EDUC 521: Term III Integrated Assignment

Inquiry Into TeachingScience Lesson Design Draft

Student teacher: Kelsey Jurewicz
Location:
Penn Alexander School
Grade:
First grade

Core Decisions
What
In this lesson, students will learn about how an apple develops from bud to flower to
fruit. Particular emphasis will be placed on the pollination of the apple flower and the role that
bees play in this process. The first grade at Penn Alexander did a unit on apples for two weeks in
October, culminating in a field trip to an apple farm. The purpose of this lesson is to reinforce
students understanding of how an apple flower becomes fertilized through pollination. My goal
is that by the end of this lesson, students will have a better understanding of this process, as
demonstrated by their ability to describe and place in sequence the development of an apple
throughout its lifecycle.
In addition to the content goals, I want students to learn to engage in scientific
simulations and discussions. These process skills are essential to students development as
critical learners of science. Since the majority of science learning at Penn Alexander takes place
at their science special, I have not had the opportunity to witness students engaging in these
activities in my classroom. As such, I am not sure if students are given opportunities to develop
these scientific practices. The structure of this lesson will encourage the growth and practice of
these process skills.
How
The aforementioned goals will be accomplished through several activities, with the intent
of providing multiple ways students can access the information. The format of this lesson, which
includes reading an informational text, participating in a simulation, examining and observing a
real apple and engaging in scientific discussion and questioning, appeals to several of Gardners
multiple intelligences. Rather than attempting to span a large breadth of content, this lesson is
focused on deep learning of one topic: the pollination of apple flowers. The combination of
activities included in this lesson is designed to provide multiple avenues for understanding. As
we have discussed in class, and read in multiple course texts, experience is an irreplaceable
component of building knowledge. As such, the simulation, which is a hands-on, materials-based
activity, will be the focus experience of the lesson.
Additionally, the activities in this lesson were chosen to encourage specific scientific
processes among students. Through participation in a pollination simulation, students will learn
not only how to use models to understand and investigate systems, but they will also learn how
to use models to construct explanations for observed phenomenon. Obviously, students will not
leave this lesson with a comprehensive understanding of these scientific processes, but this
lesson will give them an experience to draw from in the future. As they relate future experiences
or content knowledge to their experience with the simulation, they will begin to appreciate the

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 1:58 PM

Comment [1]: Any more than one
experience in literacy solidifies
understanding of a CC standard.

TERM IIISCIENCE LESSON DESIGN DRAFT

usefulness of models in supporting learning and understanding. At several points during the
lesson, students will engage in discussion about their developing understanding as it relates to
the various lesson activities. During this time, I will act as a facilitator, providing guiding
questions, but also encouraging and promoting student-to-student discourse. I want students to
practice engaging in scientific conversations by discussing key concepts, asking and answering
questions and co-constructing meaning from their shared science experiences.
Why
At Penn Alexander, science is primarily taught through a science special. In thinking
about my lesson, it was important to me that I utilize students prior knowledge without
incidentally replicating their experiences in science special. In discussing my ideas with my
classroom mentor, she mentioned that many first graders do not fully grasp the concept of
pollination as it is explained in class. While she would love to spend more time on the topic, she
felt that she did not have the class time to devote to it, so she suggested that I could use my small
group lesson to reinforce this concept with a group of students who probably did not understand
it the way it was taught in class. I chose to use a simulation to revisit this process because I
believe that an experiential approach is the best avenue for students to develop a deeper
understanding of this content. Furthermore, it requires students to become active participants in
their own learning, reducing the likelihood that students will tune out, which several of the
students chosen for this group have a tendency to do during whole group instruction in the
classroom. The content covered in this lesson, as well as the scientific processes promoted, are
supported by several elements of the Next Generation Science Standards and the K-12 Science
Education Framework, the specifics of which are outlined in the Standards section of the
lesson plan below.

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 1:58 PM

Comment [2]: Nor should they!

