Please follow the sample I taught the lesson plan in a 1-grade class. The assignment is an opportunity to teach a science lesson with students, and to, more importantly, reflect on that experience. In addition to actually teaching one of your Inquiry-based Lessons at a school or program from Assignment #3, you will upload four things to Blackboard:
1) Your Lesson Plan (revised to reflect the grade level and appropriate standards associated with that grade level + any suggested revisions) – Include it in your submission (copy and paste it together with the Artifact photo page and Commentary)
2) The Location, Date, and Class Lesson was Taught (can be listed at the beginning of the Commentary)
3) Your Artifacts page: 5+ photos of artifacts (label each photo) and short explanations from your lesson – Incorporate artifact explanations more carefully in your Commentary
4) Your Commentary – 4 sections with headings – Be sure to refer to theories/readings presented in this course that relate to engaged science instruction your lesson illustrates.
Lesson Requirements:
Create a 6E, standards-based lesson plan using all of the hallmarks of excellence for planning discussed in class to create a strong science lesson (e.g., building on students’ prior ideas, identifying both content knowledge and skills to be addressed in the lesson, eliciting prior knowledge, incorporating inquiry-based strategies). You may also use a lesson integrated with another subject area, but there must be a hands-on science component. You may use one of your Inquiry Lessons already created, as well.
Prepare to enact the lesson with learners. Gather the necessary materials, prepare for the materials to be used effectively, create worksheets, make photocopies, work with cooperating teachers to negotiate time, space, etc.
Enact the lesson. Use hallmarks of excellence for instruction discussed in class. These include using hands-on activities, good questioning techniques, technology integration, cooperative learning, etc.
**As you enact the lesson, collect a minimum of 5 artifacts on which you can reflect. Artifacts can include student work, photographs of students (*try not to include students’ faces), video of you teaching, etc. Choose carefully. Your artifacts must demonstrate:
* Student engagement in learning science content and skills
* Ways in which you are not meeting the needs of every student in this lesson
Note: Artifacts should NOT be photos of the same worksheet completed by 5 students – Each artifact should be one of the key components of the lesson to include, for example, photos of students gathered on the rug, easel with KWL chart, a student journal entry, etc.
Prepare your commentary based on reviewing your lesson as described below.
How to write your Commentary:
In a short paper of 2-3 pages, discuss the following. Feel free to organize your paper with the listed headings. Refer to specific artifacts, your lesson plan, as well as applicable theories, researchers, and readings that were meaningful as you answer the following prompts under each of the 4 Headings:
Headings:
1. Classroom Context: Briefly describe the context in which you enacted your lesson. Include the grade level, how many students, special learning needs, community context, etc. Do not include specific school, teacher, or children’s last names, particularly if you include photographs as artifacts. This will help to protect students’ privacy.
2. Lesson Plan Design: Draw upon theory learned from class to justify your lesson design. Explain why the lesson you planned was appropriate for the learners. Discuss how their prior academic learning and/or personal/cultural/community supports and interests guided your choices of learning objectives, tasks, instructional strategies, etc.
3. Learning of Content and Skills: Explain how your instruction engaged students in learning both science content and science skills. What evidence do you have that students met or did not meet the learning objectives and standards identified in this lesson? How did you assess student learning? How did you provide feedback to students to help them evaluate their own strengths and needs? How do your artifacts reflect this? What patterns did you find in students’ learning as a group, or individually?
4. Changes to Instruction: What changes would you make to your instruction—for the whole class and/or for students who need greater support or challenge—to better support learning of the science content and skills? Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? How do your artifacts reflect this need and the changes you suggest?
Lesson Plan Amended (if appropriate) and Submitted: (2pts)
Artifacts (5 pts) – 5 required (1 pt each), explained/demonstrated student learnings:
Commentary (4 pts) – 2-3 pages: 4 Areas included:
Classroom Context: grade level, # students, special learning needs, community context, etc.
Lesson Plan Review: Discussion of the lesson plan selected for this assignment: theory (ies) led to lesson design; prior academic learning and/or personal/cultural/community supports/interests guided learning objectives; tasks; instructional strategies, etc.
Learning of Content/Skills: instruction engaged students; evidence met/did not meet the learning objectives; provided feedback; artifacts discussion:
Changes to Instruction: changes explained; how would they improve student learning? Reference to artifacts:
References Made to Course Theory/Readings throughout each section of the Commentary- (1pt)
