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Science Lesson Plan

By Dacia Harrison
October 26th, 2016
Topic Food Chain.
Grade: Four

NB Science Curriculum Outcomes:

TOPIC: Food Chain.

GCO: Exploring the relationship between predators and prey.

SCO: Students will be expected to

classify organisms according to their role in a food chain and draw a diagram to illustrate the
food chain (302-3, 104-6, 206-1)

predict how the removal of a plant or animal population affects the rest of the community (301-
1)

relate habitat loss to the endangerment or extinction of plants and animals (301-2)

Next Generation Science Standards:

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

K- Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants
ESS3 and animals (including humans) and the places they live. [Clarification
- Statement: Examples of relationships could include that deer eat buds and
leaves, therefore, they usually live in forested areas; and, grasses need sunlight
so they often grow in meadows. Plants, animals, and their surroundings make up
a system.]
Science and Engineering Practices:

Use a model to represent relationships in the natural world. (K-ESS3-1)

Disciplinary Core Ideas:

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Living things need water, air, and resources from the land, and they live in places that
have the things they need. Humans use natural resources for everything they do. (K-
ESS3-1)

Crosscutting Concepts:

Systems in the natural and designed world have parts that work together.(K-ESS2-2), (K-
ESS3-1)

Grade Three-Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems:

Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can
survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. 3-LS4-3

Science and Engineering Practices:

Construct an argument with evidence.(3-LS4-3)

Disciplinary Core Ideas:

For any particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less
well, and some cannot survive at all. (3-LS4-3)

Crosscutting Concepts:

Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified and used to explain change. (3-
LS2-1), (3-LS4-3)

This lesson will take about two classes to complete. A total of an hour and forty-five minutes.

Learning Objectives:

Students will be expected to understand the different relationships between predators and prey.
Students will also know the difference between consumers, producers, and decomposers. They
will also learn that if you remove one animal from a food chain it will have a huge effect on the
rest of the community. Finally, they will be introduced to the idea that habitat loss can lead to the
endangerment of plants and animals.

Possible Student Misconceptions and Prior Knowledge:

Students might initially believe that humans are at the top of the food chain therefore, it is
important to illustrate that humans are not at the top food chain, but they do play their own
unique role in it. Students might also assume that if you remove an organism from one ecosystem
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it will have no effect on the environment, therefore we must show students that depending on
whether it is a producer, consumer, or decomposer it could have a huge effect on the ecosystem.

Before the Lesson:

We will review that all organisms are living things.

The smart board lesson will be loaded up.
All the materials will be gathered. This includes all art supplies that are needed for Colin
and Larry.
Computers and iPads will be turned on and fully charged.
Get out the appropriate materials.

Materials Location in the classroom.

The Smart board Is located on the wall.

The Smart board lesson Is on my computer and it is saved in the folder

Science. It is called An introduction to a food
chain. The password to my computer is
summer@94.
The cue cards with consumers, producers and a The cue cards are attached to the back of this
source of energy. lesson plan. There are two different sets.
Because the tables are close together make sure
you alternate between each set.
Ecosystem Sheets. The ecosystem sheets are attached at the back
of this lesson plan. There will be two copies of
each so there can be a max of 8 groups. There
are 25 students so groups of two or three.
Markers, Pens, Pencils. These are located on the shelf near my desk. If
you have any trouble locating them the
students can point you in the right direction.
Computers, iPads. The technology is located at the back of the
classroom near the students artwork. If the
iPads are missing they can be found on my
desk or near the reading corner. The students
are more than welcome to use my computer if
needed.
Predator and Prey cards The cards that say predator and prey are also
attached to the back of this lesson plan. There
should be five predator cards and the rest
should be prey.
Tarp The tarp will be located on the shelf behind by
desk.
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Art Supplies These are located in the two cupboards near

the sink in the classroom.

Engagement: (20-25 minutes)

What the teacher will do: What the students will do:
Engagement question: How are animals and Students need to have their
plants dependent on one another? listening ears on.
We will start with a smart board lesson that
discuses terminology to create a food chain. The Students need to actively
terminologies that will be discussed in the lesson participate because they
are prey, predator, producers, consumers, could be called on to move
decomposers. Students will be asked to try and the organisms on the smart
make a food chain by placing the organisms in board into the correct order.
the right order. Students will be then asked what
happens if one of the organisms is removed from They can take notes because
the food chain. Does it have a huge impact on the it might be helpful for the
rest of the organisms? (20 Minutes). activity that follows.
Sample Smart Board Lesson in Appendix B
Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=YuO4WB4SwCg to provide an overview or a
summary of all the concepts we just learned in
the smart board lesson.

