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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

Connected Lesson: Critical Task

Miekal Morris
EDE 4944
11/15/16

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

Introduction: Connecting Theory and Practice

For my lesson, I decided to go over the Scientific Method. It was important I taught this
task because my students are getting ready to work on their STEM projects and this lesson will
help prepare the students before they tackle their projects. The objective of my lesson was How
can you use the scientific method to solve a problem? I covered several different learning
standards such as SC.5.N.1.3 Recognize and explain the need for repeated experimental trials,
SC.5.N.2.2 Recognize and explain that when scientific investigations are carried out, the
evidence produced by those investigations should be replicable by others, SC.5.N.1.4 Identify a
control group and explain its importance in an experiment. I used a variety of strategies to teach
my lesson which included guided release, group work, and modeling. It is always important to
model learning in the classroom and I chose this strategy so that the students could see what was
expected from them, how to do it and ore importantly to reemphasis that it can be done. For this
lesson, I modeled the expectations of each activity, in addition to an example problem to show
how I would use the scientific method to solve a problem. Group work is a great learning
strategy to promote a cooperative learning environment and I chose this strategy so that it would
give the students a chance to work together and explore the activity to promote divergent
thinking and build a sense of community. In my lesson, I had the student work with their
shoulder partner to work on their experiment. Guided release is a useful strategy to slowly
release the responsibly of teaching and learning from the instructor to the students. I chose to use
guided release as a learning strategy for this lesson because it was an effective way for the
students to get the information and start to explore the content without being overwhelmed. For

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

both lessons, I would go over the information and steps of the scientific method, followed by a
group discussion that would lead into their group work.
Assessment: Focus on Data Collection and Analysis
For my connected lessons, I started off by giving the students a pre-assessment to gain a
better understanding on the students knowledge of the scientific method. The pre-assessment
was made up with five questions, with four of the questions being multiple choice and one short
response having the students list the steps of the scientific method. The questions that I selected
for the pre and post assessments were aligned with the objective because the students where
learning about the scientific method and they were also aligned with the learning standards
SC.5.N.2.2 Recognize and explain that when scientific investigations are carried out, the
evidence produced by those investigations should be replicable by others and SC.5.N.1.4 Identify
a control group and explain its importance in an experiment because the questions directly relate
to the standards. To administer the assessments, I projected the questions on the board using the
ELMO and the students wrote their answers on an index card. To evaluate the pre-assessment I
decided to make the assessment worth ten points. Each multiple choice question was worth a
point and the short response was worth a point per step that was listed for a maximum of 5 points
for the short response. After reviewing the pre-assessment, I noticed that most of the students had
troubles with the short response and on average the students only listed 3 steps of the scientific
method. With this information, I was able to develop a lesson teaching the different steps of the
scientific method. I made sure to formulate my observations during classroom discussions and
while reviewing student work. I started to notice upon reflecting, that a good portion of the
students were getting results and conclusions confused with one another, so I made it a point to
modify my connected lesson to address those misconceptions. For the students performance

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

task, the students had to use and label the five steps of the Scientific method, and they were all
successful. For extra measure, I also administered the same pre-test again to the students because
I felt that although the students did a wonderful job on the performance task, I wanted to make
sure that every student was successful and since the students worked in groups of two. Once
again, the students results were very successful.

Pre Assessment
Points;
10%
5 Points 10
and
Under;
15%
9 Points; 10%
6 Points; 15%

8 Points; 30%
7 Points; 20%

10 Points

9 Points

8 Points

7 Points

6 Points

5 Points and Under

For differentiation for this connected lesson I made sure the students needs were accommodated.
For the ELL students, translated materials, individual assistance and time will be provided if
needed. They were already working with a partner, but they may work in a larger group if needed
on a case by case basis. For students who needed enrichment, they can use the back of their
graphic organizers and explain their test results at the top of the paper and at the bottom of the
paper explain their conclusion. They can also try to create an additional experiment using the
same materials and rules but have the setup be completely different from the original. For
students who are struggling, they may use their notes flip chart notes from the day before for the
performance task only. Individual assistance and time will be available if needed. The students

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

are already working in pairs, if for some reason the pair is struggling they may also work with
another group on a case by case basis.

