Jessica Lee- Science Lesson Solids November 27, 2013 Context and Beliefs The first-grade students at E.M.

Stanton have limited exposure to science in the classroom. My classroom mentor bases her lessons on the science curriculum and book given to her by the school. Although the students have science class about once a week, it is not a consistent part of their schedule. I was still able to observe three different science classes during my fieldwork. All of the lessons were about measurements and students were able to use a ruler, pan-balance, and thermometer to measure different things. When I first observed the science lessons, I was honestly a little disappointed because they didnt seem very fun or exciting. I talked to my classroom mentor about the science lessons and she seemed to agree that some, like using a ruler to measure pictures, could be boring. However, I realized from this conversation that measurements are still an important aspect of building a foundation for young students. They need to learn how to measure in order to do other types of science in the future. It was also related to Ready, Set, Science and the importance of learning progressions. Young students need to build a foundation to learn key science concepts (p.63). I started to think not only about what I wanted to teach in science, but why I was going to teach it and how it would be useful for the students. When I first started thinking about what I wanted to teach for my science lesson, I had a lot of different ideas. I thought about doing another lesson that would be related to measurements since the students were learning about it in class. I wanted students to realize the importance of learning how to measure correctly and to find a way to make it more meaningful for them. I was hoping that students would be able to make connections to what they are learning in class to the outside world. I looked for different lessons on measurements for first-grade students and started to brainstorm ideas. For example, I thought about a lesson where students would find different leaves and measure them to compare the size of leaves that fell and leaves that were still on the tree. I wanted students to make predictions about how leaves fall. I really liked this idea but realized that it was going to be hard to bring the students outside and also to find trees close to the school. This really helped me to start thinking about the arrangements that I would need to make in order to teach the lesson more smoothly. At the same time, I also thought about doing a lesson about animals that was related to the field trip to the zoo our class took. There was a lot of potential for teaching science through the trip, but my classroom mentor mostly focused on math (counting the number of animals) and literacy (writing about their favorite animal). I started to think about different ideas for a science lesson about the zoo and animals but the timing didnt really work for this lesson. It also didnt fit in with the current science curriculum in the classroom so I thought that the lesson would be really random. I decided to talk to my classroom mentor again about what the students will be learning in science. I told her when I wanted to teach my lesson and she suggested that I teach something about the states of matter, specifically solids, since that is what the current science curriculum would focus on during the week I wanted to teach my lesson. My final idea that I chose for my science lesson plan is to teach a small group of students about solids. Although I didnt really like the science curriculum and lesson in the classroom at first, I realized how important it is for me to learn how to teach according to the curriculum and standards that are given to a teacher. I asked myself a lot of different questions to start planning my lesson: What do I know about the states of matter and solids? Why do students need to learn about solids? What will help them understand the concept of solids? What are the goals for teaching my lesson? I referred to A Framework for K-12 Science Education for a better understanding of what kind of goals and tasks I should set for my students. The framework helped me to plan a lesson about solids, which is one of its core ideas in physical science.

Comment [NRB1]: Thank you! This is the extra I was talking about in the science assignment. It tells me how you got here.

Core Decisions of Lesson Design What My lesson will be about the states of matter with a focus on solids and their properties. In A Framework for K-12 Science Education, one of the core ideas in physical science is matter and its interactions (PS1). According to the framework, by the end of second grade, students should be able to know that different states of matter exist. Students will learn that matter can be described or classified by its observable properties. They will also learn that different properties are suited to different purposes (p.108). Since the class will be starting a new unit on the states of matter, my classroom mentor has asked me to focus my lesson on solids. Students should already know that matter is what makes up the things around us, and that there are three states of matter. Through my lesson, I hope that my students will build a stronger understanding of solids and apply what they learn in a meaningful way. The main goal of my lesson is for students to understand solids as one of the states of matter and the properties of solids. Students will work directly with different solid objects and describe their characteristics. I hope to that students will be able to make connections about what they already know about the objects to build on their existing knowledge, with the properties of solids. Students will be able to articulate and describe the properties of solids and use their understanding to make and justify claims. Students will also understand that solids hold their shape, no matter what size, texture, etc. they are. I hope that students can make further connections about solids by have them use different solid objects to build a structure. I want to give students an opportunity to apply and use their understanding of solids. How In the first part of my lesson, students will begin with a guided experience that will let them observe different solid objects. There will be a basket of solid objects of varying sizes, shapes, textures, etc. Students will take one or two objects and describe them in as many different ways they can think of. I hope that through the discussion, the students will be able to see which characteristics that the solid objects all have in common. According to A Framework for K-12 Science Education, this is a crosscutting concept as students will be able to recognize certain patterns and features that apply to all solids. If students have some trouble reaching conclusions on their own, I may ask guiding questions such as Is there anything you see in common? What is something that is the similar for all of these objects? I also want students to recognize that there are many types of solids, but they still share the same properties. By physically having different solid objects, I hope that students will be able to think more deeply about what solids are and their observable properties. I will engage the students in a further discussion about the matters observable properties and try to get students to think about what a solid is and why. I want to give students an opportunity to practice argumentation. Students can use their understanding of solids to make a claim about an object being solid, and support it through reasoning. They should use descriptive evidence of solids based on the observations they made about the objects and what they know about the properties of solids. Students will be encouraged to listen, respond to each other, and ask questions so that they can help each other to construct meaning and understanding of the concept of solids. In the second part of my lesson, I will have students apply their understanding of solids that they established during the first part. Similar to the first part of the lesson, students will be given another set of solid objects that they will use to build something with. Before building, I will ask the students to describe the objects which will include, tissues, paper, wooden blocks, plastic cubes, cardboard, etc. Together the students will fill out a chart with the different characteristics of the solid objects. I hope that students will respond to each other and help add more to the chart so that everyone has a chance to practice reasoning and describing the

Comment [NRB2]: I am worried about the length of the lesson. Although I loved the basket of objects above, I wonder if you could just start with this second set of objects, observing them, and charting their properties, and then go on to the building part. I want there to be time for that wonderful application of their knowledge.

properties of solids. Students will also be asked to think about how to categorize the different types of solids. After filling out the chart, students will be asked to build something, a bridge or building, using the materials given to them. Students will also have the choice of working alone or in a pair. I hope that by using the solid objects to build something, students will have a better understanding of what the properties of solids are and how there are can also be different types of solids. Students will think about different possible for uses for the solids and have to make decisions on what type of material to use to build their bridge or building. Students will be asked to share their bridge or building and also explain why they chose and used certain types of solids over others. They will also have the chance to comment and respond to each others structures in a respectful manner. Lastly, the lesson will close with a short discussion on what the students learned. Why To plan my science lesson, I thought about what I wanted to teach and how. I knew that I wanted my lesson to help the students think more meaningfully about the concept of solids and for them to have an opportunity to apply their understanding. Children are born investigators and make observations in their every day lives. They already have certain ideas and it is important for science to build on their already existing understanding of scientific concepts. Many students experience a disconnect between the science they are learning in school and the science that they are engaged in their everyday lives. The idea for my lesson came from the current science curriculum being used in the classroom. However. I wanted to build a lesson that required both knowledge and practice, an inquiry-based and problem-solving approach, a commitment to data and evidence as the foundation, and argumentation and analysis where students examine and review their knowledge and critique others (p.24). I also wanted to incorporate an engineering aspect of the problem where students are asked to solve a problem and build something. I wanted to use the content that was going to be covered based on the curriculum and standards for the students, but for them to have an authentic experience with science so that they could develop meaning and understanding on their own. The objects I use in my lesson are things that the students should already be familiar with. I wanted students to make connections with their everyday lives. By describing the solid objects, I wanted students to realize that making observations is an important part of the scientific process and that science is all around them. I also wanted students to discuss and talk about their ideas. After spending time in the classroom, I wanted to give students an opportunity to practice using argumentation and analysis. I think it is really important for students to use reasoning and articulate their thinking process. It not only gives me a better idea of their understanding, but it also helps students to think things out more. Students also benefit from hearing other students share. I also wanted to have a realistic application of their understanding to show them that science is an important part of our everyday lives and how things function. By building a structure and thinking about the different solid materials to use, I was hoping that students would realize that science is a necessary part of making important decisions for the way things work. I hope that through my lesson, students will have a better understanding of solids and their properties. This is an important core idea in students scientific knowledge and background. Having an understanding of the states of matter and their properties is a continuous learning progression that students will have to build on. Students will have the chance to build on their own understanding and develop more meaning about the concept of solids and their properties. They will also have the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a realistic problem. This lesson is related to my overarching question in Term II about how to best engage students during lessons so that they will be motivated in their personal learning. I hope that students will be able to realize that science is all around them in their everyday lives. I want them to become more curious about science and become interested in being good scientists. I also hope that some will

be motivated to think about how science can be applied to the everyday aspects of their lives. I want them to realize what an important role science plays and make connections to science outside of the classroom. Science Lesson Plan Goals / Objectives Students will be able to understand solids as a state of matter. Students will be able to identify different objects as solids. Students will recognize the characteristics of solids and use descriptive evidence to support their claim. Students will be able to understand that different properties, even within solids, have different purposes and apply this understanding. Standards (and Assessment Anchors, if applicable) My lesson is based on the Next Generation Science Standards in Physical Science, Structure and Properties of Matter, which says, 2-PS1-1: Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties. 2-PS1-2 & 2-PS1-3: Different properties are suited to different purposes.) Although NGSS PS1.A is for second grade, I chose the standard I though fit most closely with my lesson. I also looked at A Framework for K-12 Science Education which says that by grade 2, a student should be able to follow a plan, preplan designs for simple projects, and recognize the common design elements of certain types of objects and the properties required Students manipulate a variety of building toys, such as wooden blocks, interlocking objects, etc. to help them recognize that what one builds depends on the things one is building from, many different objects can be constructed with multiples copies of a small set of different components. A Framework for K-12 Science Education gives a more general reference for what students need to know about matter and its properties before the second grade. I also thought the NGSS second grade standard could still be applicable for my students even though its technically for second grade because my students will be able to build on this knowledge in the future. I will focus more specifically on how matter can be described and classified by its observable properties. I will also focus on how different properties are suited to different purposes. It is important for students have a learning progression and this lesson will help prepare the students for what they will be learning about matter and its properties in second grade. Please add a cross-cutting concept and a practice from the Framework. You are going to find this shockingly easy because this is such a good lesson! Materials and preparation Various solid objects (cotton ball, metal key, plastic ball, marker, etc.) Index cards Chart paper and markers Building materials (blocks, paper, straws, plastic cups, popsicle sticks, tissues, glue, etc.) Classroom arrangement and management issues The classroom is an open area where it is challenging to find a private or quite space. My plan is to try and arrange the lesson to occur in the library when it is empty. Having the lesson in

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Comment [NRB3]: In education these are often called affordances. Comment [NRB4]: It is just more standard form to show these as a list. I did not change anything!

Comment [NRB5]: I have no problem with this. I wish the standards had stayed with grade bands, as the Framework does.

Comment [NRB6]: Nice!

Comment [NRB7]: I think you should add tape and maybe even something like clay that the kids could stick popsicle sticks into to hold them together. Glue has to have time to dry

