Lesson Plan Blog Post! :)

explain why I chose the each strategy!

1. Life Science

2. Middle School, Low functioning students with Autism 6-8th grade.

3.  Detailed Objectives:

1. The student will investigate and understand basic plant anatomy and life
   Processes. 
   
   
   VA Standard:
   Life Processes:
   4.4a the structures of typical plants and the function of each structure;
   b) Processes and structures involved with plant reproduction;
   c) Photosynthesis
   
   
   Reading:
   K.5 The student will understand how print is organized and read.
   a) Hold print materials in the correct position.
   b) Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.
   c) Distinguish between print and pictures.
   d)  Follow words from left to right and from top to bottom on a printed page.
   e)  Match voice with print. (concept of word). 
   K.10 b)  Identify text features specific to the topic, such as titles, headings, and pictures.

1.  
1.10  The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of nonfiction texts.    

Book:

4.  Written purpose:  The purpose of this lesson plan is to teach students the basic parts and functions of plants, and experiment with how to hold, turn the page, listen, and for some students read short books on plants and their parts.

Strategies/Activities: 

Preparation:
1) Students will activate prior knowledge by first watching a short, fun video on plant parts/functions on brainpopjr.com, then follow up with a powerpoint containing pictures and visuals of plant parts.  Since each student is mostly non-verbal, each student with have a stack of notecards with the words and pictures of each part, and will hold up the picture of the plant part the teacher says.  Same activity with the functions.  The teacher can then see what the students know so far and what will have to really be taught.  A para or assistant will keep a tally chart of which parts/functions the student got correct and incorrect to get a baseline on what the students know.  I chose this strategy because it is measureable, and will activate prior knowledge.
2)  Each student will correctly hold, turn the pages, identify picturies, titles, and left to right reading.  For the students who can read, they will read short non-fiction stories on the different plant parts and their function to help prepare them for assessments.
3) Students will fill out graphic organizers, of a blank plant chart and use a word bank to help fill the chart in.

4) Pre-Learning Concept Check: THIS WOULD BE THE VOCAB SECTION; stem, root, leaf, flower, photosynthesis, etc. (see which functions (definitions) the students know and don't know)

Assistance: Jot Chart, Mystery Clue Game (hints about what plant part I am describing by talking about the function- student will choose a part via index card or verbally)

Reflection: Seeing how many of the students can name the parts/functions of the plants independently.  1)  I would use a short writing assignment: since they are students who are low-functioning, I would give them "the, a, I see, it" as sentence starters, list all plant parts/functions, and example, if they picked roots first, would pick which sentence starter they want, so "The roots" then have them choose which function, so they can pick each part of the 3 necessary parts of the sentence (starter, noun, verb) and put it together and write, or for some students type the sentence.  
2) Post Graphic Organizers: I would still have my students use a word bank, and would have the student fill in a diagram of a plant, and the function underneath it.
3) To incorporate something FUN, I would use pipeline straw, play do, and other crafts and let the students build a plant by placing the correct plant parts where they belong.

Evaluation: At the end of the unit, have the students fill in a blank worksheet with a plant, word box may be given.  Use multiple choice/true false to answer questions on the functions of a plant.  Testing will be how I evaluate how well the lesson was learned.  I will do the same for plant parts, and plant functions.  For the students who can read the stories, I will take data on how many words they read correctly and incorrectly daily to see if there is improvement.