Science Practicum Lesson Plan Template

Lead teacher: Paige Kelly The two dates in which lesson will be taught:5/22 – 5/24
Supporting teachers: Alice Cao and Nicole Loewen
Cooperating teacher and grade level: Miss Colby, 2nd grade
Curriculum title: Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Lesson title: Making Clay Beads

Part One of the lesson plan is the BIG-PICTURE info.

CURRICULUM CONTEXT/LONG-TERM GOALS

How does this two-day lesson contribute to the NGSS to be reached at the end of the quarter?

Next Generation Science Standards & Connection of Lesson:

1) What are the NGSS of the curriculum? In addition, write two short narratives (a paragraph of 6-10 sentences)
about what the storyline is for this curriculum. This section will remain the same for each of the lessons.
Science Content:
NGSS
Different properties are suited to different purposes. (2-PS1-2),(2-PS1-3)
Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the
shape of the land. (2-ESS2-1.)
Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects
of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation. (4-ESS2-1.)

Narrative
Pebbles, sand, and silt are some of the most common earth materials. These earth materials are different in
their properties; such as in shape, size, texture, color, and function, and can be sorted by these properties.
We use earth materials in a variety of ways, including human constructions and creating other objects.
These concepts are important to understanding the natural world and how they affect our lives.

Science and Engineering Practices:

NGSS
Practice 4 – Grades K-2 - Record information (observations, thoughts, and ideas); Compare predictions
(based on prior experiences) to what occurred (observable events).

Practice 7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Distinguish between opinions and evidence
in one’s own explanations.
Narrative
Scientists collect observations using labels, pictures, and/or written reports. Scientists record their thoughts
and ideas systematically in their notebooks along with their observations. These data are to be analyzed
and interpreted by other scientist within the scientific community before they become available to the
public. Scientists develop and agree on explanations of a natural phenomenon through argumentation
based on evidence based observation and investigations.

2) How does this particular lesson fit with one of the NGSS of the curriculum? How does this particular lesson help
students make those connections?
Science Content:
This lesson is allowing students to create something using a material that we have been talking about all
quarter. It will help them understand that people can use earth materials to make things that we use and
see everyday.

Science and Engineering Practices:

Students will record the steps of making the clay bead in their science notebooks, this connects with
recording detailed information which has been a big science practice we have been focusing on this
quarter.

3) Are there any specific lessons that need to have preceded this lesson? Are there specific areas of knowledge,
skills, or background experience that are necessary for the students to be able to successfully engage in this
lesson (content or practices)?
Science Content:
Students will need to know that earth materials, such as clay, can be used to make things that we use.
This past week the lesson focused on everyday things that we use, like sidewalks, coffee mugs, or
pathways that are made out of rock materials.

Science and Engineering Practices:

Students will need to know what “detailed” notes look like. We have talked about how detailed notes
include vocabulary, pictures, labels, and anything else that is useful that will help them remember what
they did if they went back to look at their notes.

Learning Targets for This Lesson:

1) Content learning targets:
a. Write a learning target for content stated as an age-appropriate science concept/idea.
Earth materials can be used to make things that we use.

b. NGSS for this outcome. (It may be different for this lesson than those for the end of the quarter.)
Different properties are suited to different purposes. (2-PS1-2),(2-PS1-3)

c. Content learning target assessment statement.

Students will use clay to create a bead and explain that rocks can be used to make things that we use
daily.

2) Science and Engineering practices learning targets (or nature-of-science learning targets):
a. Write a learning target for one science process or nature-of-science idea that is the focus in your lesson.
What will the students learn about this skill or idea as an outcome?
Scientists record the steps they took to create something or do an experiment.

b. NGSS for this outcome. (It may be different for this lesson than those for the end of the quarter. Use the
grade level specific strand from Appendix F of NGSS.)
Practice 4 – Grades K-2 - Record information (observations, thoughts, and ideas); Compare predictions
(based on prior experiences) to what occurred (observable events).

c. Science and Engineering practices learning target assessment statement. (A short statement of how the
learning target will be assessed with further elaboration in summative assessment section below.)
Students will record, on guided notes, the 4 steps it takes to make a clay bead.

