Santa Clara University MATTC Lesson Plan Template (modified)

Lesson Subject
Science

Lesson Title
Food Webs

(Biology and
Environmental Studies)

(Time: 40 minutes, 5-10 minutes closure/homework prep)

Grade Level
3rd

Student Academic Learning Objectives

1. Students should be able to understand why food webs are an important part of the ecosystem.
2. Students should be able to identify what types of foods different animals eat.
3. Students should be able to distinguish between a predator and its prey in a food web.
Student Language Development Objectives
1. Students will actively listen and engage in conversational exchange about what animals eat.
2. Students will closely read informational texts on the importance of food webs and the types of
foods animals eat (predator-prey interactions) individually.
3. Students will actively plan and deliver oral presentations on food webs in groups.
CCSStandards/State Content Standards
NGSS Standard
Performance Expectation: 3-LS2-1
Construct an argument that some animals form
groups that help members survive.
CCSS (as according to the ELD Standards)
SL.3.4-6; L.3.1, 3, 6

English Language Development (ELD)

Standards
ELD Standards
C. Productive 9. Presenting
1) Emerging: Plan and deliver very brief oral
presentations (e.g., retelling a story, describing
an animal, and the like).
2) Expanding: Plan and deliver brief oral
presentations on a variety of topics and content
areas (e.g., retelling a story, explaining a
science process, and the like).
3) Bridging: Plan and deliver longer oral
presentations on a variety of topics and content
areas (e.g., retelling a story, explaining a
science process or historical event, and the
like).
*In this class, I have a handful of emergent
bilingual students at all levels of proficiency.

Materials and Preparation

The following materials are ones specifically chosen to greatly enhance the lesson:
1. Pens, pencils, and colored markers to create pictures or color-code (ie: in scientific journals).
2. Scientific Journals (students should have started using them previously, at the beginning of the
year).
3. Visuals (such as several pictures) of things animals eat to share over the projector
4. In-class examples of unusual things animals eat (to pass-around/hands-on portion)
5. Informational texts (for jigsaw, there should be four different texts per group and multiple

reading comprehension level options of the texts).

6. Poster paper, markers, tape, pictures of things in the informational text for posters, stickers,
glue or glue sticks, any other poster material and supplies necessary.
7. Sticky-notes for gallery walk
8. Pre-created audio recording (on computer or phone) of animal noise.
9. Extra paper if needed to prep and practice five favorite summary points for poster project
10. Class Projector
*Note: For teacher preparation and the location of additional resources, the teacher will need to
pre-select the groups of four (perhaps using literature circles that have already been set in place),
as well as pre-select an audio recording to use in the introduction.
*In addition, the teacher will have to locate and provide the additional resources: the visuals to
project on the board can be printed from the internet, the craft supplies can be purchased from
the local craft store if needed, and the things animals eat (to pass around) can be collected from
outside or purchased in a timely and advanced manner from Amazon, a garden nursery, et cetera.
The informational texts also must be pre-chosen, and should also be appropriate and challenging
material based on the students English proficiency level.
Introduction
For the beginning of the science lesson, I will introduce students to the content and language
objectives on the board.
I will also ask them to open their scientific journals to the previous lesson, where some key terms
for this lesson were introduced and written down with picture visuals (and primary language if
needed). I will recap what these terms mean again, and check for understanding before beginning
the next lesson to ensure all students comprehend the necessary vocabulary.
After students are introduced to the learning and language objectives, I will move students based
on my pre-chosen groups of four (the groups will consist of similarly proficient students, but
ideally some of the students will be at a slightly higher reading comprehension level than the
others; these groups could perhaps be the literature circle groups at the time) for the lesson.
At the table of four, I will engage the students attention and curiosity by asking that they listen
quietly to a 15-second animal noise.

NOTE: For this science lesson, I am considering that the terms predator prey interaction
and food web have been previously introduced in the unit and recorded in each students
scientific journal, which they have been using all year. Students should have the vocabulary
necessary by this lesson to fully comprehend their informational text and have the appropriate
background knowledge. In addition, the teacher has also previously modeled and used both
think-pair-share and jigsaw activities with the students. I am providing instruction for a
classroom that has a handful of emergent bilingual students at a variety of proficiency levels.
In addition, it is important to note that sentence-starters and sentence-frames are available as
posters above the board for my emergent bilingual students. These posters will be mentioned and
referred to as a resource during scientific discussions.

