UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher’s Name: Ms. O'Neill Lesson #: 1 Facet: Perspective
Grade Level: 10 Numbers of Days: 5-7
Topic: Biotic and Abiotic Factors
PART I:
Objectives
Student will understand that biotic and abiotic factors affect population size.
Student will know species, populations, boundaries, resources, climate, biotic factors, abiotic factors, organism, the
difference between biotic and abiotic factors, the basic resources all species need, finite resources, how climate
affects populations, and how diseases affect populations.
Student will be able to contrast biotic and abiotic factors and how they affect population size.
Product: Photo Essay Collage
Maine Learning Results (MLR) or Common Core State Standards (CCSS) or Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS) Alignment
Next Generation Science
Content Area: Life Science
Standard Label: HS-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Grade Level: High School
Standard: LS2A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
CCSS LS2A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems. Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are limits to
the number of organisms and populations they can support. These limits result from such factors as the availability
of living and nonliving resources and from such challenges such as predation, competition, and disease. Organisms
would have the capacity to produce populations of great size were it not the fact that environments and resources
are finite. This fundamental tension affects the abundance (number of individuals) of species in any given
ecosystem.
Performance indicators: 1 & 2
Rationale:
Students will have a deep understanding of living and nonliving resources, and how they induce such challenges
such as predation, competition, and disease. They will illustrate their understanding in a Photo Essay.
Assessments
Pre-Assessment: (Lesson 1 only)
Students will play a game of Family Feud to see if they can name any biotic or abiotic factors.
Formative (Assessment for Learning)
Section I – checking for understanding during instruction
Checking for Understanding strategies during instruction include using the activity Slap it. Slap it puts multiple
words and ideas on the whiteboard and students are instructed to slap with a flyswatter the answer they think is
correct. This lesson would have an array of biotic and abiotic factors on the board, and I would prompt them to slap
to show which is which, to see if they know the difference between these two ideas.
Section II – timely feedback for products (self, peer, teacher)
Self-Assessment using a checklist, feedback by students using a checklist to evaluate themselves on the Photo
Essay, and if they have covered each biotic and abiotic factor I have asked them to explain visually. Feedback by
teacher on the photo essay will be in the form of a checklist to make sure that each of the biotic and abiotic factors
have been represented.
Summative (Assessment of Learning):
Use iPhoto or Windows Photo Gallery to create a photo collage of picture examples of biotic and abiotic factors
from pictures you have taken around your house and yard. The photo collage should be labeled so we know what
the picture if of and why it is included. You may take these photos with your laptop, a digital camera, or your
phone. The photo essay collage must have 12-16 images each.
Integration
Technology:
This technology of a photo essay falls under redefinition because it is a way to convey ideas using an all new
medium. It is showing the same concepts with an essay, yet they are doing it visually through a set of pictures in a
collage They will be using iPhoto or Windows Photo Gallery to make these collages. They will also play a
electronic game of family feud as their preassessment.
Content Areas:
Art: This lesson contains art because the product is a photography project. Students will share the camera to take
pictures, and they will share the creation of the product equally.
English: This lesson contains English because students will write a reflection on their own about times in their own
life that they have witnessed biotic or abiotic factors affecting them or an animal they have witnessed.
Groupings
Section I - Graphic Organizer & Cooperative Learning used during instruction
Students will use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast biotic and abiotic factors. Students will explore the big
ideas by having a round robin where they share ideas and brainstorm for the content, and they will create a Photo
Essay together with a partner and they will together use iPhoto or Windows Photo Gallery to create a photo collage
for biotic and abiotic factors.
Section II – Groups and Roles for Product
Students will work with partners that are assigned to them based who has a digital camera and who does not. This
product will be scored by the teacher by using a checklist. The students will share the picture taking equally
between both topics and will each make one photo collage for the group. They will share the creation of the product
equally between the two group members.
Differentiated Instruction
MI Strategies
Verbal: Students will get in pairs and explain the concept verbally for each other. One person will be explaining
biotic factors while the other explains abiotic.
Logic: Create a hypothesis about what would happen if one of the biotic or abiotic factors was missing from an
ecosystem.
