University of Montevallo SCIENCE Lesson Plan Format
Name: Taylor Perry
Subject/Grade level: Science/5th
Date lesson taught: November 2, 2012
Group size: 29
School: Chelsea Intermediate
Goals: TSW understand ecosystems and how living things depend on each other.
NSES: Life Science
ALCOS: 9.) Describe the relationship of populations within a habitat to various
communities and ecosystems.
Prerequisite Skills/Concepts: TSW must be familiar the meaning of community and
populations.
Objectives (action verb – Bloom’s)
Assessment
TSW recall prior knowledge of ecosystems. Student chart (see teacher example
attached)
TSW list the needs a chosen animal must
Student list (see directions attached)
have to survive in an ecosystem
Student paragraph (see rubric attached)
Procedures
Materials & Resources
Engagement:
TTW say, “Please raise your hand if you
have a pet.”
TTW allow TS to respond.
TTW say, “I have a pet too. She is a brown
lab named Lula Belle. There are certain
things I must provide for Lula Belle to
survive including food and water. Turn and
tell your partner the name of your pet and
talk about things your pet must have to
survive. You have 2 minutes to do this.”
TTW allow TS to discuss their pet’s needs
for 2 minutes.
TTW say, “Raise your hand if you can tell
us one thing your pet must have in order
to survive.”

Timer
TTW allow TS to respond and will make a
list on the ELMO.
 ELMO
 Notebook Paper
 Pen
Purpose: TTW say, “These are all very
important things that our pets must have
to survive. Today we are going to learn
about ecosystems and how living things or
organisms depend on other living and
nonliving things to survive.”
Explore:
TTW say, “Take out your Science journal
and turn to the Table of Contents. Add
‘How Living Things Depend on Each Other’
to your Table of Contents then turn to the
next clean page and title it ‘How Living
Things Depend on Each Other’.”





ELMO
Notebook paper
Pen
Science Journals
Pencils



ELMO
Notebook paper
Pen



ELMO
Notebook paper
Pen
TSW fill out the Table of Contents and title
the next clean page in their science
journals as TT models it on the board.
TTW say, “In the top right corner, write
your name and today’s date. Now draw a
line down the middle of the page and
make a T-Chart like the one I am drawing
on the ELMO.”
TTW model each step for TS and allow TS
time to title their page and draw a T-Chart.
TTW say, “Label the left side of your TChart What We Know, and label the right
side of your T-Chart What We Want to
Know.”
TTW model this for TS on the board and
allow them time to finish labeling their
charts.
TTW say, “An ecosystem is a community of
living organisms which includes living and
nonliving things. In an ecosystem,
organisms depend on each other to
survive. I want you to take the next 3
minutes to write down everything you
know about how living things depend on
each other. When the timer goes off, put
your pencils down and put your eyes on
me.”
 Timer
TTW walk around and monitor TS as they
write down everything they know about
how living things depend on each other.
When the timer goes off, TTW say, “Now I
want you to take 2 minutes to write down
what you want to know about how living
things depend on each other. When the
timer goes off, put your pencils down and
put your eyes on me.”
 Timer
TTW monitor TS as they complete the right
side of their T-Chart.
When the timer goes off, TTW say, “Raise
your hand to tell me one thing you already
know about how living things depend on
each other.”
TTW call on TS and allow them to respond.
TTW will record student responses on the
T-Chart displayed on the ELMO.
 ELMO
 Pen
TTW say, “Raise your hand to tell me one
thing you want to know about how living
things depend on each other.”
TTW allow TS to respond and will record
student responses on the T-Chart
displayed on the ELMO.
TTW say, “Now we are going to look at a
picture of a riverbank environment which
is an ecosystem composed of many