Procedures (How will you conduct the lesson? What will you do? What will the students do?)
I.
After the audio introduction, I will ask the students inquiry-based questions to contextualize the
new topic, such as Have you ever heard this noise before?, What type of animal do you think
made that noise?, and Do you think this animal was this animal big or small? to motivate the
students in thinking deeper about the audio recording noise.
I will actively be using wait time to encourage expanded reasoning and give all students to form
their ideas. Wait Time will specifically be used as a modification to help the emergent bilingual
students in my class. I will also be using marking between student answers to underscore when a
student lands on a significant concept I believe is critical in leading us towards our objectives.
In addition, I will actively be making references to the sentence-starter frames posters around
my classroom, encouraging all students (especially my emergent bilingual students) to use the
sentence starters when formulating their ideas and answers during the class discussion.
II.
Next, students at the table of four will be asked to turn to their elbow partner and orally share
what they already know about what animals eat (think-pair-share with elbow partner).
I will make it transparent to the students in advance that they will be called on via popsicle-stick
method (a form of cold calling) to share their partners thoughts to ensure students are listening.
During this conversation between students in think-pair-share, I will be walking around
listening in, and taking notes using an observation checklist to formatively assess how students
are doing in regards to engaging and listening to conversational exchange about what animals eat
(particularly for language objective #1 and learning objective #2).
I will then be transitioning to the projector during the brief think-pair-share, and stopping the
students at the peak of their conversation to hold their interest and engagement on the topic.
III.
I will then use the projector as a tool in asking students about their ideas and previous knowledge
on what animals eat.
I will ask the students to use their scientific journals with me (modeling) and write down together
through guided-practice the possible ideas of what animals eat that they discussed in their thinkpair-share. I will be calling on students using the class popsicle-sticks to ensure even
participation, and wait time will be used as an adaptation if an emergent bilingual student needs
more time to formulate an answer. After several responses, the class will then categorize our
answers together based on if we believe predators or prey eat what we have come up with.
Note: During this time, I will be actively checking for potential misconceptions to address, such
as the idea that all larger animals are predators and smaller animals are always prey.
IV.
I will then show the students some pictures of interesting and unusual things that animals eat to
expand on their knowledge. Students will then have the opportunity to engage (touch, feel) with
actual, hands-on objects of what animals eat that I have brought it and will pass around. As
students pass around the objects I have chosen (bark, seeds, etc) I will ask them more inquirybased questions, such as what type of animal do you think eats this? to engage them visually. I
will also be engaging the students kinesthetically by using full body-gestures and total physical
response to enhance comprehension.

V.
Jigsaw: Following this activity, each student within the group will receive a different
informational text on predator-prey interaction and the importance of food webs in ecosystems
based on the objectives (readings will be adjusted based on the students reading comprehension
levels if needed). I will ask the students to become experts in their own topics by reading the
texts, and tell them they are to orally teach each other afterwards.
As students read their information texts, I will be walking around and checking for student
comprehension using the observational checklist (formative assessment). I will check in with
students, ask them to read me sentences allowed (specifically to check in with language objective
#2), and make notes about students who appear to be struggling in order to think through better
modifications for them in the future lessons.
After the students are done reading their short passage on animal interactions and food webs,
they will orally teach each other about what they learned as the experts of their topic.
I will remind students it is critical to listen to what their group member experts share, for they
will need the information later.
As the teacher, I will be walking around and listening to the students sharing the information
they learned from the text to check for comprehension with my observation checklist, again for
the language objective #2 and #3, and for all three of learning objectives. If I find that any
information from the texts needs to be clarified for the class before moving on, I will be sure to
do so at the end of the jigsaw conversation.
After I have checked for comprehension and feel there are no further questions that need to be
addressed, students will then have the opportunity to share out with the class the coolest things
they found in their informational texts about animals and what they eat!
VI.
Finally, students will be given poster materials and visual images of predators, prey, and foods
mentioned in the passages to design their own poster on what they learned in groups of four.
Modeling the poster project for the students with a previously-created poster I created using the
information text, I will present my poster project for them to model what the oral presentation
they plan and their poster will look like when it is finished.
I will then ask students to plan, write down, and summarize their own 5 favorite things about
what they learned today on the posters. This will help lead them to fulfillment of the ELD
standards and NGSS standards alike.
VII.
When the posters have been completed, each team will orally present at the front of the class
their findings and summarize what they have learned. For expanding and bridging bilingual
students, I would ask follow-up questions on their presentation to expand on their ideas, link
contributions and to both verify and clarify their thoughts. This will also guide expanding and
bridging students to deliver longer oral presentations as the ELD standard states. I will prompt
students to applause each group when they are done to create a sense of classroom community.
During this time, I will also continue using an observation checklist in order to track students and
their progress in successfully meeting all of the content and language objectives for the lesson, as
well as the ELD and NGSS standards.

VIII.
Gallery walk: Towards the end of the lesson, students will hang their posters around the
classroom as visuals, and I will prompt students to do an interactive gallery walk to read over
and explore each others posters. I will model how to do this gallery walk for the students, and
how to properly use the sticky-notes that I provide for them to write nice comments or questions
to place on each others posters. At the end of the gallery walk, if I find there are any sticky-note
questions placed on the posters, I will collectively ask the group if anyone knows the answer to
these questions. Using the observation checklist if needed, this is another source of checking for
understanding and that all the objectives of the day are met, as well as a peer-led source of
recapping for the students.

Specific Strategies and Adaptations for English Learners

The following are the modifications I intentionally implement during the lesson to scaffold my
emergent bilingual students towards understanding of the content:
*Note: All adaptation strategies for ELs are italicized as they are used throughout the lesson in
the procedure above.
Scientific Journals: The use of scientific journals help students keep track of their scientific
knowledge and progress, as well as key vocabulary terms from previous lessons. It is also a
wonderful tool to use for including visuals along with the vocabulary for emergent bilingual
students at all proficiency levels. The use of scientific journals allows for the inclusion of the
primary language (ie One Uno 1) to help with comprehension.
During this lesson, scientific journals are used both in the introduction to review previously
introduced key terms, as well as after the think-pair-share to write down ideas about what
animals eat.
Audio/Multi-Media: The use of audio allows for the often-ignored listening aspect of a lesson.
The use of audio gives emergent bilinguals at all levels another resource to access
comprehension of the lesson content. In this lesson, audio is used in the introduction to engage
students with the topic and promote inquire around what animals eat.
Visuals, Hands-on Examples and Total Physical Response (TPR): The use of touch and feel
through the sharing of hands-on materials, as well as the use of visuals, is another way to
implement multiple modalities of learning (which are underlined throughout the lesson
procedure) during the lesson. Visuals, which include the objects I pass around during the lesson,
give emergent bilinguals another tool to engage with the lesson material in a way that is not
simply through the English language. I will be also moving around the classroom a lot and using
TPR, doing full-body movements to engage the students and help with comprehension. By
providing these modifications for the emergent bilingual students, there is way for students to
heighten their comprehension and engagement with the information.
Teacher Moves (ie recapping, marking, expanding reasoning with wait time, etc): Teacher
Moves allow for key scaffolding by checking for listening, encouraging students to expand
critical thought, and re-summarizing material to check for understanding. These teacher Moves
are also useful tools in encouraging expanding and bridging bilingual students to expand their
ideas and deliver longer oral presentations. During this lesson, I implement this teaching
technique several times, first when I am asking students to discuss what they think animals eat,

