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Observations
February 24, 2009
I visited a third grade classroom. The lesson being taught was What are Earth’s Layers? The students each have a textbook and Teacher had them
turn to the page that begins the chapter about the earth’s layers. She
did a picture walk through the section talking about what they were seeing and asking them questions about the pictures, in
this way she could get an idea of what they already know and what questions they had. Teacher
then wrote four vocabulary words on the board, crust, mantle, core, and landform, which she explained were the most important
words to learn.
Each of the students then took turns reading the section, when one of the vocabulary
words was mentioned Teacher made a point of talking to them about it. There is
a section in which the book talks about the different land forms, such as glaciers, plateau, valleys, coasts, and others. As they read about each landform a student was chosen to go to the board and draw
the landform, so that by the end of the section the board was one large landscape. The
children really enjoyed doing this and watching to see how the landscape turned out.
The lesson concluded with the students doing two pages from their workbook. One page the class did together, referring back to their drawing on the board to answer
the questions. The other page each child did independently and turned into the basket. The students seemed to enjoy the lesson;
I felt that they had learned. As I walked around and listened to them they were
excited to do the pages so quickly because the questions were “so easy.”
I think that if I were doing the lesson I would probably do something similar
to what she did as far as reading the section and talking about the vocabulary. As
third grade students, reading is such an important skill to gain, that I think reading the text and even doing some of the
worksheets is important at this age. However, I would add an activity of having
the children construct models of the earth’s layers. They could choose
to draw the model, construct it out of clay, or maybe a plastic foam ball, and then have them displayed in the classroom.
Teacher only dedicates two days a week to science because of the great
concern for learning math and English. Which I think is better than doing away with science all together, so maybe the modeling
of the Earth’s layers activity could be set up as a center where the children go when there is free choice time.
The following is a lesson plan that I prepared
and then carried out in a third grade classroom.
Matter and its Properties
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Grade Level:3 |
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Subject: |
2
week unit-Matter |
Date: |
April
21,2009 |
Teacher: Mrs. Schofield |
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Ojective:
1. Define
the terms matter and property
2. Compare
some properties of solids, liquids and gases
3. Describe
how matter changes from one state to another
4. Classify
instruments used to measure various forms of matter
- Read
and report on books about matter
- Understand
what the periodic table is.
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Education Standards Addressed:
Standard I (Physical Science): Understand the structure
and properties of matter, the characteristics of energy and the interchange between matter and energy.
Recognize that matter has different forms and properties.
1. Identify and compare properties
of pure substances and mixtures (e.g., sugar, fruit juice).
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Materials/ Resources:
http://www.iit.edu/~smile/ch9704.html
Day 1: ice, clear plastic
cups, paper towels, wooden block
Day 2: Ziploc bags, small
solid items (cotton balls, clay, stick of gum, marble, penny, etc.), water, dish detergent, oil, salad dressing, medicine
drop bottles, balloon, baking soda, vinegar, candle, clear cup, saucer, hot water
Day 3: candle, clay, matches,
burner (hot plate), raw egg, cooking oil, salt, water, food coloring, flour, mixing bowl, wax paper.
Day 4: salt dough clay, wax
paper, paper plates to display models.
Day 5: measuring cup, graduated
cylinder, scale/balance, ruler, measuring spoons
Day 6: small pieces of paper
in three different colors, slips of paper to play charades.
Day 7: large collection of
books related to matter
Day 8: blank book marks, pens,
markers etc.
Day 9: copies of the periodic
table on transparency,
Day 10: unit tests. |
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Focus
Prior Knowledge:
Definitions:matter,properties,elements,atoms,
periodic table, |
Prerequisite Skills:
Reading
skills, writing skills,How to work in groups, proper use of equipment, giving an oral book report, using meter stick, measuring
cups, balance scales, |
Practice/Assess
Guided Practice:
See
attached directions for specifics
Day
1: defining matter- look up definition, demonstrate properties of block, water, air.
Day
2: Properties of matter – review definition of matter, visit small groups as they explore solids, liquids, and gasses.
Day 3: allow a candle to burn to accumulate wax,
discuss what happened, cook an egg, and discuss what happened. Emphasize heat.
Day 4: review matter and properties, assign the students
to use the clay made yesterday to make models of what they have learned.
Day 5: measuring matter- display various tools
for measuring (a meter stick, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, graduated cylinder, and a balance). Recall the definition of matter and some of the different forms of it, name items in the classroom, have
students determine how best to measure it.
Day
Day 6: Parts of matter-Explain that matter is composed
of molecules, have students demonstrate how they think the molecules would look in each form of matter.
Day 7: Introduce the books about matter, and direct
the students to choose a book or two to read and prepare to share what it is about.
Day 8: Share a book that I read, instruct students
to give an oral book report to their groups, then explain that they will be making a book mark to demonstrate what their book
was about.
Day 9: show the periodic table of elements on the
overhead and ask students what they see, what do they notice about it? Explain
about elements and atoms.
Day 10: Assessment,
test |
Assessment:
1. Activity worksheet on matter- students identify states of matter based
on properties that they can perceive.
2. Ongoing assessment – student responses and recall of properties
and definition of various states of matter.
3. Performance assessment- Students are able to correctly match the form
of matter to the instrument that is best used to measure it. Students created a model of solids, liquids, and gasses.
4. Do the art projects depict the three
states of matter.
5. Students correctly act out the way molecules behave in different states of matter
6. The students give oral book reports
7. The students produce bookmarks depicting what they have learned.
8. Students complete activity sheet
- Students
complete assessment test.
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Closure
Wrap Up:
Day 1: Review terms, matter, property, clean up.
Day 2: Come together for students to share what they
have learned.
Day 3: Come together discuss how the product is different
from the ingredients used. Predict what will happen when it dries.
Day 4: Clean up, share models.
Day 5: game to reinforce measuring matter
Day 6: end game, review what learned
Day 7: make sure each student has chosen a book to
create a book mark for next day
Day 8: have students share their book marks with the
class.
Day 9: Review periodic table activity sheet.
Day 10: collect tests |
Independent Practice:
Day 1: students will play with ice cubes and define
properties.
Day 2: students play with solids, liquids, and gasses
to reinforce properties.
Day 3: students will make salt dough clay realize
not need heat
Day 4: students will use clay to make models of solids,
liquids, and gasses.
Day 5: students will match forms of matter to the
instrument that is best used to measure it.
Day 6: Play charades where the groups act out how
the matter looks in each object. (see attachment)
Day 7: students read books, prepare to share orally
with small group.
Day 8: students will make a book mark to represent
the book they read.
Day 9: students will use the illustration of the
periodic table in science book to answer questions.
Day 10: students will take a unit test |
Reflection Science Lesson
I taught a lesson about matter to a third grade class. It went very well. The students learned the terms, had fun with the hands on activity and asked some
very good questions.
As I was planning the unit on matter I became very excited about it and wanted to teach the whole unit, not just the
one lesson. Because I wanted to teach it all, it was a little difficult to decide
which day to teach. As it turned out scheduling had not allowed Teacher
to begin the unit and so we decided I would teach the first lesson. When I told
her that I wanted to teach it all she was more than willing to let me come and do it, which I thought was a compliment to
me, but my classes and work would not allow it.
The lesson I taught lasted longer than the thirty minutes they usually allow for science, it lasted about 50 minutes,
which surprised me because I was afraid there would not be enough lesson to fill the thirty minutes. I need to remember this when I am teaching. And actually thinking
back to the rest of the unit plans, I may have planned too much and would have to adjust.
It just takes longer to move a whole class through a discussion and lesson than just a couple of people.
I believe the only thing I would do differently if I were to teach the lesson over again, would be to gather the students
into a small circle to do the introduction and modeling part of the lesson and then turn them out to carry on the activity
and the bring them back together to discuss the results. Teacher did not have
the class set up in such a way that that was possible. I think that it is easier
for us all to pay attention and to hear one another talk when we are gathered together rather than spread out across the room.
I did well in modeling, using pictures, and writing as I am being taught in best practice methods. I used quite a bit of questioning during the activity to find out what the students understood, and what
they need help to understand. The students themselves came up with some great
questions that would lead nicely into future lessons about matter and energy. I
used the pictures that were taken for my presentation and turned them into a movie that includes a review of the lesson. I
am going to make arrangements to return to Teacher's class to share it with the students.
Overall it was a wonderful experience and makes me excited to get out and teach.
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