Visual: Students will complete a venn diagram to compare and contrast what makes up biotic factors and abiotic
factors.
Musical: Make rap for a specific biotic factor or abiotic factor, and the lyrics of the rap would include examples of
that biotic or abiotic factor.
Kinthestic: To check for understanding, students will come up to the board and play "Slap it," a game where they
slap the right answer on the board using a flyswatter. I would prompt them by stating a specific biotic or abiotic
factor, and they would swat the correct example in front of them.
Intrapersonal: Students will write a reflection on their own about times in their own life that they have witnessed
biotic or abiotic factors affecting them or an animal they have witnessed.
Interpersonal: The preassessnent of this lesson is playing family feud to see they already know or can think of
biotic or abiotic factors, so they will be working with their peers to come up answers.
Naturalist: The product of a photo essay requires students to go out into nature and take pictures of the elements
and the flora and fauna to show examples of biotic and abiotic factors.
Modifications/Accommodations
From IEP’s ( Individual Education Plan), 504’s, ELLIDEP (English Language Learning Instructional Delivery
Education Plan) I will review student’s IEP, 504 or ELLIDEP and make appropriate modifications and
accommodations.
Plan for accommodating absent students:
I expect you attend every class. Attendance is crucial so you do not miss any important information. If you do miss
class because of illness, appointments, or family emergencies, I expect you to email or meet with me to receive
what you had missed and to go over any resources or assignments you may need clarification on. The notes you
missed you may borrow and copy from another student's notes.
Extensions
Technology (SAMR):
This technology of a photo essay falls under redefinition because it is a way to convey ideas using an all new
medium. It is showing the same concepts with an essay, yet they are doing it visually through a set of pictures in a
photo collage.
Gifted Students:
Students who are gifted in my class will be given the opportunity to challenge their learning and understanding and
go deeper into concepts than students at the regular level.
They will be able to increase their mastery by pushing them to choose choice activities that will challenge them.
Materials, Resources and Technology
List all the items you need for the lesson.
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Computer
Projector
Whiteboard
Markers
Erasers
Laptops for the students
Fly Swatters
Sticky Notes
Handouts
Graphic Organizers
Notecards
Student Sample
Source for Lesson Plan and Research
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/venn.pdf - Venn Diagram
http://edu221spring11class.wikispaces.com/file/view/strategies.pdf/200849872/strategies.pdf - Slap it, Checking for
Understanding List
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp306-02.shtml - Round Robin Activity
http://www.apple.com/findouthow/photos/#slideshow - How-to for iPhoto
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/photo-gallery -How to for Windows Photo
Gallery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOSj1hyCiBg - How-to create a Family Feud game in Powerpoint
http://checklistpal.com/YvkL2AZTKjpOPM7M8Qcd - Checklist Maker
http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210243/Science%20Station/How%20living%20things%20interact%20with%20the
ir%20environment/relationship%20of%20biotic%20and%20abiotic%20factors.htm- Content Thinkquest
http://nobel.scas.bcit.ca/debeck_pt/science/safety.htm - Laboratory Safety Rules
PART II:
Teaching and Learning Sequence (Describe the teaching and learning process using all of the information from part
I of the lesson plan) Take all the components and synthesize into a script of what you are doing as the teacher
and what the learners are doing throughout the lesson. Need to use all the WHERETO’s. (1-2 pages)
Agenda
Day 1 (80 Minutes)
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Handout and review the syllabus and safety rules (10 minutes)
Students will play a game of family feud as a preassessment of how much they already know about biotic and
abiotic factors (15 minutes)
Go over what biotic and abiotic factors are and ask the class for examples (10 minutes)
Partners will fill out the Venn Diagram together and we will go over it as a group (15 minutes)
Groups of four will participate in the round robin activity (20 minutes)
Explanation of what will come in the following lessons and how this relates to that (10 minutes)
Day 2 (80 Minutes)
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Explain how biotic and abiotic factors affect population size of species (10 minutes)
Slap it activity to check for understanding ( 25 minutes)
Explain their hw for the night, the photo essay, and handout the checklist for it, and show my student sample (10
minutes)
Ask for questions about the photo essay (5 minutes)
Have them start to get to used to playing around with iPhoto or Windows Photo Gallery on their laptops (15
minutes)
Choice time: Students may write a rap to include in the back of their presentation of the photo essay collage, write a
reflection about times in their own life that they have witnessed biotic or abiotic factors affecting them or an animal
they have witnessed, or create a hypothesis about what would happen if one of the biotic or abiotic factors was
missing from an ecosystem (25 minutes)
Day 3 (80 Minutes)
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Presentations of Photo Essays (60 minutes)
Questions on the lesson they may have (10 minutes)
Introduction to next lesson (10 minutes)
OUTLINE TO AGENDA
For homework, students will have to create the photo essay, in which they will use iPhoto or Windows Photo
Gallery to create a photo collage demonstrating examples of biotic and abiotic factors from pictures you have taken
around your house and yard. The photo collage should be labeled so we know what the picture if of and why it is
included. You may take these photos with your laptop, a digital camera, or your phone. The photo essay collage
must have 12-16 images each.
