Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Don’t be Nervous About the Nervous System!

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Central Focus/Big Idea: How does the main organ of the nervous system function, and why is
it important? How do the parts of the nervous system work together? How does the nervous
system control the body?

Subject of this lesson: Science, Body Systems and Processes – Nervous System

Grade Level: 5th Grade

NC Essential Standard(s):

NCES.5.L.1.2 - Compare the major systems of the human body(digestive, respiratory,

circulatory, muscular, skeletal, and cardiovascular) in terms of their functions necessary for life.

21st Century Skills:

Creativity and Innovation - Students provide concrete examples of science as a way of thinking
that involves both systematic and creative processes that anyone can apply as they ask questions,
solve problems, invent things, and develop ideas about the world around them.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving - Students construct their own scientific understanding
and develop their scientific process skills by asking scientific questions, designing and
conducting investigations, constructing explanations from their observations, and discussing
their explanations with others.

Academic Language Demand

 Language Function:

Analyze Argue Categorize Compare/contrast Describe Explain

Interpret Predict Question Retell Summarize

 Scientific Vocabulary: Demonstrate, structures, nerves, peripheral, neurons

Instructional Objective:

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

 Explain the function of the brain in the nervous system.
 Describe how the nervous system sends and receives messages.
 Explain how the brain, the spinal cord, and nerves that travel
 throughout our bodies work together.
 Describe how signals are transmitted via branch endings in the skin t
the brain.
 Demonstrate and describe how the nervous system governs voluntary
and involuntary actions.

Prior Knowledge (student):

Students will have knowledge of some systems of the body prior to this study. It will help for
students to use the Fun-damental, Building A Body, to review the Nervous System. It will also
help if they are able to:

Explain that the body is made up of systems.

Name the function of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
Locate the brain, spinal cord, and (some) nerves in the body.

Content Knowledge (teacher):

The nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord, and nerves and receives signals from outside
the body.
The nervous system controls voluntary and involuntary movement.
Nerves run throughout the body and inside the body.
Branch endings in the skin receive signals and send them to the brain.

Accommodations for special needs (individual and/or small group):

Tactile cards with Velcro will be provided to make it easier for students with special needs.
During independent activities, I will monitor students and make sure everyone is on task and
following along. Students who are struggling can be pulled into small groups.

Materials and Technology requirements: Discovery Education videos, rulers (25), Reading
passage (What does the Nervous System do?), Checkpoint worksheet

Total Estimated Time: About 1 hour.

Source of lesson: Discovery Education, my CT Science/Math

Safety considerations: Rulers will not have sharp edges, maybe use rubber rulers. Clear
directions on how to avoid injuries.
 Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 E’s. Your procedure should be
detailed enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube
video), describe your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to
teach from your plan. Don’t just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include
possible questions you could ask for each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.

Engage:

Intro: Getting to Know the Nervous System-Imagine you step outside on a sunny day and look
up toward the sun. Before you have a chance to think about it, your eyes close in the bright light.
How did your eyelids close so quickly? How did your eyes know they should close?

Video: Your Senses-Your senses are a keep part of the nervous system. They let you know what
is around your body whether you see, hear, feel, taste, or smell it
https://app.discoveryeducation.com/learn/videos/b84cf255-081e-408d-bd92-1d00267fc8d3/

Ask: How do you think the brain and nerves work together to control body functions?
(Turn & talk)

Explore:

Reading Passage: What Does the Nervous System Do? Read and answer questions on back (10
mins) You can go over these whole group after 15 mins

Activity: Reflexes Students will work with one partner and take turns dropping the ruler into
each other’s hands. (5 mins)

The first student will try to grab the ruler as quickly as possible once is it falling. Students
should note where they grabbed the ruler, writing down the centimeter closest to the top
of the hand. Students then swap so both students can grab the ruler. Once they have both
completed this activity, have them write down their observations and explanations of the
reflexes involved. (In science notebook)

Discussion Questions-What happened in terms of the nervous system? What were

the signals and how were they transmitted? Was it voluntary or involuntary?

Explanation:

Video: The Nervous System

https://app.discoveryeducation.com/learn/videos/a7b7ba12-809f-4888-8f10-
cb9111049f59?hasLocalHost=false
Students will watch this video. The video will be stopped after every important fact from the
video to have a small discussion. This will help reinforce important topics covered in the video
and help students learn as much about the Nervous System as possible.

Ask whole class – Turn & Talk: How do the brain and nerves work together to control body
functions?

Elaborate:

Tell students they can do anything on the DiscoveryEd Techbook-Elaborate w/STEM section for
this unit.

Students will watch videos, complete online activities, answer questions, and play games based
on the Nervous System in the body systems section of DiscoveryED.

Evaluate:

Formal Assessment: Class will complete the checkpoint activity to close out the lesson. Students
should fill out the questions and turn it in by the end of the lesson.

Informal (Formative) Assessment: Monitoring classwork. Seeing throughout the lesson whether
or not certain students are engaging in the questions being asked.

To be completed after the lesson is taught as appropriate

Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:

It seems like most students were able to score at least a 4/5 on the checkpoint activity at the end.
20 out of the 25 students completed all the tasks through the lesson without needing help or
assistance.

Reflection on lesson:

My science lesson was a bit more challenging than my first lesson, which was social studies. My
CT was amazing at helping with the quick turnaround I had to teach the science lesson. She
helped me in assisting with the activities I would have the students do, as well as the videos I
would show.
Once again, the night before I spent time writing out my talking points for the lesson which
helped immensely when it came to teaching in front of the students. One of the real challenges I
had to balance during the lesson was that the students were off-task the entire day. I was with
them during their specials class for the day (music) and had to discipline them several times for
the behaviors they were displaying. I think their behavior spilled over into my lesson as well, so I
had to navigate the lesson in a certain way to make sure they stayed on task.
Some suggestions I received for my future lessons include reminding students of the
expectations when they are not doing what they are supposed to do, make sure to give clear
directions for each part of the lesson, and collect the materials used in the activity before moving
on to the next section of the lesson so the students don’t play with them.
Some of the things I did well this lesson was grabbing the students attention from the beginning
and connecting to their prior knowledge, letting them know the expectations of behavior before
the lesson started, holding the students accountable (improving upon diversifying who answers
questions with popsicle sticks), and having a timer for the specific parts of the lesson to show
students how much time they had and how much was left.

CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________