Science Unit 2 - Bridges to Academic Success

Accelerating language, literacy and content learning for
emergent bilinguals with limited home language literacy
Science
UNIT 2
Contents
1. Interdisciplinary Overview
2. Unit Plan
3. Weekly Lesson Outline
4. Sample Lesson Plans
5. Sample Student Materials (with public domain images)
Unit 2: RESOURCES
Interdisciplinary Overview
ELA Unit 2 Overview
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
Interdisciplinary Theme
Resources
Resources, their availability and distribution, are the essence of economics. ‘Resource’ is foundational to understanding
the living environment, global history, and current events including war, inequality, political violence, and resistance
movements. Water, sun, plants, salt, and gold are among the resources that students will encounter in Unit 2, as well as
the internal resources that characters in literature call upon to get what they want and need.
In Unit 2 across all classes1, students will examine peoples’ and animals’ wants and needs. In ELA, students will analyze the
internal resources of characters. In Social Studies, students will compare how people today and people long ago have
met wants and needs.
Through the Salt and Gold Trade, students will learn about resources, geography’s influences on
culture, and the effects of contact and trade on the diffusion of both goods and ideas. This case study in Unit 2 also
highlights the wealth and complexity of ancient African kingdoms, expanding the historical context for the Transatlantic
Slave Trade that students will encounter in Unit 3.
In Unit 2 Science, students will study resource scarcity and abundance
in the desert and tundra, and how people and animals adapt to survive in these harsh environments.
In all classes, the project focuses on wants and needs. In all classes, the unit ends with a focus on argument, as students
begin oral and written paragraphs using claim-evidence. The interdisciplinary skill focus of Unit 2 includes partner reading
and retelling, interpreting maps and graphs, as well as cause and effect relationships and using evidence to support
ideas.
Math Unit 2 will be incorporated into this overview at a later date.
ELA Unit 2 Overview
Bridges to Academic Success
1
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
Unit 2 Across the Subjects2
ELA
ESSENTIAL
QUESTION
How do people in stories get
what they want?
CONTENT
SOCIAL STUDIES
SCIENCE
How did people long ago get
what they wanted and needed?
What do organisms need to
survive where they live?
Fictional Narratives
The Salt and Gold Trade
Biomes & Adaptations
Week
1
BACKGROUND
Elements of Fiction
Wants, Needs, Resources & Trade
Climate: Poles & Equator
Week
2/3
CASE STUDY 1
Why Anansi Has Thin Legs
Week
4/5
CASE STUDY 2
Adult Literacy story
Salt & Gold Trade
Exchange of Goods
Salt & Gold Trade
Exchange of Ideas and Culture
Week
5
INFORMATION
PARAGRAPHS
Week
6
CREATIVE
PROJECT
Narrative
Compare & Contrast
Digitized Fictional Narrative
Cause & Effect
Trade Dialogues
A Character Who Wants Something
Contact & Exchange across Cultures
Desert
Resources, Animals & People
Tundra
Resources, Animals & People
Cause & Effect
Compare & Contrast
Human Skin Lab
Skin Color as an Adaptation
Week
7
ARGUMENT
PARAGRAPHS
West African folktale
CENTRAL CONCEPTS
My Name is Selina Mabiletsa







Claim-Evidence
Claim-Evidence
Claim-Evidence
Letter to a Character
Letter to a Trader about Effects of Trade
Letter to a Friend about Skin Color
internal-external
wants-needs
resource
traits
problem
resolution
theme/ lesson

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






geography
wants-needs
resource
value
trade
contact
wealth
goods
diffusion
Math Unit 2 will be incorporated into this overview at a later date.
ELA Unit 2 Overview
Bridges to Academic Success


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


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

climate
wants-needs
resource
scarcity-abundance
environment
structure-function
behavior
survive
adaptation
balance
2
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
Science Unit 2 Plan
Resources
INTERDISCIPLINARY THEME
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How do organisms survive where they live?
Lab: Human Skin Color 1
CREATIVE PROJECT
Information
Describe
Cause and Effect
TEXT STRUCTURE FOCUS
APPROXIMATE DATES
November 19 - January 21
35 Lessons = 7 Weeks
NUMBER OF LESSONS
1
This lab is being reconsidered in Year 3, and will most likely be replaced in future drafts. However this lab remains in Draft 2 until further revisions.
Science Unit 2 Plan
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
1
1. DESIRED RESULTS
ESTABLISHED GOALS
The yearlong student outcomes for Bridges Science are described in detail in the Bridges Curriculum Introduction, Section 3. This
section includes the Science Outcomes for each unit, the NYS Science standards to which they are aligned, as well as the
Common Core Standards for Literacy. Section 3 also contains the Interdisciplinary Student Outcomes for all subjects and a list of
English language functions and forms taught in the different units across classes. Refer to this document for all unit outcomes.
ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS

ESSENTIAL QUESTION (EQ)
A biome is a biotic community characterized by dominant flora
How do organisms survive where they live?
and fauna and prevailing climate.

A biome’s relative position between the equator and poles
influences its climate and resources. The desert and tundra
WEEKLY FOCUS QUESTIONS (FQ)
 Why are some places hot and other places are cold?
are two harsh environments, to which organisms must adapt.

Organisms cooperate and compete for resources.

All organisms respond to their environment to survive.

Organisms have developed adaptations to survive in their
environment, which increase chances of survival and
 How do organisms survive in the desert?
 How do organisms survive in the tundra?
 How did skin color help our ancestors survive in their
environments?
reproduction. Adaptations can be structural or behavioral.

