Grade 3 — Science: Plants and Animals Meeting Their Needs

Overview

Using observation as well as human, print, and electronic resources, students identify common needs of plants and animals and ways they depend on each other. Students record information using a word processor or concept mapping software. Students create illustrations, and electronic presentations describing plant and animal needs and ways they depend on each other to meet these needs.

Activate

Students brainstorm the needs of plants and the needs of animals. Record each set of needs on a separate class chart. [Plan and Question]

Students highlight evidence of interdependence. Students may use digital cameras to gather evidence of the interaction between the plant and animal they have chosen to research. [Gather and Make Sense]

Working in collaborative groups, using a word processor, students insert clip art images of plants and animals to create a scene showing how they meet each other’s needs. [Produce to Show Understanding] Students complete and edit   a frame sentence (e.g., Plants help animals by... Animals help plants by...), describing ways that the plants and animals in the scene help one another meet their needs. [Produce to Show Understanding]

Suggestions for Assessment:
Gallery Walk: Students slide their picture over the frame sentences to cover it. In a Gallery Walk of computer screens, peers view the picture and identify ways plants and animals depend on each other to meet their needs. [Communicate] Students slide back the picture to reveal the frame sentences and check identified needs.

Acquire

Using print and electronic resources, students research the needs of both a particular plant and animal and how each meets its needs.Using concept mapping software or a Compare and Contrast Frame, students record the researched information and compare and contrast how each meets its needs.

Students highlight evidence of interdependence. Students may use digital cameras to gather evidence of the interaction between the plant and animal they have chosen to research.

Working in collaborative groups, using a word processor, students insert clip art images of plants and animals to create a scene showing how they meet each other’s needs. Students complete and edit a frame sentence (e.g., Plants help animals by... Animals help plants by...), describing ways that the plants and animals in the scene help one another meet their needs.

Suggestions for Assessment:
Gallery Walk: Students slide their picture over the frame sentences to cover it. In a Gallery Walk of computer screens, peers view the picture and identify ways plants and animals depend on each other to meet their needs. Students slide back the picture to reveal the frame sentences and check identified needs.

Apply

Collaborative groups of students create a multimedia presentation that illustrates plant and animal needs and dependency on each other. [Collaborate, Produce to Show Understanding] Students create an opening slide with a scene that includes images of plants and animals. Students label the plants and animals and link the labels to additional slides, describing the need and the way plants and animals are helping each other meet this need. Compile the groups’ slides into a class presentation for sharing and discussing [Communicate].

Teacher Tips:
Students may record and insert sound clips that describe ways that the plants and animals in the scene help one another meet their needs. [Produce to Show Understanding]

Suggestions for Assessment:
Exit Slip: Verify that students list correctly the common needs of plants and animals and creates appropriate illustrations of the ways that plants and animals depend on each other to meet their needs.