Content-Based Lesson Plan for English Language Development

Teacher’s Name: Mesut Deniz Date: July,26th, 2014

Grade/Class/Subject: 7th grade Life Science
Unit Theme: Ecology Lesson #: 1: Food Webs
Performance Standards:
Content Standards Language Standards
STANDARD 3: LIFE SCIENCE HIGH BEGINNING

LIFE SCIENCE – The student will apply process skills to explore and STANDARD 1: LISTENING
understand structure and function in living systems, reproduction
and heredity, regulation and behavior, populations and 1. Demonstrate comprehension of
ecosystems, and diversity and adaptations of organisms. high frequency vocabulary,
including multiple meaning words,
Benchmark 4: The student will identify and relate interactions of with support of graphic organizers
populations of organisms within an ecosystem. and modeling.

Indicators: STANDARD 2: SPEAKING

1. ▲ recognizes that all populations living together (biotic 8. Use grade-level transitional
resources) and the physical factors (abiotic resources) with which words and phrases to create a
they interact compose an ecosystem. logical message within sentences,
3. ▲ traces the energy flow from the sun (source of radiant with support.
energy) to producers (via photosynthesis – chemical energy) to
consumers and decomposers in food webs.

Lesson Objectives:

Content Knowledge: By the end of the lesson, ELLs will:

-Categorize organisms as primary consumers, secondary consumers, producers and decomposers.

-Trace the energy flow from the sun to producers then consumers and finally decomposers.
-Define key specialized vocabulary.

Language Objectives: By the end of the lesson, ELLs will (do X function using Y form with Z vocabulary):

- State ideas orally and in writing about organisms using the present tense form with specialized
vocabulary.
- Defining key concepts orally and in writing using the present tense form with specialized vocabulary.
- Provide reasons for defining organisms as consumers, producers, or decomposers, orally and in writing,
using the present tense and “because” clauses with specialized vocabulary.
 Form
Function
(grammatical term and/or example, eg. “Past
(in –ing form, eg. “Retelling a story” )
Tense: „The boy went to see his grandfather;‟”)
1) stating ideas Present tense:
The mouse eats grass.
One organism eats another organism.
2) defining Present tense:
A consumer is a living thing that eats another living
thing.
A decomposer is an organism that gets its energy
from dead organisms.
3) providing a reason for defining an organism as a Present tense; “because” clause:
consumer, producer, or decomposer. A snake is a consumer because it eats mice.

Academic Vocabulary Cohesion Words

Specialized Vocabulary (vocabulary that may need to be (vocabulary that may need to be
(new vocabulary to be explicitly taught or emphasized that is taught or emphasized that link
taught that is critical to an critical to participation in concepts in meaningful ways,
understanding of the content) academic tasks, such as such as conjunctions and time
“categorize”, “list”, describe”) markers)
Organisms Categorize Eats
Food web Trace Makes
Consumer Gets
Producer
Primary consumer
Secondary consumer
Tertiary consumer
Decomposer
Energy flow

Special Cross-Cultural Considerations for ELLs

In the extension portion of my lesson I will have students work on food webs from different areas of the
world. I will try to assign my ELL students to the biome from their home country. Furthermore, I will have
a map of the area and pictures of the animals that live in their home country.
MOTIVATION:
The teacher will…. The students will…
-Ask the students to list the organisms students -Call out names of organisms they see around their
have seen around the school and in their school and their neighborhoods.
neighborhoods. (Write organisms with (living -Connect their real life experiences with organisms
things) underneath it on the board.) to the content taught in the classroom.
-Have pictures of organisms common to their -Be able to define organisms.
climate attached to the board with magnets. -Identify local organisms.
-When the student names an organism (mouse, for
example) the teacher will write "mouse" on the
board and place a picture of it next to the name.
-The teacher will keep the number of organisms
mentioned to around 10, making sure to have
producers, consumers and decomposers.
-The teacher will help guide the students to answer
questions such as "what lives under the ground
and is wiggly?" (teacher can use gestures to
explain "wiggly")
-The teacher will also use differentiate questions:
yes/no; either/or; and information questions.
-The teacher will call for volunteers first, and then
call on specific students.
-The teacher will practice wait time.
Formative Assessment: The teacher will be able to judge where the student's language level on local
organisms is through this activity by ensuring an equal distribution of questions.

