Unit Plan 14 (Grade 1 Science): Patterns of Care in Nature

Focus: Compare multiple examples of parental care and offspring behaviors to identify patterns that help offspring survive (feeding, protection, warmth/shelter, teaching, and communication).

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: Science (Life Science • Patterns • Behavior)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students act as pattern detectives to study how different animal parents care for their young. Through read-aloud texts, photographs, and short video clips, students collect evidence about how parents feed, protect, keep warm, teach, and communicate with offspring. They also notice what offspring do—following, calling, hiding, and practicing—to increase survival.

Students compare several animal families across the week and look for what stays the same. They learn that even though animals may look and live differently, many share common care patterns that support survival. The week ends with a Patterns of Care Comparison Chart + Mini-Claim, where students use evidence from multiple examples to explain a pattern.

Essential Questions

• What are common ways animal parents care for offspring so they can survive?
• What do offspring do to increase their chances of survival?
• What patterns of care show up across many different animals?
• How can we use evidence from texts and media to support our pattern claims?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Observe and describe parent/offspring behaviors from texts and media that help offspring survive.
2. Compare at least three animal examples to identify repeated patterns of care.
3. Sort parent behaviors into categories (feed, protect, warm/shelter, teach, communicate).
4. Explain how a specific care pattern supports survival using “because” reasoning and evidence.
5. Create a Patterns of Care Comparison Chart + Mini-Claim showing a pattern supported by multiple examples.

Standards Alignment — Grade 1 (NGSS-Aligned)

• 1-LS1-2 — Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
  • Example: Compare how different parents feed, protect, and teach their young and identify repeated care patterns.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can describe how animal parents care for their offspring.
• I can compare more than one animal family and find a pattern.
• I can sort behaviors into categories like feed, protect, and teach.
• I can use evidence from what I read or watched to explain my idea.
• I can make a chart and a short claim that shows a clear pattern of care.