Human skin color was an ancestral adaptation for survival,
related to sunlight and vitamin D. Human adaptations to
environments today are behavioral, through culture.
Science Unit 2 Plan
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
2
2. ASSESSMENTS - Evidence of student learning 2
End of Week Formative Assessments
See Weekly Lesson Outline for Weekly assessments and outcomes.
End of Unit Performance Tasks
Week 6
Creative Projects & Presentations
Lab: Human Skin Color
Week 7
Claim-Evidence: Oral and Written Response to the Essential Question
Letter to a Friend in your country about adaptations
Interim
Unit 2 Exam3
The exam will include all unit vocabulary and skills, to be administered on demand in one class period. Students will
receive their corrected exams the following day with all of their outcomes information for the unit. Students will reflect
on their outcome results for Unit 2, and file all Unit 2 work before beginning Unit 4 the following day.
2
3
The weekly assessment is also included in the Lesson Outline for each Week, along with student outcomes..
All unit exams will be developed in subsequent revisions to the curriculum.
Science Unit 2 Plan
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
3
WEEK 6: Creative Project Description4
ROLE
The Unit 2 project asks students to explore the ancestral adaptation of skin color to environment. Through the
project, students will describe how this skin color helped their ancestors survive in their home environments. They
will understand the relationship between specific skin colors and relative sun.
AUDIENCE
Through Powerpoint presentations and posters students will share their findings with their classmates and the
larger school community.
FORMAT5
The finished product will include two products:
1. Students will submit a final handwritten draft of their graphs and results
2. Students will work in groups to publish scientific posters. This is the product to be presented in Week 6.
TASK
In Weeks 2 & 3, students learned about specific structural and behavioral adaptations that help animals survive in
the desert. They also described human adaptations to the desert in the form of culture, which is a set of
behavioral adaptations. In Weeks 4 & 5, students learned about animal and human adaptations to the tundra.
Now students will study theories about structural adaptations of humans to environment that occurred many
thousands of years ago. They will apply their understanding of adaptations to human biology by exploring the
adaptive nature of skin color, as it relates to these two biomes. They will understand how these extreme biomes
have contributed to the many variations that exist in skin color today.
DIFFERENTIATION All students will work in groups to publish a scientific paper. All students are also responsible for creating the
graphs that correspond to their data. Some students will use sentence stems to write the results section of the lab
report. More advanced students will work on writing a more complete lab report
TECHNOLOGY
If teachers do not have access to technology, students can write and illustrate lab reports on paper. However,
digitizing some aspect of the project is ideal.
PRESENTATION
Students will hold a scientific poster session where half of the class will be poster presenters and the other half will
be listeners. The listeners move in small groups around the class to each presenting group asking them questions
and giving feedback. When listeners have heard each presentation the two groups switch.
4
5
The outcomes and rubrics to use in assessment of the Week 6 project are indicated in Week 6 of the Weekly Lesson Outline.
Model projects will be provided for some of the projects in 2013-2014. If there is no model in the curriculum, the teacher will need to create one.
Science Unit 2 Plan
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
4
3. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Below is the focus for each week of the unit. See ‘Weekly Lesson Outline’ for a summary of each lesson in the unit.
WEEK
PURPOSE
FOCUS QUESTION
1
Engage & Build Background
Influence of poles and equator on climate
EQ: How do organisms survive where they live?
FQ: Why are some places hot and other places are cold?
2
Experience to Oral Language to Print
Case Study #1: Desert Biome
3
Presentations & Writing:
Case Study #1: Desert Biome
4
Experience to Oral Language to Print
Case Study #2: Tundra Biome
5
Presentations & Writing
Case Study #2: Tundra Biome
6
Creative Projects & Presentations
Human Skin Lab
FQ: How did skin color help our ancestors survive in their
environments?
7
Claim-Evidence Response to Essential Question
Letter to a friend about skin color
EQ: How do organisms survive where they live?
FQ: How do organisms survive in the desert?
FQ: How do organisms survive in the tundra?
Science Unit 2 Plan
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5
4. TEXTS 6: Reading the World & Reading the Word7
CENTRAL TEXTS: Integrated Into Lessons
Non-Print: Images, Video, Music
Print:
Human Adaptations to Desert: Tuareg
 Week 1 LEA8 Text- Environment: Desert and Tundra
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNwQeLFk74o
 Week 2/3 LEA Text- Desert Adaptations (people and animals)
 Week 4/5 LEA Text- Tundra Adaptations (people and animals)
Images
http://www.vanishingculturesphotography.com/p453343259/h342F2
3D3#h38a360f0
 Animals and Their Adaptations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xggIl_VXNHc&feature=fvwrel
 Discover Deserts
 Desert Animal Adaptations
 Top and Bottom of the World
Human Adaptation to Tundra: Inuit
Videos
Boy Among Polar Bears (BBC)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xLS_H2B6hg (dog sled)
 Polar Animal Adaptations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx5QOSqP3E&list=SPCFCB8BE44E15443E (building igloo)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7NjYR-y_pI(whale hunting)
Images
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/12/07/travel/20091207greenland-slideshow_index.html (slide show)
6
See Bridges Booklist in Curriculum Introduction for full citations and lexile levels.
7
Freire, Paulo, and Donaldo P. Macedo. Literacy: reading the word & the world Critical studies in education series. South Hadley, Mass.: Bergin & Garvey
Publishers, 1987.
8
See Teacher’s Guide for full description of LEA.
Science Unit 2 Plan
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6
Animal Adaptation Diagrams
http://cgz.e2bn.net/e2bn/leas/c99/schools/cgz/accounts/staff/rch
ambers/GeoBytes/Key%20Stage%203/Year%209/Natural%20Environ
ments/Pictures.NatEnvironments/Camel%20Adaptations.gif (camel)
http://www.exploringnature.org/graphics/in_habitat/adaptations_b
ear_polar.jpg (polar bear)
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100711191950/wikiwalrus/i
mages/3/3e/Walrusdiagram.gif (walrus)
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS: Optional
Non-Print: Images, Video, Music
Print
Biome Websites for Kids
 Investigate Weather and Seasons
 Weather and Climate
http://www.mbgnet.net (biomes)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations (animal and plant
adaptations)
Camel Adaptations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9nyYar_6mM
Polar Bear and Penguin Adaptations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zal17VMBcU
 The Science of Living Things: What is a Biome?
 Fur, Feathers, Scales, and Skin
 Living in the Desert
 Explore the Desert
 Living in the Arctic
 Explore the Tundra
 National Geographic Kids: Polar Bears
 All the Colors We Are
Science Unit 2 Plan
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
7
Unit 2 Science1
Weekly Lesson Outline
7 Weeks= 35 Lessons
1
See note about the Unit 2 lab in Draft 2, and plans for future revisions upon expert review.
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
1
Week 1: ENGAGE, INTRODUCE ESSENTIAL QUESTION & BUILD BACKGROUND
FOCUS QUESTION
(EQ) How do organisms survive where they live?
(FQ) Why are some places hot and other places are cold?
OVERVIEW
Students will begin the unit with an introduction to the concept of ‘survive’ and a translation of and response to the
essential question. For the rest of the week, students will use images, maps, video and short pieces of text to analyze
the environments of the desert and tundra biomes. They will describe each biome in terms of location, climate and
resources availability, with an introduction to the terms ‘scarce’ and ‘abundant.’ Finally, students will make inferences
about why deserts are sunny (and almost always hot) and why tundras are almost always cold.
Here they will be
introduced to the effect of the sun on a location’s climate. They will see the relationship between the equator and the
poles, and the fact that we can use a place’s relative position on earth to infer its climate.
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
2
Week 1: ENGAGE, INTRODUCE ESSENTIAL QUESTION & BUILD BACKGROUND
Non-Print
 Discover Desert
 Top and Bottom of the World
TEXT
Central: Print
 Week 1 LEA2 Text- Environment: Desert
and Tundra
Supplementary
 Weather and Climate
 Investigate Weather and Seasons
 The Science of Living Things: What is a
*These are beginner reader trade books.
Students may work only with images, or you
may include text reading as well.
Biome?
VOCABULARY
Central Concepts
Tier 3/ Tier 2
Each concept gets full notebook page in the
‘Word Study’ book.
General Academic Words
Tier 2
Everyday Words
Tier 1
Each word is logged in ‘General Academic
Vocabulary’ section of vocabulary binder.
Each word is in Weekly glossary to be put into
subject section of vocabulary binder.
Nouns: region, location, temperature,
precipitation
Nouns: place, rain, wind, air, soil, plants,
ice, snow, sand
survive
Adjectives: scarce, abundant
Adjectives: wet, dry, cold, hot, light, dark,
around
climate
Signal Words: because, so
environment
desert-tundra
earth
sun-poles-equator
Students will include a diagram and label
these things.
2
See Teacher’s Guide for full description of LEA.
Science Unit 2 Outline
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
3
Week 1: ENGAGE, INTRODUCE ESSENTIAL QUESTION & BUILD BACKGROUND
Lesson
1
Objectives
Lesson Summary
CO: Define ‘survive.’
LO: Define using ‘____ is ______’ and
translate the essential question.
2
CO: Investigate characteristics of the desert
biome.
LO: Describe qualities of the desert, make
inferences about how organisms survive
there, and ask questions.
3
4
5
CO: Investigate characteristics of the tundra
biome.
LO: Describe qualities of the tundra, make
inferences about how organisms survive
there, and ask questions.
CO: Locate deserts and tundra on a world
map and infer why (most) deserts are hot and
tundra is cold.
LO: Justify opinions about using ‘I think
_________ because ___________.’
CO: Explain the relationship between a
biome location, sun and climate.
LO: Explain cause and effect using ‘Deserts
receive a lot/ little sun because
____________________’
Science Unit 2 Outline
‘Survive’ Concept Map and Translate Essential Question
Students will revisit the ‘resource’ and ‘organism’ concept maps from Unit
1. Through images that show people and animals surviving and not
surviving, students will create a concept map for ‘survive.’ Students will be
introduced to the unit essential question and they will translate and
respond to it.
Desert & See-Think-Wonder
Students will be introduced to the focus question. They will use the text
Discover Deserts to ‘read’ pictures of the desert, using see-think-wonder in
groups. Students will identify resources, and classify as scarce or
abundant.
Tundra & See-Think-Wonder
Students will repeat yesterday’s activity for the tundra using the text The
Top and Bottom of the World. Students will identify resources, and classify
as scarce or abundant.
Desert and Tundra and ‘Environment’ Concept Map
Students will use a semantic map (included in student materials) to write
key words about the desert and tundra. Students will create a concept
map for ‘environment’ the teacher will facilitate an LEA text for the desert
and tundra environments.
Review & Assess
After reading the LEA text in partners for fluency, students will use maps to
make claims about why most (not all) deserts are hot and why tundra is
cold. They will watch a short video clip (included in text list) about the sun
and its relationship to the equator and poles. Following oral review of this
week’s content and language, students will complete a short learning log.
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4
Week 1 Assessments
Learning Log- Desert and Tundra
Observation checklist
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
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5
Week 2: EXPERIENCE to ORAL LANGUAGE to PRINT
Case Study #1: Desert Biome
FOCUS QUESTION
How do organisms survive in the desert?
OVERVIEW
After reviewing the Week 1 assessment and outcomes feedback, students will begin Week 2 by responding to the focus
question about how organisms survive in the desert. Students will review the definition of organism as ‘all living things,’
using their concept maps from Unit 1. Students will begin the week with images and video of the Tuareg people in the
Sahara desert to identify human adaptations, in the form of culture, to the desert.3 They will use the human examples
to begin a concept map of ‘adaptations’ to which they will add more information and examples over the next few
weeks.
Students will spend the rest of the week learning about animal adaptations to the desert, and classify adaptations as
either structural or behavioral.
Students will begin to identify animal adaptations through images and video and then
move into print for the last three lessons of the week. Students will engage with parts of the text Desert Animal
Adaptations both through read aloud and partner read-retell-respond.4 In the final lesson of the week, students will
answer teacher- and student-generated questions both orally and in writing as the Week 2 assessment.
In Unit 2 Social Studies, students begin to study the Tuareg people and the Sahara desert in the context of the salt and gold trade.
This is a Bridges power method described in detail in the Teacher’s Guide. Students will use this routine for reading across all classes, so it is
important that Bridges teachers synchronize this routine for reading in team meetings.
3
4
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
6
Week 2: EXPERIENCE to ORAL LANGUAGE to PRINT
Case Study #1: Desert Biome
TEXT
Non-Print
 Videos and Images of Tuareg (links in Unit
Plan)
Print: Central
 Desert Animal Adaptations
Print Supplementary
 Animals and Their Adaptations
 Living in the Desert
 Explore the Desert
VOCABULARY
Central Concepts
Tier 3/ Tier 2
Each concept gets full notebook page in the
‘Word Study’ book.
General Academic Words
Tier 2
Everyday Words
Tier 1
Each word is logged in ‘General Academic
Vocabulary’ section of vocabulary binder.
Each word is in Weekly glossary to be put into
subject section of vocabulary binder.
There are no new tier 2 words this week.
Nouns: arm, leg, ear, nose, hand, fur, skin,
claws, wing, fin, tail, feet, tusks, hump,
horns, eyes, teeth
Review these concepts in student binders
from unit 1:
culture5
veil, robe, sandals, tent, camel
structure-function
Verbs: is, has, use, need, help, hide, run,
walk, swim, fly, eat, escape, drink, sleep,
catch, kill, protect, reproduce
new this unit:
adaptation
structural, behavioral
5
Adjectives: fast, slow, hard, soft, big, small,
sharp, flat, pointy, long, short, wet, dry,
light, dark, thick, thin
Review from Unit 1 ELA and Social Studies.
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
7
Week 2: EXPERIENCE to ORAL LANGUAGE to PRINT
Lesson
6
Objectives
Lesson Summary
CO: Identify aspects of culture that enable the
Tuareg to survive in the desert.
LO: Describe using ‘The Tuareg survive in the
desert because they use ______ to________.’
7
CO: Identify animal adaptations to the desert
and classify as structural or behavioral.
LO: Describe using ‘The ________ survive in the
desert because they ______________.’
Justify using ‘This is a structural/ behavioral
adaptation because _____________.’ 7
8
Case Study #1: Desert Biome
CO: Identify animal adaptations to the desert
and classify as structural or behavioral.
LO: Describe using ‘The ________ survive in the
desert because they ______________.’
Justify using ‘This is a structural/ behavioral
adaptation because _____________.’
Week 1 Assessment Feedback & Before Reading: Human Adaptations 6
After reviewing the Week 1 assessment and feedback, students will be
introduced to the focus question and review the desert environment
and resources. They will look at images of the Tuareg who live in the
desert and describe how people survive there. Students will begin a
concept map for ‘adaptation.’
Before Reading: Animal Adaptations to the Desert
Students will review their concept maps for ‘adaptation’ and list the
Tuareg adaptations to the desert. Students will receive and review their
tier 1 glossary with words they will need to describe animal adaptations
to the desert. Through video and images, students will identify animal
adaptations to the desert and classify them as structural and
behavioral. Students will add to their definition of ‘adaptations.’ The
teacher will create an LEA text with the class about people and animal
adaptations to the desert. This will be typed and used for fluency
reading for the rest of the week.
During Reading #1: Read Aloud & Retell & Respond8
The text for the week will be Desert Animal Adaptations (teacher selects
pages). Before the read aloud, students will use the Tier 1 glossary and
vocabulary notebooks to label pictures in the text.9 Students will be
reminded of the focus question and what they are reading for. The
teacher will draw student attention to the focus question and point out
the features of informational text (table of contents, pictures, captions,
headings) and think aloud about how these help comprehension.
Students will spend more time in Weeks 2-3 Social Studies on Tuareg adaptations.
This content and language objectives repeat for three days because they are complex. Students need several opportunities to practice this content
and language.
8 Partner Read-Retell is a Bridges ‘power method’ and described in detail in the Teacher’s Guide.
9 Labeling is the first annotation step in Bridges. Over the year student annotations will develop, with the goal of annotating paragraphs by the end of
the year.
6
7
Science Unit 2 Outline
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
8
Students will then follow the teacher read aloud and model, and will
process text using partner listen-retell-respond. This is the first time
students will work with this routine, so it will need to be modeled
effectively. Added to the retell will be ‘respond’ which includes
questions from the teacher.10 Here additional vocabulary can be
taught.
9
CO: Identify animal adaptations to the desert
and classify as structural or behavioral.
LO: Describe using ‘The ________ survive in the
desert because they ______________.’
During Read #2: Partner Read-Retell-Respond
Students will reread the same text, now using the same reading routine
with a partner. Pairs will retell what is happening and generate new
questions.
Student questions will be included in tomorrow’s review and assessment.
Justify using ‘This is a structural/ behavioral
adaptation because _____________.’
10
CO: Review and explain human and animal
adaptations to the desert.
LO: Answer questions orally and in writing about
desert adaptations.
After Reading: Answer Text Questions Orally (review) & In Writing
(assess)
Students will work in groups or whole class (using hot seat) to answer the
questions orally. 11 Questions have come both from the teacher
(included in sample student materials) and students in their partner work
from yesterday. Students will then write their responses to the questions
independently, which will count as the weekly written assessment.
Week 2 Assessments
Oral work during Partner Read-Retell-Respond
Text questions
Observation Checklist
Students are learning this routine in all subjects in Week 2, so it will be important for teachers to synchronize their routine with each other in the
team meeting.
11 If working as a whole class on oral questions and responses, you can use the Hot Seat activity, where students take on the role of desert animals.
10
Science Unit 2 Outline
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
9
Week 3: PRESENTATIONS & WRITING
Case Study #1: Desert Biome
FOCUS QUESTION
How do organisms survive in the desert?
OVERVIEW
After reviewing the Week 2 assessments, students will continue with desert adaptations in Week 3. They will begin the
week by preparing a short presentation in groups that responds to the focus question.
about how humans survive in the desert as well as how animals survive in the desert.
The class will generate claims
Half of the groups will be
assigned the task of finding evidence to support the claim about human survival, and the other groups will need to find
evidence from the text that supports the claim about animal survival.
Following a teacher model, groups will create a
collaborative poster that shows the claim, as well as key words and images as evidence (included in student materials).
