5E Lesson Template
Name(s): Amy Chang
Title of lesson: Ecological Niche: How do animals survive?
Date of lesson:
Length of lesson: 60-70 min
Description of the class: Middle School Science
Name of course: General Science
Grade level: 6th
-8th
Honors or regular: Honors/ Regulars
Source of the lesson:
Textbook: Glencoe Chapter 20, 21, and 22.
Websites:
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/index.php
http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/
http://www.activescience-gsk.com/home.html
TEKS addressed:
7.12 The student knows that there is a relationship between organism and the
environment.
7.8 The student knows that complex interaction occur between matter and
energy.
8 C Describe energy flow in living systems including food chains and food
webs.
I. Overview
Students will be able to understand the concept of ecological niche and their
components. Students will be able to apply these components and concepts onto
their final project.
II. Performance or learner outcomes
Students will be able to:
Identify components of an ecosystem.
Describe how different environments support different varieties of organism.
Describe how energy is transferred between organisms.
-Observe and describe how producers, consumers, and decomposers live together.
II. Resources, materials and supplies needed
A pack of sticky notes, 1 pack of poster paper, 1 pack of index cards with
organisms pictures (4 per group), 10 packs of marker, computers with internet
access
A pack of sticky notes, poster paper, marker, computers
IV. Supplementary materials, handouts. (Also address any safety issues
Concerning equipment used)
See attachment
V. Safety Issues Be nice to the technology.
VI. Accommodations for learners with special needs (ELLs, Special Ed, 504,
G&T)
-Students in ELL will have other students who can translate for them near by.
-With ELL students a list of translated scientific terms will be given to them for
assistance on the class assignment.
-Students with special need will have teacher and peer assistance.
Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.33"
Five-E Organization Teacher Does Probing Questions Student Does
Engage: -In beginning of the class,
teacher will ask the
students to take out a sheet
of paper and write down
the kinds of food they ate
the day before.
-Teacher will then ask the
student to write down an
example of food on a sticky
note and make a bar graph
on a poster paper for
students to evaluate the
type of food consumers they
are.
-Then the teacher will be
asking the students to write
down the type of
construction they live in
(i.e.brick, wood,
metal,etc…)
-Then the teacher will ask
the students to write down
the type of climate in their
living environment (i.e. hot,
cold, dry, wet…)
Approx.
Time__10___mins
Each student will take out a
piece of paper and write
down all the food you have
ate yesterday. This includes
breakfast, lunch, and
dinner.
Then on the same paper you
will need to write down the
type of construction
building you live in. For
example brick house or
wood, etc…
With the same paper write
down the climate of Austin
and Texas climate. Such as
the kinds of climate we have
here in Texas.
Does anyone know why we
have houses mostly made of
bricks and woods?
What if we are living in an
area where there are
tornadoes such as in the
mid-west of US?
Then on a sticky note write
down one type of food you
ate this morning.
Does it have to be all the
food we ate?
Do candies count?
What does that mean?
What if we don’t know if our
home is made of?
What is climate?
Dry, very hot, rainy, cold.
Not sure.
Because they are sturdy,
cheaper to use?
Brick houses?
Can it be anything?
Evaluation(Decision Point
Assessment):
Teacher will then ask the
student if humans can make
their own food in their
body.
So now looking at your list
of foods, are there any
particular type of food that
you think humans can make
from their body directly
without the use of other
resources?
Are there any types of
organisms you know that
No
Not sure
We can make our own food,
we can cook.
Yes, plants
No
does make their own food?
Explain:
Teacher will underline the
objectives for the day’s
lesson on the classroom
board.
Teacher will hand out a list
of vocabulary words with
Spanish translation for ELL
students.
Teacher will then pass out
a work sheet with
definitions with follow up
questions for students to
follow.
Teachers will then ask
students to write down what
they would do when the
environment/climate
changes or how do students
prevent danger.
Approx.
