Endangered Animals Lesson Plan for 4th Grade Students

Topic: Endangered Animals

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify and describe at least three endangered animals.
• Students will be able to write a paragraph about one of the endangered animals they have studied, using proper writing mechanics and including at least two supporting details.

Materials

• Internet access for each student
• Writing paper and pencils/pens

Warm-Up

• Show the students a picture of an endangered animal and ask them to guess what kind of animal it is.
• As a class, make a list of all the endangered animals they can think of.

Direct Instruction

• Explain to the students that there are many animals in the world that are endangered, which means that there are only a few of them left and they are in danger of becoming extinct, or dying out completely.
• Ask the students to use the computers to search for information about a specific endangered animal, and to find at least three factual details about it.
• As a class, review the students' findings and discuss what makes the animal endangered.

Guided Practice

• Have the students use the computers to search for more information about the endangered animal they chose, and to find more details about its habitat and behavior.
• As a class, review the students' findings and discuss how the animal's habitat and behavior contribute to its endangered status.
• Have the students use their writing journals to brainstorm ideas for a writing about the endangered animal they researched. Encourage them to use their factual details to support their claims and to explain how the animal's behavior and habitat contribute to its endangered status.
• Have the students share their writing drafts with a partner for feedback and revision.

Independent Practice

• Have the students use the computers to complete their writing about the endangered animal they researched. Encourage them to use their factual details to support their claims and to explain how the animal's behavior and habitat contribute to its endangered status.
• Have the students print out their writing and present it to the class.

Closure

• Review the main points of the lesson, including the definition of endangered and the importance of protecting animals and their habitats.
• Ask the students to share something they learned about endangered animals during the lesson.

Assessment

• Observe the students during the independent practice to assess their understanding of the definition of endangered and their ability to find and use facts about endangered animals in their writing.
• Collect the students' writing and review it to assess their ability to use the conjunction 'so' to show consequence.