Environmental Change And Extinction Lesson Plan for 9th Grade Example Students

Topic: Environmental Change and Extinction

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to understand the concept of environmental change and its impacts on different species.
• Students will be able to analyze and predict the potential impacts of environmental change on different species in their local environment.

Materials:

• Images of different species from different environments (e.g. animals, plants)
• Handouts or information about environmental change and its impacts on different species
• Calculator (optional)

Warm-up

• Have students create a tally chart, with the number of species on the left side and the reasons for extinction on the right side. Ask students to think of as many reasons as they can think of and write them on the handout.
• Review the handout and discuss the different reasons for extinction.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of environmental change and its impact on species.
• Discuss the role of species adaptation and evolution in response to environmental change.
• Use examples of environmental change and its impact on species to illustrate the concepts.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into groups and give each group a case study based on a local environment (e.g. a river, a forest, a desert).
• Have the groups brainstorm and make a list of the species that currently live in the environment and the species that have gone extinct in the past.
• Have the groups discuss and explain why each species went extinct and why some species are better suited to survive in the environment.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one species from their local environment and research how it has evolved over time to survive in the environment.
• Have students create a poster or presentation that explains how the species has adapted to survive in the environment and any challenges it faces.

Closure

• Review the main points of the lesson: species can evolve over time to adapt to their environment, environmental change can cause extinction, and species that are better suited to survive environmental change will have a higher chance of surviving.

Assessment

• Peer assessment:Students will assess their peers' role-playing presentations and provide feedback on their understanding of the lesson material. -Written assessment:The teacher can use a quiz or written assignment to assess students' understanding of the material covered in the lesson. -Observation during independent practice:The teacher can observe students during their independent practice and provide feedback on their understanding and application of the material.