Time__20___mins
I am handing out a power
point work sheet for you
guys to fill in as you follow
along with the presentation.
The information in this
sheet will be part of your
resource for your activity
that we will do later as well
as for your final project.
Questions for the exam may
also include some of these
terms.
Today we will be talking
about ecological niches.
Does anyone know what
niches mean?
The ecological niche
involves both the place
where an organism lives
and the roles that an
organism does in its habitat.
So does anyone know what
a habitat is?
A habitat is environment
where the organism inhibits.
For humans habitat not only
includes where we live but
also where we work, play,
and move about.
So where iswhat are some
of our habitat?
On a larger scale there are
actually six different kinds
of bigger kinds of habitats
that organisms live around
the world. These are:
freshwater, marine, desert,
forest, grassland, tundra.
No
Not sure
Sounds familiar
It’s how the organism
interacts with their
environment.
What is a habitat?
Not sure
It’s where you live.
Houses, apartments
School, Grocery store, play
ground, city, country
These large habitats are
actually called biomes.
Biomes are defined as "the
world's major communities,
classified according to the
predominant vegetation and
characterized by
adaptations of organisms to
that particular environment.
So what kinds of climate
and environment does Texas
normally have?
So what kinds of biome does
Texas belong?
Does the type of biomes and
habitat affect the kinds of
food that is available for the
organisms living there?
So if there is an area where
there is no food available,
are there any organisms
that can make their own
food? If so, what are they?
There are different types of
consumers.
The two big groups are
autotrophs and
heterotrophy. Does anyone
know what is the difference
between these two
groupsthe difference
between these two groups
is? Does anyone know what
“auto” means?
“Auto” means self and if
“troph” mean nourishment.
Then what do you think an
autotroph organism does to
gain energy?
Autotrophs are the kind of
Hot, dry, grassy
Grassland, wet lands, piney
woods, prairies, Gulf coast,
hill country, Big Bend
country, Panhandle
Yes, No, Maybe
Yes, Plants
No
No,
One eats meat and the other
does not?
Self? Me? Not sure
They can generate it
themselves?
organisms that can make
their own food by using the
suns energy.
Heterotrophs can not make
their own food and requires
outside resources.
So which one are we?
Now within heterotrophs
there are also different
groups or kinds of
heterotrophs.
What is a herb?
If herb is a plant then
organism whothat eats
plants are called
Herbivores.
Herbivores (eat plants),
Can anyone tell me what
“carne” means in Spanish?
If Carne means meat then
organisms that eat meat are
called Carnivores.
Carnivores (eat meat),
If “Omni” means all then
why types of food would an
omnivore eatan omnivore
eats?
Omnivores (eat both plant
and meat).
Now looking at the class
bar graph of the kinds of
breakfast you have this
morning. What kinds of
heterotrophs are we?
Who would be a herbivore?
Heterotrophs.
A type of plant?
Food?
Meat
Anything
Meat and Plants
Omnivores, Carnivores,
herbiovores
Vegetarian
Evaluation(Decision Point
Assessment)
Look at Explanation. Look at Explanation.
Evaluation is made through
out the power point.
Explore:
Teacher will pass out an
index card with a name of
an animal and their picture
for each student to
research.
Teacher will list the
requirements for the kinds
of information they will be
researching. Teacher will
also provide the websites
that students can visit.
Teacher will then ask the
students to combine the
animals and plants within
their group and create a
food web along with all the
individual and group
information for their
organisms.
Teacher will tell the
students to write down their
results on a poster board
and present it to the class.
Approx.
Time___20__mins
What I am handing out is a
piece of index card with a
particular animal that you
would need to research
about.
The type of research
requirement you should
focus includes: habitat, kind
of food it eats, their
potential prey and/or
predator, ways of
adaptation, and the overall
biomes for your group. You
will write the information
down on the back of index
card.
