Lesson 2: Coniferous Forests

 Lesson Plan

Tuning In

• Students watch and listen to the I Love the Whole World – Taiga/Boreal Forest video on YouTube. At the end of the video, ask the students:
  • What type of climate does the Taiga have?
  • What type of vegetation grows in the Taiga?
  • What types of animals live in the Taiga?

Teacher Instruction

• Display and discuss slides 5-8 of the Coniferous Forest PowerPoint. Ensure that the students understand:
  • where coniferous forests are located
  • the climate of a coniferous forest
  • the vegetation and animals that live and grow in a coniferous forest.
• Attach the coniferous forest poster from the Terrestrial Ecosystem Posters to the board. Use the content from the PowerPoint to record any new information about coniferous forests around the poster.
• Display slide 9. As a class, discuss and answer the reflective questions about coniferous forests.

Guided/Independent Learning

• Display slide 10 and read through the independent activity. Provide the students with a copy of the Vegetation Zones Worksheet. Also, ensure that the students have access to an atlas, a wall map or an online mapping resource (such as Google Maps).
• Display the image on slide 11. Monitor and support the students as they complete the mapping activity. As they are working, remind the students to be as accurate as possible when locating and shading the areas of coniferous forest around the world.

Wrapping Up

• Once the students have finished their maps, gather together as a class. Encourage the students to use their maps to identify some of the countries around the world where coniferous forests are located.

 Differentiation

Extending Students

• Encourage more capable students to complete their maps without the assistance of the PowerPoint image.

Supporting Students

• Allow less confident students to complete their maps in a small group with the support of the teacher or teacher aide.

 Assessment Strategies

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• used strategic whole class or individual questioning
• observed student participation during learning activities
• recorded student progress on a checklist
• annotated student work samples
• collected and reviewed student work samples
• facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
• encouraged student self-reflection
• administered formal assessment tasks.

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