New York State Living Environment Standards:
STANDARD 1:
Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.
Living things are similar in that they rely on many of the same processes to stay alive, yet are different in
the ways
that these processes are carried out.
ESL Standards grades 9-12
STANDARD 1:
Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for
information and understanding.
Students learning English as a second language will use English to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit
information
for content area learning and personal use. They will develop and use skills and strategies appropriate to
their level of
English proficiency to collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations;
and use
knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts.
Materials and Equipment:
Key
Vocabulary:
ESL vocabulary Unit: Characteristics of Life
(Sewer) lice
-glass container (pickle or
mason jar)
-raisins brown and yellow
(soak in water 24 hours)
-yellow and brown cola
living
nonliving
evidence
prediction
lice
characteristics
reproduction
regulation
synthesis
respiration
growth
excretion
nutrition
transport
organism
Prior Knowledge:
alive
1. common understanding of
not alive
alive and not alive and other
observation
tier 1 and tier 2 vocabulary
predict
words.
evidence
2. examples of items that could
characteristics
be placed in an alive and not
grow
alive category into living and
excrete
nonliving
nutrient
3. descriptive words that could
reproduce
be used to categorize items
lice
4. close reading strategies for
bubbles
reading and pulling
understanding non fiction.
Content Objective: the students will observe, predict and justify living vs nonliving organisms, the
students use the characteristics of life and life processes to determine if an unknown species is alive.
Language Objective: Students will listen to, read, write and talk about features of living and nonliving
organisms.
Planning
Objectives:
Essential
Question:
What does it
mean to be
alive?
TSWBAT:
(The students
will be able to)
1. recall the 7
characteristics
all living things
share
Time
Allotted
5
5
TESLSWBAT:
(the beginner
ESL student will
be able to)
1 .describe and
identify
similarities
among a living
organism
2. explain the
differences
BODY
what do you notice
about the lice that
would make you
think they are alive
or not alive?
What evidence have
you observed to
lead you to that
prediction?
5
5
ESL
Approach:
Evaluation
Strategies:
sts or teacher
write the
responses on
the board
formative
assessment
through
evaluating
responses
sts fill in
observation
sheet
ESL beginners
will use
science
vocabulary
notebook for
reference.
observation
sheet with
predictions
Hook: lice demo
tchr presents the
lice specimen
through a story
providing small clues
about its existence.
predict if the lice are
alive or not alive?
(this will eventually
become their claim)
2. identify how
different types
of organisms
complete the
life processes
3.differentiate
between living
and nonliving
organisms by
applying what
they have
learned about
the life
processes.
Introduction:
why is it alive?
(beginners)
fill - in observation
sheet
Activity: Read
article on lice
Students read
independently for 5
min. underlining 2
important sentences
that support their
prediction.
sts fill in evidence
evaluate
vocabulary
recognition
check for
written as
well as
verbally
understanding
tchr scans
sentences sts
are
underlining
looking for a
connection to
learning
objectives
tchr scans
detecting
evidence of
life
characteristics
within sts
textual
observations
making ESL
connections:
tchr will open
box using over
exaggerated
body language
and grunts.
beginner ESl
students need to
be hooked using
show don't tell
grouping for this
activity will be
done by ability.
this a beginning
of the year
activity.
first turn last turn
cognitive
strategy is
essential of ESL
learners because
it holds all
between living
and nonliving
organisms
3. identify
evidence
(characteristics)
to support a
claim
(prediction).
sheet
ESL modification:
students read
together with ESL
teacher and
underline key
characteristics
throughout article.
Higher ELLs will
highlight words
essential for a living
organism. All ELLs
will circle unknown
words that are not a
part of the key
vocab. Dictionaries
are provided.
“First turn, last turn”
students (in groups)
take turns sharing
their sentences and
why they are
important.. Students
then write textual
evidence on their
observation sheet.
Does this evidence
support or refute
your prediction?
ESL modification:
first turn last turn
using the
vocabulary words.
Teacher lead
question:
What evidence did
you collect
(see/read) today
supports your
earlier prediction
about the lice?
evaluation of
vocabulary
meaning
through tchr
questioning
ESL tchr
continues to
work with
beginners
through
repetition to
determine
meaning for
extra support
ESL teacher
will help
students with
english word.
they can write
a word in
their own
language for
reference
tchr asks for
hands of
students who
had a similar
evidence for
assessment
tchr can ask a
whole group
or sts why do
we have
similar
evidence
among all
groups?
draws on
evidence
collected
during the
investigation
to support or
refute the
claim made
earlier in
lesson.
students in each
group
accountable, no
one is left out,
they are
encouraged by
their group
mates and feel
supported. they
are learning both
content and
english language.
this allows for
positive
interdependence,
individual
accountability,
equal
participation and
simultaneous
interaction .
students in
general need to
be trained to
work in group
and trained to
use cognitive
strategies. tchr
needs to model
and have clear
expectations for
the students to
understand how
it works.
COMMON CORE
CONNECTION:
Cite strong and
thorough textual
evidence to
support analysis
of what the text
says explicitly as
well as
inferences drawn
from the text.
Each group will
collaborate and
come up with 3
pieces of evidence,
both textual and
observational, to
support their
prediction. They will
write them onto
post it notes teacher
collects
alternate option:
(place them onto
one of eight
characteristic life
processes posters.)
tchr will use sts post
it evidence and
misconceptions to
redirect learning
and introduce the 7
life processes.
