Learning Features of Creatures Day 4 A Spin on KWL

I. General Information:
Grade Level: 1st
Discipline: Life Science
Unit Topic: Diversity of Life
Time Frame: 45-50 minutes
Text: Creatures Features by: Steve Jenkins
Other Materials:
Eye to eye by: Steve Jenkins
A Spin on KWL activity/reading strategy
Smartboard
Science journal
Sentence starter Why are eyes so important for animals to survive?
II. Essential Understanding/Questions:
What internal features do animals have that help them live?
Can you compare and contrast different animals internal features?
How do eyes differ between animals?

III. Standards/Indicators

Grade 1 - Life Science - Diversity

Topic A. Diversity of Life
Indicator
- 1. Compare and explain how external features of plants and animals help them survive
different environments.
Objective
2. Compare similar features in some animals and plants and explain how each of these
enables the organism to satisfy basic needs.

RI2: Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text. (SC,1)
-Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and
feelings clearly. (CCSS 1 SL4)

W2: Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some
facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
-Produce complete simple and compound sentences. (CCSS 2 L1.f)

IV. Lesson Objectives

Using the anchor text as a guide, students will compare and contrast features (eyes) of
animals and use the companion book for further research.
Students will complete the a spin on KWL activity with the teacher using the
Smartboard.
Once students complete the a spin on KWL activity with the teacher (whole group),
students will write an entry into their science journal explaining how they know eyes
helps animal survive.
Students will write an entry into their science journal describing a new animal they
learned about and describe the feature (eyes) it has that helps it survive.

V. Evaluation/Assessment:
Assessment of Objectives
Informal assessment participation of comparing and contrasting anchor
text to companion text
Informal assessment participation of a spin on KWL activity/reading
strategy
Formal assessment completion of writing piece vision help
Formal assessment completion of journal entry new animal and feature
VI. Procedures:
Introduction
To introduce the lesson, the teacher will have students sit on the reading carpet. The
teacher will read the anchor text, Creatures Features, to the class; only reading the
animals that are birds.
Teaching/Activities
1. Ask the students what they think theyll be learning about today. Let them
make predictions and come up with possible ideas. Show them the new book
and have them make predictions on what the book is about. Before reading,
talk about what you know for sure about eyes, what they think they know, and
what they wonder about. Create this on a KWL chart on the Smartboard. Be
sure to use words such as wonder, think, know for sure when having
this discussion.
2. Explain to students to be sure youre picking up on the key details the author
is teaching you, its important not to let wrong information get in the way.
Before reading, we will talk about what we know for sure about eyes, what we
think we know about eyes, and what we wonder about eyes. Remember, eyes
are a unique feature for animals to have to help them survive in the wild, so
its important for us to understand this feature. Show them the book
Creatures Features, most students should remember this book from the day
before. Complete the column in the chart: what we wonder. Ask students
about what they think about eyes and how they are different or alike among
different animals. Ask such questions as: what are you wondering about eyes?
What do you know a little about? What do you want to learn more about
deeply?
3. The companion book for this lesson is: Eye to Eye by Steve Jenkins. This
book is divided into the four different types of eyes: eyespot, pinhole eyes,
compound eyes, and camera eyes. After each section, ask questions such as
How does this eye differ from the other? How do you think this feature is
different from the animal we just read about? After reading through the
companion book, go back to the anchor text and review the different animals
and the type of eyes they each have.
 4. For the a spin on KWL activity/reading strategy, have students return to the
chart that was made on the Smartboard, the only columns left to fill is the
what you think about the topic and what we know for sure. Brainstorm
with the students and write their ideas into this column. Ask such questions as:
What is one fact that weve learned about eyes? How do eyes help animals
survive? Whats something youre sure you know? How are you sure? What
are you learning, now that youve read this part?
5. Once the animals in the companion book are read, have the students return to
their seats to complete their next science journal entry. The sentence starter
should be passed out and each student can glue it into the top of their journal.
It should say Why are eyes so important for animals to survive?
6. The teacher should model this using the Smartboard as guidance. Tell students
to write 2-3 sentences to answer this question. Explain to students that they
can reference to the Smartboard spin on KWL chart they completed
together to help with their journal entry if needed.
Closure
To close this lesson, students will also write another journal entry about a new animal
they learned about and describe its feature (eye) it has. Tell students to write 1-2
sentences about their animal and its feature. They are able to use an animal from the
anchor text or the companion book. Explain that every day for this unit, they will be
writing a new animal they learned about.

References:

Serravallo, J. (2015). The Reading strategies book. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Jenkins, S. & Page, R. (2014). Creatures features. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt.

Jenkins, S. (2014). Eye to eye. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.