KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate:

Ms. Emily Palermo

Date:

Cooperating Teacher: Dr. Varano

Coop. Initials

Group Size:

Grade Level 2nd grade

5 groups

Allotted Time 1 hour

Subject or Topic: Aquatic Wildlife and Pollution

Section Water Pollution

STANDARD:
S.K-2.B.3.2.1: Identify natural events (e.g., fire, flood, extreme weather) and human
actions (e.g., road construction, pollution, urban development, dam building) that can
impact an ecosystem.
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
The second grade students will demonstrate their understanding on how plastic objects
effect wildlife by examining different types of plastic materials.
II. Instructional Materials
Pictures of 5 types of aquatic wildlife
Markers, crayons, pencils
Paper
Garbage bag full of several types of plastic garbage
Book: One Less Fish
III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills
1. Fine motor skills
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Pollution-the introduction of contaminants into the natural
environment that cause adverse change.
2. Wildlife-non-domesticated species and other organisms that grow or
live wild in an area without being introduced by humans.
C. Big Idea
1. The students will be able to describe the effects of the pollution of
plastics on wildlife.

2. The students will notice the large amount of plastic litter in their
immediate surroundings.

D. Content
1. Aquatic wildlife is greatly effected by plastic pollution in the water
and it is very important to know what materials are hurting these
animals and how we can stop it.

IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. To introduce the lesson, the teacher will read the book One Less Fish
by Kim Michelle Toft and Allan Sheather.
2. The teacher will ask the class these questions:
a. Do you think the fish will come back?
b. Where do you think the fish have gone?
c. What threats would impact any type of ecosystem?
3. After the class has discussed these questions, the teacher will show
the students five pictures of different aquatic wildlife.
4. The teacher will ask the students:
a. What would a good environment be for these
animals?
b. What would harm these animals in their
environment?
5. These questions will lead into the activity of the lesson.

B. Development
1. After discussing the two questions the teacher will give each group a
garbage bag filled with plastic items.
2. Then the teacher will ask the students to take out the items and
examine them.
3. Next the teacher will ask the students to sort the plastic materials
into three groups looking at how animals would perceive the
plastics:
a. Very likely to be considered food
b. Somewhat likely to be considered food
c. Not likely to be considered food
4. Then the teacher will ask students to explain why they sorted their
plastic materials into the three groups.
5. Next the teacher will take the students outside to the playground (if
the weather permitted it).

6. The students will have to collect plastic items that would be

dangerous to aquatic wildlife for only five minutes.
7. Afterwards the class will move inside to explain what they have
found outside and sort them into the three groups they separated the
plastic material earlier.
8. If students have items that are not plastic the teacher will have the
students explain to the class how that item would be dangerous to
aquatic wildlife.
9. After the students have presented what they have found to the class,
the teacher will give the students more information about how
plastics harm the wildlife. The teacher will say:
a. Many fishermen lose plastic netting into the ocean.
Aquatic wildlife swims into it and have no chance for
survival once in the net.
b. Leatherback turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish.
c. Plastic have been found in the stomachs of whales,
dolphins, fish, and birds.
C. Closure
1. The teacher will give the students a piece of paper. On that paper the
students will write down one small thing they could do to help save
our aquatic wildlife.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. Sarah, a second girl will ADD, will have the option of working in a
small group to keep her on track with the lesson and it will help her
with issues such as attention and clarification.

E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative
a. The teacher will walk around the class observing the
students as they sort the plastic objects to make sure
they are doing it correctly.
b. The teacher will collect the students paper that they
wrote ways they could save our aquatic wildlife.
2. Summative
1. The students will be assessed with a unit test at the end of the
unit.

V. Reflective Response

A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on

student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan
B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective
answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
How could this lesson be improved?

How much time did it take for the students to complete the tasks?

After the completion of the did the students seem to fully understand the
material that was presented to them?

VI. Resources (in APA format)

Toft, K., & Sheather, A. (1998). One Less Fish.
Watertown, Mass.: Charlesbridge.

http://lessonplanspage.com/aquatic-wildlife-and-pollution/