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BACKWARD DESIGN/DOWNWARD DESIGN CROSS CURRICULAR PLANNING MODEL
Subjects /Strands: Science

Grade(s):

Dates of possible implementation: 6 Culminating task due date: End of Unit

A. BIG IDEA
FOR THIS
UNIT

CULMINATING
TASK
Rich
Performance
Assessment
Task pg. 69
Drake Text

What is important for students to know? What are the enduring understandings? What is the big
open question to inform learning and link curricula? (consider starting with big ideas in Science
or Social Studies)
The big idea of this unit is to show students the harsh effects that we have on our environment
and to discuss how we effect our environment. Students must show an understanding of plants
in their environment and how us as humans are effecting its eco system.
Complete explanation of what students will do/write/say to demonstrate their understanding of
the big idea. Will it be individual/group work? How will the task be assessed (mode, tool,
strategy)? Is it differentiated? What Achievement Chart Categories will be addressed?
Culminating task:
Students will be asked to research on various types of plants and complete a written report on
the plant of their choosing. They must complete a 1 page report with subheadings of different
facts they have found about the plant of their choosing. e.g. how does the plant fair in society?
The one page write-up will show students knowledge of their plant and the negative effects
society has on this particular plant.
-Students will be able to complete this either hand written or on the computer, so that other
students will be able to use programs such as Kurzweil to aid them.

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What will students learn? Select expectations from each curriculum document (may use more
B OVERALL
EXPECTATION( than one subject document) that unit will address.
S)
Lesson #1
Science: Understanding Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Plants
1. assess ways in which plants have an impact on society and the environment, and ways in which human activity
has an impact on plants and plant habitats;
2. investigate similarities and differences in the characteristics of various plants, and ways in which the
characteristics of plants relate to the environment in which they grow;
3. demonstrateanunderstandingthatplantsgrowandchangeandhavedistinctcharacteristics.
Language
Writing
1. generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
3. use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to
correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
Media Literacy

1. demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;

Art
Visual Arts
D1. CreatingandPresenting:applythecreativeprocess(seepages1922)toproduceavarietyoftwoandthreedimensionalart
works,usingelements,principles,andtechniquesofvisualartstocommunicatefeelings,ideas,andunderstandings;

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, gather, and organize
ideas and information
to write for an
intended purpose and
audience;

Lesson #1
Science: Understanding Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Plants
2.3 germinate seeds and record similarities and differences as seedlings develop (e.g., plant
quick-growing seeds nasturtium, morning glory, sunflower, tomato, beet, or radish seeds in peat pellets to
observe growth)
2.4 investigate ways in which a variety of plants adapt and/or react to their environment, including changes in
their environment, using a variety of methods
Lesson #2

Science: Understanding Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Plants

1.2 assess the impact of different human activities on plants, and list personal actions they can engage in to minimize
harmful effects and enhance good effects

Language Strand: Media Literacy

1.1 identify the topic, purpose, and audience for media texts they plan to create
3.4 produce media texts for specific purposes and audiences, using a few simple media forms and appropriate
conventions and techniques
The Arts Strand: Visual Arts
D1.1 create two-dimensional works of art that express personal feelings and ideas inspired by the environment
Lesson #3

Science: Understanding Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Plants

1. 2.1:follow established safety procedures during science and technology investigations

2.6 use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including stem, leaf, root, pistil, stamen, flower,
adaptation, and germination, in oral and written communication
Writing
1. generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
Lesson#4
2.6 use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including stem, leaf, root, pistil, stamen, flower,
adaptation, and germination, in oral and written communication
3.2 identify the major parts of plants, including root, stem, flower, stamen, pistil, leaf, seed, and fruit, and
describe how each contributes to the plants survival within the plants environment
Language Strand: Writing
3.1 spell familiar words correctly
3.3 confirm spellings and word meanings or word choice using a variety of resources appropriate for the purpose
Lesson#5
2.7 use a variety of forms (e.g., oral, written, graphic, multimedia) to communicate with different
Language: Writing: Research
1.3 gather information to support ideas for writing in a variety of ways and/or from a variety of sources

