UNLV Student: Sara Zirbel PSMT Name: Lourdes Horn

Lesson Plan Pumpkin Pieces Lesson Plan Topic: Science

Title: Investigation
Date: 10/24/2018 Estimated Time: 30-40 minutes
Grade Level: 1 School Site: Morrow Elementary

1. State Standard(s): (Disciplinary Core Idea) 1-LS1-1A Plants have different parts (roots,
stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive and grow.

2. Teaching Model(s): Whole Group, Individual Investigations, Double Plan (Lemov) plans for
students will be bolded.

3. Objective(s): SWBAT identify the parts of a pumpkin. (I know the parts of a pumpkin.)
Blooms Taxonomy Lesson Objectives
(Level 1) Understand: By the end of the lesson, SWBAT recall at least 4 parts of a pumpkin.
(Level 2) Apply: By the end of the lesson, SWBAT use their knowledge about the parts of a
pumpkin to identify and sketch the parts on a real pumpkin.

4. Materials and Technology Resources

 Big pumpkin (precut)
 Pumpkin carving utensils
 Numbered paper plates (5)
 Worksheet – Investigating Pumpkin Pieces (22)
 Folders (to write on)
 Pencils
 Prepared anchor chart or easel drawing

5. Instructional Procedures:
a. Motivation/Engagement (6 minutes):
 Before lesson begins: lay worksheet on each student’s desk, post pumpkin part
vocabulary words on the front board, pre-slice and plate pumpkin and parts.
 Bring students to the carpet. Students will walk into the classroom and sit in rows.
 Reference prior knowledge. (What have we been learning about? What did we learn
about pumpkins yesterday? Who can remind me what we learned about the life
cycle of pumpkins?)
 Introduce new learning (interior and exterior) while refreshing knowledge on
previously learned vocabulary words (rind, stem, pulp, flesh, ribs, seeds, blossom
end)
 b. Developmental Activities or Learning Experiences (25 minutes):
 Explain that now that we know about the parts of a pumpkin, we will be practicing
identifying the parts on a real pumpkin.
o Explain worksheet instructions and procedures to students. Instruct students
to go look on the front board or the diagrams on the easel if they need to
check their answers or spelling during the investigation.
o Send students back to their desks to get a pencil, a folder to write on,
and their investigation worksheet. In the meantime, set 2 pre-prepared
plates of pumpkin parts on each group table. Students will walk around
with their investigation materials, observing each pumpkin part and
figuring out what the parts are. They may turn to speak to other
students at each station to collaborate.
 Circulate the room to different stations and observe students at work.

c. Closure: (10 Minutes)

 Ask supply helpers from each team to bring the plates to the back table.
Students will return to their seats to go over their findings.
 Discussion – What have you learned in this lesson? What did you notice? Go over
each numbered station and see if the students have come to a consensus about
which parts of the pumpkin were displayed.
 Self-Evaluation – Have students rate their working levels in this lesson. Remind
students that self-evaluation teaches you to think about your performance during a
lesson. Tell students to think about what they could do to improve their
performance next time.
 Extension – Place the opened pumpkin in the school garden. In a few days when
addressing plant decomposition, bring the students to the garden to see the pumpkin
decomposed.

6. Accommodations, Modifications and Differentiations for Diverse Learners:

I will circulate the room and help students who are struggling to identify the parts of a
pumpkin. I will give extra support to struggling students by pointing out the pumpkin diagrams
and the corresponding parts on the real pumpkin. The entire lesson will also be supported by
group discussion and partner collaboration.

7. Assessment and Evaluation of Learning:

a. Formative: Teacher will assess the students while they are answering questions and
investigating in stations. Teacher will also assess submitted investigation worksheets.
b. Summative: No summative assessment at this time. Students will have an assessment at
the end of the science unit.
8. Homework Assignment: none – students do not receive science homework.

9. Reflection:
a. Strengths: I think this lesson was strong because it was reinforced by vocabulary and a real
pumpkin that my students could get hands-on with. They loved seeing the pumpkin being
opened. They also loved reaching inside to touch the sticky pulp. Almost all my students
guessed all of the parts of the pumpkin correctly.
b. Concerns: My biggest concern was that my students would get too excited during the
lesson because of the real pumpkin. I knew I had to reassure all the students that
everyone would get a chance to look in the pumpkin and touch it.
c. Insights: My students had a very good time with this lesson. Doing this lesson reminded
me of how enriching it was to have hands-on lessons in the classroom. Looking at a
diagram is one thing, but being able to see and touch all the parts of a pumpkin really
enhances the learning experience. Also, I enjoyed using the Lemov strategy Double Plan
while writing my lesson plan. It helped me prepare for my lesson in that I always knew
where to direct my students, and no students were left floating around the room or asked
what they should be doing or where they should be going.