Agenda | Teaching Notes |
---|---|
Total Time: 2.5 hours of instruction, plus one week for observation. As part of their investigation, students observe the plants in Section 2 for at least one week before they can move on to Section 3. While students carry out their investigation, they should move on to Lesson Sequence 9. Section 1 1. Opening A. Reviewing Learning Targets (10 minutes) 2. Planning an Investigation A. Scientists Meeting: Planning an Investigation (35 minutes) B. Carrying Out an Investigation: Environmental Pressures (15 minutes) Section 2 1. Carrying Out an Investigation A. Observing Plants (Note: This time is spread out over one week. Times will vary.) Section 3 1. Obtaining and Evaluating Information A. Reviewing Learning Targets (10 minutes) B. Scientists Meeting: Building Understanding (20 minutes) C. Close Reading: "Oceans of Grass" (35 minutes) 2. Engaging in Argument A. Evaluating Evidence: Grass Structured for Survival (25 minutes) |
Purpose of lesson sequence and alignment with NGSS standards:
How it builds on previous work in the Life Science Module:
How it connects to the CCSS Standards and EL Education's Language Arts Grade 4 Module 2:
Possible student misconceptions:
Possible broader connections:
Areas where students may need additional support:
Down the road:
|
Lesson Sequence 8: Overview
Total Time: 2.5 hours of instruction (divided into three sections)
NOTE: Allow one week for observation (described in Section 2) between Section 1 and Section 3.
In this lesson sequence, students continue to study the specialized structures in plants. Through an investigation, they observe that specialized structures affect the survival of an organism--in this case, the grass and radish plants. Students design an investigation to compare what happens to grass and radish plants under environmental pressures that commonly occur in grassland habitats. They observe their experiment every few days over a period of seven days (During the observation time, students may move on to Lesson Sequence 9). At the conclusion of the investigation, students observe the cause and effect relationship between environmental pressures and the grass and radish plants' survival. Students then read an article to gather additional evidence for their final step of evaluating the argument that grass has specialized structures that allow it to survive under the pressures of drought, trampling, and grazing.
Long-Term Learning Addressed (Based on NGSS)
Use data to support the argument that grass is well adapted to survive environmental pressures such as drought, trampling, or grazing because of its specialized structures. (Based on NGSS 4-LS1-1)
This lesson sequence explicitly addresses:
Science and Engineering Practices:
- Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Construct and/or support an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model. Students are given the claim that grass will survive better than radish plants under certain conditions. They gather evidence for the argument by conducting an experiment and reading an article. Students then evaluate whether or not their evidence is strong enough to support the claim.
- Planning and Carrying Out Investigations: Plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, using fair tests in which variables are controlled and the number of trials considered. Students design and carry out an experiment to recreate common environmental pressures on grass and radish plants. Note: This Science and Engineering Practice is not explicitly aligned with 4-LS1-1.
Crosscutting Concepts:
- Structure and Function: The way in which a living thing is shaped and its substructures determine its properties and function. Students observe how two plants (grass and radish) have different specialized structures that function differently under the same conditions. Note: This Crosscutting Concept is not explicitly aligned with 4-LS1-1.
- Cause and Effect: Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified and used to explain change. Students observe that without having the right structure, a radish plant will die under the same pressures that a grass plant will survive. Note: This Crosscutting Concept is not explicitly aligned with 4-LS1-1.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- LS1.A Structure and Function: Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. Students learn the structures of grass that support survival under a variety of environmental pressures.
Lesson Sequence Learning Targets
- I can plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence about what happens to grass and radish when they experience an environmental pressure.
- I can support an argument, using evidence, that grasses have specialized structures to help them survive after environmental pressures (such as drought, trampling, or grazing.)
Ongoing Assessment
- Scientists Meeting: Building Understanding
- Student science notebook: Grass: Structured for Survival entry
Agenda
In Advance
- Read each section and complete the Preparing to Teach: Self-Coaching Guide.
- Familiarize yourself with the environmental experiment and possible outcomes by reading the Researcher's Notes on Environmental Pressure Experiment (see supporting materials).
- Decide on any constraints for materials students should use for mimicking drought, trampling, and grazing. Consider providing students with examples of materials to use or allowing them to come up with their own method.
- Create intentional groups of three to four students for conducting each of the three experiments. Consider whether you will assign each group the environmental pressure (drought, trampling, grazing) or if you will allow groups to choose from these pressures.
- Post: Lesson sequence learning targets, lesson sequence focusing question, Norms of a Scientists Meeting anchor chart, Life Science Module guiding question, Scientists Do These Things anchor chart, Concepts Scientists Think About anchor chart.
Optional extensions:
- Additional pressures: Students can come up with additional environmental pressures, such as cold or freezing. The environmental pressures of drought, trampling, and grazing were chosen because they have clear structures that support survival under these conditions. Other pressures could be experimented with, but be prepared that students will need to conduct additional research about the structures that support the survival of grass under these conditions.
- Add more plants: Students compare grass to additional plants besides a radish. Radish was chosen because it is fast and easy to grow and has structures that are different from those of grass.
Vocabulary
drought = when there is no rainfall
trampling = when an animal walks on top of a plant
grazing = when an animal eats a plant
environmental pressure = when the conditions in an environment are hard to live through--for example, extreme temperature changes, lack of water, or strong winds
variable = something that is changed in an experiment
control = the part of an experiment that is not changed, so that the variable can be compared
observation = process of noticing how something looks, feels, smells, and sounds
fact = something that is known to be true
detail = a particular fact or small part of something that adds clarity
Materials
General Materials
- Researcher's Notes on Environmental Pressure Experiment (for teacher reference)
- Lesson sequence focusing question (one to display)
- Student science notebook (from Lesson Sequence 1; one per student)
- Grass: Structured for Survival entry (page 42 of student science notebook)
- Norms of a Scientists Meeting anchor chart (begun in Lesson Sequence 1)
- Life Science Module guiding question (from Lesson Sequence 1; one to display)
- Photos of grass' response to fire (one set to display)
- Teacher science notebook (from Lesson Sequence 1; one for teacher use)
- Scientists Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Lesson Sequence 2; added to in Section 2)
- Concepts Scientists Think About anchor chart (begun in Lesson Sequence 2; added to in Section 3)
- Class data sheet (co-constructed with students; one to display)
- "Oceans of Grass" (one per student)
Science-Specific Materials (gathered by the teacher)
- Materials for the environmental pressure experiment (one set per group, plus one set for the control group; used in Section 1)
- Cup with grass plants
- Cup with radish plant
- Graduated cylinder
- Suggested materials for mimicking environmental pressures (one per group conducting that pressure experiment; used in Section 1)
- Metal spoon (trampling)
- Scissors (grazing)
Opening
Section 1: Opening | Preparing to Teach: Self-Coaching Guide |
---|---|
A. Reviewing Learning Targets (10 minutes)
"Let's look at the phrase environmental pressures. What does the word pressure mean?" (Something stressful; students may note the base word press) "How can we apply our understanding of pressure to the figure out what environmental pressure might mean?" (Stressful parts in the environment)
"What are some of the environmental pressures in your assigned ecosystem?" (Responses will vary.)
"What was helpful to consider when you were designing your earthworm investigation?" (Responses will vary.)
"What specialized structures allow grasses to survive environmental pressures such as drought, trampling, and grazing?"
"What are some of the specialized structures (extension: and functions) of plants that you learned about in the last lesson sequence?"
|
(1) What questions can I ask to make sure students articulate both the function and structure of plant parts? (2) This is a good chance to formatively assess student learning. How can I track how students respond? Are there specific students I want to check in with? |
Work Time
Work Time | Preparing to Teach: Self-Coaching Guide |
---|---|
Section 1: Planning an InvestigationA. Scientists Meeting: Planning an Investigation (35 minutes)
"What do you notice in these photos?" "Would a field of other plants look like this after a fire?" (Responses will vary. Do not correct students, but use the responses to gauge student background knowledge.)
"What do you think would happen to grass and radish samples under the conditions of drought, trampling, and grazing?" (Responses will vary. Do not correct students, but use responses to gauge student background knowledge.)
"What structures do the grass and radish plants have that will or will not help them survive under these conditions?" (Responses will vary. Do not correct students, but use responses to gauge student background knowledge.) "What have you seen, heard, or read that makes you think that?" "What experience have you had that supports that idea?"
"What do you mean by ...?" "Does anyone else think that? Why?" "Does anyone disagree?" "Who can add to this idea?" "Explain what John said in your own words."
"If we change ... what would happen to ...?" "What do you think will happen if we change ...?" "What do you think will happen if ...?" "Have you considered?" "Can you figure out how to ...?" "Does anyone have a different idea?"
"What conditions should be kept the same for all the plants?" (Amount of light, temperature, amount of water--except for plants experiencing drought)
|
(1) Grass has a complex relationship with grazing animals. Grass provides the food for the animals, and the animals help fertilize the soil, break up the soil crust, knock down weedy plants, provide natural mulch, create a good seed-to-soil contact for better germination, etc. Grass can withstand mild trampling and grazing of animals or severe trampling for a short time. However, grass cannot survive extended trampling. (2) How can I support my students as they imagine the possibilities in an experiment? |
B. Carrying Out an Investigation: Environmental Pressures (15 minutes)
"How are you going to organize your data?" (Example: In a table, where you record the date, time, and observation.)
|
(1) Planning and carrying out this investigation will be run like a workshop, and will require some student independence. What experience do my students have with workshop class time? (2) What supports would be helpful? Perhaps a timer and a visible checklist? (3) What materials do I expect my students to use? How can I have those materials available? (4) At what point will I require students to check in with me? With another group? |
Section 2: Carrying Out an InvestigationNote: This section will be completed across a seven-day span. A. Observing Plants (5-10 minutes; times may vary)
|
(1) What classroom systems do I have in place that can accommodate observation? (2) With what level of detail are my students making observations? (3) How can I encourage them to be more thorough? |
Section 3: Obtaining and Evaluating InformationNote: Begin Section 3 once students' observations from Section 2 are complete (after approximately one week). A. Reviewing Learning Targets (10 minutes)
"What type of evidence could you collect for an argument?" (Observations from an experiment, information from a book)
|
(1) How can I help my students reflect on the level of detail of their observation? (2) Are there any outliers or data that may confuse my students? How can I encourage my students to look for broad patterns across the data? (3) How can I help my students see the cause of the discrepancies in the data? |
B. Scientists Meeting: Building Understanding (20 minutes)
"What have you been doing in the Life Science Module that is an example of this way of thinking?" (Experimenting to test the effect of environmental pressures on grass and radish plants' ability to survive)
"How much?" "How many?" "Was there anything surprising in the data?"
"Why might there be some inconsistencies in the data?" "Did we collect enough data?"
"What do you think caused the plant to respond that way?" (This structure caused the plant to respond by ...) "Why do you think that pressure has that type of effect on the plant?" (This pressure affects the structure by ...)
"How might you summarize the cause and effect relationship that you observed in the 'Data Analysis' section of the Grass: Structured for Survival Entry of your science notebook?"
"What are some of the structures that are different on grass and radish plants? How are they different?" (Leaf shape, stem height, roots, etc.). "What further information or evidence do you need?" (Responses will vary. Students need more information on the specialized structures of grass.)
|
(1) Which student groups should I have share out? How would their data help reinforce that there is a cause and effect relationship between structures and survival? (2) What lessons can I teach from data that does not support the cause and effect relationship? (The importance of multiple trials, and looking for broad patterns in data) (3) Students should notice that something different happened to the grass and radish plant during the investigation. If students observe the control, they should notice that grass and radish plants have different specialized structures (leaf shape, stem height, roots, etc.). How can I help my students see the differences between the radish and the grass plants? (4) How can I invite more students into the conversation? |
C. Close Reading: "Oceans of Grass" (35 minutes)
"What gist notes or vocabulary words did you write down? What similarities and differences are there between our notes?"
"What is one structure of grass you read about that supports survival?" (Low growth tip, bendable stem, deep roots, narrow leaves that don't lose water)
|
(1) How can I support my readers who need additional support? Perhaps there is a small group I should work with at this time? Would a few students benefit from having an outline of the text? (2) An important structure I want to highlight for the class is the "low growth tip." That is articulated in the text with the sentence "Grasses grow from the bottom upward, not out from the top like a tree." If students do not mention this, how will I draw their attention to it? |
Section 3: Engaging in ArgumentA. Evaluating Evidence: Grass Structured for Survival (25 minutes)
"What part of constructing an argument has the class been working on?" (Preparing for the argument: pose the question, identify evidence, evaluate evidence)
"What evidence did the class collect in the environmental pressure investigation to help answer this question, and is this sufficient evidence?" (Responses will vary, but students should cite data tables about the survival of radish plants and grass plants.)
"What parts of the question can be answered by the data collected by the experiment?" (The second half of the question; grass can survive drought, trampling, and grazing) "What evidence did the class gather by looking at the difference between radish and grass plants? Is this sufficient evidence?" "What evidence did the class collect from the 'Oceans of Grass' text? Is this sufficient evidence?" (The names and functions of specific grass structures such as the low growth tip, the roots, and the leaves) "What do you specifically know about the structures that helps you understand why grass survived the environmental pressure investigation?" "What other evidence could make your argument stronger?" (Responses will vary. Students do not yet have sufficient evidence about the specialized structures that allow grass to survive trampling, for example.)
"Why do you think ...?" "What is your reason ...?" "What is your evidence for saying that ...?"
"Why do you think you have different conclusions?" "What in John's argument do you disagree with?" "What evidence do you have?" "What points do you agree on?"
|
(1) The focus of this exercise is evaluating evidence. How can I further reinforce my students' understanding of this important part of the argument process? (2) What sentence stem may be helpful for my students as they politely disagree? |
Copyright © 2013-2024 by EL Education, New York, NY.
Next Generation Science Standards © Copyright 2013. NGSS Lead States. All rights reserved. “Next Generation Science Standards” is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it. Next Generation Science Standards are subject to the public license located at https://www.nextgenscience.org/trademark-and-copyright.