and during the oral presentations. While these techniques are not adaptations specifically for
emergent bilingual students, I felt they were largely useful in extending ideas and underscoring
my high expectations for English language learners in my classroom.
Sentence-Starters/Frames as Posters: While this modification and its usefulness for emergent
bilinguals have not been proven through researched yet, it is a useful tool in the classroom for
encouraging emergent bilinguals at all levels to engage in meaningful scientific discussion. It
deconstructs the complexity of texts, enhances ideas, and encourages the use of academic
language. During this lesson (as well as all my lessons), sentence-starters are provided via poster
around the room, and are referred to often, especially at the start of the lesson when asking
students to share out.
Wait Time: Wait time allows emergent bilinguals (especially quieter students who have lower
speaking proficiencies) to have an extra opportunity to think through their answers or to
formulate their ideas, in order to enhance their participation in scientific discussion. I specifically
use wait time during this lesson to encourage emerging, expanding, and bridging bilingual
students to respond in a meaningful, thought-out way. Wait time allows the students to develop
clearer, more complex answers whether used before or after calling on the students (for example:
using wait time after calling on an emergent bilingual student via popsicle-stick cold calling).
Modeling: Modeling is a key modification in which the teacher is able to visually guide students
towards what they are expected to be doing by performing the task either with them or before
them and asking the students to watch. During my lesson, I aim to model for the students
continually in order to aid my emergent bilingual students at all levels in their comprehension,
and to lead the students towards the objectives and standards alike. For example, throughout the
lesson I model writing down ideas of what animals eat, as well as what my final poster project
looks like and how to present it, and use TPR. This also provides clearer instructions.
Contextualization: Contextualization drastically helps to diminish the comprehension gap
between native-English speakers and emergent bilinguals. Establishing familiarity with a topic
helps introduce students to the content. During my lesson, I seek to help contextualize the topic
for the day by guiding students in a think-pair-share about their previous knowledge of what
they believe animals might eat.
Think-Pair-Share: As many emergent bilingual students may not feel comfortable sharing their
ideas with the entirety of the class, think-pair-share is a chance to formulate ones ideas before
sharing with the larger class. In addition, it allows emergent bilingual students to feel more
prepared (rather than ambushed) when I exit think-pair-share with cold calling techniques such
as picking names from a popsicle-stick. I use think-pair-share at the beginning of the lesson to
engage students in sharing their prior knowledge (contextualizing) of what animals eat, and I exit
this think-pair-share through the use of cold calling via popsicle sticks with my students.
Jigsaw: Students are able to work in groups of four to practice not only reading, but oral
summarization as experts as well. This is incredibly beneficial for emergent bilingual students
in order to enhance their comprehension and engagement with the material in a safe, comfortable
setting. This technique also encourages students to listen to each other, and holds students
accountable in conveying the information with clarifying when teaching and speaking to each
other. It also allows teachers to actively check for understanding during the discussion. As the
jigsaw is a huge part of my lesson, I believe it is an incredibly valuable tool to blend the practice
of reading, listening and speaking for my emergent bilingual students, as well as an integral part
in scaffolding students towards the objective of planning and presenting an oral poster project.

Gallery Walk: Students are able to actively interact with other students work and ideas by both
reading and writing comments through sticky-notes. For the emergent bilinguals especially, this
is an interactive way to get students off their feet and to read and write with scientific content in
a hands-on way. During my lesson, I use the gallery walk (and model how to do so) in efforts to
recap what we have learned with my students, and to check for any unanswered questions that
may come up via sticky-note on the presentations.
Note: Teacher Moves such as recapping, expanding reasoning, expand on their ideas, link contributions, verify
and clarify, and marking come from Accountable Talk Sourcebook Michaels et al., (2010).

Specific Strategies and Adaptations for Students with Special Needs

NOT NECESSARY FOR INTEGRATED ELD ASSIGNMENT
Specific Strategies and Adaptations for Students from Underperforming Population Subgroups
NOT NECESSARY FOR INTEGRATED ELD ASSIGNMENT
Assessment of Student Academic Learning Objectives
1. Students should be able to understand why food webs are an important part of the ecosystem.
2. Students should be able to identify what types of foods different animals eat.
3. Students should be able to distinguish between a predator and its prey in a food web.
Assessment of the student learning objectives will primarily be through the means of the
students planning, completing, and presenting the food web poster for the lesson. Through the
poster and presentation activities, students should actively demonstrate their understanding of
what animals eat, why food webs are important to an ecosystem, and which animals from the
readings are prey versus predator.
*I will be keeping track of student assessment and progress through the use of an observation
checklist. For example, I will be taking notes on each student during the group presentations in
order to keep track of which students have met all the lesson objectives.
If these objectives have appeared to not be met, I will be asking follow-up questions during the
presentation to check for and assess understanding of the content to assess further.
Based on my findings of the project-based poster presentation, I will be using the information
provided to develop the following lesson plans in a way that reinforces key concepts that may
have been misunderstood. For example, if it is evident that there are misconceptions (such as all
large animals are predators, all small animals are prey), I will adapt my following lessons in the
unit to reinforce that this is not necessarily the case and provide chances to reteach needed
material.

