Science
Always Investigating
Like many other classes, we focused on either one social studies unit or one science unit at a time. This way students would be able to better focus on lessons and meet objectives. Because of this, we spent several months exploring various social studies topics. While there were countless times throughout the year where we took advantage of incidental scientific teachable moments - like us going outside and closely observing snowflakes with magnifying glasses - I did not introduce an entire unit of science until the beginning of my lead teaching time. When I announced to the students that we would be doing science experiments, the entire class cheered!
Overcoming Obstacles
I had to approach the Earth's Land and Water unit very carefully with my students. The first challenge was the class' background: Because about half of the class was receiving ELL assistance, part of each science lesson was spent identifying new scientific words, defining them, and finally acting them out. The acting portion was so critical because many of our students were kinesthetic learners, and the movement helped ingrain various concepts.
Another challenge for the students was the extensive amount of writing that was expected in science journals. Not only was part of the class receiving ELL help, another part of the class was receiving Title 1 services as well! Because of this, I spent a good deal of time modeling how "good scientists" observe and record their findings.
Another challenge for the students was the extensive amount of writing that was expected in science journals. Not only was part of the class receiving ELL help, another part of the class was receiving Title 1 services as well! Because of this, I spent a good deal of time modeling how "good scientists" observe and record their findings.
A Rewarding Outcome
There was an enormous amount of set-up expected for each lesson; I spent several lunch periods making sure experiments were ready for the students. I also spent time outside of school creating interactive maps and finding useful and relevant video clips on the United Streaming website. These two supplemental materials helped reinforce the idea that the models students were making in class truly occur in the real world.
The results of the unit were absolutely wonderful to see. Students were eager to explore the tasks we set, make observations, and draw conclusions about the Earth's land and water. I can proudly say that by the end of the unit, just about every single student could tell me the path water takes from falling as rain to soaking into the ground or making a trek across various bodies of water.
The results of the unit were absolutely wonderful to see. Students were eager to explore the tasks we set, make observations, and draw conclusions about the Earth's land and water. I can proudly say that by the end of the unit, just about every single student could tell me the path water takes from falling as rain to soaking into the ground or making a trek across various bodies of water.
- Pre-assessment Sample -
- Analysis of Unit Activities -
- Sample Lesson: Day 1 -
- Sample Lessons: Beginning, Middle, and End of Unit -
- Post-assessment Sample -
- Analysis of Unit Activities -
- Sample Lesson: Day 1 -
- Sample Lessons: Beginning, Middle, and End of Unit -
- Post-assessment Sample -