Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Teachers: Subject:

Katherine Rendon Science

Common Core State Standards:

Strand 6: Earth and Space Science

Concept 2: Energy in the Earth System (Both Internal and External)

PO 4. Demonstrate the relationship between the Earth’s internal convective heat flow and plate tectonics.

PO 5. Demonstrate the relationships among earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain ranges, mid-oceanic

ridges, deep sea trenches, and tectonic plates.

Speaking and Listening Standard 4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that
listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.

Thinking and Innovation Work place standards: 3.C Takes action supported by evidence and reasoning to
explain conclusions and accomplish work. ∙ Composes a plan ∙ Constructs a model (visual, symbolic, or
linguistic) ∙ Makes decisions ∙ Uses tools strategically ∙ Argues a case
Objective (Explicit):

● Students will be able to understand the theories behind plate tectonics through discussing the arguments of
Alfred Wegener and Harry Hess.

Evidence of Mastery (Measurable):

◻ Include a copy of the lesson assessment.

◻ Provide exemplar student responses with the level of detail you expect to see.
◻ Assign value to each portion of the response.

Students are able to define plate tectonics and explain the theory of plate tectonics with five pieces of
appropriate evidence.

Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex):

◻ How will you review past learning and make connections to previous lessons?
◻ What skills and content are needed to ultimately master this lesson objective?
◻ How is this objective relevant to students, their lives, and/or the real world?

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Key vocabulary: Materials:

Opening (state objectives, connect to previous learning, and make relevant to real life)

◻ How will you activate student interest?

◻ How will you connect to past learning?
◻ How will you present the objective in an engaging and student-friendly way?
◻ How will you communicate its importance and make the content relevant to your students?

I Teacher Will: Student Will:

n
◻ How will you model/explain/demonstrate all ◻ What will students be doing to actively capture and
s
knowledge/skills required of the objective? process the new material?
t ◻ What types of visuals will you use? ◻ How will students be engaged?
r ◻ How will you address misunderstandings or
u common student errors?
◻ How will you check for understanding?
c
◻ How will you explain and model behavioral ◻ Take notes in a way they see fit (information will be
t expectations? made available to absent students)
i ◻ Is there enough detail in this section so that ◻ “check-ins” will periodically occur with a question within
o another person could teach it? the lecture slides
n
a
l ◻ Introduce the subject through having students
I “meet” Alfred Wegener
n ◻ Discuss Wegener’s continental drift theory and his
four pieces of evidence
p ◻ discuss how his theory wasn’t accepted by the
u scientific community
t ◻ introduce Harry Hess
◻ Discuss his sea-floor spreading theory
◻ discuss his pieces of evidence for the theory
◻ discuss why they aid Alfred Wegener’s theory

Summative:

Students will be able to define plate tectonics.

Questions:

◻ What is plate tectonics?

◻ Why do we believe plate tectonics is a process that is occurring?
◻ How fast or slow do the plates move?
◻ Who is Alfred Wegener?
◻ Who is Harry Hess?
◻ What theories are they known for?
◻

Differentiation Strategy

◻ What accommodations/modifications will you include for specific students?

◻ Do you anticipate any students who will need an additional challenge?

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 Who We Teach: No students to my knowledge with IEPs or 504s.

Where We Teach: The students are predominantly made up of white students with 51 percent of the students
being girls.

What We Teach: Plate tectonics and the theories behind it

How We Teach:

Students will be able to define plate tectonics in a way of their choosing (i.e. verbally, visually, etc.)

This gives students a chance to decide the best way they can show the information they have learned. They have a choice and
it will help create a personal investment in the assignment.

G Teacher Will: Student Will:

u
◻ How will you ensure that all students have multiple ◻ How will students practice all knowledge/skills required
i
opportunities to practice new content and skills? of the objective, with your support, such that they
d ◻ What types of questions can you ask students as continue to internalize the sub-objectives?
e you are observing them practice? ◻ How will students be engaged?
d ◻ How/when will you check for understanding? ◻ How will you elicit student-to-student interaction?
◻ How will you provide guidance to all students as ◻ How are students practicing in ways that align to
they practice? independent practice?
P ◻ How will you explain and model behavioral
r expectations?
◻ Is there enough detail in this section so that
a
another person could facilitate this practice? ◻ students will explain why this evidence “makes sense”
c ◻
t
i
c ◻ give a description of an example of one of the
pieces of evidence Wegener gives for his theory
e ◻ walk through a discussion with students about the
pacific and atlantic mid-ocean ridges with students
mostly leading and some facilitation from the
teacher

Summative:

Students will be able to know all of the pieces of

evidence for one of the theories.

Questions:

◻ What is one of wegener’s pieces of evidence and why is it a good piece of evidence for plate movement?
o ask until all four pieces of evidence are discussed
◻ What is one of Hess’s pieces of evidence for his theory and why does it explain the theory?
o ask until all three pieces of evidence are discussed

◻ Activity: ask students to point out examples of plate movement (i.e. hot spot volcano, Himalayan mountains)

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 Differentiation Strategy

◻ What accommodations/modifications will you include for specific students?

◻ Do you anticipate any students who will need an additional challenge?
◻ How can you utilize grouping strategies?

How We Teach:

Students will interact with fellow students in groups of 3-4 and then present as many pieces of evidence for one of the theories as they
can. Students will be given extra time if needed. The teacher will be walking around the room to listen to the students and answer any
questions.

Allowing students to partake in group work and giving extra time to those who need it will allow them to further process the information
and for the students to be able to recall and describe the information in their own words, so they will best understand the content.

Teacher Will: Student Will:

◻ How will you plan to coach and correct during this ◻ How will students independently practice the knowledge and
practice? skills required by the objective?
◻ How will you provide opportunities for remediation and ◻ How will students be engaged?
extension? ◻ How are students practicing in ways that align to
◻ How will you clearly state and model academic and assessment?
behavioral expectations? ◻ How are students using self-assessment to guide their own
◻ Did you provide enough detail so that another person learning?
could facilitate the practice? ◻ How are you supporting students giving feedback to one
I another?
n
d
e ◻ Ensure that students can discuss the pieces of
evidence for each theory and why they are evidence
p
for the theory
e
n
d
e Summative:
n
t Students will take a quiz in which they have to
P write down all the pieces of evidence for the two
r theories.
a Questions:
c
t ◻ Where on the map is an example of evidence from Wegener’s continental spreading theory? Why is it an example?
i ◻ Where on the map is an example of evidence from Hess’s sea-floor spreading theory? Why is it an example?
◻ Would you be for or against Wegener’s arguments in the early 1900s? Why or why not?
c ◻ Would you be for or against Hess’s arguments in the 1950s? Why or why not?
e

Differentiation Strategy

◻ What accommodations/modifications will you include for specific students?

◻ Do you anticipate any students who will need an additional challenge?

Students, who need it, will be given extra time to complete the quiz. If need be, they could also have an extra
day to study for the quiz. Students can ask the teacher clarifying questions.

Closing/Student Reflection/Real-life connections:

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◻ How will students summarize and state the significance of what they learned?
◻ Why will students be engaged?