Lauren Ferry Alicia Imbriano Chrissy Rietta

CSL 570 Summer 2015

Content Based Literacy Unit - Habitats

CSL 570 Overview

OVERVIEW: This content area reading unit was designed for use in a Pre-Kindergarten
class. The theme of the unit is habitats and is a part of the Common Core State Standards
for Science. The unit plan developed includes different reading and writing strategies that
will help Pre-Kindergarten students to learn about different habitats and the plants and
animals that may live there. Throughout this habitats unit, the students will be asked to
complete different activities to show their understanding of the concept being discussed.
The lessons in this unit have been diversified to meet the needs of different types of
learners and are adapted to challenge students on an individual basis.
READING STRATEGIES: Throughout this unit, the teacher will utilize different reading
strategies to meet the needs of different learners. In Lesson One, the teacher will use the
book A Swim Through the Sea by Kristin Joy Pratt to complete a whole class read-aloud.
In Lesson Two, the teacher will work with the students in small groups to complete a
guided reading of the book The Forest written and illustrated by Nora Voutas. For Lesson
Three, the teacher will complete a read-aloud of Way Out in the Desert by Jennifer Ward
with the students to model good reading and engage the students in discussion about the
desert habitat. In Lesson Four, the teacher will use the book Scoot! by Cathryn Falwell to
complete a whole class read-aloud. For Lesson Five, the teacher will utilize guided
reading instruction to work with students in small groups.
WRITING STRATEGIES: The teacher will use different writing strategies that will
enable the students to recall important information and express, in writing, what they
have learned about the habitats, animals, and plants discussed each day. In Lesson One,
the teacher will ask the students to write a sentence about one important fact that they
have learned from reading about the ocean. For Lesson Two, the teacher will ask the
students to write a sentence about one thing that they have learned about a plant or animal
that lives in the forest based on changes made to their drawings after reading. In Lesson
Three, the teacher will ask the students to name the animals and plants that live in the
pond habitat and write their names using invented spelling. For Lesson Four, the students
will complete a mural of the plants and animals that live in the desert habitat. The
students will be asked to spell the names of the plants and animals using invented
spelling which will be looked over by the teacher. During Lesson Five, the students will
work in small groups to recall plants and animals that live in each habitat previously
discussed. The students will either draw a picture or write the name of a plant or animal
in chart paper.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Throughout this unit, the teacher will focus on different lesson
objectives to ensure that the students have a complete understanding of each habitat
discussed. In Lesson One, students sill be able to accurately identify and describe one
animal and one plant that lives in the ocean after completing a read-aloud of A Swim
Through the Sea by Kristin Joy Pratt. In Lesson Two, after participating in a guided
reading of The Forest by Nora Voutas, the students will be able to identify and describe
one plant and one animal that live in a forest habitat. For Lesson Three, the students will
be able to identify the pond habitat as well as one plant and one animal that live within

the habitat after completing a read-aloud of Scoot! by Cathryn Falwell. In Lesson Four,
the students will identify the desert habitat as well as one animal and one plant that lives
within the habitat after completing a read-aloud of Way Out in the Desert by Jennifer
Ward. For Lesson Five, after a unit of lessons on several different habitats and a guided
reading book called Who Lives Here? by R.K. Burrice, the students will be able to
illustrate plants and animals that live in different habitats.
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY:
Lesson 1 (Ocean Habitat):
o SEA/OCEAN: a huge body of salt water
o HABITAT: a special place where a plant or animal lives
o SWIM: propel through water by using your body
o FISH: an animal that lives in water and has fins for swimming and gills for
breathing
o DOLPHIN: a mammal that lives in the water. Dolphins look like large fish
but they breathe air
o SHARK: a fish that lives in the ocean and has tough skin and a skeleton
made of cartilage; most sharks eat other fish.
o CORAL REEF: a community of living organisms
o SEA WEED: algae
o WHALE: a very large mammal that lives in the water
o STARFISH: known as sea stars; they cannot swim and they do not have
gills.
o TURTLE: a reptile that has a hard shell
Lesson 2 (Forest Habitat):
o FOREST: a large area covered mostly by trees
o HABITAT: a special place where a plant or animal lives
o DEER: a large wild animal that has four long thin legs and brown fur
o FOX: a small wild animal that has a long pointed nose and a bushy tail
o SQUIRREL: a small animal with a long tail and soft fur that lives in trees
o MUSHROOM: a fungus that is shaped like an umbrella
o TREE: a usually tall plant that has a thick, wooden stem and many large
branches
o RABBIT: a small animal that has long ears, soft fur, and longer back legs
than front legs
Lesson 3 (Pond Habitat):
o POND: A small body of still water
o HABITAT: A special place where a plant or animal lives
o BLUE HERON: a blue-gray bird with long legs and wings
o TURTLE: a reptile with a hard shell that lives mostly in water
o FROG: a small animal with smooth skin, long back legs, and lives in
water
o BEAVER: a small animal with thick brown fur
o DUCK: a type of bird that spends much of its time in the water
o WATER LILY: a plant that grows in water with round floating leaves and
flowers

