Ecological Activity
Lesson Plan, Grade 3
TITLE OF ACTIVITY:
Let’s work together!
ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLE(S) BEING ADDRESSED:
Interdependence
STANDARD (S) BEING ADDRESSED:
4.6 Understanding place
3.10 Team work
7.1 Scientific method/ observation
7.13 Organisms
INSQUIRY/FOCUSING QUESTIONS:
We are going to plant the flower bulbs that were given to us by a community member.
What do you think you might see when we dig a hold for the flower bulb?
Do you think that the creatures we might find need each other to live?
TOPIC:
Learning that living creatures are dependent upon each other to exist.
PROCEDURES:
Walk to the grow boxes with small groups of students
Teacher points out that the plants have died and we need to get the boxes ready for the spring.
Teacher asks the students to slowly pull out the dead plants and look carefully in the hold where the plant was.
Teacher points out the worms and any other living creature.
Teacher has students draw a picture of what they see.
Teacher points out the dead and decaying materials in the soil (e.g. roots and mulch) are food for the creatures
we saw.
Teacher asks student how do the living creatures they saw in the soil help the plants live.
MATERIALS:
Grow boxes
Flowers/plants erupting from the grow boxes
Bugs, worms crawling in the soil
Crayons, paper, clipboards
Magnifying glasses
Flower bulbs
CULTURAL HERITAGE CONNECTIONS:
Grow boxes from local lumber yard
Mulch from local business
Soil/dirt from town highway department
Flower bulbs given to us by a Community member
TASK/CONTENT-SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT:
(e.g., products, performances, tasks, tools (rubrics/checklists), anecdotal)
Discussion times (anecdotal)
Draw a picture of what you saw. (Product)
Student engagement (anecdotal)
GENERALIZED-STANDARD ASSESSMENT:
(e.g., products, performances, tasks, tools (rubrics/checklists), anecdotal)
4.6 Understanding place rubric (tool)
3.10 Team work rubric (tool)
7.1 Scientific method/ observation rubric (product)
7.13 Organisms rubric (tool)
