This document provides resources and guidance for teaching a unit on limiting factors and competition in an 8th grade science classroom. It includes the state standards, supporting resources like textbooks and videos, example assessment questions, and recommendations for lesson plan components such as engaging activities, scaffolding, and differentiation strategies. The goal is to help teachers effectively teach the concepts of limiting factors, competition, and organism interdependence within an ecosystem.

1. Science Grade 8: Limiting Factors & Competition
Core Content Coaching

2. Purpose
To provide support for grade-level, unit content planning

3. Resources for planning
• Teacher Yearly Resource Document (or Yearly Itinerary)
• CRM 8: Ecology
• Blank Pacing Calendar
• 8th
Grade 5th
Six Weeks Lessons: Limiting Factors & Competition Pacing Guide & Lessons
• Computer with Internet Access

4. Teacher yearly resource document

5. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
2/23
Galaxy
2/24 2/25
Light Years
2/26 2/27
3/2
Electromagnetic
Waves
3/3 ¾ 3/5 3/6
3/9
Ecosystem
Relationships
3/10 3/11 3/12 3/13
3/23
Limiting Factors &
Competition
3/24 3/25 3/26 3/27
3/30
Human &
Environmental
Effects Over Time
3/31 4/1 4/2 4/3
Student/Staff Holiday
4/6
STAAR Review
4/7 4/8 4/9 4/10
4/13
STAAR Review
4/14 4/15 4/16 4/17
5th
Six Weeks Planner (34 days)

6. 8.4A8.11: Organisms and environments. The student
knows that interdependence occurs among living
systems and the environment and that human
activities can affect these systems. The student is
expected to:
•8.11B: investigate how organisms and
populations in an ecosystem depend on and may
compete for biotic and abiotic factors such as
quantity of light, water, range of temperatures, or
soil composition.
TEKS & Student expectations
Content TEKS Skills TEKS
1. What are the state standards for this unit?
2. Deconstruct the TEKS: Verb, Noun, and Context
Investigate: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry
1. What are the state standards for this unit?
2. Deconstruct the TEKS: Verb, Noun, and Context
Investigate: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry

7. CRM 8: TEKS & Acquisition section

8. Teacher Content support
SchoolWorkHelper: Biotic & Abiotic Factors Influence on Ecosystems
http://schoolworkhelper.net/biotic-and-abiotic-factors-influence-on-ecosystems/
Regents Prep: Biotic vs. Abiotic Factors
http://regentsprep.org/regents/biology/units/ecology/biotic.cfm

9. Vertical alignment
6TH
GRADE
•describe biotic and abiotic parts of
an ecosystem in which organisms
interact.
8TH
GRADE
8.11B: investigate how
organisms and populations in an
ecosystem depend on and may
compete for biotic and abiotic
factors such as quantity of light,
water, range of temperatures, or
soil composition.
BIOLOGY
•interpret relationships,
including predation, parasitism,
commensalism, mutualism, and
competition among organisms.
•investigate and analyze how
organisms, populations, and
communities respond to external
factors.

10. • An abiotic factor is a nonliving part of an ecosystem in which an organism interacts.
• A biotic factor is a living part of an ecosystem in which an organism interacts.
PRIOR LEARNING

11. 2014 STAAR QUESTION: 8.11B
A 11
*B 83
C 2
D 3

12. 2014 STAAR QUESTION: 8.11B
F 7
G 23
*H 61
J 8

13. 2014 STAAR QUESTION: 8.11B
F 6
G 5
H 16
*J 72

14. Based on the data and distractors, what key points should teachers
emphasize during lessons?
• Interpret information in different types of tables and graphs.
• Define and identify examples of competition.
• Identify and describe abiotic and biotic factors in which species and populations
compete.

15. Components of a good lesson plan
1. Engage Student Interest
2. Review/Scaffold to TEKS
3. Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the TEKS
• Labs, Activities, Videos
1. Organize and Practice Vocabulary
2. Reading & Comprehension Strategies
3. Writing Opportunities & Scaffolds
4. Daily Listening & Speaking Opportunities
5. Differentiation
6. Formative Assessment & Reteach

16. Embedded in lessons:
Engage Student Interest
• K-W-L Chart:
What factors in an ecosystem might limit population size or an organism’
s survival?
• Modeling Clay: A 3-D Representation- Limiting Factors & Competition
• Limiting Factors Vocabulary Magic
• Introducing Limiting Factors Unit Overview
• Nova Video, Notes, & Summary: Beneath The Waters Of Coco’s Island

17. Recommended in lessons:
Review / Scaffold to TEKS- Content
• ScienceSaurus Reading
: Factors that Affect Populations p. 131
• Limiting Factors Vocabulary Magic
• Biotic and Abiotic Factors Chart - To assist in
understanding the difference between biotic and
abiotic factors, teacher could provide an image of an
ecosystem and have students identify, classify, and
write the names of the elements of the photograph
that are biotic and a biotic using a T-chart.
• Discovery Video: Abiotic & Biotic Factors
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignment-discovery-shorts-abiotic-and-biotic-factors
• Study Jams Video: Ecosystems
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/ecosystems/
ecosystems.htm

18. Recommended in lessons:
Review / Scaffold to TEKS- interpreting DATA
• ScienceFusion Unit 2, Lesson 1
Digital Lesson: Representing Data
• ScienceFusion Student Edition Look
It Up! Making & Interpreting Graphs
p. R51-R53
• BrainPop Video: Graphs
• BrainPop Video: Problem Solving Using Tables

