Lesson Plan: Roscavey PS
Date:
Year:
Lesson No: 1
Curriculum/Syllabus Area: Living things in our school grounds
Lesson Title/Topic: Woodlice – Investigating the Habitat of Woodlice
Duration:
Children have a vague familiarity with woodlice better known to them as ‘slaters’.
Learning Intentions:
 Children will have a better understanding of the term ‘habitat in relation to
woodlice’
 Children will design four different habitats using four variables – Light,
Dark, Damp, Dry
 Children will design and make a choice box
 Children will appreciate the need for ‘fair – testing’
 Children will use skills of prediction, observation, deduction, designing,
construction, fair-testing, recording, knowledge: Woodlice are
Crustaceans.
How will you know if pupils have achieved the learning outcomes?
Activity
Introduction
About 30 woodlice will be introduced to the ‘choice’ area and left undisturbed for
two hours. A count will be made of the numbers choosing each habitat. The test
will be repeated three times and the results will be recorded in a table.
Success Criteria
 A ‘choice’ box will be constructed offering woodlice the choice of four
distinct habitats.
 The fair testing will give a strong indication of preferred habitat.
 Children will compare the result with the habitat present in the school
grounds
Resources
 Shoeboxes
 Tape
 School grounds
 Woodlice
 Books
 Internet


Digital Camera
Microscope
Development
Fair Test Consideration:
 Access holes to choice areas to be the same size
 Same type of material in each compartment
 Keep the ‘choice’ box in same location for light and temperature
 Follow-up research on woodlice using book and ICT resources.
Activities
 Discussion on meaning of habitat
 Children will devise four distinct habitats using four variables – Light, dark,
dry damp, light and dry, light and damp, dark and dry, dark and damp.
 Children design and make a ‘choice box’ which allows woodlice to choose
a habitat.
Connected Learning
 ICT children will use the digital camera as part of recording and display
(powerpoint)
 Children will use the digital microscope to observe woodlice.
 Children will record results in a table.
Conclusion
Health and Safety


Washing of hands after handling of woodlice
Return woodlice to their natural habitat.
Lesson Plan
Date:
Year:
Lesson No: 2
Curriculum/Syllabus Area: Living things in our school
Lesson title/topic: What is Growing on the trees?
Duration:
Children have observed organisms growing on trees in the school grounds
(algae, lichens, moss, fungai, ivy)
Learning Intentions
 Children will be able to identify a variety of organisms growing on the
trees.
 Children will appreciate the interdependence of plants
 Children will have some understanding of the symbiotic relationship
between algae and lichens.
 Children will investigate the conjecture that most algae grows on the north
facing side of tree trunks.
 Children will know that lots of lichens indicate clear air.
How will you know if pupils have achieved the learning outcomes?
Activity
Introduction
Success criteria
 Children will confidently identify five plant types growing on the trees.
Resources
 School grounds
 Digital Camera
 Microscope
Development
Activities
An initial walk through the grounds to observe what is growing on the trees,
where the different organisms occur, their colours, size etc and root systems.
Use of questioning to establish what the children know.


Children are given the names, algae, lichen, fungi, moss, ivy and use
books/ICT to research these and to recall if they saw any during the walk
Re-walk, this time using knowledge gained to identify the organisms.

Children will attempt to explain the location and uneven occurrence of
organisms on the tree (ivy)
Children should identify that mosses, algae and lichen occur on areas of the tree
that are wettest eg trunk, where branches fork, on top surfaces of horizontal
branches.
Children will identify that lichens are not green and always occur with algae. It will
be explained that algae make food (chlorophyll) for the lichens.
Children will observe that fungi grow on dead parts of the tree.
Children will record observations by annotating photographs. Children will
examine algae and lichens using digital microscope.
Connected Learning


Use digital camera
Use of internet for research
Recording of observation/conclusions
Conclusion
Health and Safety
 No climbing of trees because of danger of falling of being stuck at height.