LESSON PLAN- Conductors and Insulators
Name: Carmen Bento
WGU Task Objective Number: DOP1 Task 1
GENERAL INFORMATION |
Lesson Topic/Title & Subject(s): Science-Conductors and Insulators
Grade/Level: 4th grade
Instructional Setting:
(e.g., student grouping, learning context, location [classroom, field trip to zoo, etc.], seating arrangement, bulletin board displays)
26 students total (15 boys and 11 girls) seated in small groups of 3 or 4 in a mixed ability general education classroom. Features of the classroom could include a computer center, as well as math, science, and social studies centers. There would be several different locations other than their desks where students could work quietly in small groups. The general atmosphere of the classroom would be a collaborative one.
STANDARDS, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES |
Your State Curriculum/Student Standard(s):
4.1.4 Experiment with materials to identify conductors and insulators of heat and electricity.
Measurable Objective(s):
Using a prepared powerpoint slide students will be able to share the outcome of their experiment with their peers with 100% accuracy.
Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of conductors and insulators by completing a paper and pencil lesson quiz with a score of at least 80%.
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES |
Instructional Materials:
Materials needed for the lesson (e.g., textbook, construction paper, scissors, PowerPoint, guided note templates)
Paper and pencil
Simple circuit kit (one for each group plus one for the teacher to use for demonstration)-board, battery holder, battery, mini light bulb, wires for connecting
Test circuit modification kit (one for each group plus one for the teacher to use for demonstration)- one extra piece of wire and two metal paper fasteners
A bag of materials to test (one for each group)-Each bag should contain: pencil (unsharpened), index card, metal spoon, paper clip, eraser, penny
5-6 Computers or tablets with access to a printer
Printer paper
Copy of Conductors and Insulators Experiment student sheet one for each group
Copy of Conductors and Insulators lesson quiz- one for each student
Resources:
Some lesson content is found at: http://misscarmensclassroom.weebly.com/
INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN |
Sequence of Instructional Procedures/Activities/Events (provide in depth descriptions of activities used within the various sections: active participation strategies (3), grouping (1), student-centered technology strategies (2)):
At the start of the lesson the students will participate in quick review activity first.
Active participation-Quick Draw: The students will participate in a quick draw activity to show that they know what a simple open or closed circuit looks like. Students should draw and label either an open or closed circuit. The teacher will walk around looking at students work and checking for understanding.
As students finish their diagrams, the class will then focus on the teacher where one or two student’s quick draws will be shared via the document camera and the students will review some key content vocabulary. An open circuit is one that the switch is open and electricity cannot flow through (light bulb will not light). A closed circuit, when the switch is in the open position allows the electricity to flow through the circuit (bulb is lit).
Once the review is finished the teacher will ask some questions to get the students thinking about the experiment they are going to participate in such as:
“What would happen if we took out the switch?”
“Could we replace the switch with something else to create a closed circuit?”
The purpose of this lesson is for students to explore conductors and insulators and identify properties of each.
Student purpose statement- “I can identify a conductor and an insulator of electricity or heat.”
Students should already know how to construct a simple circuit. They should know that a closed circuit allows electrical current to flow through it and that is what lights the bulb and an open circuit that has a break in the current does not allow for the free flow of electricity through the circuit and that is why the bulb will not light if the switch in the circuit is in the off position. These elements should be reviewed during the anticipatory set.
Students will be introduced to three new terms:
Conductor- A material that allows for a free flow of electrons allowing electrical current to pass through it
Insulator- A material that does not allow for a free flow of electrons so that an electrical current cannot pass through it
Test circuit- An open circuit that has a break that allows different materials to be tested to see if they will conduct electricity
When introducing the terms the teacher will give a brief explanation of why certain materials are conductors and certain materials are insulators. The teacher will remind students that electrical current is the movement of electrons and show that certain materials have electrons that are so tightly packed that a current cannot move through them. The teacher will define each term and then tell the students that today they will be doing an experiment using a test circuit to test several materials to discover if they are conductors or insulators.