Students will present these to the class the following day.
For the rest of the week, students will summarize desert adaptations using a cause and effect graphic organizer
(included in student materials). Following a teacher model, students will enter key words and use the key words and
cause and effect signal words (because, so) to summarize the content. Groups will first create an oral summary, then
work together to write a collaborative written summary on chart paper. 12
Students work collaboratively on the summary posters across classes in Unit 2 because this is a new skill. The responsibility for written summaries
will be gradually released to students over the year.
12
Science Unit 2 Outline
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
10
Week 3: PRESENTATIONS & WRITING
Case Study #1: Desert Biome
TEXT
Non-Print
 Videos and Images of Tuareg (links in Unit
Plan)
Print: Central
 Desert Animal Adaptations
Print: Supplementary
 Animals and Their Adaptations
 Living in the Desert
 Explore the Desert
VOCABULARY
Central Concepts
Tier 3/ Tier 2
Each concept gets full notebook page in the
‘Word Study’ book.
General Academic Words
Tier 2
Each word is logged in ‘General Academic
Vocabulary’ section of vocabulary binder.
Nouns: claim, evidence, cause, effect
There are no new tier 3 words this week, but
students will review from week 1 and 2.
Verbs: support, summarize
Everyday Words
Tier 1
Each word is in Weekly glossary to be put into
subject section of vocabulary binder.
There are no new tier 1 words this week, but
students will review the many from last week.
Signal Words: For example, in addition
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
11
Week 3: GROUP PRESENTATIONS & WRITING
Lesson
11
Objectives
Lesson Summary
CO: Support a claim about desert
adaptations using details from text and
images.
LO: Find information in text to support the
claim.
12
CO: Support a claim about desert
adaptations using details from text and
images.
LO: Orally present the claim and evidence
using ‘For example________. In addition______
This is important because _________________’
13
CO: Identify key words related to desert
causes and effects of desert adaptations.
LO: Skim text for key words and list in a
cause and effect graphic organizer.
14
Case Study #1: Desert Biome
CO: Summarize human and animal
adaptations to the desert.
LO: Orally summarize using key words and
signal words for cause and effect.
Week 2 Assessment Feedback & Groups Prepare Presentations
After reviewing their Week 2 assessments and outcomes, the teacher will
facilitate a class discussion to generate claims as a class for the weekly
focus question. Half of the class will be assigned human adaptations and
half will be assigned animal adaptations. Each group will need to find two
sentences from the text (or images) that support the claim to present
tomorrow. They will present their evidence as a collaborative poster with
illustrations and labels for the adaptations. (included in student materials)
Groups Present
Groups will use the warm-up to practice and then each group will present.
The audience will repeat back the group’s claim and the evidence they
presented. The teacher will challenge students to evaluate the evidence
as supporting the claim or not.
Writing: Graphic Organizer with Key Words
Students will use a cause and effect graphic organizer 13 (included in
student materials) to show connections between the desert and human
and animal adaptations to this environment. Following a teacher
model, students will complete their organizer with key words from the past
several lessons.
Writing: Signal Words & Oral Summary
The teacher will model how to summarize (not retell every detail) the
causes and effects, and using signal words such as ‘but, so, because.’
Groups will do the same using keywords from their maps. Each group
member will orally summarize the causes (environment) and effects
(adaptations) for the desert.
Students are working with cause and effect organizers in Social Studies Unit 2 as well, as they summarize the causes and effects of the gold and salt
trade in Africa. The Tuareg are highlighted in that unit.
13
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
12
15
CO: Summarize human and animal
adaptations to the desert.
LO: Summarize in a written paragraph using
key words and signal words for cause and
effect.
Collaborative Writing14 & LEA Text
Following a teacher model of how to write the summary, groups will do the
same for desert adaptations. They must include all key words and use
signal words. Each student reads the summary in the group when
complete. Choose a strong model to show in the following lesson. Type
this paragraph, editing as needed to make it a strong model, and use this
as an LEA text to be read for fluency next week.
Week 3 Assessments
Group Presentation
Group Summary
Observation checklist
Since Week 3 is the first time students summarize a text, the writing is collaborative. Responsibility will be released to students over the year.
This last lesson will usually be a hot seat activity, as a final ‘conversation’ with the character, but the writing requires a third day because it is new.
14
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
13
Week 4: EXPERIENCE to ORAL LANGUAGE to PRINT
Case Study #2: Tundra Biome
FOCUS QUESTION
How do organisms survive in the tundra?
OVERVIEW
After reviewing the Week 3 assessment and outcomes feedback, students will begin Week 4 with the focus question
and response about how organisms survive in the tundra. Students will review their Week 1 notes and LEA text about
the tundra environment, as well as their concept map for ‘adaptations.’ Before identifying human adaptations to the
tundra, students will review the Tuareg adaptations to the desert in the form of culture.
From there, students will
analyze images and video of the Inuit in the Arctic Tundra to identify human adaptations, in the form of culture, to the
tundra.15 This list will begin the LEA for the week.
Before studying animal adaptations to the tundra, students will review animal adaptations to the desert and make
some predictions about the tundra. Students will spend the rest of the week learning about animal adaptations to the
tundra, and classifying adaptations as either structural or behavioral, as they did with the desert.
Students will begin to
identify animal adaptations through images and video and then move into print for the last three lessons of the week.
Students will engage with parts of the text Polar Animal Adaptations both through read aloud and partner read-retellrespond. 16
In the final lesson of the week, students will answer teacher and student generated questions both orally
and in writing as the Week 4 assessment.
In Unit 2 Social Studies, students will NOT study the Inuit as they did in 2012-2013.
This is a Bridges power method described in detail in the Teacher’s Guide. Students will use this routine for reading across all classes, so it is
important that Bridges teachers synchronize this routine for reading in team meetings.
15
16
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
14
Week 4: EXPERIENCE to ORAL LANGUAGE to PRINT
Case Study #2: Tundra Biome
TEXT
Non-Print
 Videos and Images of Inuit (links in Unit
Plan)
Print: Central
 Polar Animal Adaptations
Print Supplementary
 Animals and Their Adaptations
 Living in the Arctic
 Explore the Tundra
VOCABULARY
Central Concepts
Tier 3/ Tier 2
Each concept gets full notebook page in the
‘Word Study’ book.
compete
General Academic Words
Tier 2
Each word is logged in ‘General Academic
Vocabulary’ section of vocabulary binder.
Each word is in Weekly glossary to be put into
subject section of vocabulary binder.
There are no new tier 2 words this week.
Nouns: blubber, whale, dogsled, igloo,
gloves, coat, boots, boat, polar bear,
walrus, fish
cooperate
Verbs: hunt, build, travel, make
predator-prey
Science Unit 2 Outline
Everyday Words
Tier 1
Adjectives: freezing, alone, together
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
15
Week 4: EXPERIENCE to ORAL LANGUAGE to PRINT
Lesson
16
Objectives
Lesson Summary
CO: Identify aspects of culture that enable
the Inuit to survive in the tundra.
LO: Describe using ‘The Inuit survive in the
tundra because they use ______ to________.’
17
CO: Identify animal adaptations to the
desert and classify as structural or
behavioral.
LO: Describe using ‘The ________ survive in
the tundra because they ______________.’
Justify using ‘This is a structural/ behavioral
adaptation because _____________.’ 17
18
Case Study #2: Tundra Biome
CO: Identify animal adaptations to the
tundra and classify as structural or
behavioral.
LO: Describe using ‘The ________ survive in
the tundra because they ______________.’
Justify using ‘This is a structural/ behavioral
adaptation because _____________.’
Week 3 Assessment Feedback & Before Reading: Human Adaptations to the
Tundra
After reviewing the Week 3 assessment and feedback, students will be
introduced to the focus question and review the tundra environment and
resources. They will look at images and video of the Inuit who live in the
tundra and describe how people survive there. The class will begin an LEA
text to describe human adaptations to tundra.
Before Reading: Animal Adaptations to the Tundra
Students will review and list the Inuit adaptations to tundra using the LEA
chart. Students will receive and review their tier 1 glossary with words they
will need to describe animal adaptations to tundra. Through video and
images today, students will identify animal adaptations to the tundra and
classify them as structural and behavioral. The teacher will add tundra
animal adaptations to the LEA text. This will be typed and used for fluency
reading for the rest of the week.
During Reading #1: Read Aloud & Retell & Respond18
The text for the week will be Polar Animal Adaptations (teacher selects
pages). Before the read aloud, students will use the Tier 1 glossary and
vocabulary notebooks to label all pictures in the text. 19 Students will be
reminded of the focus question and what they are reading for. The
teacher will draw student attention to the focus question and point out the
features of informational text (table of contents, pictures, captions,
headings) and think aloud about how these help comprehension. Students
will then follow the teacher read aloud and model, and will process text
This content and language objectives repeat for three days because they are complex. Students need several opportunities to practice this content
and language.
18 Partner Read-Retell is a Bridges ‘power method’ and described in detail in the Teacher’s Guide.
19 Labeling is the first annotation step in Bridges. Over the year student annotations will develop, with the goal of annotating paragraphs by the end of
the year.
17
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
16
using partner Listen-Retell-Respond. Added to the retell will be ‘respond’
which includes questions from the teacher.20 Here additional vocabulary
can be taught.
19
CO: Identify animal adaptations to the
tundra and classify as structural or
behavioral.
During Read #2: Partner Read-Retell-Respond
Students will reread the same text, now using the same reading routine with
a partner. Pairs will retell what is happening and generate new questions.
Student questions will be included in tomorrow’s review and assessment.
LO: Describe using ‘The ________ survive in
the tundra because they ______________.’
Justify using ‘This is a structural/ behavioral
adaptation because _____________.’
20
CO: Review and explain human and animal
adaptations to the tundra.
LO: Answer questions orally and in writing
about tundra adaptations.
After Reading: Answer Text Questions Orally (review) & In Writing (assess)
Students will work in groups or whole class (using hot seat) to answer the
questions orally. 21 Questions have come both from the teacher (included in
sample student materials) and students in their partner work from yesterday.
Students will then write their responses to the questions independently,
which will count as the weekly written assessment.
Week 4 Assessments
Oral work during Partner Read-Retell-Respond
Text questions
Observation Checklist
Students are learning this routine in all subjects in Week 2, so it will be important for teachers to synchronize their routine with each other in the
team meeting.
21 If working as a whole class on oral questions and responses, you can use the Hot Seat activity.
20
Science Unit 2 Outline
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
17
Week 5: PRESENTATIONS & WRITING
Case Study #2: Tundra Biome
FOCUS QUESTION
How do organisms survive in the tundra?
OVERVIEW
After reviewing the Week 4 assessments, students will continue with tundra adaptations in Week 5. They will begin the
week by preparing a short presentation in groups that responds to the focus question, just as they did with the desert
focus question. Students will review the desert posters from Week 3, before doing the same with tundra. The class will
generate claims about how humans survive in the tundra as well as how animals survive.
Half of the groups will be
assigned the task of finding evidence to support the claim about human survival, and the other groups will need to find
evidence from the text that supports the claim about animal survival.
Following a teacher review, groups will create a
collaborative poster that shows the claim, as well as key words and images as evidence (included in student materials).
Students will present these to the class the following day, just as they did in Week 3 for desert adaptations.
For the rest of the week, students will summarize tundra adaptations using a cause and effect graphic organizer
(included in student materials). Following a teacher model, students will enter key words and use the key words and
cause and effect signal words (because, so and adding since, as a result) to summarize the content. Groups will first
create an oral summary, then work together to create a collaborative written summary on chart paper. 22
Students work collaboratively on the summary posters across classes in Unit 2 because this is a new skill. The responsibility for written summaries
will be gradually released to students over the year.
22
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
18
Week 5: PRESENTATIONS & WRITING
Case Study #2: Tundra Biome
TEXT
Non-Print
 Videos and Images of Inuit (links in Unit
Plan)
Print: Central
 Polar Animal Adaptations
Print :Supplementary
 Animals and Their Adaptations
 Living in the Arctic
 Explore the Tundra
VOCABULARY
Central Concepts
Tier 3/ Tier 2
Each concept gets full notebook page in the
‘Word Study’ book.
General Academic Words
Tier 2
Each word is logged in ‘General Academic
Vocabulary’ section of vocabulary binder.
Everyday Words
Tier 1
Each word is in Weekly glossary to be put into
subject section of vocabulary binder.
Review from Week 3
There are no new tier 3 words this week, but
students will review from week 1 and 2.
Nouns: claim, evidence, cause, effect
There are no new tier 1 words this week, but
students will review the many from last week.
Verbs: support, summarize
Signal Words: For example, in addition
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
19
Week 5: PRESENTATIONS & WRITING
Lesson
21
Case Study #2: Tundra Biome
Objectives
Lesson Summary
CO: Support a claim about tundra
adaptations using details from text and
images.
LO: Find information in text to support
the claim.
22
CO: Support a claim about tundra
adaptations using details from text and
images.
LO: Orally present the claim and
evidence using ‘For example________. In
addition______.’
This is important because
_________________.’
23
CO: Identify key words related to
causes and effects of tundra
adaptations.
LO: Skim text for key words and list in a
cause and effect graphic organizer.
24
CO: Summarize human and animal
adaptations to the tundra.
LO: Orally summarize using key words
and signal words for cause and effect.
Week 4 Assessment Feedback & Groups Prepare Presentations
After reviewing their Week 4 assessments and outcomes, the teacher will
facilitate a class discussion to generate claims as a class for the weekly
focus question. Half of the class will be assigned human adaptations and
half will be assigned animal adaptations. Each group will need to find two
sentences from the text (or images) that support the claim to present
tomorrow. They will present their evidence as a collaborative poster with
illustrations and labels for the adaptations. (included in student materials)
Groups Present
Groups will use the warm-up to practice and then each group will present.
The audience needs to say back the group’s claim and the evidence they
presented. The teacher will challenge students to evaluate the evidence as
supporting the claim or not.
Writing: Graphic Organizer with Key Words
Students will use a cause and effect graphic organizer 23 (included in
student materials) to show connections between the tundra and human
and animal adaptations to this environment. Following a teacher model,
students will complete their organizer with key words from the past several
lessons.
Writing: Signal Words & Oral Summary
The teacher will model how to summarize (not retell every detail) the causes
and effects, and using signal words such as ‘but, so, because.’ Groups will
do the same using keywords from their maps. Each group member will
orally summarize the causes (environment) and effects (adaptations) for the
Students are working with cause and effect organizers in Social Studies Unit 2 as well, as they summarize the causes and effects of the gold and salt
trade in Africa.
23
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
20
tundra.
25
CO: Summarize human and animal
adaptations to the tundra.
LO: Summarize in a written paragraph
using key words and signal words for
cause and effect.
Collaborative Writing & LEA Text
Following a teacher model of how to write the summary, groups will do the
same for desert adaptations. They must include all key words and use
signal words. Each student reads the summary in the group when
complete. Choose a strong model to show in the following lesson. Type this
paragraph, editing as needed to make it a strong model, and use this as an
LEA text to be read for fluency next week.
An extension activity for students with higher language and literacy levels
will be to compare and contrast the desert and tundra environments as well
as human and animal adaptations. They would complete a Venn Diagram
to compare and contrast using key words, and the summary would include
a paragraph for similarities and one for differences. (included in student
materials)
Week 5 Assessments
Group Presentation
Group Summary
Observation checklist
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
21
Week 6: CREATIVE PROJECTS & PRESENTATIONS
FOCUS QUESTION
How did skin color help our ancestors survive in their environments?
OVERVIEW
After reviewing the assessment and outcomes from Week 5, students will zoom in on human ancestral adaptations
using a biological lens. In Weeks 2 & 3 students identified Tuareg adaptations to the desert in the form of culture. Then
in Weeks 4 & 5, they identified Inuit adaptations to the tundra in the form of culture as well.
In Week 6, students will study skin color as a human adaptation to environment using the ‘Skin Color Lab.’ While skin
color is often a highly charged issue in the classroom, students will assume the role of scientists this week as they observe
infer and ask questions about human skin color across the globe. Students will analyze their own skin color using a
chart and connect skin color to latitude on a map and ancestral homelands. They will learn about scientific theory on
skin color, and assertions that skin color is an adaptation to environment in relation to geographic location.
Students
will learn about melanin, UV rays, folate, and vitamin D absorption and their relationship to skin color and adaptations
While culture is always a behavioral adaptation, fluid and changing, skin color was a structural adaptation that
occurred many thousands of years ago to populations in given areas. Students must understand skin color as a
biological and structural adaptation that happened a very long time ago, to help our ancestors survive in their
environments.
It is critical that students understand the distinction between the always-changing shifts of human
cultural adaptations, and the biological adaptation of skin color.
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
22
Week 6: CREATIVE PROJECTS & PRESENTATIONS
TEXT
Print: Central
Non-Print
 Skin Color Lab documents (included
in student sample materials)
Each concept gets full notebook page in the
‘Word Study’ book.
24
 All the Colors We Are
Everyday Words
Tier 1
Each word is logged in ‘General Academic
Vocabulary’ section of vocabulary binder.
Each word is in Weekly glossary to be put into
subject section of vocabulary binder.
Nouns: origin
Nouns: skin, shade/ tone
Verbs: absorb, block
Verbs: change, feel. move
Adjectives: diverse, beneficial, harmful
Adjectives: light, medium, dark, lighter
than, darker than (colors), more, less, near,
far
24
latitude-longitude
melanin
Text on skin color theory is
embedded in Skin Color Lab
documents
VOCABULARY
General Academic Words
Tier 2
Central Concepts
Tier 3/ Tier 2
ancestors

Print Supplementary
Students will have been introduced to the concept of ‘ethnic group’ in Week 2 Social Studies as they examine different ethnic groups in Africa.
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
23
Week 6: CREATIVE PROJECTS & PRESENTATIONS
Lesson
26
Objectives
Lesson Summary25
CO: List your ancestors as far back as you
know.
LO: Define and give examples of own
ancestors using ‘My mother’s mother
was_________. She was from_________.’
27
CO: Identify and label lines of latitude on a
map.
Week 5 Assessment Feedback & Pre Lab Activity
The lesson will begin with student reflecting on what is believed or said
about skin color where they are from. 26 Students will study a teacher
model of tracing family lines to ancestors on a family tree, and share what
they know about where their ancestors are from. Students will create a
concept map for ‘ancestor.’
Pre Lab Activity: Maps
Students learn about longitude and latitude on maps and identify the
latitude of family origin.
LO: Describe lines of latitude relative to the
equator using ‘____ degrees is a little north,
far north of the equator so there is a little/ a
lot of sun.’
28
CO: Identify amount of melanin and
describe how it protects humans.
LO: Describe using ‘_______ has a lot/ a little
melanin, so he/she has a lot / a little
protection form the sun.’
29
CO: Identify how melanin affects the body’s
absorption of important vitamins.
LO: Explain cause and effect using if/ then
statements using, ‘Vitamin D is important for
Pre Lab Activity: Latitude and Melanin
Students will learn about the function of melanin, and the connection
between latitude and melanin. They will match their skin tone to a
numbered hand on a graph.
Pre Lab Activity: Relationship Between Melanin, Vitamin D, and Folate
Using an organizing table, students will learn about the importance of
folate and Vitamin D and how amount of melanin affects the body’s
absorption of these.
The Skin Lab was added in June 2013, and is not yet complete. Some of the documents need to be adjusted for Bridges students, and the sequence of
activities needs to be finalized. This revision will be done in the next iteration of Unit 2 Science.
26 Skin color can be a highly charged issue, and depending on student contexts and experiences, they may have a range of feelings attached to their own
skin color. It is important to discuss this as the first activity, and to make sure that students understand they are studying skin color as ‘scientists’ to
answer the question about how it helped our ancestors survive. You are considering human skin color as a structural adaptation from a very long time
ago, and not discussing different skin tones as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ because that is not scientific discussion.
25
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
24
________________. If you have a lot of melanin,
then your body ________________________.’
30
CO: Review content on latitude, origin,
melanin, and Vitamin D and folate.
LO: Write a paragraph that defines and
describes these ideas.
Week 6 Assessments
Lab introduction
Science Unit 2 Outline
Lab : Introduction & Hypothesis
After a whole class review of this week’s pre lab ideas, each group will
write their lab introduction and hypothesis. This will count as the assessment
for the week, since it incorporates all content for the week.
Week 6 Outcomes
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
25
Week 7: CLAIM-EVIDENCE RESPONSE TO THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION
FOCUS QUESTION
(EQ) How do organisms survive where they live?
OVERVIEW
In this final week, students will complete the skin lab by graphing their data, presenting to the class, and discussing how
human migration throughout history might explain the variation in skin tone that we see in environments today.
Students will write a reflection letter to a friend in their country, explaining what they learned and how this might have
changed their understanding of skin color.
Students will end the unit in the final lesson, which asks students to step back and consider the unit essential question
again. The class will co-construct a claim evidence paragraph about how all organisms survive through adaptations.
Each group will describe a picture from the animals and people studied in the unit, as evidence to support the claim.
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
26
TEXT
Non-Print

