THE CLAFLIN IMPERATIVE PREPARING STDUENTS FOR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE IN A MULTICULTURAL, GLOBAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Claflin University School of Education - - - EDUC 450 Reflective Lesson Plan Model Name: Ms. Aubriaunna Bodrick PART I: PLANNING Date: January 31st, 2012

Title of Lesson

Team Meteorologists: Building a Class Weather Station (Day 1 of 4 Day Unit)

Is this lesson original idea? If not, from what source did I borrow this lesson?

Source Subject Area (s) Grade Level

SC State Curriculum Standards/Support Documents Science 4th Grade Standard 4-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of weather patterns and phenomena. Indicator 4-4.5: Carry out procedures for data collecting and measuring weather conditions (including wind speed and direction, precipitation and temperature) by using appropriate tools and instruments. Indicator 4-4.6: Predict weather from data collected through observation and measurements.
What will students experience during the lesson? What is the content to be taught?

Curriculum Standards

Description and Background Information

During this lesson, students will (experience):

ENGAGE in a discussion about weather and tools used to measure/ collect data pertaining to the weather. Teacher will raise questions in order to create interests and arouse curiosity. Relating the information to everyday life will be done through showings of real weather reports by real meteorologists broadcasted on local news stations. EXPLORE the jobs of a meteorologist by creating their very own class weather station. This station will include the four weather instruments discussed: thermometer, anemometer, wind/weather vane, and rain gauge. Once students have created their instruments in small groups, they will go outside to record observations/measurements. EXPLAIN newly learned concepts in their own words and how they relate to previously learned material in their science journals. EVALUATE their learning experience by answering open-ended questions by using evidence and previously accepted explanations.

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Content to be Taught: What is meteorology? The study of all changes in the atmosphere that surround the earth. What does a meteorologist do? Study changes in the atmosphere in order to predict/forecast weather. Instruments meteorologists use to Measure/Predict Weather: Thermometer- used to measure temperature Anemometer- used to determine wind speed Wind/Weather Vane- used to determine which direction the wind is coming from (North, South, East, West) Rain Gauge- used to measure precipitation (rain)
What will I need to teach this lesson? What do students need to participate?

Materials

To teach this lesson, I will need: Starboard, Laptop, & Internet Connection (to display weather report online) Weather Station Data Collection Calendar (for both teacher and students to record data on daily throughout the month of February) To participate in this lesson, students will need: Science Journals (to write questions/answers in) Materials needed to create weather instruments: - Thermometer: Rubbing Alcohol, Cold Water, CylinderShaped Clear Bottle/Jar, Drinking Straw, Modeling Clay, Red Food Coloring - Wind Vane: Paper Plate, Straight Pin, Scissors, Glue, Pencil with new Eraser, Drinking Straw, Modeling Clay, Manila File Folder - Anemometer: 4 Small Paper Cups, 4 Drinking Straws, Tape, Scissors, Straight Pin, Pencil with new Eraser, Stapler - Rain Gauge: Plastic Ruler, Cylinder-Shaped Clear Jar, Rubber Band, Funnel (Students will work with certain materials based on which group they are in)
What will students be able to do at the conclusion of this lesson?

Lesson Objectives

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to carry out procedures for collecting data and using the appropriate weather instruments in order to correctly measure weather conditions on a daily basis.
How will I vary these objectives for students who do not understand the material?

Students will work in small groups so they may master the objective of this lesson.

Varying Objectives for Individuals Needs

How will I vary these objectives for students who have already mastered the concept?

Students will serve as team/group leaders during the construction of the weather instruments. They can explain to others the necessary procedures that need to be carried out in order to make their instruments work.
How will I vary these objectives for students who are presently learning English?

There are no students who are presently learning English.

Part II: IMPLEMENTATION

How will I find out what students already know about this topic?

Pre-assessment

Oral Questioning/Relations to Previously Acquired Knowledge (DIRECT INSTRUCTION): 1. What do you think of when you hear the word weather? 2. How does weather affect our daily lives? 3. What kinds of things would you look for if you wanted to describe the weather of a particular day to someone else? 4. What kinds of information are important to collect?
What will I do to make a connection between students and this lesson?

Motivation

Show students a streaming video of the local news most recent weather report. Ask, Does anyone know what the person who just gave that report is called? (Answer: Meteorologist) Say to students that for the past few weeks, we have been talking about weather and that on today (and for the rest of the month) we will act as meteorologists. In order to carry out the duties of a meteorologist, we must build a weather station.
What will I say to explain the importance of learning this lesson?

Statement of Purpose

To explain to students the importance of learning this lesson, I will say that it is necessary to know/predict the weather for a number of reasons. Collecting data on the weather, in order to make predictions is crucial because weather affects many aspects of our daily lives. Changes in the atmosphere affect what we wear, daily plans or activities (outdoor to be more specific), etc. Predicting the weather also serves as a safety precaution. When we know about severe weather ahead of time, we can plan accordingly.
What will I do to show students what is expected?

