This document provides resources and guidance for teaching a unit on internal and external structures in 7th grade science. It includes the relevant state standards, a pacing guide, lesson plan components, activities, and strategies for differentiation and assessment. The key objectives are for students to explain how variations within populations enhance survival, and to investigate and explain how internal structures allow specific functions in organisms.

1. Science Grade 7: Internal & External Structures
Core Content Coaching

2. Purpose
To provide support for grade-level, unit content planning

3. Resources for planning
• Teacher Yearly Resource Document (or Yearly Itinerary)
• CRM 6: Adaptations
• Blank Pacing Calendar
• 7th
Grade 4th
Six Weeks Lessons: Internal & External Structures Pacing Guide & Lessons
• Computer with Internet Access

4. Teacher yearly resource document

5. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Jan. 5
Heredity &
Reproduction
6 7 8 9
12
Internal & External
Structures
13 14 15 16
19
Student/Staff Holiday
20
Dichotomous Keys
21 22 23
26
Natural Selection &
Selective Breeding
27 28 29 30
Feb. 2
Plant Physiology &
Adaptations
3 4 5
Plant Response to
Stimuli
6
9
Plant Cell Review &
Photosythesis
10 11 12
Energy Flow
13
16
Student Holiday
17
Energy Flow
18 19 20
4th
Six Weeks Planner (33 days)

6. 7.1A-B, 7.2A-E, 7.3B-C, 7.4A7.11: Organisms & environments. The student knows that
populations & species demonstrate variation & inherit many of their
unique traits through gradual processes over many generations. The
student is expected to:
•7.11B: explain variation within a population or species by
comparing external features, behaviors, or physiology of organisms
that enhance their survival such as migration, hibernation, or storage
of food in a bulb.
7.12: Organisms & environments. The student knows that living
systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary
nature of structure & function. The student is expected to:
•7.12A: investigate & explain how internal structures of
organisms have adaptations that allow specific functions such as gills
in fish, hollow bones in birds, or xylem in plants.
TEKS & Student expectations
Content TEKS Skills TEKS
1. What are the state standards for this unit?
2. Deconstruct the TEKS: Verb, Noun, and Context
Explain: to make (something) clear or easy to understand
Investigate :to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry
1. What are the state standards for this unit?
2. Deconstruct the TEKS: Verb, Noun, and Context
Explain: to make (something) clear or easy to understand
Investigate :to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry

7. CRM 6: TEKS & Acquisition section

8. Teacher Content support
BrainPop Videos: Camouflage, Birds, Penguins, Fish, Gills, Mammals, Dolphins, Giant Squid, Pandas,
Insects, Sponges, Amphibians, Spiders, Ants, Horses, Bats, Invertebrates, Vertebrates, Mollusks,
Cnidarians, Arachnids, Reptiles

9. Vertical alignment
5TH
GRADE
5.10A: compare the
structures and functions of
different species that help them
live and survive such as hooves
on prairie animals or webbed
feet in aquatic animals.
7TH
GRADE
7.11B: explain variation
within a population or species by
comparing external features,
behaviors, or physiology of
organisms that enhance their
survival such as migration,
hibernation, or storage of food in a
bulb.
7.12A: investigate & explain
how internal structures of
organisms have adaptations that
allow specific functions such as
gills in fish, hollow bones in birds,
or xylem in plants.

10. • An adaptation is any structure or behavior that
helps a living thing meet its needs and survive
in its environment.
• Animal adaptations occur as environments
change in order for organisms to meet their
needs, including getting food or air, for
protection, for reproduction, etc.
• Animals adapt to their environments both
structurally and behaviorally.
• Structural adaptations may take many
generations to occur.
PRIOR LEARNING

11. 2013 MoY II Question: 7.11B

12. 2013 MoY II Question: 7.11B

13. 2013 MoY II Question: 7.12A

14. 2013 MoY II Question: 7.12A

15. Based on the data and distractors, what key points should teachers
emphasize during lessons?
• Expose students to as many examples as possible while making
predictions and providing explanations for their purpose.
Activities to emphasize this point included
in the curriculum:
1.Living in the Desert Reading
2.Types of Adaptations Presentation
3.Salmon Migration Reading
4.Computer Interactive: Camouflage
5.Birds of Prey Reading
6.Internal & External Structures
Presentation
7.Beak vs. Food Activity
8.Darwin’s Fancy with Finches Reading
9.BrainPop Videos
Activities to emphasize this point included
in the curriculum:
1.Living in the Desert Reading
2.Types of Adaptations Presentation
3.Salmon Migration Reading
4.Computer Interactive: Camouflage
5.Birds of Prey Reading
6.Internal & External Structures
Presentation
7.Beak vs. Food Activity
8.Darwin’s Fancy with Finches Reading
9.BrainPop Videos

16. Components of a good lesson plan
1. Engage Student Interest
2. Review/Scaffold to TEKS
3. Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the TEKS
• Labs, Activities, Videos
1. Organize and Practice Vocabulary
2. Reading & Comprehension Strategies
3. Writing Opportunities & Scaffolds
4. Daily Listening & Speaking Opportunities
5. Differentiation
6. Formative Assessment & Reteach

17. Embedded in lessons:
Engage Student Interest
• Jigsaw Creatures
• Living in the Desert- Science
News for Kids Article

