1

Lindsey Catlett Educ. 514 November 6, 2013 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE Part I: Introduction I am completing my part-time student teaching internship at an elementary school in northeastern Virginia. The elementary school is located in a county that is semi-rural. I am working in a second grade classroom of twenty-three students with my mentor teacher who has been teaching for eleven years. She has been teaching eleven years at this school. Part II: The School and School System The school system with which my internship school is in has a total of thirty-three schools. There are seventeen elementary schools, seven middle schools, five high schools, and four other schools that are not specified. The total population of my practicum elementary school is 766 students. My elementary school is one of seventeen elementary schools in the whole county. There are roughly 10,500 students enrolled in elementary schools in this county. Out of those 10,500 students, 766 are enrolled in my host schools. In elementary schools in this particular county, there is a student-teacher ratio of 23:1. This elementary school hosts grades Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade, all of which are located within one building. The chart below shows the breakdown of males and females that are enrolled in my host elementary school. Student Population of the County School System & Elementary School by Gender Elementary School School System Male 418 12,279 Female 348 11,489 Total 766 23,768

The chart below shows the racial and ethnic diversity that comprises the student body in my host elementary school. Student Population of Elementary School by Race & Ethnicity Race & Ethnicity American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Elementary School Total 1 8 School System Total 74 656

Black, not of Hispanic Origin Hispanic White, not of Hispanic Origin Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Non-Hispanic, two or more races Race/Ethnicity unknown, not specified

114 103 483 1 56 0

4,358 2,716 14,828 27 1,109 10

Student Population of Elementary School Student Body by Group Student Population Group Students with Disabilities Economically Disadvantaged Limited English Proficient Migrant Homeless Number of Students 106 235 27 0 10

Teacher Population of Elementary School by Gender In this chart below, it is important to note that these numbers only show the teachers that are in the elementary school. Additional faculty such as counselors, Para-educators, nurse staff, office staff, administration, cafeteria and housekeeping staff were not factored into my population count. These numbers represent a small part of 1,712 total classroom teachers that teach in this county. Elementary School Male 4 Female 47 Total 51

In this county school system, the projected cost per student is $9,211. Out of all the students attending schools within this school system, 35.4% are considered economically disadvantaged. Part III: My Classroom For my part-time internship, I am working in a second grade classroom of twenty-three students with my mentor teacher who has been teaching for eleven years. This second grade classroom is comprised of a very heterogeneous group. There is one student who has an Individualized Education Program for Autism and speech. Each day, he gets pulled out of the classroom by the special education teacher from 11:45 to 12:15. During this time he is working on writing and social skills. On Mondays and Fridays he gets pulled out of the classroom from 2:00 to 2:30 for speech; and on Tuesdays from 2:00 to 2:30 for occupational therapy. A Para-educator also pushes into the classroom daily from 10:00 to 10:30 to help this

student. If needed he can be pulled out for math, but so far hes done very well and that hasnt been necessary. As for the rest of the class, there are three students in SCOPE. There are two students with ADHD. There are also four students who get pulled out of the classroom for PALS. Three of those students are pulled out five times a week. The other student, who is our English Language Learner (level 3 developing), only gets PALS twice a week because he works with the ESOL teacher those other three days. I think its also important to note that we have several students who have allergies within our classroom community. In second grade, there are six spelling groups, but these are spread out across the grade level. For spelling groups, the entire second grade population is divided into six groups. Each second grade teacher is assigned a spelling group meaning they teach students outside their class population. In my classroom, there are four reading groups. The four groups include Squares, Triangle 1s, Triangle 2s, and Circles. The Squares reading group is the highest reading group and they are above grade level. The three students in this group are reading around the 3.5 grade level. This group is at the O instructional level (as used by Fountas & Pinnell). The Triangle 2s reading group is made up of six students who are just slightly above grade level. The Triangle 1s reading group, made up of seven students, is below grade level. They are considered to be reading at the mid-1st grade level. The Circles reading group, made up of seven students, is the lowest group. They are all reading on the Primer level (roughly the beginning of 1st grade). All groups are rather large, except for the higher level group (Squares). Population of the 2nd grade classroom by gender 2 grade class
nd

Male 14

Female 9

Total 23

Population of the 2nd grade classroom by Race & Ethnicity Race & Ethnicity Race/Ethnicity Unknown American Indian Asian Black, not of Hispanic origin Hispanic White, not of Hispanic origin Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Two or more races Number of Students 0 1 0 2 0 15 0 5 Percent of Students 0% 4% 0% 9% 0% 65% 0% 22%

Part IV: Reflection In completing this demographic profile, I was able to learn a lot of specific numerical information about my host elementary school and the county school division in which its in. Even though I live in the surrounding area near this county (approximately forty-five miles), Ill admit Ive never really thought about the demographic profile. For my K-12 education, I attended school in a small school system within a small rural community. Therefore, knowing the demographic of that community, it was very interesting to learn about the demographics and diversity of a community much larger than the one I grew up in. I think this project was beneficial because it allowed us to find out important demographic information about a school and its schools system; and this is information we generally wouldnt consider. We might often think of only the immediate context of the classroom without thinking of how it fits into the bigger picture of the school and the entire county division. I found that it was much easier to obtain and learn about the demographics in my 2nd grade classroom than it was to learn about the school and the larger school system as a whole. For this project, it was interesting to see how parts make up the whole. First, I got to look at the classroom profile in the context of the school; and then I got to see the profile of the school in the context of the entire school system. IMPACT STUDY Unit Plan SOL: (Science 2.4) 2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include: b.) plant life cycles WIDA Standard: ELP Standard: The Language of Science, grade 2. Level 3: Developing Unit Goals 1. By the end of the unit, students will be able to draw and label the life cycle of a plant. 2. By the end of the unit, students will be able to draw and label the parts of a plant (flower). Assessment For this science unit, students were pre-assessed on Thursday, October 17 using a test that I created. After the pre-assessment, the first lesson in the unit was taught. Lessons were taught from Thursday, October 17 until Thursday, October 24. The post-assessment was administered by my host teacher (in my absence) on Friday, October 25.

The same test was used for both the pre-assessment and the post-assessment. Each time the assessment was given, the entire test (questions and answers) were read aloud to the students. In addition to the test (formal assessment), students were informally assessed through their worksheets, responses in discussion, partner activities, reflections, and learning journal entries. Below is the pre- and post- assessment that was used in my science unit.

Name Read each sentence carefully and choose the best answer. 1. Plants go through many changes as they start out as a seed and grow into a plant. This set of changes is known as a: a. Water cycle b. Life cycle c. Rock cycle 2. Which of these happens FIRST in the life cycle of a plant? a. A seed sprouts b. Flowers bloom on a plant c. A seed grows into a small plant. 3. Why are seeds important? a. because they can grow into new plants b. because they are all the same size. c. because they hold up the plant 4. A seed needs soil and water to grow. What else does it need? a. Rocks b. sunlight c. snow 5. Which seed will grow the best? a. A seed planted in dry sand b. A seed left on a table c. A seed planted in wet soil

6. Which part holds the plant upright? a. The flower b. The stem c. The roots 7. Which plant will grow best? a. A plant kept in a sunny spot near a window b. A plant kept inside a refrigerator c. A plant kept in a dark room 8. What part of the plant has petals? a. The flower b. The stem c. The roots 9. As a plant grows, what happens to its roots? a. They get smaller b. They stay the same size c. They get bigger 10. Germination happens when a. a seed begins to sprout b. a seed is planted in the ground c. roots get water from the soil 11. In what season does an apple tree blossom? a. Spring b. Summer c. Fall d. Winter

Extension: 12. Draw and label the life cycle of a plant

13. Draw and label the parts of a plant.

CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING DESIGN UNIT PLAN Impact Study Daily Lesson Plans Lindsey Catlett October 17, 2013 (Thursday) Life Cycles of Plants Unit Day 1 Level: 2nd grade Subject: Science (life cycles of plants) Title: Introduction to Plants Designer: Lindsey Catlett SOL(s): 2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include: b). plant life cycles. WIDA Standard: ELP Standard: The Language of Science, grade 2. Level 3: Developing. Situation The purpose of this situation is for students to explain what they currently know about plants (background knowledge). They will share this information with a partner. The purpose will be for the pair to collaborate and share ideas building off one another. From there, the whole class will come together for a larger group discussion about plants sharing what they know (allowing for more ideas to be shared amongst the students). This lesson will be done directly after the preassessment. It is intended to be a broad/general introduction to plants before diving into the more specific unit lessons about the parts and life cycle of plants. Groupings 1. Students will be paired together in the beginning to discuss what they currently know about plants 2. The whole class will come together for students to share what was discussed in the partner groupings. Students will be showing their background

Bridge

10

knowledge in their discussions with their partner. The partner activity will activate their background knowledge and this will be built upon further in the whole group discussion. After both of these discussions, we will watch a video about plants (How do plants grow?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xldSRWtNMXE Questions Guiding questions for partner discussion that will also be the questions discussed in the whole group: What do you know about plants? What are some examples of plants? How do plants grow? What do plants need to grow? What kinds of things come from plants? Are all plants the same? How are some plants alike/different? Do the seasons affect plants? Are plants living things? Students will be paired up to discuss plants in general. They are supposed to explain what they know about plants to one another (prior to our whole group discussion). Students should record what they discuss in their learning journal. Note: Reflection will take place after the video. We will briefly discuss the video before moving onto individual reflection. The teacher will pass out exit slips to students and ask them to write two things they learned about plants and one thing that may be confused about. Prompts will be provided to help struggling students and ELLs. Prompts include I learned .I also learned . I am confused about . This will act as a means of individual reflection after the pairing and whole group discussion. Modifications will be made for Level 3: Developing. Students will work in pairs. ELL students will be paired with non-ELL students. Change, grow/growth, stem, root, leaf/leaves The student will discuss plants with a partner (oral communication). The student will orally explain what they know about plants to their partner. The student will write complete sentences about what they learned and what was confusing (supported through the use of prompts). Reflection prompts will be provided. I learned and I am confused about

Exhibit

Reflections

ELL Modifications

Key Vocabulary Language Objectives

Supplementary Materials

11

Building Background

The teacher will explain plant terms and show a video about plants to provide students with a different mode of information in conjunction with the discussion. The teacher will ask the ELL student what they already know about plants. Scaffolding techniques/Interaction The teacher will ask the student to explain what he or she learned about plants and what he or she may be confused about to provide them with support before they write it down. The ELL student will be paired with a non-ELL student for discussion. Review/Assessment The teacher will gauge student understanding during the partner and whole group discussions paying close attention to their level of participation. The students reflection (exit slip) will also be reviewed.

Lindsey Catlett October 18, 2013 (Friday) Life Cycles of Plants Unit Day 2 Level: 2nd grade Subject: Science (life cycles of plants) Title: Parts of Plants / Seeds to Plants Designer: Lindsey Catlett SOL(s): 2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include: b). plant life cycles. WIDA Standard: ELP Standard: The Language of Science, grade 2. Level 3: Developing. Situation The purpose of this situation is for students to identify parts of a plant and understand that certain parts have certain purposes. The lesson will begin with pairs briefly generating parts of a plant (to showcase their prior knowledge of plant parts). They will make a list in their learning journal. They will only be required to generate a list of parts for this beginning activity, but they will be encouraged to think of the purpose or job of the parts they list. This situation will allow for students to collaborate and share ideas with one another. From there, we will come together to generate a list

12

Groupings

(allowing for more ideas to be shared covering plant parts that some pairs might not have listed). Read-aloud, discussion, worksheet, and reflection will follow (in that order). 1. Students will be paired together in the beginning of the lesson to generate a list of plant parts (to show what they currently know). 2. The whole class will come together for students to share the lists of plant parts they came up with during their pair discussions. 3. Students will work on their worksheet individually. 4. Students will prepare their reflections individually. Groupings of Materials: Learning journals, Smart board/Doc Cam/ pencils/ paper for exitslips/ model exit-slip/ read-aloud/ Plant parts worksheet (2 different ones: 1 for higher group and 1 for general population) Students will be showcasing their prior knowledge of plant parts in their partner discussion. The partner share will activate their prior knowledge that will be built upon further in the whole group discussion; and built on further through a read-aloud, From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons. Guiding questions for partner discussion: Can you identify any plant parts? If so, can you think of what they do for the plant? What is that parts purpose/job? Guiding questions for whole group: What plant parts did you and your partner come up with? What is that parts purpose? Or, Can you think of what that part might do? What is that parts job? Guiding questions for read-aloud? Have you seen bees on flowers before (personal meaning/experiences)? What are the different ways seeds can travel (to start new plants)? Have you ever planted seeds before

Bridge

Questions

13

Exhibit

Reflections

(personal meaning/experience)? What protects the seed? What is pollination? What do we use that comes from plants? What plant parts were mentioned in this book? What are the purposes of those parts? (Have students identify plant parts and purposes that were mentioned in the text). 1. Students will record a list of plant parts (that they generate with their partner) in their learning journal. 2. Students will complete a plant parts worksheet The teacher will pass out paper for an exit slip for students. Students will be asked to name at least one plant part and its purpose. Students will be encouraged to come up with more than one. I will provide a piece of paper (to serve as a model) of what should be included on their exit slip. Modifications will be made for Level 3: Developing. Students will work in pairs. ELL students will be paired with non-ELL students. General vocabulary: Stem, roots, leaf/leaves, petal(s), seed, sun, soil, water, food, flower, sprout The student will generate plant parts with a partner (oral communication). The student will orally identify plant parts and orally explain purposes of plant parts. The student will write at least one plant part and its purpose on the exit-slip (supported through list of words on the board and model exit-slip page). Reflection model page will be provided. Word list of plant parts will remain on the board during our lesson (this word list will be created when the whole class discuss what the pairs came up with). The teacher will explain plant terms and read a book about plant parts to provide students with a visual representation of the information that will be in conjunction with the discussion. The teacher will ask the student to identify plant parts and ask if he or she knows the purpose/job/function of said parts. This

