Lesson Plan Template

Teacher: William Date: December 4, District: School:

Sanchez 2017 University of North
Texas

Subject: Life Grade Level: 5th Unit Title: Lesson Title: Home
Science Grade Organisms and their Sweet Home
Environment

Relevant TEKS

(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that there are relationships,
systems, and cycles within environments. The student is expected to:
(A) observe the way organisms live and survive in their ecosystem by interacting with the
living and nonliving elements;

Science Content (Big Ideas: Definitions, Facts, Process/Integrated Skills,

Explanations, etc.)

● Organisms interact with living and nonliving things to be able to survive in their
ecosystem.
● Animals, depend on living things like plants and other animals, and nonliving things
like water, to be able to survive.
● Plants interact with living things such as other plants and animals, and nonliving
things to be able to survive.

Learning Objective(s):

1. The student will be able to define ecosystems in their own words through the use of the
frayer model.
2. The student will be able to draw and label an ecosystem model and explain how
organisms interact with their environment.
3. The student will be able to explain how organisms depend on living and nonliving
things to be able to survive.

Relevant ELPS - Language Objective(s):

1. The student will be able to read the directions to the “Home Sweet Home” explore
activity.
2. The student will be able to write the definition of ecosystems using their own words.
3. The student will be able to listen to the class discussions and respond to questions
related to organisms and how they interact with their environment.
 4. The student will be able to present their model ecosystem and explain how organisms
interact with their environment using academic and age appropriate vocabulary.

Relevant TX CCRS:

I. Nature of Science: Scientific Ways of Learning and Thinking

A. Cognitive Skills in Science
2. Use creativity and insight to recognize and describe patterns in natural phenomena
C. Collaborative and Safe Working Practices
1. Collaborate on joint projects
D. Current scientific technology
1. Demonstrate literacy in computer use
III. Foundation Skills: Scientific Applications of Communication
A. Scientific Writing
1. Use correct applications of writing practices in scientific communication.
C. Presentation of scientific/technical information
1. Prepare and present scientific/ technical information in appropriate formats for various
audiences.

Assessments:

Diagnostic Assessment/s:
1. Think- Write- Pair- Share/ Think- Draw- Pair- Share: To assess prior
knowledge, the teacher will display the following question on the interactive
whiteboard: “How do organisms interact with their environment? Can you think of
examples?”
2. “Passing Notes” activity
Formative Assessments:
1. Science Notebook: Students will respond to questions on their scientific notebooks.
The teacher will look over those questions throughout and at the end of the lesson.
Summative Assessment:
1. 3-2-1 Exit Ticket Activity: In their science notebooks, students will write 3 things
they learned, 2 things they found interesting, and 1 question they still have.
2. Danger Danger Powerpoint Presentation: Students will research an endangered
or extinct plant or animal and create a powerpoint presentation. In addition, students
will answer the following questions: (1) Did your animal or plant become extinct or
endangered because something on which they were dependent was taken away? (2)
Did their environment change so much that they couldn’t get the things they needed?
(3) How did humans contribute to your animal or plant becoming endangered or
extinct? Students will then present to their findings to the rest of the class.

5E Learning Cycle:
Engage 1. Think- Write- Pair- Share/ Think- Draw- Safety Rules and
Pair- Share: To assess prior knowledge, the Regulations must
teacher will display the following question on be listed when
the interactive whiteboard: “How do organisms and/or where
interact with their environment? Can you think appropriate
of examples?” within the 5
2. Students will think about the question, answer phases
the question through writing or a drawing on
their science notebooks, and share with their
shoulder partner.
3. After students have had an opportunity to share
among each other, some students will share
what they wrote or drew with the class.
4. After our class discussion, the teacher will
proceed with the next engage activity.
5. To continue to determine how much my
students know about organisms and how they
interact with their environment we will do the
“Passing Notes” activity. This activity will be
used as both and engage activity and a
diagnostic assessment.
6. Students will be put in teams. Each table will
have a total of four students.
7. The teacher (myself) will give each group a
sheet of paper.
8. The first student will write a plant or animal
name at the top of the sheet of paper.
9. After the first student writes the name of a
plant or animal, he/she will pass the piece of
paper to the next student.
10. The next student will write, “…which_______”
that describes some action or relationship to
the plant or animal that the previous student
wrote.
11. The next student will use the last written item
to continue the thread and so forth.
12. For example, after every student has written
something on the sheet of paper, it should read
something like this, “ Cougar, which eats deer,
which hide in the forest, which grows trees,
which produce oxygen.”
13. After groups are done, one student from each
group will share their thread.
14. Transition to Explore: The teacher will pose the
 following question:

Explore 1. For the explore activity, students will do the

“Home Sweet Home” activity. In this activity,
each team/group will create a model of an
environment based on the animal that they
receive.
2. Group one will receive a tiger. Group two will
receive a frog. Group three will receive a shark.
Group four will receive an elephant.
3. Each group will receive a shoe box where
students will create their environment for their
given animal.
4. Each group will also receive craft materials,
such as disposable materials found at home or
around the classroom, and construction paper
that they will use to represent living and
nonliving things in their ecosystem.
5. Once every team has all of their materials, the
teacher will ask them to think of the following
questions: What does your animal eat? How
will it breathe? How does it move? What
adaptations does it have? Students should
record their answers to these questions on their
scientific notebooks prior to building their
model.
6. Students will be given 15-20 minutes to work
on their ecosystem model. As they work on
their models, the teacher will walk around and
ask guiding questions such as, “What do
animals need to survive? What
nonliving things do animals need to
survive? What other special adaptations
does your organism have?
7. As students are finishing up with their models,
the teacher will give each group a sheet of
poster board where students will draw their
model ecosystem and label the living and
nonliving things in their ecosystem. In addition,
students will write a brief explanation of what
they included in their model and why they
included them.
8. This activity will be done in the next stage of the
 lesson, Explain Phase.
Safety
1. Remind students to act responsibly in their
work stations.
2. Students should follow instructions and report
all accidents and injuries to the teacher
IMMEDIATELY.
3. There should be no eating or drinking in
working stations.

Explain Student Explanations

1. As students are finishing up with their models,
the teacher will give each group a sheet of
poster board where students will draw their
model ecosystem and label the living and
nonliving things in their ecosystem. In addition,
students will write a brief explanation including
the following:
a. Which animal did you have?
b. What does your animal eat?
c. How does your organism move around
its environment?
d. What is the importance of living and
nonliving things for your animal to
survive?
The teacher will provide the following sentence
stems for all learners to use to help them
explain their model:
● The importance/priority of
_______________ is
____________. I know because
___________________________.
● Something I considered in my decision
was ___________________________
because
______________________________.
2. Each group will then share their model,
illustration, and explanation with the rest of the
class. The rest of the groups should be taking
notes on what their peers are sharing on their
scientific notebooks.
Teacher Explanations
1. The teacher will pass out the Fill in the blank
Notes Handout: “Organisms and their
 Environment.”
2. After each group has presented their model
ecosystem, the teacher will begin the
powerpoint presentation and explain the key
scientific concepts for organisms and how they
interact with their environment. Within the
powerpoint presentation, the teacher will
explain key terms such as ecosystem, living,
nonliving, and interdependence.
3. As a summary activity, students will complete
“The Important Thing” handout. In this
activity, students will write three important
ideas/things they learned and the most
important thing they learned.
a. The three important ideas/things from
the lesson today are _______,
_______, and ________, but the
most important thing I learned today is
_________________.

4. After students have completed The Important

Thing Activity Handout, the teacher will let
students know that will now deepen their
understanding of how organisms interact with
their environment by doing a research activity
called the “Danger Danger Activity” that will
take place in the elaborate phase of the lesson.

Elaborate Danger Danger activity

1. For the elaborate phase of the lesson, students
will be doing a research activity.
2. Each student will research an endangered or
extinct animal or plant.
3. Students are to research the different reasons
that caused that animal or plant to become
extinct or endangered.
4. Questions that students should answer in their
scientific notebooks as they conduct their
research includes: (1) Did your animal or plant
become extinct or endangered because
something on which they were dependent was
taken away? (2) Did their environment change
so much that they couldn’t get the things they
needed? (3) How did humans contribute to
 your animal or plant becoming endangered or
extinct?
5. After students are done with their research,
they will put their findings together in a
powerpoint presentation, google slides, or
prezi. Students are to include explanations and
drawings.
6. Students will share their presentation with the
rest of their classmates. Students not
presenting will be taking notes on their
scientific notebooks.