Assessment of Student Language Development Objectives

1. Students will actively listen and engage in conversational exchange about what animals eat.
2. Students will closely read informational texts on the importance of food webs and the types of
foods animals eat (predator-prey interactions) individually.
3. Students will actively plan and deliver oral presentations on food webs in groups.
Assessment of the student language objectives will be done both formatively and through
summative assessment. I will formatively assess students using an observation checklist while
listening in on conversations, listening to them teach each other during the jigsaw, as well as
asking students to read sentences from the informational text aloud to me one-on-one. The
summative assessment is essentially done via poster preparation and oral presentation, which
will also be tracked via observation checklist and note taking for individual students.
During the poster presentation, students are both demonstrating their ability to present orally as
well as demonstrating the ability to comprehend the previously read informational texts.
To check for active listening and for engagement in academic conversation, I will consistently be
walking around and listening in on students conversations to formatively assess them through
observation-based assessment.
If I feel a student may not be meeting the objective, such as failing to actively listen and
engaging in conversation about the text or ideas on what animals eat during the think-pair-share,
I will guide the student with questions to keep the conversation going within the group or
between elbow-partners and check back shortly following. When asking students to read
sentences to me from the informational text during the jigsaw one-on-one, I will also assessing
their comprehension, progress and challenges with the text.
Similarly to the content objectives above, I will be using my findings from both the formative
and summative assessments to modify my future lessons based on potential struggles,
misunderstandings or misconceptions. As stated above, I will be using the information provided
to develop the following lesson plans in a way that reinforces key concepts that may have been
misunderstood to reteach when needed.
Closure
I will conclude the lesson by once again reviewing the content and language objectives with the
students.
Then, I would have the students self-assess if they feel they have accomplished their objectives,
by turning to their elbow partner and explaining their ideas in pairs.
I will walk around and check for understanding, thoughts, and ideas on if the objectives were
met. If needed, additional comments on students observation checklists will be added to help
keep track of student process and understanding of the objectives.
At the peak of the conversation, I would then ask for a few volunteers to share their ideas,
practicing wait time to ensure all students are able to thoroughly form their thoughts.

Follow-up: Meaningful Application of Knowledge (future lessons, unit objective)

To apply their new knowledge in a meaningful and relevant way, I will show the students a
picture of an endangered species before they leave class for the day, such as a rare whale or
penguin in order to prepare them for the rest of the unit. I will discuss what it means to be
endangered with the students, as well as have them write the term in their scientific journal.
For homework following the lesson (again, in preparation of the students using this knowledge in
a relevant and meaningful way), I will ask the students to chose an endangered species that they
would like to research over the next few weeks (I will supply them with a list of 5-10 species so I
can supply them with the necessary materials to research later in the unit), and to draw a picture
of that animal to bring back to class tomorrow.
*I will make it clear that if a student does not have access to a computer at home, that they can
draw what they believe the animal might look like. All other research/materials will be provided
over the unit in class and through use of the computer lab.
Ultimately, we will be building on this lessons content and objectives to connect food webs to
an overarching unit goal of exploring endangered species and environmental protection.
By the end of the unit, each student will make books about each of his or her endangered species,
research what each students endangered species eats, why the species is at risk of extinction, its
place in the ecosystem, the types of threats the species face, steps to (and suggestions for)
protecting that species, and more findings.
This unit assessment, which will be project-based, will ultimately link todays lesson with
relevant, critical topics in science and environmental education outside of the classroom. In
conjunction with other lessons in the unit, this overarching goal and project will provide for a
more meaningful application of todays material.

Reflection
NOT NECESSARY FOR INTEGRATED ELD ASSIGNMENT