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Science lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 30 minutes

How animal parents help their young survive

Animals and habitats

CCSS NGSS.1-LS1-2England: KS1 Y2 Animals, including humans

Objective and success criteria

Students will: How animal parents help their young survive.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Match animals to their young

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Animal picture cards, Habitat maps, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Match animals to their young). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. What is the young of this animal called: cow? (cub / foal / kid / calf) → calfPrompt: Think of farm animals, pets and wild animals you know.
  2. A puppy grows up to become which animal? (goat / dog / kangaroo / sheep) → dogPrompt: Young animals grow into adults of the same kind.
  3. Which young animal looks LEAST like its parent? (a foal / a caterpillar / a kitten / a lamb) → a caterpillarPrompt: Which one changes completely as it grows?

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a picture of an unusual animal and ask where it might live and how it survives there.
  • Share the objective: How animal parents help their young survive. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: How is this parent helping its young: an elephant herd circling around a calf?
  • Step 1: The parent keeps the young safe from danger or cold.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: protecting
  • Answer: protecting
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. How is this parent helping its young: an otter teaching pups to swim? (feeding / protecting / teaching) → teachingPrompt: Is the parent giving food, keeping the young safe, or showing it how to do something?
  2. A human baby cries in the night. What is it doing? (telling a parent it needs something, like food or comfort / practising singing / telling everyone to go to sleep / nothing; crying has no meaning) → telling a parent it needs something, like food or comfortPrompt: Babies cannot talk yet.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. True or false? Mammal mothers feed their babies seeds. (True / False) → FalsePrompt: Think about feeding, protecting and teaching.
  2. How is this parent helping its young: a cow letting her calf drink milk? (feeding / protecting / teaching) → feedingPrompt: Is the parent giving food, keeping the young safe, or showing it how to do something?

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Match animals to their young.
  • Use concrete materials: animal picture cards.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-1.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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How animal parents help their young survive

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    How is this parent helping its young: a crocodile carrying babies gently in her mouth?

    • A. feeding
    • B. protecting
    • C. teaching
  2. Question 2

    A human baby cries in the night. What is it doing?

    • A. telling everyone to go to sleep
    • B. nothing; crying has no meaning
    • C. telling a parent it needs something, like food or comfort
    • D. practising singing
  3. Question 3

    True or false? Young animals make sounds to get their parents' help.

    • A. True
    • B. False
  4. Question 4

    How is this parent helping its young: a penguin bringing up fish for its chick?

    • A. feeding
    • B. protecting
    • C. teaching
  5. Question 5

    How is this parent helping its young: a cat showing kittens how to hunt?

    • A. feeding
    • B. protecting
    • C. teaching
  6. Question 6

    True or false? Mammal mothers feed their babies seeds.

    • A. True
    • B. False

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Answer key: How animal parents help their young survive

  1. 1. B. protecting

  2. 2. C. telling a parent it needs something, like food or comfort

  3. 3. A. True

  4. 4. A. feeding

  5. 5. C. teaching

  6. 6. B. False