SCI 579 Lesson Planning
Kip Ault
Teacher Education
A note of
caution:
Lesson purposes differ widely in science. Some lessons are explorations: the valued outcomes are new questions. Some lessons develop skills, for example in
the proper use of a microscope. Some
lessons introduce inquiry at an ambitious level: students expected to design an
investigation. Some lessons help to form
and elaborate concepts. Some lessons are
laboratory exercises that verify principles.
Many lessons ought to be ones where students apply knowledge to solve
problems. Some lessons explore prior
knowledge; some examine science in the context of social and personal
life. A lesson-planning format that
serves all these purposes equally well does not exist.
However, as a teacher you must know your intentions well and
understand the lesson content thoroughly.
On your conception of understanding much depends. At a minimum, a good question should frame
the lesson.
Closure to the lesson means returning to the question with an
answer. Learning is possible when a
connection is made between a good question and its appropriate answer.
Lessons should emphasize a small number of concepts and make use of
learning from prior lessons as new ones unfold.
In planning for a lesson, keep foremost in your mind what the students
will be doing, how they will interact with the subject, each other, and you. The pattern of interaction may differ
according to the purpose of the lesson.
Teach the question and teach for understanding. Understanding requires something to think
about: the event or object of
interest. Understanding requires
something to think with: concepts,
defined as socially shared symbols. Understanding
occurs on many levels.
The movement to a new level of understanding is what matters—and
misconceptions will exist in some form at every level. Finally, understanding is an emotion. It is something we feel and it feels
satisfying. Meaningful learning is a
good feeling.
Most importantly, try to place your science teaching in the
context of solving a problem. Problems
exist on many scales, from deciding which units to use in measurement to
designing a forage garden for urban birds.
Hair Styling (a metaphor for Lesson Planning) by Kip Ault
I'd like to begin today by responding with advice about hair
styling. Several of you have no concerns in this regard, yet many clearly would like some direction.
First of all, hair styling is virtually inescapable. Even the complete lack of hair styling--whether intentional or unintentional--becomes a style of its own.
Secondly, styling is personal. What works well for one person might be entirely inappropriate for someone else.
Thirdly, and in tandem with the second principle, hair styling is done in response to what you care about. Perhaps you are seeking a style that entertains. Perhaps you wish to make a statement about serious purpose.
Your style might be very predictable or have a surprising twist.
There are certainly no fixed rules for styling your hair, but certainly you will always want to think about the effects of your choices, both on how you feel about yourself as well as on how others perceive the message made by your styling. In brief, always think about the objective you wish to accomplish through a particular hair style and be alert as to whether you have met this objective or not.
Whether haute couture, college prep, street smart, or utilitarian, reflect carefully on your fashion sense and pick a style that works for you.
Best wishes,
-Kip
LESSON TITLE
AAA SAFETY (anticipate, avoid, alert: anticipate any potential hazards to self,
others, materials, environment; avoid introducing any unnecessary degree of
risk and stay within the guidelines of NSTA’s Inquiring/Investigating
Safely; alert the class to precautions they must take).
FOCUS QUESTION (a question to write on the
board at the start of the lesson and return to with appropriate answers at the
end; students should be able to answer, “What are you trying to find out?”
should a visitor to the class ask.)
OBJECTIVE(S) (at least one “well-formed
objective” per lesson in a traditional, three component format: the conditions
or materials to use, the expectation for student performance, and the criteria
for judging success); examples:
Presented with a set of geologic maps on different scales
(condition), students will interpret these maps and their accompanying legends
as they locate their homes and describe their “geological addresses”
(performance). Their descriptions should include both the type and age of the
bedrock found where they live as well as a brief summary about the environment
of its origin (criteria).
After examining a set of volcanic rocks collected locally
(condition) and noting the attributes of texture, density, and color
(performance), students will sort them into the categories (performance) of
scoria, extrusive igneous rock, obsidian, ash fall tuff, and intrusive igneous
rock (criteria).
Given five samples of minerals, all white in color (condition),
students will be able to (SWBAT) test them for hardness, luster, cleavage, and
reaction with dilute HCL (performance) and from these tests determine their
proper classification as quartz, limestone, gypsum, kaolinite
(clay), or talc (criteria).
