Science Unit One

A template based on Understanding by Design

Title of Unit

Grade

Earths Resources

Level
Subject

Science

Time

5 lessons

Frame
Developed By

Haley Twaites

Stage 1 Desired Results

Thinking
Communication

Personal and
Social

Big Idea:
Earths Resources
We need them to survive.
Everything we use comes from earth.
Resources can be living or non-living.
The way we use resources has an impact on the environment.
Traditional Aboriginal cultures protect and conserve resources.

Essential Question:
Can we survive without these resources?
What are natural resources?

What students will be able to DO

What students will KNOW
Curricular competency learning standards: Content learning standards:

Demonstrate a sustained curiosity about a scientific

topic or problem of personal interest
Identify questions to answer or problems to solve
through scientific inquiry

Local types of earth materials

First Peoples concepts of interconnectedness in the
environment
The nature of sustainable practices around BCs resources

Experience and interpret the local environment

Identify First Peoples perspectives and knowledge as
sources of information
Demonstrate an openness to new ideas and
consideration of alternatives
Co-operatively design projects contribute to care for
self, others, and community through personal or
collaborative approaches

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Formative Assessments

Summative Assessments

Observations
Check for understandings

Design a Conservation Plan for

the School

Self-Assessment / Peer
Assessment

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Should be Differentiated
Potential Barriers to Success / Areas to Differentiate:
Might include: engagement, motivation, organization, language ability, exceptionalities, reading level, etc.

Giving students voice and choice: how you will adjust for differentiation needs
- Group, partner and individual work
Integrating Aboriginal worldviews and perspectives:
- Incorporating concepts of conservation and protection of Canadas resources
- Learning involves patience and time

Sequence of Lessons: The basics of what you plan to do in each lesson of the unit. The first one will be how
will you engage students at the beginning of the unit? (motivational set your hook it could be accessing their
background knowledge in some way)
# Lesson
Title
1
Natural
Resourc
es

Lesson Activities (Learning Experiences)

Assessment
and Core
competenc
y
Introduction:
Core:
Hook: Who knows what a resource is?
Critical
Resources are all around us, does anyone think that they could name one?
Thinking
Have a discussion about the materials in their houses and where they come
Using their
from.
best
Classify living and non-living resources t-chart
judgement
Early uses of resources: hunting animals, gathering plants, building homes
Communica
from trees, etc.
tion
Of their
Where does everything we use come from?
findings,
Think about the student book you are reading. Can you identify the resources collaboration
used to make it? Why is it sometimes difficult to identify the natural resources
with peers
that are used to make something?
p. 160

Resour
ces

2
The
Impact
of
Resourc
e Use

Hook: An oil tanker spilled in the ocean, and it is your responsibility to clean it
up. How would you do it?
Have four groups set up with the experiment. Four bowls of water with oil in
them. Have the student try to figure out how they are going to separate the
water from the oil. They can use different materials and see which ones work
best (paper towel, sponges, spoons, etc.). Record what they observed and
what they did while trying to remove the oil on a chart (oil removal method,
observations, questions).
What did you discover from doing this activity? is it hard to undo damage
that oil spills can have on the environment. There is an environmental impact
in almost everything that we do in our lives. These impacts can be small or
large. Can you guys list some things that might have an impact on our
environment?

3
Ecosyst
ems

p.164
All living things on this earth interact with each other, and with the non-living
aspects in this world. These interactions occur in our environment in a system
called an ecosystem.
Explain what an ecosystem is, and what things we can find in one (plants,
animals, etc.)
What is an interaction?
Changes in an ecosystem are all connected, so one change can affect the
whole ecosystem.
Terrarium example.
Traditional Aboriginal Cultures and Resources:
The Aboriginal communities have had the understanding of how an
ecosystem has been connected for thousands of years. They live off of the
earth, and take only what they need. For example; if an elk is hunted for food
its hide is used for clothing, and its bones are make into tools.
What are other items on this earth that we can use every part of?
What would happen if we ran out of water?
What would happen if the earth never changed temperature?
How would things things affect the life span of plants, animals and humans?
Think-pair-share.
Conclusion: prep for next class

Core:
Critical
Thinking
Using their
best
judgement
Communica
tion
Of their
findings,
collaboration
with peers

Core:
Critical
Thinking
Using their
best
judgement
Communica
tion
Of their
findings,
collaboration
with peers

Bowls
Oil
Water
Paper
towel
Spoons
Sponge
s

Classifying your garbage chart:

Record your garbage for one day record everything you throw away (paper,
plastic, food waste, metal, glass)
4
Conserv
ing
Resourc
es

Show them the water stages ocean, lake, stream, cup, etc.
Classifying your garbage chart:
- Add up the garbage items in each column
- Rank the columns from least (5) to most (1)
- Compare with a partner
- Discuss what we can do to help reduce the amount of garbage we
produce.
How can we help? brainstorm and graffiti board
Conservation: What is it?
Remember in the second class when we talked about how our actions always
have an impact on our environment? Today we are going to be learning about
how we can help conserve our environment and our resources.
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Composting

5
Summat
ive

Design a school conservation plan p. 174-175

See attached**
Add things that we can come up with to do in the school
Add things that the school already does

Core:
Critical
Thinking
Using their
best
judgement
Communica
tion
Of their
findings,
collaboration
with peers

Core:
Critical
Thinking
Using their
best
judgement
Communica
tion
Of their
findings,
collaboration
with peers

Textbo
ok