KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Nicole Malack

Group Size: 25

Allotted Time 45 minutes

Date: 2/16/15
Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Subject or Topic: Water Types/Aquatic Life

STANDARD:
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
4.2.3.C: Identify plants and animals that live in lakes, ponds, streams,
and
wetlands.
II. Instructional Materials
A. Mystery boxes with things in it such as
B. Sand
C. Sea shells
D. Dirt
E. Stones
F. Sea Sponges
G. Toy plants
H. Pictures of different animals and living things in each type of aquatic ecosystem
I. Worksheet to compare and contrast each box
J. Globe
K. Hard Boiled Eggs
L. Clear Jars or cups (2/pair of students)
M. Salt
N. Water
III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Knowing similarities and differences of each ecosystem.
IV. Implementation

A. Introduction:
a. Label each box as Stream, Lake, River, Pond and
Ocean
b. Pass out one box to each group of students
c. Pass out the worksheet to all of the students
d. Allow the children to explore each box for about 15 minutes
and as they write on their sheet similarities and differences of
each box.
e. As the students are exploring each box, ask questions and
have them make predictions as to what they may be learning.
f. Write down on the whiteboard the students' predictions and
guesses.
g. Have the students pull the objects out of the mystery boxes
and see if anyone wants to change their prediction.
h. When the children guess correctly that they are going to be
learning about the ocean, bring out a globe and explain how
71% of the earth is water, and 96% of that water is salt water.

B. Development
a. Set two glasses in front of each pair of students. Fill both with
water, but add salt to one of the glasses.
b. Give on egg to each pair and remind them to keep their egg
safe so avoid breaks.
c.

Have the students place the egg first in the plain water, then in
the salt water.

d. Have the children fill out an inquiry sheet on their observation

of the eggs.
e. Students can take turns moving the egg back and forth to
explore how salt makes the egg float and regular water makes
the egg sink.

C. Closure
a. Draw two cups with eggs in them on the board - the first labeled "plain
water" and the second labeled "salt water".

b. Ask the students what they observed and write the observations under the
corresponding glass.
c. Connect this to how sea creatures are able survive in the ocean because there
is the right amount of salt to keep them afloat.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. For Shelly, a student with Autism, have pictures of the
different objects in the ocean and fresh water habitats.
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative- The inquiry sheet.
2. Summative- There is no summative for this lesson.

V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on
student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan
B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective
answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
1. Did the students connect with the message of the lesson?
2. Was I able to complete the lesson in the allotted time?
3. Were the students able to follow directions and complete the inquiry?
VI. Resources (in APA format)
Ganeri, Anita. I wonder why the sea is salty, and other questions about oceans.
Danbury, CT: Grolier,
2005. Print.