Name: Abby Laughlin

Title: Wants VS. Needs

Grade: K-2
Subject Area: Science
Length of lesson: 30-45min

1. NEW MEXICO ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARD(S):

LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Plants depend on water and light to grow. (2-LS2-1)
K-LS1-1: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and
animals (including humans) need to survive.
2. OBJECTIVE(S):
Objective(s)
Students will be able
to identify what
humans need to
survive through
discussion/table talk.
Students will be able
to create a T-Chart to
demonstrate the
differences between
needs to survive and
comforts of life.
Students will be able
to distinguish
between needs and
comforts in a cut and
paste activity.

What Students will

learn
Students will learn
what humans (living
things) need to
survive such as
water, sunlight, food.
Students will learn
the difference
between and need
and a comfort to
surviving.

I Can . . . statement

Students will learn

how to demonstrate
knowledge gained by
completing the cut
and paste activity.

I can glue the picture

in the correct place.

I can tell you that I

need ___,____._____ to
live.
I can write which
words/items belong in
which column on my T
chart.

3. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
What do living things need to survive on a daily basis?
4. LESSON SUMMARY:
This lesson will begin by asking students a simple question.
What do we need to survive versus what are comforts in life that we
have? The students will discuss this question in their table groups
(demonstrating table talk). They will then come whole group after 1015 minutes and the teacher will project/draw a T Chart on the board.
One side of the T Chart will have Needs the other will have Comforts.
The students will take turns raising their hands giving examples of
what they came up with. If there are discrepencies the class will

discuss and figure out where the item belongs. This conversation
should last about 20 minutes. The students will then transition to a cut
and paste activity. The teacher will pass out the sheet and give
instructions about materials, directions, and expectations. If students
do not finish they will be able to take this activity home to finish for
homework.
5. RESOURCES:

White board/projector
Dry erase markers/pens
Scissors
Glue sticks
Science journals

6. LESSON COMPONENTS:
a.

INTRODUCTION/ READINESS

Teacher: I need chocolate to survive! I will just wilt away to nothing

without it!
Do you guys think I will die without chocolate?
Students: NOOOO!
Teacher: But I LOVE chocolate! I need it!
Students: You wont die!
Teacher: But I want it! It makes me feel better. Its my favorite!
Teacher: So you guys say I can survive without chocolate? Are there
things I cant survive without?
b. DIRECT INSTRUCTION (I DO)
Teacher: Dont tell me yet! If I can survive without chocolate, I
dont need it, right? But it is something that I want. It is something that
makes Ms. Abbys life better. Are there other things that we have in our
lives that we dont need, but we are used to? Something that makes us
feel comfortable or makes our life easier?
Students: Bed, house, blankets, ect!
Teacher: Those are all great ideas!
We are going to do some table talk now. I am going to draw a TChart on the board. (or overhead projector). On one side of my T-Chart
I am going to label it NEEDS TO SURVIVE. On the other side I am going

to write COMFORTS OF LIFE (makes our life easier/better). Your job is to

talk in your table groups and discuss what we need to survive and
what are something that just make our life better/easier.
How do we table talk? Should we all talk at once?
Should I go over and tell Bella all of my ideas and not let her
talk?
Or should I say one thing I think, and let Bella see if she agrees
or not and tell me one thing she thinks? Remember we are a
community of learners. I think that each row can be a table group. So
we will have a total of 5 groups. Remember that every one needs to
have a chance to talk. It is your job to take notes and write down your
ideas so we can come back together and share our ideas on the TChart.
c. GUIDED PRACTICE (WE DO)
Once students are broken into their table talk groups, the
teacher will monitor all discussions, checking in with each group to
make sure there is 100% participation. Students should be taking notes
in their journals so they can be reminded of their discussion when the
students are brought back whole group. The students will have 10-15
minutes to talk and generate ideas.
Once the students have finished table talk, the teacher will gain
everyones attention at the board. (123 all eyes on me, 456 our eyes
are fixed).
Teacher: Great table talk everyone! Now that we have some
idea we are going to fill out our T Charts together. I am going to pass
out a T chart to everyone. As you can see your T Charts look just like
the one that Ms. Abby drew on the board (or has on the over head). As
a group, we are going to give our examples and decide which column
our ideas go in. If we cant decide where it goes, we will have to think if
we would die without it or if it just makes our life easier. We all have to
raise our hands. Once you are called, you can tell Ms. Abby one idea
and we will figure out which column it goes in.
Your job is to write in your own T Chart so we each have a copy
to refer back to. Does anyone have any questions?
d. INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (YOU DO)
Teacher: Okay class. Now that we have our list of what
essentials are that we need to survive, you get to work on a cut and
paste handout. You can use your science journal notes you have taken
to complete the cut and paste activity if needed. I am going to ask my