TERM IIISCIENCE LESSON DESIGN DRAFT

Lesson Design Draft

Goals/Objectives
Content
Students will be able to describe and model the life cycle of an apple, with particular attention to
the process of pollination and the role of bees.
Students will be able to construct a pictorial representation of the growth and pollination of
apples by ordering a set of pictures.
Note: While vocabulary regarding the parts of a flower and an apple will be used and discussed
during this lesson, it is not a primary goal/objective for students to be able to identify the parts of
a flower or apple.
Science practices
Students will participate in a simulation and relate their simulation experience to the pollination
of apples.
Students will engage in scientific discussion with their peers as it relates to their simulation
experience and developing understanding of the life cycle of apples.

Standards
The objectives of this lesson are in line with a number of standards from each of the three
domains in the K-12 Science Education Framework, as well as the Next Generation Science
Standards.
Framework & NGSS
Scientific and Engineering Practices
1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Ask questions about the natural and human-built worlds.
2. Developing and using models
Construct drawings or diagrams as representations of events or systems.
Use (provided) computer simulations or simulations developed with simple
simulation tools as a tool for understanding and investigating aspects of a
system, particularly those not readily visible to the naked eye.
6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Construct their own explanations of phenomena using their knowledge of
accepted scientific theory and linking it to models and evidence.
Use primary or secondary scientific evidence and models to support or refute
an explanatory account of a phenomenon.
Offer causal explanations appropriate to their level of scientific knowledge.
Crosscutting Concepts
2. Cause and effect: Mechanism and explanation
Events have causes, sometimes simple, sometimes multifaceted. A major
activity of science is investigating and explaining causal relationships and the

Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:05 PM

Deleted: timeline of the

TERM IIISCIENCE LESSON DESIGN DRAFT

mechanisms by which they are mediated. Such mechanisms can then be tested
across given contexts and used to predict and explain events in new contexts.
K-2 crosscutting statements:
Events have causes that generate observable patterns.
Simple tests can be designed to gather evidence to support or refute
student ideas about causes.
4. Systems and system models
Defining the system under studyspecifying its boundaries and making
explicit a model of that systemprovides tools for understanding and testing
ideas that are applicable throughout science and engineering. K-2 crosscutting
statements:
Objects and organisms can be described in terms of their parts.
Systems in the natural and designed world have parts that work
together.
6. Structure and function
The way in which an object or living thing is shaped and its substructure
determine many of its properties and functions. K-2 crosscutting statements:
The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are
related to their function(s).
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS1: From molecules to organisms: Structures and processes
LS1.A: Structure and Function
All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in
different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place
to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water and air. Plants also have
different parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive,
grow, and produce more plants. (Grade Band Endpoint end of grade 2).
LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms
Plants and animals have predictable characteristics at different stages of
development. Plants and animals grow and change. Adult plants and animals
can have young. In many kinds of animals, parents and the offspring
themselves engage in behaviors that help the offspring to survive. (Grand Band
Endpoint end of grade 2).
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, energy, and dynamics
LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Animals depend on their surroundings to get what they need, including food,
water, shelter, and a favorable temperature. Animals depend on plants or other
animals for food. They use their senses to find food and water, and they use
their body parts to gather, catch, eat, and chew the food. Plants depend on air,
water, minerals (in the soil), and light to grow. Animals can move around, but
plants cannot, and they often depend on animals for pollination or to move their
seeds around. Different plants survive better in different settings because they
have varied needs for water, minerals, and sunlight. (Grade Band Endpoint
end of grade 2).

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:02 PM

Comment [3]: I would have been happy
with one standard from each dimension, but
you have certainly demonstrated
understanding!

TERM IIISCIENCE LESSON DESIGN DRAFT

Connection to Common Core State Standards ELA/Literacy

RI.1.10:
With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade.

