Activity and Assessment Plan

Name:​ Lauren McBride

Grade Level​: 2nd

NGSS Performance Expectation: 2-LS4-1​ ​ Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity​: Make
observations of plants and animals​ ​to compare​ ​the diversity of life in different habitats.​ ​[Clarification
Statement: Emphasis is on the diversity of living things in each of a variety of different habitats.]
[​Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include specific animal and plant names in specific
habitats.]​

Learning Objectives:

1​ . At the end of this instructional sequence, the students will be able to make predictions about
where certain species may be located within their habitat.

2. At the end of this instructional sequence, the students will be able to carry out an
investigation in order to research what qualities make specific species adaptable to their habitat.

Phenomenon and Driving Question:

Phenomenon: ​Animals have specific characteristics that help them survive in certain regions.
Driving Question: ​How do characteristics of species help them to survive in their habitat?

Instructional Sequence
Framework: ​EPE

Activity Description
Activity Title (approximately 1-2 sentences) Framework Function

1 Pre Assessment Conduct a science talk about students' Establish a question

Science Talk background knowledge of animals needs.

2 What is a Students will explore a variety of pictures from Explore

Habitat? nature magazines and find 3 pictures of habitats
and 3 pictures of non-habitats and paste them in
a T-chart.
3 What is a Based on their pictures from the previous Explore/Patterns
Habitat? day/activity, they will create their own definition
of what a habitat means to them. Students will
show engagement by creating their own versions
of habitats.

4 Basic Needs of Students will brainstorm basic needs that Patterns

Animals animals might have. Students will write 5 ideas
of needs animals have and share with a partner.
Then students will draw a picture of an animal in
its habitat with their needs with labels.

5 Mid Unit Conduct a science talk about how habitats Establish a Question
Assessment support animals needs.
Talk

6 Compare Compare and contrast pictures of the arctic and Explore

Arctic and rainforest habitat and fill in a graphic organizer
Rainforest as a class. Based on what we know, color a map
of where these habitats might be located.

7 What is a We will watch a video about the rainforest Explore

Rainforest? habitat and students will record 3 things they
found interesting about this environment.

8 Rainforest Students will make a model of the layers of the Patterns

Qualities rainforest. I will provide a description of each
layer and students will label their model based
on that description.

9 Specific Students will look at specific qualities of Explain

Animal Needs animals to explain their unique needs. Students
will fill in a chart to characterize the animals.

10 Animals in Students will be given 4-5 different animals and Explain

Their Habitat decide which animal will be found in which
layer. Students will provide a brief explanation
of why that animal might be found in that layer.
​Assessment Plan

Mid-Unit Formative Assessment Task

Activity Number & Title Assessment Task Rationale:

Activity 5: Mid Unit Assessment Talk This task will help me to assess
where the students are at as far as the
learning target is concerned. By
Mid-Unit FORMATIVE Learning Objective: having a science discussion with
Students will be able to understand the relationship between targeted questions, I can assess if the
the animal’s ecosystem and their ability to survive. students can apply the things we
have been learning to more than just
the provided activities.
NGSS Performance Expectation this task addresses:
2-LS4-1​ ​ Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity​: Make
observations of plants and animals​ ​to compare​ ​the diversity
of life in different habitats.​ ​[Clarification Statement:
Emphasis is on the diversity of living things in each of a
variety of different habitats.] [​Assessment Boundary:
Assessment does not include specific animal and plant names
in specific habitats.​]
Task: Criteria:
Students will engage in a variety of engaging questions to A variety of ideas will come in from
assess their progress towards the learning target. Questions students, but they should all include
that will be asked are (other questions will come up as the something about how the arctic is
conversation takes place): cold and polar bears need to live in
the cold to survive.
● How do ecosystems help this species survive?
● Why would a polar bear live in the arctic opposed to
the rainforest? What does the arctic have that helps
polar bears?
To conclude the discussion, students will do a quick write
about what makes the arctic special to polar bears.

Summative Assessment Task

End-Unit SUMMATIVE Learning Objective(s): Assessment Task Rationale:

Activity 10: Animals in Their Habitat This final activity will assess
students' understanding of the
Students will be able to determine animal habitats based on learning target. Students will apply
the specific characteristics of the animals. their understanding of organism
characteristics and use that to
NGSS Performance Expectation this task addresses: determine what environment that
animals should live in.
2-LS4-1​ ​ Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity​: Make
observations of plants and animals​ ​to compare​ ​the diversity
of life in different habitats.​ ​[Clarification Statement:
Emphasis is on the diversity of living things in each of a
variety of different habitats.] [​Assessment Boundary:
Assessment does not include specific animal and plant
names in specific habitats.​]
Task: Criteria:
Students will be given a basic picture of the rainforest Students should have the following
divided into layers and 4-5 different animals that live in this animals in the corresponding layers
environment. With this, students will place those animals in with some reasonable explanation of
the layer that they think that live in. There will also be a their choice.
place for students to give an explanation for their choice.
1. A ​macaw​ lives in the
emergent layer​ because it has
wings to get up high.
2. A ​sloth​ lives in the c​ anopy
because it likes to climb and
hang in high places.
3. An ​anaconda​ lives on the
forest floo​r because it has no
arms or legs and it likes to
slither on the ground.
4. Poison dart frogs​ also live on
the ​forest floor​ because they
are small and can hide.
5. A ​jaguar​ is found in the
understory​ because they
climb up a little bit to hunt
for food.