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Science Unit:
Habitats (Sable Island)
By: Melanie Bartlett, Kelsey MacLeod, Sarah Watts, and Alisha McCorriston
We decided to do our science unit on Sable Island for a grade 4 class with 25
students. Our unit comprises of 5 lessons, which include differentiation and
modifications to accommodate two students in the class who have learning disabilities:
Jack has dysgraphia and Laura has dyslexia. These lessons are rich in nature integrating
other subjects such as art, dramatic elements, language arts, social studies, and
environmental science. All lessons are universal design in nature to appeal to all learning
styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. We believe that student success and
motivation is higher when students have ownership and responsibility of their learning.
This is why students are co-constructing the rubric for the success criteria for their final
project and why they have several options to choose from to do their final project
presentation.
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18) Free as the Wind by Jamie Bastedo and Susan Tooke book activity
20) Race the Wild Wind by Sandra Markle book activity
21) Making waves
22) Toy horses
23) Animal pictures
24) Land pictures
25) Helicopter
26) Bowl of water to make waves
27) Map of Sable Island
Teacher preparation: Have centres set up previous to class time.
Teacher and Student Procedures
Teachers Procedures
Lesson
Component
Engagement
(10)
Exploration
(20)
Students Procedures
Students listen to
teachers question.
Think-Pair-Share
Complete all three
activities as a class.
Ask questions about the
Bulletin board.
Elaboration
(10)
Students respond
following teachers
directions using the
Pose, Pause, Pounce,
and Bounce question
strategy.
Students do not raise
their hands.
Pose: Listen to questions
Pause: think of answers
Pounce: Answer
question if called on
Bounce: Build on/give
opinion based off of
previous students
answer
Listen to teachers
explanation of
summative assignment
for the end of the unit.
In groups of 4, students
will write their ideas
down on chart paper.
Evaluation
(10)
Materials:
Paper
Markers
Chart Paper
Pencils
Teacher preparation:
Have handout ready
Chart paper for each group & markers ready
Have an example to demonstrate an environment on smart board to give students
a comparison for their charts.
Have an example of an island to show students the expectations, and examples of
things they can include on their own island.
Teacher and Student Procedures:
Lesson
Component
Engagement
Exploration
Explanation
Elaboration
Teachers Procedures
Facilitate a conversation with
students:
Think about the
environments we live in
What are in these
environments?
What do we need from day
to day to survive?
Where do we get these
things?
Group their responses into different
categories, to give them a visual on
what components go with which
environment, and find similarities.
Facilitate another discussion on the
findings and give an explanation as
to why we need each component to
survive, and why it is important.
Connect these concepts to Sable
Island and what can be found on this
island for people/ animals to survive.
Students Procedures
Students can brainstorm in small
groups before sharing. Have
students record the answer to these
questions on chart paper.
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reviewing. Ask what they notice?
Would organisms be able to survive
in other habitats?
Evaluation
Yes
Somewhat
No
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Shelter
Source of energy
Other habitants
References:
New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2002).
Atlantic Canada science curriculum: Grade 4. Retrieved from
http://www.gnb.ca/0000/publications/curric/grade4science.pdf/
Appendix
Draw your own island. Be sure to think about: What is on your island?
What will you eat? Where will you sleep? Are there other animals or
people on your island? What will they need on the island to survive? How
will you get to your island?
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Sable Island Centres
Miss Watts
Lesson: 3
Topic: Sable Island and the Environment
Grade: 4
Length of time: 1 hour
NGSS Standards: Physical Science: Energy- Obtain and combine information to
describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the
environment.
New Brunswick Science Curriculum Outcomes: Social and Environmental Contexts
of Science and Technology- 302-1 identify a variety of local and regional habitats and
their associated populations of plants and animals
Lesson objective(s): To understand the history of Sable Island in a creative way through
different centers focusing in on the important facts on the island.
Prior knowledge: An introduction on Sable Island.
Differentiation strategies incorporated into this lesson: The different centers will
include the history of the island, learning about the horses, and other interesting facts.
The centers will be hands on.
Materials: Information books on Sable Island, clay, paper, crayons, and videos on Sable
Island
Teacher preparation: Make sure to prepare each center before hand so the students
know what is going on in each station so there is no confusion.
