Individual Science Lesson

Nicholas Kim

Topic: Types of Soil

Grade: 4th Grade

Goals and Objectives

TEKS: 112.15. Science, Grade 4, Adopted 2017.

(b) Knowledge and skills (7) Earth and space. The students know that Earth consists of useful resources and its surface is constantly changing. The student is expected to: (A) examine properties of soils, including color and texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of plants;

Content Objective:Students will physically examine the four types of soil and will state one reason why loam is best at supporting growth of plants.

ELPS: 74.4. English Language Proficiency Standards. (c) Cross-curricular second language acquisition essential knowledge and skills.(2)  Cross-curricular second language acquisition/listening. The ELL listens to a variety of speakers including teachers, peers, and electronic media to gain an increasing level of comprehension of newly acquired language in all content areas. ELLs may be at the beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high stage of English language acquisition in listening. In order for the ELL to meet grade-level learning expectations across the foundation and enrichment curriculum, all instruction delivered in English must be linguistically accommodated (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded) commensurate with the student’s level of English language proficiency. The student is expected to: (E)  use visual, contextual, and linguistic support to enhance and confirm understanding of increasingly complex and elaborated spoken language;

Language Objective: Students will use their experiences examining the four types of soil to verbally describe at least two characteristics of the four types of soil and explain why loam is best at growing plants.

Materials Needed:

  • Smartboard
  • computer
  • 4 Ziploc bags
  • loam, sand, gravel, clay
  • 4 colored sticky notes
  • pencil
  • flower petal, leaf, twig, apple, banana, walnut, tree bark
  • 4 plastic cups
  • bottled water
  • 4 sunflower seeds
  • whiteboards
  • paper
  • dry-erase marker
  • Technology Needed: Smart board, internet, and computer.

Caution: To prevent accidental spill of soil on carpet, lay them on top of a newspaper, or large pad. Use smaller sealed cup to pour water into the soil.

Pre-Assessment related to TEKS and Objectives: Students should already have a little background knowledge regarding soil from 3rd grade. The instructor will stand in front of the smart board and ask students to raise their hand to tell something/anything they know about soil. Whenever a student says something that is relevant to soil, have student come up to the smart board and write them. They may say types of soil, color, texture, where to find them, etc. The instructor must be aware to call on students without hands raised to understand their knowledge.

Key Vocabulary: Soil, Sand, Clay, Loam, Gravel, Wither

Instructional Procedures

Engage –The instructor will have concrete objects of the following: flower petal, leaf, twig, apple, banana, walnut, and tree bark. The instructor will go around the classroom and hand them to random students without saying anything. Then, tell them a list of items that you handed out to random students and have them raise them up in the air. Say the following, “Today, I brought few objects to class, and I want everyone to think for a minute of what these objects have in common.” After a minute, tell them that they all came from a tree. Then, ask them how trees are formed. Then, the instructor will tell students that for a tree to grow, you need a seed, water, sunlight, and soil.

Explore –The instructor will take out 4 zip-lock bags filled with the following: clay, loam, gravel, and sand. (Modeling) The instructor will touch each one of the soil and say word/words to describe them. For example, for sand, say “it consists of fine tiny particles,” for clay, “cold and hard,” for gravel, “big rocks,” and for loam, “firm.” (Guided Practice) Students will, then, be given 4 sticky notes in different colors: pink, yellow, blue, and green. The instructor will pass around clay first, and as students gets to hold and touch it, they will record something about the soil that they’ve touched. Students may write the texture, temperature, weight, color, smell, and what they see besides the soil on a yellow sticky note. Repeat the process for all 4 types of soil using different sticky notes.

  • As the instructor passes around the soil, on a smart board, write that there are 4 types of soil: clay, loam, gravel, and sand. One of the types of soil is best at planting seeds, and have students think about which one would be the best one as they are touching them.

Check for Understanding –  Costas Questions;

  • Costas Level 1:
    • List the 4 types of soil.
    • Describe how clay feels in your hand.
  • Costas Level 2:
    • Compare how different gravel is from clay.
    • Explain why not many plants can live in sand.
  • Costas Level 3:
    • “If you were a tiny seed, where would you want to stay in? Sand, gravel, clay, or loam?”
    • “If you were a tiny seed, why wouldn’t you want to stay in gravel?”

