Lesson title: Mimicking a seed disperser

Grade level: Second grade

Duration: 50 minutes (one day lesson)

2-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Topic (s):
K–2 Engineering Design

1.3 (Second Grade) Visual Arts.

2-LS2-2. Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal

NGSS standard: in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.
(for this one-day lesson we will only focus on dispersing seeds)

Engineering K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to

Design illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve
Standard: a given problem.
(for this one-day lesson students will focus on physical model)

VAPA Standard: 1.3 Identify the elements of art in objects in nature, the environment,
and works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form, texture, and
space.
(for this one-day lesson students will mainly focus on shapes)

Students will be able to identify an animal that helps disperse seeds and
Objective: design a seed disperser model (based on the animal they researched)
using clay.

VAPA Students will be able to create an illustration of the animal they are
Objective: researching using shapes.
 Engage: Explore: Explain: Elaborate:
-Videos (laptop -Tablets -white -Science
& projector) - worksheet (to construction notebook
-Paper (notes) write their paper (engineering
Resources/ -pencil finding) -color pencils design process)
Materials: -pencil -markers -pencil
-picture of the -pencil -clay
five animals -shape sheet in -big
science construction
notebook paper to put
clay on top to
not to dirty the
tables

Curriculum This lesson on seed dispersal is a small lesson, so students can

Connection: broaden/further their knowledge and understanding of forest
fragmentation under the section of ecosystems in the curriculum. It
incorporates VAPA, NGSS, The Engineering Process, as well as the
Four C’s: collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creative
thinking.

Approximate Duration: 5 minutes

Prior lesson: During a previous lesson students had an introduction on

what forest fragmentation is and why it is a problem.
Link of video students watched as an introduction to forest
fragmentation: https://youtu.be/0m6AjWZ2p8I

Engage: Current/today’s lesson: To begin, today’s focus. students will watch a

short video on seed dispersal.

 Video link: https://youtu.be/TpzHF5arzj4 (2:20)

 During the video students will take notes on seed dispersal (3-5
bullet points).

After the video is over students will engage in a class discussion.

 What is seed dispersing?

 How do animals help seed dispersal?
  Why is seed dispersing important?
 Does seed dispersal connect to forest fragmentation? How or
Why?
(prompt students to think back to the forest fragmentation lesson
and/or take a look at their notes to recall the information)

*Educator will write down responses/ thoughts/ideas to questions in a

white chart paper.

Grouping: The entire engage part of the lesson will be done as a class,
but students will take individual notes on a sheet of paper during the
video.

Accommodations/Modifications for EL Student-Expanding

Proficiency:

- Educator will write down on a chart what students are saying

and repeat it.
- Short recap of video using gestures to emphasize understanding.

Accommodations/Modifications for Student with Auditory

Processing Disorder:

- All videos shown will have close caption.

- Students will be seated closer to the screen away from windows
and doors.
- Allow student to share notes with a partner- if unable to
complete 3-5 bullet point during the duration of the video.

Approximate Duration: 15 minutes

Driving Question: How do animals help disperse seeds?

Educator will assign students a small groups and provide each group
with an animal (based on the animals mentioned in both the forest
fragmentation and seed dispersing videos). Each group will get a
different animal to do research on. Students will look for:
 What fruit or plant the animal eats? Or What the animal is doing
when the seeds stick to it?
Explore:  What is the approximate distanced traveled in one day?
 How does that particular animal disperse seeds? (droppings, fur,
etc.)
 The main seed the animal helps disperse?
Students will use the class tablets to look up the information. Groups
should work collaboratively to answer each question (ex: Each group
member can research one question).
As students find information about their animal, they will share it with
their group and write it on a group worksheet that will be provided.
(Educator will collect the worksheet towards the end of the lesson, so it
can later be included in science notebooks).

Animals:
- Group 1: sheep
- Group 2: spider monkey (from video of previous lesson)
- Group 3: bird (Jay)
- Group 4: squirrel
- Group 5: mouse

Worksheet:

Grouping: For this part of the lesson students will be placed in groups
of 3-4 (assuming there are 20 students present: four per group for a
total of five groups).

Accommodations/Modifications for EL Student-Expanding

Proficiency:

- Say the animals name and show the picture.

- Provide worksheets with images to help understand what is
being asked.

Accommodations/Modifications for Student with Auditory

Processing Disorder:

- Write the questions on the board

- Provide headphones to get information from videos.
- Point to the sections and images on the worksheet as
instructions are explained.
 Approximate Duration: 10 minutes

Driving Question: How can I illustrate my animal using shapes?

