Grade 5 Life Science Unit (5.L.3)
Decision 1: What will students learn in this unit?
Standards Addressed:
1. Science 5.L.3
2. Reading Informational Text R.1.5.3
3. Math 5.NF.6
4. Writing W.5.2
5. Technology
6. Other
What do I want my students to KNOW, UNDERSTAND and be able to DO at the end of this unit?
Know
Students will know that
characteristicsare passed from
parents to offspring.
Students will identify inherited
traits verses learned behaviors.
Understand
Students understand why
organisms are similar yet possess
differences from their parents.
(not cloned)
Students will understand how
characteristics and behaviors can
be learned from environmental
and cultural influences.
Do
Students will analyze their own
characteristics to determine
inherited verses acquired.
Students will compare and contrast
characteristics between offspring
and parents.
Decision 1 – What will students learn in this unit?
Decision 2: Assessment
Plan for how students will indicate learning and understanding of the concepts in the unit.
How will you assess learning?
Possibilities/options:
Pre-assessment
Short answer tests or quizzes
Student logs, journals and informal writing
Lab activities
Formal writing assignments
Informal or formal student Interviews, conferences, observations etc.
Prepackaged ClassScape Quiz, notebooks with recording of investigations, and
informational writing
_____________________________________________________________________________
Describe the performance, product, or project that will be the culminating activity
for the unit.
The student’s assignment for the Culminating Activity includes:
Unit essential question or “I Can” statement for the culminating activity.
A thorough description of the activity including steps or task analysis in
completing the culminating activity.
A copy(ies) of the rubric(s) you will use to assess the culminating activity or any
other aspects of the unit.
Objectives:
W.5.2 Write informative text to examine a topic and convey information.
SL.5.4 Report on a topic or text using appropriate facts and relative descriptive details to
support main ideas.
Project:
I can locate reading text that pertains to the topic of genetics. I will be able to read about
and understand the relationships that two or more individuals share and differ on based
on specific traits that each has. I will write an informative paper that examines this topic
and conveys the similarities and differences between two separate organisms.
For differentiation purposes, selected students will deliver a presentation in which they
read their informative papers in front of their class. They will be given the option of
presenting whatever relevant information that they have collected throughout the unit to
support their writing. Students’ writing papers may be assessed using a writing rubric.
(See attached.)
Decision 2 – Assessment
Decision 2: Assessments – Rubric Reminders:
Scale
Criteria
1
2
What does each number or adjective in your scale mean?
Indicators
The student response
meets the following
criteria:
does not demonstrate
any aspect of the
writing assignment
follows few
directions, steps,
and/or procedures or
none at all
cites inaccurate or
inappropriate
examples
employs little or no
evidence of
reasoning, argument,
and/or support
demonstrates little or
no evidence of any
apparent reasoning
skill
The student response
meets the following
criteria:
demonstrates some
aspects of the writing
assignment
follows some
directions, steps,
and/or procedures
may attempt to cite
and explain some
content-specific
examples, and/or
inaccurate
information is
included
employs concrete
reasoning,
arguments, and/or
support
demonstrates the use
of analyzing skills in
a literal manner
3
(Proficient)
The student response
meets the following
criteria:
demonstrates most
aspects of the writing
assignment
follows most
directions, steps,
and/or procedures
cites and explains
appropriate contentspecific examples,
however, some
inaccurate
information is
included
employs inferential
reasoning,
arguments, and/or
support
demonstrates the use
of analyzing and
applying skills
Decision 2 – Assessment: Rubric Reminders
4
The student response
meets the following
criteria:
demonstrates all
aspects of the writing
assignment
follows all directions,
steps, and/or
procedures
cites and explains
appropriate contentspecific examples
accurately employs
sound reasoning,
arguments, and/or
support
demonstrates the use
of evaluating,
analyzing, and
applying skills
Decision 3: Student Learning Map
Key Learning Targets:
I can explain why organisms differ from or are similar to their parents.
I can classify similar traits of parents and offspring as either inherited or acquired.
Concept:
Concept:
Concept:
Inherited Traits
Inherited vs. acquired
Genetics
Lesson EQ(s):
Lesson EQ(s):
Lesson EQ(s):
What are some examples of
inherited traits?
Which traits can be inherited and
which must be acquired?
How can you determine which
traits will be inherited by
offspring?
In what ways am I a product of
both my parents and my
environment?
Why do children resemble their
parents and grandparents without
being exactly like anyone else?
How are inherited traits
determined by genes?
