Lesson Title: Humans: Harmful or Helpful?

Grade Level: 4th

Class Time: 90 minutes

Subject Integration: Science

Brief Overview: This lesson enables students to purposefully explore questions with more than one answer, while
researching the question What effect do humans have on the environment?
Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to create a question web to explore the question What effect do
humans have on the environment?
Common Core Standard: CC.4.R.I.9 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Integrate information from two texts on
the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
AASL Standard: 2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
AASL / IFC Skill: Notes similarities and differences in information from two different sources
Learning/Teaching Activities CT=Classroom Teacher L=Librarian
Accommodations/
Modifications for All
Learners

Direct Instruction

Resources

Practice text will be read aloud

Independent research allows students to pick whatever type and
level of resource they are most comfortable with

Students may draw or write to fill in question web

Introduce the skill: using multiple sources to answer a question

A River Ran Wild

that has more than one answer

Large chart

Explain: Sometimes questions have more than one answer so we

must use more than one resource to get a full picture of what
the answer may be. Can you think of any questions like that?

Introduce the graphic organizer: question web

Read a loud A River Ran Wild and demonstrate skill by thinking

aloud what pieces of information are relevant to the question

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

paper with question

web graphic organizer

Copies of graphic

organizer for students

& clipboards

and should be included in the answer

add to graphic organizer and have students do likewise

Explain: Pause at the end of each page to determine whether

any of the information youve just read helps you answer your
question

Explain: We are going to practice this skill together first with

A River Ran Wild and then you will independently research it

yourself to continue filling out your web. You may use whatever
type of resource you want to answer this question. At the end of
class we will share what weve found so we can get the fullest
possible picture of the answer, or answers, to this question
Guided Practice

Continue reading the book as a class and stop periodically to have

students determine whether any information should be included
on the graphic organizer

Independent Practice

have students think independently or share with a neighbor

Students independently research the question themselves to

find additional information and resources, continuing to add
pertinent information to their graphic organizers

Closing/Sharing/
Reflecting

Students share with a neighbor what they have discovered

Pairs share with the entire class what they have determined to
be the strongest answers from their work

Students are asked to share their opinions of how humans affect

the environment with evidence

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

Any lingering questions are welcomed

A River Ran Wild

Assessment(s)

Question web graphic organizer

Resources/Activities for Extending the Learning:

Perspectives graphic organizer- students can divide answers into humans harm and humans help the
environment and then consider their own opinion in a three column chart

Humans Harm

Humans Help

My thoughts

Class debate (with evidence) around the question if humans harm or help the environment

Research on the real Nashua River and how people positively and negatively affected it

Class project to take social action on a nearby endangered habitat, species, or other environmental concern
of local interest

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

Question Web Graphic Organizer

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015