Elementary Education Major, Language Arts
ORIGINAL LESSON PLANS
Lesson Plan | 04
Math Lesson Plan
**The following lesson was created using the lesson plan worksheet provided by my school.
Grade Level / Subject Area: Grade 3
Teacher Candidate Name: Emilie Belanger
Date of Lesson: October 6, 2017
Common Core State Standards and/or State of Michigan GLCEs and/or HSCEs: CCSS math Content 3.0AA1
Important Concepts: Students will interpret products of whole numbers, like 5x7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each
Learning Outcomes:
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Students will show knowledge of and clear connections to CCSS math Content 3.0AA1.
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Students will be able to factor multiplication for 1 through 5.
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Differentiated outcomes for students with varied ability: factoring multiplication for 1 through 3.
Assessment Summary
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS: Teacher will ask individual students for answers to multiplication problems throughout lesson. Students will form pairs and do multiplication flashcards for 1 through 5.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT: Students will be given a timed multiplication quiz for factors 1 through 5. Students with lower ability will be given a multiplication quiz for factors 1 though 3.
Prerequisite Relationships:
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Students must have counting skills.
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Students must have basic addition skills.
Flexibility and Responsiveness to Students’ Learning Needs
The lesson will be adjusted for students who aren’t understanding by:
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The teacher will work through the lesson, noting students who are not understanding or who don’t have the skill of repeated addition. As students begin to work with manipulatives (flashcards) in pairs and then work on the arrays worksheet, the teacher will gather students who don’t understand together to reteach.
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Students who understand the lesson more quickly than others will work on the arrays worksheet for extra practice. They may also gather in pairs to work through flashcards with higher multiplication facts.
Instructional Procedures
Assess Prior Knowledge: Tell students we’re going to be working on multiplication. Tell them we’re going to do a timed worksheet and that it’s not a test. Do your best. Work fast, but make sure you try to do every problem. If you don’t know a problem, skip it.
Introduction: Talk to students about how multiplication is repeated addition. Write two examples on the board, comparing repeated addition and multiplication. Go through the examples. Tell students how multiplication is related to money – if you want to buy three items for the same price, what’s a quick way you can figure out the total (quicker than addition). Talk briefly about how we use multiplication for figuring out your car insurance bill for next three months.
Interaction: Teacher begins teaching multiplication facts for 1 through 5. Explain that one times any number is itself. Teacher writes multiplication facts for 2 through 5 on board. Teacher goes through several of these problems, illustrating repeated addition. Teacher continues to go through multiplication facts, illustrating how to get the answer through an array. Give out markers and dry erase boards. Teacher asks students multiplication facts at random (leaving facts on board). Students write problem and product on white board. Students hold up when ready. Students correct the answer if it’s wrong. The teacher is taking note of those students who aren’t understanding. Teacher erases multiplication facts from the board. Teacher again asks multiplication facts at random. Students write factors and products on white boards and hold up when ready. Teacher is taking note of students who don’t understand. Students break up into pairs and work on flashcards for factors 1 through 5. Teacher pulls students aside who aren’t understanding and reteaches multiplication facts for 1 through 5.
Closure: The teacher passes out a different sheet for facts 1 through 5, and sheet for facts 1 through 3 for students who are having a hard time understanding. Teacher tells the students to again work fast and thorough, and to do their best. Students take timed test.
Independent Practice: Teacher passes out arrays worksheet to rest of class to work on. Teacher then gives arrays worksheet to students he/she has pulled aside. Students can work together on this worksheet.
Lesson Timeline (Summary of Instruction) (Danielson 1e.)
Start of the Lesson
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Timed multiplication worksheet for facts 1 through 5.
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Repeated addition and multiplication are related. Multiplication is used in the real world.
Mid-Lesson Activities
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The teacher goes through multiplication facts for 1 through 5.
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Students answer multiplication facts on their white board as class.
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Teacher takes aside students who aren’t understanding to reteach
End of Lesson Activities
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Students take timed quiz for multiplication facts for 1 through 5
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Students work on multiplication facts arrays worksheet
Texts, Materials, and Supplies:
Multiplication flashcards for 1 through 5, 1 through 3. Multiplication facts for 1 through five worksheets (2 worksheets). Arrays worksheet.