How can we use our knowledge
of genetics to predict which traits
offspring will have?
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary:
traits
inherited
offspring
unique
acquired
culture
species
genes
population
(dominant)
(recessive)
Decision 3 – Student Learning Map
Decision 4: Launch Activities
Hooks and Links
Develops student interest and links prior knowledge. Provides the Student Learning Map and
the key vocabulary to students.
Guiding Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
How are you going to get students engaged?
How are you going to develop student interest and link their prior knowledge?
How are you going to start the Student Learning Map of the unit with students?
How are you going to preview key vocabulary with students?
Decision 4 – Launch Activities
Decision 5: Acquisition Lesson One
(See referenced lesson at http://teach.genetics.utah.edu/content/heredity/html/inventory.html)
Language Objective(s), where appropriate:
RI.5.3 Explain the relationships between two or more concepts in a scientific text.
Lesson Essential Question(s) or “I Can” Statement(s):
What are some examples of inherited traits?
Activating Strategies: (Learners Mentally Active)
Students will complete a survey to inventory their own inherited traits. To begin, the teacher should
demonstrate each of the traits and explain that traits are observable characteristics that we inherit. Some are
more common than others, but each person has their own combination of traits that makes them unique.
Students will complete the inventory, and then compare their results in small groups.
Collect the data from the whole class and create a wall chart (line plot).
Acceleration/Previewing: (key vocabulary)
traits, inherit
Teaching Strategies: (Explain and Model; Collaborative Pairs; Distributed Guided
Practice; Distributed Summarizing; Graphic Organizers)
Discuss the results of the class data collection and the frequency with which traits appear in our class.
Remind students that although they share traits with many others, they are unique. Ask students to predict
how many traits they would have to look at on the survey to identify a classmate as unique.
Select a volunteer to determine their uniqueness. All students stand. The volunteer reads their traits one at a
time, and all students who do not share that trait sit down. Continue until no one is left standing.
(Math Extension) students convert fractions to percentages to calculate frequency of traits in the classroom.
Distributed Guided Practice/Summarizing Prompts: (prompts designed to Initiate Periodic Practice or Summarizing)
Summarizing Strategies: Learners Summarize and Answer Essential Questions
Journal their own unique blend of special traits and answer the day’s essential question.
Optional send home activity: http://teach.genetics.utah.edu/content/heredity/docs/familytraitstrivia.pdf
Lesson Resources:
black line survey
graphing materials
Decision 5 – Acquisition Lesson
Decision 5: Acquisition Lesson Two
Language Objective(s), where appropriate:
Lesson Essential Question(s) or “I Can” Statement(s):
Which traits can be inherited and which must be acquired?
Activating Strategies: (Learners Mentally Active)
Use flashcards from website to introduce the idea of inherited vs. acquired characteristics. Show a pair and
contrast to introduce vocabulary (e.g., “I have attached earlobes” contrasted with “I have pierced ears.”
Acceleration/Previewing: (key vocabulary) inherited, acquired, culture
Teaching Strategies: (Explain and Model; Collaborative Pairs; Distributed Guided
Practice; Distributed Summarizing; Graphic Organizers)
Traits that are inherited aren’t changed by experiences.
Acquired traits are passed to you through experiences and learning.
Who you are is based on a combination of the inherited traits you were born with and what you have
experienced and learned in your life.
Students make a chart to list some examples of each, and then share to create a class T chart.
Distributed Guided Practice/Summarizing Prompts: (prompts designed to Initiate Periodic Practice or Summarizing)
Summarizing Strategies: Learners Summarize and Answer Essential Questions
Nature and Nurture Walk in the Park website
Lesson Resources:
SMART notebook file available on SMART exchange
http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=17644
Decision 5 – Acquisition Lesson Planning
Decision 5: Acquisition Lesson Three
Language Objective(s), where appropriate:
Lesson Essential Question(s) or “I Can” Statement(s):
In what ways am I a product of my parents and my environment?
Activating Strategies: (Learners Mentally Active)
Read aloud You’re One of a Kind, by Joy Wilt. Have students discuss ways that they are one of a kind with
each other.
Acceleration/Previewing: (key vocabulary) traits, inherit
Teaching Strategies: (Explain and Model; Collaborative Pairs; Distributed Guided
Practice; Distributed Summarizing; Graphic Organizers)
Students will create a foldable to summarize their own inherited and acquired traits, and how they are put
together to create a unique self. The foldable will be folded to create barn doors. On one side, students will
list at least three of their inherited traits, and on the other side at least three acquired traits. Inside, they will
draw and/or write to show how who they are combines all of these things.
