Lesson Planning Guide

Grade/Subject: Grade 5__ Unit: Unit A: Interactions and Ecosystems__ Lesson Duration: _75 Minutes_

STEP 1: OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning Outcomes:
 3: Monitor a local environment, and assess the impacts of environmental factors on the growth, health and
reproduction of organisms in that environment investigate a variety of habitats, and describe and interpret
distribution patterns of living things:
-found in those habitats (e.g., describe and compare two areas within the school grounds-a relatively undisturbed
site and a site that has been affected by heavy use; describe and compare a wetland and a dryland area in a
local parkland)
-investigate and interpret evidence of interaction and change (e.g., population fluctuations, changes in weather,
availability of food or introduction of new species into an ecosystem)
-identify signs of ecological succession in local ecosystems (e.g., emergence of fireweed in
-recently cut forest areas, replacement of poplar by spruce in maturing forests, reestablishment of native plants on
unused farmland)
Specific Learning Outcomes:
 3: state a prediction and a hypothesis based on background information or an observed pattern of events (e.g.,
predict changes in the population of an organism if factor X were increased, or if a species were introduced or
removed from the ecosystem; propose factors that will affect the population of a given animal species).
Learning Objectives for Lesson:
1. Students will be able to describe their environment and demonstrate their ability to differentiate differences between types
of ecosystems and the components of these ecosystems.
STEP 2: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Written Assessments (worksheets, written responses to Other Evidence (observations, oral responses to questions,
questions/prompts, journal/log entries, quizzes, etc.): conversations):
Formative Assessment- The formative assessment consists of a Other evidence will include students being able to verbally
worksheet in which students will write down the major describe the features that they saw in the VR through in
similarities and differences between ecosystems and will write class and peer discussions.
down what are the major functioning components of these
ecosystems under the sections of each different type of
ecosystem.
Performance Tasks (rubrics, checklists, etc.):
N/A
LEARNING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
#1: VR Oculus Rift headsets
#2: Google Earth VR
#3: Worksheet about different types of ecosystems
STEP 3: LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Introduction: (Time allotment: _20 Minutes____)
Attention Grabber: Ecosystems vary vastly between each other and it is important to know the differences between them
and how they function as we are all surrounded by different ecosystems.
Assessment of Prior Knowledge: I will have a class discussion so see what the class knows so far about ecosystems.
Advance Organizer: N/A
Transition: Now that I have a better understanding of what the students know about the environment and more specifically
the ecosystems, I will ask them to get their Oculus Rifts and begin the next activity.
Learning Activity/Teaching Strategy #1: (Time Allotment: _40 minutes___)
Teacher Prompts/Cues/Instructions: Everyone will have their oculus rift headsets and open the Google Earth VR app and
await further instructions. Once students are on the app, I will instruct them to go to a specific area such as the amazon rain
forest or the Arctic and they will have time to explore these areas and take notes of their surroundings by using their voice
notes on their phones which they will use for the worksheet.

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Teacher/Student Actions: I will interact with the students to ensure they aren’t off track and having a brief discussion with
students to ensure they are looking for important features that contribute to defining what the ecosystems consist of.
Guiding/Prompting Questions: Q: What are some things that you notice when you look around, is there vegetation or is it
dry with barely any life around, describe the environment. A: Depending on the ecosystem they are looking at; they will
describe if there are lots of trees or animals around them.
Performance Indicators: If students are able to find major differences between the ecosystems and can notice what causes
the ecosystems to differ such as weather or resources, then I will be able to assess their performance with the app.
STEP 4: CLOSURE/CLIFFHANGER
Reinforcement/Assessment of Learning: Now that we have finished our lab, please hand in your worksheets that contain the
differences between the ecosystems.
Feedback from Students: Feedback from the students will include their ideas throughout the lab and their engagement during the
lab and worksheet. Other feedback from students will be when I receive their worksheets and see is they could appropriately
describe the ecosystems without in class once the use of VR is over.
Feedback to Students: See if students were able to fill out the worksheet with an abundance of differences.
Advance Organizer: Next class we will be watching videos about these individual ecosystems and learning about the prey and
predator relationships that sustain life in these ecosystems.