Grade 1 Science Unit Plan

Unit Title:

Bats

Name:

Miss Leah Fisher

Number of Lessons:
Subject(s):

Science and Language Arts

Time: (in weeks)

Grade(s):

3
1

Rationale:
Our unit of study is based on the Big Idea Living things have features and behaviours that help them survive. Bats are interesting because they have many features that
help them to survive that are very different from animals like our pets. Some species of bats are also local; they live in Prince George. This will allow students to relate to
this unit. Bats are also considered to be a scary creature. This may be why they are associated with Halloween. As Halloween is coming up, this is an excellent time to
learn about bats as it allows it to become a cross-curricular topic. We will be examining some non-fiction texts about bats, but also, there are many fiction texts about bats
that are related to Halloween and with Halloween coming up, this will be a great opportunity to give students another opportunity to make connections between their lives
and this day. We will also be doing bat-themed Halloween art projects. Students should also learn that bats are a creature like any other and that they should not be afraid
of them. All of the worksheets that the students complete from this unit will be compiled into their own non-fiction book about bats.
Overview:
Each lesson will provide students with additional new knowledge about bats but also review what we have learned in new lesson. Information will be provided to students in
various ways, through read-alouds of fiction and non-fiction books, for example. The students will be able to present their own non-fiction bat fact book at the end of this
unit.
BIG IDEAS: Science
1. Living things have features and behaviours that help them survive.
Learning Standards Curricular Competencies:
Make and record observations
Communicate observations and ideas using oral or written language, drawing, or role play
Learning Standards - Concepts and Content:
Structural features of living things in the local environment
Behavioural adaptations of animals in their area
BIG IDEAS: English Language Arts
1. Stories can help us learn
2. Everyone can be a reader and create stories
3. Listening and speaking builds our understanding and helps us learn
Learning Standards Curricular Competencies
Begin to use sources of information and prior knowledge to make meaning
Use age appropriate reading, listening and viewing behaviours and strategies to make meaning from texts
Learning Standards Concepts and Content
Vocabulary to talk about texts
Print awareness
Letter formation

Prerequisite Concepts and Skills:

This week we have been focusing on behavior, and listening skills in particular. I am hoping to see the students display their best listening during the story and while I am
modelling the activity on the document camera. The students know what good listening behavior looks like. They will be practicing putting up their hands to speak. We are
also practicing the skill of copying text from the document camera onto their worksheets. The students are also learning to check their own work against criteria (Our Three
Star Colouring Criteria Chart).
Teacher Preparation Required:
Lesson 1: I will have the book Bats at the Library by Brian Lies on hand to read to the class. I will make sure to have copies of the Bat Diagram Worksheet copied and
prepared in advance. I will double check that Document Camera is working and that the projector is turned on so that it is ready to be used. Extension Activity Worksheets
are also prepared in advance. Instruction charts and our Three Star Colouring Criteria Chart will already be hanging on the white board.
Lesson 2: I will have to create the Bat KWL chart in the SMART Notebook 11 Software. Bat Colouring Sheets will be photocopied and ready to go. Extension Activity
Worksheets are also prepared in advance.
Lesson 3: I will have the book Nightsong by Ari Berk on hand to read to the class. I will make sure to have copies of the Echolocation Worksheet copied and prepared in
advance. I will double check that Document Camera is working and that the projector is turned on so that it is ready to be used. Extension Activity Worksheets are also
prepared in advance. Instruction charts and our Three Star Colouring Criteria Chart will already be hanging on the white board.
Lesson 4: I will have the book Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde on hand to read to the class. I will make sure to have copies of the Pup/Baby Bat Worksheet copied
and prepared in advance. I will double check that Document Camera is working and that the projector is turned on so that it is ready to be used. Extension Activity
Worksheets are also prepared in advance. Instruction charts and our Three Star Colouring Criteria Chart will already be hanging on the white board.
Lesson 5: I will have the book Bat Loves the Night by Nicola Davies on hand to read to the class. I will make sure to have copies of the Roost Worksheet copied and
prepared in advance. I will double check that Document Camera is working and that the projector is turned on so that it is ready to be used. Extension Activity Worksheets
are also prepared in advance. Instruction charts and our Three Star Colouring Criteria Chart will already be hanging on the white board.
Lesson 6: I will have the book Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies on hand to read to the class. I will make sure to have copies of the Nocturnal Worksheet copied and prepared
in advance. I will double check that Document Camera is working and that the projector is turned on so that it is ready to be used. Extension Activity Worksheets are also
prepared in advance. Instruction charts and our Three Star Colouring Criteria Chart will already be hanging on the white board.
Lesson 7: Prepare SMART Board with chart and images already loaded onto it using SMART Notebook 11 Software. Images of the books listed below will be required. I
will also need to prepare the students paper chart worksheet and cut/paste images.
Book List:
Bats at the Library Brian Lies (fiction)
Bats at the Beach Brian Lies (fiction)
Nightsong Ari Berk (fiction)
Hello, Bumblebee Bat Darrin Lunde (both)
Bat Loves the Night Nicola Davies (both)
Amazing Bats Frank Greenaway (non-fiction)
Welcome to the World of Bats Diane Swanson (non-fiction)
Bats Unknown (non-fiction)
Cross-Curricular Connections: These lessons are all cross-curricular between Science and Language Arts. There are also Fine Arts aspects to these lessons.