Post Assessment
7 Points; 5%

5 Points
8 Points;
10% and Under; 5%

10 Points; 55%
9 Points; 25%

10 Points

9 Points

8 Points

7 Points

6 Points

5 Points and Under

Analysis of Day 1
Looking over my video recording and my student work, I can see that the students were
learning during my lesson. During my wrap-up of the lesson, I had a classroom discussion to go

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

back over what we have learned and did a comprehension check. At about 1 hour and 3.12
minutes into my lesson I was able to observe my students giving and explaining the different
steps of the scientific method and they also showed how they would apply their knowledge to a
real life problem that I gave them for their task. My activities were somewhat effective. The
foldable that the students filled out for their science notebooks worked out really well, however
my application task didnt work out as well as I had hoped. I felt that the problem that I gave
them was a little too broad because I had to repeat the directions at least 7 times. There was one
student who also wanted to argue the problem was not testable, which I can see where she is
coming from but that was not what the directions were that were given. I think in the future I will
spend more time giving an explicit set of directions to avoid confusion.
There were a few students who did really well with this task. This group of students were
engaged throughout the lesson and were able to apply what they learned to a real life scenario.
These students also activity participated during classroom discussions and shared their student
work with the rest of the class. I feel that at least 2 of these students performed really well
because I was teaching rather than their teacher. I have a good relationship with these two
students and I think that is what kept them more engaged during the lesson. Based after what
happened during this lesson, I will make sure that my directions are more explicit and review the
differences between results and conclusion.
For the an evaluation for this lesson I would like to do more with performance tasks
considering my pre-assessment didnt go as well as I had hoped it would have. The point of this
lesson was to review the steps of the scientific method and to show how you would apply it to
real world situations, so I feel that a performance task would be the better option for this lesson
Analysis of Day 2

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

Looking over the student work and the observational data that I have collected, I feel like
the students were able to learn the objectives being taught. The students were able to demonstrate
their thinking and application process through their student work by showing how they used the
scientific method to save Fred. I felt that my activities were engaging because all of the students
were participation and eager to do so. The students had fun working together and every student
completed their work. The entire class properly used and labeled at least 5 of the steps of the
scientific method. The students who didnt use those steps had the tendency to lump some of the
steps together.
The materials of the lesson were really effective because the students were extremely
excited to work with their hands and especially with candy. I am very relieved that I bought the
twin snakes gummy because it allowed me to create additional challenges and opportunities for
enrichment.
There was a group of students who did really well, perhaps it is because they have done
this activity before but I also think they were having fun coming up with new ways to save Fred
rather than just finding one way to save Fred and sticking to it. The students who struggled with
this activity, were the students who were distracted by their peers or because they let their partner
do the work. In the future I would like to pay closer attention to the groups to make sure that
every student has the opportunity to work on the activity. I think for the next step, I would have
the students create their own problem or question and let them do their own research to develop a
solution to the problem or question. This activity the problem was already given to them, so I
would like to see how they can do it on their own without being prompted.
Connected Lessons: Using Data to Drive Instruction

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

Lesson Content : Scientific Method : Day 1

What Standards (national
or state) relate to this
lesson?
(You should include ALL
applicable standards. Rarely
do teachers use just one:
theyd never get through
them all.)
Essential Understanding
(What is the big idea or
essential question that you
want students to come away
with? In other words, what,
aside from the standard and
our objective, will students
understand when they finish
this lesson?)
Objectives- What are you
teaching?
(Student-centered: What will
students know and be able to
do after this lesson? Include
the ABCDs of objectives:
action, behavior, condition,
and degree of mastery, i.e.,
"C: Given a sentence written
in the past or present tense,
A: the student B: will be able
to re-write the sentence in
future tense D: with no errors
in tense or tense contradiction
(i.e., I will see her
yesterday.)."
Note: Degree of mastery does
not need to be a percentage.)

SC.5.N.1.3 Recognize and explain the need for repeated experime

SC.5.N.2.2 Recognize and explain that when scientific investigatio
evidence produced by those investigations should be replicable b
SC.5.N.1.4 Identify a control group and explain its importance in a

Rationale

Evaluation Plan- How will

you know students have
mastered your objectives?

This lesson is being taught in order to prepare the students for th

using the scientific method.
Observation
Discussions
Collected student work. I will give students a problem and they w
they would solve it using the scientific method and provide detail

Address the following:

What formative evidence
will you use to document

How can you use the scientific method to solve a problem?

Students will use their knowledge of the scientific method to cond

solve a problem.

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task
student learning during
this lesson?
What summative evidence
will you collect, either
during this lesson or in
upcoming lessons?
What Content Knowledge
is necessary for a teacher
to teach this material?
What background
knowledge is necessary for
a student to successfully
meet these objectives?
What misconceptions
might students have about
this content?

