Unit Plan – Grade 7 Science – Interactions within Ecosystems
Details: 7 weeks, 5 classes per week, 40 min classes
Green/blue – Details on activity in Activity folder
Gray- Detailed lesson plan attached in Lesson Plan folder
D
Topic /Title
Date
03/ 29
Ecosystems/
Prior
knowledge
03/30
Introduction
to
Ecosystems
Materials/
resources
Objective/ Activity / Approach
Outcomes
(For details
see p. 19
Grade 7
Science
Curriculum)
Assessment
-pasta
-ziplock bag
-Science
resource
package:
grade 7
-Activity 1
-Activity 2
-aliant website
OBJ: Students will hone and discuss
their observation making skills
ACT: Pasta Activity
ACT: Foldable Vocabulary
APP: Model foldable vocab. sheet
class discussion
assign “Science groups”
109-1
Note
misconceptions
OBJ: students will be able to use the
term “ecosystem in the proper
context.”
ACT: Bill Nye Movie
APP: Watch a video
add “ecosystem” to
foldable vocab
109-12
OBJ: Students will a) break the myth
that dead things are abiotic b) start
to see connections within
ecosystems
ACT: “List Everything”
APP:
Outside in pairs make list
of living and non living
things
in class introduce terms
abiotic and biotic, add to
vocab
make a class chart from
observations using terms
biotic and abiotic
OBJ: same as above
ACT: Make a biotic & abiotic chart
APP: Same as day before but make
a chart using everything you see in
a picture.
- individual work
- have a discussion
- write in journal (hand-n)
109-1
109-12
109-13
208-2
306-3
-Science
resource
package:
grade 7
03/31
Biotic and
Abiotic
Biotic and
Abiotic
activities
04/01
Biotic and
Abiotic 2
Journals
-activity 3
109-13
306-3
keep notes on
kids
understanding
Return Journals
with comments
04/06
Producers etc
-Science
resource
package:
grade 7
04/07
Decomposers
Lab part 1
-Activity 4
-Science
resource
package:
grade 7
OBJ: Students will be able to use
the terms: producer, consumer,
decomposer
ACT: Fill in chart with vocab. words
as heading (as a class)
APP:
- add terms to foldable vocab.
-start journal entry about “your
creature” (see activity 3) – finish for
homework
OBJ: Students will be prepared for
the lab in the next class.
ACT: How to write up a lab – review
-decomposers lab
APP:
- show video
- Quickly explain earthworm lab
109-12
304-2
Collect journals,
return with
comments, keep
notes
109-1
208-2
208-5
209-4
210-2
210-12
304-2
Assess research
question, return
next class (TA)
- Review lab write-up
- hand out rubric
- go through self assessment
-have students generate a research
question materials and procedure to
hand in (exit ticket)
04/08
Decomposers
/ Lab part 2
04/09
Decomposers
/ Lab part 3
04/12
Food Webs/
Detailed
lesson plan
-pop bottles
-soil
-worms
-leaves etc.
- Create pop bottle ecosystem with
and without worms
- create an observation sheet
-finish lab
-tell them the next section is “food
webs”
- Activity 5
-animal slide
show
-string
04/13
Food
Webs/DART
SHEET
- Lesson Plan
- DART Sheet
04/14
Food Webs
DART sheet
04/15
Food Webs/
Poster
*have extra
pictures of
local species
to supplement
OBJ: Students will be able to
illustrate the interactions between
different organisms using a food
web.
ACT: Food web game
APP:
- start with slide show of animals
Eating
- play game
- Create new folding vocab. Sheet
for food web section
OBJ: same as above
ACT: DART sheet
APP:
- class discussion to check for
understanding
- show example of food web on
board (remember the game)
- part 1 of dart sheet
- part 2 of dart sheet
- introduce Food Web Poster activity
OBJ: students will use digital
cameras to learnd about real food
webs in their local environment.
ACT: make a food web poster
208-5
209-4
210-2
210-12
304-2
208-5
209-4
210-2
210-12
304-2
111-6
306-3
306-1
210-2
306-1
109-12
210-2
306-1
111-6
209-3
210-12
306-1
-homework, fill in
chart every
second day.
Submit lab report
in 2 weeks
Notes on class
discussion
- digital
cameras,
- memory
sticks,
- computer
-Bristol board
-Glue
-Pictures
-Scissors
APP: outside “science groups” will
take pictures of organisms around
school
- compile pictures into one database
306-2
- hand out selected pictures to each
group
- use pics to create a food web with
arrows indicating energy flow
210-2
306-3
306-1
Decomposers
presentation
OBJ: students will investigate and
present their findings on
decomposition in society. Work in
partners or alone.
APP -assign presentation
assignment
- start working on pres
- collect stuff for pres on weekend or
else do writing
Work on pres
Work on pres
OBJ: Students will be able to use
the term “succession” in the proper
context.
ACT: Video: succession in climax
communities
APP: Start a new foldable vocab list
for this section, add terms:
- pioneer species
- climax community
- primary succession
- secondary succession
- succession
OBJ: Students will use cameras to
document their understanding of the
stages of succession
ACT: Photo inventory of succession
around the school
complile pictures
-Break up into science groups
-Hand out printouts of photos, have
groups organize pictures into stages
of succession.
- Go through pictures as a class
111-1
208-2
208-3
210-12
306-2
04/16
Food Webs/
Assessment/
poster
04/17
Decomposers
04/19
04/20
04/21
Decomposers
Decomposers
Ecological
Succession
04/22
Ecological
Succession/
Photo
-cameras
-memory stick
-print pictures
04/23
Ecological
Succession/
Photo 2
Curriculum
04/26
Decomposers
Class presentations - decomposers
306-2
04/27
Decomposers
Class presentations - decomposers
306-2
04/28
Ecological
Succession
1
OBJ: Students will demonstrate their
understanding of succession
through drawing or writing.
ACT: Drawing Succession
APP
-Draw (or write a story) of 1 day, 10
years, 25 years, and 100 years after
either:
- a forest fire
- a farmer’s field is abandoned
- a city is abandoned
210-2
306-4
Aliant site
Curriculum
112-8
112-8
109-12
Collect posters
Return with a
grade for group
Decomposers lab
due.
209-3
210-2
Assess and mark
presentations
Assess and Mark
presentations
04/29
Ecological
Succession
2
Curriculum
OBJ: Students will be able to
discuss the pro/cons of forest fires
ACT: Watch slide show or video on
forest fires and succession
APP:
- go back to yesterday’s drawings
and change them based on what we
know now
OBJ: have students improve
scientific literacy by writing about
succession in a journal.
APP
- Journal: explain what Saint John
(rothesay, the school groud, etc.)
would look like if all the people
disappeared tomorrow.
- have volunteers read their journal
entries and have class discuss them
OBJ: To introduce students to real
life ecological action.
Trip to HRAA
OBJ: Students will use their journals
to document their experience at
HRAA. Students will begin to think
about the next assignment.
APP - Journal entries about what
they learned at HRAA, and what
they can do to help Salmon.
- Introduce Action assignment
(choose an issue or organization.
Research the issue, and what you
can do to help OR research the org.
and explain what they do to help.)
- work in partners
-Brainstorm issues for class to
choose from
-have students choose topic and
hand it in as their ticket out.
306-4
Circulate make
notes on
understanding
04/30
Ecological
Succession
3
Curriculum
306-4
Assign final
assignment.
05/03
Action
05/04
Action
05/05
Action
-pp
presentation
-Laptops
-power point
Work on research proj
-4 slides.
1. name of issue/org
2. explain the issue (problem)
3. what does the org do/ what is
being done
4. what can we (students) do to help
the issue
112-4
113-11
05/06
Action
Laptops
Work on research proj
05/07
Action
Laptops
Finish Research proj
112-4
113-11
112-4
113-11
05/10
05/11
05/12
05/13
Action
Action
Flex
Flex
05/14
05/15
Flex
Class science
party day
Present PP
Present PP
112-4
113-10
113-10
113-11
Asses pres.
Assess pres
Final Assignment
Due
Bye bye Miss Jacobs, outdoor
ecology fun