ELL Modifications

Key Vocabulary

Language Objectives

Supplementary Materials

Building Background

Scaffolding techniques/Interaction

14

Review/Assessment

questioning will provide the student with support before he or she fills out the exit-slip. The ELL student will be paired with a nonELL student for partner discussion. The teacher will gauge student understanding during partner and whole group discussions paying close attention to their level of participation. The students reflection (exit slip), worksheet, and list in learning journal will also be reviewed.

Below are photos that correspond with this lesson plan Photo 1: Plant parts worksheet given to the general classroom population

15

Photo 2: Plant parts worksheet given to the higher level students

Photo 3: Sample of student work

16

Photo 4: Sample of Student work

Photo 5: Sample of student work

17

Lindsey Catlett October 21, 2013 (Monday) Life Cycles of Plants Unit Day 3 Level: 2nd grade Subject: Science (life cycles of plants) Title: How a seed grows (cycle) Designer: Lindsey Catlett SOL(s): 2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include: b). plant life cycles. WIDA Standard: ELP Standard: The Language of Science, grade 2. Level 3: Developing. Situation The purpose of this situation is for students to identify the different stages in a plants life cycle. The student will understand that a plant undergoes a series of changes as it transforms from a seed into an adult plant. - Students will be paired together in the beginning of the lesson to order the stages of the plant life cycle. - The whole class will come together for students to share what order they came up with and for us to come to an agreement on the correct ordering of the life cycle stages. - The whole class will come together for the read-aloud and the associated questions. - Students will work on their cycle individually. Students will be showcasing their prior knowledge of plant life cycles in their partner discussion. The partner share will activate prior knowledge that will be built upon further in the whole group discussion; and built on further through the read-aloud, The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. Guiding questions for partner discussion: Can you identify the different stages of a plant life cycle? If I give you the stages (seed, sprout,

Groupings

Bridge

Questions

18

seedling, bud, flower), can you put those in the correct order? Guiding questions for whole group: What order did you and your partner come up with? Can you explain why you put them in that order? Did anyone have them in a different order? Guiding questions for read-aloud: What are the different ways seeds can travel (in order to start new plants)? What does a plant need in order to grow? In this story, some of the seeds arent survivingwhy is that? How much time is passing in this story? How can you tell/How do you know? What happens at the end of the book? What do you think will happen to those seeds? 1. Students will write down their stage ordering in their learning journals. 2. Students will illustrate and label the stages of plant when given a blank life cycle page. Reflection will take place in the form of a closing circle. Students will be asked to share one thing about todays lesson. The prompt will be having students share one thing they learned today or one thing they are confused about. Modifications will be made for Level 3: Developing. Students will work in pairs. ELL students will be paired with non-ELL students. Seed, seedling, sprout, bud, flower, plant, grow, cycle, stage, change The student will come up with an ordering of the life cycle stages with a partner (oral communication). The student will orally identify the stages. The student will illustrate and label the stages of the plant life cycle on a blank life cycle worksheet (exhibit). - Blank life cycle worksheet that has arrows to connect each stage with blank boxes to draw and label where each stage goes. - Stages will be given (to the whole class) and students must come up with the ordering (seed, sprout, seedling,

Exhibit

Reflections

ELL Modifications

Key Vocabulary Language Objectives

Supplementary Materials

19

Building Background

Scaffolding techniques/Interaction

Review/Assessment

bud/young adult plant, flower/adult plant). - Images for each of the stages will be given (to the whole class). - Names and images of the different stages of the life cycle will be visually represented in an anchor chart. The teacher will explain different plant stages and read a book about the life cycle of a plant to provide students with a visual representation of the information that will be in addition to the discussion. The teacher will ask the student to identify the stages of the plant life cycle. The teacher will ask the student to explain the order they feel the stages go in. This will provide them with support when they have to order the stages on their own for the exhibit. The teacher will gauge student understanding during the partner and whole group discussions paying close attention to their level of participation and their responses. The students life cycle sheet will be reviewed as well as the ordering in the learning journal.

Photo 1: Life Cycle of a Plant Worksheet

Name

Draw and label the stages of a plant life cycle.

2. 1.

3.

Life Cycle of a Plant

5.

4.

