INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING TEMPLATE

Overview and Context

Your name:
Grade level:
Title of lesson:
Estimated time:
Overview of
lesson:

Context of lesson:

Sources:

Claire Forhan
6th grade
Ecosystem Interdependence
90 minutes
Students will investigate ecosystem interdependence and discuss the effects of changes to
ecosystems. Students will act as a factor in an ecosystem (either biotic or abiotic) and will describe
their connections with one another in that ecosystem. Students will then synthesize this learning by
drawing an interdependence map, highlighting the different connections among factors in
ecosystems.
Prior to this lesson, students have been exploring the different types of ecosystems and biomes.
They have developed an understanding of abiotic and biotic factors and their interdependence
within an ecosystem. Students have just taken a quiz assessing their knowledge of the levels of
ecosystems and began discussing interdependence. After this lesson students will begin identifying
trophic levels and the role each factor plays within the levels.
Oakland Schools Science Scope (MAISA), Maureen Young

Learning Goals
Students will be able to
illustrate the concept of
interdependence.
Students will be able to
predict how changes in
one population might
affect other populations
based upon their
relationships in the
food web.

Learning Goals and Assessments

Connection to Standards (Michigan GLCEs
Type of Assessment
and/or Next Generation Science Standards)
Disciplinary Core Idea:
Construct a Food Web
LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in
demonstrating the
Ecosystems
interdependence of the
Similarly, predatory interactions may reduce the
factors in an ecosystem.
number of organisms or eliminate whole
populations of organisms. Mutually beneficial
interactions, in contrast, may become so
interdependent that each organism requires the
other for survival. Although the species involved in
these competitive, predatory, and mutually
beneficial interactions vary across ecosystems, the
patterns of interactions of organisms with their
environments, both living and nonliving, are
shared. (MS-LS2-2)

Explain how removing

one factor from the web
would cause the whole
ecosystem to fall apart.

Crosscutting Concepts:
Patterns
Patterns can be used to identify cause and effect
relationships. (MS-LS2-2)

Connection to
Activities
The class will
create a food web
demonstrating the
interdependence of
factors within an
ecosystem by
tossing yarn back
and forth to each
interdependent
factor. Students
will visually see the
intersection and
connection
between factors.

Science and Engineering:

Construct an explanation that includes qualitative
or quantitative relationships between variables that
predict phenomena. (MS-LS2-2)

Focus question guiding the

exploration:
Investigation question students
will answer:
Claim with evidence and
reasoning you hope students will
generate:

EEE Connection
What is interdependence?
How are factors in an ecosystem interdependent?
The factors in an ecosystem are interdependent because each biotic or abiotic factor
interacts with another factor in the ecosystem. Removing one factor will affect the
factors that were interdependent upon the eliminated factor. For example, in our
class food web, when we removed the earthworm, the fish and bird lost a source of
food. If the food source for the fish and bird decrease, then the fish and bird
population may decrease, or the bird may consume more grass, causing the grass

University of Michigan, Elementary Teacher Education Program

For interns beginning the program in Fall 2014 and beyond

page 1 of 4
adapted for science August 2015

population to decrease. We found that removing one factor affects not just the
factors connected to it, but all other factors in the ecosystem.

Anticipating
student ideas,
including
alternative
ideas,
misconceptions,
and prior
knowledge:

Attending to the Learners

Common Misconceptions (according to MSTA):

Stronger organisms have more energy.

Energy accumulates in an ecosystem so that a top predator has all the energy from the organisms
below it.
The food that is eaten and used as a source of energy is part of the food chain; food that is
synthesized into the body of the eater is now food for the next level.

I can address these misconceptions by highlighting in our discussion that other factors determine the
level of energy an organism has. This topic will be explicitly covered in our discussions of trophic levels
in a future lesson.

A species high on the food web is a predator to everything below it.

Making the
content
accessible to all
students; equity
leverage points

Materials:

This misconception will be addressed by providing students with non-examples from our simulated
ecosystem to point out that a food web does not always illustrate indirect predator/prey relationships.
Students will have prior knowledge about biotic and abiotic factors within an ecosystem, and a
beginning understanding of interdependence.
Language- discussion surrounding the meaning of interdependence and other key vocabulary
Explicitness- we will discuss that there are many ways to connect each factor of an ecosystem.
Content- this is an introduction lesson to interdependence. Providing a visual demonstration on the
interconnectedness of factors in an ecosystem, and then requiring students to translate their learning
into a visual representation allows the students to interact with the content in multiple ways.
Equal Participation- every student will have one factor in the ecosystem and will have to connect
themselves to another factor in the ecosystem. Each student will explain the interdependence of their
factor upon the other, and hold part of the string web.
Choice- Students will have the option to create their food web on their tablets or hand drawn to
account for preference and those without technology.

Instructional Sequence
String, note cards with elements of ecosystems, google classroom assignments

Instructional Sequence: Engage Element

Steps for Engage Element
Time:

15
min.

