Lesson planning
guide
D4 Populations
Learning objectives
i
ii
iii
A population is the number of individuals of a species living in a habitat.
Competition for resources such as food water and space, predation and disease all affect the size of a population.
Feeding relationships within a habitat are interconnected.
Scientific enquiry
iv
Use ICT to model population changes. (Framework YTO Sc1 8d)
Suggested alternative starter activities (5–10 minutes)
Recap last lesson
Share learning
objectives
Brainstorming
Word game
Capture interest
Pupils link a food chain to a
pyramid of numbers, by
identifying different trophic
levels.
 Find out how
competition affects
the populations in a
habitat.
 Find out how feeding
relationships are
interconnected.
 Be able to use ICT to
model population
changes. (Sc1)
Show graph of world
population. Brainstorm
why it just keeps on
going up.
Check progress using a
wordsearch of words
used in this unit.
Show picture of lion
eating a zebra. Ask
pupils why there are not
more zebras.
Catalyst Interactive
Presentations 2
Suggested alternative main activities
Activity
Learning
objective
see above
Description
Approx.
timing
Target group
C
H
E
S
Textbook D4
i, ii and iii
20 min
R/G
G
R
S
i
Teacher-led explanation and questioning OR pupils work
individually, in pairs or in small groups through the in-text
questions and then onto the end-of-spread questions if time
allows.
Squirrel competition How red and grey squirrels compete.
Activity D4a
Paper
Activity D4b
Paper
Activity D4c
Catalyst
Interactive
Presentations 2
i
Population cycles Graph of cycling population to interpret.
10 min
i and iv
Population change Foxes and rabbits ICT simulation of
population changes.
10 min
10 min
Suggested alternative plenary activities (5–10 minutes)
Review learning
Sharing responses
Group feedback
Word game
Looking ahead
Pupils play ‘true or false’
game about the
interdependence of
populations.
Pupils share ideas
about why the graph for
the human population
keeps on going up.
In groups, pupils
discuss their answers
for Activity D4b.
Pupils play ‘Hang the
rabbit’ to reinforce
vocabulary and spelling
of key words.
Pupils revise and
consolidate knowledge
from the unit.
Learning outcomes
Most pupils will …
Some pupils, making less progress
will …
Some pupils, making more progress
will …
 relate the abundance and distribution of
organisms to the resources available
within a habitat
 predict how changing the size of one
population will affect the number of other
species
 present data from simulations and make
predictions from patterns in these.
 state the factors that affect the
abundance of different organisms in
habitat
 predict how changing the size of one
population will affect the number of other
species
 present data from simulations and make
predictions from patterns in these.
 draw and interpret a graph to show how a
population changes.
Key words
population, competition, interdependent, red
only: predation
Out-of-lesson learning
Homework D4
Textbook D4 end-of-spread questions
Activity D4a, b
Visit different habitats/sanctuaries/nature reserves
© Harcourt Education Ltd 2004 Catalyst 2
This worksheet may have been altered from the original on the CD-ROM.
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