Unit Title/Topic Habitats and Communities

Overall Science and Technology:

Expectations Habitats and Communities:
1. Analyse the effects of human activities on habitats and communities;
2. Investigate the interdependence of plants and animals within specific
habitats and communities;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of habitats and communities and the
relationships among the plants and animals that live in them.

French Immersion:
Listening:
A2. Listening to Interact: interpret messages accurately while interacting in French
for a variety of purposes and with diverse audiences.
Speaking:
B1. Speaking to Communicate: communicate information and ideas orally in
French, using a variety of speaking strategies and age- and grade-appropriate
language suited to the purpose and audience;
B2. Speaking to Interact: participate in spoken interactions in French for a variety
of purposes with diverse audiences.
Writing:
D1. Purpose, Audience, and Form: write in French in a variety of forms and for a
variety of purposes and audiences, using knowledge of vocabulary, language
conventions, and stylistic elements to communicate clearly and effectively;
D2. The Writing Process: use the stages of the writing process – including pre-
writing, producing drafts, revising, editing, and publishing – to develop and
organize content, clarify ideas and expression, correct errors, and present their
written work effectively.
Culminating Task Students will create a new exhibit for a Canadian species at risk as if they were a
biologist working at the Montreal Biodome. This will be done in the form of a
speech with a poster board visual companion. They will hand in their speech
afterward along with their “cahier de recherche”, which they will have
developed throughout the course of the unit.
Order Lesson Title/Focus
1. Evidence vs. Inference
2. Habitats and communities
3. Food chains
4. Biodiversity
5. Creating a community
6. Symbiotic relationships
7. Interactions between humans and the environment
8. Responsible Waste Management
9. Minimizing our impact on the environment
10. Species at risk

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 UNIT PLAN - Grade 4 Science and Technology – Prepared by Katherine Vieira Ferrao

Title of Unit: Habitats and Communities

Evidence vs Inference
Specific expectations:
o Habitats and Communities: 2.6
o French Immersion: A2.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3, D1.4, D1.6

Habitats and communities

Specific expectations:
o Habitats and Communities: 2.3, 2.5, 3.1, 3.4, 3.7, 3.9
o French Immersion: A2.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3, D1.4, D1.6

Food chains
Specific expectations:
o Habitats and Communities: 2.2, 2.5, 2.6, 3.2, 3.5, 3.6
o French Immersion: A2.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3, D1.4, D1.6

Biodiversity
Specific expectations:
o Habitats and Communities: 2.5, 2.6, 3.4
o French Immersion: A2.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3, D1.4, D1.6

Creating a community
Specific expectations:
o Habitats and Communities: 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.4, 3.5
o French Immersion: A2.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3

Unit Overview: Symbiotic relationships

Specific expectations:
o Habitats and Communities: 2.5, 3.4
o French Immersion: A2.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3, D1.4, D1.6

Interactions between humans and the environment

Specific expectations:
o Habitats and Communities: 1.1, 2.5, 3.1, 3.10
o French Immersion: A2.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3, D1.4, D1.6

Responsible waste management

Specific expectations:
o Habitats and Communities: 2.5, 2.6
o French Immersion: A2.2, B1.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3, D1.4, D1.6

Minimizing our impact on the environment

Specific expectations:
o Habitats and Communities: 2.5, 3.1
o French Immersion: A2.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3, D1.4, D1.6

Species at risk
Specific expectations:
o Habitats and Communities: 1.2, 2.5, 3.1, 3.3
o French Immersion: A2.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3, D1.4, D1.6

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Context:
(Where the unit is situated in
the year and cross-curricular
connections)
Summary:
(Summary of learning in the
unit)
Unit Guiding Questions:
(List of guiding questions)
Assessment For Learning:
(Summarize assessment for
learning in the unit)
Assessment As Learning:
(Summarize assessment as
learning in the unit)
Assessment Of Learning:
(Summarize assessment of
learning in the unit)
Planning for Student Learning © 2016 ETFO/FEEO
This unit will be situated at the start of Term 1 when the weather is warm enough
to facilitate outdoor learning.
Cross-curricular connection between Science and Technology and French as a
Second Language – French Immersion stream.
Students will develop a thorough understanding of the relationships between
plants and animals and the environment, as well as how humans rely on them.
Students will learn the role humans play in the preservation and degradation of
the environment, and analyze how to make informed and well-rounded
decisions in order to minimize their negative impacts and maximize their positive
impacts on the environment. Lastly, they will learn proper terminology related to
habitats and communities, and they will learn how to properly execute
established safety procedures when working with plants, animals, and natural
materials.
How do humans depend on plants, animals, and the environment, and how do
they depend on us?
What are our responsibilities to the environment as active members of our
community and as global citizens?
What responsibilities can we take on in order to stop our species at risk from
disappearing?
Assessment and Evaluation
o Exit cards (Appendix 3A) after each class that students fill out with their
name, one thing they understood or liked and some things that they
didn’t understand. They must also circle one of the following: “Tout
compris”,, “Moitié compris”, “Peu compris”, or “Rien compris” so the
teacher can make adjustments to the lesson accordingly. These exit
cards can either be glued or stapled to the same page that contains the
definitions/research/reflection for that particular lesson. A reflection
question will always accompany the final exit card for the lesson in order
for the student to develop their French vocabulary, and deepen their
understanding of the content presented in each lesson. The length of
these reflections will vary depending on the question and the time
allotted for reflecting, but 4-5 sentences will be the approximate
amount. The reflection question for each lesson is written in each lesson
synopsis in this unit plan.
o A “cahier de recherche” will be written in as a type of learning log for
the entire unit. It will include the guiding questions for the unit, definitions,
research findings, reflections, etc. This journal will serve as an assessment
tool that the teacher will use to monitor student learning and adjust the
speed at which the unit is progressing. It will also be evaluated
throughout the course of the unit using the self and teacher evaluation
control sheets (Appendix 3B). The “cahier de recherche” will be an
evolving documentation of each student’s learning throughout the
course of the Habitats and Communities unit.
o Self and teacher evaluation control charts will be used for every entry in
the “cahier de recherche”. The student will use it to ensure they’re
meeting the requirements for each activity and/or reflection. These
evaluation control charts may vary in accordance with the type of
writing the students are completing, but a basic template can be found
in Appendix 3B.
o Checklist located in the culminating task instructions. This checklist will be
used by the students to self-regulate their speech writing process, and it
will also be used by other students to assess another student’s
presentation.
o Self and teacher evaluation control charts will be used for every entry in
the “cahier de recherche”. The teacher will use it to evaluate the
student’s writing and content each week. These evaluation control
charts may vary in accordance with the type of writing the students are
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Lesson 1 – Title of Lesson:
(Description of lesson)
Lesson 2 – Title of Lesson:
(Description of lesson)
Lesson 3 – Title of Lesson:
(Description of lesson
Lesson 4 – Title of Lesson:
(Description of lesson)
Lesson 5 – Title of Lesson:
(Description of lesson)
Lesson 6 – Title of Lesson:
(Description of lesson)
Planning for Student Learning © 2016 ETFO/FEEO
completing, but a basic template can be found in Appendix 3B.
o Culminating task rubric (Appendix 2B) will be used to evaluate each
student’s final demonstration of their understanding of the concepts
presented in this unit.
Lessons
Evidence vs Inference
- See lesson plan (Appendix 1A)
Habitats and communities
- Students will discuss what they already know and what they’d like to
know.
- Students will learn appropriate terminology when discussing habitats and
communities.
- Students will learn and discuss differences between habitats and
communities.
- Students will create habitat wheels to illustrate different types of habitats.
- Students will learn how animals and plants rely on factors of their habitats
to survive and how their habitats provide those necessities.
- Students will learn and discuss the structural characteristics that animals
have adapted to possess in order to survive in their environment.
- Students will learn and discuss why habitats are limited to the number of
species it can accommodate.
- Exit card reflection for this lesson will ask students to describe one of their
own habitats, whether it be school, home, etc. and describe how it’s
also a community.
Creating a community
- Students will learn how to follow established safety procedures for
working with soils and natural materials.
- Students will analyze what factors need to be considered when creating
habitats and communities.
- Students will create a community with plants and worms, as well as a
habitat for a goldfish (hypothetically or literally depending on the school
regulations). The habitat and the community will be cared for daily, and
changes will be observed and recorded in each student’s “cahier de
recherche” weekly.
- Students will record every step of the activity as well as new vocabulary
in their “cahier de recherche”.
- Exit card reflection will ask the students to write what they would need in
their habitat and what they would need in their community.
Biodiversity
- Students will participate in an outdoor learning activity.
- Students will put a hula-hoop on the ground outside and record how
many different species they observe.
- Students will record their findings in their “cahier de recherche”.
- Exit card reflection will ask the students to compare their original
assumptions as to what they would find to their research findings.
Food chains
- Students will learn to classify organisms using proper terminology, eg.
omnivore, carnivore, herbivore, producer, decomposer, etc.
- Students will discuss humans’ place in the food chain.
- Students will create a food chains in their “cahier de recherche”
- Exit card reflection will be to create and label a food chain that begins
with the sun and ends with the student.
Symbiotic relationships
- Students will learn about mutually beneficial relationships between
organisms.
- Students will participate in cooperative activities that illustrate the
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Lesson 7 – Title of Lesson:
(Description of lesson)
Lesson 8 – Title of Lesson:
(Description of lesson)
Lesson 9 – Title of Lesson:
(Description of lesson)
Lesson 10 – Title of Lesson:
(Description of lesson)
Reflections:
Planning for Student Learning © 2016 ETFO/FEEO
concept of symbiosis.
- Exit card reflection will be about different symbiotic relationships that
humans can have and what symbiotic relationships the student has.
Interactions between humans and the environment
- Students will learn the impacts of development.
- Students will learn how humans rely on the environment for natural
materials.
- Students will discuss and learn how we can safely obtain those materials.
- Exit card reflection will be about building low-cost housing on a woodlot,
from the perspective of either the developer, the community, or the
family who will be living in the home.
Responsible waste management
- Students will learn the effects of pollution and improper waste
management on animals
- Students will learn about proper recycling and composting procedures
and discuss how they can implement them in their daily life
- Students will complete a trash audit and plan for a litterless lunch day
where they will perform another trash audit to see how they improved
- Exit card reflection will address the student’s estimate of what they’ll
observe at the next trash audit, and what waste management
procedures the students hope to implement at home and why.
Minimizing our impacts on the environment
- Students will use their knowledge from the “Interactions between
humans and the environment” lesson to analyze environmental cost and
risks of building developments.
- Students will prepare for and participate in a debate about building low-
cost housing on a woodlot from the perspectives of the developer, the
community, and the people who would benefit from the housing.
- Students will learn how to consider various viewpoints and potentially
come to an agreement on environmental issues.
- Students will record their debate material in their “cahier de recherche”.
- Exit card reflections for this lesson will be addressing how considering
different viewpoints affected the student’s original opinions.
Species at risk
- Students will learn about a few different Canadian plant and animal
species that are at risk in Canada and why.
- Students will learn categories for classifying species at risk and the
appropriate vocabulary.
- Students will analyze different reasons for the depletion or extinction of
an animal or plant species.
- Students will learn and discuss how animals can cause this in their own
ecosystem.
- Exit card reflection will be the student’s analysis of what would happen if
all of the current species at risk became extinct.
Listed within each lesson synopsis above.
Each exit card/reflection will allow the students to reflect on and deepen their
learning of each concept directly after every lesson. These reflections are a tool
the teacher will use to gauge how quickly they can move through a particular
lesson, gain insight on what methods of differentiation they need to apply, and
assess student learning as the unit progresses.
CHAPTER FIVE | UNIT PLANNING –TEMPLATE 3
 Appendix 1A
Lesson Plan - Evidence vs Inference

Subtask: Participate in activities that illustrate the difference between evidence and
inference in a scientific setting.

Timeline: 1 instruction period

Expectations addressed:
Overall Expectations: Habitats and Communities: 2. Developing Investigation and Communication
Skills, French Immersion: A2. Listening to Interact, B2. Speaking to Interact, D1. Purpose,
Audience, and Form

Specific Expectations: Habitats and Communities: 2.6, French Immersion: A2.2, B2.1, B2.2, D1.2, D1.3,
D1.4, D1.6

Learning Goals:
Success Criteria:
1. Student will be able to clearly identify the difference between evidence and
inference in scientific situations.
2. Students will be able to write in their “cahier de recherche” using proper terminology
from this lesson.

Assessment: “Cahier de recherche”: Everything they write down during the activities will be in
their “cahier de recherche”, and there will be a chance to reflect after the lesson is
complete in the form of an exit card. This journal will serve as an assessment tool that the
teacher will use to monitor and adjust the speed at which the unit is progressing. This will be
an evolving documentation of each student’s learning throughout the course of the Habitats
and Communities unit.
“Exit Cards/Reflections”: Students will answer questions given by the teacher after every
lesson in their “cahier de recherche”. Each Exit Card will follow the same structure, but the
reflection questions for each lesson can change based on the learning goals for a particular
lesson. (See Appendix 3B for exit card)

Opportunities for Descriptive Feedback: In each student’s “cahier de recherche”, the

teacher will provide personalized feedback on their observations and learning for this lesson.
This feedback will include goals to work towards in terms of their vocabulary use and
reflection content, as well as anything they should continue doing in further journal entries.

Resources:
Differentiation: If there are gifted students, they can create their own skill-testing situations
illustrating evidence vs. inference to test their classmates with. If there are students who are
having difficulty participating in the “Deux Coins” activity, they can be provided with a
whiteboard for them to hold up with their answer, or they can team up with someone else in
order to discuss the answers and ease the pressure of deciding on an answer alone.

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Accommodations/Modifications (ELL, IEP): Extended time on activities, lightened workload,
human or digital transcription assistance, quiet workspace or noise-cancelling headphones,
flexible seating, enhanced teacher support.

Beginning/Engagement (10-15 minutes): Class will begin with a diagnostic discussion of what
the students already know about evidence and inference. In order to give the students a
goal to keep in mind, the teacher will tell them that deciphering between evidence and
inference is a skill they will need to use throughout this entire unit. The teacher will then write
the definitions of evidence and inference on the board so that the students can record
them in their “cahier de recherche”.

Middle (20-25 minutes): Students will have most likely given facial expressions, feelings,
and/or emotions as examples of evidence and inference, since they should have already
learned about these concepts in their English or Language arts classes. Before the first
activity, it’s important to ask the students how we have to look for examples of evidence
and inference differently in science. Advise students to pay attention to the environment,
food, and different animals in mind while watching Piper (Appendix 3C).
Students will also participate in a “Deux coins” activity, using examples from Piper, that
will help them practice judging between scientific evidence and scientific inferences. The
teacher will label one side of the room “preuve scientifique” and the other side “inférence
scientifique”. Referring to the list of examples of evidence and inference in Piper (Appendix
3D), the teacher will say one to the class, and the students must determine what they think it
is an example of by going to the side of the classroom assigned to that answer. Once
everyone has picked their answer, 2 volunteers from each side explain their rationale for why
they picked that side, and then the teacher says the right answer and explains why it was
either evidence or inference.

Wrap-up (5 minutes): Everybody goes back to their seat and the teacher picks students to
summarize what they learned today in key points.

