Teaching

Plan

Teacher Name Melissa Davies Date March 14th, 2019
Subject Area Science Grade 4-6
Topic Food Web Time 14 minutes

Students will be able to identify the structure of the food web, the
Learning Objectives connection between consumers, producers, and decomposers, and the
What do you want your
students to learn? impact of invasive species in an ecosystem.

Assessment Assessment will be based on student engagement along with a

How will you know your
students have learned? supplementary handout

1 ball of yarn
Materials 17 species (animal/plant +sun) cards
What resources will you need?
Handout

Ask: Have you heard the word ecosystem before? What do you think an
ecosystem is?

Think: Allow brainstorming for one minute
Introduction
(how will you “hook” Explain ecosystem and the different roles in the ecosystem (producer,
students? ) consumer, decomposer)


Time: 2 mins Have the students think of a spider web and how it is connected. Draw a
quick spider web. The strings of the spider web can lead to anywhere on
the web. Have the students think of a forest and explain that an ecosystem
works the same way. We will be playing a game to show this
interdependence.

ED 2500 – Orientation to Teaching

Instructor: Beth Cormier
 Preparing (1 min): Have the students form a circle in the classroom.
Remain outside of the circle and provide assistance. Each student will
receive a card with a species on it. The ‘sun’ card will be accompanied by
another species card.

Creating the Food Web (5 Mins): Ask the students to consider how the
other species relate to them. Every student will go around and read their
card and say their species role (consumer, producer, decomposer). Have
the students hold their cards in front of them. The student who has the
‘sun’ card will begin with a ball of yarn. They grab the end of the yarn. They
will proceed to make a connection to another student in the food web (i.e.
the Sun produces light which helps the maple tree grow) and pass the ball
of yarn to the other student. Provide prompts and guidance to assist with
the process. This process will continue until everyone is holding onto a part
of the yarn and a food web is created.
Body
Learning activity or Presenting Scenarios (5 Min):
sequence of activities. ) 1. Ask students what would happen if the sun disappear. Ask the

student with the sun card to tug gently on the yarn. Tell all the
Time: 10 mins students if they feel a tug to begin tugging as well. At the end, all
students will be tugging at the rope. Discuss the connection.
2. Continue to discuss the connection and repeat with:
a. Mushroom species disappearing. (Do they think mushrooms
are that important?)
b. Wolf species disappearing. Students should begin to
recognize the pattern and predict what will happen.
3. Have the students all gently tug on the string. Explain this time,
when they feel part of their string loosen, they drop their part of
the string. Introduce yourself as an invasive species. Explain the
animal/plant this species affects. Approach the student with this
animal/plant card and ask them to let go of their string. Eventually,
all students will have dropped the rope.

Clean Up (1 mins): Students will collect a handout and return to their desk.
Two students will wrap up the yarn.

Closure (2 mins): Have the students complete the handout. Encourage the
Closure
incorporation of non-living things (i.e. rocks, soil) into their food web and

how they connect to their species. (Due to time constraints, students may
Time: 2 mins
need to finish the handout next class)

ED 2500 – Orientation to Teaching
Instructor: Beth Cormier
Notes and Ideas

ED 2500 – Orientation to Teaching

Instructor: Beth Cormier