LESSON PLAN #3 – SCIENCE – LIPSKI 1

Lesson Plan #3 – Invasive Species - 3rd Grade

UNLV PSMT
Courtney Lipski Lisa Cook
Student Name
The effects of invasive
Lesson Plan Lesson Plan
Invasive Species species on the balance of an
Title Topic
ecosystem
Estimated
Date October 30, 2018 60 minutes
Time
School Site
Grade Level 3rd Grade Lucile Bruner Elementary

I. State Standards
Nevada Core Standards for Science
- 3-LS4-3 – Provide evidence of animal survival within a habitat

Nevada Core Standards for Reading

- RI.3.1 – Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text,
referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

II. Teaching Models

Classroom Discussion – Teacher and student question and answers
Cooperative Learning – Partners work
Whole Brain Teaching – Call and respond

III. Objective(s)

3-LS4-3 – Students can explain why invasive species thrive in their non-native
habitats and how they can impact an ecosystem.

RI.3.1 – Students can ask questions and complete an organizer based on information
directly from a text.

Kid Friendly Objective: I can explain how invasive species impact an ecosystem
using evidence from informational text.

IV. Materials/Resources
Projector/Computer
PowerPoint
National Geographic article about green invaders
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https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/green-invaders/#invaders-
carolina-wren-with-food.jpg
Chromebooks
Cause and effect organizer

V. Instructional Procedures / Methods:

Introduction Open lesson by reviewing ecosystems and the balance of nature.

10 minutes Classroom discourse, students will raise hands to share previous
knowledge about vocabulary. Students will investigate their own
knowledge about invasive species with examples that the teacher has
provided in the past. Students will make predictions about what impacts
invasive species may have on an ecosystem. Review objective and the
unit’s big question.

Activities and Whole Group Reading: (10 minutes)

Learning Students will share a Chromebook with their partner while the teacher
Experiences projects the Nat Geo plants article on the board. Read the article once as a
40 minutes class with teacher selecting students randomly to read with teacher
support of unknown words and vocabulary. Recognize some key words as
well as cause and effect events within the article.

Group Activity: (15 minutes)

In table groups, students will complete individual cause and effect
organizers about the effects of invasive plants. Have students identify and
write the cause of the problem and the effects of the green invaders on the
ecosystem while discussing with their group based on the article.

Whole Group Share/Discuss: (5 minutes)

Have students from each group help complete the teacher’s cause and
effect organizer as they review the information they wrote on their own
organizers.

Video (Pets Gone Wild)

New York Times report
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUBA_6nA_Sk&t=644s

Closure Exit Ticket: Students will individually write a paragraph explaining how
10 minutes invasive species can impact an ecosystem using the Nat Geo article and
Burmese python in the Everglades video as examples to support their
answer.

Extension In the case of remaining time within the lesson, if students finish their
organizers before other groups, provide them with the article about
Burmese Pythons in Florida.
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https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/pythons-overtake-
everglades

Contingency In the case of unforeseen circumstances resulting in loss of lesson time,

Plan the teacher may omit the whole group organizer and simply discuss what
the students included in their cause and effect organizers. The video may
also be saved for another time and the exit ticket can be based on student
previous knowledge and information from the plants article.

VI. Accommodations/Modifications/Differentiated Instruction

Accommodations and modifications may be necessary if the teacher decides to spend
more time on the initial whole group discussion if students are not displaying clear
understanding of what invasive species are. The teacher may also have to provide
additional support to individual groups that are struggling identifying cause and effect
from the article.

VII. Assessment/Evaluation of Learning

Formative Assessment
The use of informal assessment will be integrated through observation of classroom
participation as well as collaboration between students within their groups. The
teacher will also collect the cause and effect organizers to determine which students
need additional support on the topic.

Summative Assessment
Use an exit ticket asking students to write a paragraph explaining how invasive
species can impact an ecosystem based on information from the article.

VIII. Post-Lesson Reflection

1. Using knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching and Learning:

-How was the lesson designed based on your knowledge about your students’
everyday experiences, cultural and language backgrounds, practices, and interests?

This lesson was designed based on my knowledge of students’ interests. The unit
we were working on was on ecosystems and the balance within the ecosystems. We
had previously learned about grey wolves in Yellowstone and the students were very
interested in the animals’ impact on the ecosystem throughout the many activities we
completed. When I went off topic one day and talked about the rats and mongoose in
Hawaii the students were asking many questions, which gave me the idea to do a
lesson on invasive species outside of the curriculum. I chose the plant article so that
LESSON PLAN #3 – SCIENCE – LIPSKI 4

the students could expand their knowledge from animals to plants. Also, I knew that
students would be very fascinated by the Burmese Pythons in Florida’s Everglades
and I wanted them to explore how both plants and animals can impact the balance of
an ecosystem.

