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Descriptive Investigation Lesson Plan

This lesson plan format is a modification of the Dorothy M. Bush College of Education Effective Teacher Lesson Model and has been
changed to meet the needs of Pedagogy of Science students learning to use the TEKS required Descriptive Investigation Lesson
Model.

Vital Information

1. Author Haley Smith
2. Date 10/14/2014
3. Content Topic The Sun
4. Lesson Topic Importance of light
5. Grade 1
st
grade
6. Goal/ Objective
including de-
emphasized TEKS
The students will be able to understand the importance of light and how it affects
everyday life.

Identify and discuss how different forms of energy such as light, heat and sound are important
to everyday life. 1.6A

7. Value and
importance

The students will understand the importance of light in their daily lives.

Materials and Resources

8. Materials Premeasured packages of numbers with about ten number 1s, ten number 2s and ten
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Needed number 3s/set: one set of numbers for every two students
Styrofoam cups: one per every two students
Whiteboard
Whiteboard marker
Construction paper numbers: one per student (the numbers 1,2, & 3)
Double sided tape
Stuff to create an obstacle course
Recording chart A, B, & C (attached): one per student and extras for group charts
Pencils: one per student
Pre-planned groupings of students (3 groups)
Document camera
9. Technology Teacher usage: document camera
Student usage: None because the students are focusing on hands-on materials.
10. Instructional
Motivational
Strategies
Running through the obstacle course will seem like a game to students. They will see first-
hand how important light is.
11. Source of Lesson
concept
This is an original lesson. The graph idea is based off of a froot loop lesson presented by Professor Neyland
at Dallas Baptist University in 2014.

Instructional Strategies


12. Prior Knowledge

It is assumed that the students will be familiar with the concept of light and darkness. They
also should recognize the letters 1, 2, and 3 and the letters A, B, and C.
Lines 13-17 are a narrative showing the flow of the actual teaching time.
As students enter the room have the question written on the board: Do we need light?
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13. Anticipatory Set/
Focus/Hook

Encourage the students to think through this question on their own.

14. Lesson
Introduction

Ask the children what they think and allow them to discuss, do we really need light? Imagine a world
without light, what would be nice? What wouldnt work or would be different from the way it is now?
Would a world without light work?

Tell them that we are going to do an experiment to figure out if a world without light would work. (5
minutes)
15. Investigational
Activity
(input from lesson to
students)
Before hand the teacher will have given every student a number, either 1, 2, or 3. She will have set up an
obstacle course on one side of the room and will have prepared cups with numbers at each desk one per
every two students and will have written the numbers 1, 2 and 3 on the board with room underneath
them. The desks will be grouped in clumps of two with a Styrofoam cup and numbers at each group of
desks.

The number students have been given will have double-sided tape on the back. The teacher will instruct
the students to stick the number onto their shirt. That is the number of the group they are in. Then the
teacher will instruct the students to stand up and get into their numbered groups. (5 minutes)

Once everyone is in their groups and listening, the teacher will explain that for this experiment you try to
get through the obstacle course as fast as you can. Depending on how fast you make it through you will
either get an: A (best), B (okay) or C (pretty slow). Then she will ask everyone questions to get them
pumped up: Are you ready? Whos going to win? Etc. (5 minutes)

The teacher will have group 1 individually run through the obstacle course and then write the letters they
scored on the board under the number one. For example if the first person in group one got an A she would
write A on the board under number one and so on. This group should all primarily get As and Bs. Next, the
teacher will turn off some of the lights to make the room darker and then have group two run through the
obstacle course. She will explain only to go as fast as you feel safe and explain life is not always fair. There
should be a decrease in the grades group 2 gets. Finally, when it is group 3s turn the teacher will turn all the
lights off. The door will still be open so there will be a little light, but the scores should significantly
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decrease for group 3. After all the students have run the obstacle course, the teacher will turn all the lights
back on and have the children take a seat at their desks. (20 minutes)

The teacher will tell the students to look at the results and then turn to their partner/partners and talk
about who got the best results in their opinion. Then the teacher will call on certain groups and have them
answer what they thought. (5 minutes)

Next the teacher will pass out the A graph. She will instruct the students to place the example graph
between the two people in the group next to the cups of numbers and get out their pencils. (5 minutes)

She will instruct the students that we are now going to figure out which group won. Which group had the
most As. She will use a document camera and model what the students are going to do before they do it.
She will instruct them to count up the number of As the first group got, then they will find the number 1
circles in their cup and place them in the boxes on the shared sheet up the graph on the number 1 line.
Next, they will count the number of As the second group got and put them on the graph on the number 2
line. Same for the third group. Then the students will be instructed to put an X in each box on their A
graphs that coordinates with the group chart and determine who had the highest graph. Group 1 should
have won. The teacher will have the students put the first graph to the side and do the same thing for the B
graph and the C graph filling out the graph and determining who came in second and third place. It should
follow that the group in the dark has the lowest score and should come in third place. (15 minutes)

Meanwhile, the teacher will have a little chart in front of the classroom that looks like an Olympic podium.
There are spots for the first, second and third place winners. As the students figure out which group gets
first, second, and third, the teacher will put a number representing the team onto the podium. If there is
time the teacher can have a student come stick the number onto the podium. The teacher could also use
images to represent the teams. For example, a light bulb with the number one on it, representing group
one would go on first place. A square of blackness representing darkness would go on third place. This will
be a visual representation of which team won and which team lost. (5 minutes)

16. Group
Processing
The teacher will guide the students to a conclusion using these questions or similar ones: So based on these
results which team won? Why did they win? Was it because they were that much faster? What other
factors do we need to look at?
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(output from student
to reveal learning)

What could we have done differently to change the results? Why was group one faster than the other
groups?

So do we really need light? Why? (10 minutes)

17. Closure
(Consolidation)
Have the kids re-imagine the world without any light. Based on the experiment have the students come up
with some of the characteristics of the dark world. Would it be a good place to live? An efficient place?
Have the students name some of the ways they use light in their everyday lives. (5 minutes)

18. Possible
Extensions
For more advance students: The teacher may be able to explain that the charts they are making are called
graphs and explain why graphs are an easy way to relay information. As well, the teacher could talk about
the scientific method and how we test hypotheses.

If there is additional time: The teacher could have the students draw or create in some other way through
technology or paper a world without light.
19. Time Allotment

80 minutes. This could function as two days of science if the teacher was given 40-45 time spots. It could be
broken into two separate days. You would need to break it between the obstacle course and the making of
the graph. It would be ideal as one days lesson however. The teacher could take some time from math as it
does involve making a graph and could take some time from physical education or recess as it does get the
kids moving and they have to run an obstacle course.

20. Supporting/
Piggybacking
Science TEKS
Supporting TEKS used: 1
st
Grade
(2) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student develops abilities to ask questions and seek answers
in classroom and outdoor investigations. The student is expected to:
(B) plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations such as ways objects move;
(D) record and organize data using pictures, numbers, and words;

21. Modifications for
Special
Populations
(Differentiated
Instruction)
See extensions for modifications for more advanced students. As well, the lower level learners will need
little modification from this lesson as they could be paired with more advanced students who could help
them understand the lesson. If students need additional help the teacher will be walking around the
classroom and helping anyone who becomes distracted or needs help.
Math in the production of the graph.
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22. Content
Integration

Physical Education in the running through an obstacle course

23. Teacher
Reflections
Evaluation of student learning:
How well did the students understand the correlation between the obstacle course and
the importance of light?
Did the amount of learning justify the borrowing of math and recess time? Explain
Was the lesson too long based on the amount of learning the children gained from the
lesson?

Evaluation of TEKS based outcomes:
How well did the students understand the importance of light after the lesson?
Were the students successful in creating an efficient graph?

Evaluation of logistics and management:
How efficient was the constant moving between desks and the obstacle course? What
could have made that transition smoother?
Did it work best to pass out the different graphs midway through the lesson?
How well did the document camera convey information to the students?

24. Standards
TEKS:
Focus TEKS 1.6A
Identify and discuss how different forms of energy such as light, heat and sound are important
to everyday life. 1.6A

National Science Standards:
Dimension 1: Science as Inquiry 1.1 Develop abilities necessary to scientific inquiry. Ask question about
objects, organisms and events in their natural environment. Use data to construct descriptions,
explanations, predictions, and models. Identify relationships between evidence and explanation.

InTASC Core Standards:
Competency #4 Content Knowledge (in designing a lesson that is focused on inquiry)
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Competency #7 Planning for instruction (creation of a lesson that integrates math and science)
Competency #8 Instructional strategies (creation of a lesson that uses tactile and hands on approach to
involve students in learning)