REEDS: tall thin grass that grows around water

Lesson 4 (Desert Habitat):
o DESERT: A habitat characterized by dry, hot air and very little water
o HABITAT: A special place where a plant or animal lives
o COYOTE: wild animal related to dogs
o HORNED TOAD: a toad with horns that lives in the desert
o RATTLESNAKE: a type of snake that makes a rattling sound with its tail
o LIZARD: a reptile with four legs and a long tail
o ROADRUNNER: a bird that runs fast and lives in the desert
o JACKRABBIT: a large rabbit-like animal that runs very fast
o SCORPION: a small animal related to spiders with a front claw and a
stinger
o CACTUS: a plant that has sharp points and lives in the desert
o WILDFLOWER: a type of flower
Lesson 5 (Review/Culminating):
o See Academic Vocabulary for previous Habitat lessons (Ocean, Forest,
Pond, Desert)
o

CONTENT AREA CONCEPTS:

English Language Arts
o Responding to Literature
1. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about
details in a text.
2. With prompting and support, retell detail(s) in a text.
11. Create and present a poem, dramatization, art work, or personal
response to a particular author or theme studied in class, with
prompting as needed.
o Text Types and Purposes
2. With prompting and support, use a combination of drawing,
dictating, or writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in
which they name what they are writing about and supply some
information about the topic.
3. With prompting and support, use a combination of drawing,
dictating, or writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in
which they name what they are writing about and supply some
information about the topic.
o Conventions of Standard English
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
c) With guidance and support, attempt to spell simple
words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter
relationships.
o Integration and Knowledge of Ideas
7. With prompting and support, describe the relationship between
illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g. what person,
place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).

Production and Distribution of Writing

2. With prompting and support, use a combination of drawing,
dictating, or writing to compose informative/ explanatory texts in
which they name what they are writing about and supply some
information about the topic.
5. With guidance and support, respond to questions and
suggestions and add details to strengthen illustration or writing, as
needed.
11. Create and present a poem, dramatization, art work, or personal
response to a particular author or theme studied in class, with
prompting and support as needed.

Science
o Living Things
1.
Observes and describes characteristics of living things.
j) Observes, describes, and compares the habitats of plants
and animals.
5. Observes and describes characteristics of living things.
a) Observes and discusses similarities, differences, and
categories of plants and animals.

LITERACY STRATEGIES FOR CRITICAL THINKING: The teacher will utilize higher
level thinking questions to engage the students in critical thinking. The teacher will use
explicit and implicit questioning to encourage the students to not only recall information
from the text but to also read between the lines and use pictures to make logical
conclusions as well.

