Design for Learning

Instructor: Rachel Cason

Lesson Title: Biomes Day 4
Curriculum Area: Science

Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 5/Murphree

Date: Monday, March 9, 2015
Estimated Time: 1 hour

Standards Connection:
5.9.) Describe the relationship of populations within a habitat to various communities and
ecosystems.
Describing the relationship between food chains and food webs
Describing symbiotic relationships
Learning Objective(s):
When given an exit ticket, students will explain how animals niches in grasslands and deserts
affect each other with at least 80% accuracy.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language:
Today you will learn about the grassland, the desert, and the niches different organisms have.
You will tell me how those niches work together on an exit ticket before you leave.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
Students will be given an exit slip that includes three multiple choice questions and two
short answer questions.
Exit slip will also have journal question that will serve as a bridge to the next days
lesson.
Grade will be based on correctness of multiple choice and short answer questions, as well
as completion of the journal entry.
Exit slip will become part of students biome packets.

Engagement:
The students will begin by reading a current events article from their packet. This article will
describe the effects of hunting and poaching in grassland biomes. After reading the article, the
teacher and students will answer the accompanying comprehension questions (to help prepare for
standardized testing) and discuss the human role in caring for the earths biomes.
Good morning! Today were going to finish up talking about all of the earths biomes, so well be
learning about the grassland and the desert. (Point to where learning target is written on the
board.) Just as weve done all week, were going to start with a current events article from your

packet. This one will teach you about poaching and how it can affect grassland animals. Find
the Poaching article in your packet, please. (Wait for students to find the article.) After you
read the article, make sure you answer the two questions at the bottom of the page. Ill give you
about five minutes to read and answer the questions, and then well go over the questions
together. (Allow about five minutes for students to read.)
Lets take a look at the questions now. The first one says, According to the chart, in which year
did the elephants population begin to increase? What do you guys think? (Call on a student.)
Right! We see that there was an increase from 1,900 to 2,400 beginning in the year 1999. The
chart also tells us that the elephants population is continuing to climb, although that is
happening slowly. Look at the next question. What is one reason why poaching occurs? There
are several possible answers, so lets hear a few that you thought of. (Call on several students.)
Good thinking! Some animals are killed for food, which is not a bad reason for killing them, but
sometimes these animals are killed so much that they are becoming extinct. When that starts
happening, we can cut back on hunting those animals to make sure they dont die out. Another
reason for poaching is that some people want to use animals parts to make money. Elephant
tusks are made of ivory, and people used to sell them for a lot of money. That is illegal now, since
they were killing off too many elephants in the process. As we talk about grasslands and deserts
today, be thinking about how poaching could mess up those biomes.

Learning Design:
I. Teaching:
The teacher will review the grassland and desert biomes as the students fill in their Biome
Basics note-taking guide. The teacher will then discuss the niches that different organisms have
in these biomes. To connect to the theme of interdependence, the teacher will discuss examples
of how humans find niches in their homes, schools, and communities. She will also ask students
to consider what might happen if something interfered with another organisms niche.
Today well be discussing the last two biomes for our unit: the grassland and the desert. Look in
your packet to find your note-taking guide for this section, which will say Grassland and
Desert at the top. Well start by learning about the grassland. Grasslands are located in Africa,
South America, and some parts of the United States. What plant do you think is most common in
the grasslands?(Wait for responses.) Good, its grass of course! There are two different types of
grasslands, and the climate is a little bit different for each of them. One type is called the prairie.
In the prairie, it is usually very warm in the daytime and very cool at night, so there is a drastic
change in temperature between day and night. The other type is called the savanna. Savannas
are a little bit warmer than prairies, and their temperatures are a little more stable. Here you
can see a few animals and plants that are common in grasslands. Giraffes, zebras, and hawks
are some of the animals there, and as we said, there is a lot of grass there. Make sure youre
taking notes as we go! (Allow time for students to write.) For our fun fact, you can write down
that there are not many trees in the grasslands. This biome doesnt get a lot of rain, so trees have
a hard time growing in such a dry place.

