Unit 5 Lesson Plan – Biodiversity and Humans
Teacher:
Grade:
Subject:
Time Frame:
3
22 days
School:
PSI Third Grade, Unit 5
When the environment changes in ways that affect a place’s
physical characteristics, temperature, or availability of resources, some
organisms survive and reproduce, others move to new locations, yet others
move into the transformed environment, and some die. LS2.C
Some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth are no longer
found anywhere. LS2.C
NGSS/DCI
Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and
also about the nature of their environments. (3-LS4-1)
Sometimes the differences in characteristics between individuals of
the same species provide advantages in surviving, finding mates,
and reproducing. (3-LS4-2)
For any particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some
survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. (3-LS4-3)
Populations live in a variety of habitats, and change in those habitats affects
the organisms living there. (3-LS4-4)
Instructional Objective:
(condition, behavior, standard)
Instructional Objective:
(condition, behavior, standard)
Instructional Objective:
(condition, behavior, standard)
Instructional Objective:
(condition, behavior, standard)
SWBAT Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the
organism and the environments in which they lived long ago 3-LS4-1
SWBAT Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in
characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide
advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing 3-LS4-2
SWBAT Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat
some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot
survive at all. 3-LS4-3
SWBAT Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when
the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there
may change. 3-LS4-4
Essential Questions
(What questions will the student be able to answer as a result of the instruction?)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
How and why a habitat of an organism can affect its survival over time?
What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?
What are examples of adaptations to increase survival?
What happens to a species if it cannot survive changes in the environment?
How can we study extinct species?
What information about the environment can we learn from fossils?
What are examples of environmental disturbances?
What are some positive and negative impacts humans have on the environment?
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3rd Grade PSI
Biological Evolution
Knowledge & Skills
(What skills are needed to achieve the desired results?)
By the end of this unit, students will know:




By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
Habitats include biotic and abiotic factors
Fossils indicate changes of environments on Earth
Adaptations help organisms survive.
Environmental changes affect an organism’s
survival.
 Identify biotic and abiotic factors in the environment.
 Analyze and interpret data to understand what has
lived on Earth over time.
 Identify and explain specific causes of environmental
change; and the direct implications for species in that
environment.
 Define a problem and propose solutions for an
environmental issue.
Assessment
(What is acceptable evidence to show desired results (rubrics, exam, etc.)? Attach Copy
During the Smart Notebook lesson designed to introduce concepts, students will be continually questioned on these
concepts using a combination of class work/homework questions and the SMART Response system. Classwork and
Homework questions will be discussed as a class and misconceptions will be addressed by the teacher prior to the
formal evaluations listed below.
Camouflage Lab
Quiz 1: Habitats & Adaptations
Make a Fossil Activity
Fossilization Activity
Constructing a Fossil Map Activity
Quiz 2: Fossils
Small Change, Big Range Activity
Compost Time Capsule Activity
Unit Test
PBA
(What is the sequence of activities, learning experiences, etc, that will lead to desired results (the plan)?
Day
Topic
Classwork
Homework
1
Habitats
Slide #4: Set up Compost
Time Capsule
Slides #5-16
N/A
2
Habitats
Slides #17-29
Habitats Classwork
Habitats Homework
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3rd Grade PSI
Biological Evolution
3
Adaptations
Slides #30-47
N/A
4
Adaptations
Slides #48-50
Adaptations Classwork
Adaptations Homework
5-6
Adaptations
Slide #51
Camouflage Lab
Study for quiz
7
Habitats/Adaptations
Quiz
N/A
8
Fossils
Slides #52-71
N/A
9
Fossils
Slide #72
Make a Fossil Activity
N/A
10
Fossils
Slides #73-84
Fossils Classwork
Fossils Homework
11-12
Fossils
Slide #85
Fossilization Activity
N/A
13
How Fossils are Used
Slides #86-109
How Fossils are Used
Classwork
How Fossils are Used
Homework
14
How Fossils are Used
15
Disturbances
16
Fossils/ Disturbances
Fossils Quiz
Slides #119-123
N/A
17
Disturbances
Slides #124-132
Disturbances Classwork
Disturbances Homework
18-19
Disturbances
Slide #133
Small Change, Big Range
Activity
N/A
20
Disturbances
Slide #134
Compost Time Capsule
N/A
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Slide #110
Constructing a Fossil Map
Activity
Slides #111-118
Dinosaur Extinction
Handout
3rd Grade PSI
Finish Activity
Study for quiz
Biological Evolution
21
Unit Review
Unit Review
Study Guide
Study for Test
22
Unit Test
Unit Test
N/A
*While there are many slides for each topic, several slides are interrelated and support each topic.
**HW Problems are currently not scaffolded from least to most difficult, but are instead listed in order of
topic. Teacher should pay special attention at the end of each class period when assigning HW so that
only problems related to the topic that was taught are being assigned.
www.njctl.org
3rd Grade PSI
Biological Evolution