Microworlds
Lesson 1
Looking at Living Things: Hay and Grass Infusions II
Students will have a second chance to observe the hay and grass infusions. They should be looking more closely and recording more clearly.
3. Lesson Set-up and Management
4-5 SYSB A system can do things that none of its subsystems can do by themselves.
4-5 INQD Investigations involve systematic collection and recording of relevant observations and data.
4-5 LS1A Plants and animals can be sorted according to their structures and behaviors.
4-5LS1C Certain structures and behaviors enable plants and animals to respond to changes in their environment.
4-5LS2A An ecosystem includes all of the plant and animal populations and nonliving resources in a given area. Plants and animals depend on one another and the nonliving resources in their ecosystem to help them survive.
- Students will observe in greater detail the microbes in hay and grass infusions.
- Students will make more complete and detailed observations.
- Students will display skill in working with the materials.
- The teacher will evaluate the students’ progress.
3. Lesson Set-Up and Management
Materials:
- The teacher will need the hay and grass infusions started in Lesson 10.
- Each of the jars will need a separate clean dropper.
- Cotton balls, tissue, and gelatin will also need to be available, if students need to slow down the organisms. (Cotton balls are not included in the kit, when purchased from STC. It will depend on individual resource centers whether or not they come in the kit.)
Student Management:
- Procedure 2 gives a detailed list of all the expectations for students in this lesson. This lesson is longer. Students should focus on getting a detailed drawing and list of observations first. The paragraph could be done during writing time later in the day or on the next day.
- Students should not put their hands near their eyes or mouths. They need to wash their hands when they have finished cleaning up.
- Have the students do the paragraph writing at a different time. Students will do a better job on their paragraph if they have time later to formulate sentences from their drawing and observations.
- To really show the value of everyone’s final products, do the Final Activities on a different day.
Writing Support:
- For Procedure 2, students need to write a paragraph about one of the microbes. Provide as much support as your students need for this task. This is a great activity to connect science with writing.
Reading Support:
- Encourage students to continue reading and researching microscopes, microbes, and the scientists who made discoveries in the microscopic world.