Distributed Guided Practice/Summarizing Prompts: (prompts designed to Initiate Periodic Practice or Summarizing)
Summarizing Strategies: Learners Summarize and Answer Essential Questions
Students will share their foldable with a partner or small group to summarize and answer the EQ for the
day.
Lesson Resources:
You’re One of a Kind, by Joy Wilt.
Decision 5 – Acquisition Lesson Planning
Decision 5: Acquisition Lesson Four
Language Objective(s), where appropriate:
R.1.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says.
Lesson Essential Question(s) or “I Can” Statement(s):
How can you determine which traits offspring will inherit?
Activating Strategies: (Learners Mentally Active)
Students will read p. 17-21 in Plant Genetics with a partner in order to answer the question “What did
Mendel discover about the characteristics of pea plants?”
They will journal and then share.
Acceleration/Previewing: (key vocabulary)
dominant, recessive, genes, offspring
Teaching Strategies: (Explain and Model; Collaborative Pairs; Distributed Guided
Practice; Distributed Summarizing; Graphic Organizers)
Students will investigate how traits are passed from one plant to another, and the different offspring that
parents can produce. Use the following as the basic format of the investigation; however, students do not
need to know the advanced vocabulary found in the investigation. Consider introducing words such as
“homozygous” and “heterozygous” to advanced students only. All students will need to know “dominant”
and “recessive” in a basic way, and will start to be introduced to the big idea that genes determine traits, but
organisms can have genes that do not show up in their traits.
Link to investigation
Distributed Guided Practice/Summarizing Prompts: (prompts designed to Initiate Periodic Practice or Summarizing)
Summarizing Strategies: Learners Summarize and Answer Essential Questions
Students will answer the EQ to summarize the investigation, connecting their answer to the colors of the
“flowers” they created.
Lesson Resources:
Plant Genetics by Ken Cameron, Benchmark Education Company
Paper cups
Red beans
White beans
Decision 5 – Acquisition Lesson Planning
Decision 5: Acquisition Lesson Five
Language Objective(s), where appropriate:
Lesson Essential Question(s) or “I Can” Statement(s):
Why do children resemble their parents and grandparents, without being exactly like anyone else?
Activating Strategies: (Learners Mentally Active)
Have students think about their brothers and sisters, or siblings that they know. Are they identical to one
another? Did they ever wonder why some brothers or sisters are so much alike, and others seem so very
different?
Acceleration/Previewing: (key vocabulary)
Teaching Strategies: (Explain and Model; Collaborative Pairs; Distributed Guided
Practice; Distributed Summarizing; Graphic Organizers)
Use this link and have students complete the investigation. Students should record their results with crayons
in their science notebook.
Math connection to probability: How likely certain combinations would be?
Distributed Guided Practice/Summarizing Prompts: (prompts designed to Initiate Periodic Practice or Summarizing)
Summarizing Strategies: Learners Summarize and Answer Essential Questions
Students should be able to answer the following questions:
1. Do Mary, George, Elizabeth, and Carl (the children) look identical to their parents?
2. Did all 4 children inherit the same traits? Why or why not?
3. Do any of the children have a gene for a trait that neither parent had? Why or why not?
Lesson Resources:
Cups or bags labeled: Grandfather 1, Grandmother 1, Grandfather 2, Grandmother 2, Mother, and Father
Six brown, red, yellow, and green pompoms or scraps of paper
Decision 5 – Acquisition Lesson Planning
Decision 5: Acquisition Lesson Six
Language Objective(s), where appropriate:
Lesson Essential Question(s) or “I Can” Statement(s):
How are inherited traits determined by genes?
Activating Strategies: (Learners Mentally Active)
Have students describe dogs they know, either in writing or by sharing with a partner.
As a class, discuss the variety of traits dogs exhibit, even though they are all members of the same species.
Acceleration/Previewing: (key vocabulary)
species, population
Teaching Strategies: (Explain and Model; Collaborative Pairs; Distributed Guided
Practice; Distributed Summarizing; Graphic Organizers)
Follow the instructions here to have students model how genes determine traits. They will each create their
own dog through a unique combination of traits. Students will learn that genes are the instruction book that
determines the traits we can see. Variation in genes (in this case, symbols) leads to different traits and
therefore unique dogs.
