Rationale for 5E lesson and Reflection

Context:

What's inside of a seed? is a first grade inquiry based science lesson plan created using the 5E model.  The lesson was created during my Block II semester at Appalachian State University in partial fulfillment of Dr. Goodman's science methods course.  During the creation of the lesson, I completed research and found background information for the lesson.  After the lesson was finished and approved by Dr. Goodman, I was video taped teaching the lesson to Mrs. Howell's first grade classroom during my internship.  After teaching the lesson I watched the video and reflected on how the lesson went.  Based on observations from the video, I made adjustments to the lesson plan.

Impact:

This lesson plan was  used to introduce students to the plant life cycle and the needs of plants.  Students learned the three parts of a seed which are food storage, baby plant/ embryo, and seed coat along with the functions of those parts.  The students observed seeds first hand by looking at lima beans and were able to make life connections between the seed and themselves.  Students also used their observation and measuring skills (M 2.01) to track the growth of seed in order to develop their understanding of a plants needs which are air, water, sunlight, and space (S 1.01).  

Alignment:

Standard 3, Indicator 1- I met this indicator because I showed a broad knowledge of basic life science concepts.  Through the lesson students were able to understand that seeds are living things and with the right conditions, seeds grow similar to how humans grow.  Students also learn about the structure of a seed and the three different parts of a seed which are seed coat, food storage, and the embryo or baby plant.

Standard 10 - I met this standard by providing the students an active experience in science through observing the seed and keeping a journal of how a seed grows.  During the lesson students had to rely on observation skills and developed science processing skills.  During the course of the lesson students were asked a variety of Bloom's Taxonomy questions.

Standard 15, indicator 1 - I met this indicator by including modification for Spanish speaking students.  Creating these modifications encourages Spanish speaking students and gives them personal attention.  The lesson also included real world applications which appeal to a diverse population, such as relating a seed coat to a child's coat.