Science Lesson Plan
Grade: 4th/5th
Unit Title: Living things on planet Earth
Lesson Title: Ecosystems
Lesson 1: What is an ecosystem?
Lesson 2: Different types of ecosystems, (tundra, desert, tropical, woodland, aquatic)
Lesson 3: Food Chains
Lesson 4: How do food chains effect the environment?
Learner Characteristics: There are 20 fourth grade students in the class 12 boys and 8 girls, 1 that is an ESL learner and 1 that has ADD.
Unit Overview: Plants and animals depend on each other to survive. In this unit we will learn about the different ecosystems that plants and animals live in, and about food chains. We will also learn about how food chains effect the environment. We will learn through a variety of methods including audio, visual, kinesthetic, hands on projects, and through field trips.
Unit Rationale: Humans, animals & environments all survive with each other, supporting each other. If the ecosystem becomes unbalanced then that ecosystem will start to fail. Overpopulation can cause problems within the ecosystem such as scarcity. If Earth becomes so overpopulated then we will have nowhere to live. We need to keep our ecosystems in balance in order to survive and continue to live on this planet.
Lesson Rationale: We need to understand how the food chains work with the environment because that is what allows us to survive. There are different regulations on humans killing certain animals because they are less of them in that ecosystem there are also certain ones that have no limit because they have become so overpopulated.
Key Concepts:
· Be able to understand how food chains effect the ecosystems
· Why are the laws set by the DNR important to balance ecosystems?
· What can you do to help the balance?
Objectives: In order to understand the how the food chains affect the ecosystems we will watch a video on the overpopulation of the deer to see that too many of one animal can be a bad thing. We will briefly discuss the laws set by the DNR by playing a matching game between the laws and the reasons why they are laws. We will also have a speaker from the DNR to help us better understand this balance. We will also make a chart to use as a visual in explaining why balance is so important.
Sequencing:
1.First, we will start with a class discussion about what kinds of animals we see a lot of here in our environment. What animals do you see a lot of around your house? Why do you think there are so many of that animal?
2.Second, we will talk about the rules the DNR sets and why the set them, and we will have a guest speaker from the DNR to help us understand why we have these laws.
3.Lastly, we will create our own chart to help us see visually why balance in the ecosystem is so important.
a.First, each student needs to take one large black piece of construction paper, five small pieces of green construction paper, five small pieces of white construction paper and five small pieces of construction paper. Make sure you put your name on the piece of black construction paper.
b.Next, you should draw some grass on each sheet of green construction paper and cut it out. Then draw a rabbit on each sheet of white construction paper and cut them out, and finally draw a fox on each sheet of brown construction paper and cut them out.
c.Next, go to the table and get fifteen pieces of Velcro. Attach one piece of Velcro to each piece that you cut out of the paper.
d.Then stick the opposite side of the Velcro on the black piece on paper.
e.When you are done, make sure you put your scissors away and put all your scraps of paper in the garbage and then wait for further instructions. If someone at your table needs help you can help them while you’re waiting.
4.Next we will use the chart that we just made to show why the balance is important.
a.Everybody start with all of your items of your chart.
b.Next, take off two pieces of grass. What would happen? The rabbits would have nothing to eat so then they would die, which means that the foxes would have nothing to each so they would die as well.
c.Okay now let’s start with two foxes, three pieces of grass and three rabbits. What happens in this situation? There are not enough foxes to keep the rabbits in balance, and they will start to overpopulate (add your second two rabbits).
d.What other situations can you think of where there would no longer be a balance in the ecosystem?
Materials and Visual Aids:
· Projector to show the video
· Table and other items the presenter might need.
· 20 pieces of Black construction paper
· 25 pieces of Green construction paper (cut into 4, so each student can have 5 small pieces)
· 25 pieces of Brown construction paper (cut into 4, so each student can have 5 small pieces)
· 25 pieces of White construction paper (cut into 4, so each student can have 5 small pieces)
· Rolls of Velcro (cut into 300 pieces, so each student can have 15 pieces)
Assessment: Student Assessment: What did you learn from this activity? What did you like about this activity? What did you have trouble with? Teacher Assessment: Did the activity seem beneficial to the students? What about the lesson needs to be changed or improved? Did the students enjoy the activities and speaker? What other ways could I bring the environment and the food chain into the classroom?
