What did the students find out in the experience? Were there any surprises?

I thought my lesson went well overall. I think the students found out their original solar oven designs had to be altered because they did not consider certain elements. For example, one group designed their pizza box to stay open and absorb the sunlight, but they did not plan a way to keep the box open. sing their creativity, they made long sticks out of aluminum foil and taped those to the side, which did actually hold the pizza box open. !hey were very proud of their work, as they should have been" #ow did the students in each group work together? Were there any problems?

$ost groups worked really well together. !here was one problem with a student who wanted the group to use his idea instead of the one the group voted on. %ecause they didn&t use his idea, he shut down and did not want to work with anyone. 'fter a few minutes of him not participating, I walked up to him and gave him a different (ob to get him back involved. )nce he completed his new (ob in the group, he got involved again and worked great the rest of the time. Was the activity open*ended enough, or did each group do more or less the same thing?

I think the activity was very open*ended because each group did something completely different in their design of the solar oven. !hey all had such uni+ue ideas and used the materials in many different ways. ,ot one group&s oven paralleled another. I think giving the students the freedom to be creative with their design really benefitted them. #ow did the students extend the investigation?

!he students had to create a presentation on their i-ads to teach the class why they designed their solar ovens the way they did and how they thought the heat would transfer. !his served to better extend their knowledge of the activity as well as review their knowledge of heat and energy transfer. #ow did the students connect this experience to their daily lives?

!here were a few ways the students connected to this experience in the classroom alone. I asked the students to give examples of heat and energy transfer before we even started and their answers were very practical in daily life. For example, a few students mentioned rubbing your hands together to make them warm when it is cold outside. !he students also loved the activity because they could relate to making smores, and this gave them an incentive to do a good (ob on their ovens. #ow did I accommodate students with learning and physical differences?

%ecause I taught this lesson my first week of the clinical experience and was still getting to know the students, their classroom teacher put them in groups he knew would work well together. I think this really helped accommodate for students with learning differences because he knew which students to pair together that would help one another stay focused. .ome students in the class had trouble focusing during other lessons but while they were making their solar ovens, they stayed on task. I think this may have partly been due to the groups the teacher put them in.

/id I use technology effectively?

I think the students really en(oyed using the .$'0!%oard at the beginning to show them a short clip of other kids making smores. I think this made them excited to create their solar ovens. 't the end of the lesson when the students made their presentations, they used i-ads. I think this was an effective way to use technology because the students had to teach the class what they learned. In my opinion, having to teach something really makes you understand the concept and I think that proved true in this lesson as well. )verall, what do I think the students got out of the experience?

I think the students really en(oyed this experience. 'fter designing their ovens, they really loved creating them. !hey worked really well with their peers for the most part. I think they were very enthusiastic to complete their assignments because they were excited to build something that would eventually lead them to be able to eat smores. I also think the students were able to see what they had been learning about heat transfer really come to life. What do I remember most about this science activity?

What shocked me the most, and something I will never forget, is how creative the students were. I was planning and discussing this lesson with my cooperating teacher and I asked him if we should have a step by step instruction to create an efficient solar oven. #e told me it would be a better learning experience for the students if they created their own. 't first I thought this may be hard for the students but they really exceeded all my expectations. I was so proud of their student*lead hard work and creativity within their groups. Would I do it again? #ow would I plan differently the next time?

I would definitely do this lesson again" I really liked teaching this lesson and I think the students really learned from it. ,ext time, I would allow for more time so the students could complete everything. When I taught this lesson, the students barely had time to begin their presentations on the i-ads before we ran out of time. .o, the next day the students had to finish their presentations and then they got to make the smores. I was so upset that we did not get to make the smores together on the same day, but the teacher was able to use that as a behavior incentive for the next day. %ecause the students behaved well the next day, they were able to make their smores that afternoon, so I guess it was not terrible that we could not finish it all in one day, but I would try to change that the next time I taught. What did you learn about yourself as a learner and as a teacher during this lesson?

I definitely learned that I love teaching. !his was my first lesson at my clinical experience and it made me so excited to teach the others. I wish I could have taught all day" I loved bonding with the students and I learned so much from them. !hey are so capable and creative. I learned to never underestimate them. .cience was never my favorite sub(ect in school so I was hesitant to teach it. #owever, teaching this lesson changed all the insecurities and doubts I had about teaching science. I learned I can teach science and the students will understand what I am trying to explain. !hat was very encouraging. !eaching this lesson also reinforced that I learn by doing things, not (ust observing. )bserving my teacher during a science lesson definitely gave me ideas

but it comes alive to me when I am actually the one teaching. I loved this experience so much, and I am very grateful my cooperating teacher let me teach such a fun, yet informative, lesson for my first one"

!he above information comes from the following source1 2och, 3. 456768. .cience stories1 .cience methods for elementary and middle school teachers. %elmont, 9'1 Wadsworth, 9engage :earning. 4pages ;7<*;7=8.