Lesson Plan

Grade: 11 Class: Grade 11 U/C Preparation SVN3M

Subject: Science Length: One 75 minute period

Title: Salmon Energy

Overall Expectations Learning Expectations
 B. Scientific Solutions to Students will learn:
Contemporary Environmental
 In ecosystems death represents a
Challenges
transfer of energy that benefits the
whole ecosystem
 Every part of the ecosystem has a role
to fulfill
 Species that migrate have a large
impact on all of the ecosystems that
they interact with (interconnectedness)
 Systems in nature can be complex and
not so simple


Specific Expectations
 B1.1 Analyse, on the basis research, social and economic issues related to a particular
environmental challenge (e.g., overfishing, deforestation, acid rain, melting of the polar
ice cap) and to efforts to address it
 B3.2 Describe how scientists use a variety of processes (e.g., environmental impact
assessments, environmental scans) to solve problems and answer questions related to the
environment

 B3.5 Describe a variety of human activities that have led to environmental problems
(e.g., burning fossil fuels for transportation or power generation; waste disposal) and/or
contributed to their solution (e.g., the development of renewable sources of energy;
programs to reduce, reuse, and recycle)

Success Criteria (Design with Students)

I can: Understand the role that salmon have on land and ocean based ecosystems
I can: Understand entropy and the role it plays in ecosystems
I can:
Assessment For, As, Of Learning
Achievement Chart Categories: Knowledge and understanding, thinking, communication, application
Assessment Type Assessment Mode: Assessment Strategy Assessment Tool
Written, Oral, Specific Task For student
Performance
Assessment For Oral Discussion Observation sheet
Assessment As Oral Discussion Notes
 Assessment Of
Prior Learning
 Interconnection of species and biospheres
 Interdependence of land-based and ocean-based systems
 Understand the effects that humans have on the environment
 Salmon Spawning
Cross Curricular Links
Phys-Ed
Vocabulary
 Biodiversity
 Spawning Zone
 Resource Extraction
 Entropy
Teaching/ Learning Strategies Groupings
 Role playing game  Assigned roles for game
 Active learning
 Discussion
Resources: Teacher Materials Resources: Student Materials
 Rope to mark distinct zones of  Running shoes
influence  Water bottles
 T-shirts to mark characters
 Poker chips or some material to be used
for lives
Development of Lesson
Activities in sequence
1. Students will be taken outside to a field and assigned a role (salmon, bear, Orca, or eagle)
2. The salmon will have to make it up the river to the spawning zone without being caught by
the other characters.
3. Each of the other characters will be assigned a zone that they will stay within and attempt to catch
the salmon characters
 Salmon: must Run from the Ocean to the Spawning Grounds without being caught by any
of the different predators
 Orca: to catch the Salmon by touching them (Salmon) with their head
 Eagle: to catch the Salmon by touching them (Salmon) with their feet
 Bear: to catch the Salmon by wrapping them (Salmon) in a bear hug

4. Once the Salmon reaches the spawning zone they will drop off their poker chip into the
bucket and return to the start and go again.( Each poker chip left at the spawning zone
represents a salmon egg. The goal of the activity is to see how many salmon eggs can be
deposited in the spawning zone in ten minutes. Students will switch up roles)
5. Eventually when students have gone through a few roles a Dam will be introduced that will
represent the human impacts on the ecosystem (e.g., recreational fishing, resources
extraction).
6. After another couple rounds have class come together and discuss major point of the lesson
 1. How do other species use energy from dead salmon?
2. How is the whole forest affected?
3. How is this energy transferred?
4. Once the salmon reach their destination and spawn what happens to them?
5. What does this activity say about biodiversity?
6. How is this natural flow of energy disrupted by humans?

Student Evaluation
 Students will answer debriefing questions and connect the game with the salmon
spawning lesson taught previously.
Modifications/ Adaptions
1. Repeating or rephrasing information
2. If necessary work in alternate environment
3. If necessary allow students to sit out and rest

Reflection