2. Building a Conducive Learning Environment to Support Student Learning:

- Did the questions you asked students require a higher level of thinking for their
responses? Provide evidence of these high-level questions.

I try to incorporate higher level thinking throughout the discussion time of my

lessons. Although it is important to review vocabulary and direct questions, I want
students to think beyond the simple information that is in front of them. I try to make
them look at the bigger picture. For example, in this video when I was introducing
invasive species I wanted the students to make the connection of how humans are
responsible for many of the impacts on ecosystems. From taking out grey wolves to
introducing the mongoose, I was reaching for students to think about how we have
the power to drastically impact the world around us and that our need to control
things often has consequences.

-Did you provide sufficient wait time for the students to answer questions?

During this video I was conscious of wait time and I tried my best to allow
students to respond without filling in their sentences. Although I was not 100%
successful in my efforts, I think I did a much better job this time allowing students to
answer questions or express their thoughts prior to jumping in and helping them.

-How did you encourage students to interact with one another?

At one point in the video I asked a student to expand upon another student’s
answer, which I have been attempting to do from the beginning of the year. I am
trying to build my classroom into an open forum where students expand and respond
to one another in a positive and professional manner. Although students are not at the
point to lead the discussion, slowly they are learning how to respond to one another.
During the group activity I also encouraged group participation and discussion by
allowing them to work together on their cause and effect organizers.

-How did you provide equal opportunities for all students, regardless of race,
ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status to respond to questions and interact with
one another?

Throughout this video lesson I used the cold call method and called on students
regardless if their hands were up, but I did so in a positive manner where I wanted to
LESSON PLAN #3 – SCIENCE – LIPSKI 5

ensure that there was participation from random students rather than the ones that
always raise their hands. By doing this I was able to engage all students regardless of
their backgrounds. This also helped keep students’ attention because they did not
know if I was going to call on them or not. Although I did call on some of the
students who raised their hands, I tried to be more random with my selection.

3. Content:
- What is the central focus/concept of this lesson and how did you support student
learning?

The central focus of this lesson is invasive species’ impacts on the balance of an
ecosystem. The target of the lesson was to support the big question of the unit, which
asked what happens when an ecosystem becomes out of balance. Knowing my
students’ work ethic, I supported student learning by setting up the lesson with a
whole group discussion, reading the article together, and then once I felt students had
a good understanding of invasive species, I let them work together to complete the
organizer and discuss with their peers. Learning from previous failed activities, I
knew that my students are more productive if I lead the lesson first prior to allowing
them to work on their own.

-How did you check for student understanding?

I checked for student understanding by asking direct and indirect questions about
invasive species and ecosystems and then cold calling on students to get a feel for the
entire class’ understanding, rather than simply the students who typically raise their
hands. I also checked for student understanding by reviewing their organizers that
they turned in, their conversations and discussion in their groups, as well as their exit
ticket paragraphs.

4. Using Assessment to Inform Teaching:

-Cite evidence from the video to illustrate how you helped students achieve the
learning objectives for this lesson.

I helped students achieve the learning objectives for this lesson by asking specific
questions to develop understanding of invasive species. I attempted to guide students
to finding what invasive species were and how they may impact an ecosystem. I tried
to ask questions to lead students to the answer so that they may already have an
understanding that would be reinforced by the article and video.
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5. Using Reflection to Transform Teaching:

- How did you modify your instruction in this lesson based on what you learned
from your first video-recorded lessons and other teaching experiences? Please
provide evidence.

I modified my instruction in this lesson by using the cold call method rather than
only calling on students who raise their hands. In my previous videos I noticed that I
was calling on the same people rather frequently, so I tried to reach out a bit more by
using the cold call method. I also avoided pointing out students who were not paying
attention, but instead tried to redirect their attention through questions about previous
knowledge.

-How do you plan to modify your instruction based on what you have learned
from analyzing this video-recorded lesson and other teaching experiences? Please
provide evidence.

Based on what I have learned in this video, my goal is to create more classroom
discussion among students. I am hoping to have students add onto comments rather
than me having to ask all the questions and direct the discussion. Although my
students have a difficult time directing their own conversations, I hope to further their
abilities to converse with one another by creating a safe atmosphere for voicing
opinion. I plan to ask higher level questions to help the students express their
thoughts and respond to one another rather than me responding to each of them.