Explain – After each student feels the 4 types of soil and write down their records, the instructor will call out random students’ name and ask them to say what they wrote about loam. Repeat the process for all 4 types of soil.

  • Explain to students that loam soils are best to grow plants because they can hold water, minerals, and nutrients well for roots to absorb. Clay is good at holding water, but the water doesn’t drain well. Sand and gravel is not good at holding water nor nutrients.
    • Why wouldn’t a plant grow in gravel?
    • Have any of you seen plants grow in gravel or clay?

Elaborate – The instructor draws 4 squares on the smart board. Each square will have the types of soil. Instructor asks students what plants they have seen that grows in these 4 soils. Instructor may write one in each square. Tulips under loam square, cactus under sand square, lettuce under clay, and nothing under gravel. Students will, then, be asked how cactus lives in sand while other plants can’t. Show a picture of a cactus and list some aspects that allows cactus to grow in sand: thick stems to hold water, many roots from the base, thorns to stop water from evaporating, etc. If more time is available, show students different plants all over the world that lives in an unusual environment.

  • Students will be grouped random into 4 teams. Each team will be given the following: plastic cup, loam, sunflower seed, and water. Then, they will plant the seed while the instructor observes students as they plant the seed in different soil. The plastic cups will be placed on the window panel, and students will observe how it grows over time in the semester.

Andrea Garner

Topic: Earth and Space- Phases of the Moon

Grade: First Grade

Goals and Objectives

TEKS: (8) Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes the air around us and objects in the sky. The student is expected to: (B)observe and record changes in the appearance of objects in the sky such as theMoon and stars, including the Sun;

Content Objective: The student will be able to draw and label the full moon, new moon, crescent moon and half-moon.

ELPS:§74.4. English Language ProficiencyStandards. (c)  Cross-curricular second language acquisition essential knowledge and skills.(2)  Cross-curricular second language acquisition/listening.The ELL listens to a variety of speakers including teachers, peers, and electronic media to gain an increasing level of comprehension of newly acquired language in all content areas. ELLs may be at the beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high stage of English language acquisition in listening.In order for the ELL to meet grade-level learning expectations across the foundation and enrichment curriculum, all instruction delivered in English must be linguistically accommodated (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded)commensurate with the student’s level of English language proficiency. The student is expected to:

Language Objective: The student will be able to orally describe the changes in the appearance of the moon.

Materials Needed:

  • Pencil
  • Crayons
  • Phases of the Moon Activity
  • KWL chart
  • So That’s How theMoon Changes Shape! By Allan Fowler
  • Technology Needed:
  • Projector
  • iPads

Pre-Assessment related to TEKS and Objectives For the pre-assessment, I will bring the students to the carpet and pre-assess them by asking them what they already know about the different objects in the sky and the different shapes the moon can be. Todo this I will use a KWL chart to assess the students on what they already know. We will fill out the chart together and this information will let me know what the students already know, what they need/want to know, and then afterwards it will let me know what the student has learned.

Key Vocabulary:

  • Phases
  • New Moon
  • Half Moon
  • Full Moon
  • Crescent
  • Gravity
  • Planets
  • Reflects
  • Rays

Instructional ProcedureT

  • Engage – I will begin by asking the students to think about all of the different shapes they have seen the moon be. After they have had some time to think I will ask students to raise their hands and describe some of the shapes to the class. After the students have shared their thoughts, we will watch an engaging video about the Moon and its phases.
  • Explore – For my hands-on activity, I will have oneOreo for each student. The students can take their Oreo apart and create a moon phase of their choice using the filling of the cookie. I will provide plastic knifes for them to use to cut the filling and make it represent either a half moon, crescent moon, or full moon.
  • Explain – I will use the “think pair share” strategy to have the students share their ideas and also share what they know about theMoon and its different phases after we have watched the YouTube video. After the students have discussed with each other and shared what they know, I will read the book So That’s How the MoonChanges Shape! By Allan Fowler
  • Elaborate – The students will be given a Moon Phases booklet where each night they can go outside and look at the Moon. They can use their booklet to record what the moon

Kymber Curtis

Topic: Learning the four seasons

Grade: First

Goals and Objectives

TEKS: (8) Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes the air around us and objects in the sky. The student is expected to: (C) identify characteristics of the seasons of the year

Content Objective: The students will be able to identify the four seasons, and at least three characteristics of each.

