Reptiles Lesson Plan: From Molecules to Organisms, Structures, and Processes

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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Reptiles, and supports the standard of making observations of animals to compare the diversity of life. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Ask students:

• What animals live in your community?
• How are these animals similar and different?

Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE

• Read the description on the Reptiles topic page.
• Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding. 
• Have students read one of the Related Reading articles. Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.
  

Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS 

Students take the Reptiles Challenge and Quiz, applying essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Step 4: EXTEND and DEEPEN

Students express what they learned about reptiles while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.

• Make-a-Movie: Imagine you are a scientist observing a tropical habitat. Produce a video journal about reptiles that answers these questions: What reptiles do you observe? How do their behaviors compare and contrast?
• Make-a-Map: Create a concept map identifying and describing common features of all reptiles.
• Creative Coding: Code a learning game challenging players to sort reptiles into different categories.

More to Explore 

Time Zone X: Reptiles: Challenge students to put historical events in chronological order in this interactive timeline game.

Diversity of Life Unit: Continue to build understanding around organisms and habitats by exploring more BrainPOP topics.

Teacher Support Resources:

• Learning Activities Modifications: Strategies to meet ELL and other instructional and student needs.
• Learning Activities Support: Resources for best practices using BrainPOP.