ESL modification:
Beginners each
write the name of
one living organism
on their post-it
notes and continue
discussion with ESL
teacher of living vs
nonliving organisms
and their similar
characteristics. In
vocab notebooks,
Beginners write
down
“Characteristics of
Life” and their
definitions.
Write arguments
to support claims
in an analysis of
substantive
topics or texts
using valid
reasoning and
relevant and
sufficient
evidence.
Determine the
meaning of
words and
phrases as they
are used in the
text, including
figurative and
connotative
meanings;
analyze the
cumulative
impact of specific
word choices on
meaning and
tone
sts will fill out flow
chart
ESL modification: sts
will receive a filled
out flow chart and
add a word or
picture associated
with each
characteristic of life.
apply what
they have
learned about
the life
processes and
characteristics
of life to an
object that
they are unsure
is alive.
5
5
Closure:
licetchr- “Back to lice,
are they alive?
Using what we
learned about the
characteristics of life
and life processes.
Exit Ticket- “I am
going to make a
CLAIM that the lice
are NOT alive. Write
on a post-it what my
strongest piece of
evidence will be to
support MY claim
and support your
answer. place it
onto the poster “
the lice are not
living evidence”.
tchr checks
for
application of
knowledge by
looking for life
processes or
characteristics
in the
responses.
back to visual
demo to tie
lesson back to
the concept “ are
lice living or not
living” and what
evidence do you
have to support
this claim.
Observational evidence
1.
______________________________________________________________________
2.
_____________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________
Make a prediction: Is the lice alive or not live? ___________________
support your answer_______________________________________
Textual evidence
1. ________________________________________________________________
2.
_________________________________________________________________
3._________________________________________________________________
With the addition of the textual evidence is your prediction the same? support your
answer.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_______________
(Int/higher level ELLs)
1. Read the article below.
2. Circle any unknown words (not vocabulary words).
3. Underline important sentences that support your prediction.
A New Organism?
A biologist from Union College, named Dr. John Lice, recently discovered a new specimen in
the Mohawk River. The scientists at the college are still studying it, and further observations are
needed to determine (decide) if it is a new species of living organism or something non living.
For now they have determined that it is edible and has a lot of protein! Can you believe it?!
Another finding is that these lice also clean up the water and actually help purify it. This is great
news for our efforts to clean up pollution in water systems. This particular sample is still a bit
unclear but supposedly it is totally drinkable. You will notice the various sizes of each organism.
This may suggest that they increase in size and therefore, grow. You also see bubbles in the
water, so we know that they excrete waste (poop/pee/sweat) in the form of CO2, a gas. These
bubbles show that the organisms take in O2 and put out CO2, like humans do. CO2 comes from
making energy. The bubbles mean that they somehow produce their own energy, and this is
called respiration.Scientists are still studying it to be sure because they have no evidence of
ATP (the energy molecule). Internal (inside) observation shows that these lice transport material
around their body through tiny tubes, very similar to blood vessels, and they circulate food and
waste. When each tube was analyzed (studied) closer, they found something that had nutrients,
lipids and amino acids. Scientists have no evidence that these lice reproduce (make babies),
and some scientists at the college think that these lice are just a waste product of another
organism. Hopefully, after all these observations are complete, scientists can determine if these
lice are living organisms or not. But for now, you can see that they also move around in water,
so if you swim in the Mohawk River, keep your eyes open and you might see these lice
swimming next to you!
A New Organism?
A biologist from Union College, named Dr. John Lice, discovered new things in the Mohawk
River. He calls them “lice” because he doesn’t know what they are. Scientists at the college are
still studying them to see if they are alive or not alive. You will see different sizes of each lice.
This means they might grow. You also see bubbles in the water, so we know that they excrete
waste (poop/pee) as CO2, a gas. These bubbles show that the lice take in O2 and put out CO2,
like humans do. CO2 comes from making energy. The bubbles mean that they make their
own energy, and this is called respiration. Internal observation (seeing inside) shows that
these lice transport (move) things around their body through tiny tubes and they circulate
(move around) food and waste. Scientists don’t know if the lice reproduce (make babies), and
some scientists at the college think that these lice are just the waste of another animal. Maybe
after looking at these lice and making all of the observations, scientists will decide if these lice
are new living organisms. But for now you can see that they move around in water, so if you
swim in the Mohawk River, keep your eyes open and you might see these lice swimming next to
you!
Vocabulary
1. organism
7. predict
2. alive
8. nutrients
3. not alive
9. grow
4. observation
10. excrete
5. evidence
11. reproduce
6. characteristics
1. Underline these vocabulary words in the article.
2. Circle one word in the article that means something is alive.
Characteristics of life and Life Processes Graphic
Organizer
organisms
must...
Be
made of
_______
Maintain
________
__
Do the
_______
_______
R_______
___
S_______
___
R_______
___
T_______
___
R_______
___
N_______
___
G_______
___
E_______
___
Characteristics of life and Life Processes Graphic
Organizer
organisms
must...
Be made
of
_______
Maintain
_________
_
Do the
_______
_______
Regulatuion
Synthesis
Reproduction
Transport
Respiration
Nutrition
Growth
Excretion
beginner graphic organizers for writing a claim
Claim:
Evidence:
logic: reason why this evidence supports the claim
logic: justify your evidence (back up)
Conclusion: