EDFS 5205 Lesson Plan

Instructions: Complete this form for 2 days of one unit. Each day should have its own format.
Do not write “repeat for day 2”.

Unit Title: Biological Diversity

Grade Level/Course: 9th Grade - Environmental Science

Standards/Objectives: SEV1d. Evaluate claims, evidence, and reasoning of the relationship

between the physical factors (e.g., insolation, proximity to coastline, topography) and
organismal adaptations within terrestrial biomes.
❖ I can identify terrestrial biomes.
❖ I can describe organismal adaptations characteristic of organisms that live in terrestrial
biomes.
❖ I can describe the physical factors (insolation, proximity to coastline, and topography) of
terrestrial biomes.
❖ I can explain the relationship between the physical factors of a terrestrial biome and
organismal adaptations.

Essential Questions:
❖ How are the plants and animals similar/different in each biome? Characteristics to
consider might include size, diversity, modifications to prevent water loss or to endure
changes in seasonal or daily temperature changes.
❖ What physical factors are unique to the biome?

Resources Needed:
❖ Do Now google slide prepared
❖ Printed project instructions and rubric
❖ Technology for researching project information
❖ Exit Ticket slide prepared

Means of Collecting Data/Checking for Individual Understanding (provide detail and

variation):
❖ Do Now questions
❖ Walking around to check the required research to make sure students are on track and
are finding the needed information
❖ The day after this, the students would be showing their videos, and they would be
graded based on the rubric provided to them.

Means of Providing Tailored Feedback to Individuals (provide detail and variation):

❖ I would respond to each student’s Do Now information after they turned it in at the end
of class.
❖ I would be walking around to speak with individual students and groups if needed
regarding the research they are doing, if they are doing it correctly, and if it is complete.
 ❖ Groups would have to have approval from me that the research is thorough and
complete before they would be allowed to begin setting the scene, writing the script, or
videoing.

How is this lesson culturally responsive? What specific research-based elements have you
included to focus on cultural and linguistic responsiveness?
❖ This lesson involves students working in groups to which I assign them. These groups
will be a mix of grade averages, cultures, and personalities.
❖ Allowing the students to share with the class what they may have learned from their
relatives about their cultures or traditions lets them know their heritage and
experiences and values matter to our class as a whole, and we can all learn new things
and celebrate those differences. This will help students feel more confident and valued
which in turn helps them learn and grow.

What cultural funds of knowledge might your students contribute to this unit? How will you
incorporate these funds of knowledge?
❖ This entire unit is about biological diversity, so as we go through this unit I will continue
creating warm-ups that ask students to share more about their own lives, interests, like
and dislikes, talents, strengths and weaknesses, and families so we can learn about the
diversity in our own classroom as we learn about the diversity in the world as a whole.
This is a great time to build more of a sense of classroom community as we learn more
about each other, grow together, and respect each other more as we learn.

Lesson Plan with Time Stamps:

8:15 - 8:20
Do Now Activity = With their partners from yesterday, students will share their answers from
the conversations they had with their relatives (this was their homework from yesterday.)
8:20 - 8:25
Brief Discussion of Do Now = Teacher will allow different students to share traditions or meals
their grandparents or other relatives told them about.
8:25 - 8:50
Group research of required items on instructions before making video = Students will be doing
work for their Biome Vacation Project at this time. Required items for them to research are as
follows:
❖ Name of biome
❖ Locations of biome around the world
❖ Average inches of yearly precipitation
❖ Average temperature range
❖ 3 plants in the biome
❖ 3 animals in the biome
❖ Adaptations that plants and animals have in order to survive in the biome
❖ 3 activities that a person on vacation could do in the biome
❖ 3 things you would need to pack for a trip to the biome
The teacher will be walking around during this time to answer questions, help with problem
areas, and provide individual or group feedback on the research being recorded.
8:50 - 9:25
Groups will begin creating settings if needed, creating google slide presentations, and arranging
information to record video. They will have part of the class time tomorrow to finish and/or edit
their videos before they present.
9:25 - 9:30
Students will complete the exit ticket question posted on the board “List and describe 1 book, 1
food or recipe, and 1 tradition you learned about today that you didn’t know about before.”