Unit Plan 24 (Grade 4 Science): Comparing Organisms
Compare plant and animal structures, explain how internal and external parts support survival and growth, and show how senses and responses help organisms adapt.
Focus: Analyze similarities and differences in plant and animal structures (internal and external) and relate them to survival, growth, behavior, and responses to information.
Grade Level: 4
Subject Area: Science (Life Science)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students compare plants and animals by closely examining their structures and behaviors. They sort and analyze internal and external structures (roots, leaves, beaks, fins, skeletons, sense organs) and connect these to survival, growth, and reproduction. Students also revisit how sense receptors and brain processing lead to responses, then use their evidence to write and share simple comparative arguments about how different organisms are both similar and uniquely adapted.
Essential Questions
- How are plants and animals similar and different in the structures they have?
- How do internal and external structures help organisms survive, grow, behave, and reproduce?
- How do animals receive information from the environment and respond in ways that support survival?
- How can we use comparisons and models to explain how different organisms solve similar problems (getting food, staying safe, growing, reproducing)?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify and sort internal and external structures of plants and animals (e.g., roots, stems, leaves; bones, lungs, sense organs).
- Explain how specific structures help organisms survive, grow, behave, or reproduce.
- Use models or diagrams to show how animals receive information (through senses), process it in the brain, and respond.
- Compare two or more organisms, describing similarities and differences in their structures and how those structures help them meet life needs.
- Construct a short written or oral argument that uses evidence about structures and behaviors to support a claim about how organisms are adapted to their environment.
Standards Alignment — 4th Grade (NGSS-Aligned)
- 4-LS1-1 — Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
- Example: Explain how a bird’s beak shape helps it get food, or how plant roots and leaves support growth.
- 4-LS1-2 — Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond.
- Example: Diagram how an animal sees/hears something, the brain interprets it, and the body reacts (e.g., hiding, chasing prey).
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can name and sort internal and external structures in plants and animals.
- I can explain how a structure (like roots, wings, eyes, or fur) helps an organism survive, grow, behave, or reproduce.
- I can show, with a model or diagram, how an animal uses its senses and brain to respond to information.
- I can compare two organisms and tell how their structures are similar and different.
- I can write or share a short argument using evidence about structures and behaviors to explain how organisms are adapted to where they live.