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Grade 4 Science Unit
for Habitats and Communities
Based on the Ontario Curriculum This cross-curricular science unit allows teachers
to meet the Ontario Science
expectations when teaching the Grade 4
Life Systems Strand.
Created by Teaching Rocks! Lisa Papa, Loriana Romano, and Elita Saulle
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Table of Contents
Unit Overview 1
Assessment For and As Learning & Differentiated Instruction 2
Breakdown of Unit 4
Expectations Covered 5
Lesson Breakdown 9
Lesson 1: What do we need to survive? A General Class Introduction 12
Lesson 2: What do we need to survive? From General to Specific 16
Terms for Word Wall 23
Lesson 3: What is a Living System? First Round of Centres 28
Centres Task Cards and Handouts: General Overview of Habitats 32
Lesson 4: Centres Continued and Assessments 46
Determining Important Ideas Homework 49
Lesson 5: Predation: First Round of Centres 50
Centres Task Cards and Handouts: Predation and the Food Chain 58
Lesson 6: Centres Continued and Assessments 74
Lesson 7: Building Terrariums 77
Lesson 8: How are Living Organisms Interrelated? 80
Lesson 9: Looking at Habitats and Food Webs: First Round of Centres 84
Centres Task Cards and Handouts: Food Webs 87
Lesson 10: Centres Continued and Assessments 102
Cause and Effect Homework 105
Lesson 11: Real Life Predator Prey Game 106
Lesson 12: Behavioural and Structural Adaptations 109
Lesson 13: Adaptions for Survival: First Round of Centres 121
Centres Task Cards and Handouts: Adaptations 123
Lesson 14: Centres Continued and Assessments 137
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Lesson 15: Raising Awareness through Public Service Announcements 140
PSA Choice Board, Rubric, Planning, Research and Assessment Sheets 143
Lesson 16: Public Service Announcement Presentations and Rubric 150
Culminating Task and Rubric 153
Graphics Information 156
Technological Aspects 157
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Unit Overview
This unit is designed for the grade 4 Habitats and Communities unit, which is found under the strand of Understanding Life Systems in the Ontario curriculum. The Ontario Curriculum Guide Grades 1-8: Science and Technology (2007) formulates the expectations around three “big ideas”: Habitats and Communities:
� Plants and animals are interdependent and are adapted to meet their needs from the resources available in their particular habitats (overall expectations 1, 2, and 3)
� Changes to habitats (whether caused by natural or human means) can affect plants and animals and the relationships between them (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
� Society relies on plants and animals (Overall expectations 1 and 2)
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Breakdown of Unit
� Timeline: 16 days (8 weeks with two classes per week; however, this is very flexible and can be changed to adapt to your needs)
� Lessons include the following: o� Learning centres: students work in small groups or individually
to rotate between three centres over the course of the activity (five types of centre activities: iPad integration, technology, reading/writing activity, creative response, and a fun or hands-on activity);
o� Whole class lesson/discussion followed by either small group activities or whole class activity
o� Cross-curricular integration with other subject areas � Co-curricular integration with the following subjects:
o� Language Arts (Reading, Writing, Oral Communication, Media Literacy)
o� Drama o� Physical Education o� Art o� Health
� Assessment: o� Assessment For and As Learning: Student self-assessments and
group assessments, KWL, exit slips, anticipation guide, project planning sheet
o� Formal Assessments: Journal writing, worksheets, cumulative group project, centres booklet
o� Reading Strategies (Making Connections, Inferring, Determining Important Ideas, Drawing Conclusions)
� Differentiated Instruction is achieved through: o� Learning Centres o� Choice boards for end of unit project o� Co-Curricular integration to meet various learning styles
(kinesthetic, visual, or auditory learners) o� A variety of hands-on activities/labs
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Expectations Covered Grade 4
Expectation Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sci
ence
analyse the positive and negative impacts of human interactions with natural habitats and communities, taking different perspectives into account and evaluate ways
X X X
identify reasons for the depletion or extinction of a plant or animal species, evaluate the impacts on the rest of the natural community, and propose possible actions for preventing such depletions or extinctions from happening
X X X
follow established safety procedures for working with soils and natural materials
X X
build food chains consisting of different plants and animals, including humans
X X
use scientific inquiry/research skills to investigate ways in which plants and animals in a community depend on features of their habitat to meet important needs
X X X X X
use scientific inquiry/research skills to create a living habitat containing a community, and describe and record changes in the community over time
X
use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including habitat, population, community, adaptation, and food chain, in oral and written communication
X X X X
use a variety of forms (e.g., oral, written, graphic, multimedia) to communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes
X X X X X
demonstrate an understanding of habitats as areas that provide plants and animals with the necessities of life
X X X X X X X
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Expectation Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sci
ence
demonstrate an understanding of food chains as systems in which energy from the sun is transferred to producers (plants) and then to consumers (animals)
X X X
identify factors that affect the ability of plants and animals to survive in a specific habitat
X X X
demonstrate an understanding of a community as a group of interacting species sharing a common habitat
X X
classify organisms, including humans, according to their role in a food chain (e.g., producer, consumer, decomposer)
X X X
identify animals that are carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores
X X X
describe structural adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive in specific habitats
X X
explain why changes in the environment have a greater impact on specialized species than on generalized species
X X
demonstrate an understanding of why all habitats have limits to the number of plants and animals they can support
X X X
describe ways in which humans are dependent on natural habitats and communities
X X X X
Dra
ma
communicate thoughts, feelings, and ideas to a specific audience, using audio, visual, and/or technological aids to enhance their drama work
X
Vis
ual
Art
s
engage actively in drama exploration and role play, with a focus on exploring drama structures, key ideas, and pivotal moments in their own stories and stories from diverse communities, times, and places
X
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Expectation Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Vis
ual
Art
s
create two- and three-dimensional works of art that express feelings and ideas inspired by their interests and experiences
X X
use elements of design in art works to communicate ideas, messages, and understandings
X X
Ora
l Co
mm
un
icat
ion
demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening behaviour by adapting active listening strategies to suit a variety of situations, including
work in groups
X X X X X X
identify a variety of listening comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after listening in order to understand and clarify the meaning of oral texts
X X X X X
demonstrate an understanding of appropriate speaking behaviour in a variety of situations, including paired sharing and small- and large-group discussions
X X X X X
communicate in a clear, coherent manner, presenting ideas, opinions, and information in a readily understandable form
X X X X X
Rea
din
g
demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts by summarizing important ideas and citing supporting details
X X X X
make inferences about texts using stated and implied ideas from the texts as evidence
X X X X
extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them
X X
express opinions about the ideas and information in texts and cite evidence from the text to support their opinions
X X X X
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Expectation Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Wri
tin
g
identify the topic, purpose, and audience for a variety of writing forms
X X X
generate ideas about a potential topic using a variety of strategies and resources
X X
gather information to support ideas for writing using a variety of strategies and oral, print, and electronic sources
X X X
sort and classify ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways
X X X X
write more complex texts using a variety of forms X X produce revised, draft pieces of writing to meet identified criteria based on the expectations related to content, organization, style, and use of conventions
X
Med
ia L
iter
acy
describe in detail the topic, purpose, and audience for media texts they plan to create
X
identify conventions and techniques appropriate to the form chosen for a media text they plan to create
X X
produce media texts for specific purposes and audiences, using a few simple media forms and appropriate conventions and
techniques
X X X X
Hea
lth
& P
hys
ical
Ed
uca
tion
identify how different physical activities affect the body and contribute to physical fitness and good health
X
assess their level of exertion during physical activity, using simple self-assessment techniques, and explain how intrinsic and extrinsic factors affect the exertion required to perform physical activities
X
perform a variety of controlled static balances and transitions between balances, using a variety of body parts and shapes, at different levels, individually, and with partners and equipment
X
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Lesson Breakdown Week Topic Lesson Activity Assessment 1 What do
we need to survive?
Discussion of what is necessary for survival: try to focus on various organisms (plants and animals) and not just human needs
Group concept map followed by gallery walk and class discussion
3-2-1 exit Slip
From general to specific
Look at what different living things need in order to survive and how habitats provide those specific requirements
Class discussions and introduction of big ideas through use of photographs
K-W-L chart
2 Overview of Habitats
Whole class: Overview of habitats ______________ 1st round of centres
As a class, discuss different habitats. This is a general overview as centres focus on these tasks.
Centres Plus: HW based on DII Self- and group assessment
2nd round of centres 3rd round of centres
3 Looking at survival
Whole class: survival and interactions in the habitat ______________ 1st round of centres
Discuss predators and prey and the difference between herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores.
Centres Self- and group assessment 2nd round of centres
3rd round of centres 4 Whole
Class Activities: Science in Action
Build terrariums
Students will be building a terrarium and observing changes over time
Worksheet
Looking at Food Webs Students look at food webs in more detail through a fun game
Food Web
5 Looking at food webs
Whole class: Food webs
Look at food chains and the
Centres
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Week Topic Lesson Activity Assessment
______________ 1st round of centres
different roles within them
Plus: HW based�RQ Cause and Effect Self- and group assessment
2nd round of centres 3rd round of centres
6 Predator/ prey game
Food chain and predation game
Students take part in an activity where they need to find foRd for survival
Worksheets
Structural and Behavioural Adaptations
Students will look at different types of adaptations and complete charts with their peers.
Paragraph response
7 Looking at adapta-tions for survival
Whole class: Adaptations ______________ 1st round of centres
What structures do animals and plants have to adapt to their environment? (e.g. cactus stores water, fish have gills). Discuss how organisms are adapted to specific habitats and may become specialized to that habitat only.
Centres Self- and group assessment
2nd round of centres 3rd round of centres
8
Human impacts
How do humans impact or influence our environment and habitat. Make Public service announcement in groups about pollution, habitat loss, extinction, forest fires etc
Students receive the choice board for their group projects and are provided time to brainstorm ideas with their groups.
Anticipation guide (before and after discussion) Group brainstorm Project planning sheet
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Week Topic Lesson Activity Assessment Present PSAs and Receive Journal Activity
Over the course of a few classes (this depends on your class), present PSAs and hand out culminating activity for students.
Students present and view other PSAs.
3 stars and a wish Culminating Activity (individual)
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NAME: _____________________________
3-2-1 EXIT SLIP
WHAT ARE THREE IDEAS THAT YOU DISCUSSED WITH YOUR GROUP TODAY?
WHAT ARE TWO QUESTIONS THAT YOU STILL HAVE?
WHAT IS ONE NEW THING THAT YOU LEARNED TODAY?
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Terms for Word Wall
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Habitat
the natural home or environment of an organism (plant or animal)
Population
a group of animals or plants of the same kind living in the same habitat
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Using the iPad App “Educreations”, begin to summarize all the ideas you have about habitats so far.
The “Educreations” app allows you to turn the iPad into a recordable white board, so your group can record text, drawings, and voices to create an interactive, multimedia summary of your
ideas so far. Try to include text, images, and voice explanations. Also, can
you make any connections between the parts of a habitat? How does a change in one part of the habitat affect another part? Why are plants and animals so dependent on their habitat?
What role do humans play in all this?
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Name: ______________________
Homework: Fill in each circle of this graphic organizer with the important information for each habitat we have discussed.
Habitats
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