Starter Question
What is interdependence? What role does a shoe play in an
ecosystem?
Discuss starter question. Have students share out ideas. Develop the
idea that even an object like a shoe can have an impact on the
ecosystem. For example: it can destroy plants if it steps on them; when

thrown away it will fill a landfill and must decompose; it is made of

biotic materials from an ecosystem

Introduce Activity
Today well be simulating the relationships among organisms in an
ecosystem. Each of you will receive a note card with an element of an
ecosystem (biotic or abiotic) and you will decide what other factor with
which you most closely relate. Youll name the factor you connect with,
how you connect with that element, make eye contact with that
University of Michigan, Elementary Teacher Education Program
For interns beginning the program in Fall 2014 and beyond

The students will:

Answer starter question
independently upon entering the
classroom.
share out their starter
answers
summarize and restate each
other's ideas

Answer management
questions

page 2 of 4
adapted for science August 2015

element, and toss - not chuck - the ball of yarn to the factor you
connect with.
Once you receive the yarn, what do you think you should do
with it?
Why might it be important that you hold onto the string and
leave some slack?

Have three students come up

and model how to create a web
with the yarn

We will be going into the commons for this exploration.

Can someone name some things we have to keep in mind
while were out there?
At what level should our voices be?
How should we toss the yarn?
How should our discussion look and sound?
This is a really fun but challenging exploration. If you cannot handle
being in the commons, you will be asked to come back to class and
research interdependence and take notes. But I know we wont have
any trouble with that, because we are all principled thinkers.
What questions do you have about the directions or expectations?
When I dismiss your table you may go into the commons. Take nothing
with you.

Instructional Sequence: Experience Element

Steps for Experience Element
Time
45 min.

The teacher and students will:

1. Sit the students in a circle.
2. Each student will be given an index card with something from the environment to represent, such
as wind, the soil, the sun, an ant, a daisy, or any one of many other things.
3. Make sure you have at least one identity card for each student in the group. Each person will play
a different role.
4. Starting with the sun, have each student identify an element of the ecosystem that is needed to
survive.
5. One person should hold the end of the string and pass the ball of string to another student in the
circle with whom she or he can be related. The first student will then explain to the whole group
what this relationship is. For example, the daisy student holds the end of the string. He/she
passes the ball to the water student and says, I need water to grow. The water student takes
hold of the string, passes the ball to the fish student, and says, I am your home.
6. As each person passes the ball of twine, they identify the person to whom they will pass it and
explain why they need that person to survive.
7. Each person hangs onto the twine and then passes the twine ball to another. They construct a
web.
8. Remind the class not to tug on the twine as they pass it to each other.
9. Keep going until everyone in the circle is included.
10. When everybody is connected in the web, discuss how each element is part of the whole, either
by direct or indirect connection. Have the group observe the web pattern they have created. Even
if they are not the one directly connected when there is a stress in one part of the ecosystem, the
whole is affected.
11. Demonstrate by tugging gently on one part of the web. The students on either side are directly
connected; however, the others will also feel the tug.
12. To conclude, have the group reverse the flow and roll up the ball as they explain, again, how the
energy flows from one element to the other.
13. Ask students if the web will be the same or different if you build another web.

University of Michigan, Elementary Teacher Education Program

For interns beginning the program in Fall 2014 and beyond

page 3 of 4
adapted for science August 2015

14. In an ecosystem, many animals eat more than one thing (web rather than chain) which creates a
more stable food source. In a habitat with a diverse population, there are more food sources.
Biodiversity provides a more stable food web. If one component is removed, the remaining
organisms still have potential food.
15. What would happen if one part of the environment were removed?
16. Test your prediction. As a group, pick one person to let go of the string. Which part(s) of the
environment would you not want to release the string?
17. Which parts seem to be the most important for maintaining the relationships in the circle?
18. Look at the connections to air and to water. Why are there so many?

Management Considerations for Experience Element:

how to throw the yarn
holding the yarn with some slack
not talking loudly as to disrupt the other classes in the commons
sitting quietly on the floor
discussion norms

Time:
30 min.

Instructional Sequence: Explain Element

Steps for Explain Element
Much of the explanation will occur as a discussion during the engage element.
Questions to discuss:
How are those two elements connected?
What other elements could that be connected with?
Do both elements benefit from their relationship with one another?
What would happen if we took this element out of our ecosystem?
What would happen if we added this element into our ecosystem (i.e. humans)?
What would happen if one element in our ecosystem became dominant?
Extension Question:
Why is diversity important in an ecosystem?

Reflection
Goals for this
lesson

My goal is to engage the students in cognitive work to make sense of interdependence as presented in
the simulation. I plan to support students in making connections beyond the simulation that will support
their further learning about ecosystems and interdependence. This will be done through discussion
during the engage element.

University of Michigan, Elementary Teacher Education Program

For interns beginning the program in Fall 2014 and beyond

page 4 of 4
adapted for science August 2015