UNIT PLANNING TEMPLATE (modified by B.

Krynowsky from BC - SD #68)

Unit Planning Template (modified by B. Krynowsky from BC - SD #68)

(Take as much space as you need. This document expands as you type) Levi Johnson
Unit or Theme title/ unit or theme overview TITLE ___________________________Science Biomes Grade 4__________________________

All living things sense and respond to their environment.

Rationale: (context and why unit matters)

In previous science units students have investigated the seasons and changing climates on Earth. This unit builds on this by having students explore and learn about the
different animals, climates, locations and features of biomes. Following this unit, students will be studying plants and their importance to the environment.

Culminating tasks or events to celebrate or bring together the learning

For this unit students will be creating a biomes book. The biomes book will contain five biomes that they have learned about throughout the unit.

STAGE 1: Desired Results (what will students be able to understand? know? do? ( write ,say, do)

Core Competencies: ( big picture reminders )

Communication Thinking Personal & Social

Connect and engage with others (to share and Creative Positive Personal & Social Identity Well-being
develop ideas) Social Responsibility
Novelty and value Relationships and cultural contexts
Acquire, interpret, and present information
Generating ideas Personal values and choices Contributing to community and caring for
(includes inquiries)
Developing ideas Personal strengths and abilities the environment
Collaborate to plan, carry out, and review
Critical Personal Awareness & Responsibility Solving problems in peaceful ways
constructions and activities
Analyze and critique Valuing diversity
Explain/recount and reflect on experiences and Self-determination
Building relationships
accomplishments Question and investigate Self-regulation
Develop and design
 Big Ideas(curriculum) important/essential questions (create)

All living things sense and respond to their environment. What is a biome?
What plants and animals live in a forest biome? Where is it located?
What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a tundra biome? Where is it located?
UNDERSTAND

What is the climate like?

What plants and animals live in a taiga biome? Where is it located?
What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a grassland biome? Where is it
located? What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a desert biome? Where is it located?
What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a freshwater biome? Where is it
located? What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a marine biome? Where is it located?
What is the climate like?

Curricular Competencies: (skills)

Questioning and predicting: demonstrate curiosity about the natural world, make predictions based on prior knowledge.

Planning and conducting: make observations about living and non-living things in the local environment, suggest ways to plan and conduct an inquiry to find
answers to their questions.

Processing and analyzing data and information: sort and classify data and information using drawings or provided tables, compare results with predictions.

Communicating: represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety of ways, such as diagrams and simple reports, using digital technologies as
DO

appropriate.
 Content (learning standards):

Biomes as large regions with similar environmental features

KNOW

Biomes are regions grouped by similar temperature and precipitation (e.g., climate: long term weather patterns)

Terrestrial biomes

Aquatic/marine biomes

STAGE 2: Assessment Plan

Formative Assessment (for learning):

The following tools will be used for formative assessment: worksheets, maps and visual observation.

Summative Assessment (of learning):

Students will be creating their own biome books and handing them in. These biome books will be the tool used for summative assessment.

Stage 3: Learning Plan - a matrix model (below) is an efficient way to show unit lesson connections and general lesson
descriptions that connect to assessment for and of learning

Instructional Activities
Assessment
Learning Intentions/Curriculum Connections (scope and sequence, titles with brief lesson
( method /instrument and criteria/ standards)
description )

Lesson #1 What is a biome? Lesson #1 What is a biome? Lesson #1 What is a biome?

Lesson #2: Forest Biomes
What plants and animals live in a forest biome? Where is
it located? What is the climate like?
Lesson #3: Tundra Biomes
What plants and animals live in a tundra biome? Where
is it located? What is the climate like?
Lesson #4: Taiga Biomes
What plants and animals live in a taiga biome? Where is
it located? What is the climate like?
Lesson #5: Grassland Biomes
What plants and animals live in a grassland biome?
Where is it located? What is the climate like?
Lesson #6: Desert Biomes
What plants and animals live in a dessert biome? Where
is it located? What is the climate like?
Lesson #7: Freshwater Biomes
What plants and animals live in a freshwater biome?
Where is it located? What is the climate like?
Lesson #2: Forest Biomes
Lesson #3: Tundra Biomes
In this lesson students will be learning about tundra
biomes. Students will be writing a paragraph on the
tundra biome and drawing a picture of it. When
finished students will hand in their work.
Lesson #4: Taiga Biomes
Lesson #5: Grassland Biomes The lesson will begin
with students writing down what they think the
weather is like and the different plants and animals
they think live in grassland biomes. There will be a
class discussion on the predictions made. Students
will watch a video on grassland biomes. After the
video students will write a paragraph on grassland
biomes and draw a picture of the biome for their
biome books. Students will hand in the paragraph
and picture when finished.
Lesson #6: Desert Biomes
In this lesson students will be learning about desert
biomes through a power point presentation. Before
the presentation students will be given time to write
down the animals they think live in the biomes and
where the biomes are located. After the presentation
students will write a page for their biome books.
Students will write down the location, plants weather
Lesson #2: Forest Biomes
Lesson #3: Tundra Biomes
For this lesson tundra paragraphs and pictures will be
used for the assessment. The teacher will read the
paragraphs and assess the students on whether or
not they included the location, weather, plants and
animals of the biome. The teacher will look at the
pictures and assess the students on their accuracy.
Lesson #4: Taiga Biomes
Lesson #5: Grassland Biomes
For this lesson the grassland biome paragraphs will
be the tool used for assessment. The teacher will
read the paragraphs and assess the students on
whether or not they included the location, weather,
plants and animals of the biome.
Lesson #6: Desert Biomes
For this lesson the desert biome write ups will be the
tool used for assessment. The teacher will read the
write ups and assess the students on whether or not
they included the location, weather, plants and
animals of the biome.
Lesson #8: Marine Biomes
What plants and animals live in a marine biome? Where
is it located? What is the climate like?
Lesson #9: Review
What is a biome?
What plants and animals live in a forest biome?
Where is it located? What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a tundra biome?
Where is it located? What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a taiga biome?
Where is it located? What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a grassland
biome? Where is it located? What is the climate
like?
What plants and animals live in a desert biome?
Where is it located? What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a freshwater
biome? Where is it located? What is the climate
like? What plants and animals live in a marine
biome? Where is it located? What is the climate
like?
Lesson #10: Typing Pages
What is a biome?
What plants and animals live in a forest biome?
Where is it located? What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a tundra biome?
Where is it located? What is the climate like?
and animals of the biome on their page. Students will
draw a picture of the biome. The write up and picture
will be handed in when finished.
Lesson #7: Freshwater Biomes
Lesson #8: Marine Biomes
Students will be learning about marine biomes in this
lesson. Students will read an article on marine biomes
with a partner. After students read the article there
will be a class discussion on what was learned.
Following the discussion students will be creating a
marine page for their biome books. Students will
write the location, weather, plants and animals of
marine biomes in their write up. Students will also
draw a picture of a marine biome. The write up and
picture will be handed in when finished.
Lesson #9: Review
In this lesson students will be playing a review match
game with a partner. Students will have to sort and
match biome characteristic cards to the correct
biome. The teacher will go over the answers with the
students after they have completed the activity.
Lesson #10: Typing Pages
In this lesson students will be heading to the
computer lab to type up their write-ups for their
biome books. When students have finished typing
Lesson #7: Freshwater Biomes
Lesson #8: Marine Biomes
For this lesson the marine biome write ups will be the
tool used for assessment. The teacher will read the
write ups and assess the students on whether or not
they included the location, weather, plants and
animals of the biome.
Lesson #9: Review
The tool of assessment for this lesson will be teacher
observation. The teacher will observe the students
while they play the game to make sure students are
playing properly and demonstrating their knowledge.
Lesson #10: Typing Pages
The tool used for assessment in this lesson will be
teacher observation biome books. The teacher will
read the books and assessed to ensure that the
What plants and animals live in a taiga biome?
Where is it located? What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a grassland
biome? Where is it located? What is the climate
like?
What plants and animals live in a desert biome?
Where is it located? What is the climate like?
What plants and animals live in a freshwater
biome? Where is it located? What is the climate
like? What plants and animals live in a marine
biome? Where is it located? What is the climate
like?
Resources: Teachers Pay Teachers
they will print off the pages and assemble their biome students learned about the location, weather, plants
books. and animals of each biome.
Lesson #11: Biome Books Lesson #11: Biome Books
In this lesson students will be given time to finish The tool used for assessment in this lesson will be the
typing up their write ups in the computer lab. They biome books. The teacher will read the books and
will also have time to finish gluing their write-ups and assessed to ensure that the students learned about
pictures into their biome books. When students are the location, weather, plants and animals of each
finished they will hand in their biome books. biome.