classroom helpers to please go grab the bucket of scissors and the

bucket of glue sticks. I am going to come around and pass out the cut
and paste activity. Once you get your cut and paste activity, please
wait until you have all your materials for further instructions.
(Teacher will also write directions on the board. 1. Gather all
materials (handout, scissors, glue sticks)
Teacher: Once you have all your materials, how will I know your
activity is yours?
Student A: Put our names on it!
Teacher: That sounds like wonderful idea. Remember students,
if your name is not on your paper, Ms. Abby does not know it belongs
to you. (2. Write your name)
Teacher: Once your name is on the hand out, you will cut out
the pictures. If you think that the picture belongs in the NEEDS column,
please glue the picture in that column. If you think that the picture
belongs in the COMFORT column, please glue the picture there.
Remember, needs are what we HAVE TO HAVE in order to survive.
Comforts are things that can MAKE OUR LIVES EASIER/BETTER, but we
can survive without them. (3. Cut out pictures. 4. Glue in correct
column)
Teacher: If you need help, please work as a group to problem
solve where the picture goes. If you cant figure out as a group, Ms.
Abby can come around and help out as well. My 1, 2, 3s please
remember that you are role models for the Ks. If you see them doing
something incorrectly, or not following directions help them. We are a
learning community, which means that we have to work together. If we
do not have any questions, you all may start.

e. CLOSURE
Teacher: Wonderful job today everyone! I know we are out of
time for NRG (science) today, so if you have not finished your cut and
paste activity, you can finish it tonight at home! Tomorrow there will be
an entrance ticket on what we talked about today. Remember,
entrance and exit tickets are not given to make you nervous. If you do
not know the answer, that just shows me what we need to

review/cover more! As long as you try your best, that is all I can ask
for.
f. ASSESSMENT
Students will be assessed on the knowledge they gained through
an entrance ticket given the next day before the second lesson of the
unit. This entrance ticket will ask them to name (or draw for the Ks)
two things that living things need to survive. Once all students have
finished the entrance ticket, the teacher will collect them and bring the
students together whole group and talk about acceptable answers.

Name: Abby Laughlin

Title:Energy Transfer!
Grade: K-2
Subject Area: Science (NRG) Length of
lesson: 30-45min
1. NEW MEXICO ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARD(S):

LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms

All animals need food in order to live and grow. They obtain their food
from plants or from other animals. Plants need water and light to live
and grow. (K-LS1-1)
LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Plants depend on water and light to grow. (2-LS2-1)
Plants depend on animals for pollination or to move their seeds around.
(2-LS2-2)
2. OBJECTIVE(S):
Objective(s)
Students will be able
to explain what all
living things have in
common as well as
why they need to eat.
Students will be able
to create a food chain
demonstrating how
energy flows between
living things.

Students will be able

to identify when
energy is being used
in a food chain.

What Students will

learn
Students will learn that
living things all need
to eat, have access to
water, sunlight, and
oxygen.
Students will learn how
the food chain is made
of
producers/consumers,
that energy is passed
from one living thing
to another. Energy is
never ending.
Students will learn that
sun gives plants
energy, which allows
animals to feed off
plants. When smaller
animals get eaten by
bigger animals, and
the waste from these
animals goes back into
the soil so more plants
can grow.

I Can . . . statement
I can tell you that all
living things need
food, water, oxygen,
and sunlight to live.
I can fill in/ draw a
food chain.

I can show how

energy moves from
one living thing to the
next.

3. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
How does energy flow between living things?
4. LESSON SUMMARY:
Students will begin the lesson by review what they have learned from
the day before. (What all living things need to survive such as food,
water, air, and sunlight). After reviewing the information from the day
before, the students will watch a short video on Food Chains. The
students will watch the video once, all the way through just start to
take in information. The second time the teacher will pause the video
multiple times to talk about the concepts the video is explaining. The
students will have a handout to fill out that will act as their notes. They
will be responsible for listening for the important info on their handout.
After completing the handout, the students will move into a hands-on
activity. This activity will allow the students to observe how energy
transfers from one living organism to the next. To close out the activity,
the students will complete an exit ticket to demonstrate their gained
knowledge.
5. RESOURCES:

Crash Course Kids YouTube Video (Food Chain Composition)

Handout (notes) for video
Pencils
Laminated cards with students roles
Newspaper

6. LESSON COMPONENTS:
a. INTRODUCTION/ READINESS
Teacher: Yesterday we talked about what living things need in
order to survive. Can anyone name those things?
Students: Water, oxygen, sunlight, food!
Teacher: Fantastic! What do humans eat? Give specific examples.
Students: Meat, cheese, milk, bread.
Teacher: Where do all of these things/ingredients come from? Are
they just made out of thin air?
Students: No, they come from other living things such as animals
and plants.
Teacher: Lets find out more about this in our video!
g. DIRECT INSTRUCTION (I DO)

Teacher: We are going to watch this video once through and just
watch it. Listen for information you think is going to be important.
Listen for vocabulary, ideas, and things you have questions about!
Students will watch the video once through. Remind students of proper
video etiquette such as; quietly listening, sitting still, listening for
vocabulary/interesting facts.
Teacher: Now that we have watched it once through, what are things
you might want to learn more about?
Allow students to give multiple examples/ideas from the video. Write
these on the board so you can refer to them as the video is played
through again.
h. GUIDED PRACTICE (WE DO)
Teacher: I am going to play the video again. This time, I am going to
give you a sheet of notes. As we go through the video, listen for these
questions and other we have written on the board so that we can stop
and talk about them. Who would like to read the questions so we all
know what we are looking for?
Students will watch the video again. The teacher will stop the video at
small increments to answer questions. The teacher should be
reminding the students to listen for the questions on their papers so
that they can fill out the information as they go. If the teacher has to
rewind the video as they go so they can hear the information again,
the teacher should do so. This should be a constant discussion with
multiple restates from students to check for understanding.
i. INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (YOU DO)
Teacher: So our last question on our handouts is about how energy
transfers from one living organism to the next. You all are going to get
to demonstrate how that energy is transferred right now! There are a
lot of directions, and this is a fun activity. Remind yourself how your
body should be. Our ears should be open, our eyes should be on the
board for directions, and we should be quiet until the activity starts.
I am going to draw 5 popsicle sticks. Those five students are going to
come up and demonstrate how energy transfers from one organism to
the next. Each student will have a role. I have a card with a sun, plant,
mouse, snake, and hawk on them. The sun will transfer energy to the
plant, the plant will transfer energy to the mouse, and so forth. The
energy is this crumbled up newspaper. The sun will grab as much

energy as they can and run over to the plant as quickly as possible
to transfer the energy. The plant will run to the mouse and transfer
energy as quickly as possible to the mouse, and so forth.
(Teacher Directions)
1. Divide students into groups with five members.
2. Give each student a card with a picture on it to place around
his/her neck. Have students line up in order as they would
appear in a food chain. (Sun- Plants- Mice- Snakes- Hawks)
3. The Sun will take a large armful of energy (pieces of
newspaper) from the box.
4. At the command of Go the Sun (holding energy in arms) will
race to the plant and transfer the energy into the plants arms.
Some of the energy will fall to the ground.
5. The plants, in turn will race with the energy to the next
consumer and transfer the energy.
6. Each food chain member in turn receives the energy and
transfers it to the next food chain member until the end of the
food chain is reached.
7. Students should be encouraged to transfer the energy to the
end of the food chain as quickly as possible.
8. At the end, students should remain in place with the energy in
their arms. On the ground should be progressively smaller piles
of energy and the person at the end of the food chain should
have only a handful of energy.
After all the students have been able to complete the activity, the
students will talk about how the energy transferred. Make sure the
students talk about how the energy got consistently smaller. Talk about
why the energy on the floor is not waste.
a. CLOSURE
Teacher: Wonderful job today class! We now know that all energy is
used. There is no such thing as lost energy. Energy can be food, light,
heat, and waste. Animals depend on one another and the environment
around them to survive. The sun starts the chain, which allows plants
to grow, where small animals and insects can feed off the plants, and
so forth. Tomorrow we will learn how else the environment or
ecosystem can effect the living things that live in it.
b. ASSESSMENT

Students will receive an exit ticket. This exit ticket will assess what
students processed through the lesson. They will have to demonstrate
the cycle they performed in the activity. The assessment will show the
teacher whether the students were able to understand how energy
transfers from one living organism to the next and how all energy has a
job within the ecosystem.

Name: Nazsoni Otero

Title:Buddy Ecosystem
Grade: K-3
Subject Area: Science (NRG)
lesson: 30-45min

Length of

3. NEW MEXICO ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARD(S):

LS2.D: Social Interactions and Group Behavior

Being part of a group helps animals obtain food, defend themselves,
and cope with changes. Groups may serve different functions and vary
dramatically in size (Note: Moved from K2). (3-LS2-1)
2. OBJECTIVE(S):
Objective(s)
Students will be able
to define environment
and organism and
discuss the
differences and
similarities

What Students will

learn
Students will learn the
difference between
environment and
organism

Students will be able

identify organisms
and parts of the
environment in an
ecosystem

Students will learn

how to identify
organism and parts of
the environment

Students will be able

to create an
ecosystem with both
organisms and parts
of the environment

Students will learn

that ecosystems need
both organisms and
an environment to
sustain life

I Can . . . statement
I can tell you that
environment are the
non living things in an
ecosystem and
organisms are the
living things in an
ecosystem
I can show you an
organism in a picture
and parts of the
environments in a
picture of an
ecosystem
I can make an
ecosystem

3. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
How does energy flow between living things and how does an
ecosystem show this flow?
4. LESSON SUMMARY:
Teacher will start the class by projecting a picture of an ecosystem.
This picture will have both environment and organisms visible. The
teacher will ask the students what an environment is? What is an
organism? The class will have a brief conversation about the two. Once
they have discussed the difference between the
two, the students will list what they see in the projected picture and

decide what is part of the environment and what is an organism. (15

min)
Activity- Buddy Ecosystem (Preferably Ks paired with higher grades)
Students will be able to create their own ecosystem. Their ecosystem
can be real or make believe. They have creative freedom in this project
as long as they understand what place each organism has within their
food chain as well as how the environment allows life. They have to be
able to explain their ecosystem and how life is sustained. (30 Min/take
home for homework)

5. RESOURCES:

2 Pictures of an Ecosystem
Projector
Construction Paper
Glue Sticks
Scissors
Colored Pencils/Markers/Crayons

6. LESSON COMPONENTS:
a. INTRODUCTION/ READINESS
Teacher: Yesterday we talked about how energy is transferred and
food chains. Can someone share something they learned yesterday?
Students: We all eat.
Teacher: Fantastic! Why do humans eat?
Students: Food gives us energy
Teacher: Exactly! And the food chains show how the energy is
transferred. Today we are going to learn about organisms and
environment, but first I want us to look at en ecosystem.
Project the ecosystem
Teacher: Can someone point to something living in this ecosystem?
(call on a couple students to point to different parts of the
ecosystem)
Teacher: Can someone point to something not living in this
ecosystem? (call on a couple students to point to different
parts of the ecosystem)

1. DIRECT INSTRUCTION (I DO)

Teacher: You all did a wonderful job of pointing to the different parts of
the ecosystem. When you pointed to the living parts of the ecosystem
you were pointing to the organisms in the ecosystem. Can someone
give me an example of an organism in this ecosystem?
Student: Deer
Teacher: Yes! The deer the perfect example of an organismthey are
alive. When you pointed to the nonliving parts of the ecosystem you
were pointing the different parts of the environment in the ecosystem.
The environment includes the things that surround the living
organisms. Can someone give me an example of a part of the
environment in this ecosystem?
Student: The lake
Teacher: Yes! The lake is the perfect example of the environment. Now
I am going to project another ecosystem and I want you to work with
your table group to list as many organisms and parts of the
environment.
c. GUIDED PRACTICE (WE DO)
The teacher will project another ecosystem on the board. The students
will work with their table group to list as many organisms and different
parts of the environment, while the teacher walks around and monitors
their understanding of the two terms. Provide the students with about
5-7 minutes, then bring the class together again.
Teacher: Okay, I would like each group to share two organisms and
one part of the environment they found in the ecosystem with the
whole class. (Call on the first table and continue until everyone has a
chance to share.)
d. INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (YOU DO)
Teacher: Now that everyone knows what organism and environment
means, we are going to create our own ecosystems that include
different organisms and parts for an environment. You will work with
your buddy to create one ecosystem together. These ecosystems can
be something that you would really find on earth, or they can be made
uplike an outer space one with aliens. You will have to explain which
organism is at the top of the food chain and who is on the bottom in
writing at the end. You will also need to be able to identify the different
parts of the environment in writing. (Write the directions on the board)
Kindergartners will all be paired with an older buddy to help with the
writing process.

Provide the students with paper, markers, crayons, and colored pencils.
This activity will take about 20 minutes.
e. CLOSURE
Teacher: Wonderful job today class! We now know that organisms and
their environment are essential in ecosystems. The organisms are
included in the food chain. Tomorrow we will do more with what learned
about organisms, environments, food chains, and ecosystems.
f. ASSESSMENT
Students will turn in their write up that goes with their ecosystem. The
write up includes naming organisms and their place in the food chain.
They will also list at least two parts of the environment.

