Observation

Instructional Lesson
Classroom: Ms. K
Grade: 4th
Curriculum Area: Science
What I notice
Students glued notes into their
daybook
Discussed the difference
between current electricity and
static electricity
Ms. K read the notes to them.
Shed stop when she came to
new vocabulary words
Had students draw in a light
bulb
Explained how the light bulb
actually lit up (filament).
Handed out a sheet to check for
understanding on yesterdays
lesson.
When finished with the sheet,
students were allowed to take
out their circuit kit and make
parallel and series circuits with
their groups.
(this exploration lasted about 15
minutes)

Observer: Kristen Pashkoff

Date: 3/23/16
Time: 2:15-3pm
Thoughts, Questions, Connections
to Methods Classes
Connected current lesson to
previous lesson done the day
before. Yesterday we did
parallel and series closed
circuits (current electricity).
Tied to static electricity in this
lesson.
There are many topics in
science that I would have to
teach myself before teaching a
class.
Checking for understanding of
prior knowledge before moving
on.

 Ms. K told me where the

science lessons would be
moving to in the future.
They integrate science and
social studies. Students are
responsible for creating a
model of a lighthouse in
North Carolina (social
studies). To integrate
science, the students will
have to create a circuit to
light their lighthouse
(science).
A group of students realized
in order to make the light
brighter, they need more
power. They put 4 batteries
in a line (not in the holders),
all touching one other. They
set up wires connected to
light sources. The light was
the extremely bright.

LOVE this idea and

integration
Perfect example of
integrating two subjects

Reflection
I enjoyed observing science instruction in Ms. Ks class. Because
Patriots is a STEM school, they integrate a lot of science and engineering
into their curriculum. In other schools, science is rarely taught. The students
in Ms. Ks 4th grade classed loved science. They took part in project-based
learning and did a lot of self-discovery and exploring. The students were put
in groups and given a bag with materials to make a circuit. Ms. K would
never tell them exactly what to do; shed allow them to figure it out on their
own. The students were always excited for science instruction. For this

particular lesson, I liked that the whole class followed along as she read.
They discussed what was read and she explained the elements in a light bulb.
I thought it was a great idea for her to do a comprehension check before
allowing the students to explore. She made them complete a brief worksheet
on the lesson they had done on circuits the day before. This showed her who
had understood the concepts and who needed more instruction. Once they
completed the worksheet, they were able to play around with their circuits.
Many of the students surprised me with their knowledge. Most students
had one battery to start but many groups kept adding more power. They
realized the lights shined brighter with more batteries in the circuit. One
group even put 4 batteries next to each other, not even in the holders, and
were amazed at how bright their light lit up. It was great to see students
engaged and learning in fun ways. There are many textbooks they could read
from but it is much more fun for students to experience things themselves
and work hands-on.