PriorKnowledgeLessonPlanReflections

DuncanSmith

Whileformingalessonplanthereisalotthatyouhavetotakeintoaccount.Probablythe
mostimportantofthemiswhatyouwantyourstudentstocomeawaywithafterthelesson.
TheseimportantcontentpointscomedirectlyfromtheSOLstandardswhicharelikestepping
stonestotheinformationthatneedstobeinthere.However,whereyouwantyourstudentsto
endupisonlypartoftheplan.Almostasimportantaswhereyouwanttoend,iswhereeach
studentisstartingfrom.Thismakesalargedifferenceinwhatthenneedstobedoneinthe
classroomtoachieveyourgoals.ThisiswhatthisPriorKnowledgeLessonplanwasmeantto
bringuptous.
Inthisassessmentweweretostartbyinterviewingourstudentstofindoutwhatthey
knewbeforeweattemptedtoteachingthematopicofourchoosing.Thereasonthisisso
importantisbecauseifthestudentsarefartheralongthenyouwouldexpect,youcouldendup
goingoverinformationtheyalreadyknowandruntheriskoflosingtheirinterest.Onthesame
hand,youcouldstarttoofarforwardandlosethestudentsbeforeyouevenstart.Normally
teacherswouldhaveawealthofinformationtodecidedwhattheyneedtoteachsincethey
shouldhavelotsofinformalassessmentinformationtojudgewherethestudentsoncontent
matter.Forus,wehadtostepinandthenfigureoutwheretheystoodontheirknowledge.This
wasthefirststepofourassessment.Thisinformationwouldthenbeusedtodesignalessonthat
weweregoingtoteach.Afterteachingitwewouldthenassessthestudentsagainandseeifthe
lessonwassuccessfulornot.Thisisagoodtoolforteacherstousebecauseitcanletyoualter
lessonplansyearafteryeartomakesurethattheyarestillaseffectiveasyouwouldwantthem
tobe.
Formylesson,mycooperatingteacherandmyselfcameupwiththefactthatIwoulddo
boilingpoint,airpressure,andelevation.Thiswouldworkwellfora3daylessonplan,where
youcouldcoverthefirsttwopartsandthentiethemtogetheronthethirdday.Myideawasto
teachthelastdaytotiealltheinformationtogether.Thiswouldalsoallowmetotouchonthe
othertwotopicsandtieittowhattheyhadlearnedalreadyfrommycooperatingteacher.The
firststepthoughwastohaveafewstudentstotellmewhattheyknewsoIcouldfigureoutwhat
directionmylessonwouldtake.
MrWirt,mycooperatingteacher,cameupwith3kidsfromeachof4ofhisclassesthat
Icouldtakeasideoneday.IdidthisaboutaweekbeforethedayIwasgoingtoteachtoletthem
stillhavesomeofthebackgroundinformationonthesubject,buttothepointthatboilingand
airpressurehadnotbeencoveredbutatomtheoryhad.Ihadasheetofacoupleofquestions
askingopenendedquestionstoguideourdiscussions.Atthispoint,eachstudentandIwentinto
thehall.ThereIgavethemtheoptiontoanswerthequestionfirstandthendisussit,ordiscussit
firstandansweritafter.Somestudentsweremorereadytodiscussthequestionsoneattimeand
thenputdowntheiranswers.Somestudentsjustwantedtofilloutthepaper.Thetypeofanswers
Igotrangedfromidontknowtoananswerprettyclosetotheactualreason.Someofthe
answershadmepresentlysurprised.
ThepositiveresponsesthatIreceivedrangedfromalmostcorrecttopartsofthecorrect
answer.Alotofstudentscameupwiththingsthatcanaffectairpressurebutdidntcomeupwith
elevationbeingoneofthem.Veryfewhadthethoughtthatthiswouldbesomethingthatcan
changehowmuchpressureairexerts.Answersthatweregivenrangedfromamountofairbeing

changed,volumebeingchanged,andtemperature.Allofthesewerethingsthatcanaffectit,but
forthepurposeofthislesson,elevationwasthemainfactorIwaslookingfor.Whenitcameto
thequestionaboutboiling,thepreviouslessonsaboutparticlesmovingandkinetictheorywere
partiallyapparent.Thepartthatwasreallyinterestingtomewasthealternativeideasabout
airpressure'saffectonboilingaswellaselevation'seffectontheboilingpoint.Fortheeffectof
airpressureonboilingpoint,thereweresomethatknewtheairpressurecounteractedthe
boiling,butothersthoughitcouldbeduetothetemperatureandthefactthelidcancausean
issue.Somealsojusthadgutfeelingsordidntknow.Asfortherelationshiptoelevation,some
againhadtherightidea,andagainothershaddifferentideas.Someoftheseideaswasthecolder
temperaturewouldmakeitharder,gutfeelings,andtheideathatitwouldntbeaffected.Inalot
ofthesecasestheknowledgewouldbethere,butthewordstoexpressitwasnot.Thisrequireda
lotoftalkingbetweenthetwoofustocoaxouttheanswers.Theyhadsomeknowledge,but
puttingthepiecestogethertothefinalideaiswheretheyneededthemostwork.Somekey
conceptswerelackinginsomestudentsthough.ThisgavemetheideaofthestartingpointI
wouldneedtouse,soIsetforthplanningthelesson.
ThisassignmentletuslookattheINTASC6whileweweredevelopingit,anditwould
playaroleinourlessonplansandtheentirepriorknowledgeexperience.Ourlessonswere
designedtousebothformativeandsummativeassessments,andinthecaseofminetherewas
oneofeachperdayandanadditionaloverallsummativeassessmentattheendtotieitall
together.Thisallowedforcollectionofinformationonwhattheylearnedandunderstoodatthe
endofthelessonatthesametimeattheendofthelessontheywouldbegiventhesame
questionsandgothroughanotherinterviewwithme,soIcouldseeoneononewhattheyhad
learnedandhowconfidenttheywereaboutthem.WhiledevelopingthelessonIwantedtomake
surethatIguidedtheirinquirityinawaythathelpedfosterscientificinvestigation.Thiswas
donethroughactivitiesandconverstationstoletthemfindtheansweredinsteadofjustbeingtold
theanswer.InmylessonthatItaughtIalsomadesuretofosterstudentsthoughtsandtieingthe
concepttotherealworldtomakesolidconnections.Thesethingsledmetomakingsureinthe
wholelessonandinthedaythatItaughttomakesureImadesuretochecktheirunderstanding
aswegoon.
ThedayItaught,Ilearnedalotabouttimemanagement.Itwasapparentthatthetime
thatgoesonpaper,wontalwaysmatchupintheclassroom.Ilearnedveryquicklyaboutaltering
aplanontheflytomakesureitfitsinthetimeframe.Thiswasprobablymylargestteacherof
theday,Ilearnedquicklyhowstudentsunderstandingandtakingtimetomakesolidconnections
cancausetimeissues.Mostoftheactivitieswereshiftedaroundindifferentways,likeone
engagegoshiftedtothemiddleoftheexplainphaseandtheworksheetbecameaclass
discussionsinstead.Ifithadbeenmyclassroomthelessonswouldprobablyhavebeenspread
over5daystoallowformoretimefordiscussionstobetterfostertheirinquiry.Alsocombining
the3daysof5Elessonsinto25Elessonstospan3dayswouldalsobeanotheralterationwhich
couldhavebeenbeneficialaswell.Whendesiginingthelessons,Iwantedtomakesuremy
lessonsplansweredirectedatthemlearningthewhy.Thishas,andstillis,themostimportant
partofeducationtome.Ifastudentcantellyouthewhy,theyunderstandtheinformationand
willretainitforlonger.IalsowantedtomakesurethatIscaffoldedthelearningsothattheygot
someblocksoneday,morethenext,andthenthethirdwewouldbuildsomethingwiththem.I
wantedthemtodothisbyexploringpartsofeachblock,theideaofwhatisboilingandtheidea
ofwhatisairpressure.SinceIhadn'ttaughtthisinformationduetonotteachingthefirsttwo

days,IhadtoinjectthoseintotheDay3lessonplan,whichdidcausesomeofthetimeissuesas
well.Thepriorknowledgeinformationletmerealizethatasawhole,theyshouldbeableto
handlethissincetheyhadaprettygoodfoundationtostarton.Withallthethingsthatchanged
andIhadn'texpected.Ifeltprettyconfidentabouttheirlearningthough,andIwouldsoonfind
outifIwascorrectornot.
AfterteachingmylessonIgaveitaweekandahalfuntilIinterviewedthestudents
againwiththesamesheetofpapertheyhadbefore.IdidthisbecauseIdidntwantthemjust
repeatinginformationthatwasfreshintheirmind.Iwantedtoseeiftheyretainedsomeofthe
informationifnotall.Theyhadalreadyhadthetestthatcoveredtheinformationsothattoofit
withmywanttoseehowwelltheyheldontotheinformation.Iwasveryhappywiththeresults
ofthissecondinterview.Mostofthemnolongerneededtobewalkedthroughthethinking
processandinsteadcouldexplainthereasonswhythethingshappened.Outofthe12I
interviewed,onlyonehadissuesrecallingtheinformationandtwoofthemneededalittlepush
beforeitcamerushingback.Themostimportantpartisthatmostofthemansweredthe
questionscorrectandwiththerightterminology.Almostallofthemcouldexplainthemainpoint
thatIwantedthemtolearn,aselevationgoesup,airpressuregoesdownandsodoestheboiling
point.