Aboriginal Connections / First Peoples Principles of Learning: Through hands-on activities and by working in pairs and groups, learning is hands-on and interactive. It
also includes local content as we examine types of bats that are native to the Prince George are, connecting our learning to our own environment. Aspects of this unit also
fit in with the First Peoples Principals of Knowledge, such as: Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal
relationships, and a sense of place).
Extensions to Unit: Colouring sheets, word search puzzles and non-fiction and non-fiction books about bats for independent reading.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI):
I will be circulating during the students independent work period to help students who may need extra instruction. My main concerns during the independent work time are
D____, L___, E____ and K___. I plan to monitor their work and say things like when I come back in one minute, I want to see your name on your page, when I pass your
desk next time, I want to see that you have labelled two bat body parts. For Elyse and Kody, I want them to finish the labelling and writing portions at the very least; if they
do not have time to colour, that will be okay for this lesson.
Resources:
I used several fiction and non-fiction books to help me to teach this unit. The fiction books that I used were: Bats at the Library by Brian Lies, Bats at the Beach by Brian
Lies, and Nightsong Ari Berk. Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde and Bat Loves the Night by Nicola Davies were combination fiction and non-fiction books. The nonfiction books that I used were Amazing Bats by Frank Greenaway, Welcome to the World of Bats by Diane Swanson, and Bats, a book whose author I do not know. I also
used a template and some information from a woman named Deanna Jump who posted many primary bat resources on Teachers Pay Teachers. A website that I used for
gathering information about bats in the Prince George area to create some of the fact pages for the bat books was http://fraservalley.wbu.com/content/show/81257.
Overview of Lessons:
Lesson
# and
Title time in
minutes
Lesson
# 1:
Intro to
Bats

Curricular Competencies

BIG IDEAS: Science

-Living things have features and behaviours that
help them survive
Learning Standards Curricular
Competencies:
-Make and record observations
-Communicate observations and ideas using oral
or written language, drawing, or role play
Learning Standards - Concepts and Content:
-Structural features of living things in the local
environment
-Behavioural adaptations of animals in their area
Big Ideas English Language Arts
-Stories can help us learn
-Listening and speaking builds our understanding
and helps us learn

(a) Instructional
Objectives
(b) Teaching Strategies

a.)The purpose of this lesson

is to interest the students in
learning about bats, which
will be the topic of the
upcoming unit.
b.) I will do an interactive
read aloud, lead whole group
discussion, and do an whole
group activity involving the
use of the SMART Board to
identify parts of a bat. Then
students will return to their
desks to do an independent
worksheet activity that will be
one page in their non-fiction
bat books that the students

Lesson Activities

Assessment Strategies

Materials
(Specific to This
Lesson)

Read aloud, group discussion,

whole group activity where
students identify parts of the bat
on the screen and I label them
on the document camera

I will be monitoring
participation during the
group lesson. I want all
students to tell me what
they would like to learn
about bats in the upcoming
unit. The worksheets that
will go into their bat books
will be assessed at the end
of the unit.

-SMART board
-Worksheets
-Bat puppet

Learning Standards Curricular Competencies

-Begin to use sources of information and prior
knowledge to make meaning
-Use age appropriate reading, listening and
viewing behaviours and strategies to make
meaning from texts
Learning Standards Concepts and Content
Vocabulary to talk about texts
-Print awareness
-Letter formation

will be creating throughout

this unit.

