Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)
Lesson Idea Name: Vertebrates and Invertebrates
Content Area: Life Science
Grade Level(s): Fifth
Content Standard Addressed:
- S5L1: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to group organisms using scientific classification
procedures. A. Develop a model that illustrates how animals are sorted into groups (vertebrate and
invertebrate) and how vertebrates are sorted into groups (fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal) using
data from multiple sources.
Technology Standard Addressed: 3. Knowledge Constructor
Selected Technology Tool: PowerPoint
URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable): See PowerPoint
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):
☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☐ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating
Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):
☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement
Universal Design for Learning (UDL):
PowerPoint is a highly effective ad customizable tool that will be beneficial for all students in the classroom. It
offers many features such a text, images/videos, custom formatting and design, audio narration and subtitles,
animations, transitions, graphs/charts, and more. PowerPoint is a great tool for teachers and students alike to
create presentations that capture the viewers attention and teach content in a meaningful and interesting
way. PowerPoints can be accessed electronically and edited at home or at school. The user-friendliness of
PowerPoint makes it accessible and helpful for ELL’s or students who are auditorily/visually impaired, and it
can be viewed/presented on many touchscreen devices (simple swiping features for students with motor skill
impairments.)
Lesson idea implementation:
The main goal of this life science standard is for students to be able to create a model that illustrates how
animals are sorted into groups: vertebrates and invertebrates and subgroups of vertebrates (mammals, birds,
reptiles, amphibians, and fish.) The teacher will introduce the content with a brief discussion on animals,
prompting students to give information they know about animals. Teacher will then lead discussion on
categorizing animals using the PowerPoint as a guide. The PowerPoint lays out the information in a simple,
easy-to-read manner with bright pictures to keep children interested. Students can take notes on the
PowerPoint and will also have access to classroom textbook chapter corresponding with this information.
Students will then be assigned a two day long in-class project in which they create a poster (physical or
virtual) detailing each type of subgroup and vertebrates/invertebrates, with pictures (examples), and
characteristics specific to that group. Students can choose the layout of their poster, which animals to put,
and if they want to draw/cut them out/print them from online. Students will then present their poster to the
class along with an interesting fact they learned while researching. Students may choose to work with a
partner or alone. They may also use the classroom computers for research. After the presentations, students
will be given a quiz regarding the information covered in order to assess their learning.
Spring 2018_SJB
Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)
Reflective Practice:
I feel these activities will impact student learning because the students are learning content will also creating
a product that they had a lot of choice in. Their ability to have creative choice over many aspects of the poster
will keep them more interested. This idea is an introductory lesson to a unit on animals, their traits, diets,
characteristics, and habitats. With that being said, as we learn more about animals, students could create
more posters or choose a specific group to focus on, and they could present to the class and have other
students take notes – teaching each other. Other possible technology tools are the many research tools
available on the web. Discovery Kids is a great example.
Spring 2018_SJB
