Here is our detailed lesson plan and the resources that we used for the in-class activity.
Passport Worksheet – https://scied.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/images/activity/Nitrogen_passport_worksheet.pdf
Reservoirs Posters – https://scied.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/images/activity/Nitrogen_reservoirs_2012.pdf
Stamp Templates – https://scied.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/images/activity/%3cem%3eEdit%20Activity%3c/em%3e%20The%20Nitrogen%20Cycle%20Game/Nitrogen_stamps_2012sm.pdf
Unit plan is very thorough while being simultaneously simple at the same time which makes it accessible to any educator who may choose to implement the plans in their own classroom. There are many formative assessments available to choose from. Much room is left for student discussion which shows that they have student-centered learning at the forefront of their planning and will therefore be more engaging. There is much scaffolding provided for students with different levels of knowledge. Going further than simply the content of the BC curriculum, they emphasize human impacts and how choices may effect the world around us, making for more meaningful learning.
It was very organized and very effectively assessed for prior knowledge to focus the delivery of the lesson. The lesson was effective in that they used many visuals to scaffold the concepts that they presented to the class. There may have been a bit of cognitive overload in terms of the large list of vocabulary provided to the class all in one go – it is possible if using layman’s terms before to build a foundation for the class to build upon. The stamp activity was highly engaging and got students moving and showed that the nitrogen cycle is not linear but has multiple pathways. It really got students to think about how nitrogen is cycled in different manners and it was engaging and fun to imagine oneself as a nitrogen atom.
Great use of technology, multimedia, and different activities for different learning styles. We loved your activity as a way to explore the nitrogen cycle. You included lots of different activities to get students up and moving. Things to consider: horseplay around poop (ie: grade 9 boys), developing questions to ask/probe students while they are doing activity, incorporating the new vocabulary into the activity. Great job overall!
-Julia, Laura, Kristen
Hi y’all! Neat lesson! We really enjoyed the “poopy” start to the lesson by bringing out the fake poops to get the students to think about the role of feces in the nitrogen cycle (plus it’s a fun way to connect with the kids!). The activity was very interesting and we enjoyed moving around the room and the “game” aspect behind it. It fit the scope of the lesson and was effective in showing the path that nitrogen can (or cannot) take through the nitrogen cycle. If we had to give a bit of feedback it would pertain to the instructions of the activity (both verbally and on the worksheet). It was a little vague as how to start the activity, and it may be difficult for students to get the ball rolling on their own. Maybe walk them through the first few stages as a class and then they can go off and make their own adventure! Finally, the explanation of the nitrogen cycle and how it functions was solid. The analogy of fixing a meal/room was great, and it was paced very nicely. We noticed that there were a lot of large terms that were introduced in sequence, and this could be difficult for ELLs to follow. Also, the info-graphic used was very complicated and busy, and can potentially be simplified for a grade 9 class and then scaffolded in a way where the information is built on over a series of slides/activities. That being said, you (ideally) want to introduce and use all the terms in one graphic so the students can see the big picture! All in all great stuff – super fun times in Earth Science were had! Thanks a bundle!
Steve, Jim, Shaun
Lesson:
Stars: Lesson had a nice flow – well scaffolded in the beginning and activity for practice on content learned.
Hook worked well – committed to the set up (using gloves)
Amount of content taught was sufficient for one full lesson.
Wishes: Defined vocabulary (written out), and included in PowerPoint. Explain what the difference between the processes
Activities can be confusing for ELL’s.
Lesson was a little long – have to be modified for time constraints
Unit Plan:
Stars: Lesson sequence is very detailed – included content, activity and assessment for each lesson
Many different forms of assessment were mentioned in unit plan
Wish: Include adaptations for students with exceptionalities and/or ELL’s.
Hi Erin, Greg, & Sarah
We thought your activity was really engaging, especially since It got us moving around! This activity also demonstrated that the nitrogen cycle never ends and that there isn’t just one way for a nitrogen molecule to pass through the nitrogen cycle (which could reduce students copying off each other, too). In addition, the poop demonstration was an effective hook that would definitely grab the attention of the kids. Plus, the article about “poop around the world” was a great way to conclude the lesson and re-connect with the hook.
We think it may be beneficial to play the nitrogen cycle video and provide a vocabulary list before the slide with arrows. The diagram was a bit complicated, so having the video before would provide students with the necessary scaffolding by previewing the pathway and new vocabulary before a class discussion. Moreover, it may be helpful to include the key terms (nitrification, etc) on the diagram of arrows so students can use it as a reference.
Overall, great lesson!
Dragana & Jordan