Molloy College

Division of Education

Lesson Plan
Student: Nicole Amato Professor: Rickey Moroney
Course: EDU 527 Date: August 8, 2018
Grade: 2 Content Area: Science

Topic: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

After reading Who Needs a Desert? by Karen Patkau, and Let’s Visit the Tundra by Jennifer

Boothroyd, students will participate in a classroom discussion about the similarities and

differences between the two ecosystems. Students will demonstrate understanding by making

observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats through

working individually to complete a worksheet and a Venn diagram. Students will be graded on

both the worksheet and their completion of the Venn diagram based on a teacher designed rubric

and must score a 15 out of 20.

NYS-NEXT GENERATION / +NYS STANDARDS AND INDICATORS

New York State Science Standards

Key Idea:
2-LS4-1 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Key Concept:
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
 There are many different kinds of living things in any area, and they exist in different
places on land and in water. (2-LS4-1)

Indicator: This will be evident when students are able to identify the difference between
the arctic tundra and the desert ecosystems and the different plants and animals that live
in each environment.

Next Generation ELA Standards:

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
2SL5: Include digital media and/or visual displays in presentations to clarify or support ideas,
thoughts, and feelings

Indicator: This will be evident when the students use the computer program Inspiration
to present their understanding of the information from the readings.

INSTE STANDARDS

Empowered Learner
 Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and
demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences

Knowledge Constructor
 Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct
knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for
themselves and others

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES

 Who Needs a Desert? by Karen Patkau

 Let’s Visit the Tundra by Jennifer Boothroyd
 Ecosystem Worksheet
 Computers with Inspiration program
 SMARTboard

MOTIVATION

The teacher will tell the students they are getting a polar bear as a class pet. The students will be
prompted to give example of why a polar bear could not live in the same environment that they
do.

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES
(Including Key Questions)

1. The teacher will tell the students that she wants to get a pet polar bear for the classroom.
This will prompt a conversation about different things polar bears need in their environment.
(What does a polar bear need to survive? Could a polar bear survive in the same
environment we do? What makes a polar bear different than the animals you see in the
ecosystems around you?)
2. The teacher will tell the students that they will be learning about two different ecosystems:
deserts and arctic tundra. (What do you know about deserts? What do you know about the
artic? What plants live there? What animals live there? What is the weather like there?)
3. The teacher will read aloud Let’s Visit the Tundra, by Jennifer Boothroyd. The teacher will
ask questions about the reading. (What did we learn about the arctic tundra? What types of
 plants grow there? What animals live there? Could we live there? How is it different from
where you live?)
4. The teacher will read aloud Who Needs a Desert? by Karen Patkau. The teacher will ask
questions about the reading. (What did we learn about deserts? What types of plants grow
there? What animals live there? Could we live there? How is it different from where you
live? How is this environment different than the other?)
5. In a teacher facilitated classroom discussion, the teacher will ask students to reiterate the
main ideas of the books with focus on similarities and differences between the tundra and
desert ecosystems.
6. The teacher will model how to create a Venn Diagram. She will model using the
SMARTboard to project the program Inspiration on the board.
7. The teacher will assign students to computers. Students with a computer will complete the
Venn diagram. Students without a computer will complete the worksheet until a computer
becomes available.
8. After all of the students have completed the worksheets and the Inspiration Venn diagram,
the teacher will collect them to be graded.
9. The teacher will explain what the students will be completing for homework

INSTRUCTIONAL STATEGIES

 Discussion
Indicator: This will be evident when students discuss the similarities and
differences between the arctic tundra and deserts.

 Modeling
Indicator: This will be evident when the teacher models by example how to
complete the Venn diagram on the Inspiration computer program.

 Independent Practice
Indicator: This will be evident when students complete the Venn Diagram and
worksheet independently.

ADAPTATIONS

 ELL students will receive support and guidance from teacher and classmates. The teacher
will review and provide extra support of key terms.
 For speech and language students, the teacher will provide visual representations during
instruction. The teacher will also review and repeat any information for the student.
 For students with learning disabilities, the teacher will address IEP accommodations and
goals, as well as meet the specific learning needs of each students.

DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION

The teacher is aware that not all of her students learn in the same way, time, space, etc. The
teacher will adapt the lesson as she sees fit for her students as needed.
Auditory Learners: In order to adapt the auditory learners, they will be able to listen to the class
discussions. They will also listen to the reading of the story. The teacher can read aloud the
completed Venn Diagram for these students. This student will also have the option to have the
questions on the worksheet read to them.

Visual Learners: In order to adapt visual learners, they will be able to look at the clues and see
them organized in the detective note. The teacher can also recreate the font, font size, and design
of the worksheet and evidence to fit the visual learner’s needs.

Kinesthetic Learners: In order to adapt to kinesthetic learners, students will be able to move
around the classroom while completing their task. This child will be permitted to stand during
classwork.

ASSESSMENT

 The teacher will assess the students by collecting the completed Venn Diagram (10
points) and the completed worksheet (10 points) and grade them together using a teacher
created rubric on a 20-point scale.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

 For homework, students will be asked to draw a picture and write a fact about either the
arctic tundra or the desert. The students will be expected to use at least 2 accurate facts in
their pictures and writing.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES: DIRECT TEACHER INTERVENTION AND ACADEMIC

ENRICHMENT

Direct Teacher Intervention:

 For students who need extra support meeting the learning objective, under direct
intervention with the teacher, will review content from the lesson by re-reading the books
and stopping throughout to check for understanding. The teacher will work with the
student to strengthen understanding and to identify the key similarities and differences of
the different environments. The teacher will provide the student with a chart that clearly
indicates the key information and provide the student with a smaller copy of the Venn
diagram or chart. The teacher may also provide the student with a voice recording of the
books read during class.

Academic Enrichment:

 Students will be encouraged to complete the activities on the Weebly website. They will
also be encouraged to read the further reading suggested by the teacher on the website.
 TEACHER ARTIFACTS

Name:

Part 1: Fill in the blank using the word bank and what you learned today (1 pt. each)

WORD BANK

Cactus Rain Tundra

Ecosystem Cold Water

1. All of the living and non-living things working together is called an .

2. A is a plant found in the desert.

3. Both the Tundra and the desert have very little .

4. Penguins and polar bears are animals found in the .

5. The tundra is very .

6. Animals in the desert must live with very little .

Part 2: Write in the answer for each question. (2pts. each)

7. Write one fact about the desert.

8. Write one fact about the tundra.

 REFERENCES

Boothroyd, J. (2016). Let’s visit the tundra. Lerner publications.

E. (n.d.). What is an ecosystem? Retrieved from https://eschooltoday.com/ecosystems/what-is-

an-ecosystem.html

Ecosystems - Geography for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://kidsgeo.com/geography-for-

kids/ecosystems/

Gorgone, J. (n.d.). Habitats, biomes, forests, ecosystems, trees, wood, woodland, world, weald,
holt, frith, firth, organisms, plants, animals, year of the forests. Retrieved from
http://www.planetpals.com/habitats.html

Patkau, K. (2014). Who needs a desert?: A desert ecosystem. Toronto, Ontario: Tundra Books.

World Biomes and Ecosystems. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.ducksters.com/science/ecosystems/world_biomes.php
Ecosystem Venn Diagram/Worksheet Rubric
CATEGORY Weight for Each Category 4 3 2 1
Accuracy X3 (up to 12 points available) 95% or more of the 94-85% of 94-85% of Less than
assigned structures the assigned the assigned 85% of the
are drawn structures are structures are assigned
accurately and are drawn drawn structures
recognizable. All accurately accurately are drawn
assigned structures and are and are AND/OR
are labeled recognizable. recognizable. labeled
accurately. All assigned 94-85% of accurately.
structures are the assigned
labeled structures are
accurately. labeled
accurately.

Knowledge X3 (up to 12 points available) When asked about When asked When asked When
Gained items in the Venn about items about items asked
diagram, the in the Venn in the Venn about items
student can identify diagram, the diagram, the in the Venn
90 percent or more student can student can diagram,
of them accurately. identify 80-90 identify 70-80 the student
of them percent of can identify
accurately. them 70 percent
accurately. or less of
them
accurately.

Labels X2 (up to 8 points available) Every item that Almost all Most items Less than
needs to be items (90%) (75-89%) that 75% of the
identified has a that need to need to be items that
label. It is clear be identified identified need to be
which label goes have labels. have labels. identified
with which It is clear It is clear have labels
structure. which label which label OR it is not
goes with goes with clear which
which which label goes
structure. structure. with with
item.

Spelling X2 (up to 8 points available) All words are All common 75% of the Fewer than
spelled correctly in words are words are 80% of the
the title, labels and spelled spelled words are
caption/description. correctly in correctly in spelled
the title, the title, correctly in
labels and labels, and the title,
description. description. labels, and
1-2 scientific description.
words may
be
misspelled.