Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

Science lesson plan · 10th grade (Year 11 in England) · 60 minutes

Sampling with quadrats

Ecosystems and food chains

CCSS NGSS.HS-LS2-1CCSS NGSS.HS-LS2-2England: KS4 Combined Science: Ecosystems

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Sampling with quadrats.

  • 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: Food webs and interdependence

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 · 6 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Food webs and interdependence). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Woodland food web: grass is eaten by rabbits and mice. Seeds are eaten by mice. Rabbits are eaten by foxes. Mice are eaten by foxes and owls. Which animal is eaten by two different predators? (owls / mice / rabbits / foxes) → micePrompt: Look for an animal that both foxes and owls eat.
  2. What does "interdependence" mean in an ecosystem? (Only predators matter / Living things depend on each other, so a change to one affects others / Every animal lives alone / Plants do not need animals at all) → Living things depend on each other, so a change to one affects othersPrompt: Think of bees and flowers.
  3. Food webs: which statement is NOT true? (Plants compete for light, water and minerals. / A food web contains only one food chain. / Animals often compete for food, water and space. / Removing one species can affect many others in a food web.) → A food web contains only one food chain.Prompt: Think about what happens when one population changes.

Hook · 6 min

  • Show a food web and ask what would happen if one animal disappeared.
  • Share the objective: Sampling with quadrats. 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: Five 1 m² quadrats contained these numbers of daisies: 7, 4, 11, 4, 10. What is the mean number of daisies per quadrat?
  • Step 1: (7 + 4 + 11 + 4 + 10) ÷ 5 = 7.2
  • Step 2: So the answer is: 7.2
  • Answer: 7.2
  • 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. Five 1 m² quadrats contained these numbers of daisies: 10, 12, 3, 10, 0. What is the mean number of daisies per quadrat? → 7Prompt: Add up all the counts.
  2. The mean number of buttercups in a 1 m² quadrat is 7. The field is 50 m². Estimate the number of buttercups in the field. → 350Prompt: How many quadrats would fit in the field?

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. Five 1 m² quadrats contained these numbers of daisies: 3, 3, 8, 1, 1. What is the mean number of daisies per quadrat? → 3.2Prompt: Add up all the counts.
  2. The mean number of buttercups in a 1 m² quadrat is 5. The field is 200 m². Estimate the number of buttercups in the field. → 1000Prompt: How many quadrats would fit in the field?

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: Food webs and interdependence.
  • 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/grade-10.

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

eurekami

Sampling with quadrats

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    How can you see how plant species change from a hedge to the middle of a field?

    • A. Count only the tallest plants
    • B. Place one quadrat by the hedge only
    • C. Sample at night
    • D. Place quadrats at regular intervals along a transect line

  2. Question 2

    The mean number of buttercups in a 0.25 m² quadrat is 13. The field is 250 m². Estimate the number of buttercups in the field.

    Answer

  3. Question 3

    Five 1 m² quadrats contained these numbers of daisies: 12, 9, 3, 4, 1. What is the mean number of daisies per quadrat?

    Answer

  4. Question 4

    The mean number of buttercups in a 1 m² quadrat is 15. The field is 500 m². Estimate the number of buttercups in the field.

    Answer

  5. Question 5

    Five 1 m² quadrats contained these numbers of daisies: 12, 5, 1, 6, 5. What is the mean number of daisies per quadrat?

    Answer

  6. Question 6

    Why should quadrats be placed at random?

    • A. To avoid bias, so the sample represents the whole area
    • B. So the results are always the same
    • C. Because it is quicker
    • D. To find the most plants

  7. Question 7

    The mean number of buttercups in a 0.25 m² quadrat is 10. The field is 50 m². Estimate the number of buttercups in the field.

    Answer

  8. Question 8

    Five 1 m² quadrats contained these numbers of daisies: 11, 2, 5, 0, 5. What is the mean number of daisies per quadrat?

    Answer

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

Answer key: Sampling with quadrats

  1. 1. D. Place quadrats at regular intervals along a transect line

  2. 2. 13000

  3. 3. 5.8

  4. 4. 7500

  5. 5. 5.8

  6. 6. A. To avoid bias, so the sample represents the whole area

  7. 7. 2000

  8. 8. 4.6