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Science lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 45 minutes

How plants, animals and people change their surroundings

Ecosystems and food chains

CCSS NGSS.K-ESS2-2CCSS NGSS.K-ESS3-1England: EYFS Understanding the World: The natural world

Objective and success criteria

Students will: How plants, animals and people change their surroundings.

  • 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: What plants and animals need to stay alive

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

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 (What plants and animals need to stay alive). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. How does a plant get its food? (It eats insects every day. / It eats the soil. / People feed it bread. / It makes its own food using sunlight, air and water.) → It makes its own food using sunlight, air and water.Prompt: Plants cannot walk to find food.
  2. Needs of living things: which statement is true? (Plants eat bugs to get all their food. / Pets do not need air. / Animals can make food from sunlight. / Both plants and animals need water.) → Both plants and animals need water.Prompt: Plants make food; animals eat food.
  3. Who needs this, plants or animals: leaves to catch light? (plants / animals) → plantsPrompt: Who makes its own food, and who has to find it?

Hook · 5 min

  • Show a food web and ask what would happen if one animal disappeared.
  • Share the objective: How plants, animals and people change their surroundings. 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: Who made this change: earthworms mixing the soil?
  • Step 1: Animals dig, build and move things to meet their needs.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: an animal
  • Answer: an animal
  • 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. Who made this change: building a playground? (a plant / an animal / people) → peoplePrompt: Is it something growing, an animal at work, or people building?
  2. Why does a squirrel bury acorns in the ground? (to make the ground flat / to store food for later / to grow a nest / to keep the acorns warm for fun) → to store food for laterPrompt: What will the squirrel need in winter?

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. Why does a squirrel bury acorns in the ground? (to keep the acorns warm for fun / to grow a nest / to store food for later / to make the ground flat) → to store food for laterPrompt: What will the squirrel need in winter?
  2. True or false? A bird's nest is made by the wind. (True / False) → FalsePrompt: Think of beavers, roots and builders.

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: What plants and animals need to stay alive.
  • 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

  • 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/kindergarten.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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How plants, animals and people change their surroundings

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    True or false? People change the land when they build towns and farms.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  2. Question 2

    Why does a squirrel bury acorns in the ground?

    • A. to grow a nest
    • B. to store food for later
    • C. to keep the acorns warm for fun
    • D. to make the ground flat

  3. Question 3

    Who made this change: building a new road?

    • A. a plant
    • B. an animal
    • C. people

  4. Question 4

    True or false? Plants never change the place where they grow.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  5. Question 5

    A beaver builds a dam across a stream. What changes?

    • A. The trees grow faster.
    • B. The stream turns into ice.
    • C. Nothing changes.
    • D. Water backs up and makes a pond.

  6. Question 6

    Who made this change: a beaver building a dam that makes a pond?

    • A. a plant
    • B. an animal
    • C. people

  7. Question 7

    True or false? Only people can change the places they live.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  8. Question 8

    A pavement (sidewalk) next to an old tree is cracked and lifted up. What most likely did it?

    • A. the wind
    • B. the tree's roots growing underneath
    • C. people walking on it
    • D. the leaves falling

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Answer key: How plants, animals and people change their surroundings

  1. 1. A. True

  2. 2. B. to store food for later

  3. 3. C. people

  4. 4. B. False

  5. 5. D. Water backs up and makes a pond.

  6. 6. B. an animal

  7. 7. B. False

  8. 8. B. the tree's roots growing underneath