Lesson Plan | 05
A bit of comic relief. Adults try Common Core Math
Think A-loud
Teaching the Writing Strategy of Monitoring:
**I was not asked to use the lesson plan worksheet provided by my school to design this lesson.
Objective: To model the writing strategy of Monitoring to students. To model how capable writers think during the writing process.
Target Grade: 7th
**See sample essay below.
Say, “Today we’re going to work on the writing strategy of monitoring. This is a strategy that plays the role of supervisor or boss. The writer has to ask himself how well their writing is progressing – so you’re asking yourself questions, evaluating, developing ideas, organizing kinda all at once.”
“This is an essay I wrote. Our assignment was to write a reflective essay about the effects of technology (smartphones, iPads, social media, etc.) on communication. We had to have a face-to-face conversation with somebody and avoid using any technology.”
“ So, you all are 7th graders. And you’ll be writing a 3 paragraph essay next week. So, I want to think today about what that looks like.”
“So this is not finished. We’ll say that I’m still in the middle of writing my first draft.”
“We’re going to go through paragraph by paragraph.”
Paragraph 1
“How is my spelling in this paragraph?”
Paragraph 2
“How is my spelling in this paragraph?”
“How am I doing on punctuation in this paragraph?”
“How could I develop this idea? Is there any more interesting information I have about this?”
PASTE FOLLOWING HIGHLIGHT (developing ideas) -- It was almost like I physically craved my phone. I had such a strong desire for the information I could access on my phone - this bothered me a lot.
Paragraph 3
“How’s my transition here? How can I help my reader go from what I was talking about to what I’m introducing here?”
ADD “My conversation with May helped me to reflect on our society’s use of technology.”
“How is my spelling in this paragraph?”
“How am I doing on punctuation in this paragraph?”
“How is my grammar in this paragraph?”
“How could I develop this idea? Is there any more interesting information I have about this?”
ADD after next highlight – “The underprivileged have increasing access to smartphones and other devices, opening up to them a new world of information. This increase in access gives them more power.”
“The last question I might ask myself is, ‘Am I fulfilling the expectations listed on the rubric?’
SAMPLE ESSAY:
This week I went to visit my friend, May, at a local donut shop that her family own. Over twenty years ago, I worked at this donut shop. May was my first employer. In a world without smartphones, I worked many shifts where people would come, sit, and talk. On this day, I sat at the coffee bar with May and we talked; she occasionally got up to work. I left my cell phone and computer in the car. For my part, the conversation was technology-free. There were several things I noticed during our conversation. Also, there are several conclusions I’ve come to about the ways that technology helps and hinders communication.
May and I were a bit awkwerd in the beginning of our conversation. We’ve actually kept up a bit on Facebook, and this has been helpful. May is originally from Cambodia, and she speak with a accent. I noticed myself leaning forward and following her with my eyes as she spoke I also noticed that I was nervous sometimes. I tried to calm my nerves by talking. I noticed that there were several times I really wanted my phone. It was almost like I physically craved my phone. May had an iPad in front of her for part of the conversation. When she looked at her iPad and pushed buttons, on the screen, the conversation sometimes slowed to a lull. I noticed that the conversation was light-hearted, and there were a lot of smiles and laughter.
My conversation with May helped me to reflect on our society’s use of technology. While the power of technology is a bit scary, I think it’s important to rember that it’s only a tool. Sometimes we try to replace relationships with technology. I think it would be misleading, however, to say that technology is largely harmful to humans. I don’t think that it ruins real relationships. Social medea, a big part of contemporary technology use, is what’s helped May and I to keep in touch over the years. Technology has opened up vast amounts of information to disadvantaged parts of society, which increases the capability for success for these people. This gives them more power. It also helps start movements. Remember the example of the Arab Spring in Egypt, a movement in which technology played a major role. Humans are always behind the use of technology, and we are at the receiving end as well. We need to remember that? We need to use its power wisely. For me the idea that we have the ability to organize for positive change – whether it’s social, political, or spiritual – is exciting!
Lesson Plan | 06
The Length and Direction of Shadows Science Lesson Plan
Grade Level/Content Area: Gr. 5
Author: Emilie Belanger
Date: April 6, 2020
NGSS Standards: 5-ESS1-2. Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.
Learning Outcomes:
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Students will explain how their shadows change throughout the day.