PRESENTATION:
The teacher will…. The students will…
-Continuing with using the board, define a food -Call out what organism eats what. (ex., the snake
web. eats the mouse)
-Call upon student to ask what animals eat what. -Students may come to the board and point where
The student may answer verbally or point between to draw the arrow.
animals. -Connect their real life experiences with organisms
-Draw an arrow leading from the organism getting to the content taught in the classroom.
eaten to the organisms which eat it; through this a
graphic depiction of a local food web will be
depicted.
-Finally, define the specialized vocabulary (i.e.,
producer, consumer, decomposer…) above, using
the graphic depiction created on the board. The
teacher will do this by writing the vocabulary next
to the organism it is defining.
-Practice wait time.
Formative Assessment: The teacher will be able to judge if the students are understanding food webs
through their participation and performance in creating a food web as a class on the board and be
ensuring that all students have the opportunity to come to the board and answer questions.
PRACTICE/APPLICATION:
The teacher will…. The students will…
-Hand out the foldable graphic organizer. (See -Write an example or fact for each of the
attached sheet) vocabulary words on the graphic organizer.
-Model how to use it (ex. The teacher will write -Draw a picture, chart or other visual aid to help
under knowledge connection for the vocabulary them remember the vocabulary.
"consumer," "A deer is a consumer because it eats -Be able to define the specialized vocabulary
grass." Then, the teacher will fold the organizer presented in the graphic organizer.
over so only the vocabulary word is seen with the
column labeled "visual." Now, the teacher can draw
a picture of a deer eating grass, with an arrow from
the grass to the deer.)
-While the students are completing the vocabulary
graphic organizer the teacher will walk around the
room answering questions and checking the
students work for comprehension.
-After the students have completed the activity on
their own, have them work with a partner to double
check their work and exchange ideas about
examples.
-The teacher will leave the class created food web
on the board so students may reference it.
Formative Assessment: The teacher will check the student's work to see if their examples or facts are
relevant and correct.

EXTENSION:
The teacher will….
-Assign students to groups of 3 or 4.
-Hand out, to each group, a blank poster and a
group of organisms (pictures with their English
name underneath it) from one country. There will
be a map of the country. Try to match the country
with a student from that country, if applicable.
Hand out glue and markers.
-Explain and write directions on the board:
-each group must work together to create a
food
web from your assigned country
-glue the organisms to the poster
-draw arrows from the organisms being
eaten to
the organisms eating it
-label each organism as consumer (primary,
secondary, tertiary), producer or
decomposer
-label what country it is from and include the
The students will…
-Work in groups of 3-4 to create a food web.
-take turns stating their ideas, defining the
organisms, and stating a reason for why they
believe it to be a consumer, producer, or
decomposer.
-Glue organisms to a poster.
-Draw arrows from the organism being eaten to
the organism eating it.
-Label each organism as consumer (primary,
secondary, tertiary), producer or decomposer, and
provide a reason using the targeted language
functions and forms.
-Label which country it came from and attach the
map to the poster.
-Present to the class. Each student must speak at
least once.
 map on your poster.
-present your food web to the class
-provide a reason for defining each organism
as
consumer (producer, etc) using the
language form
"because." (The shark is a secondary
consumer
because it eats fish that eat other fish.)
-Walk around class to help students with their food
webs and listen to students‟ use of language,
providing corrective feedback to ensure that they
are using the functions and forms appropriately..
Summative Assessment: The teacher will evaluate the presentations according to a criterion-based rubric
that rates the extent to which they demonstrate mastery of the content and language objectives and use
the results to design or modify the next lesson‟s objectives and activities.