LESSONPLANTEMPLATE

YourName:TabithaFanning
TitleofLesson:SpeciesExtinctioninTheColoradoRiver
Grade:
STANDARDS

Standard: Describe how natural events and human activities have positive and negative
impacts on environments. (Strand 3 Concept 1 PO1.)
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner,
using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or
themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4)
LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW
StudentswillreviewtheaffectshumansarehavingonTheColoradoRiverthroughrecreation,orintroducing
otherfishtocertainareasthroughadebatestudentspreparefor.Studentswillseehowhumansimpact
environmentsfortheirownbenefitandthencriticallythinkabouthowwecanrepairTheColoradoRiverto
itsoriginalstatethatcanstillprovidewaterforus.

OBJECTIVES
StudentswillbeabletoarticulatehowhumanshavehurtTheColoradoRiverandwhy.
Studentswillbeabletorespectfullyconductinadebatestyleddiscussionwiththeirpeers.
Studentswillbeabletocreatetopicpointstodiscussduringdebate.
StudentswillbeabletoorganizepossiblesolutionsforTheColoradoRiverrunningdry.
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Studentswillbeobservedduringthedebatetoseeiftheypreparedtheirtalkingpointswithappropriate
issues.Studentswillalsobemonitoredforrespectfuldebatemannerssuchaswaitingtheirturntotalkand
beingrespectfulofopposingopinions.Studentsasaclasswillthencometogethertocompromisesolutionsto
protectandpreservetheriver.
PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE
Studentswillneedpriorknowledgeonpublicspeakingforthedebate
Studentswillneedpriorknowledgeonexamplesofhumaninvolvementinenvironmentsthatarenot
flourishing.
Studentswillneedpriorknowledgeonpredictionsandproblemsolvingtobeabletoformsolutionsforthe
river.

MATERIALS
Videos&articlesonTheColoradoRiversconcerns.
Classroomsetupdebatestylewithdesksorganizedforfullinteractionwithstudents.

VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS

EcosystemServices:benefitsprovidedbyecosystemsthatcontributetomakinghumanlifebothpossibleandworth
living.
Endangered:aspeciesatseriouslyatriskofextinction.
FuturesThinking:thinkingabouthowthepastandthepresentinfluencethefuture.
Extinction:theactorprocessofbecomingextinct;acomingtoanendordyingout.
Environment:thesurroundingsorconditionsinwhichaperson,animal,orplantlivesoroperates.
WaterDevelopments:theactofmakingsomeareaoflandorwatermoreprofitableorproductiveoruseful.
Solution:ameansofsolvingaproblemordealingwithadifficultsituation.

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TEACHINGPROCEDURES
TeacherwillhavealreadyintroducedtostudentshowTheColoradoRiverisbeingaffectedby
humaninvolvementandhowthatwillaffectourwatersupplydowntheroad.
Teacherwilllecturestudentsonappropriaterespectfulconductinadebateandbeveryclearthat
disrespectfulbehaviorwillnotbetolerated.
TeacherwillassignstudentstoProColoradoRiverPreservationorProwaterdevelopmentand
recreation.
Teacherwillgivestudents30minutestoresearchasateamanddeveloptalkingpoints.
Teacherwillorganizestudentsintoadebatestyledclassroom.
Teacherwillmanagethedebateasstudentsdiscussandarticulatetheirideas.
Onceeverythinghasbeensaidteacherwillaskstudentstoproducesolutionsforthisproblem.
Teacherwillhavestudentsoneachteamcontinuetocompromiseuntilanappropriatesolutionthat
doesthebestjobofpleasingeveryoneisfound.
Teacherwillobservestudentsasthedebateisunderway,focusingonappropriatetalkingpoints,
deepthinking,andrespectfulness.

RESOURCES
Dictionary.com(2015).RetrievedNovember,21,2015,fromhttp://dictionary.reference.com/
Fuller,J.(2015).FuturesThinking.[Populationweekclassvideo].
WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION
FuturesthinkingisdirectlyinvolvedinthislessonbecausestudentsarelookingatTheColoradoRiverand
whathumanshavedonetoimpactit.Studentslookatdifferentperspectivesandattheendofthelessonthey
areaskedtodeveloptheirownsolutiontothisproblemthatcouldbeimplementedtosaveTheColorado
River.