Lesson
# 2:
Creating
a Bat
KWL
Chart

BIG IDEAS: Science

-Living things have features and behaviours that
help them survive
Learning Standards Curricular
Competencies:
-Make and record observations
-Communicate observations and ideas using oral
or written language, drawing, or role play
Learning Standards - Concepts and Content:
-Structural features of living things in the local
environment
-Behavioural adaptations of animals in their area
Big Ideas English Language Arts
-Stories can help us learn
-Listening and speaking builds our understanding
and helps us learn
Learning Standards Curricular Competencies
-Begin to use sources of information and prior
knowledge to make meaning
-Use age appropriate reading, listening and
viewing behaviours and strategies to make
meaning from texts
Learning Standards Concepts and Content
Vocabulary to talk about texts
-Print awareness
-Letter formation

a)The purpose of this lesson

is to teach some information
about bats to students that
they may not already know. I
also want to discover what
the students would like to
learn about so that I can
adapt my instruction to suit
their interests.
b.) I will, lead a whole group
discussion, and do a whole
group activity involving the
use of the SMART Board to
fill in a KWL chart. This will
inform my instruction to know
what the students already
know, and what they need
reinforced. I will also look at
their Wonders and use
these to create their
worksheets that incorporate
some aspects of studentdirected/inquiry based
learning that reflects their
interests. Students will have
a colouring sheet that they
will do at their desks that will
later be added to their nonfiction bat books.

First I will lead a group

discussion to activate students
prior knowledge about bats.
Then I will record this
information into a KWL Chart on
the SMARTBoard. We will also
look at what we wonder about
bats and fill that into the chart.
Then, I will release the students
to practice their colouring at their
desks.

I will be monitoring
participation during the
group lesson. I want all
students to tell me what
they would like to learn
about bats in the upcoming
unit. The worksheets that
will go into their bat books
will be assessed at the end
of the unit.

-SMART board
-Worksheets
-Bat puppet

Lesson
# 3:
Echoloc

BIG IDEAS: Science

-Living things have features and behaviours that
help them survive

a.) The purpose of this

lesson is to teach students
about echolocation.

First we will review the learning

intentions for the class, then we
will review knowledge about

I will be recording listening

behaviours as a way to
inform my instruction for

-Nightsong by Ari
Berk
-Worksheet

ation

Learning Standards Curricular

Competencies:
-Make and record observations
-Communicate observations and ideas using oral
or written language, drawing, or role play
Learning Standards - Concepts and Content:
-Structural features of living things in the local
environment
-Behavioural adaptations of animals in their area
Big Ideas English Language Arts
-Stories can help us learn
-Listening and speaking builds our understanding
and helps us learn
Learning Standards Curricular Competencies
-Begin to use sources of information and prior
knowledge to make meaning
-Use age appropriate reading, listening and
viewing behaviours and strategies to make
meaning from texts
Learning Standards Concepts and Content
Vocabulary to talk about texts
-Print awareness
-Letter formation

b.) I will review learning

intentions, I will he holding a
whole group discussion,
doing an interactive read
aloud, modelling the
students job on the
document camera,
explaining instructions,
circulating during seat-work
activity, and checking
worksheets for students best
work.

Lesson
# 4:
Pups

BIG IDEAS: Science

-Living things have features and behaviours that
help them survive
Learning Standards Curricular
Competencies:
-Make and record observations
-Communicate observations and ideas using oral
or written language, drawing, or role play
Learning Standards - Concepts and Content:
-Structural features of living things in the local
environment
-Behavioural adaptations of animals in their area
Big Ideas English Language Arts
-Stories can help us learn
-Listening and speaking builds our understanding
and helps us learn
Learning Standards Curricular Competencies
-Begin to use sources of information and prior
knowledge to make meaning
-Use age appropriate reading, listening and

a.) The purpose of this

lesson is to teach students
about baby bats.
b.) I will review learning
intentions, I will he holding a
whole group discussion,
doing an interactive read
aloud, modelling the
students job on the
document camera,
explaining instructions,
circulating during seat-work
activity, and checking
worksheets for students best
work.

