Lesson Plan – Science

Candidate (s): Nicole Kwok

Lesson Title: Human Impact on Natural Resources
Grade Level: 3rd
Students will develop an understanding of Earth’s natural resources and its importance. They will evaluate
the impact both nature and humans have made on these resources. In recognizing how humans have
Central Focus:
played a significant role in the decline of natural resources, students will learn to think critically about how
that in turn has affected the way they live their lives on a planet that is experiencing a natural crisis.
NGSS:
K-ESS3-3
Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living
things in the local environment.

Common Core State Standards Connections:

ELA/Literacy:
W.K.2
Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they
name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
Standard(s)
ELD Standards:
ELD.PI.3.1.Ex
Exchanging information and ideas with others through oral collaborative discussions on a range of social
and academic topics
ELD.PI.3.3.Ex
Offering and supporting opinions and negotiating with others in communicative exchanges
ELD.PI.3.7.Ex
Evaluating how well writers and speakers use language to support ideas and opinions with details or
reasons depending on modality, text type, purpose, audience, topic, and content area
ELD.PI.3.9.Ex, ELD.PI.3.11.Ex, ELD.PI.3.12.Ex
Students will be able to identify examples of natural resources and the reasons why they are diminishing.
They will recognize the effects of the problem and come up with possible solutions to reduce the impact
Content
made by humans on the earth’s natural resources. Following lesson about types of natural resources,
Objective:
students will select one that appeals to them most and create a brochure that will identify their chosen issue
and ways to encourage people to help with it.
• Create comprehensible input and build scaffolds for English learners
○ Pre-teaching vocabulary using visuals
• Specific Vocabulary: resource: natural, synthetic, manmade, renewable, nonrenewable, conservation,
distribution, finite, infinite, depletion
○ Anchor charts and posters created by teacher with students to repeat and reinforce academic
language understanding
• Academic language will be repeated and reinforced throughout lesson: pre-teaching, direct instruction,
guided practice, independent practice
Academic
• Students will need sight word recognition to read and interpret directions
Language
• Students should have familiarity with expository content: understanding new vocabulary and concepts
Demands:
with teacher guidance and visual aids
• Group and peer interaction will reinforce academic language: heterogeneous grouping and pairing of
ELLs and EOs will allow students to practice academic and social language in conversation
• Students will utilize vocabulary when identifying problems and creating solutions
• Students will use academic language when applying learned vocabulary and subject content to
completed work and share with class
• All new concepts and related vocabulary will be repeated multiple times throughout lesson to reinforce
familiarity and understanding of subject matter
• Age 8-9
• Gender: Lesson and instruction is applicable to all genders
• Race/ethnicity/culture: Lesson and instruction is respectful of all cultures
• Interests: Lesson and instruction will appeal to students’ interest to encourage active participation and
Class
engagement
Information:
• Achievement/developmental levels: Not every student will be at the same level in terms of prior science
knowledge, vocabulary, and English language. Lesson will meet the needs of students at varying levels.
• Learning styles/modalities or students’ skill levels: Instruction and application will allow for students of
varying skill levels to collaborate with one another to assess problems and create solutions.
• More time provided on all assignments and assessments
• Assignments and assessments may be provided in different way: audio/visual
• Slower pace
Adaptations:
• Repetition
• Anchor Charts and references posted around classroom
• Assignments can be broken down into individual components
 Lesson Plan – Science

o i.e., pre-teaching vocabulary and providing visuals for those with language needs or to meet needs
of IEP or 504 students
• Pairing up students strategically or work in heterogeneous groups
o i.e., pair ELL with English speaker, pair underperforming student with one who is excelling
o Differentiating with leveled worksheets
§ Sentence frames or sentence starters
• Gifted students may be given an extension of their assignment
o In addition to the assigned brochure, they may create a presentation using Google Slides about
their issue and provide more information using research
• Both formal and informal assessments will be implemented during and after the lesson. Lesson will be
stopped to go over new terms or content vocabulary as teacher uses main ideas and vocabulary to
create an anchor chart for class reference.
• Depth of instruction will be adjusted on students’ prior knowledge (“How many of you have heard of…”
or “What are some types of this natural resource?”)
• Student understanding will be assessed based on completion of worksheets that integrate vocabulary
with content knowledge: fill-in-the-blank and Venn Diagrams comparing concepts like natural vs.
synthetic, renewable vs. nonrenewable, etc.
• Student understanding of major concepts will be formally assessed on their completed final brochures,
which will incorporate content vocabulary with academic language used in expressing key ideas of the
lesson
§ Final Brochure will demonstrate student understanding of:
§ What a natural resource is
§ Which resources are being depleted and why
§ Why is that important and how is it affecting us
§ How can we solve the problem?
Description of • As a method of informal assessment, students may work individually or in pairs (strategically formed
Assessment: based on either English or academic level) to practice content vocabulary and academic language
during independent practice as teacher walks around the room, providing feedback and guidance
(through conferencing)
§ Strategic pairing/grouping allows teacher to assess students both individually and with peers,
altering combinations of students based on observations of need
§ Depending on how much students are succeeding or struggling, additional instruction may be
supplemented
• Assessment accommodations for students with special needs and ELLs may include:
§ Larger fonts
§ Visuals
§ Typing over writing or vice versa
§ Working with peers
§ Individual conferencing with teacher
§ Sentence frames and starters
§ Pacing may also be adjusted with additional repetition to further emphasize vocabulary, learning
objectives, and subject content.
§ Additional time may be provided to complete tasks.
§ They may be asked to answer orally.
• Students need to be able to read and understand multistep directions to complete the assignments
required in the lesson.
• Students will require basic knowledge of what constitutes as manmade vs natural and be able to name
examples for both categories.
Prerequisite Background • Students will need to know where to seek additional resources for assistance: referencing class anchor
Knowledge/ charts for clarification, looking things up on Google, etc.
Skills: • Students need to be able to make observations, relay them in the appropriate setting, and connect them
with subject content
• English learners and students with special needs need to be able to locate points of reference (charts,
posters, online translator, library, books, teacher) and be able to work with peers in order to understand
material
• Anchor Chart
• Worksheets 1, 2, 3 (optional) ã
Materials:
• Computers/Laptops
• Craft materials (markers, rulers, pens, pencils, scissors, glue, crayons)
• To activate prior knowledge, teacher will ask students for examples of major concepts like manmade
ENGAGEMENT (synthetic) or natural: “What are some things that are made by humans? What are things that humans
don’t make but already exist naturally on earth?”
• To build on funds of knowledge, teacher will ask general questions like: “What happens when you use
too much of one thing?” or “What happens when billions of people are using this thing and it’s starting to
run out?”
• In order to get the purpose across to the students, teacher will explain that there are only a finite
OBSERVATION (vocabulary word) amount of resources (vocabulary) available on earth.
 Lesson Plan – Science

o Explain in relatable example: “Just like that one gallon of milk your mom bought for the family. If
everyone keeps drinking and drinking, eventually it will run out. Unlike milk, however, our natural
resources are not readily available and cannot be bought whenever it runs out.”
o This will pique interest and curiosity regarding the topic of natural resources and how it’s being
depleted because people keep using and using without the means to replenish what’s being
used.
• Learning about natural resources will teach students to be aware of the world around them. They need
to understand the importance human impact has on the planet and its resources. Actions of the past
affect the present and will alter the future.
• The lesson will not only teach subject content, but will also reinforce important skills like understanding
cause-and-effect, designing solutions to problems, and critical thinking
o As readers, the lesson will teach students how to identify problems and solutions as well as
recognize patterns in observations
o As writers, they will learn how to express themselves in different mediums and how to
synthesize learned material and apply them to a final project
o As learners, students will see that the planet is enormous and has a lot to offer. It will also inform
them of the impact humans may have, either positive or negative, on the planet they inhabit. The
lesson will teach students content and have the utilize skills that make them better thinkers and
more critical of how certain actions affect things larger than themselves.
• To engage students in active meaning making of key concepts, they will be asked to think of examples
of various natural resources. Where do they find these resources in their everyday lives? How do they
use these natural elements as they go about their routines?
• Relating content to students’ lives increases understanding and helps in connecting key concepts
• Seeing the relevance of academic subjects, like science, in their own lives outside of school helps them
to make sense of what they are learning. There is greater purpose to what is being taught
• A poster/anchor chart will be created alongside the discussion.
• Teacher will note student answers and guide student conversation toward main ideas.
• Discussion will reinforce key terms, major concepts, thereby allowing students to practice academic
language while seeing it being written, forming connections between input and output
• Teacher will encourage discussion using academic language during group work and discussion during
guided practice
• Repetition and context of such language will be helpful in reinforcing content and overall understanding
• Worksheet that reviews content vocabulary and major concepts will be completed with peers and
INQUIRY reviewed with teacher
• Venn diagrams are included on the worksheet, conversing with peers to figure out the connections and
distinctions between terms and major concepts
• Teacher will ask open ended questions to guide students to think critically and consider bigger picture
ideas when coming up with solutions
• Students will be asked to complete a similar worksheet with additional terms and Venn diagram
independently
• Following the worksheet, students will begin planning and working on their informational brochure, which
includes three panels:
1. Defining natural resources, providing examples for one specific one (water, air, gas, solar, etc.)
2. What is happening to this natural resource? What are effects of its depletion?
3. What are possible solutions to this problem? Conservation? Prevention?
• Students with specific learning needs may be required to complete a differentiated worksheet
o They may also work cooperatively with peers
o Conferencing with teacher as needed
o Pre-teaching and repetition
ELABORATION
• Students will develop a more sophisticated understanding of the topic at hand through the synthesis and
application of major concepts covered throughout the lesson
• This application will be demonstrated through the creation of a final informational brochure that will
include the definition of natural resources and the identification of one specific resource along with
relevant examples. The student will identify the problem itself as well as its causes and effects.
APPLICATION
• Student will conclude final panel of brochure by creating a solution to the problem, either in steps or
suggestions to conserve and preserve the earth’s natural resources.
• Vocabulary: resource: natural, synthetic, manmade, renewable, nonrenewable, conservation,
distribution, finite, infinite, depletion
• Students’ observations will be reframed and guided toward the lesson topic by teacher during discussion
• Students will be encouraged to use vocabulary and related terminology when making observations and
ASSESSMENT in discussion
o Anchor charts with new vocabulary and key terms posted for reference
o Sentence frames and starters will be provided for all students, including English learners and
students with special needs
• Students will develop an understanding of the value of natural resources and its role in their lives
• By recognizing the slow depletion of our planet’s natural resources, students can see the effects
humans have made and think of possible solutions
 Lesson Plan – Science

o Problem solving and critical thinking

• This problem affects our daily lives and the solutions might help to better them

• Students will share what they have learned through a final project in the form of an informational
brochure.
o They will share what they have created with the class.
o This will test their use of academic language in conjunction with understanding of major concepts
as well as being able to express it verbally to their peers.
• Restate teaching point by asking questions to initiate discussion:
o “What makes our planet so special? How do these natural resources make our lives easier? What
would happen to our world should these resources be gone one day? How can we solve this
problem?”
• Key concepts will be clarified and reinforced:
o What are natural resources and what are some examples?
o Why do we need them?
o What is happening to them? Why?
o What can we do to solve this problem?
• Students will have demonstrated their content knowledge through their informational brochures. That will
serve as their opportunity to communicate the ideas they have about what they have learned.
• To engage students in reflection, ask them why it is important to learn about earth and its natural
resources.
o Share with a partner one idea you have
o Call on volunteers and encourage discussion based on these ideas
• Ask students why it is important to identify problems.
• Reinforce idea that it is essential to identify the problems in order to come up with a solution, which is
what they, as scientists, have done today in creating their informational brochure.