Unit Template

Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By

Ecosystems
Science
Justine Bryan

Grade Level
Time Frame

3rd grade
1 Week

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)

Content Standard
3.5 The student will investigate and understand relationships among organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Key concepts
include:

a) Producer, consumer, decomposer

b) Herbivore, carnivore, omnivore
c) Predator and prey
3.6 The student will investigate and understand that ecosystems support a diversity of plants and animals that share limited resources.
Key concepts include:

a)
b)
c)
d)

Aquatic ecosystems
Terrestrial ecosystems
Populations and communities
Human role in conserving limited resources

Technology Standard
C/T 3-5.6 Plan and apply strategies for gathering information, using a variety of tools and sources, and reflect on alternate strategies
that might lead to greater succession in future projects.

i) Collect information from a variety of sources

(1)Conduct research using various types of text and media-based information.
ii) Apply best practices for searching digital resources
(1)Apply effective search strategies that will yield targeted information
(2)Identify basic indicators that a digital source is likely to be reliable
C/T 3-5.7 Draw conclusions from research and relate these findings to real-world situations

i) Use research to support written and oral presentations

(1)Apply research derived from digital resources to original work.
(2)Demonstrate how to cite digital resources when developing non fiction reports and presentations.
ii) Apply knowledge when conducting research to develop accurate and balanced reports.
(1)Use best practice guidelines for evaluating research results
Understandings

Essential Questions

1
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Overarching Understanding
All ecosystems have similarities and differences.
All ecosystems make up the bigger picture of our world and all
ecosystems work together to make the world work properly.

Overarching
What is the food web of your
ecosystem?
What are some symbiotic
relationships?

Topical
What is an ecosystem?
How are ecosystems different
and what makes them different?
How are ecosystems similar?

Related Misconceptions
All ecosystems have the same decomposers, producers, consumers,
herbivores, omnivores, carnivores and significant human impact.

Knowledge
Students will know

Skills
Students will be able to

Students will be able to identify and label important ecosystem

characteristics and relationships within multiple ecosystems by the end
of the unit.

Use internet to conduct research

Create a finished product while working in small groups

Performance Tasks:
Research
Critical Evaluation Survey
Creating project
Presenting project

STAGE 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Other Evidence:
Critical Evaluation Surveys
Class discussions
Kahoot interactive game at end of unit (formative assessment)

2
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Evaluating peers and self

Key Criteria:
Identifying all important parts of an ecosystem, presenting it in a visual form and evaluating peers and self.

Learning Plan (Stage 3)

What is your task? Where are your students
headed? Where have they been? How will you
make sure the students know where they are
going?
How will you hook students using your task at
the beginning of the unit? What adventure will
they complete? What problem will they solve?
How will they work together? Individually?
What events will help students experience and
explore the big idea and questions in the unit?
How will each event provide meaning to your
students around the core curricular objective?
How will you equip each student with needed
skills and knowledge and to make sure all
students are understanding what is intended?
How will you cause students to reflect and
rethink? How will you guide them in
rehearsing, revising, and refining their work?

The task is for my students to properly understand ecosystems and to be able to identify
and label key aspects of ecosystems through an interactive learning experience such as a
hands on activity. The goal is to have them learning and interacting with one another in
order to increase positive peer interactions as well as learning from one another to
complete a finished product. I will provide guidance and support in any questions and
comments they have. I will be constantly moving about the room to accomplish this.
I will create an example of an ecosystem (normal backyard) and show them what they
will be completing. I will show a Brainpop video which always grabs attention. I will
emphasize the utilizing of computers and all class materials to make the project, that
they will work in groups to make the posters. They will work together to research and
make the poster as well as learning to work together cooperatively as a group.
Researching on the internet will help them explore more on this project. Using their
imagination and creative skills to build their ecosystems onto a poster as a visual for the
class will also help them explore and guide themselves to a finished product. Each step
in the assignment is scaffolding to the next step in the project. I will make sure to be
reviewing often and to make sure my students know the material through class
discussions, small group discussions and individual conversations with those who may
be struggling.
Through reviewing and walking around to each group each day they work on their
project, I will be sure I am guiding them towards success by asking them to stop often,
review and reflect on their work.

3
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

How will you help students to exhibit and selfevaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and
understanding throughout the unit?

How will you tailor and otherwise personalize

the learning for individual students to optimize
the engagement and effectiveness of ALL
students, without compromising the goals of the
unit?
How will you organize and sequence the
learning activities to optimize the engagement
and achievement of ALL students?
How will you organize groups in order for each
group to have a different role and be learning
different information in order to teach the
whole class something new and to help answer
the overall unit problem?
What resources and materials will you need to
complete this activity? How will you organize
and present resources and materials?

Each group will be presenting their project in front of the class. We will later on take
pictures of each poster with the group members surrounding the project and post on our
class website for their families to see their hard work and finished product. I will even
take pictures of the process in order to show them and their families how far they have
come in working on this project. Each group will also fill out a peer review for each
project/presentation as well as filling out a self-evaluation form. Students will also
complete a formative assessment in the form of the interactive game, Kahoot.
Again, while walking around the room and working with each group, I will assess each
students needs and how far they have come and what help they may need. I will then
help individual students who are struggling to find their role and place within the group,
help them complete their portion of the project and make sure each group is still able to
work together in completing their assignment.
I will make sure that all work is done in groups so they can use one another to learn
from and bounce ideas off of. Students need to learn at an early age to work within
groups cooperatively in order to complete a finished product, it is a life skill and a social
skill that is very important to have.
Each group member will have a role within their group in order to successfully help the
group towards their finished product. I will help each group come up with roles if they
are struggling to do so and help guide each group throughout the entire process to make
sure roles are being sustained and that no student is being left out or being too
overbearing.
I will need computers, printed worksheets to guide them, art supplies and other class
materials to complete poster and large poster paper. Each material will be presented in a
timely manner when necessary as to not overwhelm the students with materials and
information.

4
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development