Chris Stammel
Sample Lesson Plan
Inquiry/Project Based
90 Minutes
The Concrete Jungle Day 4/Part 4 – Observing your neighborhood (niche)
Aim: In this ecosystem I live in, what niche am I a part of?
Objectives:
SWBAT understand and interpret the observations he/she makes of the neighborhood and how that relates to the natural world.
SWBAT critically analyze the distinction between an urban ecosystem and the other ecosystems we’ve learned about.
SWBAT understand and synthesize what our niche looks like in our community.
SWBAT collect and interpret data through direct observations.
Minutes:
☼10 Min: Warm Up/Set up
☼45-50 Min: Walk around/Observations
☼5-10 Min: Recap of observations
☼15-20 Min: Mini-lesson
☼5-10 Min: Wrap Up/Homework
5 Min: Warm Up
When students arrive there is a materials list on the board for them to copy down into their notebook. For a Do Now, they will get the small materials list together and pack up the rest of their stuff neatly under their desks. The students will then be instructed to copy the list of observation topics and questions written on the board or overhead or chart paper. This list will serve as a template for what they should be looking for and inquiring about as we walk around the neighborhood. I will reiterate the rules about leaving school grounds and remind students of the consequences of not following those rules.
45-50 Min: Walk Around/Observations
I guide the students around the neighborhood surrounding the immediate area surrounding the school, which is our “niche.” We go from the park, around the streets around the southern part of the park and back around the rear of the school to the north. Students are instructed to copy down the observations they make in their notebooks. Students take note of important members of the community, including
Animals
Different species
Same species, different appearance
Same species, similar appearance
Abiotic factors
Plants
(Etc etc)
5-10 Min: Recap of observations
We reconvene in class and go over our observations as a whole. I lead a question and answer session where I lead the students to dig deeper into our niche to discover the relationships that exist between all of the living and non-living factors.
15-20 Min: Mini-lesson
Using the student responses, I introduce some new material on ecology, specifically examining the relationships between humans and the other animals and plants. Comparing the niche to other parts of the city, there is more or less plant life, due to human influence of the terrain. I instruct the students on terms such as carrying capacity and ecological succession, using the non-living factors (buildings, subways, etc) as an analogy for how living organisms build up a naked, rocky terrain. Lesson would be complete with samples shown on the overhead or as handouts. We will compare how a city builds up over years to how a forest builds up over years.
5 Min: Wrap Up/Homework
I ask if the students have any last minute questions before we leave class. I distribute the homework assignment which is a writing assignment based on one article they find during their research to be handed in the next day.