(e.g. show it, teacher demonstration/explanation of process)
Then the teacher will model using a document camera or smart board the process for changing the simple circuit into the test circuit. The teacher will introduce the new materials (two metal paper fasteners and extra wire section and show how to disconnect the piece of wire from the negative side of the battery and connect the new wire section to the same spot. This will leave an open circuit with two loose wire ends. During this process the teacher can ask questions to check for student understanding. For example when the wire is first disconnect the teacher could ask “Will electricity flow through my circuit now? Why or why not?” or “Is my circuit open or closed?”. Then the teacher will show the class how to wrap each loose wire end around one of the paper fasteners. Then she will demonstrate completing the circuit by touching the two paper fasteners together causing the bulb to light. Then using one conductor and one insulator he will demonstrate or let a student demonstrate how to test an item to see if it conducts or insulates electricity. Then the teacher will explain that the students will be conducting an experiment on different materials to see if they conduct or insulate electricity. Then the teacher will assign groups and pass out the Conductors and Insulators Experiment packet.
Student Centered Technology-Document Camera/smart board- When presenting the modeling information the teacher will use technology to make the presentation accessible for all of the students. A smart board or document camera will allow the teacher to demonstrate changing the simple circuit into the test circuit using the real items with enough magnification for all of the students to be able to see the presentation.
(e.g., active learning engaging all students, teacher supported, scaffolding, check for student understanding – including any questions to ask or anticipate from students)
During this part of the lesson students will break up into small mixed ability level groups of 3 or 4 (groups created by the teacher) to complete the hands on science experiment “Conductors and Insulators”.
Grouping Strategy-Heterogeneous grouping; Students will be assigned mixed ability groups by the teacher.
During this hands-on science experiment, students will create a simple circuit and then turn it into a test circuit using two metal paper fasteners as modeled by the teacher. Then they will have eight different materials to test to see if they are conductors or insulators. The group will make predictions about each object before testing them. They will use the Conductors and Insulators experiment packet to choose a task for each student, record their predictions and results, and finally to compare the objects once they are grouped to see if there are any similarities or differences.
Active participation strategy-Hands-on learning- Rather than just telling students the definition of insulators and conductors and their properties the students will use a hands on science activity to discover for themselves what happens when a conductor or insulator is introduced into a simple circuit. This will allow students to make connections and group items by whether they created a closed circuit (conductors) and lit the bulb or an open circuit (insulators) and did not light the bulb. Then once they have two groups one of insulators and one of conductors the students can compare the two groups to discover some properties of conductors and insulators.
While students are conducting their experiments, the teacher will walk around making sure students are on task, asking probing questions and checking for understanding. Students will be filling out their experiment packet and each groups experiment packet will be collected as each group finishes the experiment.
(e.g., engaging all students in practicing what will be assessed based on the objective, teacher monitored, check for student understanding)
Students will participate in an extension activity where they expand their knowledge by watching a video about conductors, insulators and heat transfer and answer questions about it. After watching the videos students will have three short answer questions to answer using a word document (This element is located on the webpage titled Conductors and Insulators here: http://misscarmensclassroom.weebly.com/). Students will print this and turn it in.
Student Centered Technology strategy-Different forms of media: The extension activity will use a video to reinforce and extend the knowledge gained from the hands on experiment.
Students will complete an exit ticket. This exit ticket will have completing “I know” outcome statements with a fill in the blank format using a PowerPoint slide (This element is located on the webpage titled Conductors and Insulators here: http://misscarmensclassroom.weebly.com/). Students will print their finished slide, read their outcome statements to a fellow student, and turn it in as their exit ticket for this lesson.
Acitve Participation- Exit Ticket: Students must complete the exit ticket as the closing activity of the lesson. This exit ticket will be used as a formative assessment by the teacher.
Pedagogical Strategy (or Strategies):
Active Participation
Grouping Strategy
1. Guided practice- Heterogeneous cooperative learning (Mixed ability levels)
Student Centered Technology
1. Presentation of new information- Presentation media technologies
2. Independent student practice- Technology based forms of media
Differentiated Accommodations:
English Language Learners- These students can use content vocabulary cards like the ones shown in figure 1 to refer to during the experiment.
ADHD- A differentiation for a student who has ADHD might be to provide a set of written step by step instructions for how to build and modify the circuit during the experiment. These students often benefit from clear written instructions.
