Lesson Plan Template

Name Alisha Salgado Title: Ecosystem to Colonize Mars______

Grade ___7___ Subject Area ___science_____________ Length of lesson two_55 min
classes_______
1.NEWMEXICOACADEMICCONTENTSTANDARD(S):
(MS-LS2-1) Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental
interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
2. OBJECTIVE(S):
Objective What Students I Can . . .
will learn statement
Students will use the Student will I can explain, by
Mars creatures they learn what their using the Mars
genetically modified species energy ecosystem we
to create a source and constructed, how
population/ecosyste predator are by organisms are
m using the connected in a
ecosystem we community and how
have created. they interact
amongst each
other.

3. ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How does your genetically modified organism generate

interaction in our Mars ecosystem?

4. LESSON SUMMARY: Each student has created a genetically modified organism to colonize
Mars. These creatures, as well as abiotic factors, come together to create an ecosystem that is
dependent upon each other for survival.

5. RESOURCES:
- http://www.nextgenscience.org/dci-arrangement/ms-ls2-ecosystems-interactions-energy-
and-dynamics
- http://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html
- cardstock
-color pencils
- construction paper

6. LESSON COMPONENTS:

a. INTRODUCTION/ READINESS- We will be determining what your species

energy source (food) is and what will eat you, basically what your predator is. An
ecosystem includes interactions between abiotic factors (example: sun) and biotic factor
(example: consumers). Students will be familiar with energy pyramids and similar
vocabulary because we have taken notes on New Mexicos ecosystem and created an
energy pyramid with this information. Also, at the beginning of the week we reviewed the
energy pyramid by having each student get up and represent a part of the pyramid
(through the use of vocabulary) that was mapped out on the floor. We have been working
on designing species kennel cards (called Kennel because most animals travel in a kennel
to keep them safe) that contains a genetically modified creature with two adaptations to
survive on Mars.

b. DIRECT INSTRUCTION (I DO) Underneath the document camera, I will

construct an energy pyramid by arranging the Mars creatures the students created.
This ecosystem energy pyramid will include decomposers at the base and then
continue like it normally would. (producers, primary/secondary/tertiary consumers)
Model for the students how to fill in their species kennel cards under the doc camera.
Components of the front side of the kennel card include: creative species name,
scientific name composed of Latin root words, illustration, predator, energy/food
source. On the back of their kennel card, model by reading the example Ive created.
The back will include two adaptations to survive on Mars and the inclusion of Mars
facts taken prior. (Example of back: claws to stay in place/grip to land during dust
storms or paws that melt Mars frozen water to allow the creature to hydrate).
c. GUIDED PRACTICE (WE DO) Through discussion, we will determine each
species energy source by concluding what that species depends on to eat to
survive. We will also determine what each species predator is.
-How does a producer receive its energy? Use of photosynthesis which is carried
out by the abiotic factor the sun.
-How can we improve the ecosystem we created for Mars? We needed more
primary consumers to feed the secondary and tertiary consumers.
-What is the most important part of the energy pyramid? Why? The producers
are the most important because they create the most calories to feed the
consumers.
-What ecosystems on Earth could possibly live on Mars? Its possible that the
marine ecosystem could live on Mars because there is water but we would have
to figure out a way to melt the frozen water.
d. INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (YOU DO) Students will then use the Mars
ecosystem to complete their species kennel cards. The two pieces of information
the students will be collecting is energy/food source and predator. This can be
found by using the energy pyramid we created with their genetically modified
Mars creatures. An example of what a student would write on the front of their
kennel card if they are a primary consumers would be, energy source as Sun and
their predator would be the Martian Bunny.

e. CLOSURE- All our species are connected and reliant upon each other for
survival. Let the students know that tomorrow we will construct a food web
using our species and see the cause and effect of changes in an ecosystem. We
will tie yarn into holes punched into the kennel card and wear them like a
necklace. The students will stand in a circle and will begin connecting species
based off their energy/food source. The sun will connect to the artic rose to the
 Martian Bunny to the Red snake to the Red Planet Wolf. After all the species are
connected, say there was a disease that killed off the producers. The students
whose species were producers must drop their string that is connecting the food
web. This then causes the primary consumers to die off because they dont have
a food source.
f. ASSESSMENT-
-Informally assess students by spot checking their species kennel cards. I will be
looking to see if they have written the appropriate species that is dependent on
its survival as well as the correct predator.
-Illustrate and explain a food web using Mars creature to display how organisms
in a population rely on each other.
-Species Kennel cards with explanations (two adaptations and how they help
their creature survive) will be collected next week for a practice grade.

g. ADAPTATIONS FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS AND STUDENTS WITH

SPECIAL NEEDS
-Visually represented the classrooms species through the use of an energy
pyramid
-discussion between teacher-student and student-student.
-extended time in class/outside of class to finish assignments.
-Hard copies can be made available, but everything taught in class can be
accessed through the classroom website.
Back of Kennel card Front of Kennel Card
Mars Ecosystem includes decomposer, primary/secondary/tertiary consumers

7. REFLECTION
 After reviewing and reflecting on my lesson plan, I feel like I had a few strengths. Im
normally not a creative person, but I found that this activity brought out the creativity in me to
come up with adaptations to give my example creature to help it survive Mars. I also created
came up with the kennel card the keep our Mars species safe while they travel to Mars in the
Mars ecosystem space shuttle. Which is the third picture displayed above. Another strength was
being organized throughout this lesson. There were over 120 Mars creatures created and as soon
as students completed them, I took them out to the hallway and displayed them on the wall. I also
felt like putting them immediately out in the hall made other students complete theirs with
fidelity because they knew itd be in the hall for all to view.
In this lesson, I did struggle a bit. When it came to creating the Mars ecosystem through
the use of an energy pyramid, I found it hard the first couple of class periods to get collecting this
data down. This was the first time I had done this activity and it was chaotic because I tried
writing the scientific names down and then I realized I had no idea what species it represented.
Also the first time through, I wrote the students Mars creatures down like a list and this was so
confusing. So, the following class period I drew out the Energy Pyramid and then wrote the
species names in the appropriate level. Next time I do this assignment I will know to collect data
through the use of an energy pyramid and species names because it easier to collect and the
students understood how to utilize the information this way. I also found it hard the first couple
of class periods to keep the students quiet while I took the data down because I was pretty
focused on trying to get the data in a way that was easiest for the students. I think my energy of
confusion and a bit frustration was transferred to the students because it seemed like they werent
focused. But by the last two class periods, I had perfected the lesson by organizing it well and
this resulted in it going smoothly and well behaved students.
The end result of the genetically modified Mars Space Shuttle was successful and I feel
like I met my goals/objectives. My CT was really impressed with the creature kennel cards and
how I used the creatures to make an energy pyramid, food web, and overall genetically modified
Mars ecosystem. These activities demonstrated my objectives, which was to
learn/explore/explain the interactions between organisms. I also liked the way I did notes. Most
of the time we take Cornell notes like me writing them under the document cam and the students
copy them, but I had a Mars foldable. (picture include underneath reflection) Under each
foldable part of Mars the students wrote down information about Mars. We rotated tables and at
each table I had a short article that related to a flap of the Mars foldable. The students oversaw
their own notes but knew the main topics of information needed to be collected and the
expectation was to write in complete sentences. This note taking helped them know what Mars
was like and this helped them adapt their Mars creature.

Mars Foldable Notes to Help with creature adaptation