Connor Plumb

Ecosystem Interactions
Freshman/Biology
45 minutes
Biodiversity

Standards:
HS-LS2-2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence
about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.5
Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text, including
relationships among key terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction force, energy).

Educational Objectives:
● The students will be able to understand concepts associated with the interactions of
organisms and the ecosystem.
● Students will be able to see the importance of keeping biodiversity among species high

Assessment on Learning:
● Worksheet on biodiversity
Central Focus
● Students will be able to understand the importance of biodiversity of ecosystems

Accommodations for students with specific learning needs:

● Supplemental vocabulary sheet and graphic organizer

Academic Language
Language Function (select 1):

Analyze Compare/Contras Construct Describe Evaluate

t

Examine Identify Interpret Justify Locate

Explain Prove Argue Synthesize

 Identify a learning task from your plan that provides students with opportunities to
practice using the language function identified above:
Students will create benefits of biodiversity brochure supported with fact based evidence to
prove the importance of biodiversity and how it relates to keeping an environment stable

Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and learning task identified
above, describe the following associated language demands (written or oral) students need to
understand and/or use:

Vocabulary: Biodiversity
Biosphere
Ecosystem
Community
Interspecific competition
Intraspecific competition
Competitive exclusion
Invasive species
Poaching

Plus at least one of the following:

Syntax
Discourse

Materials: Writing Utensil

Graphic organizer with fill in the blanks
PowerPoint slides
Notebook
Whiteboard

Anticipatory Set/ Attention Getter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Ua_zWDH6U

Questions to Ask
1. What are the benefits to having an environment high in biodiversity?
2. What are ways humans can effect biodiversity?
3. How do interspecific and intraspecific competition differ?
4. What factors limit biodiversity?
5. How do changes in biodiversity affect population, ecosystem, a community and eventually the
biosphere?

Sequence of Events (include time needed):

1. Intro video with discussion on what they took notes on (5 minutes).
2. PowerPoint presentation as students fill in graphic organizers (25 minutes)
3. Class based discussion on factors that limit biodiversity with examples that I provide and
allow class to come up with some of their own (10 minutes)
4. Exit slip (5 minutes)

Conclusion/Summary: In conclusion, many factors limit biodiversity. Things like competition

among members of the same species (intraspecific competition) and among members of different
species (interspecific competition) can lead to competitive exclusion where one species or
member is excluded from the resource and is less likely to be able to reproduce which can lead to
things like extinction. Poaching from humans also plays a large role in limiting biodiversity.
Invasive species can competitively exclude members of the native population. Biodiversity
effects an organism which can then effect the ecosystem and the surrounding communities which
then effect the biosphere so it is important to maintain high levels of biodiversity to ensure a
stable sustainable future.

*Some lesson plan prompts come from SCALE.

Lesson Plan Guidelines

1. NGSS Standards
▪ Standards provide the focus, foundation for school curriculum and daily lessons
▪ Standards provide the guidance for teachers to create new learning opportunities for
students to meet and exceed the Illinois State Standards
▪ To make standards work, resources need to be carefully targeted toward students’
achievement of the standards
▪ Cite the standards using text and numbers

2. Educational Objective(s)

▪ Always begin with the statement: The student(s) will be able to:
▪ What is the purpose of the lesson?
▪ What do you want the students to learn or accomplish?
▪ What concepts are you attempting to teach?
▪ Have you achieved connection to the standards listed?
 ▪ What is the intended learning?

3. Assessment On Learning

▪ Reflect on how you will assess the intended learning.

▪ What is the method of assessment?
▪ Include the assessment tool—rubric, test etc..
▪ Describe the assessment plan.
▪ Include any rubric or other assessment plan with the lesson plan.
▪ How will you know if the students achieved the standards, goals, benchmarks and
behavioral objectives listed.

4. Central Focus

▪ What is the central focus of the lesson you are planning?

▪ What are students learning?

5. Academic Language

▪ Identify Language Demands

▪ Support student’s academic language development
▪ Include evidence of language use in the lesson plan

6. Materials Required for the Lesson

▪ List ALL materials needed to teach the lesson
▪ Think about the beginning, middle and end of the lesson

7. Set or Attention Getter

▪ Plan an opening to gain the students’ attention
▪ Engage students in learning
▪ Begin to deepen student learning during instruction
▪ Set the state-of-the-lesson (overview—what can the student expect).
▪ Link new material to previously learned material

8. Sequence of Activities
▪ What are you going to teach?
▪ How are you going to teach it?
▪ When are you going to teach it?
▪ What Academic Language will be used?
▪ Independent work? How? Include materials
▪ Cooperative work? How? What roles? Etc..
▪ List each step as if a substitute teacher was teaching the lesson—Do not assume!—be
complete and thorough by writing details
▪ Assessment
✓ Analyze student work
✓ Use feedback to guide further learning
✓ Use assessment to inform instruction
9. Questions to Ask
▪ Use Bloom’s Taxonomy and LABEL each question choosing one of the taxonomy’s labels:
▪ knowledge
▪ comprehension
▪ application
▪ analysis
▪ synthesis
▪ evaluation
▪ Plan questions that demand higher levels of thinking.

9. Conclusion and Summary

▪ Bring the lesson to a close.
▪ Check for student understanding. How will you do this?
▪ Include a transition to the next content area, activity or lesson. How will you accomplish
this?