Now lets take a look at deserts. They are even drier than grasslands! Deserts are located on just
about every continent, but mostly in Africa, Australia, Europe, and North America. As we
mentioned, deserts are very dry places. Sometimes they can even go for an entire year without
getting any rain at all! Based on what we learned about grasslands, do you think there are many
trees growing in deserts? (Wait for responses.) Right! There are some cacti, but there arent
really any trees like we have here. As you can see in our fun fact, cacti have leaves with a special
waxy coating. This helps them hold in whatever water they do receive. Do you remember when
we talked about trees in the taiga? They have long leaves that help them hold in water, too. Its
neat that there is a connection like that between the taiga and the desert, even though they are
very different. Other desert animals include lizards and scorpions, like you see in the picture.
Do you remember yesterdays bridge question? I asked you to think about different roles an
organism might have in its environment. What are some of the things you thought about? (Call
on a few students.) Good thinking! Theres actually a name for the role an organism has in its
environment. That role is called a niche. If youll flip to the back of your note-taking guide,
youll see a section for notes about niches. Please turn there now and follow along as we talk.
Were going to take a look at three organisms from the grassland or desert, and well see what
their niches are. First, heres a picture of a lion. Thinking back to when we discussed food
chains, where do you think a lion falls on a food chain? (Call on a student.) Yes, a lion is usually
at the top of the food chain. Lions also like to eat animals that they find that are already dead.
This helps keep the grassland clean, and it also breaks down the dead organism so that it can
bring nutrients back to the soil. For this reason, we call lions scavengers. A lions niche is to
scavenge for dead animals and keep the grassland clean!
Now lets look at the scorpion. Does anyone know what a scorpion is like? (Call on a student.)
Thats right. They are known for stinging. What you might not know is that scorpions eat many
different kinds of insects. Their niche is to help keep insect populations low. Do you know of any
animals that live near us that have a similar niche? (Call on a student.) Great! Spiders serve a
similar purpose in the temperate forest. They may be a little scary to people like me, and so are
scorpions, but they have a helpful niche because they keep the bugs away.
Finally, look at this cactus. We already talked about how cacti have a waxy coating to hold in
water, but they also serve as a shelter for birds that live in the desert. The bird was able to peck a
hole through the cactus and make its home inside, where it is protected. It might could even build
a nest in there! Now, do you think that a lion could ever take over a cactus niche? (Call on a
student.) Hmm. Do you think a cactus could take over a scorpions niche? (Call on a student.)
Great thinking! Each organism is different, so its niche, or its role, is different too.
Now I want us to think about how niches can relate to us as humans. First of all, Id like you to
think about what your niche is. Your niche is how you fit into your surroundings, or what role
you play in your environment. For example, my niche in my family might be that I am a daughter
and the oldest child. My niche in the workforce is that I am going to be a teacher. Other people
might be doctors or writers or mechanics or all kinds of things, but my specific niche is that I
will be a teacher. Raise your hand if you have a niche for yourself that youd like to share with
us. (Call on a few students to share.) Good! Did you notice that your niche is a little different
from everyone elses? We all bring something unique to the table.

The same is true for other organisms and their niches. Think back to what we read about
poaching first thing this morning. What might happen if people started killing too many lions?
(Call on a student.) Right! The lions niche might not get taken care of anymore. That means we
might have more dead animals sitting around in the grasslands, and that might not be a good
thing. Also, can you think of a way that animal niches might impact humans? (Call on a student.)
Good! If scorpions and spiders didnt exist, we might have a lot more bugs running around, and I
dont think I would like that. Do you agree that its important for us to preserve different
organisms and their niches? (Wait for responses.) Good. I think so too.
II. Opportunity for Practice:
The students will watch a video that describes the niches of different grassland animals. Start the
video at 0:45 and end it at 3:10. Then, each table group will be assigned a different organism
from the video. Group members will work together to fill out the Niche Business Card activity
sheet in their packets. In a presentation to the class, the groups will be asked to identify their
organisms niche, describe how it could be impacted by poaching discussed in class, and
consider how those changes might influence humans.
Now we are going to do an activity to help us explore niches even more. We are going to watch a
quick video about plants and animals in grasslands, and then each table group will be given one
of those organisms to work with. You will need to pay close attention during the video to find out
about your organisms niche. Once the video is over, you and your group members will make a
business card as a fun way to tell us about your animals niche! I will tell you more about this
assignment once the video is over. For now, please listen carefully as I tell you what animal your
group will have. Also, please write it down on the activity sheet that says Open for Business at
the top. Write your organisms name in the blank that says, My groups organism. (Go around
to each table group, assigning them either a baobab tree, acacia tree, dung beetle, elephant, or
giraffe. Then start the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huDRtKZcHAA)
Now that youve seen a little bit about your organism, your group will need to create a business
card to represent that animals niche. Look on your activity sheet for an example. I made this one
based on a lion, like we talked about earlier. The first thing I did was create a name for the
business. I decided on Larry Lions Scavenging Service, since lions scavenge for dead
animals. Then I put a picture of a lion in the corner. You will be asked to draw a picture on your
business card in that box in the corner. Then, underneath the business name, you need to give me
a description of your animals niche, but as if it were a business. I put that Larry Lion can clean
up your back yard or neighborhood, and he is available for all your roadkill removal needs. Do
you see how I talked about the animals niche, but I did it in a creative way? (Wait for responses.
Answer questions as needed.)
To finish up your business card, you can add an address for your animal or plant. This is a
completely made-up address, so dont worry if you dont know exactly where your organism
might live. You can work with your group members to come up with all of the requirements, but I
want each of you to draw your own business card. Once you are finished, there are a few
questions on the back for you to answer. After that, Ill call on a few people to share their

business cards with the class, and well talk about the questions together. Does anyone have a
question about what youre supposed to do? (Answer questions as needed.) Great! You may
begin. (Allow about 15 minutes for students to work. Walk around the room to answer questions
and formatively assess. Then call on a few students to share.)

III. Assessment:
Students will be given an exit ticket that contains questions about the days topics. They will be
given approximately 5 minutes to complete the exit ticket.
You all have done some great work today! I loved seeing your creativity on your business cards,
and the questions helped us see why different niches are so important in a biome. Now we are
going to fill out our last exit ticket. This one says Day 4 at the top, so please turn there in your
packet. As always, the top section is vocabulary matching, and then you have a short answer
question. Youll have about five minutes to work on this. Does anyone have any questions?
(Answer questions as needed. Allow about 5 minutes for students to work.)

IV. Closure:
At the bottom of the exit ticket, there will be a journal question to serve as a bridge to
tomorrows lesson. The teacher and students will discuss the question and possible answers, and
then the students will write a few sentences to answer the question independently.
Tomorrow you will be working on a project to tie this week together, so you have another bridge
question to help get you ready for that. The question says, Why is it important to take care of
the earth and its biomes? Would you agree that weve learned a lot of things this week about
this? (Wait for responses.) You should be able to think of several reasons why it is important to
preserve the environment. Think about what we learned about food chains, symbiotic
relationships, and niches if you need some inspiration. Go ahead and complete your bridge
question, and then well be finished for today! Thank you for working so hard today!

Materials and Resources:

Biome Basics PowerPoint
Reading comprehension passages
Note-taking guides
Business card activity sheets
Video for business card activity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huDRtKZcHAA
Colored pencils or crayons
Exit tickets

Differentiation Strategies
Student B will be allowed to complete the business card activity independently, rather
than in a group, if he so chooses.
Students T, C, J, and A may have the current events article read aloud to them at the back
table if needed.
Students will be formatively assessed during the lesson through their responses to
questions. Those who have mastered the basic biome and ecosystem content will be
asked more questions about the preservation and interdependence aspects of the lessons.
They may be given an alternative exit ticket as well.
Students who struggle with the information in the lesson, as evidenced by their responses
to questions, will meet in an intervention group during the afternoon intervention time.
They will be re-taught using more visuals (maps, pictures of animals, etc.), examples, and
discussion.
Based on the grades on the exit tickets each day, the teacher will review unclear concepts
at the beginning of the following days lesson.
Data Analysis:
Considering both classes, only one student scored below the 80% accuracy goal for
todays exit ticket. This student scored 60% (3/5 questions correct).
Four additional students scored at exactly the 80% accuracy goal (4/5 questions correct).
The remaining students earned full credit (5/5 questions correct).
Reflection:
I was very impressed with the exit ticket scores for today, as they are the best they have been so
far in the unit. I think the students really benefitted from the business card activity. Filling out the
organisms niche in a fun way helped cement the concept of a niche, and it also gave them a
creative outlet and some time for collaboration with their group members. I asked one person
from each group to present his or her business card to the class using the ELMO document
camera, and they also loved showing off their work. If I teach fifth grade someday, I would
definitely use this activity again!
If I could do this lesson over again, I would probably change the way I did the current events
article. The purpose of this article was to provide a scenario to frame our discussion of the
biomes for the day, and it was also designed as test preparation for the upcoming Aspire testing.
However, I should have gone over vocabulary words and given them some basic preparation
before asking them to read the passage independently. Going over this information before their
reading time, as opposed to during our follow-up discussion as we did today, would help them
interpret the passage and answer the questions more successfully. I want to be sure that I am
incorporating effective reading strategies into every lesson, regardless of what subject area I am
focusing on.

Samford University
Design for Learning

Name _____________________________________ Date_________________

#__________

Read to Learn

Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions.

Poaching

From eoearth.com

Poaching is the illegal hunting, killing or capturing of animals, a practice that occurs in a variety of
ways. Animal products, such as hide, ivory, horn, teeth and bone, are sold to dealers who make
clothes, jewelry and other materials from them. In some African and Latin American societies,
animals are poached for game meat. Animals are also believed to have medicinal value. For example,
it is believed by some in Eastern Congo that the lions liver cures skin diseases, and it is also used as a
poison.
While poaching has various effects, its most direct impact is extinction. Poaching has also been
associated with the spread of disease, both in animals and humans. No matter the reason why an
animal is killed, all types of hunting or poaching have led to extinction of species, and if uncontrolled,
many more animals will become extinct.

1. According to the chart, in what year did the elephants population begin to
increase?
________________________________________________________
2. What is one reason why poaching occurs?
________________________________________________________
Name: _______________________________________

Date: _______________

Biome Basics:
Grassland and Desert

Grassland

Location: Africa, ___________________________,

parts of the United States
Climate
______________: temperature changes
drastically from night to day
o ______________: slightly warmer
Examples of Plants and Animals:

Desert

Fun Fact: There are not many trees because they

Location:
most
including
cant survive
in ___________________,
the dry climate.
Africa, North America, Australia, and Europe

Climate: extremely ____________.

Examples of Plants and Animals:

Fun Fact: Cacti have ____________ leaves to help

them hold in water.

Ecosystem Elements:

Niches

A _________________ is the role an organism plays in its

habitat.
A ____________s niche is to hunt and scavenge to eat
dead animals.
A _____________s niche is to keep insect populations low.
A ____________s niche is to provide a home for birds that
live in the desert.

What is your niche in your school? At home?

Why It
Matters

________________________________________________
________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
What might happen if an organism was not there to fulfill
its niche?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
_____________________________________________

Name: ________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Open For Business: Niche Business Cards

Directions:
After watching a video about grassland organisms and their niches,
work with your group to design a business card for your assigned
organism. The business card should contain the organisms name and
picture, an advertisement of its niche, and the name of its business.
Example:

Larry Lions Scavenging Service

Call on me to clean up your back yard
or neighborhood! I can take care of all
your roadkill removal needs.

Larry Lion
123 Grassland Lane
Then, answer the questions about your organisms niche on the back of
this sheet. Be prepared to share with the class!

My groups organism:
__________________________

Questions
1. What evidence from the video did you use to figure out your
organisms niche?

2. How is your organisms niche important to its habitat? Could it be

important to humans?

3. What would happen if your organism was removed from its

environment? How does this relate to the poaching problem we
read about?

DAY 4: Grassland and

Desert

Vocabulary: Write the letter of the correct word next to each definition.
________ 1. Type of grassland that has drastic
differences between day and night

A. poaching

________ 2. The role an animal plays in its habitat

B. prairie

________ 3. Killing animals for human use

C. niche

Short Answer:
1. Why do different organisms have different niches?

Journal Question:
Why is it important to take care of the
environment and preserve the earths biomes?

BRIDGE TO

TOMORROW
DAY 4: Grassland
And
Desert
Vocabulary: Write the letter of the correct word next to each
definition.
Answer Key
____B___ 1. Type of grassland that has drastic
differences between day and night

A. poaching

____C___ 2. The role an animal plays in its habitat

B. prairie

____A___ 3. Killing animals for human use

C. niche

Short Answer:
1. Why do different organisms have different niches?
Question:
Sample Answer: Not all animals areJournal
able to do
the same things. Each animal contributes
Why
is
it
important
something different, and that way, every job gets taken care to
of. take care of the
environment and preserve the earths biomes?
Sample Answer: Humans and nature are
interdependent, which means we are connected to
the earth in lots of ways. If we dont take care of
our biomes, we might disturb animals and plants,
and we also might lose our food, land, and even
oxygen.

BRIDGE TO
TOMORROW

Student Work Samples: Niche Business Cards