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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.
  1. Which living thing fills the gap in this food chain? ___ → krill → penguin → leopard seal (phytoplankton / grasshopper / slug / caterpillar) → phytoplanktonPrompt: A food chain starts with a plant.
  2. In a food chain, what does the arrow mean? ("is eaten by" (energy passes along) / "lives next to" / "eats" / "is bigger than") → "is eaten by" (energy passes along)Prompt: Think: grass → rabbit. Which way does the food go?
  3. Which living thing fills the gap in this food chain? ___ → rabbit → fox (tadpole / grass / caterpillar / slug) → grassPrompt: A food chain starts with a plant.

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.
  1. Does this help or harm wildlife: cutting down rainforest? (helps wildlife / harms wildlife) → harms wildlifePrompt: Does it make habitats bigger and cleaner, or smaller and dirtier?
  2. How can plastic in the ocean harm sea turtles? (Plastic makes the water warmer / Turtles use plastic to build nests / 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?

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.
  1. Which is a natural change to an environment? (a volcano erupting / spraying pesticides / building a car park / building a dam) → a volcano eruptingPrompt: Which one is not caused by people?
  2. Does this help or harm wildlife: dropping litter? (helps wildlife / harms wildlife) → harms wildlifePrompt: Does it make habitats bigger and cleaner, or smaller and dirtier?

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

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Environments change: human impact

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    How can plastic in the ocean harm sea turtles?

    • A. They can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them
    • B. Plastic makes the water warmer
    • C. Plastic is food for turtles
    • D. Turtles use plastic to build nests

  2. Question 2

    Which action harms wildlife?

    • A. creating a nature reserve
    • B. digging a wildlife pond
    • C. planting native trees
    • D. dropping litter

  3. Question 3

    Does this help or harm wildlife: spilling oil into rivers?

    • A. helps wildlife
    • B. harms wildlife

  4. Question 4

    Which is a natural change to an environment?

    • A. building a dam
    • B. building a car park
    • C. spraying pesticides
    • D. a volcano erupting

  5. Question 5

    Which action helps wildlife?

    • A. spilling oil into rivers
    • B. planting native trees
    • C. draining wetlands
    • D. dumping plastic in the sea

  6. Question 6

    Does this help or harm wildlife: draining wetlands?

    • A. helps wildlife
    • B. harms wildlife

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Answer key: Environments change: human impact

  1. 1. A. They can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them

  2. 2. D. dropping litter

  3. 3. B. harms wildlife

  4. 4. D. a volcano erupting

  5. 5. B. planting native trees

  6. 6. B. harms wildlife