T&L Instructional Plan Template

(Updated 4/17/15)
(edTPA Aligned)

Overview
The information included in this document is to support faculty in teaching about and
supporting students with the T&L (and edTPA) Instructional Plan. While there are many
variations of lesson plans, this format meets departmental requirements and is aligned with
the 2014 edTPA as well.

Background Information (When doing the actual edTPA, leave out identifiers)

Teacher Candidate: Anna Williamson and Amanda Patrick

Date: February 21, 2018
Cooperating Teacher: Andy Cavagnetto
Grade: Kindergarten
School District: Pullman School District
School: Jefferson
University Supervisor: Lori White
Unit/Subject: Earth Systems
Instructional Plan Title/Focus: How Plants and Animals Change Environments

Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment

a. Instructional Plan Purpose: Teacher candidates explain how this instructional plan
develops students’ conceptual understanding of overall content goals. This is sometimes
also called a “rationale” and includes a “what, why, how” general statement (see also
Central Focus in edTPA)

The “what” of this lesson is environmental change. This includes how different plants,
animals, and humans affect the environment around them. We are giving students the tools
to be able to identify different environmental changes and then explain why and how these
changes are occuring.

The “why” of this lesson is that students need to understand the environment is constantly
changing. If they are aware that things in the world constantly change and affect the
environment around them they will be more cautious about the actions they make and the
effect these choices could have on surrounding plants, animals, and ecosystems.

The “how” of this lesson is through a series of stations and discussions. We will start class
by question the students about different animals and their environments. Then students will
disperse into small groups where they will hit three stations all showing the variation of
environments based on plant, animal, and human choices. They will write, discusses, and
draw their findings to later be evaluated by us.

Additionally, explain where in a unit this lesson would be taught. What lesson topic came
prior to this one (yesterday) and what related lesson will come after this one (tomorrow)?
 1. State/National Learning Standards: Teacher candidates identify relevant grade
level concepts/content and align them to Content Standards—Common Core
Standards or Washington State EALRs, or National.

W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name
what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic. (K-ESS2-2)

K- Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including
ESS2-2 humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.3
With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals,
events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

1. Content Objectives (to be copied in Assessment Chart below) and alignment to

State Learning Standards:

1. SWBAT… Understand that plants, animals, and humans change the environment

Aligned standard:
K- Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including
ESS2-2 humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.

SWBAT …. Give examples of changes they see in the environment

Aligned standard:
W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about
and supply some information about the topic. (K-ESS2-2)

Language Objectives:
1. SWBAT… Describe the connection between two events.

Aligned standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.3

With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals,
events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

1. Previous Learning Experiences: Teacher candidates should explain what students

know and have learned that is relevant to the current lesson topic and process.

Students would have previous learning within plants, animals and the environment.
Although it would be a very surface level understanding of these different aspects they
would have an understanding of how plants and animals need the environment around
them to live and grow. They would understand different resources and pieces to the
environment, like trees, water and sunlight and how plants and animals need these things to
live and grow. With having this previous learning experience it would set this lesson up
perfectly, teaching students that plants and animals change and use the environment
around them to live successfully. There previous learning experience would provide them
background knowledge for the lesson we will be teaching about the changing environment
and would take their previous knowledge to a deeper level.

1. Planning for Student Learning Needs (accommodations, student experiences,

prior learning and experiences):

We will have students be in groups so those who struggle with reading, writing, or
comprehension have the support of their peers. We also have visual examples of every
worksheet and activity in the group so that students can see what exactly is expected of
them. Most of our stations are hands on activities that they get to explore for themselves,
because there are no “right” answers in this exploration any student with any level of
understanding will be able to complete the assignment and experiment.

f. Assessment Strategies (Informal or formal) (Formative or Summative)

Teacher candidates should attach questions, worksheets, tests or any additional
documentation related to their assessment strategies, including accommodations or
modifications for students with disabilities as stated in their IEPs. They may also
attach appropriate marking rubrics, criteria lists, expectations, answer keys,
etc. Consideration for multiple means of expression should occur here. That is, how
will teacher candidates allow for K-12 students to express their learning in different
ways? Will K-12 students be given some choice?

Content/Language Assessment Strategies

Objectives

Content example: SWBAT… Formative: We will go around with a student checklist

Understand that plants,
animals, and humans change
the environment
and listen to student discussion during the “beaver”
station to see if they are understanding how
environments can be changed and check off their name
if they can explain their thinking. This can also be
checked in other stations when we are listening to their
discussions of findings.

Formative: Students will turn in there worksheet from

human change to show how building a house in different
SWBAT …. Give examples of areas would affect the environment. They will also turn
changes they see in the in worksheets from the bird nest section that clearly
environment states what parts of environment is seen from the nest.
 Language example: SWBAT…
Describe the connection
between two events
Formative: Student checklist to see if they could
describe the connection between an action of a plant,
animal, or human and the effect it had on the
environment. Check off their name if they were
discussing it well.

(Add rows as needed)

*In the right column, describe whether the assessment you’ll collect is formative or
summative. Note: most assessment is considered formative when thinking about day-to-
day lessons. Summative is related to mastery. An exception might be having a “formal”
quiz mid-way in a unit to assure that students are on track with a certain degree of
proficiency. Should the quiz indicate students are not progressing, and adjustment of timing
in the instructional “unit” will be required.

h. Grouping of Students for Instruction: Describe why, how, and where in

the lesson students will be divided into groups, if applicable (e.g., "why" could be to
support language learners, for reciprocal teaching, and/or to use jigsaw, and "how"
might include random, ability-based, interest, social purposes, etc.). Recognize that
some lessons or parts of a lesson may call for grouped work or individualized work or
both.

For the stations we will have students be moving around too we will simply use the table
groups they are already in and group on average two table groups together to move around
the room. Because they are already placed in table groups within their seating
arrangements, and because there are only 3 stations for students to move around too we
would typically group two tables group together to make a group of about 8-10 students. We
would give the instruction for the lesson plan with the students at either their table groups or
at the carpet and then would further split up the tables for the stations activity.

We simply plan to do the grouping of students in this manner because it is the most
straightforward and hassle free for moving students around the room for stations. Students
would be in the table groups appropriate for them and their needs already and we would
simply pick table groups to be paired with others.

Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning

 Beginning Ideas:
“Hi class, today we are going to talk a little bit about animals, so to start off we would like
you to raise your hand and tell us your favorite animal.” (this will let us know what animals
they already know)

“Now we want you to turn to your elbow partner and talk about where each of these animals
live. If you don’t know that’s ok we will come together as a whole class and talk about it
when you’re done.” ( this will let us know if they understand environments)

“Wow great job guys! Now does anyone have any ideas how they make these homes?”
“We’re going to play a short video about how some animals create their homes.” (we can see
if they know how homes are built)

Play Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg_61gPwtkI

“Hmm that was pretty interesting huh… I’m wondering after watching this how the
environment is changed when animals build these homes”

 Test:
“We have three stations now that will give you a better understanding of how animals
and things around us change the environment they live in to survive. We are going to
have you move around these stations in groups so that you are able to hear the
thoughts and opinions of your classmates to deeper your thinking. Our first station is
a beaver dam, here you will be able to see how beavers specifically use the
environment and resources around them to create a safe and calm home. They use
things like wood to create a barrier in the water to make a deep water home for them
and their family. The next station is having you observe and look at a birds nest, we
will ask you to use the worksheet we have handed out to make observations about
what the birds nest is made out of. You are able to see all the different materials in
the environment birds use to make their nests. Lastly, we have a worksheet we are
going to have you look at to see how humans change the environment around them
to live happily. We want you to think about how putting a house or building in
different spots around an environment will affect the things around. By working
through these three different stations you are able to test the question about how
and if animals change the environment around them to live.
 Observations:
“We are going to have you write down your observations on the worksheets we have
handed out at put at certain stations. By using these worksheets you are able to track
your thinking and more deeply think about the stations and how animals change their
environment. For the birds nest station, the worksheet will ask you to write down
what materials you see within the nest and where these materials came from in the
environment. By writing your observations on the bird nest in this form, it will help
you better understand what a bird nest is made out of and what supplies birds may
look for. For the second station, the station is strictly using and examining the
worksheet which is where you can work and make observations. You will examine
and see how changing the location of a building or house will change the
environment around it. For the last station, being the beaver dam, the students will
simply make verbal observations about what they are seeing and why beavers may
make a dam.
 Claims and Evidence: During every station before, during, and after
completing worksheets they have the opportunity to discuss with a small
group their varying ideas. They can respectfully provide feedback and bounce
ideas off of each other in this time. At the end of the stations we will meet back
as a whole class and discuss what everyone found and how the ideas of each
student has changed since the beginning of the lesson this will be a time to
bounce ideas and different opinions off of a whole class and discuss with the
teacher as to what the general consensus is.
 Reading: We will mention to kids at the end of our discussion that if they have
any other questions or want to explore further they can follow this website to
compare their thinking to experts. http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/how-
do-living-things-change-their-environments
 Reflection: “Talk in your group about how your ideas of the changing
environment is different now than it was before.” “Think of different ways
animals or humans change environment than what we’ve already discussed.
Be prepared to share with the class.”

1. Closure: Closure is the signal to students that the lesson is now coming to an
end. In closure, teachers review the learning targets (what was taught) for the day
and refocus on what is important.

After the whole class discussion has settle down we will write on the board the new ideas
everyone has about how animals and humans change the environment around them. This
is where we will step back in and relate everything they did in class to this change of ideas
and tell them to continue to look for different things in their daily life that show animals,
plants, or humans are changing the environment around them.

1. Independent Practice: Describe how students will extend their experiences with
the content and demonstrate understanding in a new and different context (perhaps
even outside of the classroom). Include possible family interaction (identify at least
one way in which you might involve students’ families in this instructional plan.)

Because Kindergarten doesn’t get homework and we would only explore this during class
time, we will send home a link with them that will allow them to further explore this with their
parents at home if they decide to do so. This link would give them more examples and
would allow them to dive deeper into this exploration topic if they were very interested with it
in class and wanted to learn more.

1. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology: Attach a copy of ALL

materials the teacher and students will use during the lesson; e.g., handouts,
worksheets, multi-media tools, and any assessment materials utilized.
 1. Acknowledgements: Acknowledge your sources

Nakaya, Rion. “How Do Living Things Change Their Environments?” The Kid Should See This,
29 Sept. 2016.

thekidshouldseethis.com/post/how-do-living-things-change-their-
environments.http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/how-do-living-things-change-their-
environments