### Grade 3 Science Lesson Plan: Plants and Animals
**Topic**: Plants and Animals
**Duration**: 1 hour
**Objectives**:
1. Students will learn the basic differences between plants and animals.
2. Students will understand what living things need to survive.
3. Students will be able to identify parts of plants and explore their functions.
4. Students will observe different types of animals and learn about their habitats.
**Materials**:
- Chart paper and markers
- Plant and animal picture cards
- Drawing paper and crayons/colored pencils
- Plant and animal fact sheets
- Magnifying glasses (if available)
- Real plants (potted plants, small flowers, etc.)
- Multimedia projector (if available)
**Standards**:
- NGSS 3-LS1-1: Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have a common life cycle: birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
- NGSS 3-LS2-1: Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.
**Lesson Plan**:
**Introduction** (10 minutes):
1. **Hook**: Start with an engaging question: "Who can tell me one way that plants and animals are different?"
2. Briefly explain the lesson objectives: "Today, we are going to learn about plants and animals. We will explore what makes them different and what they need to survive."
**Direct Instruction** (15 minutes):
1. **Plants vs. Animals**: Use a Venn diagram on chart paper to compare and contrast plants and animals.
- **Plants**: Autotrophs (make their own food), have roots, stems, and leaves, usually stationary.
- **Animals**: Heterotrophs (eat plants or other animals), have different body parts (legs, wings, etc.), usually mobile.
2. **Survival Needs**: Discuss what living things need to survive.
- **Plants**: Water, sunlight, air (CO2), nutrients from soil.
- **Animals**: Water, food, air (O2), shelter.
**Guided Practice** (15 minutes):
1. **Interactive Exploration**: Divide students into small groups and give each group a set of plant and animal picture cards.
2. **Activity**: Ask groups to sort the cards into two categories: Plants and Animals. Encourage them to discuss why they placed each card in its category.
3. **Group Discussion**: Bring the class back together to share their sorting results and reasoning.
**Independent Practice** (10 minutes):
1. **Drawing and Labeling**: Provide students with drawing paper and crayons/colored pencils.
2. **Task**: Ask students to draw and label a plant and an animal. Encourage them to include important parts (e.g., roots, stem, leaves for plants; head, legs, wings for animals).
**Extensions** (5 minutes):
1. **Different Habitats**: Briefly introduce different habitats (forest, ocean, desert, etc.) and discuss which plants and animals might live there.
2. Show some pictures or short video clips of different habitats and the plants and animals found in each.
**Closing** (5 minutes):
1. **Review**: Recap the key points discussed in the lesson.
2. **Exit Ticket**: Give each student a small piece of paper and ask them to write one thing they learned about plants and one thing they learned about animals.
**Assessment**:
- Observation during group activity and class discussion.
- Evaluation of the drawings and labeling for understanding of plant and animal parts.
- Review of exit tickets to gauge individual understanding of the lesson.
**Homework**:
- Ask students to find a plant and an animal in their surroundings, draw them, and write two facts about each.
**Reflection** (post-lesson):
- Reflect on which parts of the lesson were most effective.
- Consider any adjustments needed for future lessons based on student responses and engagement.
This lesson plan aims to provide a comprehensive and engaging introduction to plants and animals for 3rd-grade students, laying a foundational understanding for more advanced topics in biology.