Student Name: Victoria Dickens

Grade Level: Second Grade

School: Cale Elementary School
Date of Lesson: September 8, 2014
Topic: Scientific Method
Enduring Understandings:
A process can be used in order to solve a problem or mystery that I encounter.
Essential Questions:
What is the process that I can use to solve questions or problems that I have?
Primary Content Objectives:
Students will know:
Predictions can be made by making a good guess from what I know.
I can use a problem solving strategy to figure out if my prediction is right.
Students will be able to do:
Predict what will happen in the book before and during reading.
Answer questions about the strategy used to figure out the problem in the book.
Related state or national standards:
Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic
SOL 2.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of
science by planning and conducting investigations in which
a) Observations and predictions are made and questions are formed;
j) Conclusions are drawn;

Assessment:
Formative Assessment: Post-It notes that predict what will happen in the book; the reactions that
the students are having to the book; the debrief after reading the book that allows students to talk
about the scientific process that the characters in the book use in order to solve the question or
problem.

Materials and Resources:

Mac Side Up by Bob Elsdale
Post It Notes
Science Journals
Overhead of what students will be writing in their journals
Key Vocabulary and Definitions:
Prediction: thinking or saying what is going to happen before it happens; many times this
is based on what we already know or see.
Lesson Procedures:
1. Introduction and goal orientation:
a. Everyone come to the carpet and bring your science journals and a pencil with
you.
i. Show me that you know how to walk to the carpet quietly and quickly so
that we can go ahead and get started. I will be awarding points to
everyone who impresses me.
b. Today we are going to learn about how scientists think and how scientists solve
problems or answer questions. But before we can do that, we have to know what a
scientist is.
i. What is a scientist?
1. As students answer, I will write some of their responses on the
overhead.
ii. What do scientists do?
iii. Can you name a famous scientist? Does anybody know a scientist, such as
someone in your family or a friend?
2. Connecting to prior knowledge and experiences:
a. We are going to think like scientists today as we read this book: Mac Side Up.
b. In this book, Mac is going to think and act like a scientist, and I want you to be
thinking about how Mac does this.
c. As you look at this cover, what is one thought you have about this book?
i. Why did we look at the cover of this book and guess what is going to
happen?
ii. We are going to make predictions. What do you think is going to happen
in this book?
iii. Make sure at least three students make predictions, preferably more.
d. Before we talk about what prediction means, we are going to spell prediction.
Who can spell prediction?
i. Prediction is spelled p-r-e-d-i-c-t-i-o-n (write on the board as we spell).
ii. Who can now tell me how to spell prediction?

iii. Write prediction on the left side of your page in your science journal.
e. What is a prediction?
i. A prediction is thinking or saying what you think is going to happen
before it happens.
ii. What is a prediction? I am going to ask other students what that student
said, and award points on Class Dojo for listening.
iii. Write a dash, and write the definition after the dash in your science
journal.
f. How can we make predictions? What are the based upon?
i. Many times we can base this upon what we see or what we already know.
3. Tasks and activities:
a. Show me that you are ready to read the book.
b. We will read the book.
c. As we read the book, I will stop occasionally to ask questions and to point out any
pictures of key words that may help student comprehension.
d. How did Mac solve the problem?
e. Is this how you would have solved the problem?
f. Did they use a system to answer the question that they were asking?
g. They solved this problem by using something called the scientific method.
h. We are going to learn about the scientific method this week, and on Wednesday
we are going to do an experiment using the scientific method.
i. At this point, I introduce the visuals that I have made for the students to use all
week, and we will hang the visual up on the board for the students to see.
i. At this point the kids are not writing anything in their journals because
tomorrow the students are going to be doing a lot of work with the steps of
the scientific method, and what a lot of the vocabulary words mean in the
steps.
4. Closure:
a. In your science journals, write how you would have solved the problem if you had
been Mac.
Accommodations for individual differences:
Native Spanish Speaking Students will receive more support for certain words and as they do
group or independent work I will circulate and make sure that the students are on track and not
confused.
I will point out the physical representations of English words for students who may not have as
much vocabulary knowledge as other students.
Behavioral and organizational strategies:

Class Dojo is used; students gain points for showing good behaviors that have been previously
defined in the classroom.