19. • Nova Video, Notes, & Summary: Beneath The Waters Of Coco’s Island
• Plant Behaviors And Competition Investigation
• Competition On Sable Island Investigation
• Performance Assessment: Invasion!
Embedded in lessons:
Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the
TEKS (investigations, Activities, Videos)

20. Embedded in lessons:
Organize and Practice Vocabulary
• Limiting Factors Vocabulary Magic
• K-W-L Chart
• Introduce Limiting Factors Unit Overview
• 8.11 Limiting Factors Cornell Notes
• STEMScopes Interdependence Reading Advanced Organizer
• Kagan Fan-N-Pick Vocabulary Review Game

21. Embedded in lessons:
Reading & Comprehension Strategies
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Factors that Affect Populations p. 131
• STEMScopes Interdependence (8.11B) Elaborate Reading Science (Or Accommodated), Advanced Organizer, And Multiple-choice Questions
• Comprehension Strategies
• Shared Reading Recommendation
Student pairs read a paragraph at a time and then have
the non-reader summarize the section.
• GIST Strategy
After reading the passage, students come up with 20
important words related to the passage. Once the list is
generated, students work in pairs, or in groups to write a
20-word summary. Students share their summary with the
class.
• Accommodated Advanced Organizer
Provide students a partially completed The Tropical
Rainforest Advanced Organizer.
• Text-to-Speech

22. Embedded in lessons:
Writing Opportunities & Scaffolds
• K-W-L Chart
• 8.11 Limiting Factors Cornell
Notes Summary
• Investigation Conclusions
Scaffolds
• Sentence Frames
• Word Banks
• Guiding Questions
• Write/Share/Revise
• Think/Share/Write
• Think/Write/Pair/Share
• K-W-L Creator

23. Embedded in lessons:
Daily Listening & Speaking Opportunities
I think this picture
might match the word
… because…
I conclude…

24. • Special Education:
1. Mixed-Ability Partners
2. Science Glossary
3. Word Bank
4. Sentence Frames
5. Shared Reading
6. Replay Video
7. Accommodated Notes
8. Data Table for Investigations
9. Accommodated Advanced Organizer
10. K-W-L Creator11. Compare & Contrast Map
12. Venn Diagram
13. Cast Science Writer
• English Language Learners:
1. Mixed-Ability Partners
2. Dual Language Science Glossary
3. Word Bank
4. Sentence Frames
5. Shared Reading
6. Replay Video
7. Biotic & Abiotic Factors Chart
8. Advanced Organizer
9. GIST Strategy
10. Plant Competition Drawings
Embedded in lessons:
Differentiation
Extensions for Learning:
1. The Niche Project using Voice Thread (http://voicethread.com)

25. • Pre-Assessment: K-W-L Chart
• Nova Video Summary
• Cornell Notes Summary
• Investigation Conclusions
• Vocabulary Review Games
• 8.11B Progress Monitoring Assessment
• Limiting Factors & Competition Quiz with SCA-Released Questions
• Performance Assessment: Invasion!
Embedded in lessons:
Formative Assessment
Formative Assessment

26. Reteach Options: CONTENT
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Factors that Affect Populations
• Limiting Factors Vocabulary Magic
• Biotic and Abiotic Factors Chart - To assist in
understanding the difference between biotic
and abiotic factors, teachers could provide an
image of an ecosystem and have students
identify, classify, and write the names of the
elements of the photograph that are biotic and
a biotic using a T-chart.
• Discovery Video: Abiotic & Biotic Factors
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-
shows/videos/assignment-discovery-shorts-
abiotic-and-biotic-factors/
• Study Jams Video: Ecosystems
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jam
s/science/ecosystems/ecosystems.htm
Abiotic Factors Biotic Factors
Definition: Definition:
Examples: Examples:

27. Higher level questions
• “Research shows there’s a link between critical thinking skills and increased student achievement in the
classroom.” (Moore & Stanley, 2010)
• Higher level questions must be planned in order to be implemented effectively in the classroom.
• Levels of Questions
• Knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation
• Plan and provide a variety of questions at each level and build student knowledge and critical thinking by providing
Higher Level Questions.

28. Lower Levels of questions

29. Higher Levels of questions

30. Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluate
Define
(abiotic/biotic).
What is
competition?
How do
organisms and
populations
depend on and
compete for
biotic and abiotic
factors in an
ecosystem?
How do
competition and
environmental
changes affect
survival of
species?
How do
organisms
interact with their
environment?
Slide 11 Slide 12 & 13
How would you
design a field
experiment to
determine which
species in your
school yard
compete most for
the contents of the
compost bin?
Slide 12 & 13:
Which data was
used to support
your conclusion?

31. Recommended Anchors of Support
• K-W-L Chart
• Nova Video Notes & Summary
• 8.11 Limiting Factors Cornell Notes
• Interdependence Reading Advanced Organizer

32. Anchors of Support
Other Resources
•Interactive Word Wall- Current, working models with student contributions
• Interactive Word Walls Article: http://learningcenter.nsta.org/files/ss1103_45.pdf
• “Word walls can be arranged on cupboard doors or classroom walls, or hung from
the ceiling with wire and string.”
• “Maximum instructional potential and efficiency are achieved when interactive word-
wall construction is aligned with lessons and students are allowed to participate in
the process. As a result, walls are usually built over many days and are finished as
a unit nears completion. Word walls support units and are changed or replaced as
units change.”
• Interactive Word Walls Rubric: Next Slide
• ScienceFusion Textbook, Science Glossaries, Dual Language Science
Glossaries

34. Academic vocabulary
LESSON COMPONENTS PAGE
CURRICULUM ROAD MAP