You are on page 1of 4

Lesson Plan Title:

Date: 02/15/17
Subject: Environmental Science 20 Grade: 11
Topic: Human Population and Pollution Historical Context of Population Growth
and Potential Impact Essential Question: N/A

Materials:
Environmental Science Text (Pearson, p. 228-233)
Students Handout Portfolio
Smart Board and motivational set video

Stage 1- Desired Results you may use student friendly language


What do they need to understand, know, and/or able to do?
Students need to be able to understand that the human population has been undergoing
exponential expansion since the time of the Industrial Revolution. They need to be able
to think critically about the status of the worlds population growth and how the rate of
population growth differs by region/resource allocation. Students need to be able to
describe the human population in terms of its; size, density, and distribution. They need
to be able to; create, predict, and interpret Structural Diagrams of population sizes
(Pearson, p. 237)

Broad Areas of Learning:


Sense of Self, Community, and Place: students will come to understand their role in
the population crisis and the impacts that they and their communities decision making
processes have on the natural environment and local/global ecosystem sustainability.
Engaged Citizens: students must think critically about the functioning of their societies
and population factors that influence global societal structures and the sustainability of
our natural environment.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:
Developing Thinking: students are using critical thinking mechanisms in the
completion of the portfolio assignment to expand their knowledge and interpretation of
exponential population growth and resource allocation/sustainability.
Developing Literacy: students are engaging means of scientific literacy through their
interaction with the text and interpretation of statistical figures presented during the lab
activity. Reading and writing literacies are presented during the associated reading and
graphical formation. Artistic literacies may be present in development of the graphical.
Developing Identity and Interdependence: students need to develop the
understanding that certain professional expectations exist in modern societies that
directly impact the social aspects of having children. How the collective cultural views
prospective factors like childbirth, dictates population growth and personal dependence
on these views.
Developing Social Responsibility: through the processes of exponential population
growth, students need to understand that to survive the contributions of each person
will need to continue to grow in-order to support for the larger global population base.
Outcome(s):
ES20-HP1 Investigate technologies and processes used for mitigating and managing
resource use, waste generation and pollution associated with a growing human
population. [CP, DM, SI]
a. Identify factors that have contributed to historical and contemporary trends in human
population growth and that may influence future growth. (K)
b. Investigate the environmental impact of human population changes over the last
century on a specific region or area with respect to resource use, waste generation and
pollution. (STSE, K)

PGP Goals:

1.1 the ability to maintain respectful, mutually supportive and equitable professional relationships with
learners, colleagues, families and communities

2.4 ability to use technologies readily, strategically, and appropriately


3.1 the ability to utilize meaningful, equitable, and holistic approaches to assessment and evaluation

Stage 2- Assessment

Assessment FOR Learning (formative) Assess the students during the learning to help
determine next steps.
- The formative assessment that takes place during this lesson is a group based
discussion following/during student completion of the assigned reading and
question answering as a means by which to gauge their understanding of what
they have read. The discussion will hopefully assist students who are struggling
with answer development and comprehension.

Assessment OF Learning (summative) Assess the students after learning to evaluate


what they have learned.
- Students will complete the handout entitled Portfolio Assignment Human
Population during the completion of the lesson to gauge their comprehension of
the desired text reading (questions 1-3). The assessment piece will also directly
connect students to a reflective inquiry (question 4), centered around the desired
outcome for this unit/lesson.
Stage 3- Learning Plan

Motivational/Anticipatory Set (introducing topic while engaging the students) (~5-10


min)
- Students will be given a brief teacher directed review of the last days topic
through an oration of the principles of exponential population growth before
viewing the following video to further engage their understanding (Colton Hope)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b98JmQ0Cc3k

Main Procedures/Strategies: (~30-40 min)


- Introduction to the, Portfolio Assignment Human Population handout and
where the text reading is located including an outlining of the relevant sections for
answering the posed questions. (Megan Sorsdahl) (~5-10 min)
- Independent reading from the Pearson Environmental Science text and portfolio
handout completion time. (Both) (~25-30 min)

Adaptations/Differentiation:
- One student in the class presents with lower cognitive function (possible LD),
during the independent reading and question completion, one of the instructors
(Colton Hope) who has built a previous relationship with the student will work with
him individually to fulfill completion of the handout and hopefully a deeper
comprehension of materials.
- Had English Language Learners (ELLs) been present in the class, instead of
individualized work having them work together as a form of cooperative peer
teaching. As educators we would also look to summarize the text reading and
break it down into sections to ensure a deeper cognitive understanding by the
students.

Closing of lesson:
- Reflective conversation with the students relating back to the individual reading
and Portfolio Assignment Human Population, led by both teachers. The closing
discussion is designated to deepen student understanding and fulfill the
requirement that they complete the assigned handout with the greatest degree of
proficiency. (~5-10 min)

Personal Reflection:
After the completion of this lesson, several reflections were made possible through a
professional conversation with my partner teacher (Carmen). The first reflection had to do
with the assessment piece that we created for the designing of a student performance
portfolio. The assessment was well based around the article that we had the students
evaluating and was such that all students remained actively engaged with the material,
finishing at near the same pace and with similar degrees of clarity in response. The one
exception here was our exceptional learner with the possible LD, he attained fifty percent
of the material outcome in answering two of the four questions with assistance from
myself. Where I able to complete this lesson again with a similar exceptionality I would
have attempted to have incorporate additional professional assistance (i.e. the used of an
educational assistant), to better assist him with completion of the assessment and critical
reflection of his answers without me having to periodically move away to assist other
students. In closing the lesson with the students, their reflection on the answers was well
thought out and interactive however I would have left a few more minutes to ensure that
we kept them all engaged and that no students felt that the allowance was made to
disengage and pack up early.
*Adapted from Understanding by Design (McTighe and Wiggins, 1998)

You might also like