Drexel Lesson Plan Template

Lesson Plan Format

Teacher: Jennings
Grade: 9 -12
Content Area: Environmental Science

1. Content and Standards: BIO.B.4.2.4, BIO.B.4.2.5

2. Prerequisites: Students should know the definition of limiting factor, carrying

capacity, and have an understanding of how populations grow (reproduction in both
sexual and asexual organisms). Additionally, they should understand the difference
between weather and climate and recall information about succession.

3. Essential Questions: How do human actions disrupt the stability of ecosystems?

(this is the question that overarches many areas within the course)

4. Materials and Equipment: PPT (guide the lesson and to review limiting factors +
vocabulary), Video overview on Tragedy of Commons, (HW – which was reading an
intro of tragedy of the commons and pages from front line book), worksheet with data
table and analysis questions. Goldfish and candy fish if possible. Paper pond, ‘fishing
rods’, boats for the fish,

Instructional Objective:
After reading text for HWK and a whole class discussion on the potential impacts of limiting
factors students will participate in a mini experiment on open access and collect data after
each 15 second fishing trip

Following the mini experiment on open access, students will complete analysis questions
and engage in discussion on problems with open access and limiting factors on populations
IOT connect activity to human impact.

5. Instructional Procedures: List instructional strategies and learning experiences that

are in alignment with the objective(s). Include information about what teaching
strategies you will use to engage students. Include information about what type of
technology, manipulatives, etc. you will use to facilitate students meeting the
objectives.
- Prior to lesson: Homework with reading + activation of prior lesson exponential
growth, carrying capacity, trophic levels. (from frontline book and blurb on tragedy
of the commons overview, posted on GC)
- Opening: Review prior knowledge: using Would you Rather question - Do Now:
Would you rather be a decomposer, producer, or consumer? Why did you make this
choice?
- Guided Mini Lesson: Review Limiting Factors (make sure notes are on squares) +
connect to real application of each, then video opening to tragedy of the commons
 (students should ask questions that they think are relevant to activity that we will
do)
- Mini Experiment: Complete 15 second rounds of fishing to demonstrate actions of
communities with open access. Write numerical data and observations of
“countries” to use to help with analysis
- Class Discussion: Data review and what we could have done better or worse. (if
class is small, longer discussion time)
- Analysis Questions: Students take notes, use data to respond, will be completed for
HWK.
- Fist to Five (Reflective Closure): Do you understand open access? Connection to
limiting factors

6. Assessment: Class discussion on tragedy + analysis questions, should be looking for

students to make connections to challenges of open access based on their behaviors,
students will be able to answer analysis questions effectively.

7. Differentiated Instruction: Many of the things I naturally do, and the smaller sizes o
my classes (20-28 vs. 33-35) allow for differentiation. For this assignment I will
continue to allow students to demonstrate knowledge through verbal responses and
use of both electronic and paper submissions. Additionally, students can take pictures
of their work for submission. Available to students are guided charts and questions for
students to organize notes as well as to keep track of information (observable data
from mini experiment). Given the mixed attendance recently the class size and student
temperament can be unpredictable due to recent events at and around school, as a
result it is important to be prepared to navigate/pivot to more teacher facilitated
conversation by asking each analysis question for response.