Distributed Guided Practice/Summarizing Prompts: (prompts designed to Initiate Periodic Practice or Summarizing)
Summarizing Strategies: Learners Summarize and Answer Essential Questions
Students will view a partner’s dog, and try to explain why that dog has the unique qualities that it has.
Students can also write a summary of their dog and answer the EQ and display this with a picture of the dog
they created.
Lesson Resources:
For 14 envelopes:
1. Make four copies each of DNA Strips A, B, C, and D on colored paper choosing one color for each
type of DNA Strip. For example:
•
•
•
•
DNA Strips A (page 5) 4 copies on Blue
DNA Strips B (page 6) 4 copies on Green
DNA Strips C (page 7) 4 copies on Yellow
DNA Strips D (page 8) 4 copies on Red
2. Cut out the DNA strips on each page.
3. Place two DNA strips of each color in an envelope. The envelope should contain eight DNA strips total
(four different colors).
4. Repeat step three until you have assembled 14 "Dog DNA" envelopes. Note: This is the minimum
number of DNA strips per envelope that you need to carry out the activity. Adding more DNA strips of
each color increases the variety of possibilities for each trait.
Decision 5 – Acquisition Lesson Planning
Decision 5: Acquisition Lesson Seven
Language Objective(s), where appropriate:
Lesson Essential Question(s) or “I Can” Statement(s):
How can we use our knowledge of genetics to predict which traits offspring will have?
Activating Strategies: (Learners Mentally Active)
Pull up the website for Dog Breeding. This site has students try to produce a “target” puppy, so they must
predict the mother and father combination that will give them the best chance of this. Model going through
the first one together.
Acceleration/Previewing: (key vocabulary) dominant, recessive
Teaching Strategies: (Explain and Model; Collaborative Pairs; Distributed Guided
Practice; Distributed Summarizing; Graphic Organizers)
Students will continue working in small groups to try to accurately produce puppies that match the criteria.
This could also be used as an assessment of student understanding. One discussion point may be that even
choosing the right parents, there may not be a 100 percent chance of producing the desired puppy. Students
can record the target puppy and each attempt they make in their science notebook.
Distributed Guided Practice/Summarizing Prompts: (prompts designed to Initiate Periodic Practice or Summarizing)
Summarizing Strategies: Learners Summarize and Answer Essential Questions
Students will choose one example and explain in writing how they knew to complete the task of creating
the target puppy.
Lesson Resources:
Computers
Decision 5 – Acquisition Lesson Planning
Decision 5: Acquisition Lesson Eight
Language Objective(s), where appropriate:
RI.5.3 Explain the relationships between two or more concepts in a scientific text.
Lesson Essential Question(s) or “I Can” Statement(s):
How can you read and then explain relationships that exist between concepts within a scientific based text?
Activating Strategies: (Learners Mentally Active)
K-W-L. Students share what they know about the topic of genetics. To generate interest, teacher has
students write down the physical traits that they share with their parents. They also write down the traits
that they seem to differ on from their parents. They will then share their written responses in small groups
to see if similarities exist.
Acceleration/Previewing: (key vocabulary)
traits, inherit
Teaching Strategies: (Explain and Model; Collaborative Pairs; Distributed Guided
Practice; Distributed Summarizing; Graphic Organizers)
Students break into cooperative groups and read the article “Mendel’s Genetics” from the Kids Ahead
Website. http://kidsahead.com/external/article/578. Students take online practice quiz related to the article
as a group activity.
Distributed Guided Practice/Summarizing Prompts: (prompts designed to Initiate Periodic Practice or Summarizing)
Summarizing Strategies: Learners Summarize and Answer Essential Questions
WOW Parking Lot. Students will write one fact that surprised them the most from today’s lesson.
Lesson Resources:
ScienceWiz DNA Experiment Kit, by ScienceWiz
Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas [Hardcover], by Cheryl Bardoe
The Cartoon Guide to Genetics (Updated Edition), by Larry Gonick, Mark Wheelis
National Geographic Investigates: Genetics: From DNA to Designer Dogs, by Kathleen Simpson
Decision 5 – Acquisition Lesson Planning
Decision 5: Acquisition Lesson Nine
Language Objective(s), where appropriate:
Math: 5.NF.6
Science: 5.L.3.1
Lesson Essential Question(s) or “I Can” Statement(s):
I can use fractions of characteristics of parents to explain why organisms differ from or are similar to their
parents.
Activating Strategies: (Learners Mentally Active)
Demonstrate or explain some of the dominant genetic traits from “An Inventory of My Traits” from
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/omim/.