20

Photo 2: Anchor chart used in lesson

Photo 3: Student Work

21

Photo 4: Student Work

Lindsey Catlett October 22, 2013 (Tuesday) Life Cycles of Plants Unit Day 4 Level: 2nd grade Subject: Science (life cycles of plants) Title: How an apple seed grows (cycle) Designer: Lindsey Catlett SOL(s): 2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include: b). plant life cycles. WIDA Standard: ELP Standard: The Language of Science, grade 2. Level 3: Developing. Situation The purpose of this situation is for students to identify the different stages in an apples life cycle (as it goes from seed to fruit). The student will understand that a plant undergoes a series of changes as it transforms from a seed into an adult plant (fruit).

22

Groupings

Bridge

Questions

Students will be paired together in the beginning of the lesson to order the stages of the apples life cycle. The pair will be given one set of picture cards to share. They will arrange them in a cycle on their desk. - The whole class will come together for students to share what order they came up with and for us to come to an agreement on the correct ordering of the life cycle stages. - The whole class will come together for the read-aloud and the associated questions. - Students will work on their cycle individually. Students will be showcasing their prior knowledge of life cycles in their partner discussion. The partner share will activate prior knowledge that will be built upon further in the whole group discussion; and built upon further through the read-aloud. Guiding questions for partner discussion: Can you identify the different stages of an apple seeds life cycle. If I give you the picture cards with the names (seed, seedling, tree, bud, flower, fruit), can you put those in the correct order? Guiding questions for whole group: What order did you and your partner come up with? Can you explain why you put them in that order? Did anyone have them in a different order? Guiding questions for read-aloud: What is an apple tree like in the winter? In what season does an apple tree blossom? When are the apples ready to be picked (what season)? When a seed is planted, does it turn into a tree right away OR does it take a while? Who can describe an apple tree during the different seasons?

Exhibit

1. Students will arrange the picture cards on the desks to display the order of an apple

23

Reflections

ELL Modifications

Key Vocabulary

Language Objectives

Supplementary Materials

Building Background

Scaffolding techniques/Interaction

seeds life cycle. 2. Students will illustrate and label the stages of an apple seeds life cycle when given a blank life cycle page. Reflection will take place in the form of a closing circle. Students will be asked to share one thing about todays lesson. The prompt will be having students share one thing they learned today or one thing they are confused about. Modifications will be made for Level 3: Developing. Students will work in pairs. ELL students will be paired with non-ELL students. apple, seed, seedling, tree, bud, flower, fruit, plant, grow, cycle, stage, change, season, spring, summer, winter, fall The student will come up with an ordering of the life cycle stages with a partner (oral communication). The student will orally identify the stages. The student will illustrate and label the stages of the apple seeds life cycle on a blank life cycle worksheet (exhibit). - Blank life cycle worksheet that has arrows to connect each stage with blank boxes to draw and label where each stage goes. - Stages will be given (to the whole class) in the form of picture cards and students must come up with the ordering (seed, seedling, tree, bud, flower, and fruit). - Images & labels for each of the stages will be given (to the whole class) presented either on the board or Smart board. The teacher will explain different stages in an apple seeds life cycle and read a book about the life cycle of an apple tree to provide students with a visual representation of the information that will be discussed. The teacher will ask the student to identify the stages of the apple seeds life cycle. The teacher will ask the student to explain the order they feel the stages go in. This will provide them with support when they have to order the stages on their own for the exhibit.

24

Review/Assessment

The teacher will gauge student understanding during the partner and whole group discussions paying close attention to their level of participation and their responses. The students life cycle sheet will be reviewed; and the teacher will walk around to observe students ordering of the picture cards.

Photo 1: Apple life cycle picture cards

25

Photo 2: Blank apple seed life cycle worksheet

Name

Draw and label the stages of an apple seeds life cycle.

2. 1. 3.

4.

Life Cycle of an Apple Seed

6.

5.

Photo 3: Apple seed life cycle

26

Photo 4: Student work sample

Photo 5: Student work sample

27

Lindsey Catlett October 23, 2013 (Wednesday) Life Cycles of Plants Unit Day 5 Level: 2nd grade Subject: Science (life cycles of plants) Title: How a pumpkin seed grows (cycle) Designer: Lindsey Catlett SOL(s): 2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include: b). plant life cycles. WIDA Standard: ELP Standard: The Language of Science, grade 2. Level 3: Developing. Situation The purpose of this situation is for students to identify the different stages in a pumpkins life cycle (as it goes from seed to pumpkin). The student will understand that a plant undergoes a series of changes as it transforms from a seed into an adult plant (pumpkin). Students will be paired together in the beginning of the lesson to order the stages of the pumpkins life cycle. The pair will be given one set of picture cards to share. They will arrange them in a cycle on their desk. - The whole class will come together for students to share what order they came up with and for us to come to an agreement on the correct ordering of the life cycle stages. - The whole class will come together for the read-aloud and the associated questions. - Students will work on their cycle individually. Students will be showcasing their prior knowledge of life cycles in their partner discussion. The partner share will activate prior knowledge that will be built upon further in the whole group discussion; and built upon further through the read-aloud. -