Materials and preparation

Teacher needs
How Do Apples Grow? By Betsy Maestro
Simulation materials:
o 6 juice boxes (with student names on them)
o 10 flower cutouts
o 10 cupcake wrappers
o 1 bag of Cheetos
o 6 bee finger puppets
o Hand wipes
1 apple and knife
6 picture sort sets
Various apple books

Classroom arrangement and management issues

Classroom arrangement
This lesson will take place in one of the small conference rooms at Penn Alexander. The room
contains one small circular table with room for about six students. There are also several
armchairs around the perimeter of the room. Along one of the walls, there is a small countertop
where I will have arranged all of the materials prior to the start of the lesson. This room was
chosen because the enclosed space provides privacy and will limit the number of distractions that
would likely occur if the lesson were to be held in the first grade pod/hallway. Since I do not
want to remove students from special, using the classroom is not an option. Upon arrival, each
student will take a seat at the round table. They will stay seated at the table for the read-aloud
and the explanation of the simulation. During the simulation, I will have flowers set up around
the room. When the simulation begins, students will be allowed to move throughout the room to
participate in the simulation, as long as they are doing so quietly and safely, an expectation that
will be reviewed at the start of the lesson. At the conclusion of the simulation, students will be
asked to return to their seats. For the picture sort activity, I will assign students spaces to spread
out throughout the room. At the conclusion of the activity, students will be asked to place
materials on the counter, and we will return to the classroom together.
Materials
All materials will be arranged on the countertop when students arrive in the conference room.
For the simulation, I will set up the materials (flowers) around the room upon completion of
the explanation. It would be more time efficient if the simulation were set up prior to the students
arriving, but I believe this would pose too much of a distraction, and it is critical to the
simulations success that students are paying attention to the instructions. At the conclusion of
the activity, I will ask each student to return the materials they are currently working with to the
counter. During the picture sort activity, I will hand each student a Ziploc bag with the picture

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:06 PM

Comment [4]: I think I am confused here.
Read this out loud and try to rewrite.
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:03 PM
Comment [5]: I realize how this wording
was confusing. What I was trying to say was
that having the simulation set up ahead of
time would save me some time during the
lesson, but I think this would be a
distraction for students. As such, I will wait
until after I have explained the simulation to
the students to set up the materials.

TERM IIISCIENCE LESSON DESIGN DRAFT

sequence enclosed and assign him or her a place in the room. When they are finished, students
will be asked to return the pictures to the Ziploc bag and place the bag on the counter. If time
allows, students who finish early may choose an apple-themed book to read from the selection
available on the counter. At the conclusion of the lesson, all students will be asked to return any
materials they have (including books) to the counter.
Management concerns
Due to the small size of the conference room, my primary management concern is that students
will have limited space for the simulation and picture sort activities. To mitigate these concerns,
it will be important to provide explicit expectations for how I expect students to conduct
themselves during the simulation. For the picture sort, I will assign students specific spaces in
the room, so that they each have a place to spread out and work without running into the issue of
students arguing over who gets to use a particular area.

Plan (50 minutes total)

Hook (10 minutes total)
Expectations and Norms (5 minutes)
a. Go over behavior expectations and norms for small groups with anchor chart
b. Explain that we are going to be doing a simulation, give guidelines for what appropriate
participation in the simulation will look like
i.
We will walk
ii.
We will use indoor voices
iii.
We will be aware of our surroundings (peers and supplies)
iv.
We will stay on task and follow directions
v. If we cannot do these things, we will have to sit out of the simulation
Activate prior knowledgerecall field trip to apple farm (5 minutes)
a. Ask students what they remember from our field trip to the apple farm in October. What
did they notice, observe, learn, etc.? In particular, make sure to elicit answers to the
following question:
i. Does anyone remember who the farmer told us was the hardest worker on the
farm? (Bees)
ii. Who remembers what the bees do for the farm? (Pollinate the flowers)
Body (35 minutes total)
Read How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro (10 minutes)
a. We will revisit a book that we read in class that provides an age-appropriate and thorough
overview of an apples growth from bud to flower to fruit.
b. Pause periodically to highlight important vocabulary, diagrams and concepts.
Simulation of pollination (15 minutes)
a. Explain simulation to students
i. Sometimes, there are things that happen in nature that are hard for us to understand
just by reading about it or talking about it. I dont know about you guys, but Im
having a hard time picturing what this pollination process looks like, so were going