ELMO
T-Chart
 Picture of Riverbank
different organisms. Please put your eyes
on the board and pay close attention.”
TTW display the picture on the ELMO and
say, “There are a number of different
organisms pictured in this riverbank
environment. In a minute I am going to
assign you a partner. I want you and your
partner to choose one living or nonliving
thing and make a list of things your
organism needs to survive. Do this on the
next clean page in both of your science
journals. Each of you will write down your
list in your science journal.”
 ELMO
 Pencils
 Predetermined partners
TTW call on a student and say, “Will both
of you write the list in your science
journals?”
TTW allow TS to respond.
TTW say, “Everybody must write their list
in their science journal. You have 5
minutes to make your list. You may work
anywhere in the room but when the timer
goes off, return to your seats, close your
science journals, and put your eyes on
me.”
TTW pair TS and display the directions and
the list of partners on the board.
 Timer
 Directions on board
 Pairs on board
TTW monitor TS as they discuss their
chosen organism’s needs and create a list.
When the timer goes off TSW return to
their seats. TTW say, “Listen closely as I
explain our next activity. In a few minutes
we are going to go to the outdoor
classroom. You and your partner must
work together to find one thing that your
chosen organism will need to survive. You
will have 5 minutes to find your item.
Make sure you take your science journals
 Timer
 Science Journals
 Pencils
and a pencil.
Here are the rules:
1) There is absolutely no running.
2) It is okay if other people choose the
same item.
3) When the timer goes off, you must
immediately place your object back
where you found it and meet at the
gate of the playground.
4) You must stay within sight of your
teachers.
Are there any questions?”
TTW allow TS to ask questions about their
activity.
TTW remind TS to be quiet in the hallways
and lead TS to the playground to allow
them to search for objects that relate to
their organism’s survival.
Before TS begin looking for their items,
TTW say, “You are to find one item that
your organism needs to survive. Write the
name of the item and why you chose it in
both of your science journals. When you
are finished, line up along the fence
outside of the outdoor classroom. You
have 5 minutes, you may begin.”
After timer goes off, TTW say, “Make sure
both you and your partner are here with
the rest of the class. Do not talk to other
groups, we will have time to share in the
classroom. We need to be extremely quiet
on the way back to the classroom because
other students may still be working in their
classes. Let’s make sure that the school
knows how the best class in the school
walks to the classroom! Quickly and
quietly! If you have anything in your hands
that belong outside, you need to make
sure that it does not come inside the
school.”

Timer
TTW lead TS back to the classroom.
Explain:
TTW let one student from each pair of
students quickly stand up and explain the
object that they chose and why.
After TS return to the classroom, TTW say,
“Now that we have been outside and
looked at different items our organisms
might need to survive, do you think your
organism could survive here at our school?
Turn to the next clean page in your science
journal. Write one paragraph that is at
least 5 complete sentences long describing
what your organism needs to survive and
whether you think it could survive here at
Chelsea Intermediate. You have 10
minutes to write this. When the timer goes
off, write your name on your paper, tear it
out of your journal and turn it into the
Science drawer.”
Evaluate:
TTW circulate around the room to monitor
student responses and will discuss with TS
why their organism could or could not
survive at Chelsea Intermediate.
When the timer goes off, TTW allow TS to
ask questions about today’s lesson.
Possible student questions:
 Are human’s a part of an
ecosystem?
 Do animals die when humans
pollute?
Closure: When the timer goes off, TTW ask
TS the following questions:
 What is an ecosystem?
 Timer
 Science Journals
 Pencils


