Standards- Based Unit Plan Template*
Adapted from SC Standards Implementation Guide
Adapted for use by Education Majors
Content Area: Science: Ecosystems
Grade Level: 5th
Title of Module: Ecosystems Unit Plan
Your name: Sara Anderson
E-mail address: reardens@email.usca.edu
Phone: 803-634-3477
USCA Course: Science Methods, Junior Block
Date: November 25, 2014
Honor Pledge:
On my honor as a University of South Carolina Aiken student, I have completed my work
according to the principle of Academic Integrity. I have neither given nor received any
unauthorized aid on the assignment / examination.
Signature
Sara Anderson
Date
November 25, 2014
Standards-Based Unit Plan
Content Area(s):
Science: Ecosystems
Grade Level: 5th
Time to Complete: One Week
Title of Module: Ecosystems
Key Standards in this Unit



Targeted in this Unit (T)
Introduced in this Unit (I)
Reinforced/Reviewed in this
Unit (R)
1. South Carolina State Curriculum Standards and National Science Education Standards.
 5.L.4A.1 Analyze and interpret data to summarize the abiotic factors (including
quantity of light and water, range of temperature, salinity, and soil composition) of
different terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems. (T)(I)
 5.L4A.2 Obtain and communicate information to describe and compare the biotic
factors (including individual organisms, population, and communities) if different
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. (T)(I)
 RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are
supported by key details; summarize the text. (R)
 5-5.1 Create informational pieces that use language appropriate for the specific
audience. (R)
2. Unit Description :
In this unit, I will be covering coral reef ecosystems. Specifically, I will cover biotic
and abiotic factors that are a part of this ecosystem. Literacy skills are incorporated into
this science content unit in that the students will read multiple articles as well as write
summaries based on what they have read. At the end of the unit, students will create a
diorama of a coral reef in groups. There will be differentiated instruction in that
sometimes, they will be grouped as whole class and other times, they will be in small
groups. Assessments are aligned with what students are learning. Coral reefs are just
one type of ecosystems so there will be other unit plans that are similar to this to
reinforce the ideas covered in this unit.
3. Objectives for Students:
 Analyze abiotic and biotic factors of different terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
 Communicate information describing abiotic and biotic factors of different terrestrial
and aquatic ecosystems
 Summarize a text when given a passage or article
 Create informational pieces that use appropriate language
 Create a structural piece of writing and provide ordered reasons that are supported by
facts
4. Assessment:
Students will be assessed mainly for mastery of the science standards but will also to
some extent be assessed for the literacy standards, as well. Summarizing a passage is just a
review for them so they should have no issues formulating acceptable writing. If they do
seem to have issues, those issues are addressed in the follow up portion of the lesson plans.
At the end of this unit, there will a project that requires students to create and construct
a coral reef ecosystem using materials provided by the teacher. They are required to include
a specific amount of biotic and abiotic factors as well as be able to cooperate in a group
setting. The main learning target in this unit is to be able to identify biotic and abiotic
factors in this type of ecosystem so students building this ecosystem will measure that. The
rubric below will show how students are to be graded. I don’t believe at the end of all units
that a paper and pencil selected response test is always the best. In the case of these
learning goals, I believe that a hands on performance task project will serve as the best
judge for mastery of content.
Creativity
Biotic Factors
Abiotic Factors
Participation
Communication
4
3
Students used
Students used
excellent
some creativity
creativity while
while
constructing
constructing
their diorama
their diorama
Students
Students
included 4 or
included 3
more biotic
biotic factors
factors in their
in their
diorama
diorama
Students
Students
included 4 or
included 3
more abiotic
abiotic factors
factors into
in their
their diorama
diorama
All students had Three students
a speaking part
had speaking
in the
parts in the
presentation
presentation
Students were Students were
able to
able to
communicate to communicate
the teacher and to the teacher
the class
and the class
effectively
some about
about what
what their
their diorama
diorama
consisted of
consisted of
(had everything
(had most
labeled)
things labeled)
2
Students used
little creativity
while
constructing
their diorama
Students
included 2
biotic factors
in their
diorama
Students
included 2
abiotic factors
in their
diorama
Two students
had speaking
parts in the
presentation
Students were
able to
communicate
to the teacher
and the class a
little about
what their
diorama
consisted of
(had some
things labeled)
1
Students used
no creativity
while
constructing
their diorama
Students
included 1
biotic factor in
their diorama
Students
included 1
abiotic factor
in their
diorama
One person
had a speaking
part in the
presentation
Students were
not able to
communicate
to the teacher
and the class
about what
their diorama
consisted of
(had nothing
labeled)
Total: ____/20
5. Materials/Equipment/Resources:
Equipment/Resources
 Article “Coral Reefs A” for each student (Displayed on SMART Board)
 Article “Coral Reefs B” for each student (Displayed on SMART Board)
 Pictures of coral reefs (Displayed on SMART Board)
 SMART Board
- Used to display articles, pictures, and videos
 YouTube video: Out on the Coral Reef (Displayed on SMART Board)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC6phNl3bQc
- This is a fun educational video that goes over different facts of coral reefs as
well as giving students an interactive experience as if they were in a coral
reef.
Materials
 Anchor Charts
 Summarizing worksheet for each student
 Interactive Journal for each student
 Study guide for each student
 Miscellaneous items for coral reef project
6. Procedures:
Monday:
This day will be spent introducing aquatic based ecosystems and all of the factors that go into
them. Biotic and abiotic will be defined, also.
Tuesday:
Subjects – Ecosystems(Science) & Summarizing(Reading/Writing)
Grade Level – 5th Grade
Date Lesson to Be Taught- September 29, 2014
Time Frame/Duration – 30-45 minutes
Objectives
Science Standard:
5.L.4A.1 Analyze and interpret data to summarize the abiotic factors
(including quantity of light and water, range of temperature, salinity, and
soil composition) of different terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic
ecosystems.
5.L4A.2 Obtain and communicate information to describe and compare
the biotic factors (including individual organisms, population, and
communities) if different terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Reading Standard:
RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they
are supported by key details; summarize the text.
Writing Standard:
5-5.1 Create informational pieces that use language appropriate for the
specific audience.
The student will be able to:
 Analyze abiotic and biotic factors of different terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
 Communicate information describing abiotic and biotic factors of different terrestrial
and aquatic ecosystems
 Summarize a text when given a passage or article
 Create informational pieces that use appropriate language
 Create a structural piece of writing and provide ordered reasons that are supported by
facts
Essential Questions:
 How are the factors different among biotic and abiotic ecosystems?
 How can you summarize a text?
 How do I create informational pieces?
Number of Students: 20
Grouping
Students will be grouped as a whole class on the carpet for reading purposes. After each
paragraph is read aloud, students will use elbow partners to discuss details of what they just
read. Once they go back to their desks, they will work individually.
Accommodations
 The article will be read chorally for those who have trouble reading
 One ESOL student who has trouble with English will be paired with another ESOL
student who is fluent in English to help her understand what is being taught
Materials/Resources
Teacher Supplied
Anchor Charts
Article “Coral Reefs A” for each student
Summarizing worksheet for each student
Student Supplied
Pencil
Highlighter
Educational Technology
SMART Board will be used to display the article so students can better see the pictures on the
page.
Safety Issues/Concerns
There are no safety concerns for this lesson.
Procedures
Authenticity/Context
It is important for students to be able to recognize different parts of an ecosystem for their
daily lives because they encounter different ecosystems many times. They can understand
different things at the beach or even in their backyard. Also, students summarize all the time
without even knowing that is what they are doing.
Instructional Strategies
Strategies used in this lesson will be an anchor chart for students to review; choral reading;
students will use highlighters to mark important key details in the text; elbow partners will be
utilized so students can talk about what they read.
Step-by-step outline of the Lesson
 Students will be instructed to meet me on the carpet bringing a pencil, a highlighter, and
something to press down on.
 Learning Objectives will be reviewed
 I will have students pass around the article on coral reefs until everyone has one.
 I will review aquatic: water based ecosystem and terrestrial: land based ecosystem. Ask
students to raise their hands and tell what each one is.
 [ENGAGE] I will flip to a new piece of chart paper and ask students to raise their hands if
they can remember and tell me what biotic factors are and what abiotic factors are.
Note* there are 5 abiotic factors they must know[temperature, air, water, soil, and
sunlight]
 Once we have defined biotic and abiotic on anchor chart, [EXPLORE] I will have the class
choral read one paragraph at a time. Before we read, I will instruct them to NOT
highlight anything until we are finished reading each time.
 [EXPLAIN] Once we have read a paragraph, I will have students turn to their elbow
partner and discuss [this is also the time to highlight] what they thought the most
important thing about that paragraph was and they should focus on any facts about
biotic and abiotic they see. If they don’t see anything about biotic or abiotic, that’s okay.
They can just talk about and highlight what they thought was most important. They
should also know not to highlight every sentence.
 I will give them 30 seconds to a minute to discuss and highlight then I will bring
everyone’s attention back up front and have students raise their hands if they want to
share what they highlighted.
 The above situation will occur for each paragraph until we have concluded the article.
 I will now have students pass around the summarizing worksheet until everyone has
one.
 Next, we will review summarizing/ “5 Finger Rule” anchor chart that is already posted in





the classroom. I will have students raise their hands to tell me what that rule is.
Students will return to their desks and be instructed to do their worksheet
I will review the “A Great Paragraph” anchor chart. It says that a great paragraph has a
topic sentence, supporting details [3 in this case], and a closing sentence. That is a total
of 5 sentences.
[ELABORATE] There is a box on the worksheet for “Topic,” “Key Detail #1,” Key Detail
#2,” and “Key Detail #3.” Students will be instructed that the key details can be quoted
directly from the article but when they get to the bottom of the worksheet, they must
write a summary in their own words. This summary must be “A Great Paragraph”.
Teacher will [EVALUATE] their summarizing worksheets for a grade.
Early Finishers will be instructed to read their independent reading books.
Assessment
Prior to the Lesson: The type of assessment I will be using before the actual lesson will be oral. I
will review biotic and abiotic factors before we read the article by having students raise their
hands to tell me what those are (science). Also, before we do the summarizing worksheet, I will
orally review the “5 finger rule” of summarizing and have students raise their hands to
answer(writing).
During the Lesson: The students highlighting(reading) what they think are important facts
based on biotic and abiotic factors of coral reefs is my form of assessment for during the lesson.
Also, monitoring students as they work on their worksheet when they receive it will be a form
of assessment.
After the Lesson: The summarizing worksheet serves as my after the lesson assessment
because I can see if they noted the most important key details(reading) of the coral
reef(science) and I can assess the writing standard by looking for 1 topic sentence, 3 supporting
detail sentences, and 1 closing sentence(writing).
Follow-up
If half of the class does not have at least 5 sentences for their summaries and do not
paraphrase their summaries, they will summarize one paragraph instead of the entire article.
Resources
South Carolina Department of Education. (2014). Academic Standards. Retrieved September 25,
2014 from http://ed.sc.gov/agency/se/Instructional-Practices-andEvaluations/documents/2014Grade3_Crosswalk.pdfm
Wednesday:
Subjects – Ecosystems(Science) & Summarizing(Reading/Writing)
Grade Level – 5th Grade
Date Lesson to Be Taught- September 30, 2014
Time Frame/Duration – 30-45 minutes
Objectives
Science Standard:
5.L.4A.1 Analyze and interpret data to summarize the abiotic factors
(including quantity of light and water, range of temperature, salinity, and
soil composition) of different terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic
ecosystems.
5.L4A.2 Obtain and communicate information to describe and compare
the biotic factors (including individual organisms, population, and
communities) if different terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Reading Standard:
RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they
are supported by key details; summarize the text.
Writing Standard:
5-5.1 Create informational pieces that use language appropriate for the
specific audience.
The student will be able to:
 Analyze abiotic and biotic factors of different terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
 Communicate information describing abiotic and biotic factors of different terrestrial
and aquatic ecosystems
 Create a structural piece of writing and provide ordered reasons that are supported by
facts
 Summarize a text when given a passage or article
 Create informational pieces that use appropriate language
Essential Questions:
 How are the factors different among biotic and abiotic ecosystems?
 How do I create informational pieces?
 How do I summarize a text?
Number of Students: 20
Grouping
Students will be grouped as a whole class on the carpet for reading purposes. After each
paragraph is read aloud, students will use elbow partners to discuss details of what they just
read.
Accommodations
 The article will be read chorally for those who have trouble reading

One ESOL student who has trouble with English will be paired with another ESOL
student who is fluent in English to help her understand what is being taught
Materials/Resources
Teacher Supplied
Video on Coral Reefs
Anchor Charts
Article “Coral Reefs B” for each student
Interactive Journal for each student
Student Supplied
Pencil
Highlighter
Educational Technology
SMART Board will be used to display a video and display the article so student can see the
pictures more clearly.
Safety Issues/Concerns
There are no safety concerns for this lesson.
Procedures
Authenticity/Context
It is important for students to be able to recognize different parts of an ecosystem for their
daily lives because they encounter different ecosystems many times. They can understand
different things at the beach or even in their backyard.
Instructional Strategies
Strategies used in this lesson will be an anchor chart for students to review; choral reading;
students will use highlighters to mark important key details in the text; elbow partners will be
utilized so students can talk about what they read. Interactive journal will be used to assess the
writing standard and it also has a place to write a question, an opinion, and to draw a picture.
Step-by-step outline of the Lesson
 Students will be instructed to meet me on the carpet bringing, a highlighter, and
something to press down on.
 Learning Objectives will be reviewed
 I will review aquatic: water based ecosystem and terrestrial: land based ecosystem. Ask
students to raise their hands and tell what each one is. Ask them what is a coral reef?
 (ENGAGE) I will play the video on coral reefs.
 (EXPLORE)I will have the class choral read one paragraph at a time. Before we read, I will
instruct them to NOT highlight anything until we are finished reading each time.
 Once we have read a paragraph, I will have students turn to their elbow partner and
discuss [this is also the time to highlight] (EXPLAIN) what they thought the most
important thing about that paragraph was. They should also know not to highlight every








sentence.
I will give them 30 seconds to a minute to discuss and highlight then I will bring
everyone’s attention back up front and have students raise their hands if they want to
(ELABORATE) share what they highlighted. I will highlight what the students who shared
said.
The above situation will occur for each paragraph until we have concluded the article.
Our Hero of the Day helps pass out the interactive journals.
Go over interactive journal directions, summarizing 5 finger rule, and a great paragraph
anchor charts.
Tell students to refer back to the picture in their articles for their illustrations on their
journals.
[EVALUATE]Walk around and monitor students.
Instruct students to hold their papers in the air when they are finished.
Early finishers will read their independent reading book
.
Assessment
Prior to the Lesson: The type of assessment I will be using before the actual lesson will be oral. I
will review biotic and abiotic factors and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems before we read the
article by having students raise their hands to tell me what those are (science).
During the Lesson: The students highlighting (reading) what they think are important facts is
my form of assessment for during the lesson. Choral reading is assessing their reading, as well.
Walking around to monitor students while doing their interactive journals, as well.
After the Lesson: Interactive Journals will be graded.
Follow-up
For students who have trouble writing their summaries, whether it be finding supporting
sentences or creating a conclusion, I will individually conference with these students. They will
bring their articles and their summaries and we will work on them together. How I will be able
to tell if they do not formulate a correct summary will be if they used quotes or if they say
something along the lines of “This is my summary of…” or “This is what I learned about today.”
as a conclusion sentence.
Resources
South Carolina Department of Education. (2014). Academic Standards. Retrieved September 25,
2014 from http://ed.sc.gov/agency/se/Instructional-Practices-andEvaluations/documents/2014Grade3_Crosswalk.pdfm
Thursday:
Subjects – Ecosystems(Science) & Summarizing(Reading/Writing)
Grade Level – 5th Grade
Date Lesson to Be Taught- October 1, 2014
Time Frame/Duration – 2-3 Days
Objectives
Science Standard:
5.L.4A.1 Analyze and interpret data to summarize the abiotic factors
(including quantity of light and water, range of temperature, salinity, and
soil composition) of different terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic
ecosystems.
5.L4A.2 Obtain and communicate information to describe and compare
the biotic factors (including individual organisms, population, and
communities) if different terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Writing Standard:
5-5.1 Create informational pieces that use language appropriate for the
specific audience.
The student will be able to:
 Analyze abiotic and biotic factors of different terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
 Communicate information describing abiotic and biotic factors of different terrestrial
and aquatic ecosystems
 Create informational pieces that use appropriate language
Essential Questions:
 How are the factors different among biotic and abiotic ecosystems?
 How do I create informational pieces?
Number of Students: 20
Grouping
Students will be grouped as a whole class for review purposes. They will be in small groups for
coral reef project. Students at each tabletop group will work together. That is 3-4 students per
group and there are 6 groups total.
Accommodations
 The study guide will be completed as a class in order to help students who may have a
learning disability
 One ESOL student who has trouble with English will be paired with another ESOL
student who is fluent in English to help her understand what is being taught
Materials/Resources
Teacher Supplied
Study guide for each student
Miscellaneous items for coral reef project
Pictures of coral reefs
Student Supplied
Pencil
Crayons/markers
Educational Technology
SMART Board will be used to show fun video to students. Also, it will be used to display the
study guide so each student can see the answers. It will also be used to display pictures of coral
reefs for students to reference while building their dioramas.
Safety Issues/Concerns
Students will be instructed to not poke anyone or run with scissors. Also, do not put foreign
objects into their mouths
Procedures
Authenticity/Context
It is important for students to be able to recognize different parts of an ecosystem for their
daily lives because they encounter different ecosystems many times. They can understand
different things at the beach or even in their backyard.
Instructional Strategies
As a group, we will complete a study guide for an assessment they will take the following day.
They will also be hands on while creating their groups coral reefs.
Step-by-step outline of the Lesson
 [ENGAGE] Play coral reef video for students for fun and engaging transitional strategy.
 Students can share what they saw or learned from the video.
 Hero the day will pass out study guides to each student
 [EXPLAIN] Teacher will go over each question on the study guide; students will raise
their hands to answer.
 They will be instructed to put this study guide in their agendas and study it for an
assessment tomorrow.
 Students will now be instructed to clear everything off of their desks, including pencils.
 Teacher will go over rubric for a science project that will be completed in class.
 This will be a coral reef diorama project.
 One student from each group will come up and grab a shoe box for their group. Shoe
boxes and miscellaneous items such as toilet paper rolls, construction paper, sea shells,
etc. will already be placed in the shoe boxes.
 Remind them about class participation and that each student must contribute, meaning
when the dioramas are presented, each student should have a speaking part
 [EXPLORE] As a group, students must create a coral reef ecosystem using the items in



the box and crayons or markers. Students should try to use almost everything they were
given.
Allow ample time for students to work on the task at hand [multiple days/class periods]
[ELABORATE] At the end of the allotted time, each group will present their ecosystem,
explaining each part of how it benefits or does not benefit the ecosystem.
[EVALUATE] Teacher will mark on rubric as students present.
Assessment
Prior to the Lesson: Oral questions about video. Study guide.
During the Lesson: Students using what they know to create dioramas of coral reef ecosystems
After the Lesson: Students will present to the class their dioramas. Will be graded from a rubric.
Follow-up
For groups who are unable to get 14/20 on their rubric which translates to 70%, I will pair them
with another group who was unable to get that score and they will be instructed to create a
new diorama.
