Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Alexa Troain Date: 2/21/23

Group Size: 24 Allotted Time: 30 minutes Grade Level: 4

Subject or Topic: Science/Food Chain

Common Core/PA Standard(s)

Standard - 4.1.4.A
Explain how living things are dependent upon other living and nonliving things for survival.

Describe the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers within a local ecosystem.

Standard - 4.1.4.C
Explain how most life on earth gets its energy from the sun.

Standard- B.4.2.1 Describe how energy flows through an ecosystem (e.g., food chains, food
webs, energy pyramids).

Learning Targets/Objectives
The fourth-grade students will extend their knowledge of food chains by reading in the
textbook and completing a guided notes worksheet.
Formative Assessment Approaches Evidence observation or method of collection
1.Guided Notes 1.Checking for understanding
2. 2.worksheet
…. …
Assessment Scale for any of the assessments above if needed

Summative if applicable
Subject Matter/Content to be taught in the lesson

Prerequisites

New Key Vocabulary

● Habitat- the place where an animal or plant finds the food, water, shelter and space in
a arrangement they need to survive
● Producer- a green plant that can make its own food through photosynthesis
● Consumer- an organism that eats another organism in order to get its food
● Food Chain- the transfer of energy from one organism to the next from sun to
producer to consumer, food chain is just part of the overall food web found in nature.
 ● Food Web- the interlocking pattern of food chains that actually occurs in nature
● Predator- an animal that catches, kills and eats other animals
● Prey- animals that are killed and eaten by predators
● Herbivore- animal that eats only plants
● Omnivore- an animal that can eats plants and animals
● Carnivore- a meat-eater
● Decomposer- an organism that eats the organic material that results from the death and
decay of other lifeforms
● Photosynthesis- the process by which plants make their own food using carbon
dioxide, water and sunlight.
● Ecosystem- a community of interacting organisms and their environment
● Pennsylvania ecosystem- the specific ecosystem where we live including forests,
lakes, rivers and wetlands.

Content/Facts

Food webs show how plants and animals are connected in many ways to help them all survive,
while food chains follow just one path of energy as animals find food.

An example of a food chain is the sun provides food for the grass, the grass is eaten by the
grasshopper, the grasshopper is eaten by a frog, the frog is eaten by a snake and then the snake
is eaten by a hawk.

An example of a food web where everything is connected is trees produce acorns which act as
food for many mice and insects and because there are many mice, weasels and snakes have
food. The insects and the acorns also attract birds, skunks and opossums. With the skunks,
opossums, weasels and mice around, hawks, foxes and owls can find food. They are all
connected. Like a spider's web, if one part is removed, it can affect the whole web.

We all get energy from the sun. We couldn't live without the sun. The beginning of the food
chain and food webs is grass or some kind of plant. In order for plants to grow they have to
make their own food and this process is called photosynthesis. The process of photosynthesis
includes using carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to make their own food. They make their
own food which allows the rest of the cycle to get their energy from the food they eat. Since
plants make their own food they are producers. After producers make their food, consumers
eat another organism to keep their source of energy.

Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies
● To get the students ready for the lesson the teacher will ask them questions about what
they learned the day before.
○ The teacher can ask questions about the vocabulary and the activity they did.
○ The teacher can ask questions like, “How are producers, consumers and
decomposers related?”
○ How do plants get their food?
○ What is the difference between food webs and food chains?
 ○ What does an omnivore eat?
● The teacher will call on students to answer.
● The teacher will pay attention to who is answering the questions to check for
understanding.
● Next the teacher will put pictures on the board of plants, animals and other things that
they were given the day before to play charades.
○ some pictures the teacher will show:
■ mushrooms
■ bears
■ deer
■ mice
■ grass
■ bacteria
■ rabbit
■ fox
■ and so on… (PA animals)
● After this short activity, the teacher will review.
Development/Teaching Approaches
● The teacher will then review topics focusing more on the whole of the unit.
● The teacher will show the anchor charts again.
● The teacher will review how the vocabulary words all connect. The teacher will do this
by saying,
○ “Food webs show how plants and animals are connected in many ways to help
them all survive, while food chains follow just one path of energy as animals
find food.
○ An example of a food chain is the sun provides food for the grass, the grass is
eaten by the grasshopper, the grasshopper is eaten by a frog, the frog is eaten by
a snake and then the snake is eaten by a hawk.
○ An example of a food web where everything is connected is trees produce
acorns which act as food for many mice and insects and because there are many
mice, weasels and snakes have food. The insects and the acorns also attract
birds, skunks and opossums. With the skunks, opossums, weasels and mice
around, hawks, foxes and owls can find food. They are all connected. Like a
spider's web, if one part is removed, it can affect the whole web.
○ We all get energy from the sun. We couldn't live without the sun. The
beginning of the food chain and food webs is grass or some kind of plant. In
order for plants to grow they have to make their own food and this process is
called photosynthesis. The process of photosynthesis includes using carbon
dioxide, water and sunlight to make their own food. They make their own food
which allows the rest of the cycle to get their energy from the food they eat.
Since plants make their own food they are producers. After producers make
their food, consumers eat another organism to keep their source of energy.
● The teacher will introduce the activity by saying, “Today we are going to gain more
knowledge of food chains by completing a guided notes worksheet. This worksheet has
sentences from the book with blanks. I would like you to fill in those blanks with the
correct term. You will find the correct term by reading on pages 33-36. If you read
 those pages in the book you will find the correct answers. I will be collecting them to
check if you did what you are supposed to and then we will go over the worksheets so
you can use them to study for your test.”
● The teacher will split the class into groups of 4. They will be allowed to go around the
room to complete this activity.
● The teacher will start by reading the first page for students.
● Then they will continue in their groups.
● The teacher will be walking around the classroom to see if students are doing what
they are supposed to be and redirecting when needed.
● When the students are done, they will show their worksheets to the teacher to check for
completion.
● After the teacher checks their worksheet for completion, the teacher will tell them to
look at and read the books in the text set. There are 10 books for the students to look at
and read.
● The teacher will then go over the answers by having students call out what they used to
fill in the blanks.
● The teacher will tell students to write in the correct answers.
● The teacher will ask students if they have any questions.

Closure/Summarizing Strategies
● At the end of the lesson, the teacher will remind them that their test is coming up so
they should be studying at home.
● The teacher will tell students that this worksheet is great to study for the test.
● The teacher will ask students what they learned today.
● The teacher will then say, “Tomorrow we are going to further our knowledge of food
chains by doing a craft which involves cutting out strips and gluing them together to
create a food chain link.

Accommodations/Differentiation
● Anchor chart projected on the screen for visual learners.
● Redirecting when needed.
● Help some students read the text and read the worksheet.

Materials and Resources:

Text Set:
1. What is a Habitat? By Lisa M Bolt Simons
2. What Eats What in a Forest Food Chain? By Lisa J Amstutz
3. Who eats what? By Patricia Lauber
4. What if There Were No Gray Wolves? By Suzanne Slade
5. Understanding Photosynthesis by Liam O Donnell
6. Ecosystems- Geography Projects By Pam Robson
7. Because of an Acorn By Lola M Shaefer
8. What if There Were No Bees? by Suzanne Slade
9. Is it a Food Web or a Food Chain by Emily Sohn
10. Food Chains by ALvin Silverstein
Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels

During the introduction, when I did a review activity with the students and asked them
questions, I wrote down who was answering the questions and who knew the answers when I
put the pictures on the board. There were only 5 students who seemed like they didn’t
understand, or they just weren’t participating. During the lesson, I walked around to see if the
students were on task and doing what they were supposed to. There was only one group I had
to redirect multiple times. I checked their guided notes for completion, but I wrote down names
of students that didn’t have the correct answers. When I went over the worksheet, I could also
see who was starting to understand the vocabulary words and concepts. When I looked at their
worksheets it was evident who followed the directions and read the textbook and who guessed.

21 out of 24 students completed the guided notes worksheet correctly.

It was evident that 3 students didn’t follow along with the text.

Remediation Plan (if applicable)

Personal Reflection Questions

What went well during this lesson?

I think this lesson went well. Students participated in the review activity and the guided notes
activity. Most students read through the textbook to obtain the answers. They worked together
well in groups. After they were done with the guided notes, I told them to look at the books in
my text set. They were actually looking through and reading the books. Some students even
asked me questions about what was in the books.
 How would you improve this lesson?
I would improve this lesson by doing something a little more engaging with the guided notes. I
think the guided notes worksheet was something good to add to this lesson because it gave
students the opportunity to read about the concepts and receive a different explanation. If I
were to do this lesson again, I would keep the guided notes but I would find an activity or
make up an activity to make it more engaging. I would also like to add another assessment that
shows understanding of this lesson.

How engaged were students?

The students were engaged because they were able to work with a group. In many groups one
person was reading aloud to the group and the others were looking for the answer and then they
would switch. During the introduction they were engaged too while answering my questions
and participating in the review activity.

Additional reflection/thoughts