Exploration 10-20 minutes.

What the teacher will do:
Provide each table group with ten
different cue cards. Each set of cue card
will have a source of energy, producer,
decomposer, and consumers.
(Appendix C)
Crculate while the students are working
on their food chains.
Once the cue cards are sorted and the
food chain has been complete the
teacher will come around and extract
What the Students will do:
Each table will have to make three piles
and sort out the producers, decomposers, and
consumers. Once the students have all of the
cue cards sorted they have to decide which
goes first in the food chain and which is last.
They also have to fill out everything in
between.
The students will then have to try and
figure out if their food chain can survive and
continue with a missing piece. This should be
written down because each group will share
with the class about what decisions they made
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one organism from each group. (this and why.

depends on how many producers were
in each set of cue cards as well as what Have positive things to contribute to
the teacher took from each group of the class discussion.
students)

Take a different organism from each to

generate different discussions.

Evaluation: I will be evaluating the

activity on whether or not the students
completed this activity and understand
what happens to an ecosystem.
(Appendix J)

This would probably be the end of

science class. We would continue with
the lesson the next day.

Expansion /Elaboration (40-45 minutes)

What the teacher will do What the student will do

Teachers will provide students with a Students will discover new and exciting
specific ecosystem, tundra, desert, things about different ecosystems.
grassland, and aquatic. As well as a
handout that has in detail of what they They will use the technology properly.
are looking for (appendix D toG). Each
handout will have two websites that They will record their finding on the
will help start the students on their piece of paper that was provided.
research.
Students can also use books that are in They will draw and color in their food
the classroom library. chain.
Each group will be allowed to use the
classroom computers and Ipads to do They will share with the class their
some research on their ecosystem. If a findings.
student had brought their own
Hand in sheet after presenting it to the
electronic device they are allowed to
class.
use it as well. While researching
students should find a food chain that
corresponds to the ecosystem. Students
are also encouraged to put interesting
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facts in their mini-presentation.

Circulate around the room while the
students are researching to help answer
some questions that might arise.
Evaluation: Use a rubric to assess
this assignment (Appendix K).

Explanation (10-15 minutes).

What the teacher will do What the students will do

Divide the class up into prey and Students will wait patiently while they
predators. There should be twice as wait to receive their paper.
more prey then predators.
Handout slips of paper that have either They will not tell their classmates what
prey or predator written on it to each they received from the teacher.
student. (Adjust the numbers
accordingly based on attendance.)
They will participate in the game and
Students should not tell anybody what
follow all the instructions carefully.
they received.
Tell the students to walk around the
If they play the game in the classroom
room and when they meet another
they will be careful and try to avoid the
person they have to play rock, paper,
objects and the other students in the
scissors. The loser has to tell the other
classroom.
person whether they are a predator or
prey. If they are prey they have to try
and run to the tarp in the middle of the They will make a prediction of whether
room in order to remain safe. If they get the prey or the predators will win the
tagged by the predator they are out of game. They will discuss the outcome of
the game. If the loser is a predator they the game and try to relate it to our
just continue to walk around until they lesson.
come across another classmate and play
rock, paper, scissors again.
This activity should be played outside
or in the gym, but if for some reason it
cannot due to unforeseen circumstances
move the desks out of the way to make
room and ask the prey to skip to the
tarp and have the predator walk quickly
to chase after them.
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Evaluation:
Use notes to access whether the
students know what happens to
predators and prey (Appendix J)

Accommodations and modifications are in Appendix A

After the Lesson:

Follow up with students:

Ask questions about what happens when you take an organism out of a food chain?
Ask the question do you think humans are prey or predators and why?

Teacher Reflection/Notes.

Overall Comments Suggestions for next time.

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Appendix A

Accommodations- Colin.

Introduction:

Colin is a gifted young man. He enjoys playing pranks on his classmates as well as the

rest of school. One of his pranks involved him convincing the entire Kindergarten class

to hide in the janitors closet. His pranks are most likely a result of the boredom he

experiences in his classes (Hutchinson 2016 and Barger 2009). The teacher is not

teaching Colin anything that he finds interesting so he ends up pulling pranks. He has a

love for art; in grade three his teacher assigned him the task of creating a mural which

depicted The Last Supper by Da Vinci. When Collin was engaged and focused in his

painting, the pranks stopped. Students who are gifted tend to only display abilities in one

or more subject areas, for Colin art is his specialty (Hutchinson 2016). Colin has recently

entered grade four and he is not being challenged enough so he has started pulling his
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pranks again. He does not have an EA because she is working in another class with two

other students. In order to stop his pranks all together he needs to be challenged in the

classroom (Hutchinson 2016).

Accommodations/Modifications

As a teacher some of the ways in which lessons can be adapted for gifted students are

providing authentic problem solving, independent studies, mentor programs, and open

ended assignments (Hutchinson 2016). Some general guidelines that a teacher can

follow when a lesson is not adapted for a gifted student are encourage questions, give the

gifted students as well as regular students a chance to ask lots of questions, give them the

benefit of the doubt and challenge them (Barger 2009). I would make a few specific

accommodations for Colin in this lesson on food chains. Firstly, I would give Colin the

option to order the cue cards with the consumers, producers, and decomposers by himself

or in his table group. If he still refused to do the activity, I would provide him with a

piece of chart paper, markers and pencil crayons and ask him to draw the food chain and

share it with the rest of the class. If Colin chose to do the drawing activity, the class

would have a visual of what a food chain looks like and not just words. In the second

activity, I would again provide Colin with the opportunity to work on an ecosystem by

himself or in a group. If Colin finished his research quickly or wanted to do something

more in depth, I would ask him to make a model of a food chain out of any of the art

supplies that are in the classroom. Because Colin has a real interest in Art, this would

allow him to physically create something with his hands while still completing the

curriculum outcomes. The third and final accommodation I would give the option to

Colin on whether or not he wanted to play the game with the rest of the class or create a
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comic strip (appendix H) about different predators and prey in the ecosystem that he

researched earlier. Once I have better knowledge of what Colins interests are, I can plan

and adapt my lessons and gear them towards something that he is interested in to keep

him out of trouble.

Conclusion:

Once we completed the lesson I would assess Colin on whether he was able to get

through the activity without distractions and pulling pranks. If Colin manages to not pull

any pranks in the classroom, it shows that the lesson accommodations worked and he was

challenged enough in the classroom to keep him busy and out of trouble. The activities in

the lesson have some art involved in them, but I hope he enjoys the adaptions if he needs

them. If Colin is still not being challenged I will sit down and talk with him and ask him

where he would like to go from here. How does he want to learn the curriculum concepts

so they are challenging for him and he is able to complete them? We will develop

strategies as a team so he is able to complete the required course work for grade four.

Accommodations- Larry.

Introduction:

Larry is a unique individual and tends to go through different phases in life. In

Kindergarten and in grade one he did not seem to learn, write or even print his

name. When he started grade two his language was way above his grade level and

by Christmas he was a head of the rest of the class. Towards the end of grade two

Larry started preforming odd behaviours including eating chalk. His love for
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putting things in his mouth disappeared by the time third grade started. Instead of

eating chalk Larry was refusing to speak, he had gone mute and nobody seemed

to understand why. His parents were confused; his EA was confused as well. The

selective mutism disappeared by the time he reached grade four. He had a newly

developed interest in music. Larry could have a learning disability because he is

slower to pick up on writing and vocabulary or he might be twice exceptional

because of his constant need to obsess over a certain subjects and challenges.

Larry seems to take on certain parts of subjects because the whole lesson could be

overwhelming for his brain to take in which could result in him not doing

anything or giving up half way through.

I would adapt my lesson by providing Larry with the worksheet on a specific

ecosystem the night before. This would give him the opportunity to sit down with

his parents and make sure he understands what is asked of him. By giving the

knowledge to Larry ahead of time it helps to limit the overwhelming feeling he

would get in class from all the information thrown at him. I would also provide

Larry with a print out of the smart board lesson just so he knows ahead of time

that there will be instances in the lesson where the teacher will call on students to

participate in the lesson. If Larry is called on, he will be physically and mentally

prepared to actually take part in the lesson and be successful in front of his peers.

As Larrys teacher we must also try to not disrupt the classroom routine because

anything that is out of place could completely overwhelm him which could revert

him back into his days of mutism.

Conclusion:
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Just like Colin, I would have constant and check in conversations with Larry to

make sure our system is working. I would ask Larry if it is helpful to send home

the class notes and the activities the night before or is it too much information to

take in all at once. If I notice that this system is not working anymore, I would

invite Larry and his parents into the classroom and try to plan and develop a new

strategy for him to participate and complete the work in class without getting

overwhelmed. After each lesson I will take notes on both Colin and Larry to

figure out what actually worked and what was a complete flop. My own reflection

would help me develop new and interesting ways to challenge both students and

to keep them on task to completing the grade four curriculum.

