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Minecraft EDU Lesson Plan

Content Science Unit 5 - Earth’s Systems

Week
Of /Date(s)
Prioritized 5-ESS2-1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere,
Standard(G and/or atmosphere interact.
SE/GA/etc)
Name of “A Case for Biodiversity”
Minecraft
EDU Lesson
● SWBAT differentiate between the Earth’s geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere,
lithosphere, and atmosphere.
● SWBAT make connections between the different parts of the geosphere.
Learning
● SWBAT define and list different types of biomes.
Objectives
● SWBAT define biodiversity and explain how it came about and its importance.

Lesson Materials Key Vocabulary

Teacher Resources: - Biodiversity

World File - Biome
- Geosphere
Manipulatives:
- Biosphere
Student Resources: - Lithosphere
Minecraft Education software - Hydrosphere
- Atmosphere

Essential Questions Student Exemplar Responses to the Formative

What is biodiversity?
How do humans affect biodiversity?
How does biodiversity affect humans?
How do the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and
atmosphere interact with each other?
Skills Needed (ex: collaborative)
Assessment Questions
Students answer the questions in full, detailed sentences
explaining at least 2 specific connections between 3
different -spheres (excluding their own). They have
properly defined each term and used both the terms and
their laymen meanings in their explanations.

Critical Thinking - Creativity - Communication - Citizenship

Lesson Sequence
Description of Activity: Scaffolding
Time: 30 minutes Suggestions
 The Techie Corner
Minecraft EDU Lesson Plan

1) Students will work in groups to write definitions to this lesson’s vocabulary terms.
Completed definitions will go in their science journals. (This is mostly a review.) (5 Each table mate must
minutes) research one term’s
root word and share
2) Students will work individually for 25 minutes to build an aquatic or terrestrial
that with the table to
biome and complete the following questions in paragraph form: help everyone grasp
a) What kind of biome is it? the “-sphere’s” specific
b) How is your environment part of the geosphere? How is it part of the features.
hydrosphere? How is it part of the biosphere?
c) How does your ecosystem interact with the lithosphere and atmosphere? Students are allowed to
discuss relevant topics
after the first 10
minutes of designing
Summary/Exit Activity Scaffolding
Time: 10 minutes Suggestions
1) Students will take the last 10 minutes of class to explore one other classmate’s
ecosystem and write a paragraph describing how their ecosystems could possibly As a table group, work
be interconnected. together to discuss
ways that all of your
environments could be
interconnected. Pick
one relationship and
write about your
findings.

Teacher