Class Discussion

Grade level
/subject

Context
description

Standards met

Concept
addressed

Objectives
Academic
language
Learning
strategies

9th Grade Biology

This is the first students experiences talking about matter and energy in
biology class. Knowing that we have not talked about this subject before,
this lesson provides me with opportunities to ask questions and formatively
assess students prior knowledge. With this specific class, the students are
having behavior issues with not following the rules, moving around the
classroom, and excessive talking. I have decided that I would like to keep
class engaging by having hands on activities but there are times where
there is individual work in order to maintain students work ethic. Students
will learn about how energy and matter flows and cycles through a system.
This lesson is a foundation to a project that will be occurring in the
following days. Students in this class are extremely talkative. I have
included this as a strength and a weakness. I have included times where
they are to be quiet and think about the questions and times where they
are allowed to collaborate with their group members.
OLSS.SC.BIO.3.2 Ecosystems
Content Statements:
The cycling of matter and flow of energy occurs at all levels of
biological organization, from molecules to ecosystems
Organisms transform (flow of energy) and matter (cycles of energy)
as they survive and reproduce
What is the overarching concept (big idea or essential question) related to
this lesson? (Be sure it aligns with the standard met.)The overarching
concept for this lesson is for students to understand how energy and
matter flows from one part of an ecosystem to another. The rational for this
lesson is to allow student to build the prior knowledge they need in order to
build connections for the rest of the unit. Students need to have an
understanding of where matter goes in an ecosystem because they will
then be able to build off of this knowledge by looking at a small ecosystem
in the classroom and build conclusions.
The students will be able to:
1. Describe how matter flows through an ecosystem
Matter, Ecosystem
Hands-on Activity: Students will sort through trash in the beginning part of
this activity.

Class Discussion
Think Pair Share: Students will have the opportunity to discuss

Materials needed

BSCS book
Journal
Writing utensil
Assorted garbage items in plastic bags: Newspaper, Apple core, aluminum
can, twigs, plastic, tea bags, foam cup
Instructional sequence:
Segment 1: Bell opener: Where does trash go when you throw it
out? (4 min attendance)
Transition 1: Put opener back in folder open to page 321 in BSCS
Book (1 min)
Segment 2: As a class, read the introductory materials and process
& procedures (3 min)
Transition 2: In students journals. Have them draw a table like the
one shown on the board. Teacher will pass out materials. (2 min)
Segment 3: Give students 10 min to sort through the trash and fill in
the chart as they work through the activity (10 min)

Instructional
outline

Transition 3: Clean up. Have students put all of the trash back into
their bag and one person bring it to the front of the room. (1 min)
Segment 4: Review with students what matter is. Have students
write a short description in their journal about what they think might
happen to the matter and energy in the trash after we throw it out.
(4 min)
Transition 4: Share your ideas with your table and prepare for a
discussion. (2 min)
Segment 5: Discuss some of the ideas that the students have about
where the matter might go. (3 min)
Transition 5: Turn to page 378 in BSCS book
Segment 6: Read the essay, Garbage among Us From then to
Now (10 min)

Class Discussion

Transition 6: Return to page 321.

Segment 7: Have students complete the Analysis questions. (5 min)
Transition 7: When students are done writing have them share with
their table.
Segment 8: Discuss some of the questions that were asked
Transition 8: Pass out Exit ticket: List 5 things you have thrown
away in the past week. What could you have done with each of
those items instead of throwing them away? (5 min)
Segment 9: While students are completing the exit ticket, pass out
homework for this week

Modifications/
Accommodations

Assessments of
learning

Analyzing
teaching

Transition 9: Hand it exit ticket when the bell rings.

Students will be able to share and express their ideas before a class
discussion. Students will IEPs will be provided the necessary
accommodations or modifications as stated by their needs.
Formative assessments:
Objective 1: Students will be formatively assessed through their think, pair,
and share discussions. The students will also be assessed formatively on
their exit ticket
Summative assessments:
Objective 1: Students will be having an end of unit test. This test will
assess students understanding of this learning objective.
Will analyze after teaching lesson.