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Science lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 60 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 · 6 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: dropping litter? (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? (Turtles use plastic to build nests / Plastic makes the water warmer / Plastic is food for turtles / They can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them) → They can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat themPrompt: What do some turtles like to eat that floats?
  3. Which action helps wildlife? (draining wetlands / dropping litter / spilling oil into rivers / planting native trees) → planting native treesPrompt: Think about what happens to habitats.

Hook · 6 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 · 12 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 · 12 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: too much rubbish going to landfill? (planting strips of plants along riverbanks / planting trees and protecting forest areas / recycling and composting schemes / more buses, bike lanes and electric vehicles) → recycling and composting schemesPrompt: Which solution stops the problem at its source?
  2. Scientists measure river water each month and find pollution falling after a new rule. What is this measuring for? (To make the water warmer. / Measuring is not useful. / To make the river longer. / To check whether the solution is working.) → To check whether the solution is working.Prompt: How do we know if a plan worked?

You do: independent practice · 17 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 · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Which action best tackles this problem: too much rubbish going to landfill? (more buses, bike lanes and electric vehicles / recycling and composting schemes / planting strips of plants along riverbanks / fixing leaks and collecting rainwater) → recycling and composting schemesPrompt: Which solution stops the problem at its source?
  2. The ozone layer was being damaged by chemicals called CFCs. Countries agreed to ban them. What happened? (The ozone layer disappeared. / Nothing changed. / The Sun got weaker. / The ozone layer has slowly started to recover.) → The ozone layer has slowly started to recover.Prompt: Global agreements can work.

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

eurekami

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

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which action best tackles this problem: air pollution from traffic?

    • A. planting strips of plants along riverbanks
    • B. more buses, bike lanes and electric vehicles
    • C. recycling and composting schemes
    • D. banning single-use plastics and beach clean-ups
  2. Question 2

    Which choice protects BOTH the air and the climate?

    • A. generating electricity from wind and sunlight instead of burning coal
    • B. burning more rubbish in the open
    • C. leaving car engines running
    • D. cutting down forests
  3. Question 3

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

    • A. True
    • B. False
  4. Question 4

    Which action best tackles this problem: water shortages?

    • A. planting trees and protecting forest areas
    • B. planting strips of plants along riverbanks
    • C. fixing leaks and collecting rainwater
    • D. more buses, bike lanes and electric vehicles
  5. Question 5

    True or false? Plastic in the sea breaks down completely in a few weeks.

    • A. True
    • B. False
  6. Question 6

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

    • A. planting strips of plants along riverbanks
    • B. fixing leaks and collecting rainwater
    • C. banning single-use plastics and beach clean-ups
    • D. planting trees and protecting forest areas
  7. Question 7

    True or false? Individual actions never make any difference.

    • A. True
    • B. False
  8. Question 8

    Which action best tackles this problem: plastic waste in the ocean?

    • A. fixing leaks and collecting rainwater
    • B. planting trees and protecting forest areas
    • C. banning single-use plastics and beach clean-ups
    • D. planting strips of plants along riverbanks

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

  1. 1. B. more buses, bike lanes and electric vehicles

  2. 2. A. generating electricity from wind and sunlight instead of burning coal

  3. 3. A. True

  4. 4. C. fixing leaks and collecting rainwater

  5. 5. B. False

  6. 6. A. planting strips of plants along riverbanks

  7. 7. B. False

  8. 8. C. banning single-use plastics and beach clean-ups