the library will be quieter and there will be fewer distractions for the students. I hope that the students will be more focused and engaged in a quiet space outside of the classroom. Although the library setting will be different, the students have been there before and will still feel comfortable. The library has tables and chairs where students can sit during the group lesson. I will have them sit around the table so that they will be facing each other while talking. I will be working with a group of students that I dont usually work with because I wanted the chance to teach other students. I am a little concerned about managing a new group because I dont know what to expect. However, I know that the students do not have behavioral problems and respect me as a teacher. I will try to establish the norms in the beginning of the lesson so that students know the rules and what the expectations are. I will make it clear that students cannot call out and that they should use the thumbs-up signal to show when they want to share something. I will facilitate the discussion so that students are respectful while listening, especially so that they will respond to each other. Another way I plan to establish the norms is to talk about what good scientists do since the students do not really have an understanding of what science or scientists do. I want to tell students that good scientists are: open-minded, respectful, listens to other peoples idea, make mistakes, learn from mistakes, try new things, make observations, notices the details, communicates clearly, etc. I hope to remind the students to be good scientists during the lesson to help manage the small group. Plan 1. Launch: Explore Objects (10 min) I will start the lesson by asking students, What is matter? What are the three states of matter? I want students to recall previous knowledge about the states of matter and make any clarifications before continuing with the lesson on solids. I will let students know that the lesson will be focused on one of the states of matter and give students different solid objects. The solid objects will vary in size, texture, and shape. The objects will include a cotton ball, marker, plastic ball, metal key, etc. that they will be familiar with. Based on the objects, I will ask students, Which state of matter do you think we will be focusing on today? I anticipate that a student will say solids and I will explain each student will be given a solid object and have about 2 to 3 minutes to think about the different characteristics of the object. This initial exploration will be the hook for students to get them interested in learning about solids. Each student will be required to participate and will be asked to share what they came up with. Other students will also have the chance to respond and add more to the description. After all of the students had a chance to share, I will ask students, What type of matter is the object? Why? Students will discuss what properties all of the objects share. If they have trouble with this, I might ask, Is there anything you see in common? What is something that is similar for all of these objects? As the students talk, I want them to come up with the properties of solids together. Rather than being the one to explicitly teach the students what solids and their properties are, I want the students to teach and learn from each other. The students will agree on a definition of solids and what their properties are together. Students should use descriptive evidence to talk about why these objects are solids. The students will use their understanding that theyve gained through touching, exploring, and describing the solid objects in the next task. 2. Work and explore: Using Solids to Build a Structure * (30 minutes) For the main part of the lesson, students will be told to use various solid objects to build a structure. I will tell students that we need to build a new city and ask What do you think the best type of structure will be? Students will be given a choice to build a structure of their choice. I will give students a couple of choices such as a house, a building, a bridge, or a tower to give them an idea. However, I will also allow students to come up with their

Comment [NRB8]: It might be worth using the word engineer here since they are designing something physical. You can say scientists and engineers.

Comment [NRB9]: This plan is very narrative. Generally lesson plans are structured more like recipes the kind of thing you can look back at quickly to remember what you meant to say. Will this format be helpful to you in the moment? (The content is great.)

own idea as long as it is still a structure that people use. Before students start building, they will have an activity very similar to the first part of the lesson. Students will be given a variety of solid materials that they will be able to use to build their structures. However, students must first describe each object. I will create a chart that students can fill out with the different characteristics of each object. I will ask students, Are these also solid objects? Why? Or how do you know that? to start the discussion. I want students to recognize that all of the objects are solids, but that they have different characteristics. I want students to think about what the material is made of and how there are variations even among solids. Students should start to think about how different properties are suited to different purposes and even solids can be used in different ways. As students put together the chart, I will let them know that the purpose of making the chart is to help them think about what materials will be the best to use for building their structures. The chart can also be used a reference later. Depending on time, I may ask students to share their initial thoughts on what they want to build, using what materials, and why. I will allow the students to build their structure however they want and with whatever material they want to use. I want students to explore and play around with the different materials, and make their own decisions about what to use so that they get a real understanding of what the properties of these solid objects are. Students who might have some trouble will also have the option of working together with a partner. At the end, each student must share his or her structure. They must also explain why they chose the specific materials they used to make their structure. Students will be asked what they noticed about the properties of the various solid materials and how it impacted their building. I will also ask How would things have been different if we tried to use materials that werent solids? What do you think would happen? If there is additional time, students will be asked to make connections to real structures they see around them, or if they would choose to use different materials the next time. 3. Debrief and wrap up: Closing Discussion (5 minutes) The lesson will be wrapped up with students sharing something that they learned about solids, their properties, and/or their experience in building a structure using solid materials. I may also ask them How and/or why is what we learned today about solids useful for our every day lives? Anticipating students responses and your possible responses I anticipate that the students might have some confusion about the different states of matter. I will be sure to ask students questions about what matter is and what the three states of matter are before starting my lesson so that I know the students already have some understanding of the topic. Although I want my students to create their own understanding of solids and their properties on their own, I do need to be there to clarify any misconceptions they might make. I will have prepared a definition for solids and their properties so I have something to refer to just in case the students are completely confused. I also anticipate that there might be some questions about the properties of solids themselves, such as Is it still a solid when something changes shape? What happens when you rip a piece of paper or glass breaks? It is no longer holding that same shape. I think that having some materials such as paper and having a student rip it themselves and talk about whether or not it is still a solid will be a good way to help them understand. I want the students to use models to help them answer the questions themselves. I will try not to answer students directly, but guide students by asking them high-order questions to help them come up with the answer on their own. I also anticipate that students might get loud, rowdy, or too excited during the building process. I will do my best to establish the norms in the beginning of the lesson and manage their behavior through reminders of what the expectations are. Students may also get frustrated when something doesnt work out while trying to build their structure. I will remind the students to keep trying and that good scientists and engineers use their