Students should be familiar with the Scientific Method steps and

Students should also have some exposure to Newtons

Students should be able to problem solve and work together in gr

Students may have a hard time figuring out what is a testable hy

opinion.
Lesson Implementation

Teaching Methods
(What teaching method(s) will
you use during this lesson?
Examples include guided
release, 5 Es, direct
instruction, lecture,
demonstration, partner word,
etc.)
Step-by-Step Plan
(What exactly do you plan to
do in teaching this lesson? Be
thorough. Act as if you needed
a substitute to carry out the
lesson for you.)
Where applicable, be sure to
address the following:
What Higher Order
Thinking (H.O.T.) questions
will you ask?
How will materials be
distributed?
Who will work together in
groups and how will you
determine the grouping?
How will students
transition between
activities?
What will you as the
teacher do?
What will the students do?

Direct instruction
Demonstration
Group discussion

Time
45
min

Who is
responsibl
e (Teacher
or
Students)?
Teachers
and
students

Each content area may require a different st

whichever plan is appropriate for the conten
For example, in science, you would detail th
(Engage/Encountering the Idea; Exploring th
Explanation/Organizing the Idea; Extend/App
Evaluation).

Hand out the graphic organizer and th

Have the student cut the graphic orga
lines
As we go over each step of the scient
turns reading the text aloud, each stu
information on the appropriate flap of
Review each step as a group before g
Originally, the main focus of the lesso
can solve problems using the scientifi
the Pre-Assessment the students need
the different steps of the scientific me
important that the students have a so
different steps of the scientific metho
solve problems or experiments.
Present the Prezi to show how you can
using the scientific method

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task
What student data will be
collected during each
phase?
What are other adults in
the room doing? How are
they supporting students
learning?
What model of co-teaching
are you using?

https://prezi.com/thbvp4hy3zo8/the-scientifi

What will you do if

What will you do if

Meeting your students

needs as people and as
learners

Accommodations (If
needed)
(What students need specific
accommodation? List
individual students (initials),
and then explain the
accommodation(s) you will

On a separate piece of paper, give the

and using that piece of paper, have th
they would use to solve the problem u
method
Once everyone is done, come togethe
how everyone chose to solve the prob
Review again how I would use the scie
the problem
Collect the papers and have the stude
organizer into their science journals.

a student struggles with the content?

Individual support and time. Provide examples that reflect that st
interests. Partnered work on a case by case basis.
a student masters the content quickly?
They can use their graphic organizer to start working on their ste

If applicable, how does this lesson connect to the interest

backgrounds of your students?
This reflects their cultural beliefs because problem and experime
used in their everyday life.
If applicable, how does this lesson connect to/reflect the l
This connects to the community because it the students are work
solving skills, collaboration works on creating a sense of commun
that reflect a good citizen skills.
How will you differentiate instruction for students who ne
challenge during this lesson (enrichment)?
They can either create their own problem to show how they would
problem using the scientific method. They will also have a choice
to work on their stem faire project.

How will you differentiate instruction for students who ne

language support?
If needed translated materials, individual assistance and time wil
They are already working with a partners, but may work in a large
only have one ELL student in class, and he did pretty well on his P
constructed observations throughout the lesson and checked up o
see if he needed any assistance.
Z- may need additional support when they move onto their indivi
possible unfamiliar vocabulary

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task
implement for these unique
learners.)
Materials
(What materials will you use?
Why did you choose these
materials? Include any
resources you used. This can
also include people!)

https://prezi.com/thbvp4hy3zo8/the-scientific-method/
graphic organizer for 20 students
paper
reading text

Lesson Content: Scientific Method Day 2 Save Fred

What Standards (national
or state) relate to this
lesson?
(You should include ALL
applicable standards. Rarely
do teachers use just one:
theyd never get through
them all.)
Essential Understanding
(What is the big idea or
essential question that you
want students to come away
with? In other words, what,
aside from the standard and
our objective, will students
understand when they finish
this lesson?)
Objectives- What are you
teaching?
(Student-centered: What will
students know and be able to
do after this lesson? Include
the ABCDs of objectives:
action, behavior, condition,
and degree of mastery, i.e.,
"C: Given a sentence written
in the past or present tense,
A: the student B: will be able
to re-write the sentence in
future tense D: with no errors
in tense or tense contradiction
(i.e., I will see her
yesterday.)."
Note: Degree of mastery does
not need to be a percentage.)

SC.5.N.1.3 Recognize and explain the need for repeated experime

SC.5.N.2.2 Recognize and explain that when scientific investigatio
evidence produced by those investigations should be replicable b
SC.5.N.1.4 Identify a control group and explain its importance in a

How can you use the scientific method to solve a problem?

