Lesson Plan

Lesson Title: Identifying Native Trees Grade: 6

Subject/Strand: Science Unit: Biodiversity Location: Local Forest Times: 50 minutes
Lesson Plan Description (What are you teaching? How does it fit into the context of the unit? What are the big ideas/essential/enduring understandings?)
In this lesson, students will be exploring the variety of trees in a local forest. They will recognize that there is a large amount of
biodiversity in an area and begin to recognize native plants versus those that have been brought over from other areas.
Big Idea: Biodiversity includes the diversity of individuals, species, and ecosystems.

STEP 1: CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

Ontario Curricular Overall Expectations (numbers from documents and details)
2. investigate the characteristics of living things, and classify diverse organisms according to specific characteristics;
Ontario Curricular Specific Expectations and Achievement Chart Categories
(Numbers from documents and details) selected & listed from the Ont. Curriculum, (refined when necessary): realistic number of expectations (1 or 2), connect to
assessment. Indicate category in brackets beside specific expectation: Knowledge and Understanding( K ) Thinking (T); Communication (C); Application(A)
2.1 follow established safety procedures for outdoor activities and fieldwork (A)
2.2 investigate the organisms found in a specific habitat and classify them according to a classification system (A/T)

Learning Goals Discuss with students: What will I be learning today? (Clearly identify what students are expected to know and be able to do, in language that
students can readily understand.)
We are learning to identify and classify the local trees in our area.
STEP 2: ASSESSMENT
Purpose of the lesson (indicate purpose for this lesson/assessment) [X] FOR [ ] AS [ ] OF

Success Criteria Discuss with students: How will I know I have learned what I need to learn? (Clearly identify the criteria to assess student’s learning: evidence of
learning students will provide to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and thinking, in language that students can readily understand). Indicate the Achievement Chart
criteria.
I can:
● Identify 5 varieties of trees that are local to the area (K/U)
● Create a classification system to classify the trees (A)
I can be responsible by:
● Following established safety procedures for leaving school property (A)
Assessment Mode- Written, Oral, Assessment Strategy and Task for Students- Assessment Tool - Instrument used to
Performance (Write, Say, Do) What are the students doing to show their learning? assess; Record Keeping format

Do Students will identify the trees seen and create Checklist with SC
a classification system for them based on
similarities and differences.
STEP 3: CONSIDERATIONS FOR PLANNING
Prior Learning: Prior to this lesson, students will have
● Learned the scientific classification system
● Research the classification of a specific living thing
● Explored food chains and created one including an energy source,
I.E.P. program implications: Accommodations, Modifications
IEP students will be assessed through discussions with the educator.
Differentiation: Content, Process, Product, Environment, Assessment
Product: Students will develop their own classification system for the trees
Environment: Students will be leaving the classroom to explore native trees to their area
Learning Skills/Work Habits: [X] responsibility, [ ] organization, [ ] independent work, [ ] collaboration, [ ] initiative, [ ] self-regulation
Students will demonstrate responsibility by following class safety procedures for field trips off school property. They will follow
instructions and remain within hearing distance of the educator.
Vocabulary: (for word wall addition or reference and/or to develop a schema for this lesson. To be addressed in the lesson)
Biodiversity: the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem
Animal: multicellular organisms that cannot make their own food
Plant: multicellular organisms that use chlorophyll to make their own food
Protist: single-celled organisms that have a nucleus
Monera: single-celled organisms that do not have a nucleus
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Resources and Materials /Technology Integration: List ALL items necessary for delivery of the lesson. Include any attachments of student worksheets used
and teacher support material that will support communication of instruction. Include the use of Information Technology (ICT) in your lesson plan where appropriate.

● Canadian Daily Science page 5-6

● Clipboards
● Pencils/pens
● https://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/tree-atlas/ontario-southcentral/6E-6

Three Part Lesson Identify what the students are expected to think about or do.
What Teachers Do: Write the lesson description with enough What Students do: Identify what the students are expected to
detail that another teacher could replicate the lesson without a think about or do (in terms of learning processes).
personal discussion. Prompts and guiding questions are
required in each section.
Minds on: Motivational Hook/engagement /Introduction (5-15 min)
Establish a positive learning environment, connect to prior learning, set the context for learning, pre-determine key questions to guide the lesson.
Time: 5-10 minutes (Indicate time breakdown of instructional elements)

Show students pages 5-6 from Canadian Daily Science and model Students will learn about creating their own classification system.
how you can classify animals by characteristics (not
scientifically). I.E. animals with fur and animals without, animals
that live in water, animals that live on land.
Students will then have the opportunity to create their own
Provide time for the students to complete the sheet with their system for the 6 animals on the Canadian Daily Science page
own classification characteristics. provided. Thinking about the similarities and differences between
different animals.
Action: During /Working on it (time given for each component, suggested 15-40 min)
Focus is on student interactions with task/peers/teacher. Identify students/groups receiving teacher direction.
Time: 30 minutes (Indicate time breakdown of instructional elements)
Students will go outside as a class. They will follow established
Introduce the outdoor tree identification activity. Review safety procedures. Students will consider which trees are the most
expectations for outdoor off property trips. Students will be common in the area and theorize why that tree is more common
going outside to a neighbouring forested area to explore native than others. The students will also create a classification system to
trees. Students will compare leaves/needles from trees to create explore the trees. They will have access to a sheet with
their own classification system for the local trees. Provide a information about some species of trees that are native to the
sheet to groups that contain pictures of trees that are native to area to assist with identifying the tree and leaves. This can be used
the area to assist with identification. for classifying the animals.

Consolidation & Connection (Reflect and Connect) (5-15 min.)

Help students demonstrate what they have learned, provide opportunities for consolidation and reflection. Close the assessment loop.
Time: 10 minutes (Indicate time breakdown of instructional elements)
Students will reflect on the experience and what they have
Conduct a discussion with the students. learned.
“Did anything stand out to you?” “____ is the most common type of tree in this specific forest and I
“What are characteristics that you used to classify the trees?” think it’s because the seeds fall and with more trees and seeds it is
“Are there types of trees that are more/less common in this more likely that those ones will grow than the seeds from other
area?” trees.”
Return the students to class and have them prepare for the next “I classified the trees by needles/leaves then divided by height”
period.
Extension Activities/Next Steps (where will this lesson lead to next)
● Debate a local environmental issue
● Research a biome of the student's interest
● Explore symbiotic relationships within animal species