bats that we have learned in

past classes. After that, we will
do an interactive read aloud of a
fiction book that has many nonfiction facts embedded within it.
This book is called Nightsong by
Ari Berk. After that, we will have
a conversation about
echolocation and how it works,
drawing examples from the
book. When I believe students
have an understanding of this
concept, I will model their job of
copying out a definition of
echolocation in the space
provided on the worksheet.
Then I will model the how I want
the drawing and colouring to
look on my page and I will
compare it against our criteria
chart. Then I will explain the
instructions for the students job
and release them to complete
this task at their desks.
First we will review the learning
intentions for the class, then we
will review knowledge about
bats that we have learned in
past classes. After that, we will
do an interactive read aloud of a
fiction book that has many nonfiction facts embedded within it.
this book is called Hello,
Bumblebee Bat by Darrin
Lunde. After that, we will have a
conversation about baby bats
and who looks after them and
what a bat family looks like,
drawing examples from the
book. When I believe students
have an understanding of this
concept, I will model their job of
copying out a definition of a pup
in the space provided on the

the next lesson. If some

students are not displaying
good listening behaviours, I
will write down their names
so that I can brainstorm the
best way to motivate them
to listen for the next lesson.
The worksheets that will go
into their bat books will be
assessed at the end of the
unit.

-Document camera
-Pencil

I will be recording listening

behaviours as a way to
inform my instruction for
the next lesson. If some
students are not displaying
good listening behaviours, I
will write down their names
so that I can brainstorm the
best way to motivate them
to listen for the next lesson.
The worksheets that will go
into their bat books will be
assessed at the end of the
unit.

-Hello, Bumblebee
Bat by Darrin Lunde
-Worksheet
-Document camera
-Pencil

viewing behaviours and strategies to make

meaning from texts
Learning Standards Concepts and Content
Vocabulary to talk about texts
-Print awareness
-Letter formation

Lesson
# 5:
Roost

BIG IDEAS: Science

-Living things have features and behaviours that
help them survive
Learning Standards Curricular
Competencies:
-Make and record observations
-Communicate observations and ideas using oral
or written language, drawing, or role play
Learning Standards - Concepts and Content:
-Structural features of living things in the local
environment
-Behavioural adaptations of animals in their area
Big Ideas English Language Arts
-Stories can help us learn
-Listening and speaking builds our understanding
and helps us learn
Learning Standards Curricular Competencies
-Begin to use sources of information and prior
knowledge to make meaning
-Use age appropriate reading, listening and
viewing behaviours and strategies to make
meaning from texts
Learning Standards Concepts and Content
Vocabulary to talk about texts
-Print awareness
-Letter formation

a.) The purpose of this

lesson is to review
information that students
have already told me about
bats, and then teach them
some new facts. We will be
adding these worksheets to
out bat books. (The bat
books are non-fiction books
that the students will be
creating about bats that they
will be able to read and to
take home to show to their
parents.)
b.) I will review learning
intentions, I will he holding a
whole group discussion,
doing an interactive read
aloud, doing a Talk Partner
activity, modelling the
students job on the
document camera,
explaining instructions,
circulating during seat-work
activity, and checking
worksheets for students best
work.

Lesson
# 6:
Nocturn
al

BIG IDEAS: Science

-Living things have features and behaviours that
help them survive
Learning Standards Curricular
Competencies:
-Make and record observations
-Communicate observations and ideas using oral

a.) The purpose of this

lesson is to review
information that students
have already told me about
bats, and then teach them
some new facts. We will be
adding these worksheets to

worksheet. Then I will model the

how I want the drawing and
colouring to look on my page
and I will compare it against our
criteria chart. Then I will explain
the instructions for the students
job and release them to
complete this task at their desks.
First we will review the learning
intentions for the class, then we
will review knowledge about
bats that we have learned in
past classes. After that, we will
do an interactive read aloud of a
fiction book that has many nonfiction facts embedded within it.
This book is called Bat Loves
the Night by Nicola Davies. After
that, we will have a conversation
about roosts and places that
bats live, drawing examples
from the book. We will then do a
talk partner activity so that
students can share what they
learned. When I believe
students have an understanding
of this concept, I will model their
job of copying out a definition of
a roost in the space provided on
the worksheet. Then I will model
the how I want the drawing and
colouring to look on my page
and I will compare it against our
criteria chart. Then I will explain
the instructions for the students
job and release them to
complete this task at their desks.
First we will review the learning
intentions for the class, then we
will review knowledge about
bats that we have learned in
past classes. After that, we will
do an interactive read aloud of a
fiction book that has many non-

I will be listening to the

partner conversations
about bats so that I can
see that students have
been learning facts. The
worksheets will be
collected and at the end of
the unit the sheets will be
bound so that the student
has created his/her own
non-fiction bat book. These
books will be summative
assessment.

