3rd Grade
Structures of Life: Lesson 3
INTENDED CURRICULUM
BIG IDEA: (display in class during the lesson)
All living organisms have identifiable structures and characteristics that that
serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.
Investigations 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 Structures of Life
Idaho Standard(s) addressed:
!
LESSON CONTENT GOALS
GUIDING QUESTIONS
1. Crayfish have observable structures
such as legs, eyes antennae, a
carapace, swimmerets, a tail, pincers,
and mouth parts.
1. What are the structures of the
crayfish?
2. Crayfish have particular requirements
for life, including clean, cool water;
food; and shelter. A habitat is where
an animal lives.
2. What does a crayfish need to survive
in a habitat?
3. Behavior is what an animal does.
Crayfish claim a territory that they
protect from other animals.
3. What are observable crayfish
behaviors?
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IMPLEMENTED CURRICULUM
Teacher’s Notes:
Start this lesson and lesson 4 during the 8 weeks that the plants are growing from Lesson 2.
This investigation has four parts and focuses on the physical structures and their functions and
behaviors of crayfish. When reporting behaviors, scientists only report what they observe, when
they observe it and what else is happening at the same time. Scientists never report what they
think a crayfish feels or if it likes another crayfish. We do not impose human emotions and
character attributes to animals. (anthropomorphism). Guide your students away from this nonscientific point of view.
Crayfish are crustaceans. They have many unique structures. They have thousands of sensory
bristles used to help them touch, smell, feel and hear acutely even though they are completely
covered in a hard shell. They like dark and cool. Most of the daytime they can be found alone,
but are very active at night. They are omnivorous, meaning that they will each almost anything
- dead or alive. Crayfish cannot grow unless the shell comprising of the carapace (body shell),
tail shell and leg shells are removed. Molting happens when the crayfish literally slides out of its
shell. The “naked” crayfish emerges in a soft new shell that hardens after a day or two.
Part 1 will take about 40-50 minutes for two days. Try to schedule Part 2 later the same day or
the next day.
You will need 10-12 healthy crayfish that are accustomed to relatively warm water (as opposed
to cold, fast running streams). Local bait shops, the local creek or stream or Delta Education (1800-258-1302) are good sources for crayfish.
A day or two before you expect the crayfish to arrive, prepare their habitat. Fill two bus trays
about 1/3 full of cold tap water (3-4 cm deep). Keep the trays out of sight in a cool, dark place.
Let the water sit for a day or two to release chlorine from the water.
Alert the office staff or custodian that crayfish will be coming! Once they arrive, immediately
transfer the crayfish to the two bus trays.
Practice picking up the crayfish, so that you can demonstrate the proper techniques to your
students. Approach the crayfish from behind. Grasp it firmly on the carapace (body shell)
behind the pincers. Pick it up. It may try to reach back, but it will not be able to reach you.
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Provide the crayfish some small aquatic plants. Usually 6-12 sprigs of Elodea also
known as Anacharis. It looks like a little green feathered boa.
If Elodea is not available, try another inexpensive aquatic plant.
Plan where the two bus trays with the crayfish will reside in your room for several
months. Keep them out of the direct sunlight. Try to keep their water between 41oF
and 68oF.
You will also need to feed your crayfish protein in the form of dry cat food that sinks
in water. You can also feed them flake goldfish food. Don’t worry if the crayfish do
not eat for a week or two. They will eat when they are hungry.
Always move the crayfish out of their home tray and into a basin with 3 - 4 cm of
water to feed them the dry cat food. Put in one piece of dry cat food per crayfish.
Leave them there for about 30 minutes. Then return the crayfish to their home tray,
without any of the cat food. The Elodea is always available in their home tray for
them to munch on. Feed the crayfish every day. They will eat when they are hungry.
When the crayfish are in the feeding basin, the home tray can be rinsed and refilled
with fresh water. Do this about once a week - more often if the water begins to smell.
The crayfish pose no health problems to the students. Occasionally you will notice
white wormlike animals attached to the crayfish carapaces and pincers. They are
harmless to you and the crayfish.
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To get ready for the first day, place one crayfish on each of the eight basins with
3 - 4 cm of water just before the activity begins with 8 plastic spoons and 8 ! liter
containers.
For Part 2 plan on one session. Prepare the water by letting regular tap water sit for
a couple of day to allow the chlorine to escape. Use some of the aged tap water to rise
the gravel before introducing it into the habitat.