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LEARNING
GOAL(S)

Clearly identify what students are expected to know & able to do in language they can
understand. What is the strategy/task that will provide information for assessment?
What are the questions that the students will be able to answer at the conclusion of the unit
of study?
Learning Goals
- I will Learn how to spell familiar words correctly
- I will learn how to gather information for a research project
- I will learn how to produce media texts for a certain type of audience

C SUCCESS
CRITERIA

How will students demonstrate what they will learn? What will successful acquisition of the
learning goals look like and sound like?
How will we know they have learned it? How will they demonstrate their learning?
Success Criteria
- I know how to spell unfamiliar words correctly by using the visual aids in the classroom to
help me e.g. anchor charts, textbook, vocabulary book
- I know how to gather information for a research project by using my graphic organizer as an
aid to help me organize my ideas into subheadings
- I can make a poster directed towards people who want to save trees with these key features:
-attractive slogan
-accurate information
-colourful pictures

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Assessment of Learning: What will students say/write/do to demonstrate their learning of the
ASSESSMENT
TASKS/STRATEGI specific expectations at the end of the unit of study? Does it reflect all or most of the
Achievement Categories? Is it balanced (say, do, perform)? Know, do, be?
ES
Students will be creating a written report and include everything they have learned about
plants within their report. Students will show their learning throughout this CT following the
success criteria that we have co-created. Students will be using our big idea of how we as
humans effect our environment and be working their report around this notion.
-Students will be using their own curiosity and inquiry abilities to create this report
Checklist( self assessment as well)

ASSESSMENT
TOOLS
What recording
strategies will
teachers use?

Observation sheet
Anecdotal Comments
Teacher conference
Teacher edit
Written feedback
mind maps
exit slips
discussions

POSSIBLE
ASSESSMENT
STRATEGIES

For / A
Teacher Conference
Observation checklist
Exit Card
Interview
Self Assessment Checklist
Performance Checklist
Concept Attainment, Mind Map, Concept Map
Select Response
Peer Edit
Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

Spot Check
Teacher Edit
Quiz
Checklist
Question and Answer
Discussion
Self Assessment Response Form
Demonstration
3-2-1
Other

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D. LESSONS USING LAKEHEAD TEMPLATE & GUIDELINES

Briefly identify the topic, specific teaching/ learning activity, and specific expectation is for each
lesson. Lessons flow together and scaffold student learning. What teaching skills/concepts
expectations are being introduced for completion of culminating task? Outline or sketch out each
lesson in the unit
LESSON
Learning activity,
specific expectation,
teaching/learning
strategies

WHAT TEACHER
WILL DO

WHAT STUDENT
WILL DO

ASSESSMENT
(say write do)

RESOURCES

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Lesson#1: What do
Plants Need?

Students will observe

the interior of a seed
The instructor will be
and discover the
This is an introductory
introducing students to beginnings of a plant.
lesson for students to
plants. The instructor
Students will discuss
learn the basic needs of will lead students in a
elements that are
a plant. This lesson is
discussion/Anchor chart important for plants to
meant to activate
of what they think a
grow (air, water, food)
students prior
plant needs after
knowledge
listening to the video
Minds on:
about plants.
Introduction:
Students will be
-The instructor will
participating with their
Minds on:Class
scribe on chart paper
classmates in
Discussion
students responses to
discussion. Students
each bean option
will give their
Students will watch the
hypothesis of what they
youtube clip attached
will believe will happen
about what plants need
to each bean option
to survive.
-after the video has
been played the
instructor will introduce
4 bags:

Minds on:

Assessment:

-Written: Students will

be observing what
seeds look like in
various states and
recording what they
see.
-Students will be
assessed on whether
they can identify what
is happening in each
scenario.
-The instructor will use
this as a diagnostic
assessment to see how
students can follow
instructions and also as
a diagnostic
assessment as to what
students already know.