Appendix B: Sample Smart Board Lesson. The actual Smart Board Lesson would be much

longer then want is displayed here.

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Appendix C- Column 1
Column 2

Green Plant Grass

Snake Sun
Grasshoppe Fungi
r
Frog Mouse
Sun Moth
Hawk Frog
Fungi Snake
Owl Owl
Tree Hawk
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Appendix D

Group Names___________________________ Date_____________________________

Topic: Tundra

Research your topic and find a food chain that corresponds with it. Describe your ecosystem and
Draw your food chain in the space below. It would be a good idea to include some interesting
facts.

Possible websites: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/tundra-

profile/. http://eschooltoday.com/ecosystems/food-chain-in-the-tundra-biome.html.

Describe your Ecosystem: Interesting Facts.

Draw Your Food Chain.

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Appendix E

Group Names___________________________ Date_____________________________

Topic: Grassland

Research your topic and find a food chain that corresponds with it. Describe your ecosystem and
Draw your food chain in the space below. It would be a good idea to include some interesting
facts.

Possible websites: http://www.ducksters.com/science/ecosystems/grasslands_biome.php.

http://oureverydaylife.com/grassland-ecosystem-food-chain-africa-38411.html.

Describe your Ecosystem: Interesting Facts.

Draw Your Food Chain.

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Appendix F

Group Names___________________________ Date_____________________________

Topic: Desert

Research your topic and find a food chain that corresponds with it. Describe your ecosystem and
Draw your food chain in the space below. It would be a good idea to include some interesting
facts.

Possible websites: http://www.desertusa.com/life.htmlprofile/. http://digital-desert.com/joshua-

tree-national-park/ecosystems.html

Describe your Ecosystem: Interesting Facts.

Draw Your Food Chain.

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Appendix G

Group Names___________________________ Date_____________________________

Topic: Aquatic

Research your topic and find a food chain that corresponds with it. Describe your ecosystem and
Draw your food chain in the space below. It would be a good idea to include some interesting
facts.

Possible websites: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/aquatic-

ecosystems/. http://www.ramp-
alberta.org/river/ecology/life+in+aquatic+ecosystems/food+chains+and+food+webs.aspx

Describe your Ecosystem: Interesting Facts.

Draw Your Food Chain.

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Appendix H: Comic Strip Outline.

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Appendix I:

Predator

Predator

Predator

Predator

Predator

Prey Prey

Prey Prey

Prey Prey

Prey Prey

Prey Prey

Prey Prey

Prey Prey

Prey Prey

Prey Prey

Prey Prey
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Appendix J

Student Name: Student Name:

Student Name: Student Name:

Student Name: Student Name:

Student Name: Student Name:

Student Name: Student Name:

Student Name: Student Name:

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Student Name: Student Name:

Student Name: Student Name:

Appendix K

(3) (2) (1)

Labels All the correct labels Some of the correct You made some effort
or on the food chain, labels are present. to label food chain.
Producers, There are only a few
Consumers, missing.
decomposers.
Description of The description of The description of The description is
ecosystem. ecosystem has ecosystem has some lacking important
descriptive details. of the details missing. information.
Interesting Facts You provided a lot of You provided a few You only provided
interesting facts. interesting facts. one interesting fact.
The Food Chain The food chain has all The food chain is The food chain is
the appropriate parts. missing s few parts. lacking most of the
information.
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References

Barger, R. H. (2009). Gifted, talented, and high achieving. Teaching Children Mathematics, 16,

3, 154-161.

Hutchinson, N.L. (2016). Inclusion of exceptional learners in Canadian schools. (5th edition).

Toronto, Ontario: Pearson.

National Science Teachers Association (2015). Next generation science standards: Kindergarten-

interdependent relationships in ecosystems: animals, plants, and their environment.

Retrieved from http://www.nextgenscience.org/topic-arrangement/kinterdependent-

relationships-ecosystems-animals-plants-and-their-environment.

National Science Teachers Association (2015). Next generation science standards: Grade Three-

interdependent relationships in ecosystems. Retrieved from

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http://www.nextgenscience.org/topic-arrangement/3interdependent-relationships-

ecosystems-environmental-impacts-organisms.

New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2002). Atlantic

Canada Science Curriculum: Grade Four. Retrieved from

http://www2.gb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/ed/pdf/K12/curric/Science/Science-

Grade4.pdf.