Teaching and Learning Sequence
Classroom setup: The room will be set up in a 4 tables, will 4-5 students at each table.
Students will understand that biotic and abiotic factors and examples of each (see content notes). Student will know
species, populations, boundaries, resources, climate, biotic factors, abiotic factors, organism, the difference between
biotic and abiotic factors, the basic resources all species need, finite resources, how climate affects populations, and
how diseases affect populations. Student will be able to contrast biotic and abiotic factors and how they affect
population size.
Students will use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast biotic and abiotic factors. Students will explore the big
ideas by having a round robin where they share ideas and brainstorm for the content. After going over the syllabus
and safety rules, the preassessment will be a game of family feud that will see if they have any preexisting
knowledge on the subject. This will see if they can call out the correct examples of biotic and abiotic factors. The
will be in two teams and they will be able to discuss their answers. This activity is dual focus because this activity
is also the hook for this lesson. After the preassessment, we would go over as a group what biotic and abiotic
factors are and have a discussion about examples of them. The students will get into pairs and complete a venn
diagram about the similarities and differences between specific biotic and abiotic factors. After the venn diagram is
completed, we will review their answers as a group. The students will then participate in a round robin activity
where they answer word problems as group about biotic and abiotic factors and they will affect population size. We
will then have a discussion about why we are learning this and how it relates to the rest of our unit.
Where, Why , What, Hook Tailors: Interpersonal: The preassessment of this lesson is playing family feud to see
they already know or can think of biotic or abiotic factors, so they will be working with their peers to come up
answers. Verbal: Students will get in pairs and explain the concept verbally for each other. One person will be
explaining biotic factors while the other explains abiotic..
Students will understand that biotic and abiotic factors affect population size (see content notes below). Students
will know species, populations, boundaries, resources, climate, biotic factors, abiotic factors, organism, the
difference between biotic and abiotic factors, the basic resources all species need, finite resources, how climate
affects populations, and how diseases affect populations. Checking for Understanding Strategies during instruction
include using the activity Slap it. Slap it puts multiple words and ideas on the whiteboard and students are
instructed to slap with a flyswatter the answer they think is correct. This lesson would have an array of biotic and
abiotic factors on the board, and I would prompt them to slap to show which is which, to see if they know the
difference between these two ideas. We will start off class with this activity. Then, I will introduce the photo essay
they have to complete for homework, and handout the checklist they will have for it. I will show them the the
student sample of the photo essay that they will create together with a partner and they will together use iPhoto or
Windows Photo Gallery to create a photo collage demonstrating their knowledge of biotic and abiotic factors.\ I
will ask them if they have any questions on this assignments. I will have them start getting acquainted to iPhoto and
Windows Photo Gallery and playing around with it. For the rest of class they will have choice time where they may
complete one of the three activities: students may write a rap to include in the back of their presentation of the
photo collage, write a reflection about times in their own life that they have witnessed biotic or abiotic factors
affecting them or an animal they have witnessed, or create a hypothesis about what would happen if one of the
biotic or abiotic factors was missing from an ecosystem.