Comment [NRB10]: Yes, as I noted, I am worried about the time here. Why not start with each child choosing an object to describe, as you suggest above, but use these building materials for that, and put the information in your chart immediately? Then you will have established how you are using the chart when you explain that you are going to examine all of the other materials with the goal of building something. This will end up giving you more time for building. Comment [NRB11]: You might want to have a time in mind here, and even maybe use a timer of some kind so that the children can plan accordingly. Comment [NRB12]: I am thinking about the fact that you are working in the library, and that I am not sure you can transport these creations back to the classroom. Could you photograph each child with their structure (great for your portfolio if you have media permission slips) and then later print them for the kids? (I just mean make paper copies, not photographic paper or anything.) Comment [NRB13]: Comment [NRB14]: I actually think that the discussion above, where each child explains his or her structure, and then you ask the potentially silly question of what would have happened if you had tried to build with something other than solids is a fine closure. Comment [NRB15]: But this is not really the point of this lesson. The real point here is the comparison among solids and which properties make them appropriate for which uses. Comment [NRB16]: Humm This is interesting and it is why I would not try to teach the definitions of solid, liquid, and gas at this age. Hold its shape really means that it does not take the shape of the container like liquids that flow into the bottom and fill it, or gases that expand to fill the whole space available. ... Comment [NRB17]: My guess is that this is pretty far outside a lot of what these students get to do in school so yes, be prepared. But you can establish a culture ... Comment [NRB18]: Yes.

mistakes to try something new. I hope that this lesson will be an engaging and meaningful science experience for the students. Assessment of the goals/objectives listed above I will assess the students understanding by listening to their discussion about solids. I will also observe the students while they are using solids to build to assess how they are applying their understanding of solids. To keep track and assess the students, I will create a checklist with space to make observations. The checklist will consist of the following: Understands the concepts of solids Understands the properties of solids Uses descriptive evidence Demonstrates argumentation and reasoning Builds with solid materials (uses reasoning)

Comment [NRB19]: Totally right!

Accommodations 1. Accommodations for students who may find the material too challenging: I hope that students will be work together and help others who may struggle or find the material too challenging. Since much of the lesson is designed around discussion, I want the students to help each other to understand the concept of solids. For building the structure, I will give students the choice of what type of structure they want to build and also give them an option of working together with a partner. These choices may be particularly helpful for a student who might find the material challenging since he or she could get more help from a classmate. 2. Accommodations for students who may need greater challenge and/or finish early: For students who may need a greater challenge and/or finish early, I will ask the students to think about other solid materials they could use to make the structure better and why. Students will be given an opportunity to make suggestions to improve their own structure. They can also be asked to think about the type of materials that other buildings around them are made of and why. * Adapted from: http://solidsandliquidsdi.blogspot.com/

Comment [NRB20]: I doubt that this will happen. There is always more to build!

Comment [NRB21]: Thank you for citing!