McDonald’s Draft (2010). Modified by Kreassig and Gould (2014) for use with student teachers.

Revised August 2015

Teacher: Kaitlynn Rowland Date: February 15, 2018

Title of Lesson: Community Cooperating Teacher: S. Buhner.

Core Components
Subject, Content Area, or Topic
Science – Ecosystems
Student Population
Twenty-Six students composed of fifteen girls, eleven boys. Three of these students are ESL.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will have an understanding of community and its relationship to
ecosystems.
Virginia Essential Knowledge and Skills (SOL)

SC4.5 The student will investigate and understand how plants and animals, including humans, in an
ecosystem interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem. Key concepts
include:

b) organization of populations, communities, and ecosystems and how they interrelate;

d) influences of human activity on ecosystems.

VDOE Technology Standards N/A

English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) N/A

Materials/Resources
Sticky poster page, and markers.

High Yield Instructional Strategies Used (Marzano, 2001)

Check if Used Strategy Return

Identifying Similarities & Differences 45%
Summarizing & Note Taking 34%
Reinforcing Efforts & Providing Recognition 29%
Homework & Practice 28%
Nonlinguistic Representations 27%
Cooperative Learning 23%
Setting Goals & Providing Feedback 23%
Generating & Testing Hypothesis 23%
Questions, Cues, & Advanced Organizers 22%
DOES YOUR INSTRUCTIONAL INPUT & MODELING YIELD THE POSITIVE RETURNS
YOU WANT FOR YOUR STUDENTS?
Check if Used Strategy Return
Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning 95%
Practice by Doing 75%
Discussion 50%
McDonald’s Draft (2010). Modified by Kreassig and Gould (2014) for use with student teachers.
Revised August 2015
 Demonstration 30%
Audio Visual 20%
Reading 10%
Lecture 05%
Safety (if applicable)
N/A

Time
(min.) Process Components
*Anticipatory Set
3  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIfpKL0brwQ
Minutes

*State the Objectives (grade-level terms)

1 to 2 I can… explain what an ecosystem is.
minutes I can… explain the relationship between communities and ecosystems.
I can… explain human’s influence on communities and ecosystems.
I can… explain the difference between community, population, and ecosystem.
*Instructional Input or Procedure
 Whole Group:
o Guiding questions:
 What is a community?
20-30  What is a population?
Minutes  What is an ecosystem?
 Why do we have communities?
 What do we wonder about communities, populations, and ecosystem?
 Should we be worried about Vitex harming communities and ecosystems
of VA Beach or will it be helpful?
o TSW write down these questions in their science notebooks and as we watch the
video, TSW write down their responses to these guiding questions.
o After the video, TTW write down their responses on poster page and connect the
lesson back to the Vitex and see if there is anything else that we need to add to our
previous research on ecosystems. Today’s posters will hang with our previous
research for the students to go back to in their individual work.
o TTW direct the students to how nonliving AND living things both play a huge
part in communities and ecosystems.
 Small Group:
o TTW meet with small group to direct them based upon their projects.
 Flora, Fauna, and human communities.
 What flora in Virginia Beach?
 What population, communities, and ecosystems do these florae
have?
 What is their relationship to Beach Vitex and to humans?
 What is the fauna in Virginia Beach?
 What population, communities, and ecosystems do these fauna
have?
 What is their relationship to Beach Vitex and to humans?
McDonald’s Draft (2010). Modified by Kreassig and Gould (2014) for use with student teachers.
Revised August 2015
  What are human’s population, community, and ecosystems?

1–5 *Check for Understanding

minutes  TTW ask for any questions about anything that we discussed.
*Independent Practice
10  Students in small group will focus on their project subject specifically what is the
mi flora/fauna/human habitats, communities, and ecosystems of VA beach and where would
nut Vitex play into it?
es o TTW ask students to use their resources to find the answers and to start with the
google classroom folder:
 https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/ecology/274117/273229-toc
Assessment
-  Informal assessment – TTW walk around while the students are working and take notes or
minutes during small group, TTW jot notes on what is confusing to the students and what they are
really getting. A formal assessment will not be made until the projects are finalized.
Differentiation Strategies (enrichment, accommodations, remediation, or by learning style).
For the ESL students, the new vocabulary may be difficult to pronounce and to grasp. TTW have the entire
class recite new words three times and discuss with each other what these words mean in their own terms.
TSW also have time to explore the new concepts during independent practice to gain a deeper understanding.
TTW also break concepts down even further during this time if the students need additional help.
Classroom Management Issues (optional)
Noise levels may rise while the students are working in small groups. They will be reminded about the
acceptable noise level. In addition, the class will be guided to whole group lesson by the teacher and then
dismissed for independent practice by the teacher as well. They previously met with their groups and are
aware of who is in their groups, they will find a section of the room to work together.
Lesson Critique. To be completed following the lesson. Did your students meet the objective(s)? What
part of the lesson would you change? Why?

*Denotes Madeline Hunter lesson plan elements.

Intern Signature Cooperating Teacher Date

Signature

McDonald’s Draft (2010). Modified by Kreassig and Gould (2014) for use with student teachers.
Revised August 2015