Jann's


 * Unit Author:** Jan Wolfgramm
 * School District:** Tempe Elementary District, Tempe AZ

**Unit Overview**:
Students will learn about adaptations of plants and animals that enable them to survive in the desert environment. Taking on the roles of a botanist or a zoologist students will research a desert plant or animal, prepare a podcast script, and produce a podcast about the plant or animal and it's adaptations. This podcast will be in the form of a Public Service Annoucement that will serve to convince the class members that the plant or animal should be considered for inclusion in a desert habitat area to be created for the school site.
 * Unit Title:** Welcome to the Dry Side: Desert Plant and Animal Adaptations
 * Unit Summary**:

Science Language Arts Technology
 * Subject Area:**


 * Grade Level**: 4


 * Approximate Time Needed**: 3-4 weeks

Unit Foundation
Analysis: connect, compare, appraise Synthesis: propose, plan, formulate Problem Solving Persisting Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision Demension3: Extension and refinement of knowledge Meaningful use of Knowledge
 * Habits of Learning Taxonomy**:

4-S4C4PO 2. Give examples of adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive. • camouflage – horned lizards, coyotes • mimicry – Monarch and Viceroy butterflies • physical – cactus spines • mutualism – species of acacia that harbor ants, which repel other harmful insects
 * Targeted Content Standards and Benchmarks**:

Technology S1C4PO1 Analyze information using digital creativity tools to create original works and express ideas. S3C2 PO5. Follow copyright laws when using text, images, videos and/or other sources and obtain permission to use the work of others, and cite resources appropriately.

Language Arts Standard 2: WRITING W-F1. Use the writing process, including generating topics, drafting, revising ideas and editing, to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks. W-F4. Gather, organize and accurately, clearly and sequentially report information gained from personal observations and experiences such as science experiments, field trips and classroom visitors. W-F5. Locate, acknowledge and use several sources to write an informational report in their own words.

Standard 3: LISTENING AND SPEAKING (Students effectively listen and speak in situations that serve different purposes and involve a variety of audiences.) Standard 4: VIEWING AND PRESENTING (Students use a variety of visual media and resources to gather, evaluate and synthesize information and to communicate with others.) Standard 2: WRITING (Students effectively use written language for a variety of purposes and with a variety of audiences.)

1. Students will identify adaptations of plants/animals that allow the plant/animal to live in a desert environment.
 * Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes**:

2. Students will give examples of adaptations that allow desert plants/animals to survive.
 * Camouflage – horned lizards, coyotes
 * Mimicry – Monarch and Viceroy butterflies
 * Physical – cactus spines
 * Mutualism – species of acacia that harbor ants, which repel other harmful insects

3. Students will explain how these adaptations allow the plants/animals to adapt to living in a desert environment.

4. Students will write a script for a Podcast explaining the adaptations of the plant/animal they studied.

5. Students will produce a Podcast dramatizing the plant adaptations of a desert plant/animal and analyze how the adaptation enables the plant/animal to survive in the desert environment. This podcast will serve a tool to convince class members to include the species in the desert habitat to be designed.

6. Student teams will design a desert habitat with appropriate plants and animals.


 * Curriculum-Framing Questions:**
 * Essential Question: How can one succeed?
 * Unit Questions: How do plants and animals survive in the desert environment?
 * Content Questions: What adaptations of plants/animals allow them to live in the desert environment? How do these adaptations enable the plant/animal to survive the desert environment?

Assessment Plan

 * Assessment Timeline**:

1. Before project work begins:
 * K-W-L Chart
 * Group Discussion
 * Visual Reasoning map

2. Students work on projects and complete tasks:


 * Research Checklist
 * Observation Checklist for script and podcast
 * Self-Assessment
 * Group Assessment
 * Lesson Log
 * Rubric for podcast script
 * Rubric for podcast Presentation-process and content
 * Seeing Reason map
 * Showing Evidence map
 * Rubric for desert habitat design-process and content

3. After project work is completed:


 * Rubric for podcast script
 * Rubric for podcast Presentation-process and content
 * K-W-L chart
 * Reflection Questions (journal)

Have a group discussion on what factors enable a desert plant or animal to live in the desert habitat. Use a KWL chart to record students’ responses. Use the Visual Ranking tool to create a discussion point on the importance of the basic needs of plants and animals living in the desert. Students will utilize the research checklist to determine what species to study and to guide their research process; a Lesson Log will be used to record information collected through the research process. The teacher will assess the Learning Log with informal meetings with students. Students will use the Seeing Reason Tool to determine what and why certain factors influence their species' success in living in the desert. Students will use the rubrics for a podcast script and a podcast presentation to guide the development of these two products; these rubrics will be used to assess the final products (script and Podcast). The Podcast script will be reviewed and approved by the teacher prior to production of the Podcast. Student teams will design a plan for a desert habitat to be built on the school grounds. The Showing Evidence tool will be used to evaluate the team habitat designs and determine which design will be implemented.
 * Assessment Summary:**

Visual Ranking Elements
In order to design a natural habitat at our school we need to have an understanding of what plants and animals need to live successfully in the desert environment. All plants and animals have the same basic needs to assure survival. Teacher ID: jannifer1 : Practice Team ID 1:Team01 Password: Team01
 * Visual Ranking Project Name:** Desert Habitat
 * Project Description:**
 * Prompt:** Put this list of needs in order of their importance to survival in the desert. Please give and explanation for your top, and bottom choices.
 * Sorting List:** TBD by class (shelter, food, water, space, proper arrangement)
 * Practice Ranking:**

Seeing Reason Elements:
Each species that lives in the desert has developed adaptations that enable it to manage the use, conservation of, and ability to obtain water, food, space, and shelter. The ability to manage these basic needs affects the success of the species. Working as a botanist or zoologist preparing a design for a natural habitat it is important you have a good understanding of how your species manages these basic needs. You will be preparing a Public Service Announcement to present to your classmates t o convince them your plant or animal should be included in the desert habitat design. Practice Team ID: Team01 Password: Team01
 * Seeing Reason Project Name**: Influences on Species Success
 * Project Description:**
 * Research Question:** What influences the success of your species?
 * Practice Map:**

**Showing Evidence Elements**
Project Description (For the Showing Evidence workspace) We will be reviewing the project designs for our natural habitat that has been created by each team. Your job is to decide which design will be best for us to implement for our school desert habitat area. Prompt (For the Showing Evidence workspace) Which design would be the best design to use for our desert habitat? Practice Case (For your future quick reference) Practice Team ID: Team01 Password: Team01 Reviewing Team ID: Password: Claims Design A, B, and C Evidence TBD by students through a brainstorming session. Sample evidence indicated in Practice Team Unit Details Prerequisite Skills
 * Showing Evidence Project Name:** Which One?

Instructional Procedures

Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction Resource Student Nonnative English Speaker Gifted Student Materials and Resources Required For Unit