Science lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 60 minutes
Compare how long mammals grow before birth
Human body and health
CCSS NGSS.3-LS1-1CCSS NGSS.SEP 4England: KS2 Y5 Animals, including humans
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Compare how long mammals grow before birth.
- 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: Compare life cycles: mammals, birds, amphibians and insects; Growing up: stages of a human life
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Stopwatches, Body diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 6 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Compare life cycles: mammals, birds, amphibians and insects; Growing up: stages of a human life). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Are the young of this animal born live or do they hatch from eggs: frog? (born live / hatch from eggs) → hatch from eggsPrompt: Is it a mammal?
- What do the life cycles of a frog, a chicken and a cat ALL have? (a tadpole stage / feeding young on milk / a pupa stage / birth or hatching, growth, becoming an adult, and reproducing) → birth or hatching, growth, becoming an adult, and reproducingPrompt: Think of the stages every animal goes through.
- Are the young of this animal born live or do they hatch from eggs: cat? (born live / hatch from eggs) → born livePrompt: Is it a mammal?
Hook · 6 min
- Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
- Share the objective: Compare how long mammals grow before birth. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 12 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Mice have a gestation of about 3 weeks. How does this fit the pattern?
- Step 1: Mice are tiny and have very short gestation, which fits the pattern.
- Step 2: So the answer is: Small mammal, short gestation
- Answer: Small mammal, short gestation
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 12 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Looking at dogs, humans, horses and elephants, what pattern do you notice? (Smaller mammals always have longer gestation. / Gestation has nothing to do with size. / All mammals have the same gestation. / Larger mammals tend to have longer gestation periods.) → Larger mammals tend to have longer gestation periods.Prompt: Compare the dog with the elephant.
- Mice have a gestation of about 3 weeks. How does this fit the pattern? (Small mammal, very long gestation / Small mammal, short gestation / Mice are not mammals / It breaks the pattern completely) → Small mammal, short gestationPrompt: Compare a mouse's size with a dog's.
You do: independent practice · 17 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 · 7 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Looking at dogs, humans, horses and elephants, what pattern do you notice? (Larger mammals tend to have longer gestation periods. / All mammals have the same gestation. / Smaller mammals always have longer gestation. / Gestation has nothing to do with size.) → Larger mammals tend to have longer gestation periods.Prompt: Compare the dog with the elephant.
- Mice have a gestation of about 3 weeks. How does this fit the pattern? (Small mammal, short gestation / It breaks the pattern completely / Small mammal, very long gestation / Mice are not mammals) → Small mammal, short gestationPrompt: Compare a mouse's size with a dog's.
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: Compare life cycles: mammals, birds, amphibians and insects.
- Use concrete materials: stopwatches.
- 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-5.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder