Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Alexa Troain Date: 2/27/23

Group Size: 24 Allotted Time: 30 minutes Grade Level: 4

Subject or Topic: Science/ Ecosystems/Food Chains/Food Webs

Common Core/PA Standard(s)

Standard - 4.1.4.A
Explain how living things are dependent upon other living and nonliving things for survival.

Describe the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers within a local ecosystem.

Standard - 4.1.4.C
Explain how most life on earth gets its energy from the sun.

Standard- B.4.2.1 Describe how energy flows through an ecosystem (e.g., food chains, food
webs, energy pyramids).

Learning Targets/Objectives
The fourth grade students will categorize plants & animals into groups based on the
vocabulary words to review for the test.
The fourth grade students will be able to use their knowledge of food chains and ecosystem to
complete an unit test.
Formative Assessment Approaches Evidence observation or method of collection
1.categorizing activity 1.check for understanding before test
2. 2.
…. …
Assessment Scale for any of the assessments above if needed

Summative if applicable
Subject Matter/Content to be taught in the lesson

Prerequisites

New Key Vocabulary

● Habitat- the place where an animal or plant finds the food, water, shelter and space in
a arrangement they need to survive
 ● Producer- a green plant that can make its own food through photosynthesis
● Consumer- an organism that eats another organism in order to get its food
● Food Chain- the transfer of energy from one organism to the next from sun to
producer to consumer, food chain is just part of the overall food web found in nature.
● Food Web- the interlocking pattern of food chains that actually occurs in nature
● Predator- an animal that catches, kills and eats other animals
● Prey- animals that are killed and eaten by predators
● Herbivore- animal that eats only plants
● Omnivore- an animal that can eats plants and animals
● Carnivore- a meat-eater
● Decomposer- an organism that eats the organic material that results from the death and
decay of other lifeforms
● Photosynthesis- the process by which plants make their own food using carbon
dioxide, water and sunlight.
● Ecosystem- a community of interacting organisms and their environment
● Pennsylvania ecosystem- the specific ecosystem where we live including forests,
lakes, rivers and wetlands.

Content/Facts

Food webs show how plants and animals are connected in many ways to help them all survive,
while food chains follow just one path of energy as animals find food.

An example of a food chain is the sun provides food for the grass, the grass is eaten by the
grasshopper, the grasshopper is eaten by a frog, the frog is eaten by a snake and then the snake
is eaten by a hawk.

An example of a food web where everything is connected is trees produce acorns which act as
food for many mice and insects and because there are many mice, weasels and snakes have
food. The insects and the acorns also attract birds, skunks and opossums. With the skunks,
opossums, weasels and mice around, hawks, foxes and owls can find food. They are all
connected. Like a spider's web, if one part is removed, it can affect the whole web.

We all get energy from the sun. We couldn't live without the sun. The beginning of the food
chain and food webs is grass or some kind of plant. In order for plants to grow they have to
make their own food and this process is called photosynthesis. The process of photosynthesis
includes using carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to make their own food. They make their
own food which allows the rest of the cycle to get their energy from the food they eat. Since
plants make their own food they are producers. After producers make their food, consumers
eat another organism to keep their source of energy.

Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies
● The teacher will begin by explaining to the students what they are going to do today.
● The teacher will say, “Today is your food chains test. Before we take your test we are
going to play a review game.”
 ● The teacher will say, “Can someone tell me some important vocabulary in this unit that
we learned about?
○ the teacher will call on a few students
○ Hopefully they list the vocabulary words, like food chain, food web, producer,
consumer and so on.
● The teacher will write the words on the white board as the students are saying them
Development/Teaching Approaches
● The teacher will begin the lesson with explaining the directions of the review game.
● The teacher will say, “We are going to play a review game and this is how you play.
As you can see we have our vocabulary words written on the board. I am going to give
you a word and you have to categorize it by writing it in the correct spot. For example,
if I say bacteria, you would write bacteria under decomposer. Does everyone
understand?
○ the teacher will call on any student that has a question
● The teacher will say, “we are going to start easy and then get harder. We are going to
pick each other, so I will pick the first student and then that student will pick another
student to go up to the board. One side of the room is competing with the other side of
the room, sowe will have team 1 and team 2. The winner will get a bonus point on
their test. Do you have any questions?”
○ the teacher will call on students who have question to explain further
● Then the teacher will begin the review game by saying a word for the students to
categorize.
○ the teacher should say animals, plants and other things the students are familiar
with that can be categorized into our vocabulary words.
○ The teacher can also say words that do not fit in our vocabulary words.
● The teacher will have students playing this game for 10-15 minutes.
● After the review game and time is up, the teacher will pass out their unit tests.
● The teacher will say, “There is a mix of multiple choice, fill in the blanks and short
answers. Do the best you can. Number 6 is going to be a bonus question.”
● The students will begin taking the test and they have until the end of class to finish.

Closure/Summarizing Strategies
● The teacher will collect the tests.
● The teacher will show them their grades from their food webs and food chain activities.
● The teacher will finish up the unit by telling them the grades will be in the grade book
soon of their activities and test.

Accommodations/Differentiation
● Anchor chart projected on the screen for visual learners.
● Redirecting when needed.
● Help some students read the worksheet.

Materials and Resources:

Text Set:
1. What is a Habitat? By Lisa M Bolt Simons
2. What Eats What in a Forest Food Chain? By Lisa J Amstutz
3. Who eats what? By Patricia Lauber
4. What if There Were No Gray Wolves? By Suzanne Slade
5. Understanding Photosynthesis by Liam O Donnell
6. Ecosystems- Geography Projects By Pam Robson
7. Because of an Acorn By Lola M Shaefer
8. What if There Were No Bees? by Suzanne Slade
9. Is it a Food Web or a Food Chain by Emily Sohn
10. Food Chains by ALvin Silverstein

Food web example:

 Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels
Almost all of the students were able to correctly categorize words given to them. Almost all of
the students knew the vocabulary. There were 2 students who could not successfully categorize
words given to them. After grading the tests, I saw that they greatly improved! The students
went from 14 test scores below 70% on the pre-test to only 2 test scores below 70%. They also
went from no test scores from 100%-90% to 11 test scores from 100%-90%.

Remediation Plan (if applicable)

Personal Reflection Questions

What went well during this lesson?
I successfully explained the review game because they understood how to play right away
without any questions. They were able to play the game and had fun competing against one
another.

How engaged were students?

The students were engaged during the review game since it was a game that they were competing
with others to get extra credit on the test.

How would you improve this lesson?

I would improve this lesson by coming up with a more indepth review game. If I were to teach
this unit again, I would have an extra day so the class could review for the test the whole time
and then the extra day would be for the test. Some students were unable to finish their tests in the
time provided.

Additional reflection/thoughts