1. 1st Grade MST INQUIRY UNIT Animals Diversity: How are Animals Alike and Different?
Members:
Betty Hector, Cynthia Lew, Cynthia Franco, Kettely DeJesus, Mariel Suarez

2. Animal Diversity: How are Animals Alike and Different?
Lesson Name
Slides
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence
Additives
1. Animals Adapt for Survival
6-10
Knowledge
Comprehension
Analysis
Linguistic
Logical Mathematical
Bodily Kinetic
Manipulative Skills
2. Animals and Their Traits
11-15
Synthesis
Evaluation
Naturalist
Interactive math websites and Manipulative Skills
3. Animal Habitats
N.A
Logical-Mathematical Interpersonal
Graphic Organizer
4. Animals’ Life Cycle
16-20
Verbal/Linguistic Visual/Spatial Interpersonal
Bodily -Kinesthetic
Web 2.0
5. What Animals Need to Survive
Spatial
Environmental
Graphs
6. Scavenger Hunt

3. Individual organisms and species change over time.
Standards: Major Understandings from NYS Science Core/NYC Scope & Sequence
1st Grade
MST Inquiry Unit
Animal Diversity
Lesson 6
Scavenger Hunt
Lesson 1
Key Idea 2:
Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring
Lesson 2
Key Idea 1:
Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things
Lesson 3
Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environments.
Lesson 4
Key Idea 3:
Individual organisms and species change over time.
Lesson 5

4. Lesson Overview
Lesson 1: Animals Adapt for Survival: What are some behavioral and physical adaptations of animals that allow them to respond to life need of survival? Students will learn why and how an animals physical characteristics aid in adaptation to certain environments. Lesson 2: Animals and Their Traits: What are the physical characteristics of some animals? Starting off by learning how to group different animals, students will compare and contrast animal traits and learn how traits like animal patterns and are similar to math patterns. Lesson 3: Animal Habitats. Why are animals well suited to the type of habitat they live in? How do animals use their senses to survive? Students will compare different animal habitats and explain why these habitats are suited for each animal. Students will learn how animals maintain their lives and survive to reproduce.

5. Lesson Overview (cont’d.)
Lesson 4: Animal Life Cycles. How do animals change throughout their lives? How are groups of living things classified? How do life cycles of living things differ? Students will learn to recognize and analyze the life cycles of animals in addition to comparing and contrasting different life cycles. Lesson 5: What Animals Need to Survive. What are the basic needs of animals? How do different types of pollution affect different animals? Students will explore the what animals need in order to live and survive as well as what factors affect their environment. Lesson 6: Scavenger Hunt. How do oil spills affect the food chain? Students will return to Filamentality to delve deeper into the messy facts about oil spills.

6. Lesson 1: Animals Adapt for Survival
NYC Science Scope and Sequence:
Inquiry Skills:
Communicating- giving oral and written explanations or graphic representations of observations.
Comparing and contrasting- identifying similarities and differences between or
among objects, events, data, systems, etc.
Gathering and organizing data – collecting information about objects and events
which illustrate a specific situation
Generalizing – drawing general conclusions from particulars
Predicting – making a forecast of future events or conditions expected to exist
Creating models – displaying information, using multisensory representations
Process Skills:
Compare and contrast organisms/objects/events in the living and physical environments.
Observe, analyze, and report observations of objects and events.
Observe, identify, and communicate cause-and-effect relationships.
Generate appropriate questions (teacher- and student- based) in response to observations, events, and other experiences.
Communicate procedures and conclusions through oral and written presentations 
NCTM Math Skills:
Process Standards:
Process Standards: Problem Solving 
Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems.
Content Standards: Data Analysis and Probability
Formulate questions  that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them.
ISTE Nets Standards for Literate Students:
Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools, and resources.
Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
New York State Art Standards:
Standard 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources
Students will know and use a variety of visual arts materials.

7. Lesson 1
Motivation: The teacher will gather the students on the carpet and introduce the lesson by sharing a toy tiger with the class. The children will observe by using their senses to describe the animal. The students will turn and talk to their partner about what they observed.
Literature: Claws, Coats, And Camouflage by Susan E. Goodman
Behavioral objectives:
Describe and explain what animal adaptations are.
Compare the physical characteristics of animals and explain how these characteristics aid the animal in adaptation to certain environment
Explain how an animal’s behavioral adaptation help it survive in its specific habitat
Distinguish between physical and behavioral adaptations of animals

8. Lesson 1
Procedure (1-6)
The teacher will then introduce the book, “Claws, Coats, And Camouflage” by Susan E. Goodman as well as introduce key vocabulary words: adaptation, behavior, camouflage, environment, survival.
Before reading the story the children will look at the cover and make predictions as to what the story will be about.
As we read we will learn about 4 reasons animals adapt:“fitting in,” “staying safe,” and, “getting food.”
The teacher will then hand out a bubble thinking map and pencil to each student and proceed by reading selected portions of the book.
As the teacher reads, the students will be filling in or drawing an example for each reason for adaptation, as well as naming an animal that uses that type of adaptation.

