Running Head: SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 1

Elementary Science Lesson Plan

Allison Curran

EDUC 5473 Science for Elementary Children

Dr. Shaunda Wood

October 18th, 2017

SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 2

Title: Exploring Habitats, Populations, and Communities

Date: October 18th, 2017
Topic: Habitats and Population
Intended Grade: Grade 4 (Four)
Length of the lesson: Two Lessons (50 minutes each) and a Field Trip to Ducks
Unlimited Wetlands in Fredericton.

NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards

Kindergarten: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: Animals, Plants, and Their
Environment
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 3

Grade 3: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

Both the Kindergarten: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: Animals,

Plants, and Their Environment and Grade 3: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Next Generation Science Standards would be applicable to the teaching of Habitats and
Populations.
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 4

New Brunswick Science Curriculum Outcomes:

Topic: Life Science: Habitats and Populations
GCO: The students will learn how to successfully identify habitats, populations, and
communities, as well as learn what they can do to help protect and preserve them.
SCO: The specific curriculum outcomes for the unit Habitats and Population are listed
below. The students are expected to:
• Use the terms habitat, population, and community in appropriate contexts (104-6)
• Identify questions to investigate about the types of plants and/or animals at a local
habitat, and the conditions under which they live. (204-1)
• Identify various methods for finding answers to questions related to the local
habitat, and select one approach that is appropriate (204-6)
• Make observations and collect information related to local habitats and their
associated populations of plants and animals (205-5, 302-1)
• Identify their own and their families’ impact on habitats, and describe how
personal actions help conserve habitats (108-6, 108-3)
• Compile and display the data collected during the habitat study using tallies,
tables, and/or bar graphs (206-2)
• Present the procedures used during the habitat study and the results obtained,
compare these results with those of other class members, recognizing that results
may vary, and suggest explanations for these discrepancies (104-4, 206-2)

Learning Objectives: After completing the unit/lessons on Habitats and Populations,

from the Grade 4 NB Science Curriculum, the students will be very knowledge about the
environment. The students will explore and investigate the lives of plants and animals
that live locally, as well as explore and investigate the impact of plants and animals on
the environment. Students will also ask and be able to answer important questions, such
as: how to treat the things that they encounter? Do they make sure to not leave behind
any garbage? What steps can they take to make sure that their local habitats and animals
are protected? The students’ investigation of animals, plants, as well as population, will
make them aware of what they can do in regards to their impact on the environment,
which will make the unit and learning it more meaningful.

Materials: The following table contains the materials that will be needed for each
activity, as well as where they are located.

For which activity: Materials: Locations:

• Ducks Unlimited
Wetlands Field Trip
• Learning about
• Make sure that the • The returned
permission slip that permission slips are
was sent home last located on the top
week has been left hand corner of
returned before the the teacher’s desk.
students can go on
the trip.
• Video/song on • Can be found on
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 5

habitats habitats YouTube. The link

is also provided in
the lesson.
• Journal Writing • Journals • Each of the students
should have their
composition
journals located in
their desks.
• Journal Writing • Pencils and erasers • Pencils and erasers
are located in
baskets, which are
located on the
shelves next to the
group of students.
• Ducks Unlimited • Rain boots and • Students have been
Wetlands Field Trip jacket told, on the
permission slip, to
become prepared for
the field trip,
including rain boots
and jackets.
• Ducks Unlimited • Animal Research • Copies have already
Field Trip Activity sheet been made and are
located on the
teacher’s desk, on
top of the
permission slips on
the top left hand
corner. There is also
a copy located
towards the end of
the lesson plan, if
reference is needed.
• Recap on habitats, • Matching worksheet • Copies have already
populations, and been made and are
communities. located on the
teacher’s desk, on
top of the
permission slips on
the top left hand
corner. There is also
a copy located
towards the end of
the lesson plan, if
reference is needed.
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 6

During the Lesson

Engagement (Hook):
What the teacher will do: What the students will do:
DAY ONE (15 minutes)
• Start the first Science class off by
playing a game of 20 Questions, and
the topic for this game is animals.
o 20 Questions is a guessing
game, where the guesser has
20 questions to guess. The
questions have answered
with either a “yes” or “no”.
• The first game will be teacher vs.
students. The teacher’s animal for • The students will ask the teacher 20
the first round will be a polar bear. “yes” or “no” questions and try to
o Polar bear descriptions: make educated guesses the animal
large mammal, lives in the that the teacher is thinking about.
cold environment, 2 types of
fur, camouflages them in the
snow, have a thick layer of
fat, are meat eaters, etc.
• Hopefully the students will be able
to guess the teacher’s animal in
fewer than 20 questions.
• Have the students find a partner and
play a game of 20 Questions with • Find a partner in the classroom, and
their partner. Remind the students determine the roles for the 20
that the thing that they are guessing Questions game. One student will
has to be an animal of some sort, and need to be the one with the animal in
only “yes” or “no” questions are to their mind, and the other will have to
be asked. be the guesser. Have them each take
turns being the roles and see if they
can guess each other’s animals.
DAY ONE (30 minutes)
• After the multiple games of 20
Questions, the students will have
realized that they have asked and/or
answered a number of questions
pertaining to the knowledge that is
going to be learned over the next
couple of Science classes.
• Provide the students with an • Listen attentively to the teacher and
overview of what is going to be what is being said about habitats,
learned in the Science class. This populations, and communities.
class is going to consist of habitats,
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 7

population, and community.

o A habitat is a natural
environment of an organism.
o A population is the
assemblage of a specific type
of organism living in a given
area.
o A community is an
assemblage of interacting
populations occupying a give
area.
• Show the following video to the • Watch video.
class, that discusses habitats in a
very funny and interactive way.
o https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=H_CSlLIuVZs
• Ask the students what a habitat is? • Raise a hand if they know what a
• Ask the students what they learned habitat is and if they learned anything
from the video? after watching the video.
o Both these questions can be o Make sure to be respectful to
answered from the defintions other students. When they are
given earlier, as well as the talking, everyone else is
video just watched. paying attention.
• Play the following video to the class,
as this one discusses population and
community. Some of the information
is unnecessary for this lesson, so
make sure to start the video at 0:20
seconds and end at 0:58.
o https://www.youtube.com/wa • Raise a hand if they know what a
tch?v=cIfpKL0brwQ population and a community are, and
• Ask the students what a population if they learned anything from
is, as well as a community. watching the video.
• Ask the students what they learned o Make sure to be respectful to
from the video? the other students. When they
o Both these questions can be are talking, everyone else is
answered from the paying attention.
definitions given earlier, as
well as the video just
watched. • Have a discussion about the things
that were learned in the videos that
• After a short discussion about the were played, and talk about the
videos and the definitions of the definitions of each word: habitat,
words: habitat, population, and population, and community
community, get the students to write • Get composition journal and write
in their composition journals. They about the following things:
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN
will be writing about the following
things:
o The things that they think
they will see on the field trip
to the Ducks Unlimited
Wetlands the next day
o The questions that they
would like to be answered
o Their understanding of
habitats, population, and
communities
• As a way to look at understanding,
ask the students to:
o List two habitats and how
they are different
o List two populations and
how they are different
o List two communities and
how they are different
• Do not forget to mention to the
students to remember to bring rain
boots and a jacket for the field trip
the following day.
Exploration:
What the teacher will do:
• Field Trip to the Ducks Unlimited
Wetlands!!
• There are a few housekeeping
things that need to be done before
the class can go on the field trip.
o 1. Make sure the students
bring the questions that they
had written about in their
journals, regarding what
they would like to know
about.
o 2. Pass out the animal
research activity sheet to
each of the student. This
activity sheet is to be
completed during the field
trip. The students are to fill
out the information on one
of the animals that they see
8
o The things that they think
they will see on the field trip
to the Ducks Unlimited
Wetlands the next day
o The questions that they
would like to be answered
o Their understanding of
habitats, population, and
communities
• As a way to look at understanding,
ask the students to:
o List two habitats and how
they are different
o List two populations and how
they are different
o List two communities and
how they are different
What the students will do:
o Make sure the students have
a copy of their question that
they would like to be
answered by the instructor
at the Ducks Unlimited
Wetlands field trip.
o Make sure the students have
the animal research activity
sheet, which will be
completed during the field
trip. All the blanks on the
sheet should try and be
filled out during the field
trip, and if not, than finished
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 9

