 Electronic PortfolioThe University of Pennsylvania's Science Teacher Institute Master of Integrated Science Education Program |
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| Use
of New Pedagogical Knowledge in Designing Instruction – The participant has demonstrated the application of improved knowledge of educational theory in the design of teaching materials or lessons used in his or her own classroom. |
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Related Course - EDUC 536 - TEACHING AND LEARNING MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE
In this course, we had to write a set of lesson plans. I thought that I did a good job with my plan. I read my teacher's guide and included some of the basic activities. In the lesson template, they are called "CORE LEARNING ACTIVITIES". The complete document is attached below, but I will pull out some keywords to give a general idea of the lessons:
ORIGINAL CORE LEARNING
ACTIVITIES:
Day 1. The teacher will read .... Student should take note of the definitions ....The teacher will display an overhead transparency .... The teacher will model how to make a flow chart, and then the students will make ....
Day 2. ... show students an animation .... make connections.
Day 3. ...review homework.... Engage students in a discussion....Review the lab activity.... discuss the analysis of the lab....clarify any questions.
Day 1. The teacher will read .... Student should take note of the definitions ....The teacher will display an overhead transparency .... The teacher will model how to make a flow chart, and then the students will make ....
Day 2. ... show students an animation .... make connections.
Day 3. ...review homework.... Engage students in a discussion....Review the lab activity.... discuss the analysis of the lab....clarify any questions.
My instructor made comments about my work using the "Track Changes" option in Microsoft Word, so you can view his his complete editing suggestions by linking to the document. I have to include what he said because it was a huge wake-up call for me:
INSTRUCTOR'S
COMMENTS:
"Please explain why you chose “reading about science” as a strategy that best helps students
to develop conceptual understanding at this stage. I did not see anything in your description
of the class to suggest that students cannot read on their own.
What do the students learn copying their rock cycle flow chart from their textbook onto a
sheet of paper?
How can you give the students a more active role in exploring ideas and constructing
understanding?
I can’t think of a good reason to have the lab follow all the reading and charting. It should be first.
Engage the students in exploration through hands-on activity first. Then let them develop the explanations and read the book and learn or memorize the terms. I can’t imagine that the research on learning about the rock cycle told you that all these charts and reading is how students best learn that processes that take thousands to millions of years can change one thing slowly into another.
Seeing sediments in a rock helps you to place it in the sedimentary rock box. Seeing crystals in an
igneous rock helps you to put in a box where rocks that have been melted then cooled and
crystallize belong. Seeing a deformed metamorphic rock helps you to understand that pressure
deforms things and so deformed rocks belong in the metamorphic box. Squeezing two small sticked
pieces of modeling clay so that the clay gets deformed and stretched also helps you to do this – you
feel the pressure and you see the change with your eyes. Readings and cartoons can follow.
"Please explain why you chose “reading about science” as a strategy that best helps students
to develop conceptual understanding at this stage. I did not see anything in your description
of the class to suggest that students cannot read on their own.
What do the students learn copying their rock cycle flow chart from their textbook onto a
sheet of paper?
How can you give the students a more active role in exploring ideas and constructing
understanding?
I can’t think of a good reason to have the lab follow all the reading and charting. It should be first.
Engage the students in exploration through hands-on activity first. Then let them develop the explanations and read the book and learn or memorize the terms. I can’t imagine that the research on learning about the rock cycle told you that all these charts and reading is how students best learn that processes that take thousands to millions of years can change one thing slowly into another.
Seeing sediments in a rock helps you to place it in the sedimentary rock box. Seeing crystals in an
igneous rock helps you to put in a box where rocks that have been melted then cooled and
crystallize belong. Seeing a deformed metamorphic rock helps you to understand that pressure
deforms things and so deformed rocks belong in the metamorphic box. Squeezing two small sticked
pieces of modeling clay so that the clay gets deformed and stretched also helps you to do this – you
feel the pressure and you see the change with your eyes. Readings and cartoons can follow.
REVISED
CORE ACTIVITIES:
Day 1. Students will complete the “performance-based lab” (see lab sheet) in which students
use sugar cubes to represent rocks. The sugar goes through heating and cooling, and at
each stage can be equated to sedimentary, magma, igneous rock, and metamorphic
rock.
Day 2. Students will complete the “Metamorphic Mash” Lab (see lab sheet) in which students
use clay to model pressure. The students will observe the layering behaviors of the
materials used.
Day 3. Students will complete the “Crystal Growth” Lab (see lab sheet) in which students use
magnesium sulfate to model the crystallization processes at different rates of cooling.
The students will observe three different rocks, and compare their results to those
rocks.
Day 1. Students will complete the “performance-based lab” (see lab sheet) in which students
use sugar cubes to represent rocks. The sugar goes through heating and cooling, and at
each stage can be equated to sedimentary, magma, igneous rock, and metamorphic
rock.
Day 2. Students will complete the “Metamorphic Mash” Lab (see lab sheet) in which students
use clay to model pressure. The students will observe the layering behaviors of the
materials used.
Day 3. Students will complete the “Crystal Growth” Lab (see lab sheet) in which students use
magnesium sulfate to model the crystallization processes at different rates of cooling.
The students will observe three different rocks, and compare their results to those
rocks.
link
here to view the complete document:
Original Lesson Plan with Instructor's Comments
Revised Lesson Plan
Original Lesson Plan with Instructor's Comments
Revised Lesson Plan
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