Reflection (10-15 minutes): Students will fill out their exit cards and complete a 3-4 sentence
long reflection on the question: “Quels sont d’autres types des preuves et des inférences
qu’on peut voir avec les animaux en générale?”

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 Appendix 2A
Culminating Task
For this culminating task, each student will be creating an exhibit and presenting it to the
class as if they are a biologist at the Montréal Biodome. Each student will be in charge of
choosing a Canadian species at risk and hypothetically creating the perfect habitat for it.
Each student will be given a poster board to create a 3-4 minute visual and oral presentation
that will be carried out in front of the class.
Students are welcome to use the Service Ontario Publications Species at Risk resources (free
from the Service Ontario Publications website) to choose their topic species and gather
information. Technology will also be provided to the students to do research and write out
their speech.
The speech will be written first and the poster board will be decorated to bolster the
information presented and illustrate the habitat simulation.
Students must keep in mind their role and their target audience when writing their
presentation. It’s imperative that they use the vocabulary that has been presented in the
unit thus far, so their “cahier de recherche” will be a useful resource.
In their speech, each student must include all criteria from the following checklist:
o Name of the species
o Where the species lives in Canada
o What the species eats and what eats that species (food chain)
o Any other animals in this species’ community and any symbiotic relationships it has
o Why the species is at risk
o A description of the perfect habitat exhibit
o What we need to do to protect/help this species

After the first draft, each student will pair up with another and present their speeches. Peer
evaluations will be done using the above checklist, as well as with a copy of the rubric
(Appendix 2B). Afterward, the teacher will be meeting with each student to have a mini 1-2
minute conference about what the student learned from the peer evaluation and what
changes they will be making.
The poster board must be decorated in such a way that would attract patrons to come see
this new exhibit and each picture should reinforce the information presented in the speech.
Each student will be allowed 1 page worth of picture printing from the computer lab, but
they are encouraged to cut and paste pictures from magazines in order to save paper and
be more environmentally friendly. They will also have markers and crayons available with
which to write and decorate the rest of their board.

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Both the speech and the poster will be handed in after the presentation to be evaluated.

Appendix 2B
Culminating Task Rubric:
Niveau 1 Niveau 2 Niveau 3 Niveau 4
Connaissance et L’étudiant montre L’étudiant montre L’étudiant montre L’étudiant montre
compréhension une connaissance un peu de une connaissance une connaissance
limitée de connaissance de substantielle de complète de
l’espèce en péril. l’espèce en péril. l’espèce en péril. l’espèce en péril.
Pensée critique L’étudiant illustre 2 L’étudiant illustre L’étudiant illustre 5 L’étudiant illustre
nécessités ou seulement 3 à 4 nécessités dans la plus de 5
moins dans la nécessités dans la simulation de nécessités dans la
simulation de simulation de l’habitat. simulation de
l’habitat. l’habitat. l’habitat.
L’étudiant
L’étudiant ne L’étudiant renforce ses idées L’étudiant
renforce pas ses renforce ses idées avec une bonne renforce ses idées
idées avec la avec un peu de quantité de avec beaucoup
recherche. recherche. recherche. de recherche.
Communication Le déroulement Le déroulement Le déroulement Le déroulement
des phrases est des phrases est un des phrases est la des phrases est
saccadé. peu fluide. moitié fluide. complètement
fluide.
L’étudiant L’étudiant L’étudiant
communique au communique au communique au L’étudiant
public visé avec public visé avec public visé avec communique au
une efficacité un peu une efficacité public visé avec
limitée. d’efficacité. substantielle. un haut degré
d’efficacité
Vocabulaire L’étudiant utilise L’étudiant utilise 4 L’étudiante utilise L’étudiante utilise
moins de 4 mots à 6 mots de 7 à 10 mots de plus de 10 mots
de vocabulaire vocabulaire vocabulaire de vocabulaire
enseigné dans enseigné dans enseigné dans enseigné dans
l’unité. l’unité l’unité l’unité
Application et La présentation La présentation La présentation La présentation
contenu est moins de 2 est 2 à 3 minutes. est 3 à 4 minutes. est 3 à 4 minutes.
minutes.
L’affiche est une L’affiche est bien L’affiche est très
L’affiche est demie décorée, décorée et la bien décorée et
presque vide et et les photos moitié des photos toutes les photos
les photos ne renforce un peu renforce les idées renforcent les
renforce pas les les idées de la de la idées de la
idées de la présentation. présentation. présentation.
présentation.
Voix et La voix est La voix est La voix est claire La voix est claire
intonation incompréhensible presque et montre et montre