HABITAT UNIT PLAN DAY 1

NAME: Alicia Imbriano
GRADE LEVEL: Pre-Kindergarten
GROUP SIZE: Whole Group
TOPIC: Ocean Habitat
CONTENT AREA:
English Language Arts
Science
OBJECTIVE: After a read aloud of A Swim Through the Sea by Kristin Joy Pratt,
students will be able to accurately identify and describe one animal and one plant that
lives in the ocean.
CURRICULUM RATIONALE: The purpose of this lesson is to educate students on the
habitats that specific animals live in. The students will be able to learn specifically about
the plants and animals that can be found in the Ocean habitat. Through the text, the
students will be able to distinguish different things that can be found in the ocean.
Students will make connections with the text, and draw upon prior knowledge of their
experiences with the ocean. The independent work will help students focus and expand
on one marine animal in particular. The teacher will create an anchor chart for students to
reference the animals that live in the ocean and the animals that do not.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD(S):
English Language Arts
o Responding to Literature
2. With prompting and support, retell detail(s) in a text.
This will be evident when the student can recall plants/animals
from the text.
o Text Types and Purposes
3. With prompting and support, use a combination of drawing,
dictating, or writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in
which they name what they are writing about and supply some
information about the topic.
This will be evident when the student writes one important fact
about an ocean animal from the text.
o Conventions of Standard English
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

c) With guidance and support, attempt to spell simple

words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter
relationships.
This will be evident when the students attempt to write a
fact about their ocean animal.

Science
o Living Things
1.
Observes and describes characteristics of living things.
j) Observes, describes, and compares the habitats of plants
and animals.
This will be evident by the students ability to correctly
identify and describe the different animals that live in the
Ocean habitat.

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE:
SEA/OCEAN: A huge body of salt water
HABITAT: A special place where a plant or animal lives
SWIM: Propel through water by using your body
FISH: An animal that lives in water and has fins for swimming and gills for
breathing
DOLPHIN: A mammal that lives in the water. Dolphins look like large fish but
they breathe air
SHARK: A fish that lives in the ocean and has tough skin and a skeleton made of
cartilage. Most sharks eat other fish.
CORAL REEF: A community of living organisms
SEA WEED:Algae
WHALE: A very large mammal that lives in the water
STARFISH: Known as sea stars. They cannot swim and they do not have gills.
TURTLE: A reptile that has a hard shell
MATERIALS USED:
A Swim Through the Sea by Kristin Joy Pratt
SMARTboard
SMARTboard markers
Fish bowl
Water
Animal figurines
Chart paper for anchor chart
Pencil
Paper
Yellow marker
crayons
INTRODUCTION: The teacher will display to the whole class a big fish bowl that has
been filled with water. The teacher will place different animals in the fish bowl. There
will be animals that belong in the ocean habitat and animals that belong in different

habitats such as the forest habitat. The students will take turns sorting the animals that
live in the ocean from those that do not. Students will place their hands in the bowl and
remove the animals that are in the incorrect habitat. The class will discuss why some of
the animals had to be removed from the water. (ex: They cannot survive in the water)
Questions: What animals belong in the water? What animals do not belong in the
water? Why did you remove ____ animal?
BRIEF PROCEDURE:
The teacher will introduce the book, A Swim Through the Sea by Kristin Joy Pratt.
The teacher will draw upon students prior knowledge by asking them what they
think the book might be about. What do you predict that this book might be
about? Why?
After the class has established that this book is about the sea/ocean, the class will
make a word web on the SMARTboard. The students will come up to the board
and draw a picture that comes to their mind when they hear the topic ocean.
More advanced students will be asked to write a word that comes to their mind.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word ocean?
The teacher will read aloud the book, A Swim Through the Sea by Kristin Joy
Bratt. The teacher will stop at different points in the book to ask questions and
check for understanding. The first animal featured in this alphabet book starts
with A and is an Angelfish. Any guesses on what the animal that starts with B will
be? How do you think a shark feels? Soft or hard? How do you think a crab feels?
Soft or hard?
At the completion of the book, the teacher will ask the students to think of their
favorite animal and turn and talk with their partner. What is your favorite
plant/animal and why?
The teacher will introduce the independent practice to the students.
The teacher will assist students as needed.
At the closure of the lesson, the teacher will ask students to share out the animal
that they chose and the important fact that they chose to write about.
After the lesson, the teacher will bind together the students individual pages to
make their under the sea book. The book will be put in the class school library
and the students will be able to reference this book whenever they like.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: The teacher will explain to the students that we are going
to make a sea animal class book. The cover of the book will read Under the Sea. Inside
the book will be a page created by each student. The students will be instructed to draw a
picture of one sea animal and one plant. They will be required to include on important
fact about the plant or animal they drew. The teacher will assist students as needed and
advise them to think back in the book and the class discussion that was had. The teacher
will check for individual understanding while the students are working.
CLOSURE: At the closure, the class will have a book share and share out each page that
they wrote in the class book.
ASSESSMENT OF COMMON CORE STANDARDS:

SHORT TERM: To assess for the objective, the teacher will look over the
completed picture/writing and check for accuracy. The student will not be
assessed based on spelling. The student will also be assessed based on their oral
explanation of their plant/animal. Achievement of the objective and common core
standards will be evidenced by the students ability to accurately identify and
describe an animal/plant from the ocean habitat. If the students do not meet the
standards, the student, under direct intervention with the teacher, will re-read the
text. The teacher and the student will create a page in the book together.

LONG TERM: The students long term mastery of the CCSS will be assessed
formally as the teacher uses a rubric (Domain Module Assessment) to determining
the students knowledge of plants and animals within certain habitats.

ADAPTATIONS: For the low-level/middle-level students who have difficultly encoding

letters to make words, the teacher will write the word/sentence for the student in yellow
marker and the student will trace the letters with a pencil.

HABITAT UNIT PLAN DAY 2

NAME: Lauren Ferry
GRADE LEVEL: Pre-Kindergarten
GROUP SIZE: Center Based Small Group Instruction (rotating groups maximum of 6
students)
TOPIC: Forest Habitat
CONTENT AREA:
English Language Arts
Science
OBJECTIVE: After participating in a guided reading of The Forest by Nora Voutas, the
students will be able to identify and describe one plant and one animal that live in a forest
habitat.
CURRICULUM RATIONALE: The purpose of this lesson is to educate students on the
habitats that specific animals live in. The students will be able to learn specifically about
the plants and animals that can be found in the Forest habitat. Through the text, the
students will be able to distinguish different things that can be found in the forest.
Students will make connections through drawings made before and after reading, and
draw upon prior knowledge of their experiences with the forest. The independent work
will help students focus and expand on their drawings by including one forest animal and
one forest plant.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD(S):
English Language Arts
o Integration and Knowledge of Ideas
7. With prompting and support, describe the relationship between
illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g. what person,
place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).
This will be evidenced by the students ability to recognize a forest
plant or animal by its picture.
o Text Types and Purposes
2. With prompting and support, use a combination of drawing,
dictating, or writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in
which they name what they are writing about and supply some
information about the topic.

This will be evidenced by the students ability to write a sentence

about their Talking Drawings.
Production and Distribution of Writing
5. With guidance and support, respond to questions and
suggestions and add details to strengthen illustration or writing, as
needed.
This will be evidenced by the students ability to add more detail
to their drawings after reading.

Science
o Living Things
1.
Observes and describes characteristics of living things.
j) Observes, describes, and compares the habitats of plants
and animals.
This will be evident by the students ability to correctly
identify and describe the different animals that live in the
Forest habitat.

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE:
FOREST: a large area covered mostly by trees
HABITAT: a special place where a plant or animal lives
DEER: a large wild animal that has four long thin legs and brown fur
FOX: a small wild animal that has a long pointed nose and a bushy tail
SQUIRREL: a small animal with a long tail and soft fur that lives in trees
MUSHROOM: a fungus that is shaped like an umbrella
TREE: a usually tall plant that has a thick, wooden stem and many large branches
RABBIT: a small animal that has long ears, soft fur, and longer back legs than
front legs
MATERIALS USED:
The Forest by Nora Voutas (Level A Leveled Book) from www.readinga-z.com
SheppardSoftwareCom. (2009, May 15). Animal Forest [Video file]. Retrieved
from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEG08_h6aT8Animal Forest Youtube
video
paper
crayons
SMARTboard
chart paper
markers
computer
INTRODUCTION: The teacher will display a piece of chart paper with "The Forest"
written on it. The teacher will ask the students if they have ever seen a forest before. The
teacher will ask the students to discuss some of the things that they have seen in the
forest, specifically the plant life and the animals. As the students discuss what they know,

