NGSS Lesson Planning Template

Grade/ Grade Band: 10 Topic: Intro To Ecology

Brief Lesson Description: This portion of the unit serves to introduce the major concepts and vocabulary student will need to build enough
of a content foundation to continue on with the later subunits. This portion is very heavy on the vocabulary that will support the student
when carryout the later tasks to show competency in the NGSS relevant to this unit.

Performance Expectation(s):
 LS 2-1: Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting
biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales

Specific Learning Outcomes:

 Compare the definitions of species, populations, community, and ecosystem (LS2-1)
 Define biodiversity and explain why it is important to ecosystems & exponential and logistic growth. (LS2-1, LS2-2)
 Differentiate between biotic and abiotic factors (LS2-1)

Narrative / Background Information

Prior Student Knowledge:
Students may be able to dissect the vocabulary found in this lesson (i.e. biodiversity, biotic, abiotic) based on the root words and get the
general idea of their definitions. Students have just finished up a unit about natural selection and evolution and therefore understand how
species change over time and have adaptations to survive.
Science & Engineering Practices: Disciplinary Core Ideas: Crosscutting Concepts:
Analyze and Interpret Data LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
Ecosystems
Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which
are limits to the numbers of organisms and
populations they can support. These limits
result from such factors as the availability of
living and nonliving resources and from such
challenges such as predation, competition,
and disease. Organisms would have the
capacity to produce populations of great size
were it not for the fact that environments
and resources are finite. This fundamental
tension affects the abundance (number of
individuals) of species in any given
ecosystem.

Possible Preconceptions/Misconceptions:
Students will probably only focus on animal biodiversity rather than acknowledging the importance of plants. Students will also confuse the
colloquial and scientific definitions in some of the vocabulary (ie consumer, producer, community, population). It is therefore important to
emphasize that students use the “Biology” definitions when looking up words on the iPads.

LESSON PLAN – 5-E Model

ENGAGE: Opening Activity – Access Prior Learning / Stimulate Interest / Generate Questions:
1) Have in-class discussion to break down the word “biodiversity” so students have a working definition.
2) Students are posed with the question “Where can we find the most biodiversity at MVHS?” Students can generate a generic list of
the types of organisms so as to categorize the different types (ie grasses, flowers, trees, insects, birds, rodents, etc) that will help
them quantify the types of organisms seen in their “field trip.”
3) Students will assemble groups of 3-4 and will be assigned to various parts of the school campus (parking lot, soccer field,
intermural field, etc) with the task of trying to count how many different species of plants and animals are found within a 15-20
minute period. Students will be encouraged to use their iPads to record their findings (data or even pictures). Students will record
any findings in the Google Form air-dropped to their iPads before they were turned loose.

EXPLORE: Lesson Description – Materials Needed / Probing or Clarifying Questions:

When students return to the classroom, they will share out the number and types of organisms they found at their observation sites. They
will construct a graph in their notebooks of the amount of biodiversity (raw number of different organisms) vs location.

Probing questions:
  What type(s) of organisms were the most prevalent at your observation sites? Why do you think this is?
 Which observation sites had the most amount of biodiversity? Why?
 Where else could we have gone in Loveland where we would have seen more biodiversity?
 Scientists often have to go out in the field to take a census of the different types of organisms, just like you did. Why is this
necessary? What would happen if scientists did not do this?

EXPLAIN: Concepts Explained and Vocabulary Defined:

1) Teacher will show video about Abiotic/Biotic Factors to give students the definition as well as the PowerPoint with the definitions..
2) Students will work in small groups to complete the Levels of Organization Pyramid activity. Each group will be assigned a particular
biome as an area of focus when giving examples of each term in text and visual form.
3) Once students complete the worksheet, the teacher can play Kahoot to ensure students are understanding the definitions.

Vocabulary:
Biome
Species
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere
Producer
Consumer
Herbivore
Carnivore
Omnivore
Biotic
Abiotic

ELABORATE:
1) Students will be shown a short video about biodiversity to elaborate more on its definition and importance.
2) Students will have a whole-class discussion using the Biodiversity PowerPoint to try to show more examples of what is considered
“Biodiversity”. They will also be introduced the terms “species evenness” and “species richness” that is used to quantify
biodiversity.
3) Teacher will then introduce Bird Island Activity and will air-drop Bird Island image map and distribute the corresponding graph
handout. Students will work in their table groups to investigate the distribution of species found on Bird Island.
4) This activity will be followed up with “What If” scenarios that lend themselves to Think-Pair-Shares or a Ticket-Out-The-Door.
EVALUATE:
Formative Monitoring (Questioning / Discussion):
Analysis Questions found in Bird Island Activity Guiding PowerPoint
Bird Island “What If?” Questions
Check graphical data via monitoring
Kahoot over Levels of Organization and A/Biotic vocabulary

Elaborate Further / Reflect: Enrichment:

Bird Island is a model showing the distribution of birds on the island. Students can discuss the limitations of this activity as far as its
usefulness of monitoring the biodiversity (for example, an area that is a “bird wasteland” may be very diverse in other organisms not shown
on the map).