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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.
  1. 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?
  2. Which is a natural change to an environment? (spraying pesticides / a volcano erupting / building a dam / building a car park) → a volcano eruptingPrompt: Which one is not caused by people?
  3. Which action helps wildlife? (cutting down rainforest / dropping litter / recycling plastic / draining wetlands) → 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.
  1. Which action best tackles this problem: farm chemicals washing into rivers? (more buses, bike lanes and electric vehicles / planting strips of plants along riverbanks / planting trees and protecting forest areas / recycling and composting schemes) → planting strips of plants along riverbanksPrompt: Which solution stops the problem at its source?
  2. Which choice protects BOTH the air and the climate? (cutting down forests / burning more rubbish in the open / generating electricity from wind and sunlight instead of burning coal / leaving car engines running) → generating electricity from wind and sunlight instead of burning coalPrompt: Which option produces no smoke or carbon dioxide while running?

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. The ozone layer was being damaged by chemicals called CFCs. Countries agreed to ban them. What happened? (The ozone layer has slowly started to recover. / The Sun got weaker. / Nothing changed. / The ozone layer disappeared.) → The ozone layer has slowly started to recover.Prompt: Global agreements can work.
  2. 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

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How communities protect Earth's land, water, air and life

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    The ozone layer was being damaged by chemicals called CFCs. Countries agreed to ban them. What happened?

    • A. Nothing changed.
    • B. The ozone layer has slowly started to recover.
    • C. The Sun got weaker.
    • D. The ozone layer disappeared.

  2. Question 2

    True or false? Protecting habitats helps endangered species.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  3. Question 3

    Which action best tackles this problem: farm chemicals washing into rivers?

    • A. recycling and composting schemes
    • B. banning single-use plastics and beach clean-ups
    • C. planting trees and protecting forest areas
    • D. planting strips of plants along riverbanks

  4. Question 4

    Which choice protects BOTH the air and the climate?

    • A. burning more rubbish in the open
    • B. cutting down forests
    • C. leaving car engines running
    • D. generating electricity from wind and sunlight instead of burning coal

  5. Question 5

    Which action best tackles this problem: water shortages?

    • A. more buses, bike lanes and electric vehicles
    • B. recycling and composting schemes
    • C. banning single-use plastics and beach clean-ups
    • D. fixing leaks and collecting rainwater

  6. Question 6

    Why do towns create nature reserves and protected areas?

    • A. To build more car parks.
    • B. To give wildlife safe habitats and protect biodiversity.
    • C. To make animals leave.
    • D. To stop people learning about nature.

  7. Question 7

    True or false? Communities can reduce pollution by changing how they travel.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  8. Question 8

    Scientists measure river water each month and find pollution falling after a new rule. What is this measuring for?

    • A. To make the river longer.
    • B. To check whether the solution is working.
    • C. Measuring is not useful.
    • D. To make the water warmer.

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Answer key: How communities protect Earth's land, water, air and life

  1. 1. B. The ozone layer has slowly started to recover.

  2. 2. A. True

  3. 3. D. planting strips of plants along riverbanks

  4. 4. D. generating electricity from wind and sunlight instead of burning coal

  5. 5. D. fixing leaks and collecting rainwater

  6. 6. B. To give wildlife safe habitats and protect biodiversity.

  7. 7. A. True

  8. 8. B. To check whether the solution is working.