Resources
Holmes, Brent. (2010). Out on the Coral Reef. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC6phNl3bQc
South Carolina Department of Education. (2014). Academic Standards. Retrieved September 25,
2014 from http://ed.sc.gov/agency/se/Instructional-Practices-andEvaluations/documents/2014Grade3_Crosswalk.pdfm Number of Students: 20
Creativity
Biotic Factors
Abiotic Factors
Participation
Rubric for Coral Reef Diorama:
4
3
2
Students used
Students used Students used
excellent
some creativity little creativity
creativity while
while
while
constructing
constructing
constructing
their diorama
their diorama
their diorama
Students
Students
Students
included 4 or
included 3
included 2
more biotic
biotic factors
biotic factors
factors in their
in their
in their
diorama
diorama
diorama
Students
Students
Students
included 4 or
included 3
included 2
more abiotic
abiotic factors abiotic factors
factors into
in their
in their
their diorama
diorama
diorama
All students had Three students Two students
a speaking part
had speaking
had speaking
in the
parts in the
parts in the
presentation
presentation
presentation
1
Students used
no creativity
while
constructing
their diorama
Students
included 1
biotic factor in
their diorama
Students
included 1
abiotic factor
in their
diorama
One person
had a speaking
part in the
presentation
Communication
Students were
able to
communicate to
the teacher and
the class
effectively
about what
their diorama
consisted of
(had everything
labeled)
Students were
able to
communicate
to the teacher
and the class
some about
what their
diorama
consisted of
(had most
things labeled)
Students were
able to
communicate
to the teacher
and the class a
little about
what their
diorama
consisted of
(had some
things labeled)
Students were
not able to
communicate
to the teacher
and the class
about what
their diorama
consisted of
(had nothing
labeled)
Total: ____/20
Friday: On this day, students will take a formal summative assessment about coral reef
ecosystems based off of the study guide they completed which was based on the instruction
they received days prior. This will be graded.
7. Differentiation of Instruction:
No student in the class has an IEP but there are 2 ESOL students that require
modifications. They receive oral administration for each assignment in class. They are also
allotted more time. Lastly, they are allowed to read me their summaries and interactive
journal entries since they both struggle with writing and there will be no penalization for
writing in these students cases. They are receiving individualized help for their struggles in
writing and reading but this is the way I have been instructed to help them.
8. Interdisciplinary Connections:
In this science lesson, literacy is incorporated into each lesson. There is an extent of
reading and writing in each lesson mentioned in this unit plan. Though the focus is not
mainly on the literacy part, students will still be held responsible for producing acceptable
reading and writing in this unit. Students should, after this lesson, be able to create
informational pieces of writing according to a text as targeted in the objectives portion of
this unit as well as being held accountable for mastering the science standards.
NSTA Unit Assessment Reflection
Once you have developed the unit, please briefly answer the following prompts. Be specific
with your answers/reflection. For example, when asked what unifying concepts were covered
in the unit, describe which concepts were covered and how they were covered.
1. How does your unit provide evidence that you can convey to students the major
concepts, principles, theories, laws, and interrelationships of the fields of science?
Different articles on the content we are covering will be used as well as pictures and
anchor charts reinforcing these science concepts. The mentioned resources provide
evidence of biotic and abiotic factors in a coral reef ecosystem which is one of the
learning goals for students, to understand these different factors in ecosystems.
2. Which unifying concepts are covered in your unit? How are they covered? The unifying
concepts include understanding biotic and abiotic factors in different types of
ecosystems as well as incorporating literacy into these lessons. We will, as a class,
create anchor charts that differentiate between different factors of the ecosystem
then students will independently summarize these concepts.
3. How does your unit provide evidence that you can convey to students important
personal and technological applications of science? Students will learn what biotic and
abiotic factors benefit and destroy certain parts of certain ecosystems. Students will
learn they live in an ecosystem or could come across any type of ecosystem at any
point and will be able to differentiate between the biotic and abiotic factors that are a
part of it.
4. How does your unit provide evidence that you understand the historical and cultural
development of science and the evolution of knowledge in the discipline? I will able to
effectively assess a student’s summary and interactive journal. Remember, a summary
is not quoted so in order for me to able to successfully assess, I have to know more
than just what the articles states. Also, I have researched some about coral reef
ecosystems and feel confident in being able to answer questions that students have
regarding anything we come across in the articles.
5. How does your unit provide evidence that you understand the philosophical tenets,
assumptions, goals, and values that distinguish science from technology and from other
ways of knowing the world? The creation of a diorama will serve as a distinguishing
factor of science in technology in that students will learn that science can be learned,
created, and studied without the absolute need for technology; for our learning goal
purposes, at least. Students do not need technology to create their coral reef
dioramas.
6. How does your unit provide evidence that you can engage students in studies of the
nature of science, including the critical analysis of false or doubtful assertions made in
the name of science? The two articles about coral reefs include false assertions about
coral reefs specifically and those are pointed out during class discussion and written
on the anchor charts with a “NO” beside them.
7. How does your unit provide evidence that you can engage students in developmentally
appropriate inquiries that require them to develop concepts and relationships from
their observations, data, and inferences? In this unit, there is a variety of activities and
resources that will engage students. Each activity/assessment has a purpose and will
lend itself to further students’ knowledge of concepts being taught and will help
student master learning goals. All of the assignments in this unit are ones that 5 th
grade students have proven to master such as the literacy skills so I know they are
developmentally appropriate. If I see a student needs an accommodation, it will be
made.
8. How does your unit provide evidence that you understand socially important issues
related to science and technology and the processes used to analyze and make
decisions? I used different types of technology because I realize that in this evergrowing technologically sound world, students need exposure to that. In this unit I
show relevant videos and display articles/pictures so that as a class, I can help the
students reach their learning goals by using that technology.
9. How does your unit provide evidence that you can engage students in the analysis of
problems, including considerations of risks, costs, and benefits of alternative solutions? I
believe that the construction of the coral reef diorama engages students in problem
solving, risks, and benefits. They will get to experience working with others to
complete a common goal, as well as the problems and the benefits that can come with
that.
10. How does your unit provide evidence that you understand the National Science
Education Standards and that you can identify, access, and/or create resources and
activities for science education that are consistent with the state and national
standards? My assessments are aligned with each standard and objective meaning,
that each standard is assessed by the completion of this unit plan. Each activity lends
itself to the standards. After all, this is what teaching is about.
11. How does your unit provide evidence that you can meet the needs and abilities of your
students? In the lessons of this unit, I have set specific accommodations for the
different learners in the classroom.
12. How does your unit provide evidence that you can relate science to the community,
involve stakeholders, and use community resources to promote the learning of science?
This unit plan, how it stands, does not directly relate science to the community but it
could in that I could have students research biotic and abiotic factors that directly
concern their community and have them write about it and share their findings. They
would look for one that positively and negatively impact the community.
13. How does your unit provide evidence that you will involve students in activities that
relate science to resources and stakeholders in the community or to the resolution of
issues important to the community? Again, this unit plan, how it stands, does not
directly involve students in the community but it could in that I could have students
come up with solutions to those negative impacts from certain biotic or abiotic
factors. They could present them in some sort of project and publish it to a community
website if I see one fit.
14. How does the unit provide evidence that you can use multiple assessment tools and
strategies to meet your objectives and that are aligned with the methods of instruction?
In other words, explain how your assessments are appropriate for both the content and
methodology used. As stated in the above unit plan, paper and pencil selected
response assessments are not always the right choice. Science is not concrete so I
believe that in this unit, a “right or wrong” answer test won’t suffice for the learning
goals targeted in it.
15. If you have implemented the plan and assessed your students, how did you use the
assessment information to inform your instruction? If you have not implemented the
plan, how would you use the information to inform your instruction? The assessments
used teach students how to pick out important information and create informational
pieces based on what they learned. Because I knew I would use this type of
instruction, I made sure to model this skill for students multiple times in order to
reinforce and further teach the students.
16. How will you use the results of your assessments to help your students analyze their
own learning, engaging students in reflective self-analysis of their own work? During the
writing block, I will individually conference with students. There will be multiple
conferences; one for the summary, one for the interactive journal. Present during the
first conference will be the student’s summary and a copy of the article. Present
during the second conference will be the student’s interactive journal and a copy of
the article. We will spend time going through each sentence and dissecting the
student’s writing and how they came to believe that was an important detail about
biotic and abiotic factors of a coral reef based on the articles they read.