Lesson Plan #1- Ecological Organization
State Standards
Performance Indicators
MST Standard 4: Students
will understand and apply
scientific concepts, principles
and theories pertaining to the
physical setting and living
environment
Prior Knowledge/Building
Background Knowledge
2-prong
Basic knowledge and
connection to their existing world
Essential question and staged life in
a bubble simulation
Direct instruction with powerpoint
and guided notes handout
Knowledge/Skills Students Will
Acquire (Bloom’s)
Students will be able to…
Students will evaluate the importance
of interactions between both living
and non-living things
Students will identify the different
organizational levels of ecology.
Students will be able to analyze the
differences between the organizational
levels of ecology
Students will be able to illustrate the
different levels of organization within
ecology
Evidence that students
understand – Performance
tasks other assessments/checks
for understanding
Pre-test: Ecology based
vocabulary and concepts, what
is ecology, levels of
organization in ecology
Discussion
Group work- list, sort , label
organizational levels of
ecology
Exit slip responses
HW: Ecological Organization
Assignment students must
draw/design their own
representations of the different
levels of ecological
organization
Teacher Candidate: Jamie Prudhomme Date: 20Oct2009
Lesson Plan Template

Unit Title: Relationships in the Living Environment- Ecology

Essential Question(s): How important are the relationships and interactions in your life?
Imagine life in a bubble, what would you need to sustain life?

Ecological Organization Lesson #1

Lesson
Title/Number

What are the ecological levels of organization of all living things on

Lesson Question (s) earth?

MST Standard 4: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts,

State Standards principles and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living
and Performance environment
Indicators

Lesson Objectives • Students will be able to identify the different organizational levels
(Bloom’s Taxonomy) within ecology (individual, population, community, ecosystem,
biosphere) and understand the differences between them.

• Students will be able to illustrate the different ecological levels

---------------------- • Students will accurately complete exit slip questions

Acceptable • Students will illustrate their own representations of the different
Evidence
levels of ecological organization
Lesson Plan #1- Ecological Organization

Prior Knowledge Tap-Pre-test with ecology related vocabulary and

concepts

Bell Ringer and Essential Question/Bell ringer (written on board accompanied by life in a
Prior Knowledge bubble simulation) How important are the relationships and interactions
Tap – this can be in your life? Imagine life in a bubble, what would you need to sustain
together or life? Allow students to share their response with a neighbor. Call on
separate students to share their thoughts with the class. Following a brief
discussion the teacher will lead the class through a simulation of life in a
bubble. Get a volunteer from the class to be our bubble boy/girl. Ask the
class to brain storm things that he/she would need in order to survive in
the bubble (air, water, food, etc.). Main point- no organism exist as an
entity separate and distinct from its environment. All living organisms
are dependent upon other living things as well as the non-living
environment. Ecology is the study of these complex interactions.

_________________ _____________________________________________________
Following the pre-test and bell ringer discussion:
Using the attached powerpoint presentation and guided notes handout the
teacher will give a direct instruction lesson on the different levels of
ecological organization.

Procedure – Direct Instruction:

teacher input,
modeling, guided I. Introduction
practice, a. The students will respond to bell ringer with neighbor.
independent The teacher will prompt a class discussion about
practice, and/or organization in everyday life making the connection to
activities ecological organization (see bell ringer section above)

*Accommodations b. The teacher will hand out the guided notes on ecological
for learning organization to the students (see attached guided notes).
modalities are
required.
c. Using the attached powerpoint presentation and guided
notes the teacher will go over the lesson question and
lesson objectives with the students (see powerpoint and
guided notes). (Research based instructional strategy-
setting objectives).
 II. Development/teaching:
a. The teacher will use the powerpoint presentation to guide
students through the different levels of ecological
organization.

b. The students will record notes on the guided notes

handout about the different levels of ecological
organization. (Research based instructional strategy-
summarizing and note-taking).

c. Given examples of the different levels of organization

within ecology the students will think, pair, and share
what each example is a representation of (see powerpoint
presentation slide 10 and have students record their
Procedure – answers on guided notes). For this activity the students are
teacher input, to pair up the given examples with the different levels of
modeling, guided organization in ecology. Have two students repeat the
practice, directions. Review the correct level of organization with
independent students.
practice, and/or
activities III. Guided practice: List, Sort, Label Activity with the aid of
guided notes handout in groups of four students will list, sort,
*Accommodations label pictures of the different organization levels or ecology.
for learning (pictures and appropriate labels will be provided by teacher in
modalities are envelopes)
required.
a. The teacher will divide the class into groups of four

b. The teacher will provide each group with an envelope

containing picture representations of the different levels of
ecological organization as well as labels with the different
levels of ecological organization written on them.
(Research based instructional strategy-nonlinguistic
representations).

c. The teacher will give directions for list, sort, and label
activity. “What are these pictures representations of in
terms of ecological organization? Do these pictures relate
to each other and if so how would they be organized? In
your groups please match the pictures up with the
appropriate label and organize the pictures according to
the identified level of ecological organization.” Have two
students repeat the directions for List, Sort, Label activity.

d. The students will work in their groups to appropriately

identify, and organize the pictures into an ecological
Lesson Plan #1- Ecological Organization

hierarchy. The teacher will observe difficulties/ease with

list, sort, label activity (see who is getting it and who is
struggling-formative assessment) (research based
instructional strategy- cooperative learning).

e. Following the group activity the teacher will provide the

correct answers for list, sort, label activity and give
feedback to clarify any questions or comments the
students may have.