Equip, Explore, Rethink, Tailors: Visual: Students will complete a venn diagram to compare and contrast what
makes up biotic factors and abiotic factors. Kinesthetic: To check for understanding, students will come up to the
board and play "Slap it," a game where they slap the right answer on the board using a flyswatter. I would prompt
them by stating a specific biotic or abiotic factor, and they would swat the correct example in front of them.
Intrapersonal: Students will write a reflection on their own about times in their own life that they have witnessed
biotic or abiotic factors affecting them or an animal they have witnessed. Logic: Create a hypothesis about what
would happen if one of the biotic or abiotic factors was missing from an ecosystem. Musical: Make rap for a
specific biotic factor or abiotic factor, and the lyrics of the rap would include examples of that biotic or abiotic
factor.
Students will be able to contrast biotic and abiotic factors and how they affect population size (see content notes
below). Students will know species, populations, boundaries, resources, climate, biotic factors, abiotic factors,
organism, the difference between biotic and abiotic factors, the basic resources all species need, finite resources,
how climate affects populations, and how diseases affect populations. In this class time, they will present their
photo essay to the class. After all the presentations are completed, I will ask if they have any questions about this
lesson, and they I will introduce the next lesson. Self-Assessment using a Checklist to evaluate themselves on the
Photo Essay, and if they have covered each biotic and abiotic factor I have asked them to explain visually.Feedback
by teacher on the photo essay will be in the form of a checklist to make sure that each of the biotic and abiotic
factors have been represented.
Explore, Experience, Revise, Refine, Tailors: Naturalist: The product of a photo essay requires students to go out
into nature and take pictures of the elements and the flora and fauna to show examples of biotic and abiotic factors.
Students will understand that biotic and abiotic factors and examples of each (see content notes). Student will know
species, populations, boundaries, resources, climate, biotic factors, abiotic factors, organism, the difference between
biotic and abiotic factors, the basic resources all species need, finite resources, how climate affects populations, and
how diseases affect populations. Student will be able to contrast biotic and abiotic factors and how they affect
population size.
They will have a good chunk of class to work on their photo essays and compare their projects to the checklist and
to ask questions of Ms. O'Neill to make sure they are on track and so they feel comfortable with the benchmark
they produced, and to finalize it. I will then connect what they have just learned to the next lesson topics for the
next day.
Explore, Experience, Revise, Refine, Tailors:
Visual: Students will make a photo essay about examples of biotic and abiotic factors.
Intrapersonal: Student will be working individually to revise and refine their photo essay.
Content Notes
Student will know species, populations, boundaries, resources, climate, biotic factors, abiotic factors, organism, the
difference between biotic and abiotic factors, the basic resources all species need, finite resources, how climate
affects populations, and how diseases affect populations.
Biotic and abiotic factors are factors that affect an organism.
Biotic factors are living things that affect an organism, such as the availability of prey, predators, or disease.
Abiotic factors are nonliving things that affect an organism, such as oxygen, shelter, temperature, climate, weather,
soil, water.
Abiotic factors vary in the environment and determining the types and numbers of organisms that exist in that
environment. Factors which determine the types and numbers of organisms of a species in an ecosystem are called
limiting factors. Many limiting factors restrict the growth of populations in nature. An example of this would
include low annual average temperature average common to the Arctic restricts the growth of trees, as the subsoil is
permanently frozen.
Biotic and abiotic factors combine to create an ecosystem. An ecosystem is a community of living and nonliving
things considered as a unit.
If a single factor is changed, perhaps by pollution or natural phenomenon, the whole system could be altered. For
example, humans can alter environments through farming or irrigating. While we usually cannot see what we are
doing to various ecosystems, the impact is being felt all over. For example, acid rain in certain regions has resulted
in the decline of fish population.
If there is a substitute: discuss the things above, and then show this video.
The students are to fill out the venn diagram about biotic vs. abiotic factors. In the middle, list places where both
could be found.