Prey: one that is targeted
for attack. (victim)
Predator: One that
victimizes, plunders, or
destroys, especially for
one's own gain.
After you have finish
researching all the required
information for your
organism (animal/ plant)
you will be working within
your group to create a food
web.
You will then gluethen glue
your cards onto a poster
board and connect the
organisms with lines and a
description of their
relationship with each
other. At the end of class
your group will present this
to the class.
What is a prey or predator?
What is a food web? What
do we need to put on the
poster?
What animals eat?
They would run away from
their prey. They would fight
with them.
Does anyone know what a
food web is? How do the
animals adapt do their
environment and how to
they protect themselves
from their predators? (may
think about incorporating
the natural selection lab)
A food chain shows how
each living thing gets its
food. Some animals eat
plants and some animals eat
other animals. A food web it
the combination of each
animals food chain.
A poster will be given for
your group to draw your
food web on. Each group
will also need to write down
the types of biomes they
reside in. At the end of class
each group will be
presenting their final
product.
What does it include?
Evaluation(Decision Point
Assessment):
Teacher will have a rubric
for the presentation.
Your group will be graded
based on the correct order
of your food web and the
kinds of biome they resides.
A rubric will be given to
each group and you will
need to use that rubric to
assist you developing your
presentation.
What do we need to prepare
and present for the
presentation?
Extend / Elaborate:
Teacher will give each
group some time to work on
their final project using the
materials that they have
learned for the day.
Now form with your final
project group and you guys
will be working on the
ecological niche for your
particular planet and your
alien organism.
Make sure you have all the
Do we have to use the same
requirements for our final
project?
How many organisms do we
have to create?
Approx.
Time__10___mins
requirements that are listed
on your rubric.
The same requirements for
today’s research and
presentation are also
applied to your final
project.
Evaluation(Decision Point
Assessment):
Teacher will ask the
students to turn in a
proposal of their planet’s
possible types of ecological
niche and develop a food
web for the organisms
found on the planet.
You will be turning in your
initial sketch of your
organisms and their
ecological niche and a food
chain in your data journal.
Evaluate: Group presentation
Approx.
Time__15___mins
The group presentation will
be your assessment of the
day.
Name:
Date:
Class Period:
Power point Worksheet
Direction: Fill in the blank as you follow along the power point presentation.
1. _____________________ involves both the place where an organism lives and
the roles that an organism does in its habitat.
2. _____________________ Where the organism lives, works, plays, and conduct
their daily activity.
1.3.Where is your habitat?
2.4._____________________ The world's major communities, classified according
to the predominant vegetation and characterized by adaptations of organisms to
that particular environment.
3.5.List and describe the 6 types of biomes.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
6. What kinds of biomes does Texas belong to?
Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.31"
Formatted: Font: Bold, Underline
Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.31"
7. ______________ organisms that can produce their own food.
Give an example:
8. ______________ organisms that require intake of outside resources.
Give an example:
9. List and describe the 3 types of heterotrophs.
1.
2.
3.
10. What is a food web?
11. What is a predator? Give an example.
12. What is a prey? Give an example.
Important Terms for ELL Spanish speaking students:
Climate- Clima
Biomes- Biomios
Habitat- hábitat
Autotrophs- Autótrofo
Heterotrophs-Heterótrofo
Herbivores-herbívoro
Carnivores-carnívoro
Omnivores-omnívoro
Biomes project:
Research your given organism (animal or plant) indicate:
1. Where it lives, the type of environment it lives in (biomes)
2. Who are their preys?
3. Who are their predators?
4. How do they adapt to their environment?
1. Texas Gulf Coast Animals and plants:
Diatoms (phytoplankton)
Krill
Red Fish
Egrets
2. The North American Desert
Cactus
Rodents Kangaroo
Rattle Snakes
Hawks
3. Alaska
Birch
Ptarmigan
Caribou
Red Fox
4 Sierra Navada
Black Bears
California Mule Deer
Sagebrush