Sam Taylor

ELED 3221

INDIRECT INSTRUCTION (STRUCTURED DISCOVERY) LESSON PLAN FORMAT

The Web of Life

Elementary Science
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Big Idea: Ecosystems, basic survival needs

Grade Level: This lesson is designed for 5th grade, however it was taught to an advanced 4th
grade class.

Rationale: This lesson was chosen because it was an engaging activity for students to participate
in. The topic of ecosystems is also important for students to learn because they live in an
ecosystem and are an integral part of it, so they should have an understanding of how different
ecosystems and species are connected.

NC Essential Standard(s):
5.L.2.1 Compare the characteristics of several common ecosystems, including estuaries and salt
marshes, oceans, lakes and ponds, forests, and grasslands.
5.L.2.3 Infer the effects that may result from the interconnected relationship of plants and
animals to their ecosystem

Next Generation Science Standard(s):

3-LS4-4 Make a claim about the merit of a solutions to a problem caused when the environment
changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.
MS-LS2-2 Construct an explanation that predict patterns of interactions among organisms across
multiple ecosystems.

Instructional Objective: Students will participate in a class discussion about ecosystems, and
then work together to create their own Web of Life.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills: Students need to have a basic understanding of the needs of
living things.

Materials/Resources: Each student will need a card with a different organism on it.

Source of your lesson: I was inspired to create this lesson after participating in the Web of Life
activity in ELED 3221. It was engaging and got students to think critically about how different
species interact.

Estimated Time: Approximately 45 minutes

Accommodation for Special Needs/different learning styles: What should be done for students
with special needs (both physical and emotional)? Different learning styles? ESL students?
(NOTE: YOU MUST ADDRESS ESL STUDENTS AND ONE OTHER NEED/LEARNING
STYLE FOR CREDIT)
ESL Students: The Web of Life activity incorporates pictures, and the rest of the lesson is done
either in small groups or as a whole class so ESL learners have an opportunity to work with their
peers and the teacher.
PHYSICAL DISABILITIES: This activity requires some movement, but once students are
formed into a circle, there is little movement. Students with physical disabilities will be able to
participate, since the only movement is getting students to form a circle. Once they are in a
circle, they can stand or sit in place, depending upon physical ability.

Safety considerations: Students are expected to follow the normal classroom rules, along with
the some extra rules:
No calling out; if you have something to add to class conversation, raise your
hand and wait to be called on.
Give others time to think and develop an idea/hypothesis.
Sam Taylor
ELED 3221
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Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 Es. Your procedure should be
detailed enough for a colleague to follow. Additionally, I expect you to include possible
questions and anticipated student responses to your questions for each section.

Engage:
Teacher will call the class together and ask:
Does anyone know what an ecosystem is?
Why are they important?
What different types of ecosystems can you think of or name?
What kinds of animals and plants live in different ecosystems?
Are there different living things in the same ecosystem that depend on one
another?

Explore:
Teacher will play video for students on projector:
https://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/ecosystems/
Once the video is over, students will participate in a group discussion prompted by
questions from the teacher:
Give your own definition of what an ecosystem is.
What types of organisms live in an ecosystem?
What are some things that different organisms need to survive?
How do different kind of organisms work together?

Explanation:
Teacher will have students close their eyes and imagine a forest.
Teacher will provide brief description of forest and all of the different species that
live there.
Students will each be given a card.
Each card has a different organism (plant, animal, insect)
Students will get into a circle around the classroom while holding their card. The teacher
will be a part of the circle, and will be representing the sun. A ball of yarn will be passed
to each student, beginning with the teacher/sun. The crisscrossing yarn inside the circle
will gradually form a web.
The teacher/sun will pass the ball of yarn to a student that represents a tree/plant.
Continue to have the students hold a piece of the yarn and then roll the ball with the
mention of each new character.
As each student passes the ball of yarn, they should explain why they are passing it to the
next organism. (Example: An insect could pass the yarn to a plant and explain it as a food
source)
Elaborate:
Once each student has a piece of the web, instruct all students to lift their part of the web
above their head.
Ask: What can you see about the web from this angle?
The teacher (representing the sun) will ask:
What if one day the sun disappeared? What do you think would happen?
Have students volunteer and share their predictions.
The teacher/sun will let go of their piece of string, instructing students one by one to let
go of their piece, until the entire web is gone. The teacher will ask:
What just happened to the web?
Is there anything in real life that can affect the web like this? Think about
something that could happen in real life in an ecosystem.

Evaluate:
This lesson will conclude with an informal assessment.
Once the web of life activity is complete, students will be instructed to return to their
desks and get out a piece of paper.
Each student will take their individual organism (from their card during the activity) and
write a brief paragraph about who they made a connection to, their role in the ecosystem,
and any important information that they learned from the activity or their classmates.
Paragraphs will be collected at the end and checked for understanding/completion.
(informal assessment)

Closure:
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to share their individual paragraphs with
the class.