at the Wetlands, or one that at home, as their may be a

the instructor talks about potential discussion if time
during her lesson. in class.
o For the worksheet students
have to figure out what type
of animal theirs is, draw a
picture of it and it’s habitat,
and fill out a number of
facts, including: weight,
colour, what it eats, its
lifespan, and three
interesting facts.
o If the students are unable to
get all the information for
their worksheets from the
field trip, that is okay.
However, they should try to
get as much information as
they can or get some from
home. As they will be
discussed in class.
o 3. Make sure that all o Make sure to be prepared in
students are prepared, with all regards, especially
the following: their weather wise.
question, their activity,
pencil, rain boots, and
jacket.
• On the field trip the students are to • Make sure to listen to the instructor
listen to the instructor, as they will as they will be telling very valuable
be telling very valuable and and important information on
important information on habitats habitats, and ecosystems, as well as
and ecosystems, as well as environmental preservation
environmental preservation.
• Also, while on the field trip the • Make sure to do the two activities:
students are expected to do two the animal research activity sheet
activities, as assigned by the and keep a tally/chart of all the
teacher, which include: different animals and plants that are
o The animal research activity seen, and how many of each are
sheet and keep a tally/chart seen.
of all the different animals
and plants that they seen,
and how much of each that
they see.
• Another important thing to do • HAVE FUN!
whilst on this field trip is to HAVE
FUN AND EXPLORE!
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN
Explanation:
What the teacher will do:
DAY TWO (25 minutes)
• Pass out the Matching worksheet to
students and get them to complete
it, which has been printed out and
on the teacher’s desk. There are
four pictures of habitats,
population, communities and the
students, using their knowledge,
have to properly identify all of
them. Give the students five
minutes to complete.
• The class will take a couple minutes
to go over habitats, populations and
communities quickly, just as a
quick recap. If wanted or needed,
the video can be played again so
that the students can get a better
understanding and make
connections now that they would
realize what each of the things are
and what they look like.
• After, the teacher and students will
talk and discuss what they learned
from the field trip, what they found
interesting, and the neat things that
they saw.
• After the discussion the students
will have to opportunity to show the
class their animal research from the
field trip. Give the students a couple
minutes, if they would like to share
and limit the questioning to only
one question per presentation, for
time sake.
• Collect all the animal research work
sheets after everyone has had the
opportunity to show the class their
learning and talk about it.
10
What the students will do:
• The students are to correctly
identify the four pictures on the
Matching worksheet. The answers
are habitats, population, or
communities. Once completed pass
into the teacher.
• As a quick recap, listen to the
teacher as they go over habitats,
populations, and communities. If
needed the videos can be played
again.
• Discuss with teacher and class what
they learned from the field trip, as
well as what they found interesting,
and the neat things that they saw.
• If the students would like, now is
the opportunity to show their
classmates the information that they
gathered on their animal. The
student will tell the class their facts
of the animal and answer one
question from another classmate.
• Pass animal research work sheets
into the teacher.
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 11

Expansion/Elaboration:
What the teacher will do:
DAY TWO (25 minutes)
• Take the rest of the class to discuss
the importance of protection and
preservation in habitats with the
class, which they covered from the
instructor of the Ducks Unlimited
Wetlands.
• Ask the students the following
questions, and get them to answer
them in their journals.
o What do you think will
happen if some habitats are
not protected or preserved?
o Does Fredericton have
certain habitats that should
be protected?
o What could a class to do
protect habitats?
o What could families do to
protect habitats?
o What could individuals do
to protect habitats?
What the students will do:
• Answer the following questions in
journal:
o What do you think will
happen if some habitats are
not protected or preserved?
o Does Fredericton have
certain habitats that should
be protected?
o What could a class to do
protect habitats?
o What could families do to
protect habitats?
o What could individuals do
to protect habitats?

Evaluation:
What the teacher will do: What the students will do:
• An anecdotal note is an assessment
tool for teachers to assess the
students on a certain observation.
There is a chart at the end of the
lesson plan that can be used for the
anecdotal notes.
• Go around the class and get the • Share with the class what they
students to tell the class one thing learned from the unit and lesson.
that they learned and thought was What they can say can either be
really interested. This could be in something that they had learned or
relation to the information learned something that they found
in class, or could pertain to the interesting, but have to pertain to
Ducks Unlimited Wetlands field either the activities that happened in
trip. the class or the trip to the Ducks
o Remember to write down in Unlimited Wetlands field trip.
the anecdotal notes what the
students are saying, as this
is a good and effective tool
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN
in assessing their learning.
• Ask the students if they have any
questions or if there is anything else
that they would like to learn.
• Read the student’s composition
journals, in which they have been
writing in throughout the week.
• Read the animal research activity
sheet and the Matching worksheet,
to see what the students learned, as
well as test their attention.
Accommodations:
Accommodations are important to have in any classroom when doing work, as there are
all kinds of students that struggle for different reasons, on a daily basis. After getting to
know the class and learning which students need help and with what, accommodations
can be put in place to help those students.
Rebecca
12
• When the teacher asks if there are
any more questions or asks if there
is anything else that the students
would like to learn, raise a hand and
answer respectfully.
• Pass in composition journals.
• Pass in the animal research activity
sheet that was to be completed at
the Ducks Unlimited field trip and
the Matching worksheet that was
completed the day after.
Rebecca has a cognitive delay, which
causes her to learn at a difference pace than
the others in the class. Therefore, after
meeting with school administration,
Rebecca’s parents and teachers, as well as
Rebecca herself, a conclusion was made
that she will have shorter reading and
writing assignments. When the rest of the
class is answering all the questions that the
teacher has provided, Rebecca will pick a
select few and write about those ones, as
well as an EA will have the questions read
and explained to her. Also, it has been
realized that Rebecca needs extra time
when completing assignments, therefore,
Rebecca receives extra time completing
assignments and sometimes has to
complete them over multiple days.
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 13

After the Lesson:

This part consists of teacher reflections and notes for the next time that this lesson/unit is
completed. What went well? What could be changed? What should be done the next time
that the lesson is completed?

Overall Comments: Suggestions for next time:

SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 14

Anecdotal Notes:
An anecdotal note is an assessment tool for teachers to assess the students on a certain
observation. This section is a chart consisting of sections that can be filled out by the
teacher on the students’ work and progress. While the students are completing their
activities and work, the teacher is to walk around the class and write down comments on
each of the students, including their understanding, their skills, attitudes, and things that
need to be worked upon. After finalizing all comments and calculating a grade, remember
to transfer grade into grade recorded.

Name:
Date:
Laura Luke Henry

Ben Andrew Rebecca

Ashley Jack Hayden

SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 15

Sara Cameron Charlie

Sam Taylor Justin

Brittney Peyton Alex

Katie Jessica Sophie

SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 16
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 17

Name: Date:
Habitats, Population, and Community

Instructions: Use the blank space to correctly identify what the picture represents, out of
the options: habitat, population, or community.

1.

__________________________________

2.

___________________________________

3.

__________________________________

4.

__________________________________
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN 18

References

Almaguer, S. (1970, January 01). Animal Diorama-rama and a FREEBIE! Retrieved

October 18, 2017, from
http://makinglemonadeinsecondgrade.blogspot.ca/2013/04/animal-diorama-rama-
and-freebie.html

Brunswick, C. G. (2017, October 02). Curriculum Development (Anglophone Sector).

Retrieved October 18, 2017, from
http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/education/k12/content/anglophon
e_sector/curriculum_anglophone.html#1

Community. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2017, from

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/community?s=t

D. (2013, April 17). Retrieved October 18, 2017, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIfpKL0brwQ

Free Images - Pixabay. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2017, from https://pixabay.com/

Habitat. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2017, from

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/habitat?s=t

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: Animals, Plants, and Their Environment.

Retrieved October 18, 2017, from
http://ngss.nsta.org/DisplayStandard.aspx?view=topic&id=2

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems. Retrieved October 18, 2017, from

http://ngss.nsta.org/DisplayStandard.aspx?view=topic&id=12

L. (2011, November 03). Retrieved October 18, 2017, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_CSlLIuVZs

Population. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2017, from

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/population?s=t