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:07 PM

Comment [6]: But you will be able to
circulate to see how they are doing? Once
they have picked up the pictures, you will
not be able to assess.
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:10 PM
Comment [7]: Yes, to clarify, the primary
space concern is regarding the amount of
space at the table. The singular circular
table in the room is small, and although it
does accommodate six students and myself,
it is a tight fit. There is not room for
students to spread out and work at the
table, which is why I will ask students to
spread throughout the room. There is
certainly room for me to walk around and
speak with individual students during the
activity. Furthermore, I plan on asking
students to raise their hand when they are
finished so that they can explain to me how
they have ordered the pictures before they
put the pictures away.

TERM IIISCIENCE LESSON DESIGN DRAFT

b.

c.

d.

e.

to do something called a simulation, which is that fancy word we talked about

earlier. A simulation is when we imitate or act-out a process that happens in the real
world to help us understand it. Since we cant watch real bees pollinate flowers right
now, today we are going to pretend to be bees pollinating flowers.
Show students a model flower and explain each of the parts. Ask students to recall
relevant vocabulary words (petals, nectar, pollen) from the text that we just read.
i. Flower cutout = petals
ii. Juice box = nectar
iii. Cheetos = pollen
iv. Finger puppet = bee
Explain to the students what they will do during the simulation (have one student model
this while I explain).
i. Each of you is going to get one of these bees, and once you put it on your fingers,
you become a bee. As a bee, your job is to pollinate the flowers in this room. Each
flower has nectar in the center of it; remember that in our simulation the juice boxes
are the nectar. You are going to find the juice box that has your name on it. Now, in
real life, do flowers have bees names on them to tell them which flower to go to?
No, they dont, but we want to make sure that everyone is drinking out of the same
juice box each time so that we dont spread any germs. So, when youre pretending
to be a bee, youre going to find the juice box with your name on it and drink some
nectar from that flower. But, in order to drink the nectar, you have to land on the
flower. So, while youre drinking the nectar, you have to put your fingertips on the
flower petals. And remember that when a bee lands on a flower, some of the pollen
gets stuck to them, so after you drink your nectar, youre going to get some pollen on
your fingers by touching the Cheetos that are at the flower. After you visit one
flower, youre going to buzz around until you see another flower that has the juice
box with your name on it, and youre going to land on the flower with your
fingertips, drink some nectar, and then touch the pollen on that flower. Everybody
will get the chance to visit at least two flowers today. Now remember, in order for a
flower to get pollinated, pollen from one flower has to get to another flower, so it is
very important that you do not lick your fingers. Everyone will have a chance to
wash their hands when were finished.
Conduct simulation
i. Simulation will be carried out as explained above. After students visit a flower, I will
move their juice box to a different flower.
ii. During the simulation, I will be observing students closely, paying particular
attention to whether they are properly following the steps of the simulation. I will
repeat directions and provide assistance to individual students as needed.
iii. Throughout the simulation, I will roam the room and talk individually with students.
These conversations may include the following questions:
i. What part of the process are you acting-out right now?
ii. What does/do [the juice box, the Cheetos, your fingers] represent?
iii. How is what you are doing helping to pollinate the flowers?
End simulation
i. Ask students to finish at the flower they are at and then come rejoin me at the table.
ii. I will hand each student a hand wipe to clean their fingers while I collect the model

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:24 PM

Comment [8]: It would be helpful if you
use the word model here, explicitly. You
might even put one together as you go over
this vocabulary - this is juice box. What part
of a flower is like a juice box. What else does
a flower need? Etc.
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:10 PM
Comment [9]: I like this idea. I will be
sure to do this.

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:18 PM

Comment [10]: I would suggest that you
write this out as bullet points or numbered
lines so that if you forget where you are, you
can find your place easily.
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:11 PM
Comment [11]: I will make this change in
my revised lesson plan.
NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:11 PM
Comment [12]: Each person
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:11 PM
Comment [13]: Noted.

