Living Things and Their Environment
Interdependence
4
Mathematics
Art
Estimation
Measurement
Bar Graphs
Data Analysis
English
Expository
Writing
Presentation
Research
Compare and
Contrast
Concept Maps
Interdependence
4-6 4-6
weeks
weeks
Scale,
Symmetry
Color
Texture
Animal Masks,
Paintings
Living Things and
Their Environment
Science
Adaptations
Predator/prey
Consumers/producers
Food Chains/Webs
Behavior vs. Instinct
Change in Living/Nonliving Environment
(ecological, seasonal,
human influence)
Speaker (taxidermist)
Pretend that you are an animal in the
Maine forest on a beautiful fall day. What
kind of animal are you? Whether you are
big, small, furry or have scales, you
depend on the living and non-living things
around you. Finding food, water, shelter,
maintaining a comfortable temperature,
and avoiding predators are daily
necessities. How does your design and
behavior help you to meet your basic
needs? Will changes in your environment
mean that you face new challenges
today? How will you adjust to these
changes? During the next few weeks you
will discover interesting ways that living
things survive and thrive in the great
outdoors.
Peggy Beach & Janet Plouffe
Students will understand that there is an interdependent relationship between living things and their
environment.
Essential Question: Why are there interdependent relationships between living things and their
environment?
Mission Statement: This school-community partnership will foster an environment that enables students to
attain the highest possible achievement level consistent with their capabilities.
Maine Learning Results: Science & Technology - E The Living Environment
E1 Biodiversity: Students describe similarities and differences in the observable behaviors, features
and needs of plants and animals. Grade 3-5
E2 Ecosystems: Students describe ways organisms depend upon, interact with, and change the living
environment, as well as ways the environment affects organisms. Grade 3-5
Physical features and behaviors help living things meet a life need.
Animals and plants interact with and depend on other living and non-living things in the
environment.
Change in any part of the living or non-living environment causes change in other parts of the
ecosystem.
What can we learn about an animal's needs by studying its physical features and behavior?
In what ways do living things interact with each other and their environment?
How does change in one part of the living or non-living environment affect other parts of the
ecosystem?
* Vocabulary: organism, survive, producer, consumer,
predator, prey, carnivore, herbivore, adaptation
environment, instinct, learned behavior, migration
hibernation, camouflage, mimicry
• Key Factual Information
Living things share some basic needs.
Living things have unique ways of meeting life needs.
Some behaviors are instinctive and others are learned.
• Critical details Some change occurs slowly.
Change creates more change in a living system.
Balance is an important part of a healthy ecosystem.
Living things affect their environment even after they die.
• Show how an animal's physical design and behavior
help it survive in its environment.
• Tell a story of how one animal must adapt to meet a life need.
• Create a food web that represents the interdependence of living
things.
• Analyze how decomposers play an important role in the living
and non-living environment.
• Role play ways in which living things are affected by change,
•
such as availability of food, water, population, climate, predator/
prey relationship, or some characteristic of the environment.
• Recognize ways in which humans affect the living and
non-living environment.
•
r
e
c
o
Goal: Your task is to educate other students about a Maine species from an animal's point of view.
Role: You are an student who loves animals and wants to protect the environment..
Audience: Your target audience is the editorial board of Ranger Rick magazine.
Situation: You have been asked by the editor of Ranger Rick magazine to show other students how one animal
is designed to live in its environment, how it interacts with and depends on other living and non-living things,
and describe a current change or problem the animal is experiencing in its environment. Your product should
include knowledge of this animal's adaptations, environment and human influence.
Product/Presentation: ComicLife: You will create and present an informational comic strip.
Standards (criteria from both rubrics): Comic Life Presentation Rubric: content, enthusiasm, speaks clearly,
volume, posture and eye contact, and preparedness. Comic Life Product Rubric: content, media application,
requirements, organization, effort, spelling and punctuation
G
• Kidspiration: Model of a food web
• Glogster: Poster of an animal with adaptations
• iMovie: How change affects living things
• Graphic organizers
• Unit Test
• Unit Test
• Blog: Reflection of human impact and student involvement in an ecosystem
• Venn Diagram: Adaptations of two animals
• Persuasive advertisement: Role of decomposers in an ecosystem
Understanding:
Students will understand that there are
interdependent relationships between living
things and their environment.
