Kristin Madden

Grade: 2 (Miss Johnson) Teaching Date: Tuesday, October 25th

Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Mathematics
2007 ACEI Standards

READINESS
I.Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal(s)Unit (broad terms)
Students will be able to conduct experiments in the classroom.
B. Objective(s)(specific terms)
After the completed lesson, students will be able to identify steps of
the scientific method, which helps us to preform investigations.
After the students complete the experiment, they will be able to
draw and write the similarities and differences between how squash
and pumpkins look and feel.
C. Standard(s): Professional Society/State/District
SEPS.3 Constructing and performing investigations
II.Materials
a. Picture of my family
b. PowerPoint slide with the scientific method
c. Piece of paper (to write down student response during mini-lesson)
d. For Experiment:
i. 1 squash
ii. 1 pumpkin
iii. Tools to cut them open and to scoop out the insides
iv. Paper plates (2 per table group)
v. Paper towels
vi. Pumpkin investigation journals (1 per student and 1 to model
with)
vii. Document camera
viii. Knife/pumpkin carving utensils
III.Time and Space
a. Anticipatory Set at desks, 3 minutes
b. Mini-lesson on the carpet (first half), then move to their seats
(second half to write in journals) 15 minutes
c. Discovery Activity at desks/table groups 25 minutes
d. Closure at desks 8 minutes
IV.Management
a. Get class to listen by saying Class class. They will respond saying,
Yes yes?
b. Say mirrors when I want students to copy me
c. Play the pink panther song when students need to come to the
carpet
d. Use one second party and mighty groan for positive/negative
reinforcement
V.Anticipatory Set:
Show students a picture of my family
1

Kristin Madden

Grade: 2 (Miss Johnson) Teaching Date: Tuesday, October 25th

Describe how some people think I look like my mom and my sister,
and that my brother looks like my dad. Tell students that we
sometime laugh at the same things, but we are not the same
people! We are alike but not exactly the same.
Say, Just like we have families, plants also have families, and we
are going to learn about two plants today that are in the same
family.
VI.Purpose: We are going to learn today through discovery. This means that
we are actually going to look inside of two plants! This will teach us
how to be real scientists who can ask questions and find answers to
our questions!
PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION
(ACEI 1.0)
Adaptation to Diverse Students
Saul (ELL) Saul is pretty fluent in English, but some new vocabulary
words can be tricky for him. I will make sure to scaffold new words for
him and use hands-on learning to enhance his understanding. The
students will work in groups so he will have others around to help him if
he misunderstands.
Brison If he is not behaving, I will try asking him to be my special
helper and allow him to work beside a teacher. I will pair him with Miss
Johnson if necessary.
Jamison He has autism and sometimes refuses to do his assignments.
I will give him the option to either participate or go read a book by
himself (Miss Johnson said he always chooses to participate)
(ACEI 3.2)
VIII. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)
Mini-lesson scientific method
o Show PowerPoint slide with the scientific method. Keep this slide up
for the entire lesson and experiment. Say, All good scientists follow
the same steps to discover something new. This is called the
scientific method. The first thing they do is make an observation. An
observation is something you notice. An observation I can make right
now is that (insert students name) is wearing (insert color he/she is
wearing). Who wants to share an observation they have?
o Call on a few students to respond.
o Say, The next thing scientists do is ask a question about something
they observed. For example, I wonder why (insert students name) is
wearing (insert color of shirt) today. After I ask myself a question, I
make a hypothesis. A hypothesis is what you think the answer is to
your question. My hypothesis is that (insert students name) is
wearing (insert color of shirt) today because it is his/her favorite
color. A hypothesis does not always have to be right, it is just your
best guess based on what you know.
VII.

