Name Dawn Bratton

Class
Date
EdTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template
Place a title for your lesson here
______________________________Moon Viewfinder_______________
Big Idea: The moon has eight different moon phases and can be seen through what is called a
moon viewfinder.
Grade Level: 4th grade
NC Essential Standard(s):
4.E.1 explain the causes of day and night and phases of the moon.
Next Generation Science Standard(s): 1-ESS1-1. Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars
to describe patterns that can be predicted. [Clarification Statement: Examples
Of patterns could include that the sun and moon appear to rise in one part of the sky, move
across the sky, and set; and stars other than our sun are visible at night but not during the day.]
[Assessment Boundary: Assessment of star patterns is limited to stars being seen at night and not
during the day.]
1-ESS1-2. Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the
time of year. [Clarification
Statement: Emphasis is on relative comparisons of the amount of daylight in the winter to the
amount in the spring or fall.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to relative amounts
of daylight, not quantifying the hours or time of daylight.]
Four Strands of Science Learning: Strand 1, 2, and 4 and address in this lesson. Strand 1&2
are being observed in engaged and explore section when the students enter the room they began
to think like scientist to guess what the room is model after. The students encounter Strand 4
when they actually construct the moon viewfinder, because they are participating productively in
science.
21st Century Skills: Learning and Innovation Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Communication and Collaboration-explore, engage and explain.

Academic Language Demand

Language Function: In the table below highlight the one most important language
function for your lesson. Explain why you chose this. The most important language
function is retell. The students are retelling the phases of the moon by creating a moon
viewfinder. They are referring back to the information that has already been discussed in
class.

Analyze
Interpret

Argue
Predict

Categorize
Question

Compare/contrast Describe
Retell
Summarize

Explain

Scientific Vocabulary: Moon phases, revolve, earth, sun, reflect, moon viewfinder, moon
dust, lava rocks.

Instructional Objective: Giving a KWL chart students will accurately explain two entries for
each category. Giving a paper plate, craft stick, color pencil, and scissors students will interpret
the moon phases to create a moon viewfinder.
Prior Knowledge (student): Students should be familiar with the Earth, moon and sun. Students
should be familiar with the moon phases and how many there are. Students should be
knowledgeable of the role of the moon to Earth.
Content Knowledge (teacher): The teacher will have prior knowledge to the moon phases, the
role of the moon, and how the moon receives light.
Connections to Students Lives: This lesson allows students the opportunity to take an actually
viewfinder home and explore the moon with their family and friends. It gives an opening for
students to explain to their family what they have learned and allows them to teach the phases to
them.
Accommodations for Students with Special Needs For students will special needs; the teacher
will construct the moon viewfinder along with the students. Making sure to stop at each stage so
that students will difficulty do not lag behind and loose their confidence.
Materials and Technology Requirements:
Craft sticks
Paper plate
Crayons/colored pencils/markers/construction paper
Moon phases
Moon dust
Total Estimated Time: 50 minutes
Source of Inspiration for the Lesson: Jennifer Jones-Cooperating Teacher, Brainpop.com
Safety Considerations: Students are expected to follow normal classroom and school safety
rules.

Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5Es. Your procedure should be
detailed enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube
video), describe your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to
teach from your plan. Dont just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include
possible questions you could ask for each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.
Engage: The teacher places lava rocks and moon dust (crushed lava rocks) around the room.
The students enter a dark room and are asked to leap around the room. The students determine
where they are for the day. The students use a KWL worksheet to obtain some understanding of
knowledge about the moon.
Explore: Using their prior and acquired knowledge, students work in small groups to draw
pictures of the moon phases the students are asked to write facts about the phases and label the
phases. Each group shares their illustrations and facts. The teacher shows students a depiction of
the moon, Earth and sun. During a discussion led by the teacher, students complete a Venn
diagram comparing the moon and Earth.
Explain: Students verbally identify and describe characteristics of the moon and how the moon
and Earth differ. Students verbally explain how the sun plays a major role in being able to see the
glow from the moon.
Elaborate: What opportunities will there be for students to apply newly learned ideas, concepts,
and skills? (Another activity is ideal.) Students will create moon phase viewfinders using a paper
plate. The students will draw out the eight phases of the moon on the outer rim of a paper plate.
The students will cut a small hole into the center of the paper plate; this will be used to view the
moon. Students will tape a craft stick to the plate as the holder.
Evaluate: How will you assess each students progress toward the stated objective(s)? What
evidence will be collected? What types of assessment will be used (formal, informal, formative,
summative)? The students will be assessed informally, by the providing at least two entries for
each section on the KWL chart. The students will also be assessed by their work on their moon
viewfinder.

To be completed after the lesson is taught (if applicable)

Assessment Results of All Objectives/Skills: 14 out of 19 students were able to complete the
moon viewfinder. 19 out of 19 completed the KWL chart with GREAT entries.
Reflection on Lesson: This lesson was a great way to end a busy week. The students enjoyed it
and allowed them to work with partners. Some students got discouraged and almost gave up
when they could not cut the hole in the center of the plate. I was able to redirect them to an easier
more suitable way for them to cut and hold the scissors. The cooperating teacher gave this lesson

to me and it is one I would use again. The students were engaged from the minute they walked
through the door. They had so many questions and were able to answer them throughout their
own interactions and discussions. The students were able to do more reflecting when they
returned to school. They discussed how they were able to use the viewfinders over the weekend
and how their families got involved and some even made their own.
CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________

Graded Elements

Developing (Level 1)

Acceptable (Level 2)

Exemplary (Level 3)

Initial Planning
Several required components are
missing. The components presented
do not align well with the lesson.

Most required components are present.

One or two may be missing, require more
detail, and/or not be completely aligned
with the lesson.

All required components are present and align with the

lesson.

(0-1 point)

(2 points)

(3 points)

One or more required components

are missing. The components
presented do not align well with the
lesson.

All required components are present. One

or two may not be completely aligned with
the lesson.

All required components are present and align with the

lesson.

(0-1 point)

(2 points)

(3 points)

Identification of academic
language demand (both
language function & vocab),
instructional objective, and
content knowledge

Several required components are

missing. The components presented
do not align well with the lesson.

Most required components are present.

One or two may be missing, require more
detail, and/or not be completely aligned
with the lesson.

All required components are present and align with the

lesson.

(0-1 point)

(2 points)

(3 points)

Identification of connections
to students lives, prior
knowledge, and
accommodations for special
needs

One or more required components

are missing. The components
presented do not align well with the
lesson.

All required components are present. One

or two may require more detail or not be
completely aligned with the lesson.

All required components are present and align with the

lesson.

(0-1 point)

(2 points)

(3 points)

Identification of central
focus, lesson subject, grade
level, materials, time, lesson
source, and safety

Identification of NC
Standards, NGSS, 4 Strands
and 21st Century Skills

Lesson Introduction

Engage

Engage stage states pre-skills rather

than using questions to gauge
readiness and generate curiosity.
Misses opportunity to motivate
students and help them make
connections to their lives and prior
knowledge.

Engage activity somewhat sets the stage

for attending to the lesson, but important
connections to students lives and/or prior
conceptions are missing.

(0-2 points)

(3-4 points)

Engage activity creates interest and generates curiosity in

the topic by connecting it to students lives. Identifies prior
conceptions to gauge readiness for the lesson. Clear
connections made to prior learning or knowledge. Provides
focus for the remainder of the lesson. Highly relevant and
compelling questions are present.

(5 points)

Lesson Development

Explore

Explain

Elaborate

Students are given a limited

opportunity to explore with materials
or phenomena. Not clear how the
exploration will provide a common
experience for students to build
conceptual knowledge and
communicate their ideas with others.

Students have the opportunity to get

directly involved with phenomena and
materials. They are provided with a
common experience so they can share
and communicate their ideas about the
core concepts addressed. Teacher
direction may drive instruction rather than
student inquiry.

Students have the opportunity to get directly involved with

phenomena and materials. Students are provided with a
common experience that assists them in sharing and
communicating their ideas about the core concepts
addressed. Student inquiry drives the instruction. Highly
relevant and compelling questions are present.

(0-2 points)

(3-4 points)

(5 points)

Explain stage does not introduce

students to common language, terms,
or vocabulary, and is entirely teacherdirected. No opportunities are given
for students to communicate their
ideas with others through writing,
drawing, or speaking, and/or the
product or activity does not relate to
state objective(s).

Students have some