rd​
3​
Grade: Organisms and Environments 1: What are the physical characteristics of environments?​
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How do environments support populations? Lesson Duration: 5 Days Process Skill Focus: 3.2 F: ​
Student will communicate valid conclusions by data in writing, by drawing pictures, and through verbal communication. 3.3C:​
represent the natural world using models such as volcanoes or Sun, Earth, and Moon system and identify their limitations, including size, properties and materials nd​
rd​
th​
2​
grade TEKS 3​
grade TEKS 4​
grade TEKS (9) Organisms and (9) Organisms and Environments.​
The (9) Organisms and Environments. Environments.​
The student student knows that organisms have The student knows and understands knows that living organisms have characteristics that help them survive and that living organisms within an basic needs that must be met for can describe patterns, cycles, systems, and ecosystem interact with one another them to survive within their relationships within the environments. The and with their environment. environment student is expected to: (A) ​
identify​
the basic needs of (A​
) observe and describe​
the physical (A) ​
investigate​
that most producers plants and animals characteristics of environments and how need sunlight, water, and carbon they support populations and communities dioxide to make their own food, within an ecosystem while consumers are dependent on other organisms for food ELPS: c4J:​
demonstrate English comprehension and expand reading skills by employing inferential skills such as predicting, making connections between ideas, drawing inferences and conclusions from text and graphic sources, and finding supporting text evidence commensurate with content area needs Teacher Background/Student Understanding: An ecosystem consists of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving, physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water, and sunlight. It is all the organisms in a given area, along with the nonliving factors with which they interact. An ecosystem is a distinct ecological unit that includes both its living and nonliving components that together function as a system, while an environment is defined as the total surroundings of an organism, but it does not imply any ecological relationships between members. The entire array of organisms inhabiting a particular ecosystem is called a community. All of the organisms of the same species are referred to as a population. Other Resources: Optional Literacy Connections: Sciencesaurus Red pp. 128­131 Learning about the Earth​
series by Colleen Sexton Science Magnifier Yellow pp. 62­63, 108­109, 122­131 Home Sweet Home​
(​
Print Version)​
by TEA Home Sweet Home​
(Project Version) by TEA Vocabulary: Mortar Words (Tier 2) Environment (​
ambiente​
)–​
everything that is around a living thing Vocabulary Ecosystem (​
ecosistema​
)–​
all the living and nonliving things that interact with each other in an environment ecologist, limited, resources, Community ​
(comunidad​
)­​
all the living things in an ecosystem diagram Population (​
población​
)­​
all the living things that belong to the same group and live in the same area Organism (​
organismo)​
– a living thing Revised 2015 Page 1 Science Safety Science Lab and Science Store Materials: ​
(Please check for supplies in your science lab before ordering from the Science Store) Elaborate​
– Possible Materials for Constructing the Habitat: ​
Shoe boxes or Triorama, Construction paper, Colored card stock, Glue, Scissors, Chart paper or whiteboard, Markers, Tape, General art supplies, etc. Lessons Materials Day 1: Engage: 1. Teacher will activate background knowledge by asking the question: “What are the needs of plants and animals?” 2. This will prompt a student brainstorming session about different habitats of animals around the world. Discuss as a class that there are many different places all over the world that are homes to plants and animals. Many plants and animals have special characteristics that help them survive in their home environment. 3. Have students do a Timed Pair Share for the question: “If you were an animal, what would you be, where would you live, and how would you meet your needs there? Explore: ​
STEMscopes/3.9AC Environments/ Explore Part I: Being an Ecologist In this Explore activity, students will observe living and nonliving things in their environments. Prior STEMscopes to the lesson, the teacher will need to find two locations around campus for students to observe living Explore Student and nonliving things. Students will need their STEMscopes Explore Student Journals. Journal 1. Display the word “ecologist” in the classroom. Tell students they are going to be ecologists for the day. After they have come back inside from the activity, they will need to be able to tell you what an ecologist is. 2. Take students out into the schoolyard. Choose two areas for them to observe. 3. Have students list all living and nonliving things for each area. They should list at least five in each category. Students can make a T­chart in their ​
Explore Student Journal ​
to organize their data. 4. Students will pick one living and one nonliving object to answer the following question: “How do these support each other?” 5. Once both locations are observed, have the students answer the remaining question in their Explore Student Journal​
. Day 2 Explain: 1. Prompt student discussion about yesterday’s explore by asking the following guided questions: Student ● What type of scientist studies organisms and their environments? What is the purpose of this STEMscopedia scientist studying organism populations? ● What is the difference between living and nonliving? ● Which is more important to an organism in an ecosystem: the living or nonliving things it interacts with? Why? 2. Watch the STEMscopes Content Connections video (STEMscopes/3.9AC Environments/Explain) ● What are the main needs of animals? ● Pick one of the following animals (Great Blue Heron, Bull Frog, Dragonfly or Ribbon Snake). Describe with a partner how you think it meets its needs in the prairie wetlands​
. 3. Have students read the sections “Reflect” and “What are the parts of an environment?” out of their STEMscopedia 3.9AC. After reading, students will discuss the following questions: Revised 2015 Page 2 ●
Can you describe what an environment is? (anything that is around a living thing – can include other animals, plants, rocks, air, water…etc) ● What would happen if you took an animal and put it in a different environment? For instance, if you took a polar bear and put it in the desert, or took a jackrabbit and put it in a tundra. 4. Students will record the definitions of the following words in their science journal: ● Environment – everything that is around a living thing ● Ecosystem – all the living and nonliving things that interact with each other in an environment ● Community ­ all the living things in an ecosystem ● Population ­ all the living things that belong to the same group and live in the same area ● Organism­ a living thing DAY 3­4 Elaborate: 1. This is a two day project, with part of the time spent researching an environment from Environment http://www.mbgnet.net/index.html​
and part of the time building a 3D model. Possible options for Research Page the 3D model include: using a shoebox or making a “triorama” or sideways pyramid. If you need help with this, us the Optional­Triorama Template. You may want to have students do this with large construction paper to give them more space. Environment 2. Split students into partners or small groups. Give each group an Environment Research page. Research Span Allow them to choose a biome or ecosystem from the website: ​
http://www.mbgnet.net/index.html​
. Students will be finding the temperature range, surface features (physical characteristics), animals, plants, and nonliving things that are found in that environment. 3. When students are finished with their research, they will build a 3D model of that environment Optional­ using supplies found in the classroom, such as: shoe boxes or triorama, construction paper, colored Triorama cardstock, glue, scissors, chart paper or whiteboard, markers, tape, general art supplies, etc. Template DAY 5 Evaluate: 1. Groups will display their 3D Environment Model and Environment Research Page. Students will Optional: take a gallery walk and observe the different living and nonliving things found in each ecosystem. STEMscopes/ 2. Students will choose an animal from the environment they researched. In their science journal, 3.9AC they will describe how that habitat meets the needs of the animal. Environments/ 3. Optional Evaluate: STEMscopes/3.9AC Environments/Post­assessment, and/or writing about Evaluate science assessments. Differentiation Intervention: Acceleration: 1. STEMscopes/3.9AC Environments/Intervention/ Students can choose from the following: Cloze­ing in on Science 1. STEMscopes/3.9AC Environments/Acceleration/ 2. Student and teacher can visit the following website to Science Art read more about the different environments: 2. Write a letter to a person in another part of the US or http://www.woodlands­junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/habita
the word, describing your own environment. ts.html 3. See GT Tic Tac Toe Below. Create a Demonstration Make a Poster Write a Song Revised 2015 Page 3 Choose one adaptation within Research five different Learn about other animals of a species. For example, claws adaptations that animals have the habitat of a humpback in birds. Create a to help them survive in their whale. Write your own song demonstration that shows how environment. Make a poster about this habitat. Include a species has different displaying your information. the prey of the humpback, adaptations in order to survive any enemies it may have, and in its environment. the conditions of the habitat. Graphic Organizer Create a PowerPoint Using the computer, create a Student Choice Create a PowerPoint Graphic Organizer that presentation that contains presents the different (Think of your own project to pictures of animals with adaptations that animals have complete. Your teacher must adaptations. Create your in the desert, tundra, and approve your idea first.) presentation in such a way forest. Include the animals, that others can guess what the adaptations, and the adaptations the animal has aspects of the environment and what habitat that animal that affect the adaptation. calls home. Write a Speech Persuasive Letter Bulletin Board Display Scientists can introduce a Choose an animal habitat that Create a two­part visual species into a new habitat to has been affected negatively product, such as a bulletin help control a local by humans. Research that board display or mural that organism’s out­of­control habitat and write a letter to a demonstrates the relative size population. Scientists are government official of a great blue whale. One thinking of introducing a expressing your views and part should of your product variety of Barn Owls in Texas with a solution about what compare the whale with other cities to try and control the needs to be done. Be sure animals and things in its cockroach problem. Do you your facts are correct and your habitat. The second part think this would be a letter is persuasive. should compare the whale successful solution? Prepare a with things in your habitat, speech discussing and such as a school bus, supporting your opinion. airplane, or a football field. Revised 2015 Page 4