Developmental Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Brenna Clark Date: 02/22/2021

Group Size: 25 Allotted Time: 60 minutes Grade Level: 3

Subject or Topic: Parts of a Tree (Lesson #4)

Common Core/PA Standard(s):

NGSS Standard(
3-LS1-1. Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all
have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
3-LS3-2. Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the
environment.

Learning Targets/Objectives:
● After the students have gathered information about seeds, plants and farming, they will
be able to determine the importance of trees within their environment.
● Students will be able to relate the similar needs that are vital in trees and plants to
survive.
● Students will be able to describe what trees produce.
Assessment Approaches: Evidence:
● Outdoor Observations ● Observational
● Booklet ● Collect
● Role Play Activity ● Observational
● Research a Tree ● Collect
Assessment Scale:
● Booklet
○ 15 answered correctly = proficient
○ 10-14 answered correctly = approaching proficient
○ 5-9 answered correctly = basic
○ <5 answered correctly = below basic
Subject Matter/Content: Seeds
Prerequisites :
● An understanding of the role that soil plays for seeds, plants and crops.
● An understanding of what seeds produce.
● An understanding of an ideal environment for a seed.
● An understanding of basic parts of a plant.
● An understanding of a plant's basic needs.
Key Vocabulary:
 ● Tree - a plant with a tall structure comprising a stem and branches to support leaves and
a root system then anchors the stem as well as procures and stores essential growth
elements, such as water and nutrients.
● Oxygen - plays a critical role in respiration, the energy-producing chemistry that drives
the metabolisms of most living things.
● Glucose - is a sugar that feeds the plant - helps plants grow
● Carbon Dioxide - is a colorless, odorless gas otherwise known as CO2, that is produced
through combustion and respiration
Content/Facts:
● What a seed is
○ A seed is the basis of how a plant begins to develop
○ Parts of the seed
● What a plant is
○ Purposes of certain parts of the plant
○ What the plant needs to survive
● What a tree is
○ Parts that make up a tree
○ What trees need to survive
○ What trees provide for the environment
Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
● To begin the science lesson, they will be changing locations so I will need you all to
quietly get out of your seats and line up at the door.
○ Can anyone guess where we are going? We are going outside! That is correct!
While we are outside, we are going to be observing the tallest plant we see - can
anyone guess what that is? Yes it is trees! Today, we are going to be learning all
about trees and how they relate to what we have previously learned about seeds,
plants and crops.
● I am going to be handing you each a clipboard with a piece of paper on it. On this piece
of paper, I want you to observe the trees that have a red marker on them and write
down what you can see, hear and feel on those trees.
○ All information is important information that we can use to discuss the topic of
trees together as a class.
○ Go observe the trees in our school environment!
● Great job everyone, I like how we were using our senses to navigate our understanding
of the environment a little better! Now, let's discuss our observations.
○ Pull the chart up on the projector and display it to students on white board -
then fill in information that students provide into the boxes on the chart.
● Then, begin to have a discussion about different parts that make up a tree with students,
building off of their observations.
● After this has been done, pull up a powerpoint that has been made to go into greater
detail about trees and their importance to the environment.
● Also hand students a booklet that is filled with the information presented on the slides,
with some blanks for the students to fill in the correct information.
○ Throughout this lesson, make sure to continuously make connections between
the similarities of their needs to seeds/plants/crops.
 ● Go through the powerpoint and explain to students the different parts of a tree, and why
trees are important to the environment
○ Roots, Trunk, Branches, Leaves
○ Takes Carbon Dioxide and turns it into Oxygen that we breathe
● Explain that we will be discussing the process of converting carbon dioxide to oxygen
next class, when we discuss something known as ‘photosynthesis’
● After the students have learned about the different parts of a tree and their purposes,
they will be engaging in a whole-group class activity where the students role play the
different parts of a tree and their purposes.
Development/Teaching Approaches
● First, direct the students to move their desks to a different location in the classroom in
order to complete this demonstration in an understandable manner.
● Then, have the students stand in a half circle around the open space that has been made
in the class and provide them instructions for this role play activity.
● As the teacher, choose 1-5 (depending on the class size, can be more or less) students
who are taller in height to come to the middle of the circle and put their backs to each
other whole holding hands. (TRUNK)
○ Ask the students what part of the tree these students are representing, if they
answer correctly, elaborate on why that is and how the students are working
together to build it up.
■ If the students answer incorrectly, tell them to wait until the next group
of students is added, then they might be able to understand the display a
little better.
● Then, have at least 5 more students come into the center and stand in a circle around
the first group, some of them with their backs to them and their hands straight up in the
air and some of them with their hands pointed outward. (BRANCHES & LEAVES)
○ Ask the students what part of the tree these students are representing, if they
answer correctly, elaborate on why that is and how the students are working
together to build it up.
● Once again, call another group of students to the circle and have them lay with their
back down on the ground and their feet facing/practically touching the students who
are representing the trunk, branches and leaves.
○ Ask the students what part of the tree these students are representing, if they
answer correctly, elaborate on why that is and how the students are working
together to build it up.
● Then, once the different groups of students have identified what part of the tree they
are, have a few students from each group explain one of the purposes of that specific
part of the tree.
● Tell students that they can remove themselves from the display - carefully.
○ Take a picture of the students in their tree display, print it out and then label it
with the different parts of the tree and display it in the classroom for reference.
● Make sure to tell students that all trees have this same structure, but trees can all look
different and be found in different locations which is important to remember for the
next activity.
● Now instruct the students about the final activity that they will be engaging in with
trees.
 ● The students will be using a research tool of their choice to look up a type of tree that
they are interested in.
○ Provide them with a list of trees that are common in the area where they live,
but they are not limited to these tree options to research.
● The students will be using their informative writing strategies that they have learned in
reading/writing to write an informative essay about a specific tree that they have
researched.
○ Students will be given ample classtime through many days to complete this.
Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
● After the students have been given some classtime to complete the beginning stages of
their writing about a specific tree of their choice, they will go to the carpet.
● While there, the teacher should ask the students if they have any questions about the
information that they learned about today - and answer any questions they may have.
● Give the students a prompt to discuss with a partner in a think-pair-share.
○ The prompt is : Make a connection between a tree's needs and its parts to those
of a plant, and a seed.
● Then, have the students turn to a partner and walk around and listen to the students
statements/answers
Accommodations/Differentiation:
● Due to the fact that Student D has an IEP that states that he can have extra time
provided for assignments, I would provide him with assistance and extra time on the
research project that the students will be taking part in. This way, the student has the
best opportunity to turn in his best work and have many check-ins with the teacher to
keep him on the right track.
Materials/Resources:
● Clipboard
● Observation Worksheet
● Pencil
● Computer
● Projector
● Powerpoint About Trees
● Booklet
● List of Trees (most likely found in PA)

Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels

Remediation Plan (if applicable)

Personal Reflection Questions

Did this lesson relate to the other lessons in a relatively seamless manner that would be
understood by students?
Did I touch upon the information necessary for the students to understand why trees are
important?

Additional Reflection/Thoughts