SCIENCE EDUCATION LESSON PLAN FORMAT rev 11.

20
Names Makayla Warren, Kailee Hornstein, Rene Peralta Subject Biology
Unit Name: Ecology (ecosystem interactions)
Unit Name and
Unit Driving Question: How does this feeding Week
Driving to
frenzy phenomenon, specifically the grouping of
Question
behavior of anchovies, sustain a community?
Anchoring Phenomenon: Feeding frenzy consists of a multispecies interaction.
Anchoring
Anchoring Activity: You are a marine biologist trying to figure out why the sardine industry began to collapse post
Phenomenon or
2007 and the impacts the collapse will have to the ecosystem
Design Problem While watching the feeding frenzy video, write down notes on what you observe, what organisms you see, what are
(with Anchoring the organisms doing, and any questions that have arisen after watching the video.
Activity for the
unit)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHeZrLnY3Dk )

HS-LS2-1: Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect
carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.
NGSS Performance
Expectation
HS-LS2-2: Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors
affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.
Provide the Standard and Element(s) that Students Will
Where in the lesson can this be found?
be Engaging In
LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
 Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are
limits to the numbers of organisms and
populations they can support. These limits
result from such factors as the availability of
living and nonliving resources and from such
challenges such as predation, competition, and
disease. Organisms would have the capacity to
produce populations of great size were it not
for the fact that environments and resources
are finite. This fundamental tension affects the LS2.A: When they begin their initial model, they can show
abundance (number of individuals) of species in the relationship between organisms (which organisms are
any given ecosystem. eating other organisms) and can make initial inferences
about how organisms interact outside of the scope of the
Disciplinary Core LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience video
Ideas (DCIs)  A complex set of interactions within an
ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of LS2.C: They can formulate an initial hypothesis as to what
organisms relatively constant over long periods may happen if the sardine population increases or
of time under stable conditions. If a modest decreases
biological or physical disturbance to an
ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more or
less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is
resilient), as opposed to becoming a very
different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in
conditions or the size of any population,
however, can challenge the functioning of
ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat
availability.
 In the think pair share, a question will be presented
Using Mathematical and Computational Thinking
Science and regarding the size of the sardine population. Students can
 Use mathematical and/or computational
Engineering make inferences about how the population size of sardines
Practices (SEPs) representations of phenomena or design
may affect the numbers of the other organisms involved in
solutions to support explanations.
the feeding frenzy.
Modeling
Epistemic  developing and using models
Practice(s)  asking questions
(Bundled SEPs)  constructing explanations
 using mathematical or computational thinking
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
Briefly touch upon population size and how populations
Cross Cutting  The significance of a phenomenon is dependent
are affected through interactions between species (this
Concepts (CCCs) on the scale, proportion, and quantity at which
will be brought back up in the final lesson).
it occurs.

3D Learning Students will identify ecosystem dynamics/relationships by engaging in a think-pair-share about the observations
Objective (Lesson- and create an initial model of the food web after watching the anchoring activity video about an oceanic feeding
Level Learning
frenzy.
Expectation)
Lesson-Level
Phenomenon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHeZrLnY3Dk ) *this is the anchoring phenomenon link*

Connections to RST.11-12.1 - Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important
other standards distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.
(CCSS ELA, CCSS
Math)
WHST.9-12.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/
experiments, or technical processes.

Target Vocab to be
food web, ecosystem, organism, carrying capacity
Developed

LESSON
The 5E Model
TEACHER DOES STUDENT DOES
Video + notes
Think/ink-pair-share
Explore
Engage
Teacher explains they will show a video without the
Students watch the video and take notes on what they
sound and contents of the video will be explored over
observe. Students use given questions to guide their note
the next several weeks. (2 min)
taking.
Lesson Intro
(Engage) Teacher plays video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=DHeZrLnY3Dk ) Length: 3:23.
TIME: 20 minutes

Explain
Think/ink-Pair-Share questions: What role does the
sardine population have in the video? What would
Students engage in the think-pair-share individually, with a
happen if the population of sardines
partner, and as a class.
increased/decreased significantly? What would
relationships between the organisms look like outside of
this video? (15 min)
Lesson Body create initial model of food web Students meet with their group members physically or in
(Explore, Explain, breakout rooms. Students use sketch paper or digital
Elaborate) Teacher divides students into groups of 2-4. Teacher platforms (google slides/docs/zoom draw to create initial
asks students to draw up/sketch an initial model of the models of the ecosystem they observed in the video. Each
 student will use a different color marker or font color to
ecosystem they observed in the video. (20 min)
TIME: 20 minutes
add their work.
share initial models