Students are to compare their own traits with the people around them (in small groups).
Acceleration/Previewing: (key vocabulary)
traits, inherit
Teaching Strategies: (Explain and Model; Collaborative Pairs; Distributed Guided
Practice; Distributed Summarizing; Graphic Organizers)
The information will be collected from the whole class on a large wall chart, having a representative fill in
the data from each group.
Then they will calculate the frequency of each trait, so that the number of students of each trait will be the
numerator. The number of students in the class will be the denominator and this fraction multiplied by 100
will give the percentage of the class with that trait.
This will be used to compare the frequencies of each trait to that of the entire population, (using the trait
table from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/omim/).
Distributed Guided Practice/Summarizing Prompts: (prompts designed to Initiate Periodic Practice or Summarizing)
Summarizing Strategies: Learners Summarize and Answer Essential Questions
To assess, check the percentage calculations from each group. Ask students to identify the most and least
common traits in their group, or the class as a whole.
Lesson Resources:
This lesson came from the Genetic Science Learning Center from the University of Utah
http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu .
Decision 5 – Acquisition Lesson Planning
Decision 6: Extending Thinking Activities
Include extending activities for several lessons in the essential units.
Cause/Effect
Compare/Contrast
Deduction
Justification
Induction
Analyzing Perspective
Error Analysis
Abstracting
Evaluation
Classifying
Constructing Support
Writing Prompt
Math Extension:
For math, students can use the EATS lesson on traits to create double bar graphs of common traits of
students in the classroom compared to the general population. They can follow up with writing to
summarize their findings.
Reading Extension for Mendel’s Genetics Lesson:
Students summarize Mendel’s findings.
Science Extensions:
Students will be able to classify characteristics as inherited or acquired.
Students will be able to compare and contrast parents and offspring, and/or siblings, and analyze the
similarities and differences.
When students are using the dog breeding website to produce a “target” puppy, they should be able to
analyze their “errors”, or the puppies that did not match the target. Was it a mistake on their part, or a
product of chance?
Monster Genetics activity
Decision 6 - Extended Thinking Activities
Decision 7: Differentiating the Unit
What accommodations will you make in order to meet the varied interests, learning styles, and
ability levels of all students?
choice menus
compacting
grouping
seating
visual, auditory, kinesthetic activities
scaffolding
real world meaning
interests
For low performing students, strategies should include pre-teaching of vocabulary and previewing of
daily lesson. Lessons will be multisensory using manipulatives, kinesthetic activities, audiovisual
representations, visual representations, etc.
After initial evaluation from formative assessments, decisions can be made about grouping. Those
students who have demonstrated understanding of lesson concepts should be provided with enrichment
activities. Students who are experiencing difficulties should be provided with additional follow-up
instruction.
Additionally, cooperative learning activities could be incorporated in the lessons so that high and low
achieving students are paired up.
Decision 7 – Differentiating the Unit
Decision 8: Unit Calendar
Determine the most viable sequence for the experiences, activities, and lesson and create a
timeline.
What are some examples of inherited traits?
(I can use fractions of characteristics of parents to explain why organisms differ from or are similar to
their parents.) In either science class or in math class.
Which traits can be inherited and which must be acquired?
In what ways am I a product of both my parents and my environment?
(How can you read and then explain relationships that exist between concepts within a scientific-based
text?) In either science class OR in reading class.
How can you determine which traits will be inherited by offspring?
Why do children resemble their parents and grandparents without being exactly like anyone else?
How are inherited traits determined by genes?
How can we use our knowledge of genetics to predict which traits offspring will have?
Decision 8 – Unit Calendar
Decision 9: Resources
Provide graphic organizers, links, book titles, websites, etc. that provide support for teaching this
unit.
Websites for Genetics
Nature and Nurture Walk
Genetics Videos
Genetics Kids Style
Science Kids at Home
Materials
You're One of a Kind: A Children's Book about Human Uniqueness, by Joy Wilt
Extended Reading
ScienceWiz DNA Experiment Kit
by ScienceWiz
Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas [Hardcover]
Cheryl Bardoe
The Cartoon Guide to Genetics (Updated Edition), Larry Gonick, Mark Wheelis
National Geographic Investigates: Genetics: From DNA to Designer Dogs
Decision 9 – Resources
Unit Designers:
Date: 1-22-13
Name
Laura McCall
School
Dana
Kristen Fowler
Edneyville
Christy Buckner
Mills River
Mark Buzzell
Atkinson
Catherine Gaillard
Mills River
Unit Designers