Names: Kimberly Pinto & Kayla Hatch

Unit Topic or Theme: Environmental Science

Grade: 3rd

Lesson Topic or Theme: Camouflage and the Environment

Lesson Objectives:

• Students will be able to identify various animals that use camouflage as a defense mechanism.

• Students will be able to identify and describe the difference between blending, pattern, disguise and mimicry in animals.

• Students will understand why animals need to adapt to their environment.

Instructional Technique: Demonstration, Discovery and Inquiry based techniques

Instructional Materials:

• Several sheets of wrapping paper of three different kinds (one patterned and two solid colors)

• Scissors

• Timer

• Books Animal Hide & Seek by: scishow kids and Animal Camouflage by: Vicky Franchino

Theoretical Perspective: Environmental science and how animals use camouflage as a defense mechanism is important to teach because it teaches children how to understand the world around them, as well as understand how animals have adapted to survive in the environment.

Procedure:
A. Introductory Activity: The introduction for this lesson would be to read to the students in a full classroom setting. Two books are used to introduce the concept of camouflage and how animals use it to protect themselves. Books that we picked to read aloud are Animal Hide & Seek by: scishow kids and Animal Camouflage by: Vicky Franchino. These books specifically introduce students to the key terms that will become the focus throughout the duration of the lesson.

B. Step-by-step:

• After the readings, we will go over in detail the types of camouflage (blending, patterns, disguise and mimicry) and use pictures of different animals as examples of each.

• Students will now conduct and experiment that will show how important camouflage is to certain types of animals.  

• Have students cut out 12 butterflies from the patterned paper and and 12 from each of the solid papers.

• Have one student in the group place one full piece of patterned paper on the floor and place 36 butterflies on it carefully.

• Set the timer to 10 seconds with one students eyes covered.

• Start the timer and have the student pick up as many butterflies as they can in 10 seconds.

• Compare results from the camouflaged butterflies to the solid ones.

• Students will then do a collage of animals of their choice in their environment that they are camouflaged well in.

C. After the activity students will then take an interactive quiz, with opportunities to explore outside websites that will expand knowledge of camouflaged animals.

D. Adaptations for different learners

• Adaptations can be made for students by having a paraprofessional also have a copy of each book to sit next to with the child and have them follow along more closely.

• The interactive quiz can also be adapted to instead of having 4 answers for the multiple choice options to only having 2 options.

• For students whom are having a hard time comprehending and retaining information with the content of this lesson, we could then work on explaining and giving other examples and then the next step would be for them to ask friends at their tables, those sitting next to them for assistance.

Evaluation:
A. Students will show they understand the objective by completing the collage correctly and by passing the interactive quiz. As the evaluators, we would be circling and monitoring to ensure that the students are reading and retaining the information that is being taught within the website.

Formal Rubric for Camouflaging Lesson:

Total of 16 points