9. Lesson 1
Procedures (7-12)
Teacher will explain that animals can adapt by changing their physical characteristics like the tiger and its claws or its behavior.
Students will be divided into groups of four and then return to their seats.
The students will get to choose objects from a Ziploc bag that represent various animal adaptations.
Students will work in their groups to create a model of their new animal species.
Students will label the parts of their species and write an explanation on how it helps the animal adapt to its environment

10. Lesson 1
Follow up activity: Students will return to the carpet and each group will orally present their new animal species to the class. As a homework assignment the students will complete the “animal adaptation” hand out.
Modification for special needs and ESL: The students will be working with props and partners, so that the ELL students can be paired with a student who can help with the reading and writing. The students will also have access to lots of books and magazines during that time that include detailed photos of animal adaptations.
Questions:
Close- Ended Questions:
1. “What means does the tiger have to survive in its environment?”
Answer: They are good at hunting, hiding, and they have a killer instinct when it is in danger.
2. “What physical qualities of the tiger do you think help it survive in it its environment?”
Answer: A tiger needs food, water, and space to survive.
3. “Where does a tiger live?”
Answer: Jungle
Open- Ended Questions:
1. “What are some ways that animals cope with their environment?”
2. “Describe 2 physical adaptations of an animal?”
3. “Why is it important for animals to have these physical features?”

11. Lesson 2: Animals and Their Traits
NYC Science Scope and Sequence:
Inquiry Skills-
Classifying – arranging or distributing objects, events, or information representing
objects or events in classes according to some method or system
Comparing and contrasting – identifying similarities and differences between or
among objects, events, data, systems, etc.
Process Skills-
iv. Manipulate materials through teacher direction and free discovery.
x. Classify objects according to an established scheme.
xi. Generate a scheme for classification.
xiii. Observe, analyze, and report observations of objects and events.
xiv. Observe, identify, and communicate patterns.
NCTM Math Skills:
Process Standards:
Representation:
Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas
Select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve problems
Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena
Content Standards:
Number and Operations:
Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems
ISTE NETs Standards for Literate Students:
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation
c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
New York State Arts Standards:
Standard 3: Responding To and Analyzing Works of Art
Key idea: Students will analyze the visual characteristics of the natural and built environment and explain the social, cultural, psychological, and environmental dimensions of the visual arts.

12. Lesson 2:
Motivation: Read Animals in Camouflage by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes. The teacher will first define the word camouflage then ask students to make inferences (as we get to each animal in the book) as to why they think these animal have that specific type of camouflage and explain how they know that based on the picture they see.
Literature: Animals in Camouflage by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
Behavioral Objectives:
To identify different animal species
To compare and distinguish different animal traits
To identify and complete math patterns

13. Lesson 2
Procedures (1-7)
Students will be provided with miniature fake toy animals of different physical traits (each student will receive the same amount of toys).
Teacher will then ask each student to group the toys based on different traits (size, skin, species etc).
At this point teacher will explain different animal species and what characteristics each group has and why.
Teacher will also emphasize that certain traits can be shared by animals of different species, like those with patterns.
Teacher will define and give an example of a pattern.
Individually students will identify the toy animals that have patterns as physical traits.
As a class we will then further classify them into subgroups (species, reason for patterns etc)

14. Lesson 2
Procedures (8-11)
Teacher will explain to students that patterns also exist outside of nature and science, in math.
The teacher will write one example of a math pattern on the board (8, 9, __, 11, 12) and explain to students what the number pattern is.
Next teacher will try other patterns like 2, 4, 6, __, 10, 12.
Students will be asked to visit an interactive math website to practice number patterns.

15. Lesson 2
Follow up activity: For homework, students will draw picture of an animal with patterns (unfinished in coloring) and then develop two number pattern questions that their classmates will have to solve tomorrow. Their classmates will then have to finish the color pattern scheme and the number pattern as well.
Modification for special needs and ESL: The students will be working with props and partners. The students will also have access to lots of books and magazines during that time that include detailed photos of animal adaptations.
Questions
Open Ended Questions-
1. “What is a pattern? Define in your own words.”
2. “Why do you think turtles have shells as part of their physical traits?”
Answer: Turtles have shells because it provides them with protection
Close Ended Questions-
1. “What is the missing number of this pattern? ____, 19, 20, 21.”
2. Name one mammal.

