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Science lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 45 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 · 5 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 · 5 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 · 10 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 · 10 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 · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 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/ 8

  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

  7. Question 7

    Does this help or harm wildlife: creating a nature reserve?

    • A. helps wildlife
    • B. harms wildlife

  8. Question 8

    A new road is built through a wood. How might this affect the badgers that live there?

    • A. They will have more food
    • B. Their habitat is split and some may be hit by traffic
    • C. They will turn into a new species straight away
    • D. It will have no effect

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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

  7. 7. A. helps wildlife

  8. 8. B. Their habitat is split and some may be hit by traffic