Images on diversity of skin tone in
the world (tbd)
Print: Central

Jablonky text (included in student
materials, but needs to be
adapted)
Print Supplementary
 All the Colors we Are
VOCABULARY
Central Concepts
Tier 3/ Tier 2
Each concept gets full notebook page in the
‘Word Study’ book.
hypothesis
General Academic Words
Tier 2
Everyday Words
Tier 1
Each word is logged in ‘General Academic
Vocabulary’ section of vocabulary binder.
Each word is in Weekly glossary to be put into
subject section of vocabulary binder.
Nouns: lab, experiment, data, table,
graph
There are no new tier 1 words this week.
Verbs: analyze, draw conclusions
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
27
Week 7: CLAIM-EVIDENCE RESPONSE TO THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION27
Lesson
Objectives
Lesson Summary
31
CO: Create graphs that show skin color and
latitude of origin.
Lab: Graphing Data Results & Interpreting Results
In groups, students will graph their skin color data (included in student
materials) and discuss what the results show.
LO: Discuss the results with a partner using
‘This shows ______________.’
32
CO: Interpret maps that show historical
migration.
Lab: Drawing Conclusions
Students will connect back to their hypothesis and state if their data
supported or sis not supported their hypothesis and possible reasons why.
LO: Explain the effects that the historical
movement of people can have on skin color
variation in different places.
33
CO: Present on the relationship between skin
color and latitude.
LO: Present orally to the class.
34
CO: Reflect on learning about skin color.
LO: Write a letter to a friend explaining what
you learned.
Presentations
Each group will present their graphs, along with their results and
conclusions orally. The class will discuss the findings and how their
understanding about skin color has changed (or not) through this project.
Letter to a Friend
Students will write a letter to a friend, in home language or English,
explaining what they learned about skin color and how their thinking has
changed/ not changed with this project.
Because of the number of lessons required for the skin color lab, students will only use only use one lesson to step back and look at the unit essential
question about adaptations. This lesson is essential because every week until now, students have been responding to a weekly focus question, which is
specific. Responding the unit essential question requires students to now generalize from the specific examples in order to make a broader claim about
adaptations across organisms. Moving from the specific to the general involves pattern recognition, which is foundational to critical thinking.
Students will spend time with these skills in Week 7 of ELA and Social Studies.
27
Science Unit 2 Outline
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
28
35
CO: Identify what all organisms need to
survive in their environment.
LO: Make a claim about adaptations and
construct a paragraph with evidence to
support the claim.
Claim Evidence: Talking and Writing
As a class, you will return to the essential question. You will show various
pictures that show adaptations and ask students to state what is common
about all of these. This is to generate a claim like, ‘Organisms have
adaptations to survive in their environments.’ Each group will write an
evidence statement or two connected to a picture. After your review and
corrections, students will copy their sentences onto big strips of paper.
You will combine all strips into a paragraph with the claim, evidence strips
from groups, and generate a conclusion sentence together. Read the
paragraph chorally.
Week 6 Assessments
Lab Presentation
Lab Reflection: Letter Writing
Science Unit 2 Outline
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
29
Science Unit 2
Sample Lesson Plans1
Week 2, Lessons 6-10
1 Lesson Plan template was adapted from Echevarria, Vogt, & Short. 2013. Making Content Comprehensible for English
Learners: The SIOP Model
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
1
WEEK: 2
LESSON #: 6
FOCUS: Before Reading-Human Adaptations to the Desert

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do organisms survive where they live?

WEEKLY FOCUS QUESTION: How do organisms survive in the desert?
DAILY OBJECTIVES:
VOCABULARY (new words in bold, review not bold)

Content: Identify aspects of culture
that enable the Tuareg to survive in
the desert.

Language: Describe using ‘The
Tuareg survive in the desert because
they _________________.’
Tier 3
culture
Tier 2
Nouns: transportation
Tier 1
Nouns: robes, turban, sandals, camels, sun, tent,
milk, well
Verbs: travel, build, wear, make, drink, take, use
Adjectives: hot, sandy, windy, dry
MATERIALS:
1. Tuareg Images and Video
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNwQeLFk74o
Images
http://www.vanishingculturesphotography.com/p453343259/h342F23D3#h38a360f0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xggIl_VXNHc&feature=fvwrel
2. Picture of Tuareg and Inuit to project (from links above)
3. Tier 1 Glossary- People (There are two this week one for people and other for animals)
4. Sentence frames in big font (included in student materials)
1. WARM UP

Motivate, review
yesterday’s learning,
prepare for today’s
learning
10 minutes
REVIEW: VOCAB.
individual/partners/group
or
PRACTICE LANGUAGE
NEW: BUILD BACKGROUND
Review Week 1 Assessment Feedback
Revisit Unit 1 Concept Map for ‘Culture:’ In your group, make a list of
five parts of culture (ex. Food). Share and chart as a class.
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
2
2. CONNECT


Show, read and
explain today’s
objectives & link past
to present learning
Explain or have
students predict how
today’s lesson
supports the EQ or
Focus question
3. PRESENT and MODEL
 Present new content

and language frames
(if used)
Demonstrate how to
perform the task that
students need to do
in step 4 (*focus on
modeling disciplinary
thinking)
1 minute
whole class
Introduce the weekly focus question about the desert. Using a
projected image, elicit from students what they learned about the
desert environment last week. Read and explain the content and
language objectives for today. Explain that today you are looking at
how people survive in the desert and for the rest of the week, you will
study animals in the desert.
15 minutes
whole class
Present: Go back to the culture list that is now on a chart. Read this
list chorally. Remind students that all people have these parts of
culture, but they look different depending on where you go in the
world. Show picture of Tuareg and Inuit. Ask students why they think
there are differences, and hear some of their responses. Explain that
there are different reasons why cultures are different, but one big
difference is the environment, which includes land, climate and
resources. Tell students that today they will study a group of people
who are living in the desert for thousands of years. They are called
the Tuareg and they live in the Sahara desert. Remind them that
they are studying the Tuareg in Social Studies because they are very
important in the salt and gold trade. The Tuareg have developed a
special way of living, or culture, that has allowed them to survive in a
harsh environment for thousands of years.
Hear student ideas before watching video and looking at images.
Say ‘There are not many people who live in the desert. What makes
it difficult to survive in the desert? What do people do in their culture
to survive?’
‘Before you do some writing, we will watch a two-minute video that
introduces you to the Tuareg people and gives you an idea of how
they survive in the desert.’ (Watch and then make a list of what
students see.)
Hand out the tier 1 glossary for the Tuareg and read words chorally.
Introduce and Name Task: Say, ‘Today you will use a picture and
partner sentence to understand how the Tuareg survive in the desert.
You will look at the picture and identify what is difficult about the
desert and what people do to survive. You will use the sentence
frame:
Life is difficult In the desert because_____________________.
But the Tuareg survive because they ____________________.
Model

Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
I DO: Watch me, ‘When I look at this picture, I see X. I also
see that the Tuareg do Y. So my sentence is, ‘Life is difficult in
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
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
4. INTERACT



Students interact with
activities and each
other to meet
objectives
This is bulk of the class
& where most
learning happens
Encourage students
to use new
vocabulary and
language frames
5. REVIEW and ASSESSMENT




Review of lesson with
input from students
Ask students to share
what they have
learned today
Assess individual
learning
Connect to EQ or FQ
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
the desert because X. But the Tuareg survive because they
Y.’
WE DO: Try another example with students, elicit their ideas to
make a sentence.
25 minutes

individual/partners/group
YOU DO: Students work in groups with their image and
sentence frame. They have 10 minutes to talk and write a
sentence. All students must practice reading the sentence.
Groups present: As the teacher projects each image, groups come
and present their sentence.
10 minutes
whole class/group/individual
Review: List the ways that Tuareg people survive in the desert.
(Tomorrow’s class will begin with a concept map for ‘adaptation.’)
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WEEK: 2
LESSON #: 7
FOCUS: Before Reading: Animal Adaptations to the Desert

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do organisms survive where they live?

WEEKLY FOCUS QUESTION: How do organisms survive in the desert?
DAILY OBJECTIVES:
VOCABULARY (new words in bold, review not bold)

Content: Identify animal
adaptations to the desert and
classify as structural or behavioral.

Language: Describe using ‘
________ survive in the desert
because they have __________ to
__________________.‘
Tier 3
culture, adaptation
Tier 2
Nouns: transportation
Tier 1
For people:
Nouns: robes, turban, sandals, camels, sun, tent,
milk, well
Verbs: travel, build, wear, make, drink, take, use
Adjectives: hot, sandy, windy, dry
For animals (some of these words are review from Unit 1)
This glossary will be a reference for the rest of the year that
students keep in binders. They will add additional body
parts next week with tundra people and animals.
Nouns: legs, ears, nose, skin, claws, beak, feet,
hands, hump, horns, eyes, eyelashes, tail, tongue,
skin, fur, fat
Verbs: has, help, keep cool, keep warm, hide, run,
walk, fly, eat, escape, drink, sleep, catch, kill,
protect, reproduce
Adjectives: sharp, flat, big, small, long, short, dark,
light, wide, narrow, fast, slow
MATERIALS:
1. Sentence Cut Ups – 1 envelope per table (included in student materials)
2. Pictures of desert animal diagrams (included in student materials)
3. Tier 1 Glossary- Animals (There are two this week: one for people and other for animals)
4. Sentence frames in big font (included in student materials)
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
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Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
5
1. WARM UP

Motivate, review
yesterday’s learning,
prepare for today’s
learning
2. CONNECT


Show, read and
explain today’s
objectives & link past
to present learning
Explain or have
student’s predict how
today’s lesson
supports the EQ or
Focus question
3. PRESENT and MODEL
 Present new content

and language frames
(if used)
Demonstrate how to
perform the task that
students need to do
in step 4 (*focus on
modeling disciplinary
thinking)
10 minutes
REVIEW: VOCAB.
individual/partners/group
or
PRACTICE LANGUAGE
NEW: BUILD BACKGROUND
Sentence Cut-Ups: Reconstruct three sentences about how the
Tuareg survive in the desert (included in student materials). Each
table gets one envelope of words. They need to rearrange into
three sentences on the table. Share sentences as a class.
1 minute
whole class
Review the weekly focus question about the desert. Read and
explain the content and language objectives for today. Explain that
yesterday we looked at how people survive in the desert and for the
rest of the week, we will study animals in the desert.
20 minutes
whole class
Present: Instruct students to write, in big letters, the word
‘adaptation’ in the middle of a page in their word study notebook.
Begin to create a concept map for ‘adaptation’ starting with the
Tuareg. The first part of the explanation should include ‘things
people do to survive in their environment.’ Draw and label an
example using the Tuareg, as well as adaptations they have to New
York. The word ‘culture’ should be on this map, because this is a big
part of how humans adapt to environment.
Make a list of what is difficult about living in the desert, which is the
same as what makes life for humans difficult. This list should include
little water, little food, very hot, and a lot of sand. An added
problem for animals is that there are other animals that can eat
them!
Hand out the tier 1 glossary for animals, and read words chorally.
Tell students that as they think about what animals need to survive,
they need to think about how their bodies help them: get food, get
water, travel in the sand, stay cool and escape other animals.2
Introduce and Name Task: Explain that today you will do for desert
animals exactly what you did for desert people. Add that they
should be thinking about how human and animal adaptations are
similar and different.
2 Students define ‘predator’ in a later lesson.
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
6
Model
4. INTERACT






Review of lesson with
input from students
Ask students to share
what they have
learned today
Assess individual
learning
Connect to EQ or FQ
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
I DO: Review the procedure from yesterday.

WE DO: Do one example together.
15 minutes
Students interact with
activities and each
other to meet
objectives
This is bulk of the class
& where most
learning happens
Encourage students
to use new
vocabulary and
language frames

individual/partners/group
YOU DO: Students work in groups with their image and
sentence frame. They have 10 minutes to talk and write a
sentence. All students must practice reading the sentence.
Groups present: As the teacher projects each image, groups come
and present their sentence. Student sentences may not be correct,
but they need to explain their reasoning. When students read
tomorrow, they will use the text to confirm or reject their inferences.
5. REVIEW and ASSESSMENT


15 minutes
whole class/group/individual
Add to ‘adaptation’ concept map: Use information from animals to
expand understanding of adaptation. Students show draw, label
and explain a desert animal body structure as an adaptation to the
desert.
Return to the focus question and students respond by explaining
‘adaptations.’ Facilitate an LEA chart with everything students know
about adaptations so far, including how humans and animals survive
in the desert. Type this for fluency reading for the rest of the week.
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WEEK: 2
LESSON #: 8
FOCUS: Read Aloud ‘Desert Animal Adaptations’

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do organisms survive where they live?

WEEKLY FOCUS QUESTION: How do organisms survive in the desert?
DAILY OBJECTIVES:


Content: Identify animal
adaptations to the desert and
classify as structural or behavioral.
Language: Describe using ‘The
________ survive in the desert
because they ______________.’
Justify using ‘This is a structural/
behavioral adaptation because
_____________.’
VOCABULARY (new words in bold, review not bold)
Tier 3
adaptation
Tier 2
Adjectives: structural, behavioral
Tier 1
Nouns: legs, ears, nose, skin, claws, beak, feet,
hands, hump, horns, eyes, eyelashes, tail, tongue,
skin, fur, fat
Verbs: has, help, keep cool, keep warm, hide, run,
walk, fly, eat, escape, drink, sleep, catch, kill,
protect, reproduce
Adjectives: sharp, flat, big, small, long, short, dark,
light, wide, narrow, fast, slow
MATERIALS:
*Students should be paired with a home language partner.
1. LEA ’adaptations’ chart and typed text for students
2. Chart with ‘adaptation’ concept map
3. ‘Structural’ and ‘behavioral’ on word cards at each table
4. Copies of text for each student Desert Animal Adaptations (select pages)
5. Chart for Listen/Read-Retell-Respond modeling
1. WARM UP

Motivate, review
yesterday’s learning,
prepare for today’s
learning
2. CONNECT

Show, read and
explain today’s
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
8 minutes
REVIEW: VOCAB.
individual/partners/group
or
PRACTICE LANGUAGE
NEW: BUILD BACKGROUND
LEA text: Partners read LEA text for fluency practice. Have one
student read aloud, as you follow on chart and reinforce
pronunciation and attention to punctuation.
1 minute
whole class
Review the weekly focus question about the desert. Read and
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
8

objectives & link past
to present learning
Explain or have
student’s predict how
today’s lesson
supports the EQ or
Focus question
3. PRESENT and MODEL
 Present new content

and language frames
(if used)
Demonstrate how to
perform the task that
students need to do
in step 4 (*focus on
modeling disciplinary
thinking)
explain the content and language objectives for today. Explain that
today we are going to read about animal adaptations and see if our
sentences yesterday were accurate or not.
15 minutes
whole class
Present: Review tier 1 glossary and the animal adaptations that
students noted yesterday from the pictures. Briefly review the human
adaptations by the Tuareg. Ask students what the difference is
between those two types of adaptations. Elicit a description and
then label the human adaptations they learned about as
‘behavioral’ and define as ‘something you do, an action.’ Name
the ones they identified yesterday as ‘structural’ and elicit from
students what ‘structure’ means.3 Have students repeat each word
chorally three times, and add to their concept maps. Describe a few
adaptations, for animals or humans, and ask the class to chorally call
out ‘behavioral adaptation’ or ‘structural adaptation.’ Explain that
today they will read about animal adaptations and identify
adaptations as either behavioral or structural.
Introduce and Name Task: Say, ‘Today we are going to read about
animal adaptations in the desert.4 We are going to use PartnerRead-Retell5 to talk about what we read so we can understand.
Good readers talk in their heads and with each other as they read.’
Model (you will need two strong students to help you model)

I DO: Say, ‘I’m looking at this book and the title says____, the
picture shows_________. I can look in the beginning in the
table of contents and I see. I know this is about _________.
The pictures inside show __________. I’m going to begin to
read the text, and the partners here will listen and follow.
When I stop, they are going to retell or tell each other what
they read, as much as they can (show this). You can do this
in home language or English.’

WE DO: Say, ‘Now we will try together, I need two more
volunteers.’ (Continue reading text and pause for retell. You
will also need to show how to annotate new words in home
language.)
3 This will be review from Unit 1, where students studied plant and human body structures and functions.
4 You will need to pre-select the pages you will read. It is recommended that you read the pages for the
animals students did the image activity with yesterday. This way they can use the text to confirm or reject
their predictions about the adaptations.
5 This routine is introduced in all subjects during Week 2, Lesson 8. It will be important for the team to
synchronize the routine across the classes, and to discuss how best to do this in team meeting.
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
9
Ask students to identify the adaptation as ‘behavioral’ or
‘structural’ and define using the frame:
‘This is a structural/behavioral adaptation because
_____________.’
4. INTERACT



Students interact with
activities and each
other to meet
objectives
This is bulk of the class
& where most
learning happens
Encourage students
to use new
vocabulary and
language frames
5. REVIEW and ASSESSMENT




Review of lesson with
input from students
Ask students to share
what they have
learned today
Assess individual
learning
Connect to EQ or FQ
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
15 minutes

individual/partners/group
YOU DO: Continue with the routine. As you pause, and after
partners retell, ask a few students to retell back to the whole
class. Ask text-based questions to push comprehension of
important points. For each animal, ask students to identify
the adaptation as ‘behavioral’ or ‘structural’ and define
using the frame:
‘This is a structural/behavioral adaptation because
_____________.’
10 minutes
whole class/group/individual
Review: Connect back to the focus questions, and ask students to
add more about animal adaptations, using the terms ‘behavioral’
and ‘structural.’ Add to the LEA chart, and type the revised version
for tomorrow’s fluency practice.
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
10
WEEK: 2
LESSON #: 9
FOCUS: Partner Read- ‘Desert Animal Adaptations’

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do organisms survive where they live?

WEEKLY FOCUS QUESTION: How do organisms survive in the desert?
DAILY OBJECTIVES:
VOCABULARY (new words in bold, review not bold)

Content: Identify animal
adaptations to the desert and
classify as structural or behavioral.

Language: Describe using ‘The
________ survive in the desert
because they ______________.’
Justify using ‘This is a structural/
behavioral adaptation because
_____________.’
Tier 3
adaptation
Tier 2
Adjectives: structural, behavioral
Tier 1
Nouns: legs, ears, nose, skin, claws, beak, feet,
hands, hump, horns, eyes, eyelashes, tail, tongue,
skin, fur, fat
Verbs: has, help, keep cool, keep warm, hide, run,
walk, fly, eat, escape, drink, sleep, catch, kill,
protect, reproduce
Adjectives: sharp, flat, big, small, long, short, dark,
light, wide, narrow, fast, slow
MATERIALS:
1. LEA ’adaptations’ chart and typed text for students
2. Copies of text for each student Desert Animal Adaptations (select pages)
3. Chart for Listen/Read-Retell-Respond modeling
4. Index cards/strips of paper, for partners to write 1-2 questions from text
1. WARM UP

Motivate, review
yesterday’s learning,
prepare for today’s
learning
2. CONNECT


Show, read and
explain today’s
objectives & link past
to present learning
Explain or have
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
10 minutes
REVIEW: VOCAB.
individual/partners/group
or
PRACTICE LANGUAGE
NEW: BUILD BACKGROUND
LEA Revised Text: Partners read LEA text for fluency practice.
Text Question: Answer 1 teacher question about yesterday’s text.
Share.
1 minute
whole class
Elicit from students what they learned yesterday. Review the focus
question. Tell students that today they will read the text in partners
and continue with read-retell-respond. Read and explain the
content and language objectives for today.
Bridges to Academic Success
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11
student’s predict how
today’s lesson
supports the EQ or
Focus question
3. PRESENT and MODEL
 Present new content

and language frames
(if used)
Demonstrate how to
perform the task that
students need to do
in step 4 (*focus on
modeling disciplinary
thinking)
15 minutes
whole class
Introduce and Name Task: Say, ‘You are going to continue with
partner reading routine. (Elicit from students the steps and why we
use them.) Today you are going to add one more thing, you will
respond with a question, something you want to know, something
you wonder about (act out).’
Model
 I DO: Say, ‘I’m going to read the first section of text from
yesterday (read aloud and stop to retell). Hmmm I have a
question, and something that I wonder is________. (Say and write
your question.) Good readers ask questions all the time, before
they read, during reading and after.’
 WE DO: Read the second chunk from yesterday, and ask a
student to retell and then say what they are wondering. (Add
student question to your chart.)
4. INTERACT



Students interact with
activities and each
other to meet
objectives
This is bulk of the class
& where most
learning happens
Encourage students
to use new
vocabulary and
language frames
5. REVIEW and ASSESSMENT




Review of lesson with
input from students
Ask students to share
what they have
learned today
Assess individual
learning
Connect to EQ or FQ
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
25 minutes
individual/partners/group

YOU DO: Groups continue and you circulate to listen and
observe, as well as to prompt their talk. Listen for student
questions in the ‘respond’ part of routine.

Partners write 1-2 questions: Give students a few minutes to
write 1-2 questions they had while reading.
10 minutes
whole class/group/individual
Review: Students share what they learned from text today, while you
chart. You share what you observed in their partner work. Point out
good models. Hear a few of their questions as well before collecting
strips.
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
12
WEEK: 2
LESSON #: 10
FOCUS: After Reading- Text Questions & Assessment

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do organisms survive where they live?

WEEKLY FOCUS QUESTION: How do organisms survive in the desert?
DAILY OBJECTIVES:
VOCABULARY (new words in bold, review not bold)
 Content: Answer questions about
desert adaptations.
Tier 3
adaptation
 Language: Discuss answers with
partner and respond to questions in
writing.
Tier 2
Adjectives: structural, behavioral
Tier 1
Nouns: legs, ears, nose, skin, claws, beak, feet,
hands, hump, horns, eyes, eyelashes, tail, tongue,
skin, fur, fat
Verbs: has, help, keep cool, keep warm, hide, run,
walk, fly, eat, escape, drink, sleep, catch, kill,
protect, reproduce
Adjectives: sharp, flat, big, small, long, short, dark,
light, wide, narrow, fast, slow
MATERIALS:
1. LEA ’adaptations’ chart and typed text for students
2. Copies of text for each student Desert Animal Adaptations (select pages)
3. Chart for Listen/Read-Retell-Respond modeling
4. Questions on Big Strips- (Teacher questions are in student materials. You will need to add strips
from your pool of student questions. You should choose no more than eight questions for students
to sort, answer orally in groups then in writing for the individual assessment.) 6
5. Typed questions on paper- One for each student
6. T chart- ‘In the Text’ and ‘In my Head’ questions
6 All teachers will be modeling question types in Week 2, Lesson 10.
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
13
1. WARM UP

Motivate, review
yesterday’s learning,
prepare for today’s
learning
2. CONNECT


Show, read and
explain today’s
objectives & link past
to present learning
Explain or have
student’s predict how
today’s lesson
supports the EQ or
Focus question
3. PRESENT and MODEL
 Present new content

and language frames
(if used)
Demonstrate how to
perform the task that
students need to do
in step 4 (*focus on
modeling disciplinary
thinking)
10 minutes
REVIEW: VOCAB
individual/partners/group
or
PRACTICE LANGUAGE
NEW: BUILD BACKGROUND
LEA text: Partners read LEA text for fluency practice.
1 minute
whole class
Review the focus question and elicit some answers to the question.
Tell students that today they will sort the questions they must answer
into two groups. Read and explain the content and language
objectives for today. Make clear that they will answer questions
orally for half the period and write for the other half. The oral
practice will help them with their assessment.
15 minutes
whole class
Introduce and Name Task: Say, ‘We are going read our questions
and try to answer them. But first we have to know where to look for
answers. We will sort questions into two groups. Is the answer ‘in the
text’ or ‘in my head?’ Good readers know where to look for answers
to their questions to help them understand the text.’
Model
 I DO: Say, ‘Here is a question (read question). I’m thinking
hmmmm is this something I read in the text or is this a question
that I can answer from the text? I remember reading a sentence
about this (scan text to find) so I know this is an ‘in the text
question.’ I’m going to put it on this side, because I will find my
answer right in the text.’
 WE DO: Show another question and ask students to decide
where it goes and explain why.
4. INTERACT



