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Science lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 45 minutes

Young plants and animals are like their parents, but not identical

Animals and habitats

CCSS NGSS.1-LS3-1England: KS2 Y6 Evolution and inheritanceEngland: KS1 Y2 Animals, including humans

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Young plants and animals are like their parents, but not identical.

  • 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 · 5 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: goat? (joey / kid / cub / cygnet) → kidPrompt: Think of farm animals, pets and wild animals you know.
  2. A lamb grows up to become which animal? (duck / sheep / hen / goat) → sheepPrompt: Young animals grow into adults of the same kind.
  3. Ducklings follow their mother in a line wherever she goes. How does this help them? (It makes them turn into swans. / They stay safe and learn where to find food. / It helps them grow feathers faster. / It keeps the mother warm.) → They stay safe and learn where to find food.Prompt: What does the mother duck know that the ducklings do not yet?

Hook · 5 min

  • Show a picture of an unusual animal and ask where it might live and how it survives there.
  • Share the objective: Young plants and animals are like their parents, but not identical. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Two sunflower seeds from the same flower are planted side by side. What will you probably see?
  • Step 1: Plants from the same parent are the same kind but vary a little.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: two sunflowers that are similar but slightly different in height
  • Answer: two sunflowers that are similar but slightly different in height
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 10 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. A black cat and a ginger cat have kittens. Which is most likely? (The kittens are puppies. / The kittens have feathers. / The kittens are cats, and their colours may differ from each other. / All the kittens are bright blue.) → The kittens are cats, and their colours may differ from each other.Prompt: What kind of animal do cats always have?
  2. True or false? An apple seed can grow into a rose bush. (True / False) → FalsePrompt: Same kind, but every one a little different.

You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. True or false? An apple seed can grow into a rose bush. (True / False) → FalsePrompt: Same kind, but every one a little different.
  2. An oak tree drops acorns. What will the acorns grow into? (apple trees / any tree at all / sunflowers / young oak trees) → young oak treesPrompt: Seeds grow into the same kind of plant as the parent.

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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Young plants and animals are like their parents, but not identical

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    A farm recorded the coat colour of every puppy born from its sheepdogs this year. How many puppies were born altogether?

    Puppies born on a farm this year0123456783black2white8brown7spotted

    Answer

  2. Question 2

    Two sunflower seeds from the same flower are planted side by side. What will you probably see?

    • A. two identical plastic flowers
    • B. two sunflowers that are similar but slightly different in height
    • C. one sunflower and one rose
    • D. no plants at all

  3. Question 3

    True or false? Young animals always look exactly like their parents.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  4. Question 4

    What does this chart of sheepdog puppies show?

    Puppies born on a farm this year01234567893black9white4brown2spotted
    • A. Puppies with the same kind of parents can look different from each other.
    • B. All puppies of the same kind are identical.
    • C. Sheepdogs can have kittens.
    • D. Puppies choose their own colour.

  5. Question 5

    True or false? An apple seed can grow into a rose bush.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  6. Question 6

    A black cat and a ginger cat have kittens. Which is most likely?

    • A. All the kittens are bright blue.
    • B. The kittens are cats, and their colours may differ from each other.
    • C. The kittens have feathers.
    • D. The kittens are puppies.

  7. Question 7

    True or false? All kittens in a litter have exactly the same markings.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  8. Question 8

    A litter of puppies all have the same parents. What do you notice?

    • A. They look alike, but their markings and sizes are a bit different.
    • B. They are all exactly identical.
    • C. None of them look like dogs.
    • D. Each one looks like a different kind of animal.

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Answer key: Young plants and animals are like their parents, but not identical

  1. 1. 20

  2. 2. B. two sunflowers that are similar but slightly different in height

  3. 3. B. False

  4. 4. A. Puppies with the same kind of parents can look different from each other.

  5. 5. B. False

  6. 6. B. The kittens are cats, and their colours may differ from each other.

  7. 7. B. False

  8. 8. A. They look alike, but their markings and sizes are a bit different.