If a crayfish molts it will be soft and vulnerable to the other crayfish. A freshly
molted crayfish should be isolated in a separate basin of its own with gravel and
shelter for a couple of days. When the shell becomes hard, return the crayfish to its
habitat tray.
After a female lays eggs, she carries them under her tail for a month or longer. After
about three weeks, move her to a separate basin so you can observe what happens
when the babies hatch and grow. To reduce predation by adults and other young,
provide lost of plants, rocks and other structures where the young can hide.
Two or three weeks after hatching, return the mother to the adult habitat. As they
young grow, they will also need more space and structures to hide from one another.
Part 3 is a one-day session. Conduct this a few days after the crayfish have settled
into their habitats.
Part 4 will take one session to introduce, 5-minute daily observations for 4 days or
more and one 20-minute wrap-up.
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For this activity students must be able to identify the crayfish in order to monitor its
location. It is advised to label the crayfish. There are two (2) options:
• Attach a short piece of colored yarn to the crayfish. To do this, dry the
carapace with a tissue. The shell must be very dry for the tape to stick. Use a
little piece of duct tape to attach a small piece of colored yarn (3-4 cm) to the
middle of the crayfish’s back. Four colors are provided. Make a name and
identification list.
• Use a permanent marking pen to put 1, 2, 3, or 4 large dots on the carapace.
Dry the carapace with a tissue before marking with the pen.
Remove everything from the trays and dry them thoroughly. The houses are
coded with foam-rubber shapes. Position the houses with tape to correspond with
the drawing on the Crayfish Habitat student sheet.
Tape the houses in place, bringing a piece of tape down the back of the house and
onto the bottom of the tray. Do not tape close to the rim as this will be a stepladder for the crayfish to get out of the tray.
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Advance Preparation:
Part 1
For each group of four students:
1 basin
1 plastic spoon
1 container, ! liter
4 Student sheets No. 11 - Crayfish Structures
4 Student sheets No. 12 - Crayfish Diagrams
For the class:
2 bus trays
12 crayfish
1 bag Elodea
1 pitcher
aged water (tap water left sitting for a couple of days allowing the chlorine to escape)
Part 2
For each group of four students:
1 basin
1 crayfish
4 Student sheet No. 13 Crayfish Log
For the class:
2 bus trays
2 bags gravel
8 crayfish houses
1 bag dry cat food
1 bag Elodea
aged water
1 pitcher
transparency of Student sheet No. 13 Crayfish Log
Part 3
For each group of four students:
1 basin
1 crayfish
1 crayfish house
aged water
For the class:
1 pitcher
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Part 4
For each group of four students:
4 student sheets No. 16 - Crayfish Habitat
For the class:
Crayfish
2 bus trays with gravel and houses
2 basins - 8 liter
1 roll duct tape
4 lengths of colored yarn
50 white adhesive dots (1/2 in)
1 permanent marking pen - fine tip
paper towels
aged water
1 pitcher
Brief Review of the lesson:
DAY 1: Read engaging scenario and review clues.
Write a Focus Question
Writes a Prediction
DAY 2: Collects Data – Crayfish Structures
DAY 3: Collects Data – Crayfish Habitat (there will be numerous observations for 4 weeks)
DAY 4: Collects Data - Crayfish Behaviors
DAY 5: Collects Data - Crayfish Territories (introduction, 4 observations, summary)
DAY 6: Making Meaning Conference
Writes Claims and Evidence
Writes Conclusions
Reflection
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Word Wall
crayfish
Word Wall
behaviors
Word Wall
structures
Part 1 - DAY ONE
ENGAGING SCENARIO: Teacher says:
“ The scientists at TESLA are very pleased with the
information we have learned so far about seeds and plants.
They also liked the information we learned about plants
being able to grow just in water. While your plants are
growing, they would like for you to work on a new project for
them. Now they would like for you to find information about
the structures and behaviors of crayfish. They have sent
along some materials that may help us find this information.
They also need us to keep accurate records and labeled
drawings in our science notebooks again and then send them
a report about what we found out about crayfish when we are
finished.”
What is the problem we need to solve?
What do we need to investigate?
Conduct a kit inventory at this point. You may either inventory the whole kit or just inventory the
equipment used in this lesson. Open the kit inventory by stating – “These are the objects that sent to
us by the TESLA scientists. I have put them in this pillowcase (or large bag). Let’s see if we can
identify them.”
