Context: I completed this assignment for the Gs 4401, Science in the Elementary Classroom. I completed this assignment under the instruction of Dr. Gross. I constructed this science lesson on matter as part of my unit. I taught the lesson in a first grade class at Cove Creek School in the fall of 2007.

Impact: I created this science lesson with the help and advisement of my cooperating teacher, Mrs. Johnson. The lesson is part of my unit of instruction on Matter (solids, liquids, and gases) and is the last lesson in the unit. Students get to make and investigate a substance called Oobleck. Students got to conduct experiments on their oobleck and make inquiries and investigations about it to find out if it was a solid or a liquid. As a result of this lesson, students will learn more about matter and the properties of solids and liquids. Through this lesson, it is my expectation that students will build a greater knowledge of matter. They will have to record their observations and make a hypothesis on what they think oobleck is and why.

Alignment: Through the completion of this project I have met the following NCDPI standards:

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

Indicator 1: Teachers develop and implement the pacing and alignment of curriculum that is consistent with the NCSCOS, LEA standards and pacing guides, and national standards in all subject areas.

I met this standard by basing my lesson plan off of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. This lesson meets many standards from science and language arts subjects.

Indicator 2: Teachers understand and use an interdisciplinary approach to teaching my connecting and integrating language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, healthful living, and arts concepts and processes, with appropriate technologies to enhance their teaching.

I met this standard by incorporating language arts into my science lesson.

Indicator 4: Teachers implement a variety of teaching and communication strategies for instruction.

I met this standard by incorporating many different teaching styles to make sure that I reach all my students with different learning styles. I made sure to provide visual examples of oobleck as well as give the directions orally.

Indicator 5: Teachers assist students in developing multiple learning strategies to address discipline specific content, critical thinking, and problem solving skills

I met this standard because this lesson was created to students investigate and use their critical thinking and problem solving skills to find out whether oobleck was a solid or a liquid.

Indicator 7: Teachers develop and use a variety of formal and alternative assessment strategies as an integral part of instruction and learning appropriate for assessing individual, peer, tem and collaborative skills.

I met this standard by my students using different methods such as informal assessment by observing the students. I also used formal assessment by them completing the sheet on oobleck to be put in their All About Matter book.

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).

I met this standard by using many methods for my students to develop the science process skills. This lesson made the students predict what the they oobleck was and had students inferring, interpreting and analyzing the oobleck.

Standard 15: Elementary teacher encourage underrepresented groups to engage in the schooling process, especially math and science

Indicator 1: Teachers use a variety of strategies to encourage underrepresented groups to engage in the schooling process, especially math and science. They:

Utilize community resources

Give personal attention and encouragement to underrepresented groups of students

Use relevant and real-world applications that interest a diverse population

Encourage underrepresented groups to assume leadership roles.

I met this standard by making sure that girls and minority students were engaged in this activity. I made sure to call on girls while asking them questions about oobleck.