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 et monotone pour incompréhensible d’émotion beaucoup
la moitié de la et montre peu pendant la moitié d’émotion
présentation. d’émotion. de la pendant toute la
présentation. présentation.

Appendix 3A

Appendix 3B

Planning for Student Learning © 2016 ETFO/FEEO CHAPTER FIVE | UNIT PLANNING –TEMPLATE 3
 Appendix 3C

Piper Short Film link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twpPSbP1Oa0

Appendix 3D
Liste des situations des preuves et des inférences dans Piper:
1. Les bécasseaux ont des jambes longues. (Preuve)
2. Les bécasseaux n’aiment pas l’eau. (Inférence)
3. Les bécasseaux manger seulement les mollusques. (Inférence)
4. Les bernards-l’ermite peuvent protéger eux-mêmes de l’eau. (Preuve)
5. Les mollusques peuvent s’enfouir dans le sable. (Preuve)
6. Les bécasseaux vient sur la plage. (Inférence)
7. Piper est une bébe bécasseau. (Inférence)

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 Appendix 4A
Rationale
I created this unit plan with the model of backwards design, illustrated in our reading by
Wiggins and McTighe, in mind. I began the first step of identifying the desired results (Wiggins
& McTighe, 2005) by reading the front matter of both the Science and Technology and FSL
curriculums in order to come up with my guiding questions for the unit, and then I analyzed
the overall expectations to create the culminating task. This culminating task quickly
became a passion project for me, and I knew it was something the students would be
engaged in and excited for as well. Once I had the culminating task and determined
acceptable evidence of learning (2005), I looked at the specific expectations I needed to
cover within my lessons in order to scaffold the students’ learning and give them the tools
they will need to complete the culminating task.
I made the first lesson about learning and developing their skills of addressing scientific
evidence and making inferences because I knew that is a skill they would need to possess
for this entire unit. Then I analyzed how each lesson would flow into the other in terms of skills
and concepts they share, and I slowly but surely created a type of ladder for learning. I
made sure to keep the lessons simple in terms of material I set out to cover so that I can
shorten the lessons or add onto them depending on the feedback I obtain from the
assessments the students complete throughout the lessons.
I wanted to design a unit where constant monitoring would reveal any gaps in my
teaching, which is why each lesson has assessments for learning so that the students can
explicitly describe what they’re able to understand and what they need more help
understanding. This formative assessment, according to Dylan Wiliam in his video “Dylan
Wiliam: Formative assessment”, gives the teacher the feedback they need to make
adjustments to their teaching in order to improve student achievement. He also stresses the
importance of constant assessment and constant readjustment to your teaching. That is why
I kept each lesson as broad as possible, without sacrificing quality of content, in case at any
point in time I need to change the focus to a different concept or different way of teaching
entirely. I also made sure that these assessments accompanied reflections to questions that
force the students to take the conceptual knowledge they gained during the lesson and put
it into hypothetical action. I did this hoping that it will move students towards a deeper
understanding of the content as well as steer their minds onto a path of inquiry for future
lessons.

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 Works Cited
Educationscotland. “Dylan Wiliam: Formative assessment.” Youtube. July 15, 2016.
Accessed 17 November, 2017.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013). The Ontario curriculum grades 1‐ 8: French

Immersion

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2007). The Ontario Curriculum grades 1-8: Science and
Technology

Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.

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