Rat Island Lesson Plan

Name: Brianna Desmond Date: 5/3/2019

Curriculum/Course: Intensive Science Grade level: 9th

Time/Period: 77 minutes Materials: Rat Island Handouts (attached), lined and blank paper.

Standards: List the state or national standards that you are using in this unit/lesson.

HS-LS4-2., HS-LS4-4., HS-LS4-5.

Objectives (I can statements):

I can discuss with my group how natural selection, adaptations, and fitness contribute to evolution

I can design an organism that is well adapted to its environment.

Assessment (Formative, Summative): (ie. thumbs up/down, exit ticket, quiz, chapter test, rubric (attach if appropriate), etc.)

Students will be assessed summatively on their final products using the rubric attached.

Students will be assessed formatively throughout the project process using the guided work sheets.

Introduction/Hook/Anticipatory Set/Activating Prior Knowledge: (Warm-up, review of previous day’s lesson, check for
understanding of previous knowledge, questions you will ask)

Students will complete a biolog first on their own, and then they will discuss answers with their tablemates and
classmates. (attached)

Steps in the lesson:

1. After the biolog, students will receive the Rat Island instruction sheet and rubric. The teacher will go over the
instructions and expectations of the project.

2. The teacher will explain the timeline of the project: today will be planning only, Monday will be making the project,
and Tuesday will be presentations.

3. Students will be instructed to form project groups. They should range from 2-4 students per group. Account for
absent students.

4. After students are in groups, they should sit down at a table together.

5. Each group will receive a planning worksheet, and select an island at random.

6. After each group has their island and worksheet, the teacher will go over the planning worksheet with the class. It
will be explained that this worksheet is due at the end of the hour.

Closure/Wrap up: This may be in the form of independent practice, a chance to share, or explicit restatement of the goals of the lesson.

Students will ask the questions they still have in regards to the project. Students will also turn in their planning sheets
as an exit ticket.
Assessment /Modification:

Specific Student/Group: There are no IEPs in this classroom.

Differentiation:

What will I differentiate? Content Process Product Environment

Explain: Students will be able to design the rat and island however they want to: using different materials, island types,
and adaptations.

How will I differentiate? For readiness By interest Learning profiles Ability level Affect

Explain: Students will be able to decide in their groups what they are responsible for. They will also have freedom to
choose how to make their rats.

Diversity: Big Rapids High School is a predominantly low-income, rural school. The intensive science classes have 33-36
students. There are no IEPs for either section. There is a mixture of boys and girls. I have one student that identifies as
nonbinary. There is little ethnic diversity in both sections.

Reflection/Teacher Notes:
Names: __________________________________________________________________________________

Rat Island
Where Rats Adapt to Survive

Welcome to Rat Island! The conditions here are harsh, and only the strong survive and reproduce. Can you
give your rat what it needs to conquer Rat Island and live to pass on its adaptive genes to the next generation?

Working in groups, you are to use the information given about your assigned island to draw the island, and
design a rat that can live on that island successfully. Use any of the resources available to you to create your
model rat. Keep the following concepts and key points in mind as you choose what adaptations to provide for
your rat:
 Natural Selection – What kind of conditions exist on your island that will cause difficulty finding basic
needs like food, shelter or water? How will your rat avoid predators?
 Adaptations – What characteristics will your rat possess to survive the harsh conditions of your island?
Keep in mind that new characteristics can only come from existing characteristics. Nothing comes
from nothing.
 Fitness – Think about characteristics that will most successfully increase your rat’s fitness. (Fitness
means able to survive and reproduce offspring)

You will present your rat to the class and discuss the adaptations you chose. Keep a list of information you’ll
need to report to the class, including:
 What environmental conditions did your rat have to contend with?
 Describe the adaptations you selected for your rat.
 Explain how the adaptations will help your rat survive its environment in order to reproduce and pass
on its genes.
Rat Island Rubric
Exemplary (100%)
Island Drawing Island drawing is complete, on
(15 points) clean, white paper, is colored,
and contains the assigned
conditions.
Model of Rat Rat is complete and has at least 4
(25 points) adaptations well suited for its
environment.
Use of Concepts Concepts and key points
(30 points) (adaptation, fitness, natural
selection, ect.) are incorporated
into the rat’s adaptations.
Creativity Rat and island are creative.
(10 points)
Design/Neatness Design of rat and island drawing
(10 points) are well constructed, neat, and
easy to “read”.
Presentation Environmental conditions are
(10 points) explained. How the rat’s
adaptations help the rat survive
in its environment in order to
reproduce and pass on its genes
is described using the drawing of
the island, and model of the rat
as visual representations. Group
members participate in the
presentation equally.
Overall comments:
Meets Expectations (75%)
Island drawing is compete, but in
pencil, on lined paper, or does
not contain the correct assigned
conditions.
Rat is complete and has at least 2
adaptations well suited for its
environment.
Concepts and key points
(adaptation, fitness, natural
selection, ect.) are somewhat
incorporated into the rat’s
adaptations.
Rat and island are somewhat
creative.
Design of rat and island drawing
are well constructed and neat.
Some environmental conditions
are explained, some of the rat’s
adaptations are explained, and
how the adaptations will help the
rat survive its environment in
order to reproduce and pass on
its genes is described using either
drawing of the island, and model
of the rat as visual
representations. Group members
do not participate in the
presentation equally.
Total points awarded:
Incomplete (<50%)
Island drawing is not completed.
Rat is incomplete, or has less
than 2 adaptations well suited
for its environment.
Concepts and key points
(adaptation, fitness, natural
selection, ect.) are not
incorporated into the rat’s
adaptations.
Rat and island are not creative.
Design of rat and island drawing
are not well constructed or is
messy.
Environmental conditions are not
explained, little to none of the
rat’s adaptations are explained,
and how the adaptations will
help the rat survive its
environment in order to
reproduce and pass on its genes
is described Visual
representations are not used.
Group members do not
participate in the presentation
equally or presentation is not
given.
/100
Names: __________________________________________________________________________________

Rat Island Day One: Planning worksheet

With your group, answer the following questions

Describe the environmental conditions of your island:

Define the following vocabulary terms in your own words:

 Adaptation
 Fitness
 Natural Selection

List 5 adaptations that would help your rat survive and reproduce on your island. How would these
adaptations increase fitness?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

What materials do you need to draw your island?

What materials do you need to build your rat?

What other questions do you have about the project?