the teacher will write down their thoughts or guesses. The students will watch a YouTube
video called Animal Forest, which will expand their understanding of the forest. The
teacher will review the video with the students and ask the students if they were able to
find new plants or animals mentioned in the video that were not mentioned before. The
teacher will add any new plants or animals to the list.
Questions: Have you been to the forest? What kinds of plants and animals have
you seen in the forest?
BRIEF PROCEDURE (to be completed with all reading groups):
The students will be separated into their reading groups.
The teacher will ask the students to draw a picture of a forest habitat. The teacher
will encourage the students to include any plants and animals that they have seen
or can think of that would live in this habitat. The students will share their
drawings with the group and explain what they have drawn.
The teacher and the students will take turns reading The Forest by Nora Voutas.
The teacher will pause on each page and give the students an opportunity to share
experiences that they may have had with the different plants and animals
mentioned.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: After reading through the story two times, the teacher will
ask the students to review their drawings. The students will have the opportunity to add
additional details to their drawings based on what they have learned from their reading
and discussion. The students will write one sentence describing the new thing that they
added to their drawing.
CLOSURE: The teacher will invite the class back to the meeting area after meeting with
each reading group. The teacher will ask the students to share out the things that they
have learned about the forest habitat based on the group discussions and the reading of
The Forest by Nora Voutas. The teacher will add new information to their Forest Habitat
chart paper as the students share.
ASSESSMENT OF COMMON CORE STANDARDS:
SHORT TERM: Achievement of the objective and common core standards will be
evidenced by the students ability to accurately identify and describe one animal
and one plant from the forest habitat. If the students do not meet the standards,
the student, under direct intervention with the teacher, will re-read the text. The
teacher and the student will discuss the text and the student will draw a picture of
the animals and plants described.

LONG TERM: The students long term mastery of the CCSS will be assessed
formally as the teacher uses a rubric (Domain Module Assessment) to determining
the students knowledge of plants and animals within certain habitats.

ADAPTATIONS: For the low-level/middle-level students who have difficultly encoding

letters to make words, the teacher will write the word/sentence for the student in yellow
marker and the student will trace the letters with a pencil. For the high-level students, the

teacher will ask the students to write one sentence describing their drawing and what they
have learned about the forest habitat.

HABITAT UNIT PLAN DAY 3

NAME: Christina Rietta
GRADE LEVEL: Pre-Kindergarten
GROUP SIZE: Whole Group
TOPIC: Pond Habitat
CONTENT AREA:
English Language Arts
Science
OBJECTIVE: After a read aloud Scoot! by Cathryn Falwell, students will identify the
pond habitat, as well as one animal and one plant that resides within the habitat.
CURRICULUM RATIONALE: The purpose of this lesson is to educate students on
specific habitats, as well as the animals and plants that reside within those habitats. The
students will be able to learn specifically about the plants and animals that can be found
in the pond habitat. Through the text, the students will be able to distinguish different
things that can be found in the pond. Students will make connections with the text, and
draw upon prior knowledge of their experiences with the pond. The independent work
will help students focus and expand on one animal and one plant in particular.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD(S):
English Language Arts
o Responding to Literature
1. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about
details in a text.
This will be made evident by the students ability to engage in
discussion about the text.
o Production and Distribution ofWriting
11. Create and present a poem, dramatization, art work, or personal
response to a particular author or theme studied in class, with
prompting and support as needed.
This will be made evident by the students ability to choose a plant
or animal that lives in the Pond habitat to draw.

Science
o Living Things
1.
Observes and describes characteristics of living things.
j) Observes, describes, and compares the habitats of plants
and animals.
This will be evident by the students ability to correctly
identify and describe the different animals that live in the
Pond habitat.

