Erin Kincade

Ashley Wingate
Sarah Polich

Lesson Plan: Ecosystem

Lesson Overview
Observe, describe and ask questions about how changes in one part of an ecosystem create
changes in other parts of the ecosystem.
Background Information
Students:
College Mentors for Kids in fifth grade, and they also live around the local area.
Learning Environment:
-Classroom at Purdue University
-Hort Park
Intended Learning Goals:
-To observe the ecosystem
-Describe ecosystem changes
Lesson Content: Life Science

The Lesson Plan

Learning Objectives
-Make sure that the students understand how an ecosystem works.
-Understands how changes in one part of an ecosystem create changes in other parts of the
ecosystem.
-Understand the role of a decomposer in an ecosystem in comparison to a producer and
consumer.

Standards
5.3.1 Observe and classify common Indiana organisms as producers, consumers,
decomposers, predator and prey based on their relationships and interactions with other
organisms in their ecosystem.
5.3.2 Investigate the action of different decomposers and compare their role in an ecosystem
with that of producers and consumers.
Required Materials
-Computer
-Projector
-Paper
-Pencils

Procedures
1. Meet in classroom with group of students
2. Start PowerPoint
3. Talk about the different types of ecosystems very quickly
4. Discuss the ecosystem in a forest
5. Discuss all components of a forest (decomposers, consumers, producers, and
predator)
6. Talk about how they all interact with each other
7. Explain how changes in one part of an ecosystem create changes in other parts
of the ecosystem.
8. Tell students that they are going on a walk and have them line up with their
buddy
9. Go to Hort Park
10. Take them on a trail and tell them to look for a decomposers, consumers,
producers, and predator
11. Have buddies point out to their student how this actual ecosystem is working
(Hort Park) while walking
12. Stop after five to ten minutes and have students write down what they saw and
how organisms interact with each other
13. Also, on same piece of paper have them write down what would happen if one
organism was not there
14. Have their buddy explain any question they might have
15. Collect papers
16. Tell them what you saw and point it out to them
17. Ask them as a whole group how the decomposers are different than the producer
and consumer.
18. Go back to classroom and play jeopardy powerpoint

Assessment

We are assessing the students when we are ask them to write down what they saw in the
ecosystem. We collect the papers to see what they completely understand. Make sure that they
understand how an ecosystem works by asking them to write it down on paper. Also, we are
informally assessing them by asking them how decomposers are different than producers and
consumers.
Reference and Reference Materials
PowerPoint: Found on the internet that we will use at beginning of lesson
URL:http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?
q=cache:2F24j8WTEqUJ:https://rfa4.wikispaces.com/file/view/Chapter
%2B4%2BEcosystem.ppt+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
PowerPoint: Found on the internet that we will use towards end of lesson
URL:http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?
q=cache:iIYppBszWuEJ:images.pcmac.org/SiSFiles/Schools/NC/OnslowCounty/CarolinaForest
Elementary/Uploads/Presentations/5th%2520Grade%2520Science%2520Jeopardy
%2520Ecosystem%2520Review%2520%28goal%25201%29.ppt+&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Standards: Used to make sure we are teaching the right curriculum
Url: http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/standards/science/2010-Science-Grade05.pdf

Description of what inspired our lesson:

This lesson plan was inspired by our group trying to find out the standards for fifth grade
science. We first started looking at just general standards, but then realized that we wanted the
students to be excited about learning more outside of school. We then realized that being
outside is something unique for a learning environment, and figured that they could learn about
ecosystems while we are out there. Next, we talked about how we would educate the group of
students. We assumed that it would be best if we lectured the students first by a powerpoint that
we found online. Then, we would show them what we are talking about by going on a walk.
Next, after going on a walk we needed to make sure the students understand everything that
they had been taught. So, we looked for a jeopardy quiz that we could use and found the above
PowerPoint.

Two Articles
Palmer, M., & Febria, C. (2012, June 15). The Heartbeat of Ecosystems. Retrieved
March 30, 2015,

-This article helped us develop the discussion of educating our students on the structure and
function of ecosystems. The importance of the health of our ecosystems generates the
heartbeat; this is how they survive. This can relate to our second learning objective. If one
snippet of an ecosystem suffers then that leads to the whole ecosystem suffering. Its difficult for
mankind to step in and fix issues that happen naturally. Keeping ecosystems healthy and stable
is important knowledge for students to acquire.
Narcis, P., Rieradevall, M., & Verkaik, I. (n.d.). Small but Powerful: Top Predator Local
Extinction Affects Ecosystem Structure and Function in an Intermittent Stream. Retrieved March
30, 2015
-The following article gave us guidance on educating students on how predators can harm the
ecosystem its in. Top predator loss is a major global issue. Major changes to an ecosystems
structure and function are due to the loss of predators big and small. This article relates to our
lesson on how an ecosystem generally works: objective 1.