Preview · the opening missionRead this to the class:
In a northern forest, a ranger is worried. A sickness is spreading through the wolf packs. "Wolves eat deer and hares," a visitor says. "If the wolves go, the deer will be happy. What's the harm?" The ranger isn't so sure. Your team's job: find out who else would feel it if the wolves disappeared.
For the writing, teams of three rotate jobs: Lead (reads the cards aloud), Timer (keeps each step moving), Recorder (writes and draws).
Look inside the PDF
Sample pages, stamped “preview”. The download is the clean, full lesson.
In the full lesson PDF
- Predict (5–10 min)
- Hunt (20 min)
- Reveal (10–15 min)
- Act (10 min)
- Background for the teacher
- Assessment
- Student sheet
On the student sheet
- My prediction
- Our results
- Our food web
- Message to the ranger
- Exit ticket
US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white. The student sheet is on its own page, ready to photocopy.
Free with an account (any 3 lessons), or US$19 / C$25 for all 4 lessons in this unit.
What students show by the end
- Builds a web
- Explains the spread
- Claim, evidence, reasoning
From the lesson’s rubric, which scores each one as not yet, getting there or got it.
Questions teachers ask
How long does “What would happen if the wolves disappeared?” take?
45–60 min. Group size: two circles of up to 15, working in teams of 3 for the writing.
How much prep does it need?
20 minutes: print or write the species cards below on index cards, one set per circle, with a hole punched and a string loop so students can wear them. Clear a space big enough for two circles of 15, or go to the gym or outside.
What materials do I need?
Ball of yarn or string, at least 30 m (100 ft); index cards with a string loop, one species per card; scissors (teacher only) to cut the removed species free; chart paper and markers. Cost: about $10 for a class of 30.
Which curriculum standards does it cover?
NGSS (US): 5-LS2-1 and 5-PS3-1 (partly). It also matches Ontario Science and Technology, Grade 6 and Cambridge Primary Science, Stages 4 and 6 (not endorsed by Cambridge).
What’s in the lesson PDF?
A teacher guide that walks you through predict, hunt, reveal, act, background for the teacher and assessment, then a student sheet (“My prediction”, “Our results”, “Our food web”, “Message to the ranger” and “Exit ticket”) on its own page, ready to photocopy. It’s US Letter and prints cleanly in black and white.
Can I try it for free?
Yes. A free account includes any 3 full lessons of your choice, and this can be one of them. After that, this unit is US$19 (C$25) for all 4 lessons, yours to keep, or every lesson is US$79 (C$109) a year.