Kristin Madden

Grade: 2 (Miss Johnson) Teaching Date: Tuesday, October 25th

o Say, A scientist then conducts an experiment. An experiment is a

way to find the answer to your question. To find an answer to my
question, I am just going to ask (insert students name) why he/she
wore (insert color) today. Question the student. Write down what the
student said.
o Say, What did you notice that I did as (insert students name) was
telling me his/her answer? (Probe students to respond that you
recorded/wrote down the answer on a piece of paper. Say, Yes, I
wrote down the answer! That is because scientists write down what
they learned from their experiment. This is called drawing
conclusions. The last thing scientists do is share their results with
other people. This way, other people can learn what they have
learned!
o Say, Show me a thumbs up if you understand the scientific method.
Does anybody have any questions?
o Say, Today we are going to be using the scientific method to find the
answer to our own question. Before we ask a question, we are going
to first look at this pumpkin and this squash.
o Show the students a real pumpkin and a real squash. Say, I want
you to open up your Pumpkin Observation journal to this page.
Model the page on the projector. Say, Pumpkins and squashes are
different plants, but they are part of the same plant family. That
means that they will be both the same and different. I want you to
help me observe how they are the same and different on the
outside. Have the students draw what they see. Allow the students
to come up by table to touch the outside of the plants. Encourage
students to describe what the plants look like and feel like.
o After all of the students have a chance to observe, ask, Who wants
to share with me what they observed? Call on a few students who
have ideas of how pumpkins and squashes are alike on the outside
and different on the outside. Write down their answers in the
projected investigation journal (so they have an idea of answers and
can spell the words). Give the students time to write down their
answers in their own journals
Discovery Activity
o Question: Is there a difference between the inside of a squash and
the inside of a pumpkin?
o Say, Hmmmnow that we have found a few similarities and
differences between pumpkins and squashes, Im wondering if they
are the same or different on the inside. Put your thumbs up if you are
wondering that question too.
o Say, I think it would be fun if we actually opened up the insides to
see what the differences and similarities are.
o Say, Flip your pumpkin investigation journal to the next page. Our
question is written down in our journal already. Before we can

Kristin Madden

o
o
o

Grade: 2 (Miss Johnson) Teaching Date: Tuesday, October 25th

actually open up the pumpkin, we need to make a hypothesis. I want

everyone to think if they believe the inside will be the same or
different. When you think you know, either blow same or different
into your hand. Once all of the students have an answer, say, Now
shout it out!
Write down on the hypothesis line both phrases I think they will be
the same and I think they will be different. Read both hypothesis
to the students. Say, Write down your hypothesis in your journal. Do
not write down both of these phrases, just write down whichever one
YOU think.
Say, Now we are ready for our experiment! I am going to open up
the squash first (under the doc camera) and then the pumpkin (under
the doc camera). Have Miss Johnson place paper towels on all of the
students desks. Allow the students to rotate (by table) between the
squash and the pumpkin. Tell them to just look first, and not to touch.
When they return to their seats, say, Now, each table is going to get
a plate with some of the insides of the squash and some of the
insides of the pumpkin. You are allowed to touch what is on the plate.
Pay attention to what it looks like and what it feels like. Do not touch
your clothes, your classmates, or your paper without washing/wiping
your hands first. Do not fling what is on your plate around the
classroom. If I see you doing any of these things you will not be able
to do the experiment. Show me how to be a good scientist!
Pass out paper plates with the insides to each table group.
After a few minutes of exploring, begin to tell students to wipe off
their hands and draw what they see. When students finish that, take
their plates away and begin to discuss what it felt like.
Ask, Who can describe for me what the inside of the pumpkin felt
like? Record the answer in the journal on the document camera. Ask,
Who can describe for me what the inside of the squash felt like?
Record the answers in the journal. Tell the students to pick a few
words to write down in their journals.
Tell the students, We can now make a conclusion, which is what we
learned is the answer to our question. Who can tell me a similarity
between the insides? Who can tell me a difference between the
insides? Call on multiple students. Record their answers. Give the
students time to record their answers in their journals.
Say, Now, I want you to turn to the people sitting next to you. Show
them your pictures and tell them which words you chose to describe
what you felt and saw. This is how we can report our results and
share them with others!
(ACEI 2.3)
(ACEI 3.3)

IX.Check for understanding.

Kristin Madden

Grade: 2 (Miss Johnson) Teaching Date: Tuesday, October 25th

The responses students give from asking questions

Thumbs up if the students understand the scientific method
Observing what the students are drawing/writing during the
experiment
Allow students to ask individual questions/point out specific things as
they explore in their groups
Closure discussion
X.Review learning outcomes / Closure
Spark a Science Talk discussion. Leave the Powerpoint slide on the
projector. Ask the students, How did we think and act like scientists
today? Allow for student response. Say, The steps we learned
about are all steps of the scientific method. Who can remind me of
the first step? Call on a student. Ask, What observation did we
make today before we began our experiment (looked at the
outsides)? Call on a student. Continue this call/answer discussion
for each step in the scientific method. Ask, Who can remind me the
second step in the scientific method? What was the question we
asked? Who knows the third step? What was our hypothesis? Who
can tell me the fourth step? What was our experiment? What is the
fifth step? How did we record our results? What is the sixth step?
How did we share our results with others?
PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT
Formative: student activity during the experiment and mini-lesson, closure
science talk discussion
Summative: Reading the students pumpkin investigation notebooks
(ACEI 4.0)
REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS
1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who
did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and
ability levels?
a. Blooms Taxonomy
b. Gardners Multiple Intelligences
7. Was the experiment grade appropriate?
8. Did the students have fun?
9. Did the students understand the scientific method mini-lesson?
Revision Date: September 12, 2016
2007 ACEI Standard

Kristin Madden

Grade: 2 (Miss Johnson) Teaching Date: Tuesday, October 25th