Assessment: At each center there is a form of assessment so the students have something
to focus on and work towards. It will either consist of a worksheet or making something
out of the clay.
Differentiation strategies incorporated into this lesson: Some children may need extra
help in drawing, or may experience dysgraphia or dyslexia. Give verbal explanation of
instructions along with a visual example.
Centers: 1. About the horses- read the specific book on horses on the island and draw a
horse that is on Sable Island or make with clay.
2. Watch a short video on Sable Island and answer quiz.
3. Make a poster on Sable Island
4. Create your own habitat- what do you need to survive, how do you get there,
are there animals that live there, can visitors visit etc.
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Teacher and Student Procedures
Lesson
Component
Teachers Procedures
Students Procedures
Engagement
(5-10 min)
Explanation
(5-10 min)
Exploration
(10 min a
station)
Elaboration
(5 min)
Evaluation
(5 min)
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If I had 1 Million Dollars
Miss Macleod
Lesson 4
Topic: Sable Island and the Environment
Grade: 4
Length of time: 1 hour
NGSS Standards: Physical Science: Energy
1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are
derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment. 4ESS3-1
New Brunswick Science Curriculum Outcomes: Social and Environmental Contexts
of Science and Technology
108-3 describe how personal actions help conserve natural resources and care for living
things and their habitats
108-6 identify their own and their familys impact on natural resources
Identify their own and their families impact on habitats, and describe how personal
actions help conserve habitats (108-6, 108-3)
Lesson objective(s):
I understand how I impact habitats and the environment on a daily bases and the positive
or negative impact I will have on the environment and habitats in the future. I also
understand what I can do to help conserve natural resources and care for living things and
their habitats.
Prior knowledge: Exposure to the concept of habitats
Differentiation strategies incorporated into this lesson:
- Teacher may want to assign students into pairs rather than letting them choose.
- Read instructions to students that struggle with reading or have dyslexia to ensure
they understand the activity.
- If there is access to laptops, netbooks, or iPads, students could create their
drawing using the program Paint or another drawing software.
- Choice is offered for Evaluation to appeal to different learners and those that
struggle with writing or have dyslexia or dysgraphia.
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Materials:
Large sheets of white paper
blue construction paper
markers
pencils
laptop
Smartboard or projector
internet
Teacher preparation: Have all supplies organized into piles so it is easy to distribute.
Assessment:
Formatively assess students during lesson through:
1. Questions: Think-Pair-Share
2. Pose, Pause, Pounce, Bounce (students listening, contributing, and relating their
ideas to others)
3. Observations: Take notes on post-its to provide specific feedback for students
regarding their contribution, participation, discussion, and teamwork skills.
4. Checklist: completion and effort in answering questions and journal reflections
each week for the goal. (see checklist at the end of this lesson)
Teacher and Student Procedures
Lesson
Component
Engagement
(5 minutes)
Teachers Procedures
Pose the following questions to the students.
1. What are daily habits or activities that you do
that require energy?
2. Where does this energy come from?
Exploration
(20-25
minutes)
Students
Procedures
Listen to teachers
questions.
Discuss and practice
active listening.
Respond to the
questions in a
Think-Pair-Share
discussion format.
Listen to teachers
instructions
1) Choose a partner
2) One person
collects the markers
and the other gets
the large white
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Students respond
following teachers
15
minutes)
posing questions.
1 What are some examples of non-renewable and
renewable energy?
2. What natural energy resources does your family
use for energy?
(example-hanging laundry out on the line to dry in
the summer)
3.What can we do to help conserve natural
habitats?
Elaboration
(10 min)
20 min for
Enrichment
Evaluation
Students brainstorm
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(10 minutes
and then
continued in
later class or
assigned as
homework)
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Student
Name
Task
Brainstorm in groups and respond to opening question: What
are some things you can do each day to help conserve the
environment?
Response to above question in either written, picture, drawing,
or PowerPoint form.
Choose one goal
Divided goal into 4 gradual stages
Reflection about stage 1 goal after week 1.
Reflection about stage 2 goal after week 2.
Reflection about stage 3 goal after week 3.
