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

Resources

Accommodations/Modifications for All Learners

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

Direct Instruction Introduce the skill: using multiple sources to answer a question that has more than one answer

● 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

A River Ran Wild Large chart

paper with question web graphic organizer

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

● Read a loud A River Ran Wild and demonstrate skill by thinking aloud what pieces of information are relevant to the question 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 you’ve 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 we’ve found so we can get the fullest possible picture of the answer, or answers, to this question”

Copies of graphic organizer for students & clipboards

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◦ have students think independently or share with a neighbor

A River Ran Wild

Independent Practice

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● Any lingering questions are welcomed

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

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

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015

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

Question Web Graphic Organizer

P. DiSalvo-Harms - 2015