Groupings

Bridge

28

Questions

Guiding questions for partner discussion: Can you identify the different stages of a pumpkin seeds life cycle. If I give you the picture cards with the names (seed, seedling, vine, flower, green pumpkin, pumpkin), can you put those in the correct order? Guiding questions for whole group: What order did you and your partner come up with? Can you explain why you put them in that order? Did anyone have them in a different order? Guiding questions for read-aloud: How are the pictures different in this book? What stage does this picture represent (for certain illustrations within the book)? What are the bees doing (discuss pollination)? In what season are the pumpkins harvested? Why is the book called pumpkin circle? What does the ending its pumpkin seeds to pumpkins to pumpkin seeds again mean?

Exhibit

Reflections

ELL Modifications

Key Vocabulary Language Objectives

1. Students will arrange the picture cards on the desks to display the order of a pumpkin seeds life cycle. 2. Students will illustrate and label the stages of a pumpkins life cycle when given a blank life cycle page. Reflection will take place in the form of a closing circle. Students will be asked to share one thing about todays lesson. The prompt will be having students share one thing they learned today or one thing they are confused about. Modifications will be made for Level 3: Developing. Students will work in pairs. ELL students will be paired with non-ELL students. Seed, seedling, vine, flower, green pumpkin, pumpkin, life cycle, grow, change, seasons The student will come up with an ordering of the life cycle stages with a partner (oral communication). The student will orally identify the stages. The student will illustrate and label the stages of the pumpkin seeds life cycle on a blank life cycle worksheet (exhibit).

29

Supplementary Materials

Building Background

Scaffolding techniques/Interaction

Review/Assessment

Blank life cycle worksheet that has arrows to connect each stage with blank boxes to draw and label where each stage goes. - Stages will be given (to the whole class) in the form of picture cards and students must come up with the ordering (seed, seedling, vine, flower, green pumpkin, and pumpkin). - Images & labels for each of the stages will be given (to the whole class) presented either on the board or Smartboard. The teacher will explain different stages in a pumpkin seeds life cycle and read a book about the life cycle of a pumpkin to provide students with a visual representation of the information that will be discussed. The teacher will ask the student to identify the stages of the pumpkin seeds life cycle. The teacher will ask the student to explain the order they feel the stages go in. This will provide them with support when they have to order the stages on their own for the exhibit. The teacher will gauge student understanding during the partner and whole group discussions paying close attention to their level of participation and their responses. The students life cycle sheet will be reviewed; and the teacher will walk around to observe students ordering of the picture cards.

30

Photo 1: Pumpkin life cycle picture cards

Photo 2: Pumpkin seed life cycle

31

Photo 3: Blank pumpkin seed life cycle worksheet

Name

Draw and label the stages of a pumpkin seeds life cycle.

2. 1. 3.

4.

Life Cycle of an Pumpkin Seed

6.

5.

Photo 4: Student work sample

32

Photo 5: Student work sample

Photo 6: Student work sample

33

Lindsey Catlett October 24, 2013 (Thursday) Life Cycles of Plants Unit Day 6 Level: 2nd grade Subject: Science (life cycles of plants) Title: How a pumpkin seed grows (cycle) Designer: Lindsey Catlett SOL(s): 2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include: b). plant life cycles. WIDA Standard: ELP Standard: The Language of Science, grade 2. Level 3: Developing. Situation The purpose of this situation is for students to discuss and review what weve learned about plants during this unit. The purpose will be for students to discuss what weve learned during our unit and share ideas. From there, the whole class will discuss and review together about whats been covered during our unit to prepare for the upcoming test. Students will be paired together in the beginning to discuss what weve learned about plants during our unit. - The whole class will come together for students to share what was discussed in their pair-share as well as have a review discussion (based on my guiding questions). Students will be showing their background knowledge and newly acquired knowledge in their discussions with their partner. The partner activity will activate their background knowledge which will be built upon further in the whole group discussion. Guiding questions for partner discussion: (Before) Can you share with your partner what youve learned about plants last week/this week? (After) Can you tell me what you and your shoulder buddy talked about? What did you all discuss about plants? -

