GT Differentiated Model Lesson
Grade Level: 4th
Subject Area(s):
TEKS/Student Expectations:
__ Reading, Writing
X Science
Students will imagine they are an insect living in the ecosystem. They will
9 Weeks:1st
__ Mathematics
__ Social Studies
research the balance of the ecosystem from the point of view of the insect and
Essential Question(s):
present it in the form of an article to Insect Weekly, a magazine for insects.
Their article will include the answer to each of the essential questions.
How might living and non-living things depend on each other?
In what ways does the water cycle contribute to an ecosystem?
 Prove that ecosystems are made up of living and non-living things.
How might the ecosystem be affected if there were no solar energy?
 Diagram the water cycle process of an ecosystem.
Assessment(s):
 Prove the effects of solar energy in the ecosystem.
__ Pre-Assessment
X Formative
X Summative
GT Scope and Sequence Skills:
Student Learning Styles:
Elements of Depth and Complexity:
X Creative Thinking
__ Auditory
X Language of the Discipline
X Ethical Considerations
X Critical Thinking
X Visual/Spatial
X Details
__ Unanswered Questions
X Communication
__ Kinesthetic
X Patterns
X Over Time
X Research
X Other
__ Trends
__ Different Perspectives
__ Rules
X Big Ideas
Lessons and Activities
X Whole Class
X Small Group X Independent Activity
PART ONE:
Whole Class: Show students a picture of a dead, hollowed out tree. Ask them to imagine what effect this dead tree will
have on the ecosystem. Now show students a picture of living organisms inside a dead, hollowed out tree. Ask students
How do living and non-living things depend on each other? Tell students, imagine they are an insect living in the
ecosystem; ask how both living and non-living things help them to survive.
On Grade Level: Ask students to collect information by researching how an insect depends on both living and non-living
things in their habitat. They can choose any insect and habitat (an ant in the city, a beetle in the county, etc)
GT Level: Ask students to collect information by researching how an insect in the rainforest depends on both living and
non-living things in their habitat while deforestation is occurring. They can choose to be any type of insect living in the
rainforest.
Whole Class: Bring students together to discuss the information that they researched. Pose the essential question:
How might living and nonliving things depend on each other? As the students answer the question, chart their
responses and have them include any information that they do not have on their own papers.
Resources:
Library books about the ecosystem
including various landform areas
Books about insects
Websites appropriate for your
students
Advanced Academic Services
Austin Independent School District
PART TWO:
Whole Class: Ask students of what benefit is water to our well being . Have a picture of a small pond and ask students
what lives inside ponds. How do animals in the pond continue to survive in that environment? Yesterday, students
imagined they were insects living in the ecosystem. Today, they continue to be insects and recount how the water cycle
contributes to their well being.
On Grade Level: Students continue research from the point of view of their insect by identifying which ways water
impacts their ecosystem. Other than rain, how is water incorporated into their ecosystem?
GT Level: Continuing to work form the point of view of an insect, students identify repercussions of a drought on their
ecosystem. What problem does the insect encounter, both primary and secondary reasons for change?
Whole Class: Assemble students to discuss benefits of the water cycle throughout the ecosystem. Chart places
students found the water cycle, and point out the water cycle includes various forms, including polar regions and animal
urination. Have advanced learners discuss repercussions of a drought to the ecosystem.
PART THREE:
Whole Class: Create a graphic organizer with the class that has the sun in the middle. Add to the organizer effects the
sun has on living and non-living things. Remind students they are insects and their research will continue today on the
consequences of having no solar energy in their ecosystem.
On Grade Level: Have students imagine there is a solar eclipse that will last several days in their ecosystem. How will
the insect react in that situation and will this threaten the insect’s survival?
GT Level: Have students imagine the sun burned out. What effects will that have on the rainforest? How long before
the long term effects of no sunlight affect the insect?
Whole Class: As a whole class group, ask the essential question, how might the ecosystem be affected if there were no
solar energy? What were the short term effects of no sunlight and what were long term effects? Now have students
write about things learned by writing an article for Insect Weekly chronicaling their experiences and information. They
should include an illustration with their article.
Advanced Academic Services
Austin Independent School District
Process Assessment
Teacher observes the following:
Process Observation - Frequency:
Student references insect information during their task.
Seldom/Never
Occasionally
Often
Consistently
Process Observation – Frequency:
Student demonstrates questioning skills throughout the stages of the task.
Seldom/Never
Occasionally
Often
Consistently
Process Observation – Quality of Productive Thinking
Student uses higher level thinking skills to write the insect article.
Typical of Peers
Novel Ideas
Original Ideas
Uniquely Inventive
Process Observation – Quality of Analytical Thinking
Student analyses information during the task.
Typical of Peers
Novel Ideas
Original Ideas
Uniquely Inventive
Product Assessment
Score
Amount of Information
Quality of Information
Illustrations
3
All topics are addressed and all questions are
answered in a unique and creative product which
demonstrates higher level thinking skills..
Information clearly relates to topic
and includes many unusual facts and
examples.
Illustrations are detailed, unique, and
creative. They add to the readers’
understanding of the topic.
2
All topics are addressed and all questions are
answered in the article and higher level thinking
skills are evident.
Information clearly relates to topic
and includes many supporting
details and examples.
Illustrations are detailed, neat, accurate, and
add to the readers’ understanding of the
topic.
1
All topics are addressed and all questions are
answered in the article.
Information clearly relates to topic
and includes supporting details and
examples.
Illustrations are neat, accurate, and add to the
readers’ understanding of the topic.
Advanced Academic Services
Austin Independent School District