Above Grade Level Learners- One way to differentiate instruction for these students is to vary the questioning used during cooperative and whole group instruction. The teacher should make sure that some of the questions that she has listed to ask students during each part of the lesson plan includes some questions that will have above grade level learners using critical thinking skills and enhancing their understanding of the topic. The teacher should also make sure that during these times that she is questioning and checking for understanding she also takes opportunities to go in more depth on a topic with a student who has already grasped the basics.
Below Grade Level Learners- In order to make sure that the student’s knowledge is being assessed and not their reading level, the final assessment could be read aloud to students who are below grade level learners. This differentiation makes sure that the test is accessible to these learners.
Student Assessment:
Assessment-
The outcome statement exit ticket will be used as a formative assessment. Each student is responsible for completing the fill in the blank outcome statements on the power point slide, printing it and then reading their statements aloud to another student. The teacher will grade these prior to giving the lesson quiz to help decide if students need redirection or have mastered the concepts explored in the experiment. For mastery of this objective, students must have 100% on their outcome statement exit ticket.
Students will take a paper and pencil lesson quiz to prove mastery of the standards listed in this lesson. The quiz will be 10 questions and students must score at least 80% to prove mastery. This is a summative assessment.
DOP1 Task 1-Part B
Carmen Bento
Active Participation Strategy # 1: Quick Draw Activity
The first active participation strategy used in the lesson plan is to have the students review and activate prior knowledge during the introductory set by participating in a quick draw activity. This active participation strategy is appropriate for the whole class because activating prior knowledge is an important part of getting students into the right mindset to participate in the lesson prior to presenting the new learning material. The book Methods for Effective Teaching: Meeting the needs of All Students describes this kind of introductory active participation strategy this way:
Teachers can ask students to identify and share what they already know about a given subject so they can actively link relevant background knowledge with the lesson goals. This can be done in various ways such as … diagrams. Activating prior knowledge is done before the current topic is taught. It reveals students’ knowledge, and facilitates comprehension and learning (Burden & Byrd, 2013).
This strategy allows for students to communicate their prior knowledge of an open or closed simple circuit, reminds students of prior learning experiences and gets them thinking about the science topics that the lesson is about to elaborate on.
This active participation strategy is especially useful when engaging the student in the classroom who is an English language learner. This strategy gives the student the opportunity to communicate his or her prior knowledge without making written language demands on the student that they may not be ready for. The activity also serves to reintroduce and support key content specific vocabulary for this student. According to the Teachers First website English language learners who are at the intermediate level, “…may be able to do academic work close to grade level but needs frequent writing and vocabulary support” (The Source for Learning Inc., 2015). This quick draw activity gives the student a way to confidently share their prior knowledge through a drawing of a simple open or closed circuit and to review some of the content vocabulary that may still be unfamiliar to this student.
Active Participation Strategy # 2: Hands-on Learning
This lesson presents the science concept of materials that are conductors and insulators of electricity through the active participation strategy of a hands-on learning experience. After having been given a brief definition of a conductor and an insulator, students will create a simple test circuit and discover for themselves which materials do and do not allow electricity to pass through them to complete and close the circuit. The use of this strategy is valuable to the whole class because when working on science concepts students learn best and are more engaged when they can use an inquiry based hands on learning strategy. Edward Reeve’s article “Stem Thinking” in the Technology and Engineering Teacher journal has this to say about hands on learning, “Hands on learning using real world problems motivates students to learn the materials and helps to develop an understanding of the content being learned ( 2015).”
One specific subset of students that will benefit from this hands on active participation strategy are students who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These students have unique needs in the classroom especially when it comes to keeping them engaged. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association lists on their website some of the characteristics students with ADHD might display such as difficulty concentrating, problems focusing, and restlessness (2015). One way to encourage participation and increase focus with students with this disorder is to provide opportunities for hands on experiences. This is referenced in an article written by Leah Levy where she lists five creative ways to help students with ADHD thrive in the classroom. Mrs. Levy states that, “Many students with ADHD work best with hands-on learning. As such, to appeal to their learning style, it is often better to do rather than tell (2014)”.