Goal (MLR):
Maine Learning Results: Science and
Technology - E The Living Environment,
Grades 3-5
Big Idea: Interdependence
Big Idea: Adaptation
Attention all third grade animal experts! You have learned about many animals that face
change in their environment. Sometimes animals are able to adapt to these changes, but other
changes can cause a problem for animals. Ranger Rick magazine is looking for student
experts who have been studying Maine animals and their environment to educate other young
readers by creating a comic strip. Quality comic strips will be published in an upcoming
special edition of Ranger Rick magazine. Your task is to create a comic strip that tells other
students about change that one animal is currently experiencing. Your comic strip needs to
include the source of the change, demonstrate knowledge of how this animal is affected by this
change, and consider how this animal interacts with and depends on living and non-living
things in the environment.
Type II Product: Comic Life
Type of Presentation: Visual/Oral
Type of Presentation
By•ComicLife
what criteria will student products/performances be evaluated?
Product•Visual/Oral
Criteria:
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



Content
Media Application
Task Requirements
Organization
Effort
Spelling and Punctuation
Presentation Criteria:






Content
Enthusiasm
Speaks Clearly
Volume
Posture and Eye Contact
Preparedness
Facet 1
1. Students will understand that physical features and behaviors help living things meet a life need. (Where)
Students describe similarities and differences in the observable behaviors, features, and needs of plants and
animals. (What) Careful observation of an animal's behavior can give us important information about what its
needs are and how it lives. Animals behave in certain ways to meet a life need. (Why)
2. Have you ever observed an animal behave in an interesting way and wonder why? (Hook)
3. Students will know the following vocabulary: organism, behavioral adaptation, survival, protection, predator,
prey, instinct, learned behavior, hibernation, migration, camouflage, mimicry. Students will understand that
behavior is instinctive or learned. Behavior can be common to many species or unique to a specific species.
Specific behavior help animals hunt, gather or store food, hide from predators, or survive in some other way.
(Equip) Vocabulary handouts, animal information books, Information about camouflage, hibernation, migration,
and mimicry can be found at Animals on Defense. Enchantedlearning.com provides animal information and
printouts. For specific information about Maine animals' physical characteristics, behavioral adaptations, and
diet, click here. An interactive migration game can be found at Audubon's website. (Resources)
4. Students will brainstorm a list of animals that live in Maine. Then they will choose one specific animal and
make some predictions about its behavioral adaptations on a Spider Map. This graphic organizer will include
description of an animal's adaptations, and an explanation of how it is suited for the animal's needs and
activities. (Explore) Next students will use the web to explore a variety of behavioral adaptations of Maine
animals. They will revise their graphic organizer and share what they learned in small groups.
(Experience/Revise). Groups will discuss similarities and differences between the animals they researched.
Students may add information to their spider map during/after discussion. (Refine/Revise)
5. Students will complete a daily "ticket out the door" form of reflection at the end of each class period. These
exit ticket, spider map, and Blog will be used as formative assessments. (Evaluate)
6.Visual: Students will view online images of animals and their behavioral adaptations.
Aural: Students will read information about behavioral adaptations on websites and in books.
Verbal: Students will share what they learn about behavioral adaptations of specific animals in small groups.
Physical: Students will role play animal behavior.
Logical: Students will compare and contrast the behavior of several different animals.
Social: Students will share new learning in small groups.
Solitary: Students will read information on websites, books, and write a blog.
7. Students will be able to tell a story of how one animal must adapt to meet a life need. (Interpret) Product:
Blog. Days: 3 (Organize)
Facet 2
8. Students will understand that physical features and behaviors help living things meet a life need. (Where) Students
describe similarities/differences in the observable behaviors, features, and needs of plants and animals. (What) Close
observation of animals' physical features can give us clues about where and how it lives. An animal's design also can
help us understand why there are similarities/differences among different species. (Why)
9. Show students a picture of bird beaks and discuss what they notice. Ask, "Did you ever wonder why there are so
many types of bird beaks or bills? The most important job of a bird bill is feeding, so it is shaped according to what a
bird eats. Have you ever thought about why there are so many different kinds of animals and why they look different?
Why are some animals similar?" (Hook)
10. Students will know this vocabulary: organism, physical features, survival, protection, predator, prey, adaptation,
environment. Students will know that living things share some basic needs, but also have unique ways of meeting life
needs. One way they meet life needs in their environment is by physical adaptations that include body shape, body
parts and body coverings. (Equip) Vocabulary handouts, animal information books, and Enchantedlearning.com
provide animal information and coloring pages. For more specific information about Maine animals' physical
features, behavioral adaptations, and diet, click here or visit NatureWorks, which provides more animal research
information. Guest speaker: Tom Berube, taxidermist. (Resources)
11. Students will participate in a jigsaw cooperative learning activity to explore information about different kinds of
physical features that animals have, including shape, body covering, and specialized parts that help them survive in
their environment. (Explore) Next students will use the web to research physical adaptations of Maine animals. They
will go to Enchantedlearning.com and read additional information about the animal they chose to do their spider map
on (Facet 1). They will revise their spider map from Facet 1 by adding physical adaptations, and share what they
learned in small groups. (Experience/Revise) Students will share their completed spider maps in small groups. Groups
will discuss similarities and differences between the animals they researched. Students will work with a partner to
compare/contrast two different animals by completing a Venn Diagram. (Refine/Revise)
12. The Venn Diagram will be used as a formative assessment. Students will also complete a checklist of required
components of an animal poster (formative assessment). Students will create an animal poster using Glogster that will
be a summative assessment. (Evaluate)
13. Visual: Students will see photographs of animals on websites to compare similarities and differences of physical
characteristics.
Aural: Students will read information about animals on websites and listen to guest speaker (taxidermist).
Verbal: Students will discuss physical characteristics of specific animals in small groups; email taxidermist.
Physical: Students will act out animal behavior and; play hands-on animal riddle game (taxidermist)
Logical: Students will compare and contrast physical characteristics using animal skulls, teeth, and pelts.
Social: Students can communicate with taxidermist (in class and through email when researching specific animal)
Solitary: Students will use the web to research an animal of their choice.
14. Students will be able to show how an animal's physical design and behavior help it survive in
its environment. (Explain) Product: Glog.
Days: 5 (Organize)
14. Students will be able to show how an animal's physical design and behavior help it survive in its
environment. (Explain) Product: Glog poster. Days: 5 (Organize)
Facet 3
Consider the W.H.E.R.E.T.O. elements. (L)
15. Students will understand that animals and plants interact with and depend on other living and non-living
things in the environment. (Where) Students describe ways organisms depend upon, interact within, and change
the living and non-living environment as well as ways the environment affects organisms. (What) Exploring the
feeding relationships (food webs) in an ecosystem gives students a better understanding of the interdependent
relationships between living things, as well as the importance of balance in nature. (Why)
16. What do you think would happen if all animals ate the same thing, such as plants? Would all living things
benefit? Why or why not? (Hook)
17. Students will know this vocabulary: consumer, producer, herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, scavenger,
decomposer, balance. Students will know that feeding relationships called food chains and food webs exist
within an ecosystem. All animals (consumers) depend on plants (producers) directly or indirectly. They will
know that in any given environment, it is important that animals eat different living things to create balance in a
food web. If any living thing is removed from the food web, imbalance is created. (Equip) For interactive games
about food webs and roles of plants and animals, click here For an introduction to the topic of food chains and
1webs, click here Students can learn more about why producers are important to all living things, click here.
(Resources)
18 Small groups of students will each be assigned one of these specific concepts: producers, herbivores,
carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers. Then each cooperative group will create a Frayer Model of their
concept word. When the Frayer Models are complete, students will share them with the class. (Explore/Rethink).
