Tiered Lesson Plan (Science 7

th
, I. Hamilton/R.Thomas)
Essential Questions: How do organisms interact?

Lesson Objective:
1. Given examples of symbiotic relationships between two
living organisms students will identify whether the
relationships are beneficial, harmful or neither, using newly
introduced vocabulary: mutualism, commensalism, and
parasitism. Given examples of symbiotic relationships,
identify them and complete the graphic organizer.

Assessment:

Exit Ticket:
Given an example of a symbiotic relationship identify the type of the relationship
and assign this relationship smile faces with 100% accuracy.

Introduction: Activity requires students to be taught new vocabulary and ways of identifying symbiotic relationships. Teacher introduced an
interactive power point, accompanied by the graphic organizer.


Version1 (inclusion setting low
reading skills)

Handout for this group was modified to reduce
vocabulary and pictures were inserted to visually
represent organisms that participate in each
symbiotic relationship. Students were to assign
smile faces and different colors to each
relationship. Reduced number of examples 3 per
relationship.

Version2 (inclusion to regular
setting slightly below grade
reading level.
Handout for this group was created using the
vocabulary that is on grade or slightly below
grade reading level, short passages, but no
pictures were inserted. Coloring each
relationship with a different color was required.
Smile faces strategy was optional, most
students found it helpful.
More examples of relationships needed to be
identified.
Version3 (regular setting to honors
on grade or above reading skill
level)
Students in this group received laminated set of
cards with longer reading passages and no
images. Students were to sort an example of a
relationship into a blank graphic organizer.
Most found smile face strategy helpful.
Students were to find as many relationships as
they could in a given time frame.


Student_________________________________________________Date______________Period________________
1. Assign a color to each symbiotic relationship
2. Read each scenario and ID the relationship
3. Color each box with color that you assigned to each relationship, place SMILLIES appropriately.
OSTRICH and GAZELLE

Ostriches and gazelles eat side by side
of each other. They both watch for
predators and alert each other to
danger.
CUCKOO and WARBLER


A cuckoo bird may lay its eggs in a warblers
nest. Cuckoos young will kick out warlblers
young, leaving the warbler raising cuckoos
babybirds.
HERMIT CRABS and SNAILS


Hermit crabs live in shells made and then
abandoned by snails.
BED BUGS and HUMANS



Bed bugs bite and feed off a human up to
500 time in one night
HERMIT CRABS and ANEMONES


Crab attaches anemones to its shell, using
them as camouflage. Anemones have a mobile
home and get more exposure to food.
FROG and INSECT

The frog uses its long,
sticky tongue to catch
insects for food.
MOSSES and TREES

Mosses can grow on the trunks or
branches of trees. They get light
they need and nutrients. The
mosses dont harm the trees
SYMBIOSIS
Parasitism Commensalism

Mutualism Predation
BEED and FLOWERS

Bee feeds on nectar from the flower and
also pollinates flower helping them to
reproduce.
ALLIGATOR AND DEER


A lucky alligator spots a deer drinking
water attacks the deer and eats it for
its meal.
FISH and SEA URCHINS

The goby fish live amongst the sea urchins
and are given protection from predators.
DEER and TICK


Ticks feed on deer blood, causing
irritation and potentially giving it a
disease.

Activity Example Version 1

Student_________________________________________________Date______________Period________________
1. Assign a color to each symbiotic relationship
2. Read each scenario and ID the relationship
3. Color each box with color that you assigned to each relationship, place SMILLIES appropriately.
Activity Example Version 2


Student_________________________________________________Date______________Period________________
1. Read each scenario
2. Write the organism into appropriate box (dont forget the SMILE FACES!)
PARASITISM MUTATION COMENSALISM

PREDATION

























Activity Example Version 3