18. Recommended in lessons:
Review / Scaffold to TEKS
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Plant
Physiology p. 107
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Behavior p.
109, Animal Behavior & Migration p.
110, Plant Behavior p. 111
• BrainPop Videos: Camouflage,
Birds, Penguins, Fish, Gills,
Mammals, Dolphins, Giant Squid,
Pandas, Insects, Sponges,
Amphibians, Spiders, Ants, Horses,
Bats, Invertebrates, Vertebrates,
Mollusks, Cnidarians, Arachnids,
Reptiles

19. • Computer Interactive:
• Nightjar
Gamehttp://nightjar.exeter.ac.uk/st
ory/nightjar_game
• Nest Game
http://nightjar.exeter.ac.uk/story/ne
st_game
• Egglab
http://nightjar.exeter.ac.uk/story/eg
glab
• Beak vs. Food Adaptation Activity
Embedded in lessons:
Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the
TEKS (Investigations, Activities, Videos)

20. Embedded in lessons:
Organize and Practice Vocabulary
• Types of Adaptations Presentation
• Frayer Model: Adaptation
• Internal & External Structures
Presentation & Notes

21. Embedded in lessons:
Reading & Comprehension Strategies
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Plant Physiology p. 107
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Behavior p. 109, Animal
Behavior & Migration p. 110, Plant Behavior p. 111
• Living in the Desert
• Salmon Migration
• Birds of Prey
• Darwin’s Fancy with Finches
• Comprehension Strategies
• Shared Reading Recommendation: Have each
student in a pair read a paragraph at a time and
then have the non-reader summarize the section.
• Active Reading Strategies embedded in
ScienceFusion Reading

22. Embedded in lessons:
Writing Opportunities & Scaffolds
• Journal Entries
• What are some of the different types of shelter local animals use? List one or more examples
and explain why you think each one is an adaptation to the habitat in which they live.
• What does it mean, “the species is adapted to its habitat”? Summarize an explanation in your
own words.
• Exit Tickets
• Three species of birds live in the same, forested habitat. Species A can hover, Species B can
climb along the trunks of the trees, and Species C is usually found walking on the forest floor.
For each species, describe at least one possible type of food resource and what external and
internal features (at least one each) the species would need to collect and consume it.
• Some plant seeds, like dandelions, are attached to stems with light, fluffy threads. This is an
adaptation for what likely purpose?
• Scaffolds: Sentence Frames, Word Bank, Talk then Write, Write/Share/Revise, Think/Share/Write

23. Embedded in lessons:
Daily Listening & Speaking Opportunities
• Jigsaw Creatures
• Shared Reading
• Beak vs. Food Activity
• Performance Assessment: I am Not the Squirrel I Used to Be
The first creature
would live in an
environment similar
to…
The sand gazelle has
adaptations such as…

24. • Special Education:
1. Mixed-Ability Partners
2. Science Glossary
3. Word Bank
4. Sentence Frames
5. Shared Reading
6. Environmental Accommodation
• English Language Learners:
1. Mixed-Ability Partners
2. Dual Language Science Glossary
3. Word Bank
4. Shared Reading
5. Sentence Frames
6. Closed Captioning
Embedded in lessons:
Differentiation

25. • Reading Questions
• Journal Entries
• Exit Ticket
• Performance Assessment: I am Not
the Squirrel I Used to Be
Embedded in lessons:
Formative Assessment
Formative Assessment

26. Reteach Options
• Preteach/Reteach 5.10A Options
• Clozing in on Science Passages
• Guided Practice Plant & Animal
Adaptations

27. Higher level questions
• “Research shows there’s a link between critical thinking skills and increased student achievement in the
classroom.” (Moore & Stanley, 2010)
• Higher level questions must be planned in order to be implemented effectively in the classroom.
• Levels of Questions
• Knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation
• Plan and provide a variety of questions at each level and build student knowledge and critical thinking by providing
Higher Level Questions.

28. Lower Levels of questions

29. Higher Levels of questions

30. Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluate
What are some
examples of
external features
and behavioral
adaptations that
enhance the
survival of
organisms?
What are some
examples of
internal
structures within
organisms that
have adaptations
for specific
functions?
Describe some of
the external
adaptations of the
organism seen
below.
Provide examples
of adaptations that
the stingray’s prey
might have in their
shared
environment.
How do
variations within
a population or
species enhance
the survival of
the population or
species?
Design a fictional
organism that
would have
adaptations suited
to a desert
environment.
How would you
evaluate the
adaptations of a
newly discovered
species?
Bullseye Round Stingray

31. Recommended Anchors of Support
• Living in the Desert Journal Entry
• Types of Adaptations Journal Entry
• Frayer Model: Adaptation
• Internal & External Structures Notes

32. Anchors of Support
Other Resources
•Interactive Word Wall- Current, working models with student contributions
• Interactive Word Walls Article: http://learningcenter.nsta.org/files/ss1103_45.pdf
• “Word walls can be arranged on cupboard doors or classroom walls, or hung from
the ceiling with wire and string.”
• “Maximum instructional potential and efficiency are achieved when interactive word-
wall construction is aligned with lessons and students are allowed to participate in
the process. As a result, walls are usually built over many days and are finished as
a unit nears completion. Word walls support units and are changed or replaced as
units change.”
• Interactive Word Walls Rubric: Next Slide
• ScienceFusion Textbook, Science Glossaries, Dual Language Science
Glossaries

34. Academic vocabulary
LESSON COMPONENTS PAGE
CURRICULUM ROAD MAP