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE:
POND: A small body of still water
HABITAT: A special place where a plant or animal lives
BLUE HERON: a blue-gray bird with long legs and wings
TURTLE: a reptile with a hard shell that lives mostly in water
FROG: a small animal with smooth skin, long back legs, and lives in water
BEAVER: a small animal with thick brown fur
DUCK: a type of bird that spends much of its time in the water
WATER LILY: a plant that grows in water with round floating leaves and flowers
REEDS: tall thin grass that grows around water
MATERIALS USED:
Scoot! by Cathryn Falwell
White paper
Markers
Crayons
Plastic animals and plants (from pond habitat)
Picture of pond
INTRODUCTION: The teacher will begin the lesson motivating the students by showing
them a picture of her standing next to a pond. The teacher will ask the students what they
see in the picture. The teacher will allow adequate time for student responses, aiding the
students when needed. Once the students name objects within the picture, the teacher will
lead a guided conversation about the pond habitat. She will explain to the students that
the name of this habitat is called the pond and many plants and animals live here. The
teacher will set a focus for the lesson by saying, Boys and girls today we are going to
learn about the different plants and animals that live in the pond habitat.
BRIEF PROCEDURE:
The teacher will introduce the read aloud by showing the students the front cover
of the book, as well as giving a brief description of the book. She will set a focus
for reading.
The teacher will read the book. She will stop to ask comprehension questions
during the reading, as well as explain various plants and animals.
After the reading, the students will engage in a guided conversation about the
plants and animals within the pond habitat.

The teacher will bring the plastic plants and animals to the whole group area. She
will ask the students to identify the animals and plants shown. The teacher will
ask the students to describe the habitat in which they live. Each child will have the
opportunity to discuss an animal or plant from the habitat.
The teacher will then transition the students into the independent practice portion
of the lesson at their tables.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: The students will be given directions for the activity. The
students will be told that they are choosing a plant or animal that they learned about in
the pond habitat. After they choose the plant or animal, they will draw it on the white
paper with the crayons and markers and explain an important fact that they learned about
the plant or animal from the pond habitat. After drawing the picture, they will be
encouraged to use invented spelling to write the name of the animal. The teachers in the
room will help the students write the important fact that they learned about the animal or
plant. The teacher will complete a model for the students and will provide additional
assistance as needed..
CLOSURE: The teacher will bring the students back to the whole group meeting area.
She will ask the students to describe the pond habitat, as well as identify plants and
animals within that habitat. She will ask a higher level-thinking question regarding other
animals from different habitats and why they cannot live in the pond. After the students
respond, the teacher will set a focus for the next literacy lesson.
ASSESSMENT OF COMMON CORE STANDARDS:
SHORT TERM: The students short term mastery of the CCS will be assessed
informally as the teacher observes the students participation and accuracy of
answers during the read aloud.

LONG TERM: The students long term mastery of the CCS will be assessed
formally as the teacher uses a rubric (Domain Module Assessment) to determine
the students knowledge of plants and animals within certain habitats.

ADAPTATIONS: Students performing above grade level will be asked to draw and write
about two animals or plants and use invented spelling to write about them. Students
performing below grade level will be asked to draw one plant or animal from the habitat.
The teacher will closely monitor these students during the writing portion of the activity.

HABITAT UNIT PLAN DAY 4

NAME: Christina Rietta
GRADE LEVEL: Pre-Kindergarten
GROUP SIZE: Whole Group
TOPIC: Desert Habitat
CONTENT AREA:
English Language Arts
Science
OBJECTIVE: After a read aloud Way Out in the Desert by Jennifer Ward, students will
identify the desert habitat, as well as one animal and one plant that reside within the
habitat.
CURRICULUM RATIONALE: The purpose of this lesson is to educate students on
specific habitats, as well as the animals and plants that reside within those habitats. The
students will be able to learn specifically about the plants and animals that can be found
in the desert habitat. Through the text, the students will be able to distinguish different
things that can be found in the desert. Students will make connections with the text, and
draw upon prior knowledge of their experiences with the desert. The independent work
will help students focus and expand on one animal and one plant in particular.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD (S):
English Language Arts
o Responding to Literature
1. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about
details in a text.
This will be made evident by the students ability to engage in
discussion about the text.
o Production and Distribution of Writing
2. With prompting and support, use a combination of drawing,
dictating, or writing to compose informative/ explanatory texts in
which they name what they are writing about and supply some
information about the topic.

This will be made evident by the students ability to complete a

mural of the plants and animals that live in the Desert habitat.

Science
o Living Things
1.
Observes and describes characteristics of living things.
j) Observes, describes, and compares the habitats of plants
and animals.
This will be evident by the students ability to correctly
identify and describe the different animals that live in the
Desert habitat.

