Context: This lesson was created fall 2007 in GS4401 under the advisement of Jeff Goodman. This lesson was recorded which required the use a video camera and tripod.

The purpose of this lesson was to actively engage the students in a inquiry based lesson on temperature. After the lesson was complete the students should have been able to communicate what temperature is and how to measure it.

Impact: This lesson helped the students learn about temperature by using an inquiry and hands-on activities. The lesson described temperature in a creative format that the students could easily understand and be able to communicate to others. The students had to use higher order thinking skills to gain information about what was occurring around them to better understand temperature. This lesson helps provide a resource that the students can refer to when asked about how temperature works.

Alignment:

Standard 3: Elementary teachers have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in science.

Indicator 1: This indicator was met by providing a lesson that requires students to learn the basics of learning how measure temperature with a thermometer.

Indicator 2: This indicator was met because temperature is part of weather and to better understand weather and its effects temperature most be taken into account and even measured.

Standard 7: Elementary teachers use developmentally appropriate strategies to design and deliver instruction in all areas of the elementary curriculum.

Indicator 1: This was met by providing a lesson that met multiple Standard Courses of Study in second grade science, mathematics, and social studies.

Indicator 2: This was met by integrating math into a science lesson and providing a social studies extension activity.

Indicator 3: Before the lesson was taught a simple preassessment of the students knowledge of temperature was provided were they had to read the temperature provided on a picture of a thermometer.

Indicator 4: To teach this lesson demonstrations, whole class discussions, group work, visual aids, and simple pantomimes were used to communicate temperature. Hands-on activities were used as well.

Indicator 5: This standard was met by constantly asking higher order thinking questions to encourage the students to think about the deeper meaning of how things work.

Indicator 6: This standard was met by providing details as to gear-up or gear-down the lesson for individual students. As well as taken into account students who have different learning styles and disabilities.

Indicator 7: The students were assessed through group discussion, group work, and written work.

Standard 10: Teachers provide active inquiry experiences in the teaching of science by using various questioning skills and developing science processing skills (predicting, classifying, measuring, inferring, interpreting, analyzing, and synthesizing).

This standard was met by providing an inquiry based lesson that required the students to use a variety of process skills including measuring, observing, and communicating.

Standard 15: Elementary teachers encourage under represented groups to engage in the schooling process, especially math and science.

Indictor 1: This standard was met by actively engaging groups of girls in a science and math related lesson. Everyone was encourage to participate in their groups and apply the knowledge that they knew to measuring temperature.