Context: I maintained a journal concerning the actions of the moon over three days' time. On the first night, I chose a location that provided a good view of the moon. I then sketched the position of the moon in the sky in relation to trees, mountains, streetlamps, and other terrestrial objects. The following night, I returned to the same location at the same time of night and drew the position of the moon in reference to the other landmarks again. On the third night, I visited the same location at the same time and again drew the position of the moon. The same night, I returned at one hour intervals two more times to draw the moon.

Impact: Through this exercise, I was able to see that the moon travels across the sky both on a nightly basis and an hourly basis. Celestial bodies do, in fact, travel (or seem to travel) great distances from night to night just as the sun travels across the sky during the day.

Alignment: This journal aligns to Standard 3 Indicator 3 by showing that I have firsthand experience in planetary astronomy and a basic knowledge of those concepts.

Context: While student teaching, I taught a lesson about animals including insects, mammals, fish, reptiles, birds, and amphibians. For each of these sections I selected books from the library that the students read. Also, each student researched a self-selected animal from each category. Following those lessons, I taught a lesson on adaptations. I not only allowed the students to research self-selected topics, but there was also a portion of their research that required them to graphically express their information by drawing and coloring a picture of their animal.

Impact: Through these lessons, students understood the differences and similarities of all types of animals. Also, they learned about adaptations of animals and how they use their physical and social features to survive. Students understood that all animals are specialized for their particular environment. For example, mammals in very cold climates have thick fur to keep them warm.

Alignment: This aligns to Standard 3, Indicator 1 by showing that I am familiar with characteristics of living things such as physical adaptations. I also taught about structure and function of animals and their parts. This unit also aligns to Standard 14, Indicator 6 because it demonstrates that I sought for more effective means of educating all students. I allowed for visual learners to exceed along with the rest of the class. This also aligns to Standard 12 because the students were able to creatively draw and color an animal of their choosing. They used multiple media including markers, crayons, and colored pencils.

Context: During an outbreak of strep throat and head colds, I decided to take action. I showed students how to wash their hands effectively in order to maximize the effectiveness of hand soap. This included using very warm water and taking special care to scrub under fingernails, between fingers, on the back of the hand, and the wrist. I also ask a student to squirt hand sanitizer on the hands of each student before entering the lunchroom.

Impact: Because of their new-found knowledge, students now ask me if they can use the hand sanitizer instead of me telling them. Students now appreciate methods of preventing the spread of communicable diseases.

Alignment: This aligns to Standard 5, Indicator 1 by demonstrating that I understand the foundations of good health because I am striving to prevent the spread of illness in our school and community. This also aligns to Indicator 2 because a major health issue relating to children is getting sick from other classmates. This is pertinent because of the obvious discomfort of being ill but also relates to academic factors such as tardies and absences due to illness. This also aligns with Standard 13 because it affords students the opportunity to take germ killing into their own hands. They have the opportunity to wash their hands after each visit to the restroom as well as any time they are not at school.

Context: I taught a reading unit on Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes which deals with a girl that dies of leukemia caused by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. We learned all about Sadako's story as well as a lot of background information concerning America's involvement in the war. As a way to allow the students to express their emotions, I asked them to write in their journals following every reading session. They were allowed to write anything they wished and were not going to be graded at all (including spelling and grammar). WE also watched a video entitled "Hiroshima Maiden" which dealt with a girl scarred by the atomic bomb traveling to America to undergo reconstructive surgery. This video underscores racial prejudice and addresses why prejudice is wrong.

Impact: Through reading the book and many other resources (age-appropriate books about WWII, first-person accounts of the war, and a video) the students wer exposed to a number of controversial issues. I was able to demonstrate appropriate techiniques for discussing upsetting and/or controversial topics such as death and war.

Alignment: This unit aligns to Standard 14, Indicator 2 because students were allowed to read from different primary and secondary sources about WWII. They then used this information to form more educated opinions about the of atomic weapons and the American involvement in WWII. This also aligns with Indicator 5 of the same standard by watching a video that featured how hurtful and ignorant prejudice can be. This also aligns to Standard 15, Indicator 1 because of the way I chose to present the material. By allowing ample wait-time to ESL and EC students, I let them know that articulation is usually not as important knowledge. While reading the book, I was careful to let these students read as much as they could without feeling singled out for reading slowly.

I frequently initiate dialogue with my cooperating teacher, other teachers, and other student teachers concerning practical teaching methods. This is especailly important when I want to hear different methods of reaching a certain student(s) that other teachers have come in contact with. This aligns with Standard 16, Indicator 6. I also understand the importance of collaborating with colleagues. When I am at a loss for how to make a lesson more hands-on or more interesting, I often walk across the hall and ask another teacher if she or he has any materials or supplies that could augment my lesson. This aligns with Standard 16, Indicator 9.

Context: In an effort to increase the problem solving skills in my classroom, I laminated a number of riddles and questions (attached) to hang around the room. These questions dealt with real life situations or emulated real life situations. These questions were designed to be quite difficult and require more than one sitting to solve.

Impact: So far, most of the students have been very excited about these problems. In fact, when I told them that they were very difficult, I think that it motivated them even more to try and solve them all correctly. I can see already that although some students would rather not put forth the time to try and answer the questions, other students are wildly enthusiastic about them. It has also been a great time absorber because students who finish early can go straight to work on the word problems.

Alignment: These problems align to Standard 9, Indicator 1 because some of the problems are based on content that the students have not yet learned. In this way, they are not only finding the solution but also their own path to the solution. They are building mathematical knowledge through problem solving. This also aligns to Standard 9, Indicator 2 because students necessarily must use reasoning in order to solve these problems. The cannot find the correct answer without using reasoning and logic. This also aligns to Standard 9, Indicator 5 because more than one of the problems requires students to use a chart to solve a problem.

Context: Attached is a lesson from a science unit which I taught. This lesson involved using a D-cell battery to light a light bulb. The main part of lesson included giving the students wires, batteries, and light bulbs and asking them to light the bulb. It took many of them quite a while but they will retain the information for a far greater period. Because this lesson dealt with electricity, it was imperative that I outline all safety concerns.

Impact: The main safety concerns of this lesson had more to do with avoiding things that could happen after the lesson than during it. The materials we were working with were quite safe. I had to make it quite clear, however, that other forms of electricity were very dangerous and are not to be played with. Students are never to put anything in an electrical socket save a plug designed for it. That means never putting wire, water, or any of the like in an electrical socket.

Alignment: This lesson aligns to Standard 17, Indicator 1 because I was very intentional in including safety concerns during the lesson. Likewise, having read quite a it on the potential dangers of our materials and similar materials, this aligns to Standard 17, Indicator 2. By showing the students exactly how I expected them to use the materials, this aligns to Standard 17, Indicator 4.