Name Jodie Conte Class ELED 3221-001 Date 3/11/14 edTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Decomposers _____________________________________________________________________________

Central Focus/Big Idea: This lesson builds on prior lessons on ecosystems. Students will recognize decomposers and demonstrate an understanding of how interactions between decomposers and plants and animals effect the environment. Subject of this lesson: Decomposers in ecosystems Grade Level: 5th NC Essential Standard(s): 5L2 Understand the interdependence of plants and animals with their ecosystem. Next Generation Science Standard(s): 5. Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems Students who demonstrate understanding can: 5-LS1-1. Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that plant matter comes mostly from air and water, not from the soil.]

LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems The food of almost any kind of animal can be traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plants parts and animals) and therefore operate as decomposers. Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem. (5-LS2-1) 21st Century Skills: Students will collaborating in groups while investigating the product. They will communicate their findings amongst their group members. They will also show leadership and self-direction by working as a group member and staying task. Academic Language Demand Language Function: Analyze Interpret Argue Predict Categorize Question Compare/contrast Describe Retell Summarize Explain

Students will compare and contrast molded vegetables and fresh vegetables, describe and explain their findings in their Science Journals by drawing, labeling, and writing about their findings. Scientific Vocabulary: Ecosystem-all living and non-living things interacting with each other in a specific area Decomposer-organisms that break down and absorb dead organisms and turns waste into simpler substances, sometimes, returning it back to the soil Producer-Plants, grasses living things that get their energy from the sun Consumer-Organisms that get their energy (food) from consuming other things Mold-type of fungi grows on dead organisms usually in damp, dark places Abiotic factors-non-living things that living organisms need for survival like light, water, soil, temperature and minerals Biotic factors-living things in an ecosystem like plants, animals, fungi, protists, and bacteria Instructional Objective: Students will work together in small pre-selected group. Together they will compare and contrast fresh pepper and moldy pepper. They will discuss findings. Students will show mastery of knowledge by recording findings with a labeled drawing and a brief summary in their Science Journals. Prior Knowledge (student): This lesson builds on previous lesson in Ecosystem Unit taught by cooperating teacher. Students should know different types of ecosystems, resources/things need to survive, vocabulary listed above, and how plants and animals interact with each other for survival. Content Knowledge (teacher):
Knowledge of interactions between living and non-living things required for survival like food, water, light, minerals Vocabulary listed above Examples of basic types of ecosystems and characteristics: plants and animals found, climate, availability water, animal habitats in desert, tropical rainforest, prairie, savannah, pond, coral reef Food web how certain animals eat other animals for energy

Accommodations for special needs: There are no students in this class with special needs. Make sure no student has a food allergy to peppers. Materials and Technology requirements: Computer/Internet access Science Journal/writing utensils Fresh red peppers and molded red peppers- 6/one of each group) Freshly cut red rose and dead red rose Plastic knives (6) Styrofoam plates (6) Plastic gloves 6 Supply boxes with lids

Total Estimated Time: 45 mins-1 hour Source of lesson: Information taken from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLk-9ib0OVA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0En-_BVbGc On-line textbook Safety considerations: Students will wear plastic gloves while handling the produce. Content and Strategies (Procedure)

Engage: Play YouTube video Decomposition, and YouTube video fun song Quickly review prior knowledge by asking students what they can tell me about ecosystems, list on board. Next, present beautiful red rose and ask students what they know about this item. List characteristics on board (look for: plant, red, fresh, was alive until cut, has thorns, has a stem, moist, soft petals) Present dead rose ask same question (look for: plant, brown, dry, crumbling petals, dead) List characteristics in board Go over differences and similarities Explore: Ask students to gather with their science group. Ask one student to collect a prepared box of supplies. Without opening the clear box, ask students to predict what they think we are going to do? Ask students to open box. Instruct students they are to examine the two peppers on the plate. Wear gloves if you touch the pepper! Students are to discuss likes and differences. After about 15-20 minutes, they are to do a quick summary in their Science Journal with a diagram of findings. Explanation: Ask students to return to their desk. What did we find after our investigation? Ask volunteers for answers to continue on board chart. Ask students if they have ever found this type of decomposition in their worlds. Ask students what we should do with this dead fruit. We could recycle by putting in a compost pile where it could completely decay and return to the soil. Ask students if they know why we should do that? Look for puts nutrients back into the soil. Elaborate: Students will go back to their desk. For about 5 minutes, in their Science Journal, list letter vertically D-E-C-O-M-P-O-S-E-R and by each letter write a vocabulary word, phrase or statement that goes along with this topic. Example: D-Decay E-Ecosystem C-Consumers We will share with the class on the board by students volunteering.

Evaluate: Informal assessment of science journal entry will determine if concept needs to be retaught. Students will show mastery if explanation of what mold is and how it is decomposing the pepper is clear and concise.

To be complete after the lesson is taught as appropriate Assessment Results of all objectives/skills: The cooperating teacher took a grade for the acrostic poem activity. The students showed mastery. 27 out of 29 scored 10/10 for 100/A 2 out of 29 scored 9/10 for 90/B Reflection on lesson: CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________

Jodie Conte Dr. Kate Popejoy Science 3221-001 IMB Observation Report

Science plays an important role in the curriculum at the elementary level. The school I was assigned had a science lesson every day for at least an hour except Friday. I was able to observe five different days of lessons. The class I observed was finishing up a unit on ecosystems and many of the days were spent reviewing previously taught lessons and doing extension activities. I noticed there was not a lot of hands on activities but this could have been because it was review time. My cooperating teacher was excited to see what I had planned because she felt science was her weakest subject to teach. Luckily, the school works within teams so where one teacher may be a little weak in something, another may be strong. I enjoyed the science periods of the day. One particular lesson stood out to me. An extension lesson from an ecosystem unit on carrying capacity was taught one afternoon. The teacher began the lesson by asking the students to stand up and have their Science Journals, books, and pencils in hand and line up. The class

followed directions after a few posed questions. Of course, they wanted to know what was going on. I learned from my cooperating teacher that when something out of the ordinary happens it causes transitions to be a quite difficult. The students were then lead to down the hall to another fifth grade classroom where three other classes had already assembled. It was standing room only and my class was the last to enter the room. There was at least 125 people in one classroom.

Another fifth grade teacher began the lesson discussing brackish water and estuaries and asked the students to take notes in their Science Journals from the slides on the Smart Board. Some students had difficulty getting organized due to lack of space and having to stand up. Others had no problems. The teacher began asking random students to read slides. Several students in the back couldnt see the board and were unable to complete the tasks. It really began to get hot and stuffy in there. There was no room to move or even sit down. I was very surprised the students never complained about the conditions, to them it was an adventure. Throughout the lesson, the teacher kept explaining that the ecosystem is all about balance and how an unbalanced system can cause great hardships. The teacher went through a series of questions and the students had great answers. She went on to tell the students that even small factors can affect the ecosystem. The teacher explained that the number of plants and animals that an environment can support was called carrying capacity. She compared this concept to all the classes being packed into one classroom and how some students suffered during this experiment. The classroom can only support about thirty students and we were way over capacity. The classes were then dismissed class by class to return to their regular classrooms. As one student passed by, a light bulb went off and he stated, Oh, I get it. We were like an ecosystem in there, too many people using up all the resources. After returning to the classroom, the regular classroom teacher closed the lesson by having a discussion regarding how it felt during the lesson and what resources were being over consumed. I thought this was a great way to present the lesson. The students learned the concept through experience. When carrying capacity comes up they can connect that topic to their

experience in fifth grade. It will be easy to understand that overconsumption can be detrimental to the environment.

Jodie Conte Dr. Kate Popejoy Science 3221-001 IMB Lesson Reflection Decomposition Lesson This lesson was my favorite and was very excited to present this lesson and decomposition experiment. I taught the decomposition lesson on Thursday, March 20, 2014. I had begun to feel more comfortable in the classroom and was a little more at ease in front of the 27 very intelligent students in my classroom. My cooperating teacher was pleased that I had incorporated many of the strategies we had talked about from earlier lessons. I felt I was very prepared for this lesson. I had all the materials the students needed in clear plastic boxes. There was enough of all materials for everyone to participate. I spent a lot of time learning about the topic myself, researching the internet for information, videos, and activities. There really is a wealth of information available to teachers. I found this really awesome music video set to a current pop song. I must have watched that video a hundred times, so much so I cannot even remember what the real words to the song are. My family is sick of hearing Decomposers help decay The students in groups by tables were to examine a moldy sweet pepper that I had been saving in my refrigerator for about three to four weeks and compare it to a fresh pepper. I first played a very cool music video on YouTube. The students really enjoyed that. I was really happy they enjoyed the video. I, then, went on to present a fresh red rose and modeled examining it and comparing it to two different dried red rose. We had a brief discussion about

decomposition and I played another quick video to show how long it takes for food to decompose. I liked that students were so engaged in the conversation. I then instructed the students that scientist were always prepared and safe during experiments and that we were going to be scientist today and needed to obey all the rules, including wearing plastic gloves, taking turns, and no horseplay. Everyone was so excited to get started. The students opened the boxes, put on their gloves and began the experiment. It was a little noisy but everyone worked really well together and did what they were supposed to do. I was amazed that there was no goofing around happening. I had to shorten the time a bit because the discussion was so good it took a little longer than I had allotted for. The students knew no difference; they just thought time was up. I had originally wanted them to write a reflection in their science journal and do an acrostic poem using the word DECOMPOSER but there was not enough time. My cooperating teacher thought the acrostic poem a great idea because the class is working on a unit in poetry for language arts; so I just had the students do that. They did great work! So good in fact, that my cooperating teacher took the assignment for an actual grade. That made me feel really great. A couple things I would do differently is to assign jobs for the experiment. Most groups had no problem taking turns but I did have to intervene with one group. I also would have told the students to not breathe in the fumes or have their faces to close to the peepers without goggles. I had a few students say their throat and nose felt itchy and hot and one girl cut into the fresh pepper and juice squirted into her eye causing a trip to the nurses office. I was using sweet peppers so my cooperating teacher was not concerned. I felt so bad about that. Thank goodness, the student was fine the next day.

Overall, I was pleased with the lesson. I had great feedback from my cooperating teacher. The main thing I learned from this lesson is to think about what could go wrong and to be over prepared. My cooperating teacher gave me advice; she said always be flexible because you never know what might happen. All in all, it was a successful day.