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE:
DESERT: A habitat characterized by dry, hot air and very little water
HABITAT: A special place where a plant or animal lives
COYOTE: wild animal related to dogs
HORNED TOAD: a toad with horns that lives in the desert
RATTLESNAKE: a type of snake that makes a rattling sound with its tail
LIZARD: a reptile with four legs and a long tail
ROADRUNNER: a bird that runs fast and lives in the desert
JACKRABBIT: a large rabbit-like animal that runs very fast
SCORPION: a small animal related to spiders with a front claw and a stinger
CACTUS: a plant that has sharp points and lives in the desert
WILDFLOWER: a type of flower
MATERIALS USED:
Way Out In The Desert by Jennifer Ward
White paper
Pencils
Crayons
Markers
Sand
Plastic container
Paper cutouts of desert animals and plants
INTRODUCTION: The teacher will begin the lesson motivating the students by showing
them a plastic container filled with sand. The teacher will ask the students what they
think of when they see and touch the sand. The teacher will allow adequate time for
student responses, aiding the students when needed. Once the correct response is given,
the teacher will lead a guided conversation about the desert. The teacher will set a focus

for the lesson by saying, Boys and girls today we are going to learn about the different
plants and animals that live in the desert.
BRIEF PROCEDURE:
The teacher will introduce the read aloud by showing the students the front cover
of the book, as well as giving a brief description of the book. She will set a focus
for reading.
The teacher will read the book. She will stop to ask comprehension questions
during the reading, as well as explain various plants and animals.
After the reading, the students will engage in a guided conversation about the
plants and animals within the desert habitat.
The teacher will bring the sand container back to the whole group, along with the
paper cut outs of the plants and animals. She will explain the directions for the
whole group activity. During this time, the students will help the teacher create a
three dimensional mural of the desert habitat using the materials. Together, they
will place the plants and animals in the sand to create the mural. The students will
identify each paper cut out.
After the whole group activity, the teacher will review the various animals and
plants that live in the desert habitat. She will also review the characteristics of the
desert habitat (dry, sandy, hot).
The teacher will then transition the students into the independent practice portion
of the lesson at their tables.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: The students will be given directions for the activity. The
students will be told that they are making murals using crayons, markers, and paper. They
will be instructed to draw the plants (2) and animals (at least 3) that live in the desert
habitat. The teacher will provide assistance to students when needed.
CLOSURE: The teacher will bring the students back to the whole group meeting area.
She will ask the students to describe the desert habitat, as well as identify plants and
animals within that habitat. She will ask a higher level-thinking question regarding other
animals from different habitats and why they cannot live in the desert. After the students
respond, the teacher will set a focus for the next literacy lesson.
ASSESSMENT OF COMMON CORE STANDARDS:
SHORT TERM: The students short term mastery of the CCS will be assessed
informally as the teacher observes the students participation and accuracy of
answers during the read aloud. The students will also be observed and anecdotal
records will be taken to determine whether or not the students were accurately
able to sort the pictures of the plants and animals.

LONG TERM: The students long term mastery of the CCS will be assessed
formally as the teacher uses a rubric (Domain Module Assessment) to determine
the students knowledge of plants and animals within certain habitats.

ADAPTATIONS: Students performing above grade level will be asked to label the
animals and plants (invented spelling) on their murals. Students performing below grade
level will be asked to draw one plant and one animal that live in the desert habitat. The
teacher will closely monitor these students.

HABITAT UNIT PLAN DAY 5

NAME: Alicia Imbriano
GRADE LEVEL: Pre-Kindergarten
GROUP SIZE: Small group setting: center based
TOPIC: Habitats
CONTENT AREA:
English Language Arts
Science
OBJECTIVE: After a unit of lessons on several different habitats, and a guided reading
book called Who Lives Here? by R.K. Burrice, the students will be able to illustrate
plants and animals that live in different habitats.
CURRICULUM RATIONALE: The purpose of this lesson is to distinguish the
differences between the ocean, pond, forest, and desert habitat. The students will be able
to review where specific plants and animals can be found. Through the text, the students
will be able to distinguish why living things appear in some geographical regions, but not
in others. The independent work will help the students categorize where the specific
plants/animals are found. The students will share out the plant/animal they drew and why
it belongs in the home they chose.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD(S):
English Language Arts
o Responding to Literature
1. With prompting and support, retell detail(s) in a text.
This will be evident when the student can recall plants/animals
from the text.
o Production and Distribution of Writing
11. Create and present a poem, dramatization, art work, or personal
response to a particular author or theme studied in class, with
prompting as needed.