The students will be in groups of 4 where they will try to identify the
1. Ecosystem of the given examples,
2. Biotic,
3. and Abiotic Factors (in a round robin)
Example:
carpet, home, mother, television, father, dog, lamp
Ecosystem: Home
Biotic Factors: mother, father, dog
Abiotic Factors: carpet, lamp and television
1. lake, fish, boat, plants, sunlight
Ecosystem:
Biotic Factors:
Abiotic Factors:
2. classroom, students, eraser, markers
Ecosystem:
Biotic Factors:
Abiotic Factors:
3. lion, savannah, elephant, sunshine
Ecosystem:
Biotic Factors:
Abiotic Factors:
4. photoplankton, water temperature, dolphin, whale
Ecosystem:
Biotic Factors:
Abiotic Factors:
5. penguin, amount of ice, air temperature, fish
Ecosystem:
Biotic Factors:
Abiotic Factors:
6. clown, tent, acrobats, audience
Ecosystem:
Biotic Factors:
Abiotic Factors:
7. firehose, firetruck, dalmation, burning house
Ecosystem:
Biotic Factors:
Abiotic Factors:
8. deer, trees, campfire, tents
Ecosystem:
Biotic Factors:
Abiotic Factors:
The stations have 2 prompts each.
Slap it activity: list specific examples of biotic and abiotic factors on the board, and ask for an example for each
factor one by one.
Example: Abiotic factor = weather. Examples to put on the board would be air temp, water temp, sunshine, clouds,
precipitation, storms, humidity, etc.
For the rest of class they will have choice time where they may complete one of the three activities: students may
write a rap to include in the back of their presentation for their collage, write a reflection about times in their own
life that they have witnessed biotic or abiotic factors affecting them or an animal they have witnessed, or create a
hypothesis about what would happen if one of the biotic or abiotic factors was missing from an ecosystem.
Handouts
Venn Diagram
Checklist for the Photo Essay
Maine Common Core Teaching Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale
Standard 1 – Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that
patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social,
emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning
experiences.
Learning Styles
Clipboard: The clipboard students in my class will have the opportunity to complete graphic organizers so they can
think can think logically and separate the concepts in their mind. They will do this with a Venn Diagram graphic
organizer where they examine the differences between biotic and abiotic factors.
Microscope: The microscope students in my class will have the opportunity to brainstorm examples of biotic and
abiotic factors so they can apply the concepts to the realworld . They will do this during the preassessment when we
go over it as a class after.
Puppy: The puppy students in my class will have a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment during this
lesson. There will be opportunities to work with their peers and work individually, and the students will be able to
check in with me about their project and if they have any other questions or need anything during class.
Beach Ball: The beach ball students in my class will have the opportunity to demonstrate by understanding by
playing the activity slap it, where they can physically give answers to the prompts. They will also have a variety of
activities to choose from for them to grasp the information.
Rationale: Students will be able to experience a variety of learning styles by working together in a safe,
comfortable, and collaborative setting. The classroom will be a respectful space for all students in which all
students have the opportunity to learn the way that they are most comfortable with.
Standard 6 - Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in
their on growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher's and learner's decision making.
Formative: Section I – checking for understanding during instruction
Checking for Understanding strategies during instruction include using the activity Slap it. Slap it puts multiple
words and ideas on the whiteboard and students are instructed to slap with a flyswatter the answer they think is
correct. This lesson would have an array of biotic and abiotic factors on the board, and I would prompt them to slap
to show which is which, to see if they know the difference between these two ideas.
Section II – timely feedback for products (self, peer, teacher)
Self-Assessment using a checklist, feedback by students using a checklist to evaluate themselves on the Photo
Essay, and if they have covered each biotic and abiotic factor I have asked them to explain visually. Feedback by
teacher on the photo essay will be in the form of a checklist to make sure that each of the biotic and abiotic factors
have been represented.
Summative:
Use iPhoto or Windows Photo Gallery to create a photo collage of picture examples of biotic and abiotic factors
from pictures you have taken around your house and yard. The photo collage should be labeled so we know what
the picture if of and why it is included. You may take these photos with your laptop, a digital camera, or your
phone. The photo essay collage must have 12-16 images each.
