Collaboration Lesson Plan

School:
TAG Teacher:
Reg.Ed.
Teacher(s)
Date:

New Prospect Elementary School

Kati Searcy
Heather Alterman, Kevin Pham, Diane Zarzour, Wendy Widis

Subject:
Standards:

Science
S4L1. Students will describe the roles of organisms and the flow of
energy within an ecosystem.

September 2016

a. Identify the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in

a community.
b. Demonstrate the flow of energy through a food web/food chain
beginning with sunlight and including producers, consumers, and
decomposers.
c. Predict how changes in the environment would affect a
community (ecosystem) of organisms.
d. Predict effects on a population if some of the plants or animals
in the community are scarce or if there are too many.
Essential
Question:

How can I use brainstorming to modify the characteristics of an

ecosystem?
How can changes effect an ecosystem?

Procedures:
Hook:
Students will each receive a Hershey kiss.
Students will open and examine their kiss and the wrapping.
Explain that we are going to use a form of brainstorming to design a new
candy.
This brainstorming is called SCAMPER and each of the letters stands for
something (like NPES stands for the full name of our school).
While going through each step of SCAMPER, write the modifications to the
candy on the board.
When done, ask students to rate the new candy. Would they buy it?
Procedure:

 Hand-out the worksheet: Ecosystem Scamper

Ask each student to select an ecosystem that they have learned about, and write
that at the top of the worksheet.

Explain to students that they are now going to change this ecosystem using the
same brainstorming technique, SCAMPER, that we used for the M&Ms.
S is for Substitute. What part of the ecosystem you chose can be substituted
with something as good for better from another ecosystem?
C is for Combine. Can you combine two things in this ecosystem together and
make one new thing?
A is for Adapt. What could adapt or change in this ecosystem to make it better
for the organisms in it.
M is for mini-fy or magnify. What would you make bigger or smaller that
might make this a healthier ecosystem?
P is for put to another use. Is there something in this ecosystem that could be
used in a different way than it is currently being used?
E is for eliminate or elaborate. What part of this ecosystem could be eliminated
and all would still be good? OR What part of this ecosystem should have more
details or parts to it?
R is for reverse. Is there something in this ecosystem that you could reverse?
Run backwards? Undo.
With your elbow partner(s), share the changes you have made to your
ecosystem.
On the back of your sheet, explain how changes you have made would affect the
organisms in that ecosystem. If you wish, you may also sketch a picture
showing a changed ecosystem.
Assessment of Learning:
Formative Assessment: Walk around and see how students are responding and give
feedback as needed.
Summative Assessment:
Were students able to identify how changes they made would affect the organisms in
that ecosystem?
Assess student attitudes towards this brainstorming technique.

Name______________________________________________________________________

Ecosystem I choose to change:

____________________________________________________________

I can substitute_____________________________ for

________________________________.

I can combine_______________________________

+__________________________________
=__________________________

I can make it better by

changing_____________________________________________________.

I can make____________________________________________________
smaller or bigger (circle one)

P I can use ________________________________ in this new

way:_______________________________.

I can eliminate
this______________________________________________________________________.

I can re-arrange the ecosystem so

that_______________________________________________________.

Explain how changes you have made would affect the organisms
in that ecosystem. (on the back)
Substitute
What part of the ecosystem can be substituted with something as good or
better from another ecosystem?
Combine
Can you combine two things in this ecosystems together and make one new
thing?
Adapt
What could you change in this ecosystem to make it better for the organisms
in it?
Modify, minify or magnify
What could you make bigger or smaller that might make this a healthier
ecosystem?
Put to another use
Is there something in this ecosystem that could be used in a different way
than it is currently being used?
Eliminate or elaborate
What part of this ecosystem could be eliminated and all would still be good?
OR
What part of this ecosystem should have more details or parts to it?
Reverse
Is there something in this ecosystem that you could reverse? Run
backwards? Undo?