Science Lesson Plan & Essay

COMPETENCIES
649.1.3 : Research and Evidence-Based Instruction and Assessment
The graduate integrates research derived from evidence-based practice into the planning and delivery of meaningful, relevant, and engaging instruction and assessment.
649.1.4 : Engagement
The graduate develops active learning opportunities for a variety of students to promote meaningful, relevant, and engaging student-focused instruction.
649.1.6 : Grouping
The graduate incorporates various grouping strategies into instruction to facilitate learning for all students.
649.1.7 : Technology
The graduate uses technology appropriately in the planning and delivery of meaningful, relevant, and engaging instruction.
INTRODUCTION
An effective teacher develops lesson plans according to set standards for the grade level and subject matter being taught. An effective teacher must also carefully consider the needs of each individual learner in the class. The successful presentation of a lesson accommodates the physical, academic, social, and emotional needs of learners.

For this assessment, you will create a single-day, standards-based lesson plan for a third-, fourth-, or fifth-grade science class. In your direct instruction lesson plan, you will need to incorporate an active participation strategy, a grouping strategy, a technology, and an assessment aligned to the stated lesson objective. You will then analyze and justify the use of these strategies for the class as a whole in a separate essay.
SCENARIO
You are a special educator in an elementary classroom (grades 3–5). Your class comprises a variety of students with different abilities and backgrounds:
• 28 students total (16 boys and 12 girls)
• 19 students are on-grade-level readers
• 5 students are two grades above reading level (2 are identified as gifted and talented)
• 2 students are English learners at the intermediate level
• 2 students who are identified as having special needs

Daily planning, instruction, and assessment should reflect the individual needs of each student.

REQUIREMENTS

A. Create a single-day, standards-based science lesson plan for the third-, fourth-, or fifth-grade class described in the scenario that includes each of the following:
• general information:
– lesson title
– subject(s)
– grade/level/setting
– prerequisite skills or connections to previous learning
• one state science standard
• one three-part measurable learning objective, including the following:
– condition
– behavior
– criterion
• an identification of materials and resources the teacher and students need in order to complete the lesson
• an identification of technology used to enhance teaching and learning of the lesson
• a description of language demands (e.g., specific ways that academic language is used by students to participate in learning tasks through reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking to demonstrate understanding), including the following:
– language function
– vocabulary
– discourse and/or syntax
– planned language supports
• a description of instructional strategies and learning tasks (both teacher activity descriptions and student actions) in sequential order for new information, including the following:
– anticipatory set
– presentation procedures for new information and/or modeling
– guided practice
– independent student practice
– culminating or closing procedure/activity
• a description of differentiated instruction accommodations for the following types of diverse learners:
– gifted and talented
– English learners (EL)
– students with other special needs
• a description of each of the following assessment types that align with the stated lesson objective:
– formative
– summative

1. Identify and clearly label the following four strategies to support student learning within the instructional strategies and learning tasks section of the Lesson Plan Template
a. one active participation strategy to promote student engagement
b. one grouping strategy that includes students working in pairs or small groups to complete an activity
c. one strategy to incorporate the use of student-centered technology to support student learning
d. one assessment strategy that aligns with the stated lesson objective

Note: The four identified strategies in the instructional sequence must be clearly labeled in a section focusing on instructional strategies so evaluators can easily find them.

B. Justify in a separate essay each of the four strategies implemented in the lesson plan in part A1 for use with the class as a whole. Provide one academic citation for each of the four strategies identified in the lesson plan (A1).

Note: Academic sources include professional journal articles, the course of study textbook, articles listed in the textbook, articles in the course of study, etc.

C. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.

D. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.