16. Lesson 4: The ‘Cycle’ of Life
NAEP Science Content Standard
Life Science: Structures and Functions of Living Systems
Changes in Living Systems
Heredity and Reproduction: Life cycles
L4.5: Plants and animals have life cycles. Both plants and animals begin life and develop into adults, reproduce, and eventually die. The details of this life cycle are different for different organisms.
L4.6: Plants and animals closely resemble their parents.
ISTE NETs Standards for Literate Students
Creativity and Innovation Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
Communication and Collaboration:
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
Research and Information Fluency:
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:
plan strategies to guide inquiry.
locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
process data and report results.
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:
a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
c. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
d. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.
Technology Operations and Concepts
NCTM Math Skills
Process Standards: Problem Solving 
Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems.
Content Standards: Data Analysis and Probability
Formulate questions  that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them.
Represent data using concrete objects, pictures, and graphs.
NAEP Process Skills
Scientific Inquiry: S4.4 Use empirical evidence to validate or criticize conclusions about explanations and predictions (e.g., check to see that the premises of the argument are explicit, notice when the conclusions do not follow logically from the evidence given).
Technology: T4.3 Apply science principles or data to anticipate effects of technological design.

17. Lesson 4: Motivation: http://www. youtube. com/watch
Lesson 4: Motivation: This clay animated clip shows the complete frog life cycle and the developmental stages frogs undergo throughout their lives. After watching the clip, the students will discuss for a few minutes what they saw in the clip.

18. Lesson 4 Literature: Behavioral Objectives:
The Life Cycle of a Frog by Bobbie Kalman
Life Cycles: Bullfrog by Jason Cooper
The Life Cycle of a Butterfly by Colleen Sexton
One Frog Too Many, by David Simonds
Are you a Butterfly? By Judy Allen
Behavioral Objectives:
To explain what a life cycle is.
To explain/give examples how frogs’ life cycle is similar and/or different to a butterfly’s life cycle.
To recognize different life cycle of different species of animals.
Analyze the life cycle of animals (birth, adulthood, reproducing, death)
Compare and contrast life cycles of different animals

19. Lesson 4
Procedures:
The teacher will review what life cycle is. The word metamorphosis means “change of form.”
The teacher will ask the students what they know/want to learn about the butterfly. Using KWL chart to document students’ answers.
The teacher will read, if available, the Kindle version of the book, The Life Cycle of a Butterfly, by Colleen Sexton. The teacher will use the Whiteboard, so students can read along as the teacher reads the book. The teacher will first speak briefly about the butterfly, encouraging the students to reflect on their prior knowledge of butterflies.
The students will have 5 to 10 minutes to answer question # 1 listed under Closed-Ended Questions.
The teacher will divide students in pairs.
The students will research about the life cycle of the animal they have chosen. Students will look for information such as, the animal’s life cycle different stages and lifespan among other important information.
Once the students have gathered all the information they need, they will report to the class their findings so, everyone can learn about every animal on the list.
Students can draw pictures, make a diagram, print pictures from the Internet, verbally or in writing explain the life cycle of their chosen animal.
If students can not finish this activity/assignment during this class period, the teacher will allow students sometime to finish during the next class period.
Students will individually complete a worksheet where they have to identify different life cycles of different animals.

20. Lesson 4 Questions: Closed-Ended Questions:
Modification for special needs and ESL: Students with special needs will receive one – to – one additional instruction, and necessary guidance throughout the activity. ESL students will work with assigned partners, and will work with worksheet # 2b. The students will also be given support through pictures, graphic organizers and list of vocabulary words. They will be encouraged to ‘act’ the various vocabulary words we will be using in these lessons (Total Physical Response -TPR).
Questions:
Closed-Ended Questions:
1. “Does every animal have a life cycle?”
i. Yes/No
2. “How does learning about the development of a frog and a butterfly help me learn about animal life cycles?
i. Humans as well as animals are born; they grow, reproduce and die.
Open-Ended Questions:
Explain in your own words: “What is life cycle?”
2. “What are some of the main differences between frogs’ life cycle and the butterfly? Give examples”.

21. Animal Scavenger Hunt Websites for your Animal Scavenger Hunt
Lincoln Park Zoo -
Oakland Zoo -
Central Park Zoo -
Pittsburg Zoo -
Cincinnati Zoo -
Answer the following questions using the websites located on the bottom of the worksheet.
What is the life span of a Polar Bear that lives in the wild? and in captivity?
What is the life cycle of a female Komodo Dragon?
What are some character traits of a Malayan Tiger that makes them part of the cat family?
What are some character traits of an Asian Elephant that allows them to live in the forest?
What type of habitat does an Emu live in the wild?
What type of habitat does a North American River Otter live in the wild?
What does a Wood Turtle have to do in order to survive in the wild?
What does a Grey Seal must do in order to survive the wild?
What must a Snow Leopard do in order to adapt to the wild?
What must a Red Panda do in order to adapt to the wild?

22. Filementality Web Page
Take a look at our interactive, child-friendly Filementality Web Page!