Teacher Modeling or Demonstration

To show students what is expected, I will: Lead a discussion on meteorology and weather tools/instruments necessary for recording weather data. Draw on the board pictures of what the four weather instruments look like (students should copy/draw as well in their science journals).
What will we do together as they learn how to succeed at the new task?

Guided Practice

Students will work in groups to create a classroom weather station that includes a thermometer, anemometer, wind/weather vane, and rain gauge. Students will be split into four groups. Each group will be responsible for one of the instruments. Together as a group, they will follow the printed directions on how to build their tool. Refer to: http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj2/en/activity1.shtml
What will I ask to know if students understand so far? What techniques or strategies will be used to determine if students understand so far?

Checking for Understanding

Thumbs Up: Teacher will make statements pertaining to the information discussed. If students agree with the statement, they must show a thumb up. If they disagree, they show a thumb down.

What will students do to internalize the knowledge?

Independent Practice

Once students have built their instruments (in groups), they will go outside to record data (temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation amounts) on their Weather Station Data Collection Calendar. Temperature- how hot or cold it is outside in degrees Fahrenheit Wind Direction- N, NW, NE S, SW, SE, etc. Wind Speed- How many times the anemometer spun Precipitation Amount- Inches collected in last 24 hours. Record findings in mm
What will students do to demonstrate what they have learned?

Assessment (attach to lesson plan)

There will be no formal assessment; however, written questions and responses will serve as an informal assessment. The questions are as followed: 1. What does temperature have to do with weather? What instrument is used to measure temperature? Temperature tells how hot or cold it is outside; thermometer 2. How can you describe wind (different types)? Can you measure how fast the wind is blowing and its direction? If so, with what tools? Calm, light, gusty; yes; anemometer and wind/weather vane 3. Are there different types of precipitation? How can rain be measured? Yes; rain can be measured with a rain gauge Questions will be recorded in science journals.
How will I conclude the lesson and relate it to future experiences?

Closure

Review of Focus Question: How are weather conditions measured? (Acceptable Answer: Weather conditions are measured using thermometers, wind/weather vanes, anemometers, and rain gauges.)
What can students do at home or in the classroom to apply the knowledge or skills? How could you use your colleagues or community agencies to improve student performance?

Extension Activities

As an extension activity, students will continue to measure and record data using the weather instruments they built in class. On their Weather Station Data Collection Calendar, they will record the temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation amounts everyday during the month of February.
How is technology meaningful to this lesson?

Technology

Technology will be utilized throughout the implementation of this lesson. The Starboard and internet will used to show students weather report broadcasted by local news. This will be accessed via the website www.wistv.com/weather
How could this lesson connect other content area across the curriculum?

Connection Across the Curriculum

ELA (English Language Arts)- Instruction that requires students to write in their science journals can serve as practice of ELA skills. Math- Collecting/Recording of data on charts

PART III: REFLECTION

Describe the strengths of my instructional techniques, strategies and classroom management. Describe the strengths of student engagement.

Strengths

Some of the strengths of my lesson include: The motivation concept of my lesson was a huge strength for me. Showing the local news weather report was a great lead in activity. It was also a great way to connect with students and provide real-world experiences. Students were able to relate to the content on a personal level because they were all familiar with weather reports given by meteorologists. They all talked about watching the news at home. Thumbs Up (an instructional strategy I use to check for understanding) worked well. Students participated, but I did receive some Student engagement was very good throughout the duration of my lesson. Even students with occasional behavioral problems were engaged. There were very little behavioral issues.
Describe the weaknesses of my instructional techniques, strategies and classroom management. Describe the weaknesses of student engagement.

Weaknesses

Some of the weaknesses of my lesson include: Managing the noise levels of the groups as they constructed their weather instruments was a bigger task than I expected. I realized that I need to work on understanding my limits when it comes to group work. There were times when the students got loud and I warned them about their noise, but then I had to realize that most of the conversation was necessary. Other times, there was side conversation (mostly from groups that finished before others) going on. Being able to manage both types of conversation could have been handled better. Time management- Students took too long working on tasks/introductory activities. This time caused our science lesson to go over the allotted amount of time for science. Students finished the lesson during the first 20 minutes of Voyager/Accelerated Reader time.
What specifically can I do to improve?

Suggestions for Improvement

I can do the following things to improve: Assign each member of the group specific roles, so that everyone in the group is responsible for a specific task. This way, everyone in the groups gets to participate in the creating process. Prior to the next hands-on science lab, I would like to conduct the experiment/construct expected product(s) for the following reasons: - to prevent mishaps in the case of something going wrong - make sure experiment/finished product works properly - have something to put on display for students so they know what is expected of them

Create a management system for cooperative group work, specifically science labs. Set expectations and make students aware of these expectations.

Revised 1-2012