Students will use the posted Frayer Models as a starting point, then use online and print resources to create
more detailed lists of Maine herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. These lists will be checked for accuracy and
used as a resource for students to create a food web, which will be a summative assessment, scored using a
rubric.(Experience/Revise)
19. Students will complete a checklist as a formative assessment of required components of a food web. The
checklist will include listing names of animals students plan to include on their Kidspiration food web. The food
web will be a summative assessment scored using a rubric. (Evaluate)
20.Visual: Students will view online examples of food chains and webs.
Aural: Students will read information about food webs on websites.
Verbal: Students will share what they learn about the diet of specific animals in groups.
Physical: Students will play a food web game on the playground.
Logical: Students will chart feeding relationships between living things.
Social: Students will discuss new learning about food chains and webs in small groups.
Solitary: Students will read information on line and play an interactive game about food chains/webs.
21. Students will be able to create a food web that represents the interdependence of living things. (Apply) Product:
Kidspiration: Model of a food web. Days: 4-5 (Organize)
Facet 4
Consider the W.H.E.R.E.T.O. elements. (L)
22. Students will understand that animals and plants interact with and depend on other living and non-living things
in the environment. (Where) Students describe ways organisms depend upon, interact within, and change the living
and non-living environment as well as ways the environment affects organisms. (What) To fully understand the
interdependence of living things, it is important that students know that decay and recycling are an important part of
the balance of nature; thus, decomposers play an important role. (Why)
23. What happens if you leave food in the refrigerator too long? (Show an example.) What happens to dead plants
and animals? Is decay an important part of the natural world? (Hook)
24. Students will know the following vocabulary: decomposers, scavengers, fungi, bacteria, soil, nutrients. Students
will understand that decomposers are insects and organisms such as fungi, bacteria, mushrooms, earthworms,
termites, and ants. Decomposers depend on dead plants and animals for food. Decomposers are rarely visible
without the use of a microscope, but we see the result (decay) through observation. Decomposers are nature's
recyclers, they play a crucial role in the well being of the living and non-living environment. (Equip) To learn more
about how decomposers work, visit the Yuckiest Site on the Internet. Interesting movies about decomposers
(Resources)
25. Students will use online resources to explore the role of decomposers in the environment. (Explore) Groups of
students will conduct mini-experiments to compare the growth of some decomposers. (Experience/Revise)
26. Students will create a persuasive advertisement from the point of view of an earthworm, termite, bacteria,
mushroom, or other decomposer of choice, responding to the following prompt: Why you need me. This ad will be
used as a formative assessment. (Evaluate)
27.Visual: Movies about decomposers will help students visualize this process, and they will examine soil with
decomposers in it.
Aural: Students will listen to audio from short movies about decomposers/listen to partners during think-pair-share.
Verbal: Students will discuss their reactions to movies about decomposers and think-pair-share.
Physical: Students will imitate a variety of decomposers (move like a millipede, chew like a termite, wave antennae
like an ant, inch along like a larva, caw like a raven, be small like bacteria, spin silk like a spider); students will
locate some scavengers on the school grounds.
Logical: Students will grow and compare two decomposers (mold, fungi) at work.
Social: Students will play a game to identify specific decomposers and scavengers.
Solitary: Students will use a hand lens to examine a container of soil with decomposers in it. Students will
compose a persuasive ad.
28. Students will analyze how decomposers play an important role in the living and non-living
environment. (Perspective) Product: Persuasive Ad (point of view of an earthworm, termite, bacteria,
mushroom, or other decomposer of choice) Days 2-3 (Organize)
Facet 5
Consider the W.H.E.R.E.T.O. elements. (L)
29. Students will understand that change in any part of the living or non-living environment causes change
in other parts of the ecosystem. (Where) Students describe ways organisms depend upon, interact within,
and change the living and non-living environment as well as ways the environment affects organisms.
