Application 5: Implementing the Backward Design Lesson Plan

Ecology is an important part of science education. “We don’t have any real idea how our present actions will affect the future. What we do know is that we have just one planet to inhabit, and we are the only species on it capable of deciding its future” (Bryson, 2008, p. 160). As students learn more about our environment, it is important that they understand the interrelationships between its living and non living parts. As students begin to see how their actions impact the world around them and their future, they will learn to be more aware citizens of the world. Ecology encourages people to think about the impacts of their daily decisions.
I created a lesson to help students understand the process of photosynthesis and the role it played in their own health. At the end of the lesson I was sure that all of my students understood the process of photosynthesis. I asked them to create a concept map that showed the process of photosynthesis. I was able to quickly assess which students understood what was used by the plant and what was made by the plant during this process. I liked this assessment piece because I could instantly see who understood this concept and who needed to investigate and learn more. I was also sure that students understood the role of plants in their lives. Students understood that as the Earth becomes more populated, the space for wildlife is reduced. To illustrate this point, I had students measure how much grass it would take to provide their daily oxygen needs (a 25 foot square). As the 12 of us sat in our boxed off area of the football field I asked them to consider how many in the school could have their oxygen needs met with the grass on the football field. Students saw the connection that more people require more plants to clean the air.
I began the lesson by having students brainstorm ways that plants help people. All of my students were very active in making this list on our interactive whiteboard. It was neat to see one child’s idea encourage another child to think of something to add. We then focused on things that people do to help plants. This list was a little harder for students to generate. I then asked students to notice the connection on the two lists. Plants help humans be removing carbon and adding oxygen to the air. Humans help plants by caring and protecting them. I then had students observe an underwater plant as it created oxygen. Students were captivated by seeing this process that they know they depend on taking place before their eyes. It was a great motivator for learning about the process of photosynthesis.
The area of my lesson that I will improve for next time is allowing more time for the lesson. Students were rushed to complete their pamphlet for the public. I also feel that students were unclear about the purpose for their pamphlet. The next time I teach this lesson I will make up a rubric that tells students what information to include in their pamphlet. I will also provide students with a list of websites to help them narrow their search. If students were directed to specific sites and were able to read about several different things that were being done to protect plants and why such things were happening, it would increase their learning experience.
The backward design process worked very well for me. It helped me make a relevant lesson that would empower my students to want to learn about a process that may have otherwise seemed boring and not at all important to their lives. By beginning with the end in mind, I was able to create learning experiences that were directly related to the end product. I put more thought into how I wanted to asses my students’ learning than I usually do. The assessment pieces made the learning easy to assess and ensured that students were attaining the enduring lessons I wanted them to accomplish. This process made me feel like I can make any lesson engaging and relevant for my students.
The backwards design approach was a perfect model for making a relevant ecology lesson. This experience encouraged me to connect students learning of the world around them to their part in the ecosystem. By focusing on what I wanted students to learn and retain from this lesson I was able to create a meaningful learning experience for my students. Although there were parts that need to be improved, I was able to help students meet the goals I set for them at the beginning of the lesson.


References

Bryson, Bill. (2008). A really short history of nearly everything. New York: Random House