August, 2013

Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

pencil/ pen
paper towels

Procedure
1. As a class, watch the PBS video Passport to Antarctica, Program 4: Penguin Power - At Home On the Ice.
2. Discuss some of the physical characteristics of penguins, such as their ability to survive in very cold water.
3. As a class, discuss the nature of the activity and record predictions about expected outcomes (the length of time one could hold hand in ice water, how it might feel, etc.).
4. Divide class into groups of 2-4 students.
5. Bags full of Crisco already prepared; one bag full of Crisco and another inside and folded over so Crisco does not get on the students or anything else.
6. Have the student put the bag with Crisco into the bowl of ice water and place hand into the bag with the shortening.
7. Place other hand in the bowl of ice water as is with nothing protecting it
8. Other team members time and record how long each hand remains under water until it feels cold.
9. Have partners switch roles and repeat the investigation.
10. Fill in the conclusion of the lab report.
11. In groups and then as a class, discuss the results and observations. Compare with predictions made prior to the activity.
Extension:
Place one sealed bag of ice and one sealed bag of blubber in the container of water. Drop equal weights gently on each bag.
How much weight can each bag hold before it sinks to the bottom? Why is the blubber important to the survival of the animal?
(Thanks to Gulf of Maine Aquarium for the basis of this activity.)
Duration
15 - 20 minutes to watch and discuss video, 30 - 45 minutes to conduct the activity
Assessment
After discussing the activity, students write a brief summary in their journals/notebooks/lab books describing the importance of blubber in the survival of penguins and other
marine animals.

August, 2013