Name: Nazsoni Otero

Title:Ecosystem
Grade: K-3
Subject Area: Science (NRG)
lesson: 30-45min

Length of

1. NEW MEXICO ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARD(S):

LS2.D: Social Interactions and Group Behavior

Being part of a group helps animals obtain food, defend themselves,
and cope with changes. Groups may serve different functions and vary
dramatically in size (Note: Moved from K2). (3-LS2-1)
LS2.1: Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Construct an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model. (3-LS2-1)
2. OBJECTIVE(S):
Objective(s)
Students will be able
to create an
ecosystem with both
organisms and parts
of the environment
with the whole class
Students will defend
where they put their
organism in the
ecosystem based on
the food chain

What Students will

learn
Students will learn
that ecosystems
need both organisms
and an environment
to sustain life

I Can . . .
statement
I can make an
ecosystem

Students will learn

how to identify
organism and parts
of the environment
and how their
placement affects
the food chain

I can show you that

an organism on the
bottom of the food
chain will hide from
an organism on the
top of the food
chain.

3. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
How does energy flow between living things and how does an
ecosystem show this flow?
4. LESSON SUMMARY:
Big Group Ecosystem- The teacher will provide the materials for the
students to be able to demonstrate their gained knowledge over the
last week in a hands-on interactive activity.
The teacher will lay out a very large piece of construction paper. The
students will be given large cut outs of all the parts of the ecosystem.
They will have to decide as a whole group where each piece lays on
the ecosystem.
They will have a worksheet to answer 4 questions as well:

1)
2)
3)
4)

Name two parts of the environment

Name two organisms in your ecosystem
Who is on the top of the food chain? Who is on the bottom?
Where does the energy start in your ecosystem?

5. RESOURCES:

Individual pictures of each organism in the ecosystem

(enough for each student)
Large piece of paper (background of ecosystem) (big enough
to be hung up on the wall)
Tape
Worksheet with 4 questions
Pencils

6. LESSON COMPONENTS:
a. INTRODUCTION/ READINESS
Teacher: Yesterday we made our own ecosystems. In our
ecosystems we had to include some important things, what were
those things?
Students: Organisms and their environment!
Teacher: Fantastic! What is an organism?
Students: The living things in an ecosystem
Teacher: Exactly! And what is an environment?
Student: The nonliving things that surround the organisms in an
ecosystem
Teacher: Yes, that is correct! What is part of the environment, but
is also the top of the food chain?
Student: The sun!
Teacher: Yes! All the energy in our food chain starts with the sun.
Today, we are going to make an ecosystem together as a whole
class!
a. DIRECT INSTRUCTION (I DO)
Teacher: The ecosystem will be an underwater ecosystem, like the
ocean. We will have different organisms for each person and you will
get to decide where to place the organism on the ecosystem. You will
have to tell us why you placed the organism there and talk about
where it is in the food chain. If someone disagrees, they can raise their
hand and we can have a discussion about whether we need to change
the placement or not. Once everyone agrees, we will tape the
organism down to be apart of the ocean ecosystem.

I am going to need everyone to form a circle around the blue piece of

paper that is acting as our water for the ecosystem. Is the water an
organism or part of the environment?
Student: Environment
Teacher: Yes! The water is part of the environment. I am going to pass
out all the pieces that go with our ecosystem. Once everyone has a
part, we will go through the pieces and make sure everyone knows
what they have.
b. GUIDED PRACTICE (WE DO)
The teacher will proceed to pass out all the pieces. Once everyone has
a piece the teacher will call on one student to start and say what piece
they have and whether it is an organism or part of the environment.
The next student will do the same and this will continue until everyone
has had a chance to share. Once everyone has had a chance to share
what they have, the student that started will decide where to place
his/her piece in the ecosystem. After placing the piece, s/he will explain
why s/he placed it there and where in the food chain it falls. Then we
will open up the room for discussion, to agree or disagree. Once
everyone agrees, the piece will be taped to the ocean and the next
student will go.

c. INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (YOU DO)

Teacher: Now that everyone has had a chance to place their piece on
the ecosystem, you are going to answer four questions about this
ecosystem. Second and third graders will write their answers in full
sentences and kinders and first graders will draw pictures and write
what they can. Kinders can have help from teachers to write the
answers under the pictures.
Pass out the worksheets and pencils. This activity will take about 10-15
minutes.
d. CLOSURE
Teacher: Wonderful job today class! We can now make ecosystems all
on our own and explain where the organisms go in a food chain.
e. ASSESSMENT
Students will turn in their worksheet that goes with their ecosystem.
The write up includes:

1)
2)
3)
4)

Name two parts of the environment

Name two organisms in your ecosystem
Who is on the top of the food chain? Who is on the bottom?
Where does the energy start in your ecosystem?