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:11 PM

Formatted: Strikethrough
NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:18 PM
Comment [14]: I wondered how you
were doing this! Two juice boxes per
student seemed like a lot.
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:12 PM
Comment [15]: I am hoping that with
only six students, it will not be too much to
be moving their juice boxes around. This
would probably not work with a larger
group or whole class.

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:20 PM

Comment [16]: It is a lot of instructions.
Could you make a chart with pictures, that
kids could follow if they forget?
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:12 PM
Comment [17]: Yes, thank you for the
suggestion. I will do this.
NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:30 PM
Comment [18]: If you have enough juice
boxes, or can get more, it would be
educative to have a flower that no one goes
to. Then as you debrief you can ask about
this flower, the point being that it should
not develop into an apple since it was not
pollinated.
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:13 PM
Comment [19]: I think this is a great idea.
I will definitely do this.

TERM IIISCIENCE LESSON DESIGN DRAFT

flower materials and return them to the countertop.

Debrief of simulation (5 minutes)
a. The debriefing discussion will be guided by the following focusing questions, as well as
any questions and commentary brought up by the students
a. What are some things that you noticed during this simulation?
b. Will someone explain to the rest of the group what was happening during the
simulation?
c. What was happening when you landed on a flower and left pollen on it?
d. How was the simulation different from what we would see if we were watching
real bees pollinate flowers?
e. Did anyone learn something new from our simulation or from hearing your
classmates talk about it?
f. Does anyone still have any questions about how apple flowers are pollinated?
g. What will happen next, now that the apple flower is pollinated? (Refer back to
How Do Apples Grow? if needed)
Examine an apple (5 minutes)
a. Hopefully, students will have indicated in the previous discussion that now that the apple
flower has been fertilized, it can begin to grow into an apple. We will refer back to pages
22-23 of How Do Apples Grow? to see each phase of the development from flower to
apple.
b. Then we will examine a real apple (as the picture illustrates on pages 24-25 of How Do
Apples Grow?) to examine the dried sepal leaves at the bottom of the apple that are
leftover from the flower. We will cut the apple in half to examine the core and seeds.
Guiding questions:
a. What do we notice about the apple?
b. Do you recognize any of the parts of a flower that we talked about in the apple?
c. What will happen next? (What happens to the seeds?)
Closure (5 minutes total)
Picture sort (5 minutes)
a. As an assessment, I will give each student a Ziploc bag that contains a series of pictures.
Students will spread throughout the room and put the pictures in order from bud to apple.
Ask students to draw on our reading of How Do Apples Grow?, their experience with the
simulation and our discussion throughout the lesson to construct this timeline of an
apples life cycle.
b. While students are working, I will stop and talk to individual students, asking them
probing questions to uncover their thinking and understanding. Questions may include:
a. How did you know to place this picture [before/after] this one?
b. What is happening in this picture?
c. What do you know about apples or apple flowers that could help you figure this
out?
d. Which picture should come first? Which picture should come last?
e. What part of the simulation we did was imitating what is happening in this
picture?

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:32 PM

Comment [20]: Be prepared that this may
be as far as you get.
NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:35 PM
Comment [21]: I noticed this in the
introduction, too. You say time line -
suggesting a line, but you also say life cycle,
which describes a circle. Naturally, I prefer
the circle, but if someone had trouble with
that, you could have them start with a line
and show them how the last picture could
connect with the first picture.
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:51 PM
Comment [22]: I was wondering about
this too. I had been thinking it might be hard
for the students to understand what I meant
if I asked them to put the pictures in a circle.
Perhaps I will avoid using the word timeline
and instead simply ask students to show the
life cycle of an apple using the pictures.
Some students may automatically create a
circle. For other students, our one-on-one
discussion could involve a conversation
about the connection between the picture
they placed first and the picture they placed
last. I could ask them if it would make sense
if we put the pictures in a circle.
NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:37 PM
Comment [23]: See, this is a problem.
Which comes first, the apple or the seed?
This is why I like the cycle - you can put
down any picture and then decide whether
the next one you pick comes before or after
that one, and keep adding until you have the
cycle.
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:20 PM
Comment [24]: I see what you mean.
Considering that, this question seems
antithetical to the understanding I want
students to reach. I will remove this
question in my revised lesson plan.
NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:37 PM
Comment [25]: Glad you are asking this
question.