Do all organisms need the same
things to survive?
What do you think will happen if
someone builds a city near the
riverbank environment we looked
at earlier?
TTW call on TS to respond.
TTW use observation of student responses
to ensure students understand the
meaning of ecosystems and how
organisms depend on each other to
survive. Student responses will also
demonstrate their ability to make
predictions about what how living things
affect the ecosystem.
Extend:
TTW allow TS to draw their organism’s
ecosystem in their science journals. TS
must also explain why they drew each
aspect of the ecosystem in a paragraph
consisting of 3-5 sentences.
Accommodations: ELL/ESL students will be allowed to use GOOGLE translate to look up
alternate definitions of words like organism and ecosystem for their science journals.
Hard of hearing students and/or students who have sight problems will be allowed to sit
up front during class.
Modifications: According to each individual IEP.
Extensions: TS will be allowed to use the back of the paper in their science journals to
draw their organism’s ecosystem and explain why they drew each aspect in a paragraph.
References:
National Science Foundation (2004). Science and Technology for Children: Ecosystems
(2nd ed.). Burlington, NY: Carolina Biological Supply Company.
http://newhavenscience.org/4STCEcoLesson1.pdf
How Living Things Depend on Each Other
What We Know
What We Want To Know
Directions
1. Work with your partner to choose one organism from the picture of the
riverbank environment displayed on the board.
2. Make a list of items the organism must have to survive.
3. When the timer goes off, return to your seats quickly and quietly, close your
science journals, and put your eyes on me.
Organism’s Survival Rubric
Criteria
Clarity: The student thoroughly expresses his or
her thoughts clearly by using evidence and
examples to support his or her claim.
5
4
Rating
3
2
Completeness: The student writes a paragraph
consisting of 5-7 sentences and includes the
name of the organism, the items it needs to
survive, and why it could or could not survive at
school.
5
4
3
2
1
0
Neatness: The student’s handwriting is neat
and legible.
5
4
3
2
1
0
Accuracy: The student uses knowledge of how
living things depend on each other to explain
why the organism can or cannot survive at
school.
5
4
3
2
1
0
Total Points:
Comments:
1
0
Taylor Perry
ED 448: Methods and Materials for Teaching Science
November 7, 2012
Journal Article Review
Discovery-based instruction must be enhanced or used with other methods of
instruction for it to be effective in an elementary classroom. Both explicit and discoverybased instruction methods were proven to be effective in this study, but only when
teachers use other means of instruction to supplement the lesson. Although discovery
learning seems to effectively engage students throughout lessons, the hands-on activities
do not always ensure that the students are learning the material. Alfieri, Brooks, Aldrich
and Tenenbaum (2011) stated that discovery works best when students select important
information, organize it, and integrate the information into a “task-appropriate way.”
However, this can be very demanding of students in elementary school. The students
must learn how successfully complete each step of the discovery process in order to be
successful in discovery learning. Although direct instruction proves to be more effective
for adolescents, it is important to provide students with opportunities to apply new
knowledge and discover what strategy or method works best for them. Students will learn
more when they are given the chance to ask questions and receive feedback than when
they are being lectured and taught explicitly without the option to give their opinion.
It is important to implement explicit instruction strategies as well as discoverybased learning methods in order to ensure student learning. In the fifth grade classroom
that I am observing in this semester, my students are excited when they are given the
option to participate in hands-on activities. Because they are a gifted cluster class, they
love to be challenged, and I believe discovery-based instruction gives them the chance to
explore different ideas and prove that their methods are correct. The science lesson that I
created for my class implements a form of discovery-based instruction that I believe was
effective with my students. They seemed to be engaged the entire time I was teaching
because I did not explicitly teach how living things depend on each other to survive.
When the lesson started, the students felt like they did not possess the background
knowledge necessary to make connections. However, after a lot of discussion and teacher
prompting, they started making connections that I was really impressed by. After a long
discussion about how living things depend on each other, I asked the students to choose
one organism from a picture of a riverbank environment. The students were then
instructed to compose a list of items their organism needs to survive. After creating this
list, I took them outside where they were to find one item that their organism could use to
survive at their school. The students loved being allowed to go outside, and came up with
very creative ideas. I then had them apply what they learned during the lesson to write a
paragraph about whether their organism could survive at school based on the availability
of items needed to survive. My students thoroughly enjoyed every second of the activity
and turned in really thoughtful paragraphs about their organisms. Although discovery
learning was effective in this lesson, I feel that explicit instruction may be better during
lessons that require the students to learn new strategies. As teachers, it is our job to use
best practices, even if it means using a multitude of strategies and methods.
References:
Alfieri, L., Brooks, P. J., Aldrich, N. J., & Tenenbaum, H. R. (2011). Does Discovery
Based Instruction Enhance Learning?. Journal Of Educational Psychology,
103(1), 1-18.