Evaluate Summative Assessment:

1. 3-2-1 Exit Ticket Activity
○ In their science notebooks, students will
write 3 things they learned, 2 things
they found interesting, and 1 question
they still have.
3. The teacher will also use the Danger Danger
Powerpoint Presentation done during the
elaborate phase of the lesson as a summative
assessment (include rubric)

Language Modification(s):

ELL Strategies: During the student explain portion of the lesson, the teacher will provide
sentence stems to facilitate students’ ability to write their explanations. In addition, several
visuals will be included in the PowerPoint that the teacher will use during the explain phase of
the lesson. Lastly, the teacher will provide students with a fill-in- the blank handout to help
students follow along as the teacher explains the scientific concepts during the explain phase
of the lesson.

Diversity and Equity (Accommodations, Modifications, Adaptations)

1. Students will be provided with multiple opportunities to work as a group. By working

in groups students will learn from one another and support each other’s learning.
2. In addition, several visuals will be used throughout the lesson, specifically during the
explain phase of the lesson through the Powerpoint presentation.
3. The lesson will appeal to a variety of learners (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, artistic,
etc.) as students will have various opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of
the scientific concept being learned.

Materials and Resources:

Materials
1. Home Sweet Home Student Directions Sheet
2. Scientific Notebook
3. Four Sheets of large poster board
4. Important Thing Handout
5. 4 sheets of paper: One for each group for the “Passing Notes” engage activity
6. 4 Toy Animals: Tiger, frog, shark, and elephant.
7. Shoe Box
8. Craft Materials: Items from home or around the classroom
9. Construction Paper
10. Computers/tablets with internet access
11. Fill in the blank Notes Handout: “Organisms and their Environment”
12. Writing Utensils
13. Colors/Markers
14. Scissors
Resources
1. https://app.acceleratelearning.com/scopes/102/elements/6029

Technology:

NETS- Students
1. Empowered Learner: Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing,
achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the
learning sciences.
1c) Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice
and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
2. Knowledge Instructor: Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital
tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning
experiences for themselves and others.
3a) Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and
other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits.

NETS- Teachers
1. Learner: Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with
others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to
improve student learning.
1a) Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical
approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness.
2. Designer: Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments
that recognize and accommodate learner variability.
5a) Use technology to create, adapt, and personalize learning experiences that foster
independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.
Name:__________________________ Date: ____________

Home Sweet Home Student Directions Sheet

1. Think about and discuss with your group, the things that plants and
animals need to survive in their environment. Be sure to talk about
 the nonliving things. Each student should record these in the scientific
notebook.

2. After you have received an animal from the teacher, think about the
following questions and record your answers on your scientific
notebook:
a. What does your animal eat?
b. How will it breathe?
c. How does it move?
d. What adaptations does it have?

3. After thinking about the questions above, begin designing your

ecosystem model using the materials provided by the teacher.

4. Once you are done building your model ecosystem, draw it in your
scientific notebook.

5. Be sure to label the living and nonliving things in your drawing.

Name:__________________________ Date: ____________

Organisms and Their Environment Notes

1. The key vocabulary for this lesson are the following:

a. ______________
b. ______________
 c. ______________
d. ______________
2. An ecosystem is is a community made up of ____________and
____________ things in their natural environment.

Definition in your own words Characteristics

Ecosystem
Examples Non-Examples

3.

4. ____________ ____________ do not grow, need food, or

reproduce.

5. Write at least three examples of nonliving things.

a. ____________
b. ____________
c. ____________

6. ____________ ____________ grow, change, produce waste,

reproduce, and die.

7. What kind of living and nonliving things would you expect to see in a
forest?
 8. Living things and nonliving things depend on each other for survival.
This is known as ______________.

9. Light from the sun helps plants to produce _____________ and

_______________.

10. Grasses provide food for animals like __________ and

________.

11. How do dogs depend on the living components of their

environment?

12. How do dogs depend on the nonliving components of their

environment?

Name_______________________ Date: _________________

The Important Thing

The three important ideas/things that I learned are….

1.

2.
 3.

However, the most important thing I learned today is that….

1.