11/7/2013

Reflection on The observation of Your Cooperating Teachers Science Lesson

The science lesson I observed was while the students were learning about seed growth and the different types of soil. Prior to the lesson the students were required to plant their own seed in the classroom. They were each given a plastic cup, some soil, and their seeds. The students were required to water their seeds each day and monitor its growth. The lesson that I observed was when the students learned about the different types of soils. After going over the PowerPoint with the various soil definitions and their individualities the students were getting ready to go on a Soil Walk. I was able to lead half of the class, and the classroom teacher was leading the other half. We went outside, towards the school playground, with a shovel and Ziploc bags. As we were on our walk, we were looking at different types of soils, and their locations. The students were very ecstatic about digging into the ground. Each student took a turn shoveling, and putting some dirt into the bags. What we discovered about one soil was its distinct odor. Since it was next to the woods we figured that there were probably lots of animals that have been around the soil, and affected its smell. This was a great experience and hands on activity for the students to know that us humans and animals can affect the soil, and its growth, smell, touch and color as well. What I really enjoyed about the lesson was giving the students the opportunity to learn about the different types of soil, and then actually go outside and experiment, feel, touch, and smell the different types. Although they were not able to physically see all of the different types of soil, it gave them the idea and understanding. It really made science come a live in their eyes. This was a very great experience not only for the students but also for teachers. I will definitely use this lesson in my classroom one day.

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Student Teacher Lesson Reflection Summary:

As the students were learning about soil, seeds and the nature of growth I thought about teaching students what the inside of a seed looks like. So we made a lima bean book. First we predicted what the lima bean could look like inside, and after that I allowed them to dissect a lima bean (I soaked them over night so that they can open up and grow), I made the students record their observations, talk to their table buddies and list very detailed and specific observations about the lima bean. Afterwards, we discussed a few things they observed as a class. I lead the discussion by reading the digital version literature book Oh Say Can You Seed by Bonnie Worth to the students. They were able to take turns reading from the smart board. As we got closer to the inside description a lima bean we stopped and discussed if they were able to discover the same things as the book. As we learned, repeated and talked about the individual lima bean parts and their responsibilities we created a lima bean book. The students glued, labeled, and wrote what they learned/liked about the seed they learned about on the back of the book.

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Reflection:
What did the students find out in the experience? Were there any surprises?

The students found out the traits that exist inside of a lima bean. They were able to dissect the inside parts, and observe what they looked like, felt, and smelled like. They were surprised that the inside of the lima bean looked the way it did. When we were making predictions they told the class that it was just white, and had nothing inside of it. They also mentioned that we could not eat the lima bean, which I thought was a funny observation.

How did the students in each group work together? Were there any problems?

The students worked very well in the groups. There were some debates within the groups that caused some confusion amongst each other. One example was about being able to eat the bean, or not.

Was the activity open-ended enough, or did each group do more or less the same thing?

The activity was not open ended enough. Each group was able to pin point out what the major parts were, as they dissected the lima bean. They were not able to go further with their experimentations once they discovered that those were the main parts of the lima bean.

How did the students extend the investigation?

The students extended the investigation by asking to take some of the extra lima beans home, and being able to plant them at home. The students were very surprised at the way the inside looked. Some of the students started to think ahead of the class, and started thinking about each parts responsibility after dissecting. A lot of them were right also.

How did the students connect this experience to their daily lives?

The students connected this experience to their daily lives by understanding that food is produced from plants. Maybe years before today, it would be more clear to children where food

11/7/2013 comes from since industries, and factories were not common for food productions. Farming was the norm. This activity linked to a daily reminder of how the inside of how food is reproduced.

How did I accommodate students with learning and physical differences?

I accommodated the different learning styles by providing three different learning strategies. One was hand on, and this was a great exploring activity. The teacher did not have any input with this experiment. The language barriers were not a problem since students can identify or label their prior knowledge according to their discovery. Leading to an audio, and visual activity this helped ELL or students with physical differences by reading the digital version of a literacy book called Oh Say Can You Seed. Third, for the visuals and as a review the students made a lima bean book and labeled, glued and wrote a reflection with it.

Did I use technology effectively?

Yes, I used technology in two different ways. I made a PowerPoint for the whole lesson. This helped me and the students know what we were doing. The second way I used it effectively was by using the smart board interactively with a literacy book. The students were able to come up and read the story, while I pointed to the words with a pointer.

Overall, what do I think the students got out of the experience?

Overall I think the students really enjoyed the experience. The feedback I received from the students verbally gave me confirmation of understanding, and growth. They enjoyed the experiments, and asked to take some lima beans home for self-discovery.

What do I remember most about this science activity?

I remember the different observations, and looks on students faces while dissecting the lima bean. Some students were convinced that the lima bean can be eaten and some negated it. The differences in comments, observations really reflect their prior experience with food and other schema built upon prior discovery. The students were able to hang up their lima bean books outside of their classroom. They were very proud and happy to have constructed and been part of making a bean. At the back of the book they were able to share what they learned/liked most about the lima bean.

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Would I do it again? How would I plan differently the next time?

I would do this activity again because integrating the different learning styles was a very effective way of providing a successful teaching moment. The students really seemed to enjoy learning, and discovering.

What did you learn about yourself as a learner and as a teacher during this lesson?

I learned that being a teacher does not mean giving students the answers to every situation. Being a teacher is proving students with different learning styles, strategies and expansion of knowledge. We as teacher are still learning as we grow, and so are students. Dissecting a lima bean may not be something they remember for the rest of their lives, but it sure will plant a seed of curiosity to the world and how it works to some. Different subjects may plant other seeds to students that have interest, and passion for it. During this lesson I was able to share my experience with a lima bean, and give them a personal experiment and story with a lima bean as well.