Lesson Plans to Integrate Technology

Cliff Hutto

Columbus State University

Lesson Plan #1: Natural Selection

Grade Level & Course:– 9th Grade Environmental Science

Georgia Performance Standard:– SEV2. Students will demonstrate an understanding

that the Earth is one interconnected system.

Lesson Objective:– Students will be able to explain how natural

selection allows species to change over time.

Essential Question:– How does natural selection change species over

time?

Materials/Resources/Technology:– SmartBoard– Guided Notes– PowerPoint– Natural Selection Worksheet– Pipe cleaners cut into short strips

Introduction to Lesson:– WordSplash: Students will begin by skimming the lesson on

natural selection. As they come across words they believe to be important, they will write the words on the SmartBoard. When finished, we will discuss the words.

– Pipe Cleaner Demonstration: On the grass outside, we will set up a test area with a mix of pipe cleaner colors (including green to blend with the grass). The students will be given 10 seconds to pick up as many pipe cleaners as they can find. After time is up, we will analyze which colors were most collected and which were least collected. We will then discuss the connection between this and natural selection.

Body of Lesson:– Natural selection lecture using PowerPoint and

guided notes.

– Graphic organizer: Students will create a graphic organizer using the laptops to summarize and organize what they learned on natural selection.

Closure Activity:– WordSplash: Using the WordSplash from the

beginning of class, students will summarize natural selection in a short paragraph using the words to explain the concepts and definitions.

Lesson Plan #2: The Environment and Society

Grade Level & Course:– 9th Grade Environmental Science

Georgia Performance Standard:– SEV5. Students will recognize that human beings are part

of the global ecosystem and will evaluate the effects of human activities and technology on ecosystems.

Lesson Objective:– Students will be able to describe the effects that

developing countries and developed countries have on the environment and the sustainability of resources.

Essential Questions:– What is sustainability?– What are the different effects that developed and

developing countries have on the environment?

Materials/Resources/Technology:– SmartBoard– Presentation– Laptops– Mobile Devices

Introduction to Lesson:– Using the laptops, the students will navigate to the

specified website and calculate their ecological footprint by answering the questions asked. http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/gfn/page/calculators

– After completing the activity, students will be asked to discuss what their ecological footprints were and if are things that they could do differently to lower their impacts on the Earth. We will then discuss, based on their results, how long we can continue to live like that while using the same resources (sustainability).

Body of Lesson:– Students will get into their (pre-assigned) groups of 4, and will

be given a developing country (randomly drawn) to research using the laptops. Students should address the following:

Population Most lacking resource (ex: drinkable water) and why it may be

lacking Compare the resources and population of the developing country

to that of the U.S. Would the developing country be more likely to be more

sustainable than the U.S.? Why or why not?

– Research finding should be put into a presentation using OneDrive and emailed to the teacher.

Closure Activity:– The class will review using PollEverywhere and

students’ mobile devices. Questions will be asked to determine depth of knowledge of sustainability, ecological footprints, and developed vs. developing countries.

Lesson Plan #3: Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem (*Flipped Classroom)

Grade Level & Course:– 9th Grade Environmental Science

Georgia Performance Standard:– SEV1. Students will investigate the flow of energy and cycling of

matter within an ecosystem and relate these phenomena to human society.

Lesson Objectives:– Describe how energy is transferred from the sun to producers and

then to consumers.– Explain how energy transfer in a food web is more complex than

energy transfer in a food chain.– Explain why an energy pyramid is a representation of trophic

levels.

Essential Questions:– What is the difference in a food chain and food web?– What are the levels of an energy pyramid?– What happens to energy as it moves through the

ecosystem?

Materials/Resource/Technology:– SmartBoard– Laptops– Publisher– Calculators (Accommodations)

Introduction to Lesson:– Before class, students will watch the following

tutorial video on the flow of energy through the ecosystem (assigned at the end of the previous class meeting). www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqUFvdOJlds

– Students will be asked questions based on the information from the tutorial to formatively assess the needs of all students.

Body of Lesson:– Students will be working in stations:

Station 1: I will work with students on energy pyramids and the flow of energy. We will discuss the amount of energy transferred and lost, and why energy is lost.

Station 2: Students will work with co-teacher to further develop skills and knowledge of food chains and food webs. Students will use Publisher to collectively create a food chain and food web to be discussed in the next class meeting.

Station 3: Working in pairs, students will use the laptops and play the Food Chain game on the Explore Learning website (login information will be given). Students will then answer the assessment questions that will be printed out from the site (questions will be answered individually, and may be modified to accommodate any students that may need it).

Closure Activity:– After all students have completed each station, we

will come together as a whole group and discuss the topics which we have learned. Questions will be asked to again formatively assess student progress.