Aaron Tesch
8th Grade Integrated Science Teacher
Orion Junior High
Standard 2.2 A and B
Lesson Plan Overview:
As homework students will create an organism and describe its niche and adaptations it has to allow it to survive and outcompete other organisms. In class students will present their organism and describe it to the class. After all students have had a chance to share their organism they will use the student sheet below to form symbiosis relationships with the organisms created in their class. Some students may need to create new adaptations in order to make them work.
Prior Knowledge:
Niche is what an organism eats and where it lives. Must know the definitions and examples of producers, consumers, herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Must know what an adaptation is and how it is beneficial for the organism. Must know definition and examples of symbiosis, predator/prey relationship, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
Core Standards:
2.2.a Categorize organism relationships.
2.2.b Model food webs and chains.
Key Vocabulary: Food Web, Mutualism, Parasitism, Commensalism, Predator, Prey, Producer, Consumer
Create your own organism HW—Due ______
Create an organism and draw a picture of it. Describe its
1-NICHE—what the organism eats and what eats it, where it lives and how it gets its energy (producer, herbi, carni, omni)
2-5 Adaptations that make it successful at getting its food and avoiding being eaten.
3-Needs to be colored, and look like you did your best.
4-Tracing is ok,but pictures from the internet are not.
Name:Period:
Predator/Prey—______
My organism, ______formed a predator/prey relationship with ______.
______
ONE EXAMPLE:
Mutualism—______
My organism, ______formed a mutualistic relationship with ______.
______
ONE EXAMPLE:
Name:Period:
Predator/Prey—______
My organism, ______formed a predator/prey relationship with ______.
______
ONE EXAMPLE:
Mutualism—______
My organism, ______formed a mutualistic relationship with ______.
______
ONE EXAMPLE:
Commensalism—______
My organism, ______formed a commensalism relationship with ______.
______
ONE EXAMPLE:
Parasitism—______
My organism, ______formed a parasitic relationship with ______.
______
ONE EXAMPLE:
Commensalism—______
My organism, ______formed a commensalism relationship with ______.
______
ONE EXAMPLE:
Parasitism—______
My organism, ______formed a parasitic relationship with ______.
______
ONE EXAMPLE:
Reflection:
This lesson plan worked very well. It gave the students a chance to be creative in designing their organism. Some were very creative and well thought out. It also allowed them to think outside the regular assignment and come up with a “relationship” with another organism. Some found this assignment difficult because they could not think of an explanation of how the organisms would form the “relationship. Next year I can provide video examples of each of the relationships. I assess their content knowledge of symbiosis as I read over their write ups. I also had students come to the front of the class and present a relationship. They had to describe the relationship. This was good because it provided me with instant feedback as to level of understanding. I think this was a great way to reinforce writing as well.