KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER PROGRAM
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher Candidate: __________________________________________________
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Cooperating Teacher: _________________________________________________
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Group Size: _____________________ Allotted Time: ______________________
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Subject or Topic: ____________________________________________________
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Date:
Coop. Initials:
Grade Level:
Section:

STANDARD: (PA Common Core):

S3.B.1.1.2: Classify living things based on their similarities and differences.

I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes)

A. The students will be able to identify the similarities and differences in domesticated and wild animals by
reading books and completing worksheets in their groups.
II. Instructional Materials
A. "Arthur's Pet Business" book by: Marc Brown
B. Wild animals books
1. Wonderful Wolves by: Justin McCory Martin
2. Powerful Polar Bears by: Elizabeth Bennett
3. Dogs and Cats by: Steve Jenkins
4. Dogs by: Gail Gibbons
C. Wild animals worksheet
D. Crayons
E. Chart paper
F. Expert group worksheet
G. Home group worksheet

III. Subject Matter/ Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea)
A. Prerequisite skills
1. Students must be able to work well in a small group setting
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Domestic animals- relating to the home, domestic animals are fed, bathed, and rely on someone
else.
2. Wild animals- mainly rely on themselves for food, water, etc. Do not live indoors.
C. Big Idea
1. There are many different classifications of mammals including wild mammals. It is important to
understand the difference between wild animals and domesticated animals. In this lesson students
will learn the difference and be able to give examples.
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. Read the book "Arthur's Pet business"
2. Ask the students if they have any pets and what makes them a pet.
3. Are your pets mammals? How can you tell?
B. Development
1. The teacher will divide the class into groups of four to five students.
2. The teacher will transition the students into a jigsaw activity comparing wild and domesticated

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animals.
The students will be put into their "home" group which contains four students.
In their home group, each child will be given one of the following mammals. (Wolves, reindeer,
polar bears, seals.)
The teacher will then have each student in their home group read about their selected mammal and
complete a chart paper describing the characteristics of that mammal.
The teacher will set a timer on the smartboard for twenty minutes.
After twenty minutes of discussion with the expert groups the teacher will have the students come
back to their home group.
The students will hang up their chart paper on the white board.
The teacher will then have the students come back to their home group.
While in their home group, the students will teach their group about their specific mammal while
filling out a worksheet. (see attached)
The teacher will set a timer on the smartboard for ten minutes.
After the students are done discussing in their home groups, the teacher will call on each mammal
group to come up to the board and present their chart paper to the rest of the class.
While the students are presenting their mammals the teacher will be asking questions to check
comprehension and accuracy of their findings.
After each group presents their mammal, the students will be given a Venn diagram to compare
and contrast wild animals and domesticated animals based off of the information they found in the
jigsaw activity and discussion.

C. Closure
1. The teacher will hand out two popsicle sticks per student.
2. One popsicle stick will say wild and the other one will say domesticated.
3. The teacher will show the students several pictures of mammals.
4. The students will have to identify domestic or wild by holding up the corresponding popsicle
stick.

D. Accommodations / Differentiation Jimmy has ADHD and is taught In a general education classroom. The teacher would give Jimmy a checklist to help
keep him on track during this lesson. The teacher will also stay in close proximity to make sure he is on task and is
available to answer any questions.
E. Assessment/Evaluation plan
1. Formative
a. Teacher will use a checklist while the students are working on jigsaw activity (see
attached)
b. Students will be given a Venn diagram to complete
2.

Summative- None for this lesson

V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Students Performance in Terms of States Objectives (Reflection on students performance written
after lesson is taught, includes remediation for students who failed to meet acceptable level of achievement)
1. Remediation

B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught.)(Reflective answers to

questions recorded after lesson is taught.)

1.

How effective was the jigsaw activity?

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How well did the students work in their groups?

3.

What could be changed to improve the lesson as a whole?

VI. Resources
Martin, M. Justin. (2007). Wonderful Wolves. New York: Scholastic. Inc.
Bauer, Jeff. (2007). Remarkable Reindeer. New York: Scholastic. Inc.
Bennett, Elizabeth. (2007). Powerful Polar Bears. New York: Scholastic. Inc.
Blake, Jason. (2007). Sleek Seals. New York: Scholastic. Inc.
Brown, Marc. (1990). Arthur's Pet Business. Canada: Little, Brown & Company
Jenkins, Steve. (2007). Dogs and Cats. New York: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.
Gibbons, Gail. (1996). Dogs. Vermont: Library of Congress Cataloging-In-Publication Data.