(What) It is important for students to know that change is a common characteristic of the natural world,
and this change can benefit or harm individual species of plants and animals. Sometimes living things also
change the non-living environment positively or negatively. (Why)
30. Can you think of a time that you had to deal with some kind of change? How did you deal with the
change? Can you think of some kind of change that animals may experience in their environment? (Hook)
31. Students will know the following vocabulary: population, climate, relationship. Students will know that
when there is change in the environment (change in population, climate, availability of food, shelter,
water, physical characteristics), some plants and animals survive, while others die. Some animals and
plants must adapt physically or behaviorally as a result (change in diet or shelter, fat storage, coat
thickness, shedding, moving) (Equip) Animal books, websites about change: eNature, Animals On
Defense, Wildlife in Winter (Resources)
32. Students will visit websites to get information about change and its effects on animals. Students will
work in pairs and note their findings on a Describing wheel graphic organizers.(Explore) Partners will
team up with other partner groups to share and compare learning. (Experience/Revise)
33. Small groups will choose an idea from the Describing Wheel as a topic for their movie (i.e. change in
population, sources of food or water, climate, predator-prey relationship, etc. and complete a storyboard
for their movie. Students will complete a checklist for required components of the movie as a formative
assessment. The movie will be a summative assessment scored with a rubric. (Evaluate)
34. Visual: Students will draw sketches for storyboard of movie.
Aural: Students will consider the ideas of their group members in planning and listen carefully (i.e. taking
turns) to perform their movie.
Verbal: Students will portray the role of an animal in their movie (speaking part).
Physical: Students will take on the role of specific animals with appropriate movement.
Logical: Students will consider relationships of cause and effect to plan their movie.
Social: Students will work cooperatively to plan their story board and perform their movie.
Solitary: Students will read online and print articles about effects of change in the environment to plan their
movie, and prepare for their role.
35. Students will role play ways in which living things are affected by change such as availability of food, water,
population, climate, predator/prey relationship, or some other characteristic of the environment. (Empathy)
Product: iMovie Days 5-6 (Organize)
Facet 6
Consider the W.H.E.R.E.T.O. elements. (L)
36. Students will understand that change in any part of the living or non-living environment causes change in
other parts of the ecosystem. (Where) Students describe ways organisms depend upon,interact within, and change
the living and non-living environment as well as ways the environment affects organisms. (What) Understanding
the role of human influence can help us make informed decisions for the benefit of living things. (Why).
37. Show a video from Teacher's Domain that shows how conservation efforts are helping one species of sea
turtles. (Hook)
38. Students will know the following vocabulary: ecology, "green" living, conservation, global warming,
deforestation, pollution. Students will know that living things are significantly affected by human decisions and
activity. (Equip) Nonfiction texts, including National Geographic Kids classroom magazine, ecology websites such
as Kidsforsavingearth,, Ecology.com, Ways to help the Earth (Resources)
39. Student will consider what they already know about how humans affect animals and the environment
(positively and negatively) and do a think-pair-share. (Explore) Student will use a variety of print and digital
resources to complete a Ticktacktoe graphic organizer that includes positive and negative human influences on the
environment. Groups of four students will discuss information on their graphic organizer and add new ideas based
on their discussion. (Experience/Revise)
40. Students will post a blog reflecting on what they learned about how humans create changes in an ecosystem,
and make suggestions about how kids can get involved in helping other living things and the environment. Blog
entry will be a formative assessment. (Evaluate)
41. Visual: Students will view a video and photographs about change in nature created by
humans.
Aural: Students will reflect on the ideas of their peers through discussion about human activity
41. Visual: Students will view a video and photographs about change in nature created by humans.
Aural: Students will reflect on the ideas of their peers through discussion about human activity and
effects of these decisions.
Verbal: Students will verbally share their opinions with peers.
Physical: Students will use cards to complete a concept definition sort (deforestation, pollution,
conservation, "green" living, etc.)
Logical: Students will consider relationships of cause and effect. (i.e. human wants/needs and its effects
on living/non-living environment)
Social: Students will share opinions on human action and its impact on the environment and animals.
Solitary: Students will read online and print articles about effects of human action on the environment.
42. Students will recognize ways in which humans affect the living and non-living environment. (SelfKnowledge) Product: Blog Reflection Days: 5-6 (Organize)