Students will use their knowledge of the scientific method to cond

solve a problem.

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task
Rationale
Address the following
questions:
Why are you teaching this
objective?
Where does this lesson fit
within a larger plan?
Why are you teaching it
this way?
Why is it important for
students to learn this
concept?
Evaluation Plan- How will
you know students have
mastered your objectives?

This lesson is being taught in order to prepare the students for th

using the scientific method.

During the experiment through repeated trials to see if the stude

the Scientific Method. The students will be filling out a graphic org
their thoughts. After the experiment has concluded we will engag
discussion on what they have learned.

Address the following:

What formative evidence
will you use to document
student learning during
this lesson?
What summative evidence
will you collect, either
during this lesson or in
upcoming lessons?
What Content Knowledge
is necessary for a teacher
to teach this material?

Students should be familiar with the Scientific Method steps and

Students should also have some exposure to Newtons Law

What background
knowledge is necessary for
a student to successfully
meet these objectives?

Students should be able to problem solve and work together in gr

How will you ensure

students have this
previous knowledge?
Who are your learners?
What do you know about
them?
What do you know about
their readiness for this
content?
What misconceptions

Students may get results and conclusions confused with each oth

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task
might students have about
this content?

Teaching Methods
(What teaching method(s) will
you use during this lesson?
Examples include guided
release, 5 Es, direct
instruction, lecture,
demonstration, partner word,
etc.)
Step-by-Step Plan
(What exactly do you plan to
do in teaching this lesson? Be
thorough. Act as if you needed
a substitute to carry out the
lesson for you.)
Where applicable, be sure to
address the following:
What Higher Order
Thinking (H.O.T.) questions
will you ask?
How will materials be
distributed?
Who will work together in
groups and how will you
determine the grouping?
How will students
transition between
activities?
What will you as the
teacher do?
What will the students do?
What student data will be
collected during each
phase?
What are other adults in
the room doing? How are
they supporting students
learning?
What model of co-teaching
are you using?

two steps that I wanted to address and revisit during the lesson b
student work and looking over my recorded lesson, several stude
steps confused. I decided to review these two steps in addition ha
separate element on the back of their worksheets so that I may e
Students may have a misconception about what is testable and w
Lesson Implementation
I will begin the lesson reviewing the scientific method and then le
groups of 2 to test their experiments. At the end of the lesson, we
group and have a group discussion.

Time

30-45
min

Who is
responsibl
e (Teacher
or
Students)?

Teachers
and
students

Each content area may require a different st

whichever plan is appropriate for the conten
For example, in science, you would detail th
(Engage/Encountering the Idea; Exploring th
Explanation/Organizing the Idea; Extend/App
Evaluation).

Materials:
Gummy worms (1 per group) (10 groups)
Gummy Jolly Ranchers (1 for each group) (1
Paper clips (4 clips per group) (10 groups)
Clear plastic
Graphic organizer
Paper
Youtube video https://youtu.be/bUa-ilQqEv0

Be prepared before the lesson with th

the room. 10 graphic organizers, 10 c
gummy ring, and 4 paper clips inside
Start lesson by reviewing what we lea
Scientific method the day before (focu
conclusion since there was some conf
These were the main two steps that I
revisit during the lesson because base
and looking over my recorded lesson,
getting the two steps confused. I deci
steps in addition having them be a se
back of their worksheets so that I may
Play the Youtube video (Scientific Met
Explain to the class that you will be w
determined groups of 2) and have one
go to the back table to grab one cup

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

and return to their desks

Read the short story about saving Fre
Read the Problem box that explains
Display the image on how the experim
Using the graphic organizer, have the
their experiment (pictures included)
*** If time permits*** have the students use
graphic organizers and explain their test res
paper and at the bottom of the paper explai
Observations during the lesson, this was inc
students.
After the experiment bring the class t
discussion on what they have learned
the problem using the scientific meth
Be sure to let the students share to th
questions
What will you do if

a student struggles with the content?

If students are struggling, they may use their notes flip chart note
Individual assistance and time will be available if needed. The stu
working in pairs, if for some reason the pair is struggling they ma
another group on a case by case basis.

What will you do if

a student masters the content quickly?

If the students master the content quickly, they can use the back
organizers and explain their test results at the top of the paper an
paper explain their conclusion

Meeting your students

needs as people and as
learners

If applicable, how does this lesson connect to the interest

backgrounds of your students?
This lesson contains candy which will engage their interests. This
cultural background because these contain elements that are fou

If applicable, how does this lesson connect to/reflect the l

This connects to the community because it the students are work
drowning, which is developing problem solving skills, collaboratio
sense of community, and they are working together to save a life
citizen skills.