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Students will graphically display daily changes in length and direction of their shadows.
Important Concepts for the Lesson:
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Students will understand cardinal and intercardinal directions.
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Students will understand the relationships among the position of the Sun, the Earth’s rotation, the time of day, and the length and direction of shadows.
Higher Order Thinking Skills (Revised Bloom’s):
Remembering: From the discussion in the beginning of the lesson, students will be able to recall the differences between how the Earth rotates and revolves.
Analyzing: From the End of the Lesson Activities, students will be able to discern what patterns of changes occur in shadows as well as why those patterns occur?
Essential Prior Knowledge for New Learning:
The students should have been exposed to the concepts of revolving and rotation. They should have a basic knowledge of the Solar System and the position of the Earth and Sun in that system.
Flexible and Responsive Instruction:
Special Needs:
1. Students who do not have the prerequisite relationships: Students who demonstrate lack of understanding will work with a paraprofessional using the textbook or an alternative text to review the following concepts: the Earth revolves around the Sun; the Earth rotates on its axis; the conditions that create a day and a night; the position of the Earth and Sun in the Solar System.
2. Students who show evidence of lack of understanding during the lesson: The teacher will conference with these groups individually during the outside sessions for the rest of the day. She will closely monitor their observations, not only to ensure that they are on-task and observing, but also to correct and redirect misguided observations.
Advanced Students:
3. Students who understand or master the lesson concepts more quickly than expected can choose one of the following two assignments to solidify their knowledge.
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Using your knowledge of the sun, its position, and shadows, answer the following question in paragraph form: Where would be the best placement on a building for solar panels? Why?
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Choose from the following list of graphs to create a different type of representation of the observations you made today: line graph, histogram, scatterplot.
Instructional Procedures:
Review:
1. The students will begin by taking out their Earth, Sun, and Moon models. It should look like the model below. This will have already been constructed and it will be used more extensively in subsequent lessons.
2. The teacher will begin with some direct instruction and a hook. She may begin, “Today we are going to try to understand more about the way the Sun casts shadows. You have all seen shadows when you are outside; they might be cast by a building, or something natural, like a tree or plant. We may even see our own shadow. Look at your models for a moment – I want to review something with you.” The teacher will access background knowledge by eliciting discussion around the following questions: “What is the difference between how the Earth revolves and how it rotates? What determines whether it is day or night?” The teacher will correct any misconceptions, making sure the students understand that our Earth takes 24 hours to rotate. When we, here in Michigan, are away from the Sun, it is night, when we are facing the Sun, it is day. If students do not demonstrate the prerequisite concepts for new learning at this the time, the first accommodation for differentiated instruction, which is number 1 under “Special Needs”, should be implemented.
Anticipatory Set:
3. The teacher will then engage the students with the HOOK: How does the direction and position of the Sun effect shadows (Nelson, 2015)? Students will respond with their thoughts; there is no wrong answer at this point. Their engagement will lead to the exploration activity that begins under “Start of the Lesson”
Curriculum-Framing Questions:
Essential Question:
Picture a shadow. How does the direction and position of the sun effect shadows?
Unit Questions:
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Why do you think shadows get longer and shorter?
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Why aren’t there shadows at night?
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How do shadows change throughout the day?
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Is there any point in a day when there aren’t any shadows?
Content Questions:
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Using your knowledge of the sun, its position, and shadows, answer the following question: Where would be the best placement on a building for solar panels? Why?
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Choose from the following list of graphs to create a different type of representation of the observations you made today: line graph, histogram, scatterplot.
Assessment Summary:
Formative Assessment: This assessment will occur when the teacher and students discuss the following questions as a class: “What was the direction of your shadows? What was the location of the sun?” As the teacher circulates at this time, she will take note of students who are on track with their observations and participating in the discussion, and those who are struggling to understand.
Summative Assessment: The Student Shadow Graph sheets, where the students explain how their shadows changed throughout the day and graphically display daily changes in length and direction of their shadows, will be the summative assessment. Students who have identified patterns and accurately reflected their observations have demonstrated adequate knowledge of the lesson objectives.
Lesson
1. In this lesson, students are going to explore how shadows change throughout the day. The teacher will divide the class into teams of two to conduct research. Each team of two will receive a laptop.