ELPS: The ELL listens to a variety of speakers including teachers, peers, and electronic media to gain an increasing level of comprehension of newly acquired language in all content areas. ELLs may be at the beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high stage of English language acquisition in listening. For the ELL to meet grade-level learning expectations across the foundation and enrichment curriculum, all instruction delivered in English must be linguistically accommodated (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded) commensurate with the student’s level of English language proficiency. The student is expected to: (C) learn new language structures, expressions, and basic and academic vocabulary heard during classroom instruction and interactions; (E) use visual, contextual, and linguistic support to enhance and confirm understanding of increasingly complex and elaborated spoken language;

Language Objective: The students will be able to orally identify the four seasons and at least three characteristics of each.

Materials Needed:

  • Pencils
  • Crayons
  • Construction paper
  • Seasons of the Year activity
  • Technology Needed: Smart board

Pre-Assessment related to TEKS and Objectives: To pre-assess my students, I will bring all the students to the carpet. I will ask the students a series of different leveled questions in order to test the prior knowledge of the students. For example, I will ask “What are the four seasons” and “What season are we in right now” and What are some different things we might see during the different seasons”. I will allow the student to raise their hands to answer the questions. I will pay attention to the students who are participating and the students who are not and might need more assistance.

Key Vocabulary:

  • Winter
  • Summer
  • Fall
  • Characteristics

InstructionalProceduresT

Engage

Hook: I will grab the student’s attention by first brining them to the carpet and reading them a book.The book is called Let It Snow by Maryann Cocca. The book is a child friendly book about different characteristics of Winter. At the end of the book it discusses Winter coming to an end and Spring coming. After finishing the book I will ask the students what season this book took place in, and what textual evidence they used to help them understand that.

Book: Let It Snow by Maryann Cocca

Explore

Teaching Input: For teaching inputI will provide a YouTube video to help auditory introduce the four seasons.

Video – https://youtu.be/Iisj2kTZIFs

Teacher Modeling: After the video ends, I will present the students with an already completed Seasons of the Year activity. I will inform the students that this is the activity they will be completing today. I will leave my activity at the front of the classroom for students to look at for a reference if needed.

Guided Practice: For the guided practice the students will be completing their own Seasons of the Year activity. The students will be expected to complete an activity containing the four different seasons. The students will be expected to fill in the proper months of each season, and then also write in at least three characteristics of each season in the proper section. While students are completing their activity, I will allow them to talk with their elbow partner and brainstorm ideas with one another. As students complete their activity I will walk around the room and help guide them where needed.

Checking for Understanding: After the students complete their guided practice activity, I will bring all of the students back down to the carpet. Iwill check for their understanding by asking them what we have completed today.I will ask them a series of different leveled questions. I will pay attention to what the students are answering, and which students are not participating.This will give me a better understanding of which students are mastering the objective, and which students might need more help.

Costas Questions:

Level 1 – Will somebody raise their hand and tell me what are the four seasons?

Level 2 – Will somebody raise their hand and tell me one characteristic on each of the four seasons?

Level 3 – Who will raise their hand and predict what would happen if we did not have all four seasons?

Elaborate

Re-Teaching – For the students that do not master the objective I will pull a small group back to my table fora reteach. The reteach will be an activity that is more hands on. The students will create a Four Seasons Tree. The activity will be a booklet that contains trees decorated for each of the seasons. There will be a Winter, Spring, Summer andFall tree. The trees will include decorations and characteristics that represent each of the seasons.

Extensions – For an extension activity for my early finishers, I will allow them to create their own “Seasons Flip Book”. They can decorate it however they would like and include their own fun facts of each of the seasons. They can personalize their booklets with their own facts about the seasons. For example, for Winter, a student could write all about their favorite family traditions they do during the winter season.

Flip book – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Four-Seasons-Activities-Four-Seasons-Flipbook-2503350

Trang Nguyen

Still needed to be worked on! -TN