Active Participation Strategy # 3: Outcome Statement Exit Ticket
For this active participation strategy students will complete an exit ticket where they complete fill in the blank outcome statements and then share them with one of the other students. This is an appropriate closing strategy for the whole class because it gives the students a way of summarizing the important points and then sharing their understanding of the content with other students in the class (Burden & Byrd, 2013). This gives the students an opportunity to reflect on what they learned during the conductor and insulator experiment.
Because students are orally sharing their outcome statements with other students it gives this strategy a cooperative learning element. This can help all students to have more confidence, but especially can build the confidence and oral communication skills of below grade level learners (TeacherVision, 2015). These students can benefit by having peer to peer learning interactions with their peers where they use the outcome statements to share what they have learned about conductors and insulators through the experiment.
Grouping Strategy: Heterogeneous Grouping
For the hands on science experiment, students will be groups in mixed ability groups that are determined by the teacher based on various factors such as compatibility and student dynamics. Each group would have 3 to 4 students. This strategy is an effective grouping strategy for the whole class because this type of cooperative learning has been shown to increase learning opportunities for all students. In the book Methods for Effective Teaching: Meeting the needs of All Students the authors write that:
…cooperative learning has been shown to have a positive effect on student attitudes…
Cooperative learning works best with heterogeneous groupings of students. Having students work in groups generally has a positive effect on their achievement when compared to their work as individuals…Through cooperative learning, students understand that they are responsible not only for their own learning but also for the learning of their team members (Burden & Byrd, 2013).
This grouping strategy must be accompanied by structure within the groups to make sure that each student is making a contribution during the experiment. This is facilitated by having each student perform a task within the group as outlined in the experiment handout that the groups will be working with.
This strategy has benefits for all students but it has specific benefits for above grade level learners. In a paper written for the Asia Pacific Educational Research Association conference in 2006 the authors state that above grade level or high ability students benefit from heterogeneous groups because this gives them the opportunity to peer tutor and explain concepts to students who have lower ability levels. Through this peer interaction and through teaching the concept to another student, the above grade level student gains a deeper understanding of the concept and will retain the information longer (Samsudin, Das, & Rai, 2006). In this case the above grade level student could makes connections and have insights about conductors and insulators during the experiment and through sharing and explaining their ideas or discoveries with the other students they gain a deeper understanding of the lesson content.
Student-Centered Technology Strategy # 1: Document Camera/Smart Board
In this strategy the teacher will model how to make a simple circuit into a test circuit using technology to help support the demonstration. This way each student can see the demonstration using either a document camera or smart board instead of only the students that are seated near the teacher being able to see the demonstration. The Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Washington has listed types of technology that can help teachers in the classroom and this kind of presentation technology is included (n.d.). This allows the teacher to model the concept using the actual items and show the process in real time as opposed to using static slides or diagrams.
Norman Herr, a Professor of Science Education with California State University mentions in his book, The Sourcebook for Teaching Science, how this strategy can be used to the advantage of students who are English language learners. Herr notes that it is very important that these students “can see the procedures before engaging in an activity (n.d.)”. During the demonstration the teacher can repeat the science vocabulary words and their meanings while using the real objects to demonstrate the key concepts. This would promote understanding of the key concepts and contextual science vocablulary needed for students who are English langugae learners to make connections during the rest of the experiment.
Student-Centered Technology Strategy #2: (Your Strategy)
For this student centered technology strategy students will visit a classroom website with a link to video that extends the content covered in the experiment about electrical conductivity to include conductors and insulators of heat. The video also goes into detail about how the placement and density of electrons in an object help determine its conductivity. The students will answer three extension questions on a linked word document and print it out after viewing the video. This video extension is a good technology strategy because the video expands on the lesson while being entertaining and informative for students (Hillner, 2009).
This strategy benefits below grade level readers because the content is given to them orally and also in a format that is adaptive to their needs (Hasselbring, 2012). A learner who is below grade level can control the video to go back to parts and hear them again if needed. Because they are not reading but listening and watching the content, their reading level is not as big an issue as it would be if the extension content was only presented in a written format. Another advantage is that since the extension questions are presented in word, a learner who is below grade level can use the word processing tools such as the auto correct and editing functions to help them when they are completing their extension questions.
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