3) Academic vocabulary:
a. What are the key vocabulary items (content-specific terms) necessary to understand this lesson and how will
you teach students that vocabulary? Provide the definition for each vocabulary item.
Bead: a small piece of glass, rock, or similar material that has a hole through the middle and is used on
necklaces or clothing
Harden: when something that was soft becomes hard

Students will fill out a guided vocabulary sheet to keep in their science journals. I will have the two words
posted on the board with a picture for students to visually see.

Materials:
1) List all materials necessary to complete this lesson, including quantities. If the quantities do not match the
number of students or the number of groups, describe how they are going to be apportioned.
 It is STRONGLY recommended that you practice this lesson before teaching it to your class.

21 small balls of clay

21 pieces of straw
21 cups of water
21 pieces of yarn (for necklace)
acrylic painting supplies (5 tubes of acrylic paint: yellow, blue, red, green, purple; 10 paint brushes;
Newspaper, 5 cups of water, paper plates)

Number of students: 21 students Number of groups: They will be working independently.

 ASSESSMENT PLAN

Pre-Assessment (content and practices): [day one]

1) How will you find out what/how ALL students think about the targeted content and process ideas addressed in
this lesson?
Science Content:
Students will fill out a handout with 5 different rock types: clay, sand, cobble, boulder, and gravel, they will
match the rock type to the item that they think is made out of that rock. For example: gravel  driveway
or clay  flower pot.

Science and Engineering Practices:

Students will look at two different scientists’ notes. One note will have detailed steps (numbered steps,
pictures) to their experiment; the other one will not have as much detail. Students will circle which one
they think is better and explain why.

2) What are the known misconception(s)? Cite your source at the end of the misconception (if it is a guess you make
just say so and indicate what evidence forms the basis for your assumption).
Science Content:
According to beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu, students may have the misconception that minerals are not
important to their lives. The website states that many of the products we use in daily life are dependent on
minerals.

Science and Engineering Practices:

Through my observations some students may not realize what detailed lists look like since we haven’t
done this yet. They may think that lists for activities or experiments include pictures or labels. Overall I
think they will understand it thought because their notes have been very organized and detailed in the
past few lessons.

Assessment for Learning (content and practices):

1) How will you monitor the emerging understandings of the students?
While students are making their clay beads, my partner teachers and I will go around and ask students
questions about the content. We will record our answers on our monitoring note sheet to keep track of
students’ progress. Questions are listed below.

2) What questions do you plan to ask about content? About practices/nature of science?
Science Content:
While students are making beads:
- What does the clay feel like?
- What type of rock are you using to make the beads?
- What vocabulary words can you use to describe the clay?
- What other types of things can you make with clay?

While students are painting beads:

- What does the clay feel like now?
- How did it get this way?
- Do you think the clay was in a hot or cold room when it hardened?

Science and Engineering Practices:

- What type of things can you include so your notes have detail?
- How many steps are there when making clay beads?
- How would you explain this process to a friend who has never done it?
- If someone had never made a clay bead and wanted to your follow your notes, would they make
the clay bead correctly?

3) What should student answers look like if their learning is on target?

Science Content:
Students will identify that the material they are using is clay.
Students will use vocabulary words to describe the clay. Words like: soft, hard, smooth, rough.
Students will be able to list other things they can make with clay like: bricks and pottery
Students will be able to say that in order for the clay to harden it will have to be in a warm room.

Science and Engineering Practices:

Students will say that detail includes: pictures, diagrams, labels, vocabulary words, numbered lists
Students will identify if someone who had never made a clay bead could follow their notes based on the
amount of detail.

Summative Assessment (content and practices): [day two]

1) How will students demonstrate that they have met the content and process learning targets?
Science Content:
Students will fill out a handout that had pictures of items we use everyday like: sidewalk, brick, and coffee
cup. They will identify if the product is made out of rock materials by circling yes or no. If the answer is yes
they will write which rock type was used to make that item.

Science and Engineering Practices:

Students will fill out a handout about detailed lists. Students will answer questions like: “What type of
things are included in detailed science notes and lists?” “How did you include detail in your science
notes?” “what does a detailed list look like?”, Etc.

2) Are the students asked to compare their ideas to their initial ideas? How?
Science Content:
No, Students will be doing a very similar activity to the pre-assessment but are not being asked to
compare their initial ideas to their ideas after the activity.

Science and Engineering Practices:

No, they will be looking at their science notes though and evaluating how well they included detail.

3) Is your assessment quantifiable? (Can you mathematically estimate the student learning?) Why? Why not?
Science Content:
Yes, there are right and wrong answers so I will be able to mathematically estimate student learning.

Science and Engineering Practices:

No, some questions will require students opinions which is not quantifiable.

4) What should student answers look like if their learning at the end of the lesson is on target?
Science Content:
Students will be able to correctly identify products created from rock materials.
Clay is used to make pottery like flower pots and coffee cups
Gravel is used to make driveways and sidewalks

Science and Engineering Practices:

Students will say that detail includes: pictures, diagrams, labels, vocabulary words, numbered lists
Students will be able to state how they used detail in their science notes.
 Part Two of the lesson plan is your plan sequence - a scripted teaching plan.

INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
The total estimated time should not exceed the class time. Class time for the two days (min): .

Please indicate in bold font where EACH of the six following assessments will start within the sequence:
Content Pre-Assessment Practices Pre-Assessment
Content Assessment for Learning Practices Assessment for Learning
Content Summative Assessment Practices Summative Assessment

Please indicate in bold font where EACH of the two teaching days will start within the sequence:
Day One Day Two

Communicating Behavioral Expectations and Learning Targets:

-How will you begin the lesson? Describe how the behavioral expectations will be reviewed.
-How will you communicate the learning targets? DO NOT state the learning target you developed for the lesson.
Rather, state the general expectations or the challenge question for the lesson. For example, “How does electricity
flow?” or “Why are plankton important to the ocean ecosystem?”
-How will you help children understand the purpose/relevance of the learning targets?

Time (min) What are the teachers going to do? What are the students going to do?
10 min.
Day One:
We will begin on the carpet where we Students are listening and responding on cue.
will discuss the behavior expectations. I
will ask students to raise their hand and
cite the behavior expectations, because
by now they are familiar with them.

We will then review Alice’s lesson. I will

name a type of rock and ask students to
raise their hands and name a product
that we use that is made from that rock.

Then I will introduce the learning target,

“Today we will be creating something
out of a rock material that you are going
to be able to keep! Rocks are very
important and are used to make many
things that we use everyday. We are
also going to keep detailed notes just
like scientists do! We will be making a
list of the steps we took to make our
item today. It’s very important that we
use as much detail as possible so that if
went back to look at our notes we would
know exactly what we need to do!”
Eliciting Initial Ideas:
How will you structure the lesson so that students:
• become aware of their initial ideas and/or predictions
• explain or justify their initial ideas and/or predictions
• record in writing their initial ideas and/or predictions
• share their initial ideas and/or predictions in a small group and/or whole class?
(This is not a review of previous lessons or past experiences but what they know about the target of THIS LESSON)
Time (min) What are the teachers going to do? What are the students going to do?
15 min I will explain to pre-assessment on the Students are listening to instructions
carpet before they head back to their
desks. I will instruct them to work by
themselves and if they finish early to
grab a book from the book bin and read
silently at their desks.

Content Pre-Assessment Students are working independently to complete

Students will fill out a handout, assessment.
independently, with 5 different rock
types: clay, sand, cobble, boulder, and
gravel, they will match the rock type to
the item that they think is made out of
that rock. For example: gravel 
driveway or clay  flower pot.

Practices Pre-Assessment
Students are working independently to complete
Students will look at two different
scientists’ notes. One note will have assessment.
detailed steps (numbered steps,
pictures) to their experiment; the other
one will not have as much detail.
Students will circle which one they think
is better and explain why.

Engaging in Meaningful Experiences:

Students should gather evidence and record observations
Students should record how they gathered the evidence and discuss why they are gathering the evidence
The investigation should provide evidence about the content target idea
The investigation should provide evidence about the practices target idea

Time (min) What are the teachers going to do? What are the students going to do?
20 mins. I will show an example of what we will Students think about what the rock material is and then
be making and ask the students to tell tell a shoulder partner what they think
their shoulder partner what type of rock
was used to make the bead. The
answer is clay. I will go over our first
vocabulary word: Bead.

Students will receive a small ball of clay Students listen to directions

while I am giving them instructions. I will
display the steps to making a clay bead
on the overhead projector the whole
duration of the activity.

Steps:
1. Get the clay wet so that is easily
moldable
2. Mold the clay into your bead
shape
3. Put a straw through the clay so
that there is a hole for the yarn
4. Let the clay harden overnight
Students participate in activity
After reviewing the steps to making the
clay bead and showing examples of
different shapes clay beads can be
molded into, students will begin the
activity. Students will follow the steps
and make their clay bead.

We will collect the beads so that they

can harden overnight, I will go over the
last vocabulary word: harden and
explain the process to the students.

Then students will receive guided notes Students fill out handout
to fill out so that they can create a
detailed list of the steps they took for
making their bead.

Practices Assessment for Learning Students respond to questions that teachers ask
Teachers will walk around and ask
questions to assess students’
understanding. Questions listed above.

Day two
Students will be receiving their beads
back today so that they can paint them
and we can put them on a piece of yarn
so they can have it as a necklace.

I will explain to students that we will be

working in stations today, so that
everyone gets the same amount of time
to paint their bead. I will explain each
station to the students and visually post
the stations on the board. I will also let
each station know when it is time to
rotate and where they will be rotating.

We will have 3 groups of 5 students,

and 1 group of 6 students. This will
create 4 different stations. Each group
will rotate to the 4 stations and get to
spend 10 minutes at each station.

One student was absent so I was able

to have 4 groups of 5 students!

4 stations:
Paint station: students will paint their beads
with acrylic painting supplies
Reading station: Students will sit on the
carpet and participate in an interactive read
aloud. The book will be about rocks.
Content Summative Assessment station:
Students will complete their content
summative assessment
Practice summative assessment: Students
 will complete their practice summative
assessment.

My partner teachers and I will each be

assigned to monitor one station to make
sure students are on task.
Using Evidence to Draw Conclusions and Support Claims:
The lesson should allow students to:
 Discuss and interpret the data generated for content and for practices
 Use evidence to support their own claims
 Critique claims of other students
 Draw conclusions

Time (min) What are the teachers going to do? What are the students going to do?
Content Assessment for Learning Students respond when asked a question
Teachers walk around and ask guided
questions to track students
understanding while they are creating
the clay bead and when they are
painting.

Questions like:
- What does the clay feel like?
- What type of rock are you using
to make the beads?
- What vocabulary words can you
use to describe the clay?
- What other types of things can
you make with clay?
- What does the clay feel like
now?
- How did it get this way?
- Do you think the clay was in a
hot or cold room when it
hardened?

Making Sense of the Lesson:

Students are led to reflect on what they learned and connect it back to the big idea. Teacher organizes this through
questions! Students must be expected to make sense – the teacher cannot do it for them. You MUST LIST specific
questions you plan to ask students in this section.
1) SYNTHESIS
Questions that allow students to use evidence to support and critique claims about the learning targets
Questions that allow students to reflect on the data and the experience
2) CONNECTIONS
Questions that allow students to connect what they did to the targeted idea for content and for practices
Questions that allow students to connect to other ideas that they already know
3) REFLECTION
Questions that allow students to compare their emerging ideas to their initial ideas for content and for practices
Questions that allow students to reflect on what made their ideas change
Questions that allow students to understand the big ideas of the unit
Reflect on meaning of the data/experience

Time (min) What are the teachers going to do? What are the students going to do?
20 Content summative assessment: Students fill out assessment
minutes
in all. 10 During one of the rotations students will
minutes complete their content summative
 to do assessment where students identify
each whether or not an item is made from
rock materials. I will explain the
worksheet to the whole class before we
begin our rotations and explain that it
should be done independently and that
they should do their best.

Practice summative assessment: Students fill out assessment.

One of the stations will have students fill
out their practice summative
assessment. Students will complete a
handout that will allow me to see what
their understanding of detailed science
notes is. I will explain the worksheet to
the whole class before we begin our
rotations and explain that it should be
done independently and that they
should do their best.

The next section blends with this

section. When wrap up our lesson we
will be making sense of everything
through the questions I ask which are
listed below. We will discuss what we’ve
been talking about for content and
practice all quarter and how they can
apply it to their lives.
Apply or Extend New Understanding in a New Context:
-How will you help children understand the purpose/relevance of the science content and practices?
-How will the lesson allow students to apply or extend their learning to a slightly different context? This activity can
lead into the next lesson.

Time (min) What are the teachers going to do? What are the students going to do?

5-10 min We will wrap up our lesson on the Students are listening and responding on cue.
carpet. We will discuss how important
rocks are in our everyday lives and how
we have been exploring the ways rocks
are used for the past few weeks. I will
ask students to share what type of
things they have seen in their
classroom or at home that are made of
rocks. I will ask students to give me a
thumbs up if they think rocks are
important to our lives or a thumbs down
if they think they are not important. I will
then ask students to share with their
shoulder partner one new thing they
learned this quarter and then I will ask a
few students to share with the whole
class.

I ended up having students share

something new they learned throughout
the quarter and then we took time for
students to share rocks that they have
collected or found with the class, I also
went over what we would be doing on
Wednesday for our last day.
 Part Three of the lesson plan is your reflection after teaching the 2-day lesson.

Reflection on Student Learning

(the lead teacher should reflect using the Stoplight Model for Reflection)

STOP!
-Did students understand the targeted ideas?
-How do you know (what is your evidence?)?

SLOW DOWN!
-What do you think helped/hindered students’
understanding of the targeted ideas?
-Of the factors you identified, which are the most salient?
-How do you feel about your performance as a teacher?

GO!
-What are the next steps to support student learning?
-How do you feel about moving on or (or not moving on)?

STOP!
Include quantitative data (for example, numbers of students who met the content learning target numbers of students
who met the practice learning target, average post-assessment scores) and qualitative data (for example, a description
of the observations and conversations with children that led you to conclude that they reached the target goals) from
the post-assessment.
I think for the most part the entire class met the learning targets. 11 out of 18 students that took the
content summative assessment correctly identified all 4 of the pictures that were made of rocks, the rest
of the students only missed 1 or 2 of the pictures. For practice, 18 out of the 20 students correctly
answered the true or false statements about good science notes. Through my observations and
discussion students have a really good understanding of what types of rocks can make different types of
materials. They also have all been doing a great job of writing detailed and descriptive notes for their
science journals. All three of us have been pretty repetitive with our science and practice targets so I think
that extra practice has helped the students get the information down.

SLOW DOWN!
The student’s were so excited about making clay beads and being able to keep them. I think that
something that went well was the station on Wednesday, the idea behind that was that not too
many students were painting at once. I thought all the students had a good time in every station
and some of the students told me that their favorite station was the summative assessment
station! I thought that having the students actually make something themselves really helped
them understand that rocks are important in our lives and that rocks can be used to make
different materials. I think it is really important for young students to have the opportunity to do
hands on activities.

I thought my performance, as a teacher was pretty good. Some things I would change would be
being more aware during the station work time and also probably writing the rotation for the
groups on the board to have an extra visual for the students and myself. I would have also made
them nametags with their group number on it so they can remember what group they are in.
I thought some good things about my lesson were that I was very organized on Monday and
Wednesday, I had all the materials ready and all the stations set up before the students came in
at 1. I also thought I had good classroom management skills, Monday was a little challenging
because it was a very sunny day and the students were easily off-task. I was able to get their
attention back to what they should have been working on and I didn’t feel like I ever lost control of
the classroom or anything.

GO!
I think that the student’s definitely could keep moving through the curriculum, they’ve got the
content from our lessons down and are very excited to learn new things about rocks! I wish we
could keep teaching them the science content!
I also think that the student’s should still keep using guided notes so that their focus stays on
science content instead of writing. I just think the guided notes are a good scaffolding tool and as
their writing progresses, the notes should become less structured and offer more opportunity for
student’s to add in their own ideas and format their notes the way they want.