YourName:GabiRullamas

TitleofLesson:Whatif?
Grade:5th

LESSONPLANTEMPLATE

STANDARDS
5.G.A.2.Representrealworldandmathematicalproblemsbygraphingpointsinthefirstquadrantofthecoordinate
plane,andinterpretcoordinatevaluesofpointsinthecontextofthesituation.
Concept1:TheWorldinSpatialTermsPO1.Interpretinformationfromavarietyofmaps:a.contourb.population
densityc.naturalresourced.historicalmaps
5ESS3

Obtainandcombineinformationaboutwaysindividualcommunitiesusescienceideastoprotectthe
Earthsresourcesandenvironment.

LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW
Studentswilllookatthegrowthofthepopulation.Hypothesizewhatwouldhappenifwekeepgrowingsofast.
Discusswhatcouldbedonetohelpconserveourresources.Thisisimportantforstudentstounderstandbecauseour
populationhasaeffectontheplanet.
OBJECTIVES
Bytheendofthislessonstudentswillbeabletoexplainwhyourrapidincreaseofpopulationcanbeharmfultothe
earthresourcesandhypothesizeideasonhowtoconserve.Bygraphingtheresultsofaballoonexperimentstudents
andclassdiscussion.
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Studentswillgraphdatafromexperiment.
Shortanswerresponseinterpretinggraphscreated
Classdiscussionwithwrittenresponsetopromptedquestion.
PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE
Studentswillneedtoknowwhatapopulationis.
Studentswillneedtoknowwhataresourceis.
Studentswillneedtoknowhowtographpointsgivendata
Studentswillneedtoknowhowtocreateax/ytable.
Studentswillneedtoknowhowinterpretgraphsandvisualinformation
Toensurestudentsunderstandwhattheyneedtodo.Wewillgooveranyvocabularythatneedstobereviewed.
Therewillexamplesgivenforgraphingforstudentstorecallhowtodoso.Assistantswillbegiventoanystudent
whomightbehavingtrouble.

MATERIALS

Balloons(mediumsized)
Graphpaper
Whiteboard
Whiteboardpens(3to4differentcolors)
Pencils
Binderpaper
Stopwatchortimer(somethingthatcanshow30secondincrements)
Largestickyposterpaper(optionalcanusewhiteboard)

Markers(34differentcolorsifusinglargestickyposterpaper)
VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS
PopulationGrowth:increaseinthenumberofindividualsinapopulation

Line graph: a graph that uses a line to show how data changes over time
Rapidgrowth:
Steadygrowth:

TEACHINGPROCEDURES
ProceduralSteps(Stepbystepinstructionsforteachingthelesson):
Beforeclassprep:Haveballoonsblownuptoroughlythesamesizesmalltomedium
Starttheclassbygoingoverpopulationandshowingagraphshowingourpopulationgrowthoverthepast
100yearsofso.Askstudentsiftheythinkthisisarapidgrowthorsteadygrowth?
Discuss/hypothesizewhichtypeofgrowththeythinkisbetterfortheearth.
Divideclassintothreegroups
Giveeachgroupahandoutwithdirection.Askthemtoreaditoverandaskanyquestionstheymighthave
o Group1:Youwillrepresentslowgradualgrowth.Designateonepersontobearecorder,one
persontobetheearth.Therestofthestudentswillbecreators.Haveyourearthstandinfrontof
thegroup.ForThefirstminuteearthwillstartwith1balloononly.WhenIsaystartevery30
secondsyouwillgivestudentstandinginfront(earth)twoballoonstohold.Thestudentswillkeep
receivingballoonsuntiltheycantholdanymore.Therecorderwillwritedowna2eachtime
balloonsareadded.Whenyourearthcantaddanymorestop.Theneveryoneneedstogetthedata
fromyourrecorder.Whenyourearthcantaddanymorestop.Theneveryoneneedstogetthedata
fromyourrecorder.

Group2:YouwillrepresentRapidgradualgrowth.Designateonepersontobearecorder,one
persontobetheearth.Therestofthestudentswillbecreators.HaveEarthstandinfrontofthe
group.ForThefirstminuteearthwillstartwith1balloononly.WhenIstartthetimersevery30
secondsyouwilladdballoonsadding4eachtime.Thiswillcontinuetodothisuntilthestudents
cantholdanymoreballoons.Yourrecorderswillwritedowna4eachtimeballoonsareaddedto
earth.Whenyourearthcantaddanymorestop.Theneveryoneneedstogetthedatafromyour
recorder.Whenyourearthcantaddanymorestop.Theneveryoneneedstogetthedatafromyour
recorder.

Group3:Youwillrepresentunexpectedgrowth.Designateonepersontobearecorder,one
persontobetheearth.Therestofthestudentswillbecreators.HaveEarthstandinfrontofthe
group.ForThefirstminuteearthwillstartwith1balloononly.WhenIsaystarttheevery30
secondsyouwillgivetheEarth2balloonsthen4balloonsalternatingeachtime.Continuedoing
sotillyourearthcannotholdanymoreballoons.Yourrecorderwillneedtowritedowna2or4
eachtimeballoonsareadded.Dependingonhowmanyballoonsareadded.Whenyourearthcant
addanymorestop.Theneveryoneneedstogetthedatafromyourrecorder.Worktogetheror
individuallytographyourresults

Begintheactivityusingastopwatchtosignalstudentsevery30seconds.Observeeveryoneisfollowing
directionsandparticipating.
WhilestudentsaregraphingandsharingtheirdataCreatealargegraphonwhiteboardorstickyposer
paper(premadeworksaswell)

N/A

Have2studentsfromeachgroupcomeuptotheboardanddrawtheirdataonthelargegraphusinga
differentcolorpen.
Askstudentstodescribewhattheyseeornoticeaboutthegraph.Thenhavethemcomparethegraphyou
havemadetotheoneyoushowedontheworldspopulationatthebeggingofclass.
Havestudentswriteintheirsciencejournalsaboutthetwographsandanswerthepromptedquestions.
Whichtypeofgrowthinourexperimentsseemssimilartotheworldpopulationgrowth?Iftheythinkthe
earthcansustainthattypeofgrowthwiththeamountofresourceswehave.Whattypeofgrowthisideal?
Whatdoyouthinkaboutthis?Whatcanwedosowehaveenoughresourcesforeveryone

RESOURCES

WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION
Futuresthinkingareusedinthislessonplanbecausehavingstudentscomparethegraphsgetsthemthinkingabout
whattypeofgrowthourpopulationhas.Basedonwhattheyknowaboutresourcesformthepreviousdaytheyare
thinkingisthattypeofgrowthsustainableoreasilymaintainedwiththeresourceswehave.Wouldtherebea
probleminthefuturewhattypeofgrowthwouldbeidea.Whatcouldhappenifsomethingdoesn'tchange.
What can be done to help so everyone has enough? Asking what can be done incorporated a little of strategic
thinking as they are coming up with ideas that might not be happening already.