5th Grade Diversity Of Living Things Lesson Plan Example

Topic: Diversity of living things

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to observe and describe the diversity of living things within the local environment. (Include: fungi, plants, animals).

Materials

• Field trip to local environment (park, forest, etc.)
• Hand lenses or magnifying glasses
• Field guides or other resources on living things (optional)

Warm-up

• Ask students to name some living things that they are familiar with. Write their responses on the board.
• Ask students to think of a time when they have seen a living thing in their environment, and to share their experience with the class.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of diversity of living things, and explain that it means that there are many different types of living things in the world.
• Show students pictures of different types of living things, such as plants, animals, and fungi. Ask students to identify which picture represents which type of living thing.
• Ask students to name some characteristics that help to distinguish each type of living thing. For example, plants have roots and stems, animals have bones and skin, and fungi have different types of spores.
• Write the characteristics of each type of living thing on the board, next to their corresponding picture.

Guided Practice

• Show students a set of pictures of different types of living things, and ask them to work in small groups to classify the pictures into the three categories (plants, animals, fungi).
• Have each group present their classifications to the class, and discuss any differences or disagreements.
• Write the classifications on the board, and discuss any reasons for the group's choices.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one type of living thing to research (e.g., a species of plant, a type of animal).
• Provide students with a worksheet or notebook page to record their research, including any -facts they learned about the chosen living thing, and any questions they have about it.
• Students should present their findings to the class, using verbal and/or visual presentation techniques.

Closure

• Review the concept of "diversity" and highlight the different characteristics, -habitats, and adaptations of the various living things studied today.
• Ask students to share any new insights or understandings they gained about the -diversity of living things.

Assessment:

• Observe students during the guided and independent practice activities to -assess their understanding of the concept of "diversity".
• Collect and review their written reports to assess their ability to -describe and illustrate the diversity of living things in their local environment.