Phosphorous & Nitrogen Cycles Activities and Notes Lesson Plan (Direct Instruction)

Teacher:Julie Koshy

Subject/Grade: Biology

Date: Apr. 5, 2016

Standard:
S4.C5.PO3. Diagram the following biogeochemical cycles in an ecosystem:
water
carbon
nitrogen
Objective, SWBAT:
Describe how phosphorous and nitrogen cycle through an ecosystem.
Sub-objectives, SWBAT:
Identify different phosphorous and nitrogen stores.
Describe the processes involved in moving nitrogen and phosphorous.
Evidence of Mastery:
Students will arrange various processes and stores of nitrogen and phosphorous into a cycle; a
cycle that demonstrates sound logic will show mastery.
Key vocabulary: nitrogen, phosphorous, nitrification,
Denitrification, ammonification, nitrogen fixation,
erosion, weathering, and sedimentary rock

Materials: Phosphorous cycle Prezi, Nitrogen

Cycle Prezi, P&N Cycle PowerNotes,
projector, lab notebooks, N & P cycle article,
writing utensil, and N & P activity cards

Guided Practice

Instructional Input

Opening/Anticipatory Set:
Weve discussed how energy moves through a community and how different diagrams represent it,
today will describe the way Nitrogen and Phosphorous cycle through an ecosystem.
Teacher Will:
Present the nitrogen and phosphorous
cycles using Prezis that incorporate short
animations.

Student Will:
Take notes from the prezis and
animations as instructed by the teacher.

Differentiation
Students who have difficulty writing can be given the PowerNotes (guided notes) for the
students to fill in. Also students who are unable to write may use a computer to type their notes.
Teacher Will:
Provide students with a article describing
the nitrogen and phosphorous cycles. Teacher
will divide students into groups and assign each
group a section of the article to read.

Student Will:
Read the section assigned to them,
discussing the important aspects to their group
members. Describe the section they read to
others in the second grouping. Take notes
about the other sections.

Independent Practice

Differentiation
Students who have difficulty writing notes can highlight the important concepts in their
articles.
Teacher Will:
Provide nitrogen and phosphorous cycle
cards. Instruct students to use the descriptions
on each card to determine the order of the
processes and stores. Ask guiding questions for
students to reconstruct their cycles.

Student Will:
Assemble the cards into the correct
order of each cycle. Reorder the cycle cards
based on the teachers feedback.

Differentiation
ELLs can be given access to a translator to help understand the descriptions on the cards.

Closure/Lesson Summary:
Why are the nitrogen, phosphorous, and water said to be true cycles, while energy does not cycle
through an ecosystem?