Part 1: Instructional Strategies – Science Unit Plan
For this assignment, you will research instructional strategies and describe how they can connect multiple areas of science. Use these specific instructional strategies to support your grade/developmental level, standards, and learning objectives for the unit plan.
Continue developing the “Science Unit Plan†by completing the following components of the unit plan:
Instructional Strategy/Strategies Used: Each chosen strategy should provide opportunities for independent study, active inquiry, collaboration, and/or supportive interaction in the elementary classroom. Use a combination of instructional strategies that are best suited for each lesson and student.
Summary of Instruction and Activities: Write a brief summary of instruction, activities, and learning content of each lesson to connect students’ prior knowledge to key science concepts through application of major standards-based concepts and modes of inquiry.
The details of the “Science Unit Plan†will continue to be fully developed and revised throughout the duration of the course, culminating in a complete unit plan due in Topic 5.
Part 2: Reflection
In 250-500 words, summarize and reflect on the process of continuing your unit plan and deciding on instructional strategies that best complement your standards, learning objectives, and lesson plan. How do your instructional strategies promote critical thinking and problem solving skills? Explain how you will use this process in your future professional practice.
Support your reflection with at least two scholarly resources.
Submit the “Science Unit Plan†and reflection as one deliverable.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
Clinical Field Experience A: Observing Student Engagement in Science and Health
Allocate at least 3 hours in the field to support this field experience.
Part 1: Observation
Observing a classroom environment can provide much needed detail and understanding of students’ learning needs and continued progress.
Observe a K-8 classroom during a science lesson. If possible, observe a lesson that integrates health, PE, or nutrition. During your observation of the lesson, complete the “Clinical Field Experience A: Science Observation†form.
With the help of your mentor teacher, identify 3-5 students above, at, or below standard achievement in the classroom environment that would benefit from additional learning support. Ask your mentor teacher for the unit and standards the class is currently learning, in order to develop the pre-assessment for Clinical Field Experience B and inquire about implementing a science pre-assessment during Clinical Field Experience B.
Speak with your mentor teacher and, provided permission, use any remaining time to seek out opportunities to observe and/or assist your mentor teacher or another teacher and work with a small group of students on instruction in the classroom. Your mentor teacher must approve any hours spent observing another classroom environment.
Part 2: Reflection
Maintain your documentation to develop an instructional approach with students. As a follow up to your observation, reflect on your observation experience.
Following your observation, discuss the science lesson with your mentor teacher. In 250-500 words, summarize your observation and discussion with your mentor teacher, and describe how you will apply what you have learned to your future professional practice.
Your discussion should answer the following questions:
How do you engage students in learning opportunities specific to science?
How do the science lessons promote critical thinking and problem solving skills?
How did the students respond and engage during instruction and independent work?
How do you modify or adjust instruction based on response from students?
How do you prepare to teach instruction in the content area (vocabulary, knowledge of material, content standards, resources)?
Submit the “Clinical Field Experience A: Science Observation†form and reflection as one deliverable.
APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
Document the locations and hours you spend in the field on your Clinical Field Experience Verification Form.
Submit the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form to LoudCloud in the last topic. Directions for submitting can be found on the College of Education site in the Student Success Center.
Clinical Field Experience A: Science Observation Form
Part 1: Observation
Grade Level:
Description of Science Lesson:
Describe additional academic content areas that were present in the lesson.
Document the evidence that demonstrates that the teacher encouraged students to understand the material and ask questions for clarity.
Document opportunities that reflect on prior content knowledge, including cultural relevance, and specific academic language to support the instruction in the identified science content area.
Document how students responded during instruction and independent work.
Describe how students were assessed throughout and at the end of the lesson. Did all students participate?
Part 2: Reflection
Science Unit Plan
Kieandra Curry
Professor Akbar
Date:07/1/2020
Grade: Second Grade
Unit Theme: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Week 1
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Lesson Title, Brief Summary, and Rationale
(fill in during Topic 1)
Lesson title: Earth Day
Summary: This lesson will emphasize on the environmental wellbeing of our planet. Some of the areas which will be covered include garbage, natural resources, reduction of waste, and the 3 R’s of reducing, reusing, and recycling. The rationale behind this lesson is the fact that children are the future and they need to be thought about the earth and ways to save it in future.
Lesson title: The earth’s layers
Summary: This lesson is focused on demonstrating the layers of the earth to the students using play dough.
Rationale: This lesson will make students understand that the earth is made up of various layers and not only one as many would think.
Lesson title: Natural resources.
Summary: This lesson is focused on helping the learners understand the various resources naturally found on the earth.
Rationale: There is need for children to understand that the earth is endowed with various important natural resources such as plants, water, animals, soil, among others.
Lesson title: Where does the garbage go?
Summary: This lesson is designed to help learners understand where garbage ends up after leaving our homes.
Rationale: This lesson contributes to the students’ understanding of waste management and how it can negatively affect the environment if not handled properly.
Lesson title: Recycling
Summary: This lesson is designed to help children understand what recycling is, what can be recycled, how they can help others appreciate the concept of recycling, and how the earth can be saved through recycling.
Rationale: Children need to understand recycling, its benefits, and how it can help save the planet.
State-Specific Standards
(fill in during Topic 1)
Tennessee Science State Standard 2.2.4. Recognize that the environment and the organisms that live in it can be affected by pollution. 362
TN.9.0. Earth and Space Science: Earth Features: The student will understand that the earth has many geological features that are constantly changing.
TN.10.0. Earth and Space Science: Earth Resources: The student will investigate the properties, uses, and conservation of earth’s resources.
2.2.4. Recognize that the environment and the organisms that live in it can be affected by pollution. 362
2.10.2. Realize that earth materials can be recycled or conserved. 39
Learning Objectives
(fill in during Topic 1)
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to tell the history and significance of Earth Day as well as figure out how they can protect the earth.
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to name the earth’s layers
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to describe a natural resource and identify the various natural resources found on planet earth
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand what happens to trash after it leaves their homes and the potential environmental and health hazard associated with it.
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to figure out recycling solutions to safe their communities.
Vocabulary
(fill in during Topic 1)
Earth day, protect, compost, trash, pollution, water, clean, volunteer, recycle, reuse, reduce, environment.
Mantle, crust, core
Natural resource, air, sunlight, water, soil.
Garbage/trash, pollution, plastic, recycling, environment, living organisms
Recycling, compost, plastic, glass, paper, clothes, waste, emissions.
Instructional Strategy
(fill in during Topic 2)
Summary of Instruction and Activities for the Lesson
(fill in during Topic 2)
Differentiation and Accommodations
(fill in during Topic 3)
Materials, Resources, and Technology
(fill in during Topic 4)
Formative Assessment
(fill in during Topic 5)
Summative Assessment
(fill in during Topic 5)
Reflection Topic 1: The process of beginning the unit plan and including multiple content areas of science in one lesson needs one to think in a wider spectrum. This is as opposed to the thinking one has to do and the considerations to make when preparing a lesson focusing on only a single content area. While preparing the lesson, one important thing that I had to bear in mind that the key concepts of the lesson must be interrelated. This was achieved by first identifying a broad area in science that can be taught or examined in different ways. For instance, the environment is quite an expansive area that can be taught under many different subtopics.
The most important key components of the unit plan so far include topics/titles, summary and rationale, state standards, learning objectives, and vocabulary. The lesson titles are important because they help learners have a rough idea of what will be learned during the lesson. The summary and rationale helps the teacher to briefly state how the lesson covers different areas of science. State standards component is key in the sense that stating them ensures that the lesson is meeting the students’ learning needs at this grade level. Objectives are vital for the reason that they give students a clear purpose on where they should focus their learning efforts, and guide the teacher’s selection of teaching activities and assessment methods. Vocabulary helps learners understand various terms used in science and how they can be applied in daily lives. Further, they also help learners develop language skills.
This process can be used in my future practice to help me prepare lesson plans with concepts which overlap from one lesson to another. Through the process, I will be able to arrange related lessons chronologically so that learners can build on related concepts.
Reflection Topic 2:
Reflection Topic 3:
Reflection Topic 4:
Reflection Topic 5:
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