2. The teacher will write the following terms on the board: shadow, cardinal direction, intercardinal direction. She will then direct the students to research the meaning of the terms in their teams.
3. When most teams have found information on the terms, the class will reconvene for a brief discussion. Each team will have a chance to share what they have found. The teacher will direct the students to write each of the terms and their definitions in their Science notebooks.
4. The teacher will record these definitions on the board as well for students to reference. She will also draw the following diagram on the board:
5. While the students are recording the terms and the diagram, the teacher will label the walls of the classroom with the cardinal directions.
6. To reinforce the students’ understanding of these directions, she will ask the students to stand up. When the teacher calls a certain direction, the students will face that direction. The teacher may wish to call out intercardinal directions as well.
7. To support the inquiry process, the teacher will communicate to the students that there is a guiding question for today’s learning. She will reiterate the question, “How does the direction and position of the Sun effect shadows?”
8. The teacher will continue with, “Today we are going to study this using ourselves. We’re going to be recording the length of our shadows, position of the Sun, direction of our shadows, and the time. We will be doing this once every hour throughout the day.
9. The teacher will pass out the Student Shadow Record Sheet attached below.
10. The teacher will divide the class into groups of 3. There will be a bag of materials set out for each group. The teacher will ask each member of the group to show either a 1, 2, or on their fingers.
11. All #1s will get a compass. They will be the person who is traced. They are also in charge of determining the direction of the Sun and the direction of their shadow.
12. All #2s will get a bag with a piece of sidewalk chalk. They will be in charge of tracing the shadows today.
13. All #3s will get a meter stick. They will be in charge of measuring the length of each shadow today.
14. Remind the students that they will be doing this every hour today, so they need to keep their materials organized. Remind them also that they are not to look directly at the Sun today because it will hurt their eyes.
15. Remind the students that they will be recording their data on the record sheet that they have.
16. Go over the following steps with the students:
1 – “When you go outside today, the first thing you will do is trace the feet of the person casting a shadow and place his/her initials inside the feet. Each time
you go outside, the person will stand in the same spot.
2 – Make sure that you label each shadow with the time so that you can look back and make precise observations.” The teacher will draw the following diagram
on the board to help them with this:
3 – “Whenever we go outside today, make sure you always start by tracing and measuring the shadow. If you don’t get to the location of the sun and
direction of the shadow, don’t worry. We will discuss this as a whole group” (Nelson, 2015).
16. As the students trace and measure shadows throughout the day, the teacher will circulate. Students should be on-task and observing, As the day goes on, and they continue to record their observations, they should begin to be able to explain their observations. For students who show lack of understanding of the lesson at this point, the second accommodation for differentiated instruction, which is #2 under “Special Needs” should be implemented.
17. After each session outside, the teacher and students will discuss the following questions as a class: “What was the direction of your shadows? What was the location of the sun?” (Students may change their record sheets accordingly during these discussions.) The teacher may circulate at this time. She will take note of students who are on track with their observations and participating in the discussion, and those who are struggling to understand, as a formative assessment.
18. In one of the last outside sessions, the teacher may elicit further elaboration if she doesn’t hear the students doing it already. As she circulates, the teacher should ask, “Why do you think that is? What do you think is going to happen this evening?”
19. Finally, the teacher will pass out the Student Shadow Graph half sheets. The teacher will discuss with the students an appropriate scale interval on the y – axis. As students begin to fill in their graphs, the teacher will circulate. The teacher will ask students higher order thinking questions like, “What have you found so far? What patterns do you notice?” These questions will help them to further understand the Science behind their observations; it will help them to evaluate their observations as well.
Technology – Hardware: Classroom set of electronic notebooks or laptops.
Technology – Software: A guardian software to help keep students away from websites they shouldn’t be visiting.
Printed Materials
Class set of Student Shadow Record Sheet
Class set of Student Shadow Graph Half sheets.
Supplies
1/3 class set of sidewalk chalk; 1/3 classroom set of meter sticks; 1/3 classroom set of compasses
Internet Resources
Nelson, K. (2015, July 10). Exploring Daily Shadow Changes. Retrieved from https://betterlesson.com/lesson/636202/exploring-daily-shadow-changes
Other Resources
It must be a sunny day to conduct this lesson.
If Science is not in the morning, the schedule must be adjusted so that it is done in the morning for this lesson.