How will you differentiate instruction for students who ne

challenge during this lesson (enrichment)? For enrichment,
of their graphic organizers and explain their test results at the top
bottom of the paper explain their conclusion. They may also try t
experiment using the same materials and rules but have the setu
different from the original.

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

Accommodations (If
needed)
(What students need specific
accommodation? List
individual students (initials),
and then explain the
accommodation(s) you will
implement for these unique
learners.)
Materials
(What materials will you use?
Why did you choose these
materials? Include any
resources you used. This can
also include people!)

How will you differentiate instruction for students who ne

language support?
If needed translated materials, individual assistance and time wil
They are already working with a partners, but may work in a large
only have one ELL student in class, and he did pretty well through
constructed observations throughout the lesson and checked up o
see if he needed any assistance.
J & Z may have to work together on this project. Individual assista
needed for this group.

Gummy worms (1 per group) (10 groups)

Gummy Jolly Ranchers (1 for each group) (10 groups)
Paper clips (4 clips per group) (10 groups)
Clear plastic
Graphic organizer
Paper
Youtube video https://youtu.be/bUa-ilQqEv0

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

Reflection on Student Learning and Teaching Practice

Overall, I think the most powerful adjustment that I made was to go back and review the
steps of the scientific method, had I not done that I would not have been able to discover the
misconception of the results and conclusion. I feel that by reviewing the steps it helped the
engage the students prior knowledge on the subject and as a class we were able to build upon
those skills and implement them as well. I have learned how important it is to collect data and
analyze it, so that I can make the necessary modifications or accommodations to my lessons so
that I can give my student the best possible learning environment. Through collaborations with
my peers, I was able to help develop meaningful assessments, and methods I could use to modify
my lessons.
Reflection Day 1
There were a few things that I implemented differently. Originally, my pre assessment
was going to be 10 questions long but due to time constraints I changed it to 5 questions. There
was 4 multiple choice questions and a short response. Based off of the pre-assessment I knew I
had to spend a little more time than I originally thought to go over the steps of the scientific
method. If I was going to teach this lesson again to the same group of students, I would have
made sure that I pulled up the right PowerPoint and spent a little more time demonstrating the
directions on the activity. For the most part, I would have kept the rest of the lesson the same but
I felt that the wrong PowerPoint was a little confusing for the students because even though the
PowerPoint contained the same information the example the it used was not as effective because
the experiment example was not strong enough, so when the students went to work on their
activity they had several questions.

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

What surprised me the most out of this lesson, was that the students kept getting results
and conclusion confused. At about 22.54 minutes into the lesson I found myself going over the
differences for the 4th time. The scientific method is not something new to these students and
based off of the pre-assessment, it was not an area that lacked comprehension. Looking back at
this experience, it reminds me of something that we went over in my childrens literature class
about reading your material ahead of time to make sure it is appropriate. I took the gamble by
showing the other PowerPoint, granted I did skim the PowerPoint ahead of time to make sure it
was age and school appropriate but I didnt really stop and think about how the examples that the
PowerPoint gave could be misleading.
Reflection Day 2
Overall, I thought that my lesson went pretty good. There were several things that I had
to implement differently. I had no idea that the students had already done this activity before in
the 4th grade, although the students were really excited to do the activity, I had to make a couple
adjustments to make it more challenging. At first I had the students do the activity as planned and
after each group completed the task I would have them try to solve it again with only 3 paper
clips followed by 2 paper clips. About 20 minutes in the lesson, I decided to implement another
task. Once the students completed those three tasks, I provided a more challenging task by giving
the same tasks to the students but with a twin snake instead.
If I was going to do this lesson again for the same group of students, I most likely
wouldnt do it since the students have already done the activity before and I feel like I could have
come up with an alternative activity. However, I still really like the activity and I would use this
activity again if the students have not done it before because the students really liked the activity
and they were really engaged.

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

There were several things that surprised me during the lesson, one obviously being the
fact that the students had already done the lesson before but also the fact that the students really
were able to apply what they learned in my lesson from the day before to this activity. It was
really nice seeing the students apply what they have learned without being prompted. I was able
to connect this to what I have learned in my instructional planning class where I had to create a
performance task. This was very similar because the students had to apply what they have
learned to the task at hand as a form of assessment.
Appendix
Pre /Post Assessments

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Connected Lesson: Critical Task

Student Work: Day 1

Student Work: Day 2