Students interact with
activities and each
other to meet
objectives
This is bulk of the class
& where most
learning happens
Encourage students
to use new
vocabulary and
language frames
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
25 minutes
individual/partners/group
 YOU DO: Give each group one question and two minutes to
decide if its ‘in the text’ or ‘in my head.’ Groups come up, read
and put on correct side, and justify their answer.
Answer questions orally: Once questions are sorted, partners read
and answer questions together.
Bridges to Academic Success
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14
5. REVIEW and ASSESSMENT




Review of lesson with
input from students
Ask students to share
what they have
learned today
Assess individual
learning
Connect to EQ or FQ
Science Unit 2
Lesson Plan
10 minutes
whole class/group /individual
Individual Assessment: Students have 20 minutes to answer the
questions, using a word bank (include in student materials).
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
15
Science Unit 2
Sample
Student Materials1
1 The skin color lab and most of the documents were created by Stephanie Lane, former Bridges Science
teacher at International Community High School and co-developer of the Bridges Science curriculum.
These documents are a draft and will need to be adapted for Bridges, if the skin color lab remains in the
next draft.
Science Unit 2
Student Materials
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
1
Lesson #
Student Material
2
Desert Environment
3
Tundra Environment
4
Sort and Match: Desert & Tundra
4
Compare -Contrast
5
World Maps
25-30
Samples from Skin Color Lab
Science Unit 2
Student Materials
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
2
Lesson 2- Desert
Environment:______________________
see
think
symbol:
symbol:
Plants:
Location:
wonder
symbol:
Climate:
Animals:
Resources:
Other:
How do animals survive there?
Science Unit 2
Student Materials
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
3
Lesson 3- Tundra
Environment:______________________
see
think
symbol:
symbol:
Plants:
Location:
wonder
symbol:
Climate:
Animals:
Resources:
Other:
How do animals survive there?
Science Unit 2
Student Materials
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
4
location
climate
Science Unit 2
Student Materials
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
5
TUNDRA
resources
DESERT
Lesson 4- Desert and Tundra Environments (sort & match)
Directions: In your group, decide if each paragraph is about resources, location or climate. Underline key
words you used as clues.
Deserts are on most continents in the world.
Deserts are in North and South America, Asia,
Africa and Australia. There are no deserts in
Europe or Antarctica.
Science Unit 2
Student Materials
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
6
Most deserts are hot, but some deserts are cold.
All deserts are dry, because it rains very little.
Many plants and animals cannot survive in the
desert because of the hot and dry conditions.
Science Unit 2
Student Materials
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
7
Deserts have a lot of sun.
Sun is abundant.
Deserts have very little rain, so water is scarce.
Many plants and trees cannot grow in the desert
because there is very little water.
Science Unit 2
Student Materials
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
8
Tundra is on three continents.
Asia, Europe and
North America have tundra in the north.
However, there is no tundra in Africa, South
America, or Australia.
Science Unit 2
Student Materials
Bridges to Academic Success
Draft to NYCDOE, June 2013
9
Tundra is very cold. In the winter, the
temperature is usually below zero. In the summer,
the temperature is also cold.
It is never hot on the
tundra. There is snow and ice for most of the year
on the tundra.
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Tundra has a lot of snow, ice, and wind. Snow,
ice, and wind are abundant. Sunlight is scarce in
the winter, but in the summer, there is a lot of sun.
Most plants and trees cannot grow on tundra
because it is so cold and windy, and because
there is little sun.
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Lesson 4- Compare and Contrast: Desert and Tundra
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Lesson 5
World Map: Biomes
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABiomes.jpg
By Vegetation-no-legend.svg: *Vegetation-no-legend.pt.JPG: Sten Porse derivative work: S4uri3r (talk) derivative work: The High Fin Sperm
Whale (Vegetation-no-legend.svg) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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World Map: Temperature
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AEarth_Climate.gif
By User:PZmaps derivative by Stanqo (File:MeanMonthlyP.gif and File:MonthlyMeanT.gif) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia
Commons
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World Map: Political
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APolitical_Map_of_the_World.jpg
By CIA - The World Factbook [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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Map Analysis: Discussion Questions
1. Draw the equator in red on each map.
2. Put an X on the North Pole and South Pole in blue on each map.
3. Look at each map. What do you notice?
o I notice that on the biome map…
o I notice that on the temperature map…
o I notice that on the political map…
4. Look at the 3 maps together: DESERTS
o Circle the deserts on the biome map.
o Circle the deserts on the temperature map.
o Circle the deserts on the political map.
o What do you notice?
5. Look at the 3 maps together: TUNDRA
o Circle the tundra on the biome map.
o Circle the tundra on the temperature map.
o Circle the tundra on the political map.
o What do you notice?
6. Why do you think most deserts are hot?
o I think most deserts are hot because…
7. Why do you think tundra is cold?
o I think tundra is cold because…
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Select documents from the Skin Color Lab (see footnote on page 1 of sample student materials)
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Skin Color Chart
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AFelix_von_Luschan_Skin_Color_chart.svg
By en:User:Cburnett [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia
Commons
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Latitude and Longitude
The latitude lines are the horizontal lines.
The latitude line in the center of the Earth at 0° latitude is the Equator.
Highlight the equator in RED.
Highlight the latitudes lines in the North (Northern Hemisphere) in GREEN.
Highlight the latitude lines in the South (Southern Hemisphere) in YELLOW.
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The longitude lines are the vertical lines.
The longitude line in the center of the Earth at 0° longitude is the Prime Meridian.
Highlight the Prime Meridian in RED.
Highlight the longitude lines in the West (Western Hemisphere) in BLUE.
Highlight the longitude lines in the East (Eastern Hemisphere) in ORANGE.
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Example: Mexico – latitude:
North 20°
Find the latitude and longitude of:
longitude:
West 100°
1. Mali – latitude:______ longitude:
5. Kenya – latitude:
longitude:
2. Japan – latitude: _____ longitude:
6. Russia – latitude:
longitude:
3. Namibia – latitude:
7. Spain – latitude:
longitude:
8. China – latitude:
longitude:
4. Australia – latitude:
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longitude:
longitude:
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On the map below trace the route your teacher’s ancestors moved.
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What was your family’s route to the Untied States? Trace your family’s route on the map too in a different color.
Ancestor
Country immigrated
from
Country
immigrated to
Approximate
date or relation
to you
Measuring a person’s skin color is a very sensitive subject because of the discrimination faced by
many people of color. For our purposes we as scientists we are doing this to try to understand the
following
1. The relationship between a person’s skin color (relative melanin production) and their
geographical latitude.
2. If there is greater diversity in the production of melanin between people of the same ethnic
or country background or within a group of people.
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Therefore we need the following information
 Self evaluation of skin color __________________________
 Latitude of origin:________________________________
 Country or ethnic group you identify with _______________
You do not need to write your name.
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Jablonski, N.G. and Chaplin, G. (2010) Human skin pigmentation as an adaptation to UV radiation.
Rewrite the title here _______________________________________________________________
PERMISSION PENDING:
Users of the NIS Skin Color Scale are requested to kindly notify the NIS Project staff by
emailing the Project Manager, Jennifer A. Martin ([email protected]).
Suggested citation: Massey, Douglas S., and Jennifer A. Martin. 2003. The NIS Skin Color Scale.
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 Humans have lots of different skin colors because different colors help people survive
in different environments.

Jablonski believes there is a relationship between skin color and UV radiation from the
sun.
 Jablonski believes that people living close to the equator have dark skin because it helps
protect them from the negative effects of UV radiation.
 In arctic areas there is not a lot of UV radiation. People here have light skin so they can
use the sunlight to build vitamins
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Questions
1. What is melanin?
__________________________________________________________
2. How is melanin different in different people?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. How is dark skin helpful in places close to the equator?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. Why is light skin helpful to people who live in the north?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Folate
 Humans need folate to make DNA.
 Folate can be destroyed by natural sunlight.
 When pregnant women do not have enough of
the folate vitamin their babies can be born with
malformations in their brains and spine
 Skins with abundant melanin are protected
from folate destruction. Dark skin prevents the
UV radiation from going in the skin
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Questions about Folate
1. Why do humans need folate?
__________________________________________________________
2. What is the relationship between folate and UV radiation?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. What happens to babies born to women who don’t have enough folate?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. How does dark skin protect us from follate destruction?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Vitamin D
 Humans need Vitamin D for normal growth,
calcium absorption and skeletal development
 Vitamin D is made using the UV radiation
 When pregnant women do not have enough
vitamin D the children have bone deformities
 Skins with abundant melanin make Vitamin D
synthesis difficult because it requires more
time in the sun to build the vitamin.
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Questions about Vitamin D
1. Why do humans need Vitamin D?
__________________________________________________________
2. What is the relationship between vitamin d and UV radiation?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. What happens to babies born to women who don’t have a lot of vitamin D?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. Why does dark skin make vitamin d synthesis difficult?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Vitamin D, Skin Color and the World Map
are places where there is not enough sunlight for any skin color to produce Vitamin D
are places where there is not enough sunlight for medium color skin to produce Vitamin D
are places where there is not enough sunlight for dark color skin to produce Vitamin D
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Map of skin color variation
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Questions for Map of Vitamin D and Skin Color Map
1. Name four countries where there is not sufficient sunlight for light colored skin to produce
vitamin D.
2. Name four countries where there is not sufficient sunlight for medium colored skin to
produce vitamin D.
3. Name four countries where there is not sufficient sunlight for dark colored skin to produce
vitamin D.
4. Name three countries that have the darkest skin color.
5. Name three countries that have medium color skin.
6. Name three countries that have light colored skin.
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Results from Nina Jablonski’s research
1. People who live between the equator and 40 degrees latitude benefit from dark
melanin and protection from the sun. Make \\\\\ lines through this part of the
map
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2. People who live between the equator and 30 degrees and the poles benefit from
light melanin and maximum sun absorption. Make ////// lines through this part of
the map
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3. If you look at these two maps, there are places where they overlap. These are
places where it is beneficial to be both light and dark skinned. These are places
where it is beneficial to be able to change your skin seasonally mark this overlap
with XXXX on the map below.
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