TERM IIISCIENCE LESSON DESIGN DRAFT

Apple text exploration (for students who finish the picture sort quickly)
a. There will be a variety of apple-themed books available for students to read while they
wait for the rest of the group to complete the picture sort.

Assessment of the goals/objectives listed above

The main assessment of the goals and objectives of this lesson will be the picture sort that
students will complete individually at the end of the lesson. This will allow me to evaluate
students individual understanding of the material covered. Furthermore, my conversations with
students during this activity will give me additional insight into how they are thinking about the
content of the lesson. It is possible that students will understand the apple life cycle, but
misunderstand how the pictures relate to this process, or that students will be able to correctly
order the pictures without being able to explain the process. Therefore, my conversations with
students during this activity will be a critical component of this assessment. Specific questions
designed to uncover students understanding are outlined in the plan above. Photos of each
students completed sequence of pictures will be a valuable source of evidence in evaluating the
effectiveness of this lesson.
In addition to this more formal assessment, I will be observing and taking notes on students
actions and participation throughout the entirety of the lesson. Their engagement and responses
during group discussions, as well as their ability to carry out and explain the simulation, will
provide substantial insight into each students understanding of the apple life cycle.

Anticipating students responses and your possible responses

Management issues
Scenario 1: A student(s) is not following the directions of the simulation or is acting
inappropriately (yelling, running, bumping into other students, mishandling the materials).
Response: I will remind the student of their role/job in the simulation and my expectations
for their behavior. If the problem persists, they will be removed from participating in the
simulation and asked to sit and observe instead. If the problem is due to a genuine
misunderstanding of their responsibilities, I will guide them through the steps of the
simulation or have a peer demonstrate the task.
Scenario 2: During the picture sort, a student(s) is looking at how other students are
sequencing the pictures.
Response: Ask the student to focus on their own work and emphasize that I want to know
what they know, not what their neighbor knows. If the problem persists, ask the student to
move to a different area of the room where they will be less tempted to look at another
students work.
Scenario 3: A student(s) is not paying attention and/or is distracting other students during
various phases of the lesson.
Response: Maintain the students attention by directing questions at them. Remind the
student of the behavior expectations. If the problem persists, the student will be asked to sit

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:39 PM

Comment [26]: Yes, that is definitely
worth doing, although as you say, the
conversations are even more revealing.

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:43 PM

Comment [27]: Recognize that this is
really an evaluation of learning in the unit,
not just this lesson. You had read the book
previously (and I am not sure you should be
reading the whole book here, or focusing on
the relevant section that may have been
confusing.
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:21 PM
Comment [28]: I think this is a good
point. Rather than reading the whole book, I
think we will do a picture walk and pause to
reread the section regarding pollination.

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:47 PM

Comment [29]: So it is a test?
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:23 PM
Comment [30]: I dont view the activity
as a test, but I want the final product to
represent the students own understanding
so that I can evaluate the effectiveness of the
lesson. While I certainly see the value in
students discussing ideas with each other, I
am afraid that with this activity, it could
quickly turn into one student simply telling
another student what order the pictures
should be in.

TERM IIISCIENCE LESSON DESIGN DRAFT

10

in one of the armchairs at the perimeter of the room until they feel that they can
respectfully rejoin the activity.
Response to content of the lesson
Scenario 1: A student complains that they have already learned this material and/or that
they already understand it.
Response: Explain the importance of reviewing things so that we dont forget. Discuss how
even when we think we understand something completely, there is almost always
something new to be learned. Challenge the student to pay close attention to the activities
and try to learn something that they did not know before. Provide the child opportunities to
explain their understanding to the rest of the group; their learning will deepen through
explaining to others.
Scenario 2: A student finds the material too challenging and becomes exasperated.
Response: Provide individualized support. Ask questions that uncover the root of the
students confusion and use examples from the lesson activities to help them understand.
Scenario 3: A student is unable to complete one of the individual tasks (the simulation or
picture sort) because they did not understand or fully listen to the instructions.
Response: Repeat the instructions. Ask the student to repeat the instructions back to me to
make sure they understand. If necessary, guide the student through the activity by
providing instructions one step at a time.

