Jessica Quezada

April 11, 2015

TTE 314
Curriculum Materials Analysis Benchmark Assignment
Name of the curriculum material/teachers guide
(for example, Foss Kit on Earth Materials, Investigation 2- Liquids)
Investigation K- Balls and Ramps
Standards and Learning Goals
Disciplinary Core Ideas & Cross-Cutting Concepts
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
Patterns Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and
classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that
influence them.
Knowings
Students will know that:
1. Students will know that the balls are made of different materials.
2. Students will know that the heavy balls, and the light balls produce different
sound pitches.
Doings
Students will be able to:
1. Students will be able to identify different kinds of materials such as plastic,
rubber, and leather.
2.Studnets will be able to interpret data in order to find the exiting patterns.
Question Stage
Your analysis based on the above questions
Experience a Phenomena
The students begin the lesson with a small experience. They are given a polyester
ball, and they are asked to come up with a list of characteristics. The experience of
creating the list is familiar to the students because it relates to a ball chart that
they did during the first experience.
Establish a Question
In the lesson plan there is not a stated driving question. They initiate the
experience by having student use words to describe the ball they are using, which
sets the stage for what they will asked to do during the lesson. The
problem/question in this lesson does not necessarily pertain to students interest,
and it does not give information what a teacher can do to make it relevant.
Elicit Students Initial Ideas
The students initial ideas are elicited through a brief conversation about the
characteristics of the ball they are holding, but it is limited to that.

Modifications you could make

It would definitely be good to start with a driving question for students, as a way
for them to understand what their final goal is. I would make sure that the driving
question had some tie to the funds of knowledge of students. In my classroom it
would benefit the student to focus on the sounds that the balls are making, rather
than just the very general characteristics.

Explore & Investigate Stage

Your analysis based on the above questions
Explore Phenomena
The students are given the opportunity to explore two different balls with a partner.
They begin by having each student in the pair describe a ball without looking at it.
The partners switch off and identity the different words to describe it. They are then
allowed to use the balls in different ways such as rolling, bouncing, and spinning
the balls.
Identify Patterns
During their exploration time, are asked questions that pertain to the characteristics
of the ball, and they are encouraged to speak to each other about the patterns they
are seeing. The teacher is directed to go around and ask questions such as
What happens when the ball bounces?
What does it do when you roll it fast?
Which ball bounces better?
Does the ball move differently on the rug than on the floor?
Through these questions students are supposed to find patterns that relate to the
balls.

Modifications you could make

I would like to make this exploration period even more open to students by giving
even fewer directions in the beginning of the lesson. Instead of going through an
example of the exploration period that students are going to be taking part in, the
students can do all of the exploration on their own, and have a group discussion in
the end. I will be grouping students in pairs, and explaining to them what they
should be listening to during their exploration. As the students are doing their
explorations I will be going around to each group, and eliciting responses from
them that will help them identify the patterns.
Explain Stage
Your analysis based on the above questions
Students Explain Patterns

The lesson ends with a whole groups discussion in which students are given the
opportunity to discuss their findings. However this discussion is completely teacher
led, and the goal of this discussion it to have students add more descriptive words
to the ball chart. The focus is on completing the ball chart, rather than actually
having students identify patterns that they noticed during their exploration period.
Introduce Scientific Ideas
The teacher guide does not give time for the teacher to present specific scientific
ideas after the exploration. The lesson ends with the discussion of the similarities
and differences.
Compare Student Ideas
The students are able to shift their focus back to the ball chart that they started
their lesson with. The look at the descriptive words that they came up with for each
ball, and they circled the ones that were the same. Students arent given the
opportunity to actually discuss what it was that noticed about the balls, and how
their knowledge of them changed through the exploration process.
Modifications you could make
This is the portion of the lesson that I will be making the most modifications to. I
will be important for students to explain patterns and compare their ideas about the
scientific concepts. It will also necessary for me to introduce the scientific concepts
to them. Instead of having the discussion at the end of the exploration period be
focused on listing the characteristics of the balls, I will make it a whole group
discussion, and have students talk about what the patterns they noticed. I will also
be asking them if their ideas about the balls changed from the beginning of the
exploration period to the end. I want the introduction of the scientific concept to be
as natural as possible. I will do this by having the students as group sort the balls
that made the high and low sounds. After we have done this, we will discuss how
they are the same, and how that might effect the sounds that they produce.

Apply Stage
Your analysis based on the above questions
Near & Novel Contexts
In this lesson the student the students are given other opportunities to apply their
knowledge to other context thought a classroom ball collection. The purpose is for
students to bring balls in from home, which they can begin to explore and then
compare the new balls to the balls they explored in school.

Modifications you could make

Since I am focusing more on the sounds that the balls made, I will connect the balls
to the musical presentation that we will be having in the near future. We could talk
about what balls we would use in in certain songs, depending on the kinds of
sounds we were looking to make.
Reflect Stage

Your analysis based on the above questions.

This particular lesson does not have a reflection stage. It simply ends with students
completing the ball chart, and writing their finding in their ball journals. During the
completion of the ball chart there is a chance for student to talk about their
findings, but it is limited to the characteristics of the balls.

Modifications you could make

I can make the finial discussion broader, in other words I would not limit the
reflection to writing down characteristics of the different balls. I would make it an
open discussion in which students would share any ideas, and I can specifically
pose questions that relate to how their ideas of the balls changed through the
course of the exploration period.
Language Goals
Your analysis based on the above questions.
This particular lesson supports ELL learners in several different ways. Students are
able to talk about the activity in large groups settings, as well as with a partner.
This gives them the opportunity to hear the scientific language and any other
pertinent language being spoken. Afterwards they have the opportunity to use it in
a more private setting. At the very end of the lesson they also write about their
findings. All of the conversations that they had during the exploration period, as
well as the chart are very helpful to ELL student. This lesson also offers realia,
which would be very beneficial to ELL students. Taking part in a hands on activity is
always beneficial to students, and this one is definitely hands on.

Modifications you could make.

Even thought his lesson does offer supports for ELL students there are more
supports that I can add to help those students. One additional way of doing this
would be by defining the words that will be important to use during the lesson.
Visuals would also be necessary for ELLs. The chart that students create can
include images that depict the different balls, and characteristics that they will be
talking about.
Summary and Individual Contributions
Your summary
Strengths
This lesson gives students time to explore with the scientific concept, and it does a
good job at getting students to talk about their learning, which is definitely great.
Students get to patterns through their own exploration, rather than through a book.
It also offers students the opportunity to work in several different settings which
include the whole group, small group, and individually. This is a supports students
who work well in different situations.
Weaknesses

I would make a couple of extensions that would helps the students in my class
make more meaningful connections to the topic. I would have the focus of this
lesson be more on the different sounds that are produced by the balls due to the
large music project that is currently taking place in our class. I would also allow
more time for free exploration with a larger amount of balls rather than just the two
that were mentioned in the curriculum. Lastly I would make sure that all the
scientific concepts were very clearly stated for students, as a conclusion to the
lesson.