Decomposers Unit, 4th grade, Week 1

Day &
Content
Objectives

Activity

Day 1
Sci., ELA, Exp. Arts
-Students will examine,
identify, and diagram
the different food
chains

-KWL- food chain

-Read Pass the Energy,
Please!
-Students write stories
Description KWL chart about what
students know and
want to know about
food chains.
Students read different
fact cards, using close
reading strategies, for
information.
Students write a story
from a plant or animal
perspective relative to
the food chain.
Materials KWL chart
Vocabulary cards
Markers
Pass the Energy,
Please!
Paper
Pencils
Crayons/color pencils
Fact cards about food
chains (terrestrial,
freshwater, coastal,

Day 2
Sci., ELA, tech
-Students will make
educated hypotheses
about the duration,
condition, and outcome
of science experiment
-Sent. Patterning chart
-Fruit Experiment
-Flipbook Intro

Day 3
Sci., ELA
-Students will identify
the different
decomposers and
scavengers found in
different ecosystems
-Decomposers and
Scavengers Big Book
-Pictorial (day 1)

Day 4
Sci., Exp. Art, tech
-Students will apply
their current knowledge
to organize a menu of
food items to be added
to compost bins
-Compose Bins: Menu
Creation
-Flipbook

Day 5
-Students will explain
the role of decomposers.
-Recognize that systems
require recycling of
matter and energy
-Clean-up Crew
-KWL chart
-pictorial (day 2)

Students will construct

sentences about
decomposers.
They will use these
sentences to write about
their predictions and
performance of the
science experiment with
yeast and bananas.
Students will see a
sample of the flipbook
and take Day 1 pic.
6 ripe bananas
knife,
6 paper towels, teaspoons
and work trays,
4 yeast packets,
13 ziplock bags
Chart paper, markers and
pencils
Tape, stapler
Student workbooks and
dictionaries,

Students will preview

several facts cards about
a variety of different
scavengers and
decomposers. They will
fill out guided notes
while I read a scavengers
and decomposers big
book. Students will help
to describe parts of the
pictorial including an
ecosystem, scav. and dec.
Big book of scav. and
dec.
Guided notes
FM system
Chart paper
Colored pencils
Vocabulary cards
Facts cards

Students will examine

different compost bins
with different
decomposers and
scavengers in order to
create menus to be
placed on the bin. They
will be creating and
organizing a poster to
inform others. Then,
they will work on their
flip books
Compost bins (garden)
Student workbooks,
guided notes, and fact
cards
Poster paper
Markers
Laminator
iPads

Students will hear two

narratives describing
decomposition and take
notes. They will
examine different forms
of decay and
decomposition. They
will discuss and
participate in adding to
the KWL and pictorial
chart of ecosystem and
dec. and scav.
Narratives
Pictorial chart
Markers
KWL chart
Guided notes
Student workbooks
Decay presentation
Projector

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Vocab cards
iPads

Decomposers Unit, 4th grade, Week 2

Day &
Content
Objectives

Day 6
Sci., ELA
-Describe the
dependence humans
have for food
production and waste
management including
decomposition
Activity
-Waste Not
-develop questions
-Flipbook
Description Students will learn
about the recycling of
energy and matter.
They will learn about
the different processes
and management
systems that take place
at a waste management
facility. They will
formulate thoughtful
questions to ask on the
field trip. They will
have a hand out on
good questions
Materials Student work books
Waste management
cards
Projector

Day 7
Sci., Eniv. Ed
-Provide examples of
human practices that
depend on cycles and
processes involving
decomposers

Day 9
Sci., ELA
-Provide examples of
human practices that
depend on cycles and
processes involving
decomposers

Students will take a tour

of a water recycling
facility. They will take
guided notes on
practices, quality control,
decomposition, etc. They
will be using their
questions to learn and
understand the process
more clearly. Students
will add the learned
information to the
pictorial.

Day 8
Sci., Eniv. Ed, tech
-Describe the dependence
humans have with
decomposers and humus
for food production and
soil formation and
fertility
-Soil Studies
-Compost bin (day 1)
- Flipbook
Students will search the
campus for various types
of soil. They will identify
if it is loam, sand, silt,
clay, etc. They will report
the different locations
and plant life in those
areas. We will discuss
what makes fertile soil
and why it is beneficial
for plants. We will begin
to make a new compost
bin.

Cars or bus
Student workbooks and
questions
Clip boards

Soil types hand out

Student workbooks
Water bottles
Water

Pictorial chart
Makers
iPads
Vocabulary cards

-Water Facility fieldtrip

-Pictorial (day 3)

Day 10
Sci. & Vis. Arts
-Demonstrate human
practices that depend on
cycles and processes
involving decomposers
-Retell vital information
learned from the unit
-Flipbook pres. editing
-KWL chart
-Pictorial (last day)
- Compost bin (day 3)
-Compost bin (day 2)
-Flipbook presentations
Students will interact
Student will be asked to
with and discuss the
fill in all their learned
pictorial of the
information into the
ecosystem and
KWL. They will take
decomposers. They will turns caring for the new
have time to edit and
compost bin. Last, they
assemble their flipbooks will show their flipbook
from the science
presentations and
experiment. Then, they
discuss the learning as a
will take turns caring for result. They will be
the new compost bin.
given an exit slip to
write their findings and
conclusions.
Projector
iPads
KWL
Rubric

Questions handout
Colored pencils
Markers
Pencils
iPads

Pencils
Parent volunteers
Fieldtrip money
Emergency kit
Contact info
Extra lunches
Directions

Soil bin
Decomposers (worms)
Trowel
Potting soil
Organic material (green,
brown, other)
Aeration tools

Organic material
Aeration tool
Water
Soil bin

Organic material
Aeration tool
Water
Soil bin
Exit slip
Pencils