This will be evident when the student draws a plant/animal on the

chart paper.

Science
o Living Things
1.
Observes and describes characteristics of living things.
j) Observes, describes, and compares the habitats of plants
and animals.
This will be evident by the students ability to correctly
identify and describe the different animals that live in the
forest, ocean, pond, and desert habitats.
5. Observes and describes characteristics of living things.
a) Observes and discusses similarities, differences, and
categories of plants and animals.
This will be evident when the students are able to draw the
correct animal/plant in the correct habitat.

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE: Review of all academic language from the previous four
lessons on habitats (ocean, desert, pond, forest)
MATERIALS USED:
What Lives Here? by R.K. Burrice (Level A)
Teacher made habitats
Rubber animals
4 pieces of construction paper
Crayons/markers
INTRODUCTION: The teacher will place four different teacher made habitats on the
table. The habitats provided will be desert, ocean, forest, and pond. The habitats will be
made of construction paper and will include specific characteristics that specify each
habitat. Next, the teacher will place rubber animals in front of the children and ask them
to put the animals in their correct home. The group will talk about why animals live in
specific places and how all four of these habitats are different.
Questions: What makes the forest habitat different from the pond habitat? What
makes the ocean habitat different from the ocean habitat? Why cant a dolphin
live in the desert? Why cant a bear live in the ocean?
BRIEF PROCEDURE:
In a small group, the teacher will introduce the book, What Lives Here? by R.K.
Burrice (Level A). The teacher will draw upon students prior knowledge by
asking them what the book might be about. What do you predict that this book
might be about? Why?
The group will read aloud the book What Lives Here? by R.K. Burrice. The group
will work together to decode the words from the book. The teacher will ask
questions as the group is decoding words regarding the context of the book.
Where does a deer live? How do you know that? Where does a fish live? How do

you know that? Where does a frog live? How do you know that? What plants do
you see in the pictures? Where does a child live? Why cant a child live in one of
these habitats?
At the completion of the book, the teacher will ask the students to recall
information from the text. What habitats did we read about? Who lives in these
habitats? How do you know?
The teacher will introduce the independent practice to the students.
The teacher will divide the students into four groups and explain the directions.
The teacher will assist students as needed.
At the closure of the lesson, the teacher will ask the students to share the specific
plant or animal that they contributed to each habitat.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: The teacher will divide the class into four small groups.
Each group will get a large piece of chart paper at their designated spot. Each group will
be assigned one of the four habitats we have learned about over the past couple of days.
The job of each student will be to add one plant or animal that belongs in the habitat that
they were assigned. When the bell rings, the groups will rotate and they will repeat the
same process until they complete all four habitats.
CLOSURE: The children will sit on the carpet as the teacher displays the four student
made habitats. The students will share the plant/animal they drew on each of the four
habitats. The class will discuss if there is anything missing from their habitats, and if so,
they will add whatever is missing.
ASSESSMENT OF COMMON CORE STANDARDS:
SHORT TERM: To assess for the objective, the teacher will look over the
completed habitat pictures and check for accuracy. Achievement of the objective
and common core standards will be evidenced by the students ability to
accurately draw one animal or plant for each of the four habitats. If the students
do not meet the standards, the student, under direct intervention with the teacher,
will re-read the text. The teacher and the student will draw a picture of an animal
or plant as they read each page.

LONG TERM: The students will be able to apply their knowledge of habitats to
the next unit where students will recognize that animals and plants are living
things that grow, reproduce, and need food, air and water. They will be able to
identify the ways in which an organisms habitat provides for its basic needs
(plants require air, water, nutrients, and light; animals require food, water, air, and
shelter).

ADAPTATIONS: For the students who have trouble recalling information, the teacher
will allow the students to flip through the book to spark their memory of what can be
found in each habitat.