Jessica Harman Methods Presentation

Professor Sabo Total Physical Response

Section 1:

Background Information:

I would have been doing the lesson in a first grade general education classroom. There are 18

students in the class. Out of the 18 students, 6 of them are ELLs. The first language of all the

ELLs is Spanish. All ELLs are at the emerging level. In the class, the students sit in 3 rows of 6.

They are mixed heterogeneously by achievement in their rows and on the carpet.

Learning Community:

I work at George McVey Elementary School. It provided education to students in grades

prekindergarten to fifth grade. The school is located in a suburban area. Demographics of the

school include 53% white, 22% Hispanic, 21% Asian, 3% Black, and 1% two or more races.

(2020)

SIOP Lesson Plan

Teacher: Jessica Harman

Standards: 1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how
plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
(Achieve, 2013)

Theme: 1st Grade Science

Lesson Topic: Parts of a Plant and Their Function

Objectives:

Language: Students will be able to orally explain the parts of a plant and their function.
Content: Students will be able to label the parts of a plant and match it to their description.

Learning Strategies: Total Physical Response

Key Vocabulary: roots, stem, leaves, flower, fruits, reproduce

Materials: Anchor chart, What are the Parts of the Plants Video- Generation Genius
(https://www.generationgenius.com/videolessons/plant-parts-video-for-kids/), The Tiny Seed by
Eric Carle
Jessica Harman Methods Presentation
Professor Sabo Total Physical Response

Motivation(Building background):
1. Read aloud- The Tiny Seed by Eric Carl
(Carle, 1970)

We will read the book once through on the carpet. We will then look at the anchor chart and
label the parts of the plant together. This is something that most students will be familiar
with.

Before reading: After reading:

Presentation (Language and content objectives, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction,

feedback):

2. Video- What are the Parts of the Plant?

We will watch the video together and after the video we will talk about the function of each
part of the plant. We will add it to our anchor chart. The students will turn and talk for each
part of the plant.

The completed anchor chart will remain hanging up in the classroom for students to refer
back to it when needed.
Jessica Harman Methods Presentation
Professor Sabo Total Physical Response

To help the students remember the function of each part, we will use TPR. We will be
comparing the function to our bodies. The students will be making up the motions.

(head-flower, torso- stem, arms- leaves, feet/legs- roots).

Practice/ Application(Meaningful activities, interaction, strategies, practice/application,

feedback):

3. Students will get a card with a plant part on it. The students will be sitting in a circle. I will
tell the student where to sit. The higher level students will begin. One at a time a student
will hold up the card and say the function of that plant part. While the student is sharing
the function, the other students will be doing the TPR movement they made up for that
part of the plant.

4. After all the students have gone, they will work independently on a worksheet filling in
the function of each part of the plant.

Worksheet: Modified worksheet: * Addition modification:

Typing up the functions
and allowing students to
cut and paste them in the
correct box.
Jessica Harman Methods Presentation
Professor Sabo Total Physical Response

Extension: Students will make connections between and plants external parts and human
problems. Students will designing a solution by mimicking how a plant uses their external parts
to help them survive, grow and meet their needs.

Section 2:

Commentary:

I chose to start with a picture book. I think it is great to start with a picture book so children

are able to hear the vocabulary before having to use it. It allows students to visual see the life

cycle of a plant as well. I chose The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle because the beginning of the book

begins to introduce how some seeds don’t survive because of natural causes. I will start me

extension lesson with that point. Seeds have shells and other properties that allow them to protect

themselves but if they land in the wrong location they may not be able to grow.

After reading, we fill in the anchor chart together as a class. After hearing the vocabulary in

the book, I wanted the students to produce it rather than just reading off an anchor chart that is

already filled in.

Next we watch a video about plants, their parts and their function. The video is very kid

friendly. It has a scientist and two helpers. The helpers are two kids about the same age as first

graders. The video shows real plants and their parts. It also shows many different kinds of plants

because it is important to be aware that they all might not look the same. Providing the video was

my way of adding realia to the lesson to support the ELLs and the lower level students.

After watching the video, we then fill in the anchor chart together. Having the students tell me

what to put on the anchor chart allows me to give the students an opportunity to talk to one

another using turn and talk. It opens the floor for questions and comments about the parts and it
Jessica Harman Methods Presentation
Professor Sabo Total Physical Response

will make the information stick better than me just reading it to them. The completed anchor

chart will be hung up in the classroom so the students have it to look back at during any point.

I chose to do the TPR movements relating to our bodies because our body parts and plant

parts have similar functions. Having the students think about their bodies will help them

remember the functions on the plant parts. For the movements, I allowed the students to come up

with them in order to make it more meaningful.

As for the practice, I put the students in the circle and tell them where to sit. I put the higher

level students first and the ELLs and lower level students toward the end of the circle. This is to

allow them to hear their peers say the function of the parts of the plant multiple times before

having to go. This will hopefully boost their confidence for when it is their turn to go. After the

game, the students will complete the worksheet by themselves. This will serve as a form of

assessment to see what stuck with the students and what may have not stuck.

Reflection:

Because I did not have the opportunity to teach this lesson due to COVID 19, I will be

reflecting on what it was like to videotape a teaching point. I was nervous to videotape a teaching

point. When I have to videotape myself, I practice what I am going to say before starting the

video. Usually it never goes how I practice it. I videotaped my discussion board video 3 times.

After a while I have to accept that there will be human error and I just have to submit it

otherwise I will drive myself crazy. I feel like I have to put on a show if I am videotaping myself.

In the classroom I feel most comfortable. Teaching and feeding off the student’s energy comes

natural for me. We all know we can have a perfect lesson but it does not always go as planned

when we are in front of our students. The best teachers are the ones who can roll with the

punches and go with the flow.

Jessica Harman Methods Presentation
Professor Sabo Total Physical Response

Work Cited

Explore Mcvey Elementary School in East Meadow, NY. (2020). Retrieved from

https://www.greatschools.org/new-york/east-meadow/747-Mcvey-Elementary-

School/#Students

Next Generation Science Standards. (2013, May). Retrieved from

https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/1 Combined topicsf.pdf

Carle, E. (1970). The Tiny Seed. Simon and Schuster.