Unit Title: Living things on planet Earth
Lesson Title: Ecosystems
Lesson 1: What is an ecosystem?
Lesson 2: Different types of ecosystems, (tundra, desert, tropical, woodland, aquatic)
Lesson 3: Food Chains
Lesson 4: How do food chains effect the environment?
Learner Characteristics: There are 20 fourth grade students in the class 12 boys and 8 girls, 1 that is an ESL learner and 1 that has ADD.
Unit Overview: Plants and animals depend on each other to survive. In this unit we will learn about the different ecosystems that plants and animals live in, and about food chains. We will also learn about how food chains effect the environment. We will learn through a variety of methods including audio, visual, kinesthetic, hands on projects, and through field trips.
Unit Rationale: Humans, animals & environments all survive with each other, supporting each other. If the ecosystem becomes unbalanced then that ecosystem will start to fail. Overpopulation can cause problems within the ecosystem such as scarcity. If Earth becomes so overpopulated then we will have nowhere to live. We need to keep our ecosystems in balance in order to survive and continue to live on this planet.
Lesson Rationale: We need to understand how the food chains work with the environment because that is what allows us to survive. There are different regulations on humans killing certain animals because they are less of them in that ecosystem there are also certain ones that have no limit because they have become so overpopulated.
Key Concepts:
· Be able to understand how food chains effect the ecosystems
· Why are the laws set by the DNR important to balance ecosystems?
· What can you do to help the balance?
Objectives: In order to understand the how the food chains affect the ecosystems we will watch a video on the overpopulation of the deer to see that too many of one animal can be a bad thing. We will briefly discuss the laws set by the DNR by playing a matching game between the laws and the reasons why they are laws. We will also have a speaker from the DNR to help us better understand this balance. We will also make a chart to use as a visual in explaining why balance is so important.
Sequencing:
1.First, we will start with a class discussion about what kinds of animals we see a lot of here in our environment. What animals do you see a lot of around your house? Why do you think there are so many of that animal?
2.Second, we will talk about the rules the DNR sets and why the set them, and we will have a guest speaker from the DNR to help us understand why we have these laws.
3.Lastly, we will create our own chart to help us see visually why balance in the ecosystem is so important.
a.First, each student needs to take one large black piece of construction paper, five small pieces of green construction paper, five small pieces of white construction paper and five small pieces of construction paper. Make sure you put your name on the piece of black construction paper.
b.Next, you should draw some grass on each sheet of green construction paper and cut it out. Then draw a rabbit on each sheet of white construction paper and cut them out, and finally draw a fox on each sheet of brown construction paper and cut them out.
c.Next, go to the table and get fifteen pieces of Velcro. Attach one piece of Velcro to each piece that you cut out of the paper.
d.Then stick the opposite side of the Velcro on the black piece on paper.
e.When you are done, make sure you put your scissors away and put all your scraps of paper in the garbage and then wait for further instructions. If someone at your table needs help you can help them while you’re waiting.
4.Next we will use the chart that we just made to show why the balance is important.
a.Everybody start with all of your items of your chart.
b.Next, take off two pieces of grass. What would happen? The rabbits would have nothing to eat so then they would die, which means that the foxes would have nothing to each so they would die as well.
c.Okay now let’s start with two foxes, three pieces of grass and three rabbits. What happens in this situation? There are not enough foxes to keep the rabbits in balance, and they will start to overpopulate (add your second two rabbits).
d.What other situations can you think of where there would no longer be a balance in the ecosystem?
Materials and Visual Aids:
· Projector to show the video
· Table and other items the presenter might need.
· 20 pieces of Black construction paper
· 25 pieces of Green construction paper (cut into 4, so each student can have 5 small pieces)
· 25 pieces of Brown construction paper (cut into 4, so each student can have 5 small pieces)
· 25 pieces of White construction paper (cut into 4, so each student can have 5 small pieces)
· Rolls of Velcro (cut into 300 pieces, so each student can have 15 pieces)
Assessment: Student Assessment: What did you learn from this activity? What did you like about this activity? What did you have trouble with? Teacher Assessment: Did the activity seem beneficial to the students? What about the lesson needs to be changed or improved? Did the students enjoy the activities and speaker? What other ways could I bring the environment and the food chain into the classroom?