Once students have completed the exploration part of the lesson, they
Explain: will demonstrate their understanding by drawing a picture of how their
animal helps disperse seeds (ex: students can draw a spider monkey
eating fruit or a sheep with seeds suck to its coat).

Students must draw this using shapes (an element of art), which they
learned about in a previous lesson.
(Students my use their shapes sheet in their science notebook as a
reference)

Shape Sheet:

Example of drawing (using only shapes):

Grouping: For this part of the lesson students will work individually.

Accommodations/Modifications for EL Student-Expanding

Proficiency:

- Provide a shape worksheet with the shape’s name in English and

in student’s first language.
- Repeat instructions to student individually (if needed).
 Accommodations/Modifications for Student with Auditory
Processing Disorder:

- Allow student to move to a quite area during individual work.

- Extend time if needed.

Approximate Duration: 15 minutes

Driving question: How can we use our new knowledge of seed

Elaborate: dispersal to design a model seed disperser that can help prevent forest
fragmentation?

Students will expand their understanding of the importance of seed

dispersal by using the engineering design process to design a model
(non-functional) of a seed disperser using clay.
(engineering design process will be done in science notebooks)

ASK: (as a class, but each will write it in their science notebook)
 How much clay will we get? A: one box per group
 Will we work in groups? A: same groups you were in before
 How big does the model have to be? A: as big as your box of
clay allows.
 Does it have to work? A: due to short time we will be designing
a model of how it would look and work if we actually build a
seed disperser.
Imagine: (individually)
 Students will imagine how a seed disperser would look
(brainstorm ideas).
Plan: (in their small group of 3-4 peers)
 In the same small groups as before (the groups they did research
with) students will begin to plan their seed disperser design.
 Once they have planned it, they will draw out their plan.
Create: (in their small groups of 3-4 peers)
 Students will begin to follow their plan and create their seed
dispenser using clay.
(students will use the big construction paper to put the clay on,
so it stays off the tables)
Improve:
 This last part of the engineering process will be part of the
evaluation.

Grouping: For this part of the lesson grouping will depend on the
section of the engineering process students are working on.

Accommodations/Modifications for EL Student-Expanding

 Proficiency:

- Provide an example of a completed engineering process ahead

of time, so student can see what is being asked, as educator
explains it to the class.
(example of completed process of another topic not the one we
are working on)

Accommodations/Modifications for Student with Auditory

Processing Disorder:

- Extend time if needed

- Provide a sheet with the engineering process so students can
read what is expected for each section
(follow along) as educator briefly explains it to the class.

Approximate Duration: 5 minutes

Assessment for this lesson will occur throughout the lesson duration, as
educator walks around to support and/or observe students: through the
research worksheet and visual arts illustration. However, the final
Evaluation: assessment will occur as each group does a small presentation of their
clay model.

Each group will present their model answering the following:

 Describe why they decided to design their seed disperser that
way.
 Explain how it is supposed to work.
 What materials they would likely need if they actually built the
seed disperser.
 What might they improve/change if they were to actually built
it.

Grouping: For this part of the lesson students will present in their
small groups to the class.

Accommodations/Modifications for EL Student-Expanding

Proficiency:

- Provide sentence frames. (ex: We decided to make this design

because…)

Accommodations/Modifications for Student with Auditory

Processing Disorder:

- Assessment will be done orally, so student feels more

 comfortable than having to write or read.

Elide Grande

LBS 405-03

May 6, 2019

VAPA COMENTARY

For this science lesson on seed dispersal, I intergraded Next Generation Science Standers

(NGSS) with Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) standards. The NGSS I chose to use for this

lesson is (2-LS2-2) Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing

seeds or pollinating plants. The VAPA standard I chose is (1.3) Identify the elements of art in

objects in nature, the environment, and works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form,

texture, and space. Both standards complement and correlate with one another. Therefore, I

decided to incorporate VAPA under the explain section in order to better support diverse

learning styles. Having students illustrate their animal, based on their research finds during the

exploration section, allows visual and hands-on learners to better understand and process what

they just read and/or learned. In addition, it provides EL students the opportunities to incorporate

a visual to the text they are working with, which in the case are research facts. Another benefit of

incorporating visual arts to a 5E lesson plan, is that it fosters engagement in school and

motivation to learn because students get to step away from traditional academic work and

express their creative side. Meanwhile, expanding/developing their artistic skills. In addition,

activities like drawing allow students to relax and become reenergized to continue the rest of the

lesson- especially in a second grade classroom where students’ lose focus after (approximately)

ten to fifteen minutes. Thereby, if VAPA incorporated with other subjects allows students to be

more engaged in school then, I believe, students will leave K-12 College ready.