Accommodations
Accommodations for students who may find the material too challenging:
Because the intent of this lesson is to reinforce material that has already been covered in the
classroom, I do not anticipate that students will find the material too challenging. The various
layers of this lesson (read-aloud, simulation, discussion, examination of apple) serve to provide
multiple avenues to understanding the content being taught. My classroom mentor and I selected
students for this small group whom we believe may have struggled to understand the process
when it was taught in class. In a way, this lesson, and the simulation in particular, serve as the
accommodations for students who may have initially found the material too challenging. As
such, this lesson is structured specifically to review and reinforce previously learned content,
thereby providing the necessary scaffolding to support these students developing understanding
of the concept.
With that being said, I understand that there is a chance that one or multiple students may still
find the material too challenging. These difficulties would likely be revealed during the
discussion following the simulation and during the picture sort. I would encourage these students
to draw from their experience with the simulation and do my best to uncover where their
confusion lies. Based on my experience working with these students, I think it is more likely that
students will understand the content but struggle to complete tasks independently. While explicit
instructions for both the simulation and the picture sort will certainly help, I believe it will be
necessary for me to give more individualized, directed instructions to some of the students in this
small group. When I see that a student is confused about what they are supposed to be doing, I

NancyLee Bergey 11/17/2015 3:51 PM

Comment [31]: Be clear with yourself
about what there is to understand here. The
kids are moving pollen but they are not
seeing how the pollen helps the receiving
flower. In other words, there is no
information on fertilization in this lesson.
That is why I suggested having an
unpollinated flower - to make the point that
the pollen was necessary to the production
of the fruit, even though that process is
invisible and not modeled.
Kelsey Jurewicz 11/17/2015 7:26 PM
Comment [32]: As you stated, the
emphasis of this lesson is how bees help to
move pollen from flower to flower. Although
fertilization is not the focus, I do agree that
it is important for students to understand
that without the pollen from another tree,
an apple will not grow. I plan to incorporate
your suggestion of having an unpollinated
flower in the simulation and discussing in
the debrief why that flower would not turn
into an apple.

TERM IIISCIENCE LESSON DESIGN DRAFT

11

will work with them individually to ensure that they stay on task, which will likely require me to
revisit with certain students several times throughout the independent activities.
Accommodations for students who may need greater challenge and/or finish early:
Since the majority of this lesson (read-aloud, simulation and discussion) takes place in a wholegroup setting, all students will be working at the same pace. The final activity, the picture sort, is
the only portion of the lesson where some students may be finishing earlier than other students.
For these students, I will provide a variety of apple-themed books that they may read while they
wait for everyone else to finish. I considered providing a more structured activity for students
who finished early, but given the nature of the picture sort, which does not involve a written
component (often the biggest time factor in activity completion times in my classroom), I do not
believe there will be a significant time gap in the amount of time it takes students to finish the
activity. Additionally, I do not want students to begin a task that they will not have time to finish,
which I would foresee happening given the time constraints of the lesson.
Although the students chosen for this small group were chosen because my classroom mentor
and I believe they would benefit from revisiting this material, it is possible that there will be one
or multiple students in the group who understood the content when it was taught in class and do
not find the material challenging enough. I will provide these students with a greater challenge
by giving them opportunities to articulate this understanding to peers during the whole-group
discussion. I believe that it is much more cognitively challenging to explain something to
someone else than it is to merely understand something, so the discussions we engage in should
provide these students with the appropriate level of challenge. Furthermore, my individual
conversations with these students during the tasks would include questions that require them to
go beyond understanding by utilizing inference, prediction and analysis.