Given a collection of fruits and a set of diagrams that show the 3
basic ways in which flowers grow (condition), and hence variation in the
position of the ovary with respect to the stem (condition), SWBAT infer the
type of flower from which each fruit developed (performance with criteria
embedded).
Having carefully watched a demonstration of the “diving dropper”
(condition) and recorded observations about the shape and size of the bubble of
air with the dropper (condition blending into performance with a bit of
embedded criteria), students will work in pairs to author a convincing
(ambiguous, at this point in stating the objective, criterion) explanation of
this phenomenon (conceptual performance).
In their explanation they should point out how squeezing transmits
pressure, that this pressure compresses the air bubble, that when compressed
the air bubble occupies less space and hence more water enters the dropper,
that when the volume of the dropper contains more water its density increases,
and when the density of the dropper (an average value for air bubble, water,
glass, and rubber top) exceeds the density of water, it sinks (explicit,
ambitious statement of criteria for judging performance). In brief, they should recognize how changing
the volume of air changes the “sinkability” (or
“floatability”) of the dropper. At an
advanced level, students will grasp the importance of a pressure gradient from
the top to bottom of the dropper.
Students will be encouraged to invoke the concept of “buoyancy” in order
to explain the rise and fall of the dropper, describing the buoyant force
(lift) as acting opposite to the weight of the dropper, varying with its
density, and resulting from the pressure gradient in the column of water. [Note:
when the object’s density is the same as water, the pressure gradient
from its weight is the same as for water and the weight and buoyancy forces
equal each other. When the object is
denser than water, the pressure gradient set up by its weight is greater than the
one set up by water and it sinks. When
the object is less dense than water, the pressure gradient set up by its weight
is less than the one set up by water of an equivalent height and hence the
buoyant force exceeds the sinking (weight) force and the object floats. When an object is submerged, the buoyant
force is equal to the weight of water displaced (occupied) by the volume of the
object. When the object floats, the
buoyant force is also equal to the weight of the volume of the water displaced
by the object. However, in the case of
the floating object, only part of the object displaces water—the submerged
part.]
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS TO PREPARE (attach
list of equipment and materials, sample problems, lab instructions, exercises).
INDIVIDUAL NEEDS TO CONSIDER (reminders of
critical individual differences and the need to encourage everyone to
participate; attention to issues of equity regarding gender and ethnicity; also
includes your accommodations for mainstreamed, ESOL, or other students with
special needs).
LESSON STRUCTURE: OPENING SEGMENT, TRANSITIONS, KEY SEGMENTS,
TIME FOR EACH (describe the roles of teacher and students and how students
interact with materials, exercises, each other, and the teacher).
CLOSURE (consolidate the understanding in
the context of shared experience rather than or before dismissing students to
work independently to complete exercises; script
a few questions for discussion at the end of the lesson; allow at least 5
minutes for this conversation—do not let clean-up be the last step before the
bell; have these questions direct attention to observations, activities,
findings, and, most importantly, the answer(s) to the focus question(s);
encourage questions from students and especially student to student questions
and answers: “Did anyone else notice
missing limbs on their pillbug? Did it crawl funny?”).
ASSESSMENT (check for understanding: describe how to determine what your students
have learned; use the objectives and focus question as a guide; closure
conversation may be adequate).
Some advice
1.
Balance
the use of existing resources with original lesson plans.
The unit of instruction should span an appropriate amount of time.
2.
Develop
your expectations for student learning by writing an overview of unit content
in narrative or outline form.
Demonstrate to yourself your own grasp of the background science—do your
own “conceptual housecleaning.” Search
for examples of student misconceptions about the subject you plan to teach so
that you can better anticipate their struggles.
Remember to emphasize that you are teaching for conceptual
understanding: for student skill in
forming, then applying ideas. Cast your
expectations for student learning as achieving skill in solving problems. Think about the thinking. How you will help students feel the
significance of each question in a meaningful way? What will be the balance among shared
experiences in the class, personal interpretations from individuals, and formal
knowledge?
3.
For
each lesson, author a well-formed, three-part objective as well as a Focus
Question. The Focus Question should be
in a form that you can present to the students.
Work backwards from the well-formed objective to shape the flow of the
lesson. Sometimes writing the focus
question helps to craft the objective; sometimes after writing an objective,
the focus question emerges.
4.
Identify
the relevant state benchmarks (and/or national standards).
5.
Follow
the advice and approach outlined by Wiggins and McTighe
(Backward Design).