Science - 4th Grade
Lesson Plans

Standard 5

Students will understand the physical characteristics of Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts and identify common organisms for each environment.

Objective 3

Use a simple scheme to classify Utah plants and animals.

• Amiable Amphibians
  Students will learn about classifying Utah animals - specifically amphibians.
• Classifying Conundrum
  Students will identify plant characteristics from different environments and be able to communicate that information in different ways.
• Classifying Kids
  An activity which asks student to classify each other helps students to understand how Utah's plants and animals are classified.
• Classifying Objects
  Sets of animal cards are used to help students practice using a type of classification system.
• Keys and Classifying
  This activity asks students to sort and classify an assortment of objects helping them to understand the concept as it applies to classifying Utah plants and animals.
• NHMU: Bird Watching 101
  Students will learn the basics of bird watching, finding and interpreting bird clues and attracting birds to a particular location or habitat.
• NHMU: Birds Will Be Birds
  Students will analyze the physical characteristics of 12 different birds and consider how this enables them to survive in their individual habitats. They will then expand on this knowledge by applying it to other species not covered in the handout.
• NHMU: Classified Information
  In this activity students learn to classify objects based on their attributes.
• NHMU: Insect Family Tree
  Students will identify and match insects on the Insect Family Tree.
• NHMU: Living Food Web
  Students will be able to name some plants and animals that live in Utah's desert, forest or wetland ecosystems. They will also describe the interdependence of the organisms in a food web.
• NHMU: This is Your Rock, This is My Rock
  Students will learn to recognize a variety of rocks and minerals found in Utah as well as their identifying characteristics.
• TRB 4:5 - Investigation 4 - Wetland Adaptation
  Students will understand the impact of the wetland environment on the migration of birds.
• TRB 4:5 - Investigation 7 - Classification Schemes
  Students will place organisms into the correct classification and justify their reasoning.
• TRB 4:5 - Investigation 8 -Classify UT Plants & Animals
  Students will practice using 2 different plant classification keys to identify species.
• Why Do You Classify This?
  In this lesson plan students will get to group pictures of animals into similar groups and defend their reasons. The process should mirror how they have been classifying objects previously.

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Jennifer Throndsen and see the Science - Elementary website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.