Name:______Nicole Gandolfo____________________________

EXPLORE
up to 30 points
Hands-On Activity: Science Process Skills

Lesson topic: ___The Life Cycle of a Lobster____________________ Grade level: _____2_____

This is the “Big Activity” portion of a 5E lesson. The Explore section provides children with hands-on
opportunities to use Science Process Skills. Students should spend time observing, talking, estimating,
measuring, sorting, comparing/contrasting, classifying, matching, assembling, etc. to start constructing
their own understanding of the lesson topic.

Creating data, interpreting data and questioning data as a result of their activity is a focus of this section.

1. Explore Section Objective: [2 pts] (WHAT is your goal and HOW will students achieve it – by doing what?)
a. The goal is to have students classify the stages of a lobster’s life cycle and see the anatomy
of a lobster. This will be achieved by organizing and matching notecards in the correct
sequence using the notecards as a model. Then, students will be presented two live
lobsters. In two groups, students will collect data by examining the lobsters and completing
a worksheet (see attached below) that will have a chart. There will be an open discussion
after each activity.

2. NGSS statement and Science Process GLCEs that support Explore Section Objective: [2 pts]
Indicate COMPLETE codes and accompanying statements of expectation:
a. NGSS: 3-LS1-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life
cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
b. Inquiry Process GLCE: S.IP.02.16 Construct simple charts and graphs from data and
observations.
c. Inquiry Analysis GLCE: S.IA.02.12 Share ideas about science through purposeful
conversation.

3. At which step(s) of Takayama’s Thinking level will your children be during EXPLORE? [1 pt]

a. Takayama’s “orange” way of thinking is the level the children will be during the explore
because they will be classifying, categorizing, using charts, and applying function
relationships.

4. Description of Explore activity: [9 pts]

a. Students will begin the explore lesson with the notecard classifying activity. Have students
partner up, then distribute the cards with the pictures to the groups. Let students organize
the pictures in which they think is the order of the lobster’s life cycle. After this task is
complete, give them the notecards with the words. Have students add the notecards with
the labels to their organized set. Reveal the correct order of a lobster’s life on the
whiteboard.

Next, students will be given a worksheet that has a chart. They will use this worksheet to
collect data while examining two live lobsters. The students will divide into two groups.
According to the worksheet, they will use their senses while collecting data. There will be
safety glasses and rubber gloves given to students for safety.

b. Data is collected with a worksheet for students to fill in during the observation of the live
lobster.
 c. Observing and collecting data are science process skills that are used during the
examination of the live lobster. Classifying and inferring are science process skills that are
used during the notecard organization activity.

5. Data Collection [4 pts]:

 A completed example of a hand-out ready data gathering sheet that students will use to
record the information they’ve uncovered. Attach this to your EXPLORE document. See
below.

6. EXPLORE Materials list [4pts]

 5 notecards with pictures of a lobster’s life cycle
 5 notecards with words in correspondence to a lobster’s life cycle
 2 live lobsters
 2 plastic tanks
 Rubber (non-latex) gloves
 Safety goggles
 Data worksheet

7. Activity Idea - Identify the source/idea for your activity [1 pt]:

a. Self-created/other source: I created this activity on my own.

8. Behavior Management Strategy and Safety Statement [3 pts]

a. Forewarn students: even though the pinchers have rubber bands, you should still not touch
them. Students will stay safe by the teacher reminding them to stay on task; Refer to the
worksheet and ask questions as needed. Allow for open discussion after each activity so
students can share their individual experiences. Ask questions like, “What are some other
words we can use to describe this lobster other than the ones we have used?”

9. Differentiation for student learning during Explore:

a. Indicate which of Gardner’s categories of Multiple Intelligences [2 pts]
a. Visual is addressed during the notecard activity and the live lobster examination.
b. Intrapersonal is addressed during the lobster examination because students are sharing
and examining in groups.
b. Identify ONE additional type of learner with differentiation needs. [1 pt]
a. A student who has ADHD and is struggling staying on task can be the “teacher
assistant” by asking special extra tasks (that are not overwhelming) after activities are
complete. For example, ask this student to help set up the live lobster activity after the
first activity.

10. Time allotted for your EXPLORE section. [1 pt]

a. About 15 minutes
Name: Example – completed worksheet

Directions: Examine the lobster in front of you and fill in the blanks with

adjectives that describe the characteristics using your senses!

oily fishy Smell

Feel scaly cold

smooth scary See

Hear taps squeak