7th Grade Nature Lesson Plan Example

Topic: Plants and Animals

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to explain how plants are important to animals and list examples of plants that are important to the eastern region of the United States.
• Students will be able to describe the threats to particular plants in the eastern region and explain how these threaten the animals that depend on them.

Materials

• Pictures or diagrams of plants and animals from the eastern region of the United States
• Handouts with information about the plants and animals
• Colored pencils or markers

Warm-up

• Have students stretch and do some light exercises to get their bodies and minds ready to learn.
• Ask students to close their eyes and think about the different places they have seen in the eastern region. Think about the different types of plants and animals they have seen in these places.
• Have students share their thoughts with a partner.

Direct Instruction

• Show students pictures or videos of different types of plants in the eastern region.
• Ask students to name the different plants and identify the regions where they are found.
• Discuss the importance of these plants to animals and people in the eastern region.
• Explain that some of these plants are at risk of disappearing because of changes in the environment.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and give each group a list of plant species found in the eastern region.
• Have the groups use the pictures or videos to identify each plant and describe its importance to animals and people in the eastern region.
• Have each group present their findings to the class.

Independent Practice

• For their project, have the students choose one plant species that is found in the eastern region and research its importance to animals and people.
• Have the students create a poster or presentation to share their findings with the class.

Closure

• As a class, review the importance of plants to animals and people.
• Talk about the importance of protecting our plant species and why they are at risk in the eastern region.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice to see if they are able to identify at least two important plants and two at-risk plants in the eastern region of the United States.
• Evaluate students' presentations based on their ability to present their chosen plants in a clear and organized manner and their ability to explain the importance of the plants and the reasons they are at risk.