Groupings

Bridge

Questions

34

Exhibit Reflections

ELL Modifications Key Vocabulary Language Objectives

Supplementary Materials

Building Background

Scaffolding techniques/Interaction

Guiding questions for whole group: How do plants grow? What is a plant life cycle? What is a cycle? What do plants need to grow? Do the seasons affect plants? Are plants living things? What protects the seed? What is pollination? Can you name some plant parts? What does that part do? What are the different ways that seeds can travel? What is germination? What is an apple tree like during the different seasons? When a seed is planted, does it turn into a tree right away? What season does an apple tree blossom? In what season is an apple tree harvested (apples ready to be picked)? What are the different stages in an apple seeds life cycle? What are the different stages in a pumpkin seeds life cycle? Exhibit will be in the form of oral response and pair share. Reflection will take place in the form of a closing circle. Students will be asked to share one thing about todays lesson. The prompt will be having students share one thing they learned today or one thing they are confused about. Modifications will be made for Level 3: Developing. Life cycle, plant, grow, seed, apple, pumpkin, flower, roots, sun, soil, water The student will discuss plants with a partner (oral communication). The student will orally explain what they know about plants to their partner/ Materials from previous lessons in the unit - Apple life cycle stage cards - Pumpkin life cycle stage cards - Plant life cycle anchor chart - Apple life cycle diagram - Plant life cycle diagram Flower drawn on the board for us to label the parts together The teacher will refresh student on plant terms. The teacher will ask the ELL student what they know about plants. The teacher will ask the student to explain what he or she learned about plants or what he

35

Review/Assessment

or she may be confused about and provide them with support. The ELL student will be paired with a non-ELL student for discussion. The teacher will gauge student understanding during whole group discussions paying close attention to their level of participation and their responses. Learning Gains for Students

*Note: All students are identified by their number. All twenty-three students have a number. Our class originally had 24 students on the roster when numbers were assigned, but #15 was dropped from the roster. Therefore, that is why you will see the list jump from #14 to #16. Student PreAssessment (Number correct out of 30) 12 22 10 12 19 12 21 12 12 8 10 24 9 PreTest % PostAssessment (Number Correct out of 30) 22 24 24 15 28 19 28 13 23 9 17 29 15 Post-Test % Learning Gain (Percentage) Grade (Based on PostTest Score) 3 3 3 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 2 3 1

Student 1 Female Student 2 Female Student 3 Male Student 4 Male Student 5 Female Student 6 Male Student 7 Male Student 8 Female Student 9 Male Student 10 Female Student 11 Male Student 12 Female Student 13 Male (ELL)

40% 73% 33% 40% 63% 40% 70% 40% 40% 27% 33% 80% 30%

73% 80% 80% 50% 93% 63% 93% 43% 77% 30% 57% 97% 50%

33% 7% 47% 10% 30% 23% 23% 3% 37% 3% 24% 17% 20%

36

Student 14 Male Student 16 Male Student 17 Female Student 18 Female Student 19 Male (Student w/ IEP) Student 20 Male Student 21 Male Student 22 Male Student 23 Male Student 24 Female Class Average

16 20 15 10 12

53% 67% 50% 33% 40%

25 28 28 27 25

83% 93% 93% 90% 83%

30% 26% 43% 57% 43%

3 3 3 3 3

18 20 23 20 17 15.4

60% 67% 77% 67% 57% 51.3%

24 16 28 25 26 22.5

80% 53% 93% 83% 87% 75%

20% -14% 16% 16% 30% 23.7%

3 2 3 3 3 2.5

Grading System for 2nd grade Scoring 1 through 4 1 Students performance is below standard. Student requires support and additional practice. 2 Students performance is approaching the standard, but hasnt quite met it yet. Student applies skills with support. 3 Students performance meets standard. Student applies skills and produces quality work with little or no support. 4 Students performance goes above and beyond the standard. Student produces quality work independently. Based on this grading system, scores on the post-test up to 70% would receive a 3. Scores on the post-test from 69% to 51% would receive a 2. Scores below 51% would receive a 1. There were no opportunities for a 4 on this particular assessment. The last column in the chart above show the grades students would receive according to this grading system (based on their post-test score).

37

Pre-Assessment & Post-Assessment Scores for 2nd Grade Students

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student 5 Student 6 Student 7 Student 8 Student 9 Student 10 Student 11 Student 12 Student 13 Student 14 Student 16 Student 17 Student 18 Student 19 student 20 Student 21 Student 22 Student 23 Student 24 Pre-Test Post-Test

Data Analysis & Results After looking at my data, I deduced that six students, or 26 % of the class, did not fully grasp plant life cycles. However, all of these students (except for one) showed gains even if they were minimal. Even if their scores werent considered passing, every student in the class, but one, showed gains from the pre-assessment to the post-assessment. Two students only went up by one point. One student actually went downscoring higher on his pre-test than his post-test. This could possibly be attributed to the time of day that the post-assessment took place. The post-test was administered by my host teacher when the class returned from recess in the afternoon. Perhaps the timing may have affected the students concentration and attentiveness; or perhaps he could have just been having a bad day. It is hard to fully determine the reasoning as I was not present on the day the test was given to have my own personal observations. It is important to note that the students who did not meet the standard are students who consistently struggle with the general curriculum. They are not students who have IEPs; however they are students who are in the lowest reading group. After analyzing my unit data, it is also important to note that there was more goal achievement with the second unit goal (draw and label the parts of a plant) when compared to the first unit goal (draw and label the life cycle of a plant). When looking at the students life cycle worksheets and looking at their labeled diagrams on the assessment, I would say that they better understand the parts of a plant when compared to the plant life cycle. This may have to do with student background knowledge and experiencemeaning plant parts are more familiar to them.

38

Therefore, these results would suggest that I need to reflect and adapt my instruction to better instruct on life cycles and not focus as much time on plant parts. Because six students (26% of the class) did not fully understand the concept of plant life cycles, I can assume that my instructional methods for this unit did not meet the needs of these particular students. Sixteen students (70 % of the class) received a score of 3meaning they meet the standard. Out of that sixteen, seven students achieved a score of 90% or above. Based on this data, I would say that I did make an impact on my students learning. However, I feel like that percentage should have been higher.

Reflection What worked and how do you know? I think having the students work together in pairs was very effective. They thoroughly enjoyed working with their shoulder buddy and this collaboration seemed to motivate the students and maintain their engagement. I also felt that the YouTube video in the first lesson was an effective use of technology because the students loved watching it. They were so engaged while they watched the video. In fact, some students asked if we could watch more videos. I think the use of plant read-alouds in the lessons worked nicely, too, because students were also engaged during the reading of those books. What didnt work and how do you know? After looking at my completed unit and the data, I feel like my assessment may have been the thing that didnt work. During the administration of the pre-assessment, some students seemed to be overwhelmed. Even though all the questions and answers were read to the students for the pre- and post-assessment, I feel like it may have been a little text-heavy. I think if I were to create this assessment again, Id alter the two draw and label questions. For the life cycle question, Id have a diagram of a life cycle with some or all parts missing for the student to fillin. This would look a lot like the blank life cycle pages that I used in my lesson. I feel that if the question was already in that cyclical format, it would make it easier for the student to do. For the parts of a plant question, I think I could have included a picture of a flower with lines going to all the different parts that way a student would only have to fill-in-the-blanks using the names of the parts rather than drawing and labeling. I think I could probably also change some of the multiple choice questions. Some were similar to each other, so some could have been eliminated with new ones added in their place. The multiple choice questions could also open up opportunities to add visuals to the assessment. Overall, I think I could have made the assessment more visual rather than textual; and that probably would have been more advantageous for the majority of the students in the class.

39

How will you apply what you learned to the next unit? I learned that the pre-assessment is a critical component of your unit because you need to assess your students before you dive right into instruction. You have to find out what your students already know. You need to gauge their background knowledge and form a starting point for your instruction. Based on my pre-assessment, I found that some students either had a lot of background knowledge on the subject or were approaching a significant foundation; while others were very limited in their prior knowledge of the subject matter. I also learned that the reflection part of your lesson is another integral component in your unit. You need to have students reflect on the days lessonwhat they learned or what was confusing. It was very interesting to see that students, oftentimes, found the same things to be confusing or pulled the same take-away information from the lesson. This reflection also provided a wrap-up, review, and/or closure to the days lesson; therefore, it was a necessity to include within each lesson of the unit.

References and Resources VA Standards of Learning (Science, 2nd grade) School County Curriculum Map (Science, 2nd grade) YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xldSRWtNMXE Gibbons, G. (1993). From Seed to Plant. Holiday House. WIDA Standards Carle, E. (2009). The Tiny Seed. Little Simon. Bulla, C. R. (2001). A Tree Is a Plant. Harper Collins. Levenson, G. (2002). Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden. Tricycle Press. Apple seed life cycle and picture cards from http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/Free-Downloads Pumpkin seed life cycle and picture cards from http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/Free-Downloads Impact Study Sample (posted on canvas) Gagnon, G.W. & Collay, M. (2001). Designing for learning: Six elements in constructivist classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Public Information Department. (2011-2012). County Schools At-A-Glance pdf.

I pledge. L.O.C.