Rationale:This lessons uses multiple types of assessment that are not formal and rigid, such as pen and paper quiz
or test. This gives the students the ability to focus on their learning and comprehension instead of trying to just
memorize facts, and takes the pressure off of the students to achieve instead of apply.
Standard 7 - Planning Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous
learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy,
as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
Content Knowledge: See content notes
MLR or CCSS:
Next Generation Science
Content Area: Life Science
Standard Label: HS-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Grade Level: High School
Standard: LS2A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
CCSS LS2A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems. Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are limits to
the number of organisms and populations they can support. These limits result from such factors as the availability
of living and nonliving resources and from such challenges such as predation, competition, and disease. Organisms
would have the capacity to produce populations of great size were it not the fact that environments and resources
are finite. This fundamental tension affects the abundance (number of individuals) of species in any given
ecosystem.
Performance indicators: 1 & 2
Facet: Perspective - This lesson focuses on their students opinions of the biotic and abiotic factors and where they
are prevalent in their life.
Rationale:
The content that will be taught to the students conforms to next generation science standards. This is important to
ensure that what the students are learning is what the state needs to prove to the state that they have mastered a
material and that they will not have to worry about the content in this lesson in order to receive their diploma.
Standard 8 - Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to
encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to
apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
MI Strategies:
Verbal: Students will get in pairs and explain the concept verbally for each other. One person will be explaining
biotic factors while the other explains abiotic.
Logic: Create a hypothesis about what would happen if one of the biotic or abiotic factors was missing from an
ecosystem.
Visual: Students will complete a venn diagram to compare and contrast what makes up biotic factors and abiotic
factors.
Musical: Make rap for a specific biotic factor or abiotic factor, and the lyrics of the rap would include examples of
that biotic or abiotic factor.
Kinthestic: To check for understanding, students will come up to the board and play "Slap it," a game where they
slap the right answer on the board using a flyswatter. I would prompt them by stating a specific biotic or abiotic
factor, and they would swat the correct example in front of them.
Intrapersonal: Students will write a reflection on their own about times in their own life that they have witnessed
biotic or abiotic factors affecting them or an animal they have witnessed.
Interpersonal: The preassessnent of this lesson is playing family feud to see they already know or can think of
biotic or abiotic factors, so they will be working with their peers to come up answers.
Naturalist: The product of a photo essay requires students to go out into nature and take pictures of the elements
and the flora and fauna to show examples of biotic and abiotic factors.
Type II Technology: The type II technology in this lesson is iPhoto. iPhoto is a type II technology because it allows
the students to demonstrate their understanding by providing examples through the digital media of photography,
instead of listing them out on paper.
Rationale: This lesson is designed this way to be differentiated by different types of learners with different multiple
intelligences and learning styles. This lesson has activities to engage every type of the 8 multiple intelligences, and
is catered to support the 4 different learning styles. This way, every student can feel that they are in a learning
environment where they are supported and able to learn in a way that suits them.
NETS STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS
1. Facilitates and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching
and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in
both face-to-face and virtual environments.
a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual
understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others
in face-to-face and virtual environments
Rationale: Students will be using iPhoto or Windows Photo Gallery to create a photo essay collage to display
examples of biotic and abiotic factors. Students will have the opportunity to present their information in a creative
and expressive way, that still shows if they comprehend what the content is supposed to be about. They will be
working together on this photo essay in pairs, so they will be able to collaborate together to present the information.
They demonstrate real world application when they go take pictures of things in their lives that are biotic and
abiotic factors.
2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. Teachers design, develop, and evaluate
authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content
learning in context and to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S.
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote
student learning and creativity
b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual
curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own
learning, and assessing their own progress
c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and
abilities using digital tools and resources
d. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and
technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
Rationale: Students will be able to experience multiple learning experiences that are each suited for a different
multiple intelligence and learning styles. They will also be able to work in groups as well as work individually in
order to meet their comfort level. The students will additionally have multiple assessments to support their
understanding. These include slap it, round robin, graphic, organizers, family feud, and their final project of the
photo essay.