This is a sample lesson treatment for BIOLOGY: Amphibians clarifying the learning objective and the evidence of learning and matching it with the appropriate learning activity that uses graphic organizers, mindmaps and communicates to students/learners how important their own learning strategy is

1. For Biology Teachers,
M5 (Upper Secondary Education level) Lao
PDR
An instructional sample that applies UbD (understanding by Design) principles
Joel Wayne Ganibe,
DPTL Component 2: QUALITY
Teacher HRD and Curriculum Delivery Expert . ICT4E Specialist
Secondary Education Sector Development Project
(SESDP) Nov. 2014

2. Teacher: remember the “HOOK”
Question
Establish CONNECTION/CONTINUITY with other lessons
where the concept is anchored like:
BIOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF LIVING THINGS…
see next slide

3. Establish CONNECTION/CONTINUITY with other lessons where
the concept is anchored with this HOOK question
REMEMBER WWHHEENN WWEE JJUUSSTT DDIIVVIIDDEEDD
LLIIVVIINNGG TTHHIINNGGSS IINNTTOO 22??
•Plant--Plants included every living thing that did not move or eat and
that continued to grow throughout life.
•Animal--Animals included every living thing that moved, ate, and
grew to a certain size and stopped growing.

4. Remind them why we’re still in the big idea of CLASSIFICATION:
Are germs plant or animal? How about ppllaannttss tthhaatt eeaatt aanniimmaallss aanndd
ppllaannttss tthhaatt eeaatt ootthheerr ppllaannttss??
• Because it became very difficult to group some living things into one or the other, so early in
the past century scientists expanded the two kingdoms were expanded into five: Protista
(the single-celled eukaryotes); Fungi (fungus and related organisms); Plantae (the plants);
Animalia (the animals); Monera (the prokaryotes).
• UPDATE!!!!! Many biologists now recognize six distinct kingdoms, dividing Monera into the
Eubacteria and Archeobacteria.
• We can say is that this system holds true for moment (2014) and even maybe for another
100 years. Accepted systems of classification have changed at a far faster pace than the
species have taken to evolve…
BBUUTT HHEERREE’’SS TTHHEE RRUULLEE BBEEIINNGG UUSSEEDD NNOOWW::
• KINGDOMS are divided into categories called phyla, each phylum is divided into classes, each
class into orders, each order into families, each family into genera, and each genus into
species.

5. Anyway
….

6. NOTE: these TERMS should be familiar to all students. Expand their scientific vocabulary into the real technical terms
in ENGLISH and FRENCH….
Teacher asks for 5 volunteers. Once they are chosen s/he asks them to draw a mindmap of the 5 kingdoms
with identifying a node (level 1 or first nodes only). 3 Minutes to make them alert and expectant.
Review:
PPLLAANNTTAAEE
AANNIIMMAALLIIAA
FFUUNNGGII
PPRROOTTIISSTTAA
55 KKIINNGGDDOOMM
Classification System
Eubacteria
Archeobacteria
MMOONNEERRAA

7. TTeeaacchheerr,, always remember that:
• A PERSON WHO FEELS APPRECIATED WILL ALWAYS DO MORE THAN WHAT IS
EXPECTED.
• What can you do to make every learner appreciated in class and to
encourage participation as SAFE, FUN and REWARDING?
• USE what you learned on “noise/statics to communication”
• CLUE: Interpersonal Communication/”SMCRE”
• Clapping, Facial Expressions, verbal affirmations, tap the shoulder, and sometimes choosing
the hesitant one and asking the class to cheer—
• if still finding difficulty, that student can choose a “rescuer” to encourage leadership values
and being in a “cooperative learning” mood.

8. LAO TRANSLATION HERE:
We learned earlier that animals are divided into
ANIMALS
PPLLAANNTTAAEE
VERTEBRATES INVERTEBRATES
WITH BACKBONES NO BACKBONES
ENDOSKELETON supports/protects soft parts
of the anima;
Teacher asks for 2 volunteers. Once they are chosen s/he asks them to connect more nodes
to the Animal Kingdom strand (level 2 mindmap). Remember they must understand the
connection of this lesson to the bigger LESSON on classifying living things…
2 Minutes.
AANNIIMMAALLIIAA
FFUUNNGGII
PPRROOTTIISSTTAA
MMOONNEERRAA
55 KKIINNGGDDOOMM
Classification System

9. AANNIIMMAALLSS
VERTEBRATES INVERTEBRATES
WITH BACKBONES NO BACKBONES
ENDOSKELETON
supports/protects
soft parts of the
animal
5 CLASSES
Teacher asks for 5 more volunteers. Once
they are chosen s/he asks them to connect
more nodes to the VERTEBRATES strand
(now level 3 mindmap). Ask them to use
icons/symbols. 2 Minutes.
fish amphibian reptile bird mammal

10. Here is where the teacher clarifies the lesson for today as a continuation of the “story” of
living things on this planet. You can use a KWHL diagram, or a diagnostic mindmap to
check prior knowledge.
amphibian
?
THEN YOU CAN USE WALT AND WILF SO THAT ALL LEARNING ACTIVITIES
ARE FOCUSED AND DIRECTED TOWARDS PRODUCING THE EVIDENCE OF
LEARNING

11. WALT: We Are Learning To:
•Remember the unique characteristics of Amphibians
•Understand what makes them similar or unique from other vertebrate classes
in terms of protective covering, reproduction, how they breathe,
defenses against natural predators (relate to food chain)
and strategies for hunting food.
•We want to apply this knowledge as a possible
solution to some real life situation such as
Pest control or food security.
•We want to analyze the “AMPHIBIAN CRISIS”
and how this affects human Health.
•We want to Evaluate options for doing our
part for amphibians In Laos and the Mekong Region
•Then we will create action plans and presentations
to share in class
amphibian
?

12. WILF: What I’m Looking For:
•Students can draw an amphibian and correctly label the parts
•Students remember the protective covering (SKIN), reproduction (EXTERNAL), how they
breathe (GILLS first then later, LUNGS), can explain the
life cycle.—connect this knowledge to the creature’s
defenses/survival strategy and if this is enough for it
not to be extinct.
•How the student makes own learning strategy and organizes
his/her own learning (interview/discussion/research/
direct observation/taking notes like a scientist)
•How the students relate the information to real life;
how they make connections
•How the students realize the great importance of this study
•Contextualization: How the students put themselves and
their own skills into a situation; Realizing how they are
directly connected to the lesson
•How the students communicate by expressing their ideas and
appreciating those of others as a “scientist” or knowledge seeker.
amphibian
?

13. INQUIRY BASED LEARNING STRATEGY:
amphibian?
Based on WALT and WILF, students must design their own learning strategy (the “H” in the
KWHL Diagram.) Give the TASK and TIME. Assign each group to INVESTIGATE specific
characteristics of amphibians. Use textbooks; live amphibians, group discussions, note
taking, observation, etc. then give each group time to “TEACH” the class what they learned
and be ready to answer questions.
ASK THEM TO FIND THE ANSWER TO THE CRITICAL QUESTIONS

14. WALT: We Are Learning To:
•Remember the unique characteristics of Amphibians
•Understand what makes them similar or unique from
other vertebrate classes in terms of protective
covering, reproduction, how they breathe, defenses
against natural predators (relate to food chain) and
strategies for hunting food.
•We want to apply this knowledge as a possible
solution to some real life situation such as
Pest control or food security.
•We want to analyze the “AMPHIBIAN CRISIS”
and how this affects human Health.
Learning activity
1. Draw and Label from
Memory
2. Draw and Label from
direct observation of live
specimen
?
1. Group research and
presentations
2. Individual and
Group/Interactive
mindmaps
?
? time
1. Class Discussion/Sharing
1. Handout on AMPHIBIAN CRISIS
? or viewing of video available

15. WALT: We Are Learning To:
•We want to Evaluate options for doing our
part for amphibians In Laos and the
Mekong Region
•Then we will create action plans and
presentations
to share in class
REFLECTIVE LEARNING
(students must be conscious of what
they learned, how they learned it and
how they can improve their own
learning experience)
Learning activity
1. Group Mindmap of OPTIONS with advantage
? and disadvantage of each option
1. Group Reports
2. Question and Answer ?
1. INDIVIDUAL SUMMARY OF WHAT I LEARNED
USING “LEARNING BOARDS”
2. FAVORITE LEARNING ACTIVITY
3. REVIEW WILF TOGETHER (SCORE THEMSELVES)
4. EVALUTION OF CLASS LEARNING STRATEGY AND
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT FOR THE NEXT
LESSON
?