Science lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 30 minutes
Environments change: human impact
Ecosystems and food chains
CCSS NGSS.4-ESS3-1CCSS NGSS.5-ESS3-1CCSS NGSS.MS-ESS3-3England: KS2 Y4 Living things and their habitatsEngland: KS3 Biology: Interactions and interdependencies
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Environments change: human impact.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Simple food chains
Leads to: How communities protect Earth's land, water, air and life; Living and non-living factors in an ecosystem
Materials: Food web cards, Arrows to build chains, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Simple food chains). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which living thing fills the gap in this food chain? acacia leaves → giraffe → ___ (lettuce / oak leaves / grass / lion) → lionPrompt: It must eat the thing before it in the chain.
- In a food chain, what does the arrow mean? ("is eaten by" (energy passes along) / "is bigger than" / "lives next to" / "eats") → "is eaten by" (energy passes along)Prompt: Think: grass → rabbit. Which way does the food go?
- Which living thing fills the gap in this food chain? oak leaves → caterpillar → blue tit → ___ (algae / sparrowhawk / lettuce / seeds) → sparrowhawkPrompt: It must eat the thing before it in the chain.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a food web and ask what would happen if one animal disappeared.
- Share the objective: Environments change: human impact. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Does this help or harm wildlife: draining wetlands?
- Step 1: Actions that destroy or pollute habitats harm living things.
- Step 2: So the answer is: harms wildlife
- Answer: harms wildlife
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Does this help or harm wildlife: digging a wildlife pond? (helps wildlife / harms wildlife) → helps wildlifePrompt: Does it make habitats bigger and cleaner, or smaller and dirtier?
- How can plastic in the ocean harm sea turtles? (Plastic makes the water warmer / They can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them / Plastic is food for turtles / Turtles use plastic to build nests) → They can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat themPrompt: What do some turtles like to eat that floats?
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Does this help or harm wildlife: spilling oil into rivers? (helps wildlife / harms wildlife) → harms wildlifePrompt: Does it make habitats bigger and cleaner, or smaller and dirtier?
- How can plastic in the ocean harm sea turtles? (Turtles use plastic to build nests / Plastic makes the water warmer / They can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them / Plastic is food for turtles) → They can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat themPrompt: What do some turtles like to eat that floats?
Watch out for
- Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
- Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Simple food chains.
- Use concrete materials: food web cards.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: How communities protect Earth's land, water, air and life; Living and non-living factors in an ecosystem.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-4.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder