KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Nicole Malack

Group Size: 20

Allotted Time 45 minutes

Date: 3/19
Grade Level 3rd Grade

Subject or Topic: Aquatic Ecosystem: Lakes

STANDARD:
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
A. The students will be able to define what a lake is.
B. The students will be able to define what an ecosystem is.
C. The Students will be able to define what freshwater is.
D. The students will be able to explain/define different plant and animal life in
and around lakes.

II. Instructional Materials

A. Vocabulary Worksheet
B. 10 Aqua Scopes (Plastic containers with holes in the bottom, covered with
saran wrap using rubber bands)
C. 5 Large fish tanks
D. Freshwater
E. Plants
F. Rocks
G. Soil/dirt
H. Frog
I. Freshwater fish
J. Lily Pads
K. Other freshwater objects (living and nonliving)
L. Observation worksheet
M. Crayons
III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)

A. Prerequisite skills
1. Basic understanding of ecosystems, freshwater and lakes.
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Lake- a large body of water surrounded by land.
2. Ecosystem- a community of living and non living
things
3. Freshwater- Important natural resource that many living
things need to survive.
C. Big Idea
1. Lake ecosystems and freshwater.
D. Additional content
1. Plant and animal life in and around a lake.
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
a. Pass out vocabulary worksheets for students to fill in.
b. Use Prezi to teach the students about lakes, ecosystems and
fresh water.
c. Have the students fill in the definitions worksheet as they are
shown the words in the Prezi.
d. Once finished the worksheet have the students get into their
table groups and explain the activity they will be doing.
B. Development
a. Once the students have gotten into their groups of 4 pass out
the observation worksheet to each student.
b. Fill the fish tanks with the freshwater and put different plants
and animals in each one so that they are all different.
c. Put once fish tank at each table.
d. Pass out 2 aqua scopes to each group.
e. Two at a time students should look through the cup and explore
the tank and whats inside.
f. Students should then record what they discover on their
observation sheet.
g. Students can draw things that they see and write about each.
h. Have the students discuss with their group what they saw.
i. Once all the students in each group have finished allow them to
explore each tables fish tank and discover different objects and
animals.

C. Closure

a. Once the students have visited each table have them go back to
their seats.
b. Have a chart on the board to represent each table.
c. Ask the students in each group to share some of their findings
and write them in the chart.
d. Then ask the students what were some differences with other
groups.
e. Discuss with them the differences and talk about all the
different animals and objects.
f. Tell the students that this is what they can find in freshwater
ecosystems like lakes.
g. Then go over the key vocabulary they discussed earlier about
lakes and write them on the board.
h. Tell the students about another body of freshwater, rivers and
that they will be going over lakes tomorrow.
i. Pass out an exit slip quiz with the definitions of a lake,
ecosystem and freshwater on it.
j. Have the students write the corresponding vocabulary word
with the definition.
k. Also on the slip have the students write some of things that
would be in a lake based on the activity.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
a. Autism: If a student with autism does not feel comfortable
using the aqua scopes and looking into the tank, allow them to
observe from the outside of the tank looking through the glass.
Also allow them to look at pictures of different plants and
animals that would be in lakes to fill out their observation
sheet.
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative- The observation worksheet.
2. Summative- The exit slip qiz.

V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on
student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan

B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective

answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
a. How could this lesson be improved?
b. Was I able to pace my lesson to fit time?
c. Was my development clear?
VI. Resources (in APA format)
a. BrainPOP Jr. | Freshwater Habitats | Word Wall. (n.d.).
Retrieved March 25, 2015, from
https://jr.brainpop.com/science/habitats/freshwaterhabitats/wor
dwall/
b. Freshwater Habitats Lesson Plans and Lesson Ideas | BrainPOP
Educators. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2015, from
http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/bp-jrtopic/freshwater-habitats/
c. Bittman, E. (2012, May 1). E is for Explore!: Aqua Scope.
Retrieved March 25, 2015, from
http://eisforexplore.blogspot.com/2012/05/aqua-scope.html