During my inquiry block placement, I was in a Burlington elementary school, with a fifth grade class of amazing students. To see my classroom set-up, environment, ability of students, etc. see attached ‘Observations’ paper. The teachers were given the freedom to teach using a lot of their own curriculum. Therefore, my mentor teacher used a lot of hands-on activities to present her students with a lot of information. The students ate this up and thrived off being able to learn in a creative and hands-on kind of way.

            The lesson that I taught took place during a geology unit that I was teaching. This was the second social studies lesson that I had taught. The first one taught or reviewed with the students how to read a map and what a resource was. We looked at Vermont, decided what it’s resources were, where they were located, and what the resources could be used for in industry. This lesson took those principles and had the students create their own state and create a resource map using candy and sugar cookies.

            I wanted the students to really understand the concept of what a resource map was and what it could tell us about the region that it depicted. Therefore, I created a hands-on lesson that had the students creating the ideas from scratch. This way, the students had to really think about the resources that they had chosen, how they could be used, and where they were going to be located on the map.

            The lesson began with students in groups with a blank map of their proposed state. They were to choose what resources they would use, and where they would go on their map. They also drew a picture of their state, with bodies of water, and where each resource would be located. After their plan was finished, they came to me for their map-making products, a giant sugar cookie, frosting, and their candy resources. They constructed their maps, and then referring back to the resource map of Vermont, and the previous lesson on resources and what they are used for, had to decide what each resource was going to be used for. After all groups had finished, we came back together and shared their maps and resource uses.

            For additional information, see the attached lesson plan and student work.

Analyze—

            After careful review of the lesson plan, the student work, and the assessments, I believe that this lesson was right on the mark. I believe that the students really understood the material and by using a hands-on approach, they were able to grasp the idea that much better. It helped that they had Vermont as a guide and helped to solidify the information that they were learning.

            The standards chosen aligned perfectly with the goals, assessments, and activities of the lesson. The standard stated that the students needed to show their understanding of characteristics of a state using a map; which they did and were assessed on.  They were also expected to read a map, which they did because they were able to tell which resource was where and what it was used for. They were assessed on the presence of a key and compass rose, which were things that we had learned in the previous lesson, but adds to the concept of begin able to read a map.

            The assessment provided me with the information about student learning. It showed me if the students understood what a resource was and how it could be used. It also showed me whether or not the students understood the components of a map and if they knew how to read a map. Overall, the assessments showed that the students understood perfectly the concepts outlines above. I was very impressed with the learning that took place, and even more impressed with the drawing of the maps that the students had created.

            My teaching and management strategies really helped the students to stay focused on the task. Because the lesson was so hands-on, I believe that the students were so focused on doing a great job on their map that they didn’t even want to misbehave. They also knew that if they misbehaved, they wouldn’t be able to participate in the rest of the lesson or be able to take a piece of their cookie home. By setting the guidelines at the beginning, and being very specific, they knew exactly what was expected and didn’t goof off at all.

            As I stated in my ‘Author’s Reflection’ section of the lesson plan, I explained that I found it beneficial to split the lesson into two parts so that I would have more time to set-up. By having them plan the map, then during their lunchtime I was able to frost their cookies and set-up for the afternoon of making the maps.

            By establishing right from the beginning that there wasn’t going to be any fooling around, I think that the students were well aware of the expectations set before them at the beginning, so they weren’t going to goof off, knowing the consequences that they could face. I think this lesson in itself was enough to keep the students on track. Poor behavior meant no participation and what kid doesn’t want to make a giant sugar cookie and then eat it? Because there were no management considerations, I believe that we were able to have more fun and enjoy the learning that was taking place. In this way, the students created their own positive working environment with little help from me.

            As I stated in the lesson plan and above, the critical piece of the lesson was breaking it up into two separate parts. If I had not done that, I don’t believe that is would have gone as smoothly. I allowed myself time to set-up the materials as well as built up the excitement in the students during lunchtime. The planning and preparation are half the battle when it comes to a lesson this intense. When you are dealing with so many materials, and trying to juggle them between different groups, it can be challenging. I had everything planned to a T. I had the candy measured out, the frosting colored, the cookies made, the worksheets ready, and groups pre-arranged. All I had to do was put everything on a table and teach. By doing so much pre-planning, I was able to enjoy the lesson with the students rather than running around during the lesson getting everything set-up.

            This lesson was a great way to show off the creativity and thought that I put into each lesson. Not only does this lesson get the students involved, it allows for them to learn just as much, if not more, than looking at a worksheet and drawing a resource map on paper. This shows how organized I am because I had to have all the materials organized beforehand in order for it to run smoothly. It also shows the dedication I have to making sure that my students are having fun while learning. It shows how committed to teaching I am, because I spent many hours outside of school baking, shopping, and planning, in order to pull this lesson together.

            Most importantly, I believe that this lesson shows that I am willing to take risks with my students. I am willing to put myself out there and create these in-depth lessons that have the potential of failing. I believe that the bigger the risk you take, the bigger the rewards you can get.