-bean with no water

-bean with no sun
-bean with water and
sun
-bean with no air
Students will be

-The assessment will be

collected in the form of
an exit slip

https://www.youtube.
com/watch?
v=dUBIQ1fTRzI
-Chart paper
-beans
-cups
-soil
-water
-ziploc bags
-access to sunlight

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prompted by the
instructor to give a
possible hypothesis for
what will happen to
each different bean.

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Students will be seated
on the carpet as
Action: Experiment
time!
-instructor will have put
out seeds (beans) that
have been in the above
living environments for
an extended period of
time.

Action:

Action

-Instructor will place

students in groups of 45 people

Students will be moving

throughout the 4
different stations
viewing each bean
sprout in its
environment.

The instructor will be

observing and helping
students along in their
task.
-Who is working?

-Students will be able to -Are they doing the

appropriate task and
see from inception to
following instruction?
the end what these
beans looked like
The instructor will
Consolidation: What did
we learn?

Consolidation

-class discussion about

out initial hypothesis
and the results

The instructor will lead

another class
discussion on the
carpet to consolidate.

-worksheet will be used

as an exit ticket

-How was their

hypothesis different
from the results?

-Students will record

what they see so that
they can bring this
information back to the
caret to consolidate
Consolidation
- Students will sit on
carpet and share how
their data differs or is
similar to the
hypotheses we came
up with as a class

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Lesson#2
Why Do We Care?
Todays lesson will be
to encourage students
to care and appreciate
and why it is so
important. Students will
be reading The Lorax
by Dr. Seuss. It is a
cautionary tale that will
warn students of the
effects we have on our
environment. Students
will be creating Posters
with a slogan stating
reasons why we should
protect trees and
plants. Posters must
include: slogan, reasons
why we need to protect
trees, facets about
trees, colourful
pictures, and
appropriate use of
poster space.

-instructor will review

with students the day
priors lesson
-The instructor will read
the story book to
students and stop and
have them look at
certain pictures to
comment
-The instructor will
introduce the poster
-The instructor will
discuss with students
how the poster will be
assessed and what
information should go
onto their poster
-the instructor will
invite students to have
input on what they
think they should be
assessed on
-The instructor will
invite the students to
brainstorm ideas with
their neighbours
-the instructor will
leave the success

-students will be
prompted by their
instructor of
yesterdays lesson
-Students will comment
on what they remember
from the past lesson
-students will be sitting
on the carpet listening
to the story and be
asked to comment on
the pictures of certain
pages
-The students will help
the instructor co-create
success criteria
(checklist) for their
poster
-Students will do a turn
and talk and discuss
certain ideas that they
may want to do for
their poster

-students will think of

different slogans that
they can use for their
poster and different

-Students will Be
assessed on the co
written checklist for
their poster (See
attached) that they
have created in class.

-The Lorax: Dr. Seuss

-Ipads
-computers
-paper
-pencil crayons
(markers)

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criteria up on the board
for students to view

themes

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-The instructor will walk
around the classroom
and observe different
students , who made
need help or
clarification

- Students are
permitted to use the
technology (in the
classroom) to help
them research
information and get
ideas for their poster.

-The instructor will

collect the poster at the - Students are to hand
end of class as an exit
in their poster at the
ticket, from students
end of the day
-More time for posters
may be awarded during
language

- students will get extra

time (during
language) to finish
their poster
- students will look
through checklist ( on
chart paper) to make
sure that they have
all the right criteria

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Lesson#3

Minds on

Inquiry:

The instructor will ask

the students what they
would like to learn
about plants.

Students will have

chance to explore
different types of
plants. Todays lesson
will be student
directed
Students will have
the opportunity to
work with
microscopes and be
able to compare and
contrasts different
types of plants of
their choosing.
Students may cut/
rip/smell the different
plants to explore
their structures.

-On an anchor chart the

class will develop a
mind map of what they
would like to learn
about plants
-What are some
different things you
would like to learn
about plants?
-What do you think you
will learn?
Action
-Before students start
to use the equipment
the instructor will
remind students n eat
any of the plants
-if they are to touch the
plants they must use
the gloves
-the instructor will use
the same model as
before and use observe
students and document
their observations on

Minds on

Students will be
- microscopes (4-6)
assessed on how well
-Students will be on the
- various plants(4-6)
they can listen to
carpet as they join their
instruction.
- Anchor chart
instructor in creating a
mind map of different
things they would like
to learn about plants
-Students will be
prompted to answer
questions the instructor
poses to them
Action
-Students will be places
in groups and they will
move throughout
different stations with
different types of plants
-Students have already
been notified that they
cannot eat any of the
plants or touch them
without gloves
-Students will go to
each station and be
able to view different
types of plants
-Do they notice any

-Are they misusing

the equipment?
-Are they working
well within they
groups
-Have they made an
effort to participate

- student creativity

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the cue cards.

similarities or
differences?

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Consolidation

Consolidation

Instructor will have

-The students will
students come back
make their way back
to the carpet to
to the carpet
discuss their findings.
-Students will engage
-As a class they will
in a discussion about
come back to the
what they found
carpet and discuss
-Did they find
their findings
anything interesting?
-Did they learn what
they wanted to learn? -What more do they
want to learn?
-What was something
new they learned

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Lesson #4

Minds on

Word list booklets

- As a minds on, the

instructor will
administer a
spelling test

Students will be
working on their
science vocabulary.
Students will be
learning to spell
familiar words
correctly.
-Students will be
creating a booklet of
different science
vocabulary words
about plants and
create pictures to go
along with it.

Minds on

-Students will
participate in a
spelling test to
determine their prior
knowledge of plant
- This is a way for the terms
instructor to get
students engaged
-Student will correct
in the flipbook
one another's
activity
spelling test
Action

Action

-The instructor will

-Students will follow
model how to make a the instructor's
flipbook to the
demonstration
students.
-Students will spend
-Take 5 pieces of
the period making
coloured paper and
their flip book and
lay them on top of
looking at various
one another, with
anchor charts and
each sheet about 34 other visuals around
of an inch below the
the room for the
last. Next, take hold
proper spelling of
of both ends of the
these words
paper stack and fold
-Once the students
them upwards and
have finished writing
together, ensuring
the definitions in

Students will be
assessed on the
neatness and
organization of their
booklets.
-Have they filled the
entire booklet out?
-Have they spelled all
the words correctly?
their flip books will be
assessed for 2 things:
-is it neat and
organized?
-Have they spelt all
the words correctly?

- coloured paper
(approximately 5
pieces for each
student)
- markers

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that the tabs are an
equal distance apart.

their flipbook, they

are to create a
picture and colour
their flipbook

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-The instructor will be
moving around the
classroom helping
students who made
need help cutting or
folding
Consolidation
-As a consolidation
the instructor will
collect the
vocabulary flip books
from the students as
an exit ticket

Consolidation
-Students will hand in
their flip books as an
exit ticket to finish
the class

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Lesson #5 and 6
Culminating Task:
researching
As a consolidation to
the unit students will
be creating a report
on a plant of their
choosing.
-Students will be
creating a report on
their favourite plant
and what this plant
does for society.

-The instructor will

explain to students
their task.
-They will be creating
a report on a plant of
their choosing
- Students are to
create a report
based on a plant of
their choosing they
must have these
features
- appearance

-Students will talk

- How humans effect
about the type of
its environment
plant they have
- a picture of their
chosen, its
plant
appearance, what it
does for society, is it - an interesting fact
endangered and an
interesting fact about
the plant that they
found in their
research
-This project will be
over the course of 2-

-Students will cocreate success

criteria for this
project with their
classmates and
instructor
-Students must meet
the criteria outlined
by their instructor for
their project
-Students will work
over the net few days
on this project and
will submit it on the
final day of their unit

Students will be
assessed based on
the checklist they
have co created.

- Various pieces of
Technology (Ipads,
computers)
- Different books
about plants
- Access to library
and librarian

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3 lessons

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Consider
differentiation of
content/
instruction/demonstra
tion of learning. Is
there flexibility for
student choice?

Consider differentiation of content/ instruction/demonstration of learning. Is

there flexibility for student choice?
How will the learning be sequenced and scaffolded to support a wide range of
learners?
Opportunities for flexible groupings. Are the learning tasks respectful? How are
the students provided opportunities to share responsibility their learning?
There a variety of task for different types of learners: I have hands on for experiments,
written for reports and oral reports so that I can engage various types of learners
-I have also incorporated art into this unit, for some students who would like the arts to be
incorporated, so that they can show their strengths in this unit.
-Accommodations for students can be made e.g. being able to do their research project
with the librarian or with a resource worker, bring able to present orally instead of
producing a written document
-Most of the assignments are flexible, if the students choose to go a different way in what
they will produce and give to their instructor.
-Students are able to show their learning throughout the unit with one another. There is a
lot of time dedicated to classroom discussion and inquiry, therefore students are able to
discuss ideas they may have with the instructor or their other classmates
-some students may wish to have a quieter setting and may want to move to quieter area
in the classroom while doing their work.

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How will the learning
be sequenced and
scaffolded to support
a wide range of
learners?

Refer to Learning Skills and Work Habits in Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation and
Reporting in Ontario Schools Pg. 10
This unit allows students to work on all of their learning skills:
Responsibility: When conducting experiments: Can students show that they can work
with expensive equipment and manage their behaviour. Are students able to submit their
work in a timely manner.
Organization: Students will work on their organizational skills
Independent work: During their culminating task and flip booklets students will show that
they can follow classroom instruction, complete their tasks and meet their goals
Collaboration: Students will learn in experiment activities and classroom discussions that
they can share their ideas, share work in their groups and build peer relationships
Initiative: Throughout this unit students students will show that they can take risks with
their inquiries, have positive attitudes and be willing to learn
Self Regulation: Throughout this unit, students will be encouraged to ask questions,
make mistakes, get messy, have fun and respond positively to challenges.

Opportunities for
Ensure that there are a variety of learning experiences provided to match the class and
flexible groupings.
individual learning profile that you have developed for this group of learners (see next page
Are the learning tasks for listing)
respectful? How are
the students provided
Inquiry
opportunities to share
Report Writing
responsibility their
Class Discussion
learning?
Inquiry Questions
Word Wall
Think Pair Share

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Report Writing
Response Writing
Response Journals
Role Playing
Round Robin
Simulation
Snowball
Socratic Dialogue/ Rich
Questioning
Song Creation
Teams Games Tournaments
Three Way Debate
Think Pair Share
Think Pair Square
(Graduated)
Think Together Think
Apart
Thinking Routines
Tiering
Values Line
Venn Diagram
Video Clip
Word Wall
Word Web
Other
__________________________

Inside/Outside Circle
Inquiry
Jigsaw
Journal Writing
KWL chart
Learning Centres
Learning Contracts
Metaphors
Movie Review/Analysis
Mind Map
Model Building
Note Making (student
generated)
Note Making (teacher
generated)
Numbered Heads
Jigsaw
Panel Discussion
Placemat
P/M/I
Problem Based Learning
Puzzle Pieces
RAFTS
Research (Guided)
Research (Independent)

Learning Experiences
Inquiry Questions
Anticipation Guide
Brainstorming
Case Study
Choice Boards
Class Discussion
Computer Simulation.
Concept Attainment
0Concept Formation
Concept Creation
Concept Mapping
Critical Dialogue
Cubing
Debate (Formal)
Debate (Informal)
Examine Both Sides
Four Corners
Game
Game Theory
Graffiti
Graphic Organizer
Graph Creation
Graphing
Guest Speaker

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