Teacher goes from group to group looking over group

initial models. Teacher has students explain their models
and the teacher asks questions about the models.
Students explain their models to the teacher as a group.
Example questions: Why did you choose to include that
Students answer questions the teacher asks when learning
organism? How are you depicting the relationship
more about their initial models. Students store models
Lesson Closure between organisms? Tell me more about why you chose
somewhere in class or keep track of models for online
(Evaluate) to illustrate the ecosystem in this way? Teacher makes
formats.
sure each group member is participating.
TIME: 15 minutes
Elaborate
Evaluate
**Gallery walk with sticky notes or padlet/jamboard
Teacher then asks students to keep track of these initial
**Provide sentence starters for student sentence frames
models and informs them they will be returning to these
models in the future.

Teacher collects video notes as an exit ticket.

ASSESSMENT

HOW IT INFORMS
FEEDBACK STRATEGY
TYPE PURPOSE IMPLEMENTATION TEACHING

Read all the exit tickets to

check for student
Student observations Students will be taking interpretations of the
written in the form of down notes as they are introductory video. Write Teachers can get an idea for
notes from the anchoring watching the feeding frenzy additional notes for clarity students’ prior
Entry Level video. This will help to video based on guided on the students’ tickets and understandings to
assess prior student questions, then turn in can also review major ecosystem relationships.
understandings of these notes/observations as
observations with the
ecosystem dynamics. an exit ticket for the day.
whole class the following
day.

Gauge students Students interact in a think Listen in on students

understanding of pair share about what is
interdependent going on in the feeding
PM (Formative)
relationships between frenzy and ask questions
organisms in an about potential
ecosystem. interactions.
Summative Initial model will express Students will observe the
ecosystem relationships video on the feeding frenzy
in a visually engaging and can begin a model to
way. represent the feeding
frenzy. Students can use
organisms directly involved
and organisms not
represented in video that
may be involved.
sharing with their
classmates and clarify
points that are being
misunderstood/misguided.
Since it is an initial model,
some students may mis-
construct their food web or
represent the
interdependent
interactions as very linear.
If this occurs, we can
scaffold questions to get
students to look at food
webs in a more intricate
way.
Teachers can see how
abstract the students’ ideas
are and if they stem from
prior knowledge.
How students begin their
initial model can represent
exactly what they took
away from the lesson and
what topics may be hard for
them to understand. Some
students may have
organisms interacting that
do not normally interact.
Again, scaffolding will be
the biggest tool in the
 proceeding revisions of the
model.

Students with Special

English Learners Striving Readers Advanced Students
Needs
No sound on for video,
strictly visuals are used in
the beginning of this Provide a scaffolded
Will not be given a
lesson. template for their initial
Prompted questions and template, these students
DIFFERENTIATION model. They can use this
initial model directions are can be asked more
Think(ink)-pair-share template when engaging in
read out loud to the advanced questions while in
gives students time to conversation with their
students. the closure part of the
reflect individually, with a group members and taking
lesson.
partner, and then as a notes for the video.
class which can ease the
process.
Materials Needed Materials needed: projector screen, laptop or computer to play the video, paper for in class models, different colored
and Links to markers.
Instructional
Resources Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHeZrLnY3Dk
This first lesson is meant to introduce students to ecology by allowing them to first observe a real-life example of an
interacting community, then assess the interactions through building an initial model of a food web. Students will be
learning the vocabulary concepts as we go through the lesson plan activities. Student Assessment will be done
continually throughout the lesson and in a variety of modes, including listening to student conversations, reading
student thoughts, in their work on the initial models, and in the way the students provide peer feedback to one
another. Each student in a group will also use a different colored marker to show the teacher how everyone is
Reflection, contributing. A challenge that may arise is in students’ initial models of their food webs. Students may oversimplify the
Summary, ecosystem dynamics, resulting in a partial understanding of content material and the misunderstanding of trophic
Rationale, cascades. To address this possible challenge, a model template will be provided for students that need guidance, then
Implementation the students will do peer reviews of each other’s initial models to provide feedback or clarification. Before the
students begin providing this feedback, they will be presented with sentence structures in order to explain their initial
models to the class. The teacher can give guided questions depending on what specifically needs work and the
students can voice their thought process out loud in case something was missing on the model. Students can
strengthen their own understanding as they listen to their peers’ model explanations, give feedback to their peers,
and receive feedback from both their peers and teacher. Any remaining gaps in student understanding can then be
addressed specifically during these explanations and reviews at the end of the lesson.