Anna Duplisea

IMB Science Lesson Plan

EdTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template
Food Chains/Animal Population
_____________________________________________________________________________
Central Focus/Big Idea: Understand the interdependence of plants and animals with their ecosystem.
Subject of this lesson: Food chains as they are related to animal population.
Grade Level: 5th
NC Essential Standard(s):
5. L.2.3 Infer the effects that may result from the interconnected relationship of plants and animals to their
ecosystem.
Next Generation Science Standard(s):
5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and
the environment.
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that matter that is not food (air, water, decomposed
materials in soil) is changed by plants into matter that is food. Examples of systems could include
organisms, ecosystems, and the Earth.
21st Century Skills:
Information and Communications Technology: Students will be able to appreciate the usefulness of
technology throughout this lesson by using a laptop.
Collaboration: Students will be working in pairs throughout the science lesson.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Students will use their own critical thinking and problem solving
skills while observing, asking scientific questions, and constructing explanations.
Academic Language Demand

Language Function: I chose interpret because in this lesson, students should be able to infer
information about the relationships of plants, animals, and their ecosystem through the video and
food chain/population activities.

Analyze

Argue

Categorize

Interpret

Predict

Question

Compare/contras
t
Retell

Describe

Explain

Summarize

Scientific Vocabulary: ecosystem, population, food chain, food web, producers, consumers,
decomposers, extinct

Anna Duplisea
IMB Science Lesson Plan
Instructional Objective: Students will be able to complete the worksheet during elaborate (filling in a
chart categorizing producers, consumers, and decomposers and creating a food chain with related
questions), showing mastery by correctly labeling at least 6/8 in the producers, consumers, and
decomposers chart and 4/4 on the given food chain, providing explanations to the two related questions
that reference what was discussed in the video/throughout the lesson.
Prior Knowledge (student): Students should have some understanding of producers, consumers, and
decomposers. Students should know that plants and animals depend on one another for survival.
Content Knowledge (teacher):
Below is the various content knowledge the teacher should gain:

BrainPOP video for lesson:

https://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/foodchains/zoom.weml
Dictionary.com information on the term ecosystem:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ecosystem
Information from http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/ on the topic:
The Food Chain
Every living thing needs energy in order to live. Every time animals do something (run, jump)
they use energy to do so.
Animals get energy from the food they eat, and all living things get energy from food. Plants use
sunlight, water and nutrients to get energy (in a process called photosynthesis). Energy is
necessary for living beings to grow.
A food chain shows how each living thing gets food, and how nutrients and energy are passed
from creature to creature. Food chains begin with plant-life, and end with animal-life. Some
animals eat plants, some animals eat other animals.

A simple food chain could start with grass, which is eaten by rabbits. Then the rabbits are eaten
by foxes.
Producers
Plants are called producers. This is because they produce their own food! They do this by using

Anna Duplisea
IMB Science Lesson Plan

light energy from the Sun, carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil to produce food in the form of glucose/sugar.
Consumers
Animals are called consumers. This is because they cannot make their own food, so they need to
consume (eat) plants and/or animals.
There are 3 groups of consumers.
Animals that eat only plants.
Animals that eat only animals.
Animals that eat both animals AND plants. Humans are also
omnivores!
Decomposers
Bacteria and fungi are decomposers. They eat decaying matter - dead plants and animals and in
the process they break them down and decompose them. When that happens, they release
nutrients and mineral salts back into the soil - which then will
be used by plants!
The teacher should also have knowledge on how animal
population increases/decreases based on disruptions in the
food chains/webs.
Accommodations for special needs (individual and/or small group):

The pairs will be heterogeneous (based on ability) to provide scaffolding

Any students with vision/hearing impairment will be able to sit in close proximity to the board
Extended time will be provided for students who may have behavioral issues/attention deficits
Students will be read aloud to on any portion of the worksheet if they request it

Materials and Technology requirements:

*located at the bottom of the lesson plan for reference

Chrome books for students to complete KWL chart*, vocabulary worksheet*, and
categorize/complete the chain worksheet*.
Internet access for BrainPOP video and website
Smart board for modeling of the KWL chart and vocabulary worksheet
1 copy of real-life article

Anna Duplisea
IMB Science Lesson Plan
Total Estimated Time: 45 minutes-1 hour
Source of lesson: Personal ideas, http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/,

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/
Safety considerations: Desks are spaced in a way that is conducive for walking around the classroom
when pairing up. Also, students will be directed to the websites that will be used for the lesson, they will
not be asked to research without direction/supervision.
Content and Strategies (Procedure)
Engage: Students prior knowledge will be assessed with a KWL chart to begin the lesson. Each student
will receive this chart and asked to fill out the know and want to know portions. The teacher will
model this on the smart board. While the students work to fill out the first two portions of the KWL chart,
the teacher will be formatively assessing, walking around while the students complete this.
The next portion will be a video providing much of the lesson material:

https://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/foodchains/zoom.weml
The students will be given a vocabulary chart with 8 terms (listed above); they will be instructed to keep
these terms in mind while the video is playing. After the video is complete, the teacher will give the
students time to complete the chart (students may work with a partner if they choose), then lead the class
in a review of the terms-writing them on the smart board, asking for volunteers to offer up their
definitions.
Explore: The students will be directed to https://www.brainpop.com/games/foodchaingame/, which
provides a series of increasingly difficult food chain scenarios in which students would be able to make
use of the information they have gained thus far. They will, however, encounter some scenarios in which
they may have to infer to complete. They may use their vocabulary chart if need be.
Explanation: The teacher will have students offer up information from their exploration. What problems
did they encounter? What was easy for them? Were they surprised by anything when working with the
food chains? The teacher should make a reference to the last food chain where it comes full circle,
reminding the students that organisms depend on each other for survival. The real-life article will be
read at this time (can be found at
https://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/foodchains/fyi/).
Elaborate: This activity was designed to show how well the students have grasped the big idea; the
worksheet is located at the end of this lesson plan. The students will use their chrome books to complete
the worksheet.
Evaluate: The students will be asked to fill out the learned portion of their KWL chart independently
as an exit ticket to show what they took from the lesson. The teacher will also use the worksheet from the
elaborate portion of the lesson to summatively assess students mastery of the lesson material (criteria is
listed in the instructional objective).
To be complete after the lesson is taught as appropriate

Anna Duplisea
IMB Science Lesson Plan
Assessment Results of all objectives/skills: Every student submitted the assignment in a completed
format. After looking at each of their answers, I noticed that a few students were not able to identify both
effects of the lizard being removed from the food chain. Overall, the students showed an understanding of
the objective.
Reflection on lesson: Located in separate document.
CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________

Anna Duplisea
IMB Science Lesson Plan

Topic: Food Chain/Animal Population

KNOW

WANT TO KNOW

LEARNED

Can you define these terms in your own words?

ecosystem

Anna Duplisea
IMB Science Lesson Plan
population

food chain

food web

producers

consumers

decomposers

extinct

PRODUCER, CONSUMER, OR DECOMPOSER?

Producers, consumers, and decomposers are the three major things that make up a food web
in an ecosystem. Categorize the following as either producers (P), consumers (C), or
decomposers (D).
___ fungi

___ grass

___ cat

___ cow

Anna Duplisea
IMB Science Lesson Plan
___ flower

___ human

___ lizard

___ bacteria

Make a food chain using the following organisms: grasshopper, plant, hawk, and lizard.
_________________ > _________________ > _________________ > _________________
Where would mushrooms (fungi) belong in this food chain?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
What might happen if all of the lizards died off?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________