IV. Closure: Return to the lesson question and objectives to

check for understanding by having students complete a
prepared exit slip.

a. The teacher will hand out the exit slip for ecological
organization which returns to the lesson question and
objectives (see attached exit slip- ecological organization)

b. The students will independently complete the exit slip on

ecological organization and will hand in the exit slip prior to
leaving class (check for understanding-formative assessment)

V. Independent Practice: For homework students will

illustrate their own representations of the different
organizational levels of ecology. (Research based
instructional strategy- homework and practice).
a. The teacher will hand out the ecological organization
assignment and go over the direction with the class (see
attached ecological organization assignment).

b. The teacher will ask two students to repeat the directions to

check for class understanding of assigned task.

c. The students will complete the ecological organization

assignment and have ready to hand in for the next class
session.

VI. Evaluation: Students homework will be evaluated based

on their ability to illustrate appropriate and accurate
representations of the different levels of organization
within ecology (see attached ecological organization
assignment for grading).
 Pre-test on ecology related concepts and vocabulary (prior knowledge tap
-formative assessment)
Checks for
understanding – Directions: Have two students repeat the directions for group work
directions, activity (list, sort , label) as well as think, pair, share activity
procedures,
routines, and Think, Pair, Share activity: Students will accurately identify a given
content (formative) example as one of the levels or ecological organization (formative
assessment –check for understanding)

Students exit slip responses are used as checks for understanding

(formative assessment)

Teacher will make notes in his/her journal identifying how the lesson
went. For example, difficulties observed, areas for improvement,
problems that arose (formative assessment)

• Pre-test on ecology related concepts and vocabulary (formative

assessment). Purpose is to identify what my students already
Assessment – type know and what they do not know in order to appropriately lesson
and purpose plan.

• Think, Pair, Share activity: Students will accurately identify a

given example as one of the levels or ecological organization
(formative assessment –check for understanding)

• Group work: list, sort, label ecological organization activity- note

students ability to accurately identify the picture representations
as one of the ecological level of organization. Purpose: check for
understanding (formative assessment)

• Exit slips: Students will be asked to identify the different levels of

ecological organization. Purpose: check for understanding
(formative assessment)

• Homework ecological organization assignment (authentic

assessment) Purpose: to reinforce students comprehension of
what the different levels of ecological organization are and the
differences between them. (synthesis and evaluation)
Lesson Plan #1- Ecological Organization

Closure Return to the lesson objectives to check for understanding by having

students complete a prepared exit slip. Exit slip will contain two
questions (see attached exit slip).
Question 1: What are the different organization levels in ecology?
Question 2: Will be picture representations of the various organization
levels within ecology from which the students must appropriately
identify as an individual/organism, a population, a community, an
ecosystem, and the biosphere.
Visual aids – powerpoint and guided notes handout

Auditory aids -teacher lecture of Powerpoint presentation

Accommodations
Tactile/kinesthetic aids- list, sort, label group work activity

The teacher generated powerpoint presentation, ecology vocabulary and

concepts pre-test, ecological organization levels guided notes handout,
exit slips, envelopes containing picture representations of the different
Materials
levels of organization within ecology for list, sort, label group exercise,
ecological organization assignment handout
Planning time- 1hr
Instructional time- 40minutes
Duration
 Ecological Organization Guided Notes

Lesson Questions:

What is ecology?
What are the ecological levels of organization of all living things on earth?

Lesson Objectives:

• Define ecology

• Identify the different organizational levels within ecology and analyze the
differences between them.

• Illustrate the different ecological levels

• Assessment: authentic- design your own representations of the different

levels of ecological organization
Lesson Plan #1- Ecological Organization

Define Ecology.

What are the different levels of ecological organization?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

In terms of ecology, what is an individual/organism? Give an example

In terms of ecology, what is a population? Give an example

In terms of ecology, what is a community? Give an example

What is an ecosystem? Give an example

What is the biosphere?

Lesson Plan #1- Ecological Organization

Think, Pair, Share

Individual/organism, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere?

 A gaggle of geese

 An oak tree

 All the spruce, maples, squirrels in a forest

 A forest

 All the complex ecosystems on Earth

 Relationships in the living environment-Ecology
Ecological Organization Pre-test

Name_______________________ Date_________________

1. What is ecology the study of?

2. What are the different levels of organization within the study of ecology?

3. Define population.

4. Define community.

5. Define ecosystem.

6. What is the biosphere?

Lesson Plan #1- Ecological Organization

Exit Slip for Ecological Organization Lesson

Name: _____________________ Date:_____________

1. What are the different levels of organization within ecology?

2. Identify which ecological organization level is represented in the pictures below.

Ecological Level of Organization:_________________________

Ecological Level of Organization:_______________________________

Ecological Level of Organization: ____________________

Lesson Plan #1- Ecological Organization

Ecological Level of Organization: __________________

Ecological Level of Organization: __________________

 Living Environment
Ecological Organization Assignment

Task: Illustrate/design your own representations of the different levels of

ecological organization (individual/organism, population, community, ecosystem,
and biosphere).

Directions: Design your own representations of an individual/organism, a population, a

community, an ecosystem, and the biosphere. You may hand draw or use picture representations
to illustrate the various levels of organization within ecology. Picture representations can include
images from magazines, books, articles, internet searches, or photographs. The assignment is to
be handed in the next class session. Be creative!

What do I have to do exactly?

Design appropriate/accurate representations of the following:
• An individual/organism -2pts
• A population-2pts
• A community- 2pts
• An ecosystem- 2pts
• The biosphere- 2pts

Total points possible= 10 points