-Bat Loves the Night

by Nicola Davies
-Worksheet
-Document camera
-Red marker

I will be listening to the

partner conversations
about bats so that I can
see that students have
been learning facts
(formative). The
worksheets will be

-Bats at the Beach

by Brian Lies
-Worksheet
-Document camera
-Red marker

Lesson
# 7:
Fiction
or NonFiction

or written language, drawing, or role play

Learning Standards - Concepts and Content:
-Structural features of living things in the local
environment
-Behavioural adaptations of animals in their area
Big Ideas English Language Arts
-Stories can help us learn
-Listening and speaking builds our understanding
and helps us learn
Learning Standards Curricular Competencies
-Begin to use sources of information and prior
knowledge to make meaning
-Use age appropriate reading, listening and
viewing behaviours and strategies to make
meaning from texts
Learning Standards Concepts and Content
Vocabulary to talk about texts
-Print awareness
-Letter formation

out bat books. (The bat

books are non-fiction books
that the students will be
creating about bats that they
will be able to read and to
take home to show to their
parents.)
b.) I will review learning
intentions, I will he holding a
whole group discussion,
doing an interactive read
aloud, doing a Talk Partner
activity, modelling the
students job on the
document camera,
explaining instructions,
circulating during seat-work
activity, and checking
worksheets for students best
work.

BIG IDEAS: Science

-Living things have features and behaviours that
help them survive
Learning Standards Curricular
Competencies:
-Make and record observations
-Communicate observations and ideas using oral
or written language, drawing, or role play
Learning Standards - Concepts and Content:
-Structural features of living things in the local
environment
-Behavioural adaptations of animals in their area
Big Ideas English Language Arts
-Stories can help us learn
-Everyone can be a reader and create stories
-Listening and speaking builds our understanding
and helps us learn
Learning Standards Curricular Competencies
-Begin to use sources of information and prior
knowledge to make meaning
-Use age appropriate reading, listening and
viewing behaviours and strategies to make

a.) The purpose of this

lesson is to provide the
students with examples of
fiction and non-fiction texts
and further question their
understanding. The students
will have to apply their critical
thinking skills to discover
where the books belong.
b.) I will, lead a whole group
discussion, and do a whole
group activity involving the
use of the SMART Board to
sort books into a Fiction or
Non-Fiction graphic
organizer. Then students will
have the opportunity to
practice working
collaboratively with a partner
to share and discuss ideas.
Then they will do an activity
where they will cut out the

fiction facts embedded within it.

This book is called Bats at the
Beach by Brian Lies. After that,
we will have a conversation
about what it means to be
nocturnal, drawing examples
from the book. then the students
will discuss this with their Talk
Partner. When I believe students
have an understanding of this
concept, I will model their job of
copying out a definition of a
nocturnal in the space provided
on the worksheet. Then I will
model the how I want the
drawing and colouring to look on
my page and I will compare it
against our criteria chart. Then I
will explain the instructions for
the students job and release
them to complete this task at
their desks.
First I will lead a group
discussion to activate students
prior knowledge about fiction
and non-fiction. Then we will
look at some of the books that
we have done as interactive
read alouds throughout the unit.
The students will have to work
together with feedback from
their classmates to organize the
books into a Fiction or NonFiction graphic organizer on the
SMARTBoard. After that, the
students will split into pairs to do
this activity by pasting the
pictures of the books on a paper
graphic organizer. They will be
able to collaborate with their
partner to determine their
answers.

collected and at the end of

the unit the sheets will be
bound so that the student
has created his/her own
non-fiction bat book. These
books will be summative
assessment.

I will be collecting this chart

to inform me whether or
not students understand
the difference between
fiction and non-fiction texts.
Each students must hand
in his/her own chart even
thought they could work
with a partner to complete
this task.

-SMART Board with

Chart and images
already loaded
-Copies of the books
-Popsicle sticks with
student names
-Paper chart
-Images to be cut out
-Pencils
-Glue
-Scissors
Book List:
Bats at the Library
Brian Lies (fiction)
Bats at the Beach
Brian Lies (fiction)
Nightsong Ari Berk
(fiction)
Hello, Bumblebee
Bat Darrin Lunde
(both)
Bat Loves the Night

meaning from texts

Learning Standards Concepts and Content
Vocabulary to talk about texts
-Print awareness
-Letter formation

images of the books and

paste them into the graphic
organizer.

Nicola Davies (both)

Amazing Bats Frank
Greenaway (nonfiction)
Welcome to the
World of Bats Diane
Swanson (nonficiton)
Bats Unknown (nonfiction)