Unit Title: The World Around Us Lesson Title: Did You Drink Me?

Subject Area: Life Science

Grade Level: 7th
Duration of Lesson: 50 minutes Date(s) April 19, 2017
Name: Natasha Elmore
I. Standard(s) and Objective(s)
Standard(s)
MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts
of an ecosystem.
MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this
process.
Objective(s)
Students will be able to:
examine the cycles of Nitrogen, Carbon, and Phosphorus.
predict the consequences of the interruption of one stage of the cycle.
II. Assessment
Pre-assessment (before planning lesson)
In a previous lesson, students played a similar game using the rock cycle. The activity sheets were then
used to explain what they learned, in their own words. Ability groupings were created based on that assessment, and
the choice of cycle was given based on how abstract student understanding would be.
Post-assessment
Students will turn in their activity sheets so that I can check for understanding. They will be handed back
the next class period so students can write a narrative explaining the cycles and predictive outcome if the cycles
were interrupted.
III. Planning
To begin planning this lesson, I researched the NextGen Science Standards on the Carbon-Nitrogen-Phosphorus
Cycles. Students are posed with a seemingly, startling statement and then reminded of their prior lessons on the
water cycle. Students will work in their groups of three to discuss and play the Now What? game. Using the edited
YouTube video Nutrients vs Energy, students will be introduced to the Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus cycles.
They will then play the Now What? game with each of the new cycles before starting the activity. During the
video, I will pass out the I am.. Who has cards with the added new vocabulary from the video. I realized there is
not enough time for each table group to complete the activity for the Carbon and Nitrogen cycle, so table groups
were selected to receive the appropriate cycle based on prior knowledge understanding from past assessments. After
all members of the group have completed 10 turns, they need to check over their work and get their journals out and
Venn Diagram the two cycles. I remind the students they will be having reviewers tomorrow over todays work, to
check for completion.
IV. Engaging the Learner

The water you drink every day has probably passed through at least one other persons body. At your tables discuss
how this could happen safely.
I make sure to clarify that they are acting as if they are a water molecule, and to talk about how that water molecule
could safely pass on from one organism to the next. Make sure to stress that, No one is drinking anyone's urine.
(Students may use their native language for discussion.)
If the students are confused, refer to the water cycle picture. After a couple minutes, begin the Now What? game
as follows;
Tell the students that we will go around the classroom using a verbal chain-note. Each table will have to add a
statement that includes, "I (the water molecule) _______ and go to _______. Then what happens? - Table __"
To start off: I am am a water molecule that was drunk by _____ . I am transpired and evaporated from the surface
of the skin. I go to clouds. Then what happens? - Table 1. Continue this way until each table has had a chance to add
to our water cycle.
Once finished, tell the students that today we will learn about other elements that are also naturally recycled from
living things to non-living things and back again.

V. Methods, Activities and Resources

Methods: collaboration- group discussion
Indirect teaching- YouTube video on the cycles
Hands-on- Carbon and Nitrogen Cycle games
Activities
Play the YouTube video https://youtu.be/09_sWPxQymA?t=502
There are three spots that check for understanding, embedded in the video. Additional questions might
include:
Can you give me an example? How do you know? Explain your reasoning. Where else might this occur?
Why is this important?
During the video, randomly pass out the I am...Who has...? vocabulary cards with the new words from
the video;
Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, static, assimilation, condensation and respiration.
Time the students twice and record their best score. (This is used as competition between the other class
periods)
Pass out the Carbon and Nitrogen cycle handouts. The Carbon cycle is the easier of the two, because we
have previously studied the energy cycle and photosynthesis in plants. The Nitrogen cycle is a more abstract
concept, because the students have not had much exposure to organic chemistry, such as amino acids.
Students begin by using their game piece to mark any picture as their starting position. Each student will
roll the dice and proceed to a new position, according to the number shown on the dice. Students are to draw a line
from the current position to the new position and label what occurred, ie animal died and was recycled to the soil,
and which roll of the dice it was, roll 3.
Students will continue to roll the dice until at least 10 turns have been completed.
There will be occasions where students will get stuck in a position. This is an opportunity to discuss why

this might occur and what it means from the perspective of the abiotic and biotic factors around them.
Resources
Carbon Cycle Game (English, Spanish, and Vietnamese)
Nitrogen Cycle Game (English, Spanish, and Vietnamese)
Carbon Cycle Student Handout
Nitrogen Cycle Student Handout
YouTube Video https://youtu.be/09_sWPxQymA?t=502
Dice for each table group
Pencil
Paper
I am...Who has?
SmartBoard
Game Piece (anything small and easily remembered by the student owner)
VI. Potential Adaptations to the Lesson {PAL}
Collaborative discussion may be conducted in the students first language, but then in English, when shared with the
class. Handouts are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese BUT only the English version is to be passed out.
If an ELL student gets stuck, they can collaborate in their L1. If they still do not understand, they may refer to the
handout in their native language.
Enlarged boards are available for students with visual impairment.
VII. Collaboration
The ELA teacher is currently reading Life of Pi with her students. Several vocabulary words from this unit are also
found in the book. She has a list of words on a word wall for the students to hunt for as they read. When they come
to a word that is on the list, they have been discussing the meaning using context clues and then writing about the
words in their notebooks.
Students will be collaborating during discussion times and as peer reviewers for their completed games.