Call on one student at a time to come to the front of the classroom. Ask the student to select one item
from the pillowcase without showing it to the rest of the class. Ask the student the following three
questions:
What color/shape is the object?
Where have you seen this before?
What do you think we will use this for in the unit?
After the student responds to the three questions have each group try to determine the identity of the
object.
Place the object in a zip-lock bag and mount it on the word wall with a word card underneath it.
Repeat this process with all objects. Tell the students that the word/object wall and their science
notebook entries from the kit inventory will always have the correct spelling for each of the objects.
It is expected that whenever they use the object or write about it in their science notebooks, that they
will use the correct name and spelling for the object.
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FOCUS QUESTION (discuss in groups, display, record in notebooks)
Teacher’s Notes:
Then reread the engaging scenario.
Teacher says,
“What do the scientists at TESLA need us to do?”
To find out some information about the structures and behaviors of crayfish.
“What else to they need us to do?”
Keep accurate records of what we find out and send them a report in a couple of months.
Word Wall
organisms
Distribute a basin with a crayfish to each group. Caution the students that the crayfish are living
organisms. Discuss proper respect. Also state that the crayfish will not harm the students. Ask the
students to observe the crayfish and not to handle them just yet. After a few minutes demonstrate how
to handle the crayfish. Some of the more timid students may wish to use the plastic spoons or in the !
liter container. Tell the students that it is okay for the crayfish to be out of the water for a minute or
two, but they should not be dropped on the table top. Allow a few more minutes for observation and
return the crayfish to the basins.
Remind the students that the TESLA scientists want us to observe and record the structures and
behaviors of the crayfish.
When we have a problem to solve we usually say it as a question about what we want to find out. It is
called a Focus Question. Here is the Focus Question for this problem.
What are the structures and behaviors of crayfish? (record on board)
Discuss with the class what the question is asking. They are to record it a CLASS FOCUS
QUESTION in their science notebooks.
PREDICTION (record in notebook)
Teacher’s Notes:
Lead the students to generate predictions for their focus question. Teacher says, “Now that you have a
Focus Question, discuss with your group what you might think is the answer to your question. Since
we are examining both the structures and behaviors of the crayfish we will need two predictions. This
is what the predictions look like Prediction sentence starters:
I think that the structures of the crayfish are ___________ because __________
I think that the behaviors of the crayfish are ____________ because __________
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Allow students time to discuss. Walk around the groups to listen to their ideas and assist them in how
to record it in their notebooks. As students finish recording their predictions have them share their
ideas with the class.
Help students see the relationship between the focus question and the prediction.
Guide and assist those groups that are still having difficulty writing a prediction.
Collect the crayfish basins, plastic spoons and ! liter containers. Close the lesson by stating that
tomorrow we will continue our observations of the crayfish.
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DAY TWO
Today we are going to continue to examine the crayfish to see if we can learn more about them.
Distribute a basin with a crayfish to each group. Demonstrate again how to handle the crayfish. Some
of the more timid students may wish to use the plastic spoons or in the ! liter container. Tell the
students that it is okay for the crayfish to be out of the water for a minute or two, but they should not
be dropped on the table top. Allow a few minutes for observation and return the crayfish to the basins.
Ask:
Word Wall
structures-
Have you noticed any interesting parts on your crayfish?
After a couple of observations are shared, state that the parts of the crayfish are their structures just
like the parts of the plants and seeds are called structures.
You will keep a list of the structures you observe in your science notebook. Distribute the Crayfish
Structures sheet. We will record our observations on this sheet then place it in our science notebooks.
Crayfish Structures
Do crayfish have eyes?_____________________ How many? _________________________
Do crayfish have ears? _____________________ How many? _________________________
Do crayfish have walking legs?______________ How many? _________________________
Do crayfish have antennae?_________________ How many? _________________________
Do crayfish have tail flaps? ____________ How many parts? _________________________
Do crayfish have pincers?___________________ How many? _________________________
Do crayfish legs have joints?________________ How many? _________________________
Do crayfish have mouth parts?______________ How many? _________________________
Do crayfish tails bend?________________How many places? _________________________
Do crayfish have bristles?________________________Where? _________________________
Does the crayfish have bumps?___________________Where? _________________________
What other crayfish structures did you observe?_____________________________________
Allow about 15 minutes for the students to work in their groups, share their observations and complete
their sheets.
Visit the groups as they work and ask the following guiding questions:
•
•
•
•
How are the pincers and walking legs the same? Different?
Where else have you seen bristles?
How is a crew cut like bristles?
Where are the joints on your own legs?
Review the Crayfish Structures sheet with the class. Some of the observations are easy, like the
number of eyes. The number of mouth parts and leg joints are not. Getting correct numbers is not as
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Word Wall
crustaceans-
Word Wall
carapace-
Word Wall
swimmeret
Word Wall
pincer-
important as motivating the students to observe closely, report what they observe and finding the
different structures. When students find a structure that they cannot name, provide the correct name
and add the word to the word wall. Tell the students that the crayfish belongs to a class of animals
called crustaceans.
Students may notice differences among he crayfish. Discuss the observed differences and then
distribute the Crayfish Diagrams sheet.
Some differences may be due to age or handicapping conditions (loss of antennae, leg ,,,). Most
differences observed will be due to sex of the crayfish. Males and females have different structures as
shown on the ventral views on the Crayfish Diagrams sheet. You may wish to make a transparency of
this sheet to work with the class to find similarities and differences between the males and females.
Word Wall
egg pore
Word Wall
antenna
Word Wall
bristles
The first two pairs of swimmerets are modified on males. Males have bigger pincers and narrower
tails than the females. Females have egg pores and longer swimmerets than the males.
Have students label their diagrams, share a few and place both sheets in their science notebooks.
Collect the crayfish basins and other materials. Close by stating that tomorrow we will need to make
homes for the crayfish.
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Part 2: DAY THREE
Note: See Teacher Notes for Part 2. Also remember that when crayfish molt, they are kind of
rubbery. Pick them up with the palm of your hand acting like a cup. Do not squeeze the back of
where their shells were.
Open the session by discussing the care of the crayfish by asking:
•
What do we need to know about crayfish in order to keep them here in our classroom?
Write student ideas on the board. They will probably come up with:
•
•
•
•
•
Feeding - what, how much, how often?
Water - how deep, what temperature, and when to change?
Air Space - do the crayfish need hiding places or rocks?
Togetherness - should the crayfish live together?
Word Wall
habitat-
Introduce the crayfish habitat. State that the place where an animal lives is called a habitat. Hold up
a bus tray and tell the students that you have two big trays for crayfish habitats. Half of the crayfish
will live in one and the other half in the other.
State - In their natural habitat, crayfish find their own food and shelter. But in the classroom, they
must be fed and given a safe place to live.
Discuss the feeding and cleaning needs of the habitat. Be sure to cover:
•
•
•
•
Keeping the water cool (no direct sunlight)
Keeping the water clean
Providing aquatic pants as a food source all of the time.
Using additional basins for feeding the protein-based cat food.
Use the transparency of the Crayfish Log student sheet that will be posted near each crayfish habitat.
The log includes basic care information at the top and spaces for the group to record what they have to
do and observe each day. A different group will make the observations for each day. The log might
continue for a couple of months.
Assign four groups to each bus tray. Give each group a date to take care of the habitat. Write the
group’s name or number on the Crayfish Log sheet for that date.
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Bring out the gravel. Let the students divide it equally and spread it out on the bottoms of the two
bus trays. Pour water from the individual basins or from the aged water supply into the trays about
4 - 6 cm deep or just enough to cover the backs of the crayfish.
Note: Crayfish are agile climbers. Do not place rocks or any objects near the sides of the tray.
The crayfish will use them as stepping stones to get out of the trays!
Word Wall
Elodea
Introduce the Elodea (food) and crayfish houses (shelter). Let the students put half of the Elodea and
four of the houses into one bus tray and the other half into the other tray. Transfer the crayfish to the
habitats.
Have the students make a sketch of the habitat where they placed their crayfish in their science
notebooks under the heading of “Crayfish Habitat”. Share a few.
Tell the students that he crayfish will be moved to the smaller basins to eat their cat food. Cat food
can never be placed in the habitat container. Keep the two feeding basins near the crayfish.
Use any remaining water to water some plants. Rinse and dry the basins.
Word Wall
behavior
Close by stating that when we observe the crayfish for the next several weeks. We will observe what
they do. This is called observing their behaviors. That was the second thing that the TESLA
scientists needed us to do.
Continue the observations and observation logs for the next 6-8 weeks while the observations growing
plants are continuing from Lesson 2. Move on to Part 3 of this lesson after a few days.
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Part 3: DAY FOUR
Tell the students that they will again observe the crayfish up close. Remind them that the scientists
from TESLA wanted us to send them some information about crayfish structures and behaviors. So
far we have learned some new information about crayfish structures. Today we will begin to learn
some new information about what crayfish do. What do crayfish do when something happens to them?
