Summary
Before getting into the actual content on Populations and Resources it is important to build on students prior knowledge first. This will help with engagement and seeing which students need further instruction. The introduction also helps with teaching the students how to navigate the SIM and track the organisms while they are eating, reproducing and dying in the ecosystem. It is an introductory ecosystem and students are to record their finds to answer the focus question, " What causes a population to change?" This is a hands on lesson that requires technology and the use of Amplify .(Digital tool)
Digital tools needed: Amplify Science, Google Docs and Google Slides
| 5 E Instructional Model | Revisions for lesson |
| Engage | In the original do now, Students were presented with a given ecosystem and were asked to write down three noticings and three wonderings. To further engage I would revise this by sticking four enlarged ecosystem photos around the room and allowing students to use a post-it to write down their noticings and wonderings. I can allow a two minute turn and talk and share out . This allows students to take part in their learning, collaborate and learn from one another. |
| Explore | On the original handout, students are to select an organism to track. I noticed that many students began to get confused because after a while the ecosystem reverted. To explore better and get a clear understanding to comprehend and collect data; I would revise this by allowing students to explore all organisms in the ecosystem while still tracking the three stages: eating, reproduction and dying. This allows for clear data, no confusion and students to remain engaged by collecting data. |
| Explain | Before I send the students off to complete the activity, I will further demonstrate the SIM. I passed out a teacher model of the expectations but many students needed a visual. I would open up Amplify on my computer, open the activity and begin to track the organism in the eating stage. I will draw my chart on the board and record my findings. Prior to recording my findings I will ask the students what they notice , and what happened as a result to that. |
| Elaborate | In the first reflection portion after the initial activity; there are two questions to check for understanding. I would like to add that students use evidence in their response to further explain their answers and prove their reasoning. I would also incorporate a turn and talk so students can share their findings and see if they have similar responses or different. |
| Evaluate | The exit ticket is a short response to answer the focus question. Students can self assess, or asset their peers with a generated rubric provided. Also, I can incorporate a pop quiz as an assessment for introduction to populations terms, vocabulary, cause and effect scenarios from the SIM and true or false questions |
Reflection: I chose to redesign this lesson because I noticed a few errors as I was teaching this lesson during my formal observation. Last year we took a different approach and I revamped the lesson for this year. The goal was to get this done in one period and I told my principle it was a two day lesson; he wanted it done in one. I saw that taking out my extra teaching model left students confused. I noticed that having students select one organism to track still left many confused and I started to lose the engagement. The strengths of my original lesson was that it allowed stduents to select an orgaism of their interest in the ecosystem. The weakness was that after a while the SIM would stop tracking if the organism died and students would get lost. Another strength was that my lesson checked for understanding often with a reflection, level 4 question and an exit ticket in short response format. There was also a checklist in which students can make sure their response had a thesis, two pieces of evidence and an analysis . I also provided sentence starters for their analysis as well. A weakness was that the lesson could not be completed in one period.
The revamped lesson using the 5 E practices will allow me to better deliver the content. A strength from the lesson is that the Do Now is more engaging and allows peer interaction and share outs to better explain what they saw and noticed in the ecosystems. It also allows me to see which students do not have prior knowledge and need extra instruction; possibility small group instruction during the activity. A weakness is that my do now i’ll go over normal do now limit for a 45 min block period. A strength is turning this lesson into a two day lesson so students can complete the do now, begin exploring and reflecting on the last day. That is an ideal time frame for me. another strength is that students can now track all organisms when recording their findings and that allows students to stay engaged and little to no confusion during the activity. Lastly, a final strength would be adding evidence to the reflection questions to prove their theory and sharing their responses with a peer to reflect.
The digital tools that are needed for this lesson is Amplify Science, Google docs and Google slides. If you are a science teacher, many schools are using the amplify curriculum. what I like about this curriculum is that you can scaffold and differentiate any lesson. It provides all the materials, goals for each lesson, standards and much more. Google doc is a student pacing handout while google slides is both student facing as they are posted on google classroom for reference for absent students, students who do not finish and as we are learning the lesson in the classroom. I like to incorporate all in the lesson because it allows for multiple means of representation and deliverance of the lesson. this allows for accessibility for all learners.
