Instructional Planning Grid

1) TEKS: The student knows what

Organisms have characteristics
how are they
That can describe patterns, cycles
environment.
Systems and relationships.

2) Big Understanding:
What is a food chain and
important to our

Objective: The student is expected to identify and describe the flow of energy in
a food chain and predict how changes in a food chain affect the environment.

3) Assessment Evidence:
For this lesson students will model the creation of a food chain. The students will
have the flexibility to draw their own food chain with the use of colors, markers
and map pencils or the students may look through magazines and newspapers
and cut out pictures to create their model of food chains.

4) Opening Hook:
As Students walk into class that day I will be playing the song from
the Lion King- Circle of Life. After we take care of the preliminaries of
the start of class we will then watch a quick video: TLC Elementary:
Life Cycle www.player.discoveryeducation.com
5) Input:. Complete a KWL chart as a group by asking the students
What do we know about food chains? What is a food chain? Why are
they important to us? Then we will have a discussion to see what
they already know what is a food chain. Once that is complete I will
help the students come up with their own ideas of what they know.
Then once everyone is done with their KWL chart we will watch the
designated video. Assign vocabulary words for the week taken from
the video decomposer, sun, producer, consumer plants, animals,
herbivores carnivores.
Modeling: Teacher will share their KWL Chart, Group Project to
create a food chain and finally their presentation of their creativity
and learning.
Guided Practice/Monitoring: Group project in which the
students will create their
model of the food chain. Walking around and monitoring their
creations answering
questions.
Check For Understanding: Complete an open discussion/review
of what their new
Learnings were. Have them add their new learnings to the L part
of the KWL chart.

Take a multiple choice test. Provide modifications for the students

that require
As per their IEP. I will reduce one of their choices as modification.
Materials/Resources: KWL Chart, dictionaries for vocabulary words,
Videos, magazines and
Newspapers, computers to create their power points for those that
choose to, paper, scissors,
Glue, colors and markers.
Grouping Patterns: Partnered students in groups of 3 to 4 students
about 7 groups in total.
Ending Summary/Reflection: As our reflection for this project the
students will present
their projects as a group. They will discuss why they chose what they did
for their food
chain. I will have the students in the audience ask questions to build a
class discussion.