When they are out of the water? When they are on the table? When another crayfish is nearby?
Have a member from each group prepare a crayfish basin for their group. They should:
•
•
•
•
Prepare a basin with 3 - 4 cm of aged water
Select a crayfish from the habitat
Put the crayfish in their group’s basin
Bring the crayfish to their group for close observation
Word Wall
behaviors
Let the groups have free exploration for a few minutes then ask students to share some of the things
they observed that crayfish do. State - the things crayfish do are called behaviors. Raising their
pincers, flapping their tail and walking forward are all examples of crayfish behavior.
Allow students several more minutes to observe their crayfish behaviors. You may suggest that the
students remove a house from the habitat tray and place it in the basin. Two groups may place their
crayfish together in the same basin for a few minutes to observe what happens.
Discuss what they students observed as a class discussion, reinforcing the term ” behavior.”
Have students make sketches and complete the following sentences in their science notebooks.
Today I observed the crayfish many behaviors. The behaviors were _________________
_______________________________________.
Return the crayfish and houses to the bus tray habitats.
Close by having several students share their science notebook entries to check for understanding.
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Part 4: DAY FIVE
Note: This segment will take one session to introduce, 5-minute daily observations for 4 days or
more and one 20-minute wrap-up.
Start a discussion of crayfish houses.
•
•
•
I saw a number of you looking in the crayfish houses in the habitat trays.
What did you see?
What were the crayfish doing with the houses?
Reinforce the idea that crayfish use the houses for shelter. If students have not raised the idea that
crayfish have a preference for a certain house, ask:
•
•
•
•
Do all of the crayfish hide in houses?
Does each crayfish have its own house that it always goes into?
Do two crayfish hide in the same house?
How can we find out for sure?
Ask each group to meet and plan how they might set up an investigation to find out about crayfish and
houses. Tell them that the investigation might take a few days. They also need to think of a way to
record their results.
While the students are discussing their plan distribute a Crayfish Habitat sheet to each student. Tell
them that this may help with recording their observations.
Have students share their plans - write their ideas on the board. Guide students into a plan that
includes these elements:
•
•
•
•
Secure the houses to a specific location in the tray to correspond to the Crayfish Habitat sheet.
Identify individual crayfish
Observe the crayfish houses once each day for at least a week.
Record the location of each crayfish on the Crayfish Habitat sheet every day for at least a
week.
Prepare the trays and houses as outlined in the teacher notes at the start of this lesson. Then return the
gravel, water and crayfish to each tray.
Then follow the directions for identifying the crayfish using one of the two options also outlined at the
start of this lesson.
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Explain how to record crayfish movements.
•
•
Observe the location of the crayfish in the tray.
Draw the crayfish in the corresponding location on the Crayfish Habitat sheet.
A fun way to do this is to place a white adhesive dot on the sheet where the crayfish’s carapace is, and
draw a couple of eyes to indicate which way the crayfish is looking. Then draw four feelers, walking
legs and tail. Finally write the name of the crayfish or color it to indicate which one it is.
Each member of a group should make a recording each day. Number a new sheet each day as Day 1,
Day 2, Day 3 and so on. Try to make the observations at the same time each day - possibly in the
morning. The sheets and any observations should be placed in the science notebooks.
After students have recorded their observations for at least 4 days, conduct a class discussion.
Word Wall
territory
When an animal moves into a place in its habitat and defends it against others, that place is the
animal’s territory.
Tell students to lay out their four Crayfish Habitat sheets in order from 1-4 (or more) and to review
the behavior of each crayfish from day to day. Ask for them to look for evidence that one or more of
their crayfish has established a territory.
Here are two ways to manage this:
•
Have all of the groups responsible for a tray gather around one group of tables to view the
record sheets and look for patterns
•
Draw large replicas of the record sheets on the board or on chart paper. Have students from
each group fill in heir data
Or
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After viewing the record sheets, hold a class discussion on any patterns of behavior that the students
may have observed.
•
•
•
Did any of the crayfish establish a territory in the habitat?
How did you know?
What other animals behave like crayfish in some way?
If you keep your crayfish habitat going for an extended period of time, you may see a number of
interesting episodes in the life of the crayfish - mating, egg-carrying, molting, birth, growth, death and
life cycle.
Check with your Science Resource Teacher for what to do with the crayfish at the end of the unit.
