Developmental Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Rebecca Sutton Date: 9/27/17

Group Size: 25 Allotted Time: 45 minutes Grade Level: 3rd

Subject or Topic: Slugs

Common Core/PA Standard(s):

3.1.3.A1. Describe characteristics of living things that help to identify and classify them.
3.1.3.B6.
Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events.
Understand that all scientific investigations involve asking and answering questions and
comparing the answer with what is already known.
Plan and conduct a simple investigation and understand that different questions require
different kinds of investigations.
Use simple equipment (tools and other technologies) to gather data and understand that
this allows scientists to collect more information than relying only on their senses to
gather information.
Use data/evidence to construct explanations and understand that scientists develop
explanations based on their evidence and compare them with their current scientific
knowledge.
4.5.3.B Define the term pest and identify various plants and animals that humans may call
pests.

Learning Targets/Objectives:
After learning about slugs, the 3rd grade students will be able to identify facts by choosing
the correct corner to stand in when asked questions about slugs.
Using their knowledge of slugs, the 3rd grade students will be able to predict and analyze
ideas about how slugs use slime to move around by working in groups to investigating how
slugs use slime to move.

Assessment Approaches: Evidence:

1. Left Side, Right Side 1. Standing on a designated side of the room
2. Slug Slide experiment to show a response to a question about
. slugs and responses if asked questions as
follow ups
2. Slug Slide lab handout responses

Assessment Scale:
2. Facts
2-3 facts on lab proficient
< 2 facts below basic
Subject Matter/Content:
Slugs

Prerequisites:
A basic understanding of the different types of animals.
An understanding that slugs are a living thing that need water, food, and air to survive.
Observation and inquiry skills.
An understanding of how to make a hypothesis.
An understanding of how to use a ruler and record measurements.

Key Vocabulary:
Mollusk - any of many animals with a soft body that has no backbone. They generally live in
slat water. A hard outer shell protects most mollusks, such as snails, clams, and oysters.
Others, such as octopuses, do not have such a covering.
Species- a class of things of the same kind and with the same name
Tentacles - any of various long flexible structures that stick out usually around the head or
mouth of an animal (as a jellyfish or sea anemone) and are used especially for feeding or
grasping
Retractable - able to be drawn or pulled back or in
Mucus - a slippery sticky substance produced especially by mucous membranes which it
moistens and protects

Content/Facts:
What is a slug?
- slugs are mollusks (no back bone)
- slugs look like a snail without a shell
What is a species
- class of things of the same kind and with the same name
Some species of slugs
- land slugs
- sea slugs
- freshwater slugs
How slugs breathe
- through a hole in their side of their body
How slugs move
- contracting the muscles in their belly, called the foot
- mucus coating helps them glide and stick to objects
Slug reproduction
- land slugs follow the mucus trails of other slugs to find a mate
- land slugs are both male and female at the same time
- lay eggs in dark damp places
- baby slugs take a few weeks to hatch, are tiny and transparent
Content/Facts: contd
Land slugs diet
- mushrooms, plants, like lettuce
- decaying plants and animals
The important role slugs play in nature
- break down decaying plants and animal matter, add nutrients back into soil
Slugs as garden pests
- eat/destroy crops

Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
To get students excited about slugs, ask them to stand in the corner of the room that matches
their response: If youve ever seen a living slug, go stand in the front corner of the room. If
youve never seen a living slug, go stand in the back corner of the room.
After the students have chosen a corner and a quick glance of who is standing where is
complete, ask the group who said they have seen a slug to describe what they remember
about the slugs they observed.
As the students offer descriptions, repeat the words and write the words on the white board.
Gather all the students around a table and tell the class that there was no right or wrong
answer to whether they have seen a living slug or what they remember about the slugs
because they will get the chance to see one today.
Place the slug in its container on the table and reveal the slug to the children and let them
take a look and comment.
Place the slug on the lid of the container and allow it crawl, asking the students to note the
trail of slime the slug leave behind. Hold up the lid and show how the slug can crawl even
when the lid is upside down.
Finally, tell the students they will be conducting their own experiments to see if they can
recreate slug slime, but first they will need to learn some facts about slugs and their slime
before getting started.
Have students to return to their seats, get out their Science notebooks and a pencil, and clear
everything else off of their desks.
While the students are preparing, prepare the Slug slideshow for viewing.
Development/Teaching Approaches:
With students seated at their desks, tell them youre going to read a short book about slugs
called The Slug: Disgusting Critters by Elise Gravel.
Read the book to the class.
After the book is finished, ask the students to open up their Science notebooks and get out
their Pest Tracker sheet in case they hear about any pests they want to add to their tracker.
Call the students attention to the slide show by telling them you are reviewing some facts
from the book and shutting off some of the lights.
*See printed pages of Slug Powerpoint attached. Pause after reading each slide and give
students time to copy the defection/information into their notebooks. Walk around the
classroom, to check progress and assist students as needed before moving on to the next
slide.
When the slide show is complete, have a student turn the lights back on.
Ask students that now that they have learned some facts about land slugs, can someone
explain why people consider slugs pests?
- if needed, help prompt them to arrive at the response that land slugs eat plants, often
ruining peoples gardens
Add a prompt to transition into the Slug Slide lab; what about the slime slugs bodies are
coated in? Whats that slime called? Assist to answer mucus. Has anyone ever seen a slime
trail left by a slug outside your house? Does anyone think that could help make slugs a pest?
Tell students theyre going to investigate how the mucus works on a slugs body to help them
move around and what kind of mess it might leave behind.
Sort students into groups of 5 and move desks as needed.
Development/Teaching Approaches: *contd from previous page
With students gathered in their 5 groups of 5, ask them to clear everything off of their desks
with the exception of one group member who they need to decide will be the note taker. The
note taker needs to keep a pencil out and will be in charge of recording the findings on the
Slug Slide sheet and back of sheet as they work.
Students will be reminded about lab safety and that the gummy worms are not to be eaten.
*save one bag for later, if lab goes well, each student can eat a new gummy worm at the end
Tell the students to get quiet and listen carefully to the instructions on how to conduct the
experiment. Students will recall what they observed of the slug crawling and its appearance
(slug will be in container in the classroom for viewing during the lab) as well as what they
learned during the lesson about slugs. Using the supplied materials, they will create their own
mucus - slime" - and dip the gummy worm into the slime then test each worm by
allowing it slide down the lid. The note taker will record the findings. It is up to each group
to determine how they want to create the slime samples and how to measure their findings.
Ask if anyone has questions.
Pass out the materials.
Each group will be given: a plastic lid, a bag of gummy worms, 1 paper bowl with 3
spoonfuls of mayo, 1 bowl with 3 spoonfuls of jelly, 1 bowl with 3 spoonfuls of oil, 1 plastic
cup of water, 3 plastic spoons, 2-3 paper towels, a ruler, and 1 blank sheet of paper.
Students are told they will have 15 minutes to conduct their experiments.
While the groups work, walk around and observe the students, making notes of their
conversations and actions. Guide them, if needed.
When the 10 minutes has passed, give the students a heads up that they have 5 minutes
remaining to finish their experiments.
When 15 minutes has passed, let the class know time is up and to spend the next 5 minutes in
their groups discussing what they observed and recorded.
After 5 minutes, ask each group to share what they discovered while creating their slime
samples and which sample best recreated a slugs mucus.
While the groups are sharing their findings, make notes on the board.
After all the groups finish sharing, discuss, as a class, the similarities and differences
between groups and whether or not their was one substance that worked best as a slime.
Have groups clean up.
Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
Once the lab is cleaned up, have students return to their desks.
Tell the students that now they have become experts on slug mucus, its time to play a game
to review what they learned during the lesson.
Have the students stand up.
Students will be asked to do the following:
- If you think that a slug is a mollusk, stand on the right side of the room.
- If you do not think a slug is a mollusk, stand on the left side of the room.
Select a student at random from each side to explain why they chose that answer.
Provide the correct answer: Yes, a slug is a mollusk.
Ask for a volunteer to share what they know about mollusks.
Ask for a volunteer to name another type of animal listed in the slide show that is a mollusk.
Correct Answers: octopus, snail, clam, oyster
- If you think you can name a specifies of a slug, stand on the left side of the room.
- If you can name 2 species of slugs, stand on the right side of the room.
Select a student at random from each side to provide either 1 or 2 examples, based on their
selected side.
Correct Answers: sea slugs, freshwater slugs, land slugs
Ask for a volunteer who thinks they know what kind of slug they have in the classroom.
Correct Answer: a land slug
- If you think you know why slugs are pests, stand on the left side of the room.
- If you think slugs are pests, stand on the right side of the room.
- If you do not think slugs are a pest, stand on the left side of the room.
- If you think you know how to control slugs in a garden, stand on the left side of the room.
- If you're not sure how to control slugs in a garden, stand on the right side of the room.
Thank students for doing an awesome job showing what they learned about slugs today and
have them return to their desks. Hand out fresh gummy worms if all went well.
To close the lesson, place a container that is covered by a piece of fabric on the front table.
Tell the students there is something inside that has to do with the next pest theyll be
studying.
Ask if anyone wants to guess what is inside the container.
As students provide guesses, recored their guesses on the board.
Tell students that they have to wait until tomorrow to find out if they were right.
Accommodations/Differentiation:
Because Student X has an IEP that specifies that she struggles with note taking and needs
extra time to take notes or a copy of the teachers notes, I will provide her with my Science
notebook for her to copy from during the slide show while the other students copy their notes
from each slide. This will allow Student X to follow along with the slides and have additional
time to copy the notes without falling behind when the slides move ahead. I will check
Student Xs progress and allow her to keep the teachers notes to copy after the lesson, if
needed.
Materials/Resources:
Gravel, E. (2016). The slug. Toronto, Ontario: Tundra Books.
Living slug (1)
Jar of mayonnaise (1)
Jar of apricot jelly (1)
Bottle of vegetable oil (1)
Water
Paper towels
Packages of regular gummy worms (no sour sugar coating) (5)
Paper bowls (20)
Plastic cups (10)
Plastic spoons (20)
Large plastic bin lids (5)
Rulers (5)
Pencils (25)
Paper (25)
Powerpoint
Computer
Projector
White Board
Dry erase marker
Science Notebooks
Handouts (25)
Merriam-Webster Student Dictionary http://www.wordcentral.com/cgi-bin/student?
book=Student&va=mucus
"Slug" Races
http://lemonlimeadventures.com/slug-races-why-do-slugs-have-slime/
Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels

Remediation Plan (if applicable):

Personal Reflection Questions:

Was there time to touch on other kinds of slugs beyond land slugs?

Could facts about snails have been included?

Additional reflection/thoughts:
 SLUG SLIDE
Group #:________

Hypothesis time!
Names: __________________
Which slime do you think will make the
slipperiest slug?

__________________

___________________

___________________

Slime #1 Which slime made the slipperiest slug?

What was the slime made of?

*remember to list measurements*

How far did the slug slide?

Why?
*Remember to use measurements!

Slime #2
What was the slime made of?

*remember to list measurements*

Was your prediction correct?

How far did the slug slide?

Slime #3 Extend the lesson

What was the slime made of?
What other substances do you think would
*remember to list measurements*
create an eective slime?

Why?

How far did the slug slide?

 Hello!
What is a slug?
Im a
mollusk!

SLUGS
A mollusk is any of many animals with a soft body that
has no backbone. They generally live in salt water. A hard
outer shell protects most mollusks, such as snails, clams,
and oysters. Others, such as octopuses, do not have
such a covering.

A slug looks like a snail without a shell

Species of slugs Land Slugs

Ive got a Im a land
big family! slug!

A species is a class of things of the same kind and with

the same name
A land slug has 2 pairs of tentacles; one for eyes and
another for tasting and smelling.

There are many species of slugs.

Tentacles are any of various long flexible structures that stick out usually around the
head or mouth of an animal (as a jellyfish or sea anemone) and are used especially for
feeding or grasping.

Land slugs

Sea slugs
A land slugs tentacles are retractable, meaning they can pull the tentacles inside their
head when they sense danger. A land slug breathes through a a hole on the side of its
body.
Freshwater slugs

Land Slugs What do they eat?

I only need Lettuce is
1 sock! yummy!

Land slugs eat mushrooms and plants, like lettuce.

A land slug breathes through a hole in the side of its body.

Gardeners and farmers consider slugs a pest because they

A land slugs belly is called a foot. The slug moves by eat their vegetables and crops.

contracting the muscles in its foot (belly).

But because slugs break down decaying plants and animal

A land slugs body is covered in mucus, which also helps matter, they help add nutrients back into the soil.

it move. *More on that later!

All plants need healthy nutrient-rich soil to grow.

Whats with the slime? Whats with the slime?

Im sticky! Im sticky!

Land slugs look and feel slimy because their bodies are Land slugs hang out in humid, damp places that are usually
out of the sunlight to prevent their mucus from drying out.

covered in mucus.

Mucus is a slippery sticky substance produced especially by mucous Slugs can climb up trees and across ceilings because the
membranes which it moistens and protects Gardeners and farmers mucus is sticky like glue and helps the slugs slide over
consider slugs a pest because they eat their vegetables and crops. surfaces.

*Slimy and thick, kind of like snot!

Slugs can produce extra mucus to become even more

slippery and escape the danger of predators.

Follow the slug

Wait for me!

Lets be
friends!

Land slugs follow the mucus trails of other slugs to help them
find a mate and produce babies.

Slugs are both male and female at the same time. *Like
earthworms! Land slugs lay eggs in dark damp places, like a hole
in the ground or under a rock.

Baby slugs take a few weeks to hatch and are tiny and
transparent.