Lesson 6

NGSS Lesson Planning Template
Lesson # __6__ in a series of

Grade/ Grade Band: 3-5 grade
th
Topic: Is it living
_7___ lessons
Brief Lesson Description: Mission crew will need to sustain themselves when they land on Mars. This lesson helps students
think about how to support life and deal with misconceptions about what is living and what is not living.
Performance Expectation(s):
4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support
survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
4-LS1-2 Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the
information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.
Specific Learning Outcomes: Students will engage in a field research study to determine the conditions for supporting life
on Mars. Based on observations, categorizations, and evaluations about Earth conditions, students will begin a narrative
about how to support the Mars mission crew once they get established on the surface.
Lesson Level Narrative
Now that we are on the surface of Mars, it is time to transform the surface so that is can support life. Your tasks is to figure
out what on Mars needs to be transformed, what about Mars makes it inhospitable to life currently and how can we change
it? You will construct the criteria for supporting life based on observations that you have made about planet Earth.
Science & Engineering Practices: Disciplinary Core Ideas: Crosscutting Concepts:

Developing and Using Models to test LS1.A Structure and Function Systems and System models
interactions concerning the support of life on Plants and animals have A system can be
Mars. both internal and external described in terms of
structures that serve various its components and
Engaging in Argumentation from Evidence functions in growth, their interactions
Students will construct an argument survival, behavior, and
based on their observations about reproduction.
what is living and what is not living.
They will come up with the best
criteria for supporting life on Mars.
Possible Preconceptions/Misconceptions:
Students will need to know that the atmosphere on Mars is thin and cannot currently support life on the surface. In addition,
it is very cold, has a carbon dioxide based atmosphere, and has a source of water, which is a BIG BINGO. Students will need
to have this discussion with you about what can happen on the surface to help transform the surface to support Earth based
life. So, the mission crew would need breathable air, use the water to support plant life, plants make O2 as a byproduct of
photosynthesis. Preconceptions of students may include seeing food as substances (water, air, minerals, etc.) that organisms
take directly in from their environment Anderson, C., Sheldon, T., Dubay, J. (1990). The effects of instruction on college
nonmajors' conceptions of respiration and photosynthesis. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27, 761-776. Students
may also think that food is a requirement for growth, rather than a source of matter for growth. They have little knowledge
about food being transformed and made part of organism.
LESSON PLAN 5-E Model

Go over storyline and remind students where they Students recap on storyline beginning
are. And ask students what is needed to support from our first lesson on heavy lifting.
life on Mars. you can also show students examples Have students create criteria for living
of living and nonliving things. things and what supports them.
EXPLORE: Lesson Description What should the teachers ask and do? What will the
students do?
Each group will have 3 cups filled with 3 different types of sand
Each group will pour hot water into the 3 cups
Observe the reactions of the cups and the students
Which cup do you think has life in it?
EXPLAIN: Concepts Explained and Vocabulary Defined:

Drawing a chart and talking about what they saw in the experiment see if it match the criteria
for what is required in living organisms.
Talk about some vocab words. Discuss which of the 3 samples are alive. See if they know the
main idea without telling them.You can also have students share their definition of what it
means to be alive.
Vocabulary
Astrobiology
Chemical reaction
Organism
Environment
Alive
ELABORATE: Applications and Extensions:
-Get soil sample from outside?
-Ask what they expected from each of the samples
-How many of the samples were living? How can you tell?
-How do you know its not alive?
EVALUATE:
Formative Monitoring (Questioning / Discussion):

(Serena)
What did you all learn today?
What did you all find interesting?
Does anyone have any curiosity of what will be our next lesson/activity for next week?
How is this lesson/activity connected to our theme of Mission to Mars?
Check vocabulary in students conversations.

Astrobiology: what is ?
Chemical reaction: what happened?
Organism: what are?
Environment: what is ?
Alive: what is?
As students work on the experiment check for vocabulary in their conversations and see how
it corresponds to the lesson.
Summative Assessment (Quiz / Project / Report):

Elaborate Further / Reflect: Enrichment:

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NGSS Lesson Planning Template

Lesson # 6 in a series of

Science & Engineering Practices: Disciplinary Core Ideas: Crosscutting Concepts:

LESSON PLAN 5-E Model

EXPLAIN: Concepts Explained and Vocabulary Defined:

Formative Monitoring (Questioning / Discussion):

Check vocabulary in students conversations.

Summative Assessment (Quiz / Project / Report):

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