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DAY SIX
MAKING MEANING CONFERENCE (Teacher directed)
Display the class data from the previous day. Begin a class discussion reviewing the data the students
collected when they observed the various structures and behaviors of the crayfish.
Then conduct a class discussion using the template below:
1) Reviewing
data.
Remember, this is the conferencing stage. It is preferable that students not take notes during
this activity, but contribute with their results. However, don’t discourage students who wish to
add down information during the discussion. Ask students to use the information that was
recorded from their science notebook entries.
2) Observing
and looking for patterns.
Teacher guides students to share - making claims supported by evidence. To initiate analyzing
the information observed the teacher can say:
•
What are some of the observable structures of the crayfish?
•
What does a crayfish need for a healthy habitat?
•
What are some of the behaviors of the crayfish?
•
How are crayfish territorial?
Guide students in writing CLAIMS based on the data charts. As they share information, assist
students in making associations with claims based on their evidence. Teacher should make
the claim orally or written on the board and students should provide the evidence.
EXAMPLES
Claims
I claim that…………..
I know that ………….
Evidence
I claim this because………..
I know this because ………..
1. The crayfish has structures that I can observe 1.
2. The crayfish needs a healthy habitat
2.
3. The crayfish has behaviors that I can observe 3.
4. Sometimes crayfish are territorial
4.
Teacher decides to list as many claims and evidence needed for students to understand the
process.
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CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE: (record in notebooks) Teacher says:
“You need to finish the three sentences below. Remember, you need to use
information from your science notebooks or the word wall to complete the
sentences in your science notebook. You may wish to duplicate this and
have the students paste and complete the sentences.
I claim that a crayfish has structures that are observable.
I claim this because ____________.
I claim that the crayfish needs _________________ to survive.
I claim this because ____________.
I claim that a crayfish has behaviors that are observable.
I claim this because ____________.
CONCLUSION: (record in notebook)
Students are then asked to revisit their original predictions and write a sentence that
states whether the evidence from their observations supported each or not. They are to
explain why and provide clear explanations regarding how their evidence supported, or
did not support, their predictions regarding the structures and behaviors of crayfish
using the sentence stems:
“ The evidence supported/did not support my prediction because … . “
They are also to write a conclusion using the following sentence stem:
“Today I learned… .”
REFLECTION: (record in notebook)
Students will revisit the “Big Idea” and their results. Ask them to respond to
one of the following stems:
“What really surprised me about crayfish was … .”
“A new question that I have about crayfish is … .”
“I wonder if … .”
Share these in class.
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FEEDBACK GUIDE
PROFICIENCY
Structures of Life LE 3
S
T
Notebook Components
Focus Question
• Relates to scenario.
• Cannot be answered yes or no
• Investigable
Predictions (2) • One sentence that answers problem
• Uses “because”
Data
• Labeled drawings of crayfish and habitat
• Charts - structures and behaviors
Claims and Evidence
• Three claims and evidence statements related to guiding
questions
Conclusions
• Prediction revisited and affirmed/revised
• “Today I learned” statement
Reflection
• Responds to one of the stems
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ENGAGING SCENARIO
“ The scientists at TESLA are very
pleased with the information we have
learned so far about seeds and plants.
They also liked the information we
learned about plants being able to grow
just in water. While your plants are
growing, they would like for you to
work on a new project for them. Now
they would like for you to find
information about the structures and
behaviors of crayfish. They have sent
along some materials that may help us
find this information. They also need us
to keep accurate records and labeled
drawings in our science notebooks
again and then send them a report
about what we found out about crayfish
when we are finished.”
What is the problem we need to solve?
What do we need to investigate?
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Focus Question
What are the structures and behaviors of crayfish?
Predictions
I think that the structures of the crayfish are_________
_____________because ________________________
I think that the behaviors of the crayfish are ________
_____________because ________________________
Observations
Today I observed the crayfish many behaviors.
The behaviors were _________________
_______________________________________.
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Claims and Evidence Stems
I claim that a crayfish has structures that are
observable.
I claim this because ____________.
I claim that the crayfish needs _________________ to
survive.
I claim this because ____________.
I claim that a crayfish has behaviors that are
observable.
I claim this because ____________.
Conclusion Stems
The evidence supported/did not support my
prediction because ___________________ .
Today I learned _____________________ .
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Reflection Stems
What really surprised me about crayfish was
_________ .
A new question that I have about crayfish is
______________________________ .
I wonder if __________________ .
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