Reflection about stage 4 goal after week 4.
Final Reflection of overall results: was the goal too big or small?
Final Reflection of overall results: What would you do
differently next time?
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Miss McCorriston
Date: Lesson #5
Topic: Sable Island Habitat and Animal Loss
Grade: 4
Length of time: 1 hour
This lesson could easily extend into another science class. The time is set for 1
hour, but if there is the possibility for many science classes during the week, it
would turn into two separate lessons.
Curriculum Outcomes:
NB Curriculum Outcomes Science:
Students will be expected to
- Predict how the removal of a plant or animal population affects the rest of the community (301-1)
relate habitat loss to the endangerment or extinction of plants and animals (301-2)
NGSS Standards
Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment
changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change (3-LS4-4)
NB Curriculum Outcomes
Language Arts:
GCO: Students will be able to create texts collaboratively and independently, using a
variety of forms for a range of audiences and purposes
SCO: demonstrate some awareness of purpose and audience
- make choices about form for a specific purpose/audience
Learning Objective:
Students will understand that organisms are interdependent of one another. Students will
learn which organisms are important to whom on Sable Island, and will be able to explain
the effects of their loss.
Childrens Misconceptions and Prior Knowledge:
By this point, students will know about some of the major animals on Sable Island, as
well as the plants that grow there. Students may not realize that species extinction is still
harmful to our worldthey may believe the idea that since species have always been
going extinct, we do not need to worry about continued extinction. Students may also not
realize how losing a species affects humans.
Differentiation Strategies:
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Students will be working in groups, and have the option to work in pairs when writing
letters. There are kinesthetic elements in this lesson that will support these types of
learners, as well as writing and reading components. All instructions will be placed on the
SMART Board for students to view. Students have the option to work in pairs, and this
will support those students who have dyslexia and dygraphia. These students also have
the option to work on the computers. They can type up their letters on a Word program,
and use the text-to-speech option on the computer if they so wish. They also have the
option to focus more on the drawing itself and write a shorter letter.
Materials:
- Food web stories (see Appendix A)
- Ball of yarn
- Name tags and clips for each group
- SMART Board (see Appendix B)
- Chart paper and markers
- Sable Island The Wandering Sandbar by Wendy Kitts
- Letter templates (see Appendix C)
Teacher and Student Procedures:
Teachers Procedures
Lesson Component
Engagement
(10 minutes)
Students Procedures
-
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Exploration
(15 minutes)
Explanation and
Elaboration
(35 minutes)
Ask students:
Why are the horses important to the
environment?
Why is it important that we protect Sable
Island?
Teacher will write responses on SMART
Board
Explain to students that the horses were at
risk in 1959. Share story by reading pages 45
53 in Sable Island The Wandering
Sandbar
Have childrens letters on a SMART Board
file
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Evaluation
References
Leveille, Michael. (2012, July 19). 6 misconceptions about biological diversity and
extinction [Web log post]. Retrieved from
http://biodiversityyouth.blogspot.ca/2012/07/6-misconceptions-aboutbiological.html
New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2002).
Atlantic Canada science curriculum: Grade 4. Retrieved from
http://www.gnb.ca/0000/publications/curric/grade4science.pdf
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Appendix A
Building the Web
The sun shines on the Earth, giving the plants energy. On Sable Island, sun helps the
Marram Grass grow. This Marram Grass then becomes food for the 200 to 400 horses
that live there. The horse droppings are wonderful for the beetles that live underground.
However, as the years pass by, the horses eventually grow old and die. The birds feast on
the remains that stay on the island.
Losing the Web
Unfortunately, the climate begins to change. Littering and freezing temperatures ruin the
Marram Grass that is there. The horses, with no food to eat, die on the island. The beetles,
then, with no support for their homes, wither away as well. The birds try to eat the
remains of the horses, but they are covered with plastic that has blown onto the island.
This plastic is dangerous for the birds as it remains trapped in their digestive system.
Unfortunately, after eating too much plastic, they too pass on.
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Appendix B
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Appendix C
Lets Write to Protect our Animals!
Dear Stephen Harper,
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Sincerely,
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(On reverse side of page)
A picture of my chosen animal within its habitat
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Appendix D