Science lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 45 minutes
How communities protect Earth's land, water, air and life
Earth and rocks
CCSS NGSS.5-ESS3-1England: KS2 Y4 Living things and their habitatsEngland: KS3 Chemistry: Earth and atmosphere
Objective and success criteria
Students will: How communities protect Earth's land, water, air and life.
- 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: Environments change: human impact
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Rock samples, Hand lenses, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Environments change: human impact). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Does this help or harm wildlife: draining wetlands? (helps wildlife / harms wildlife) → harms wildlifePrompt: Does it make habitats bigger and cleaner, or smaller and dirtier?
- Which is a natural change to an environment? (building a car park / a volcano erupting / spraying pesticides / building a dam) → a volcano eruptingPrompt: Which one is not caused by people?
- Which action helps wildlife? (draining wetlands / dumping plastic in the sea / recycling plastic / spilling oil into rivers) → recycling plasticPrompt: Think about what happens to habitats.
Hook · 5 min
- Pass round different rocks and ask how each one might have formed.
- Share the objective: How communities protect Earth's land, water, air and life. 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: Which action best tackles this problem: plastic waste in the ocean?
- Step 1: So the answer is: banning single-use plastics and beach clean-ups
- Answer: banning single-use plastics and beach clean-ups
- 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.
- Which action best tackles this problem: farm chemicals washing into rivers? (recycling and composting schemes / planting trees and protecting forest areas / planting strips of plants along riverbanks / more buses, bike lanes and electric vehicles) → planting strips of plants along riverbanksPrompt: Which solution stops the problem at its source?
- Scientists measure river water each month and find pollution falling after a new rule. What is this measuring for? (To make the river longer. / To check whether the solution is working. / To make the water warmer. / Measuring is not useful.) → To check whether the solution is working.Prompt: How do we know if a plan worked?
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.
- Which action best tackles this problem: loss of forests? (more buses, bike lanes and electric vehicles / planting trees and protecting forest areas / banning single-use plastics and beach clean-ups / fixing leaks and collecting rainwater) → planting trees and protecting forest areasPrompt: Which solution stops the problem at its source?
- True or false? Plastic in the sea breaks down completely in a few weeks. (True / False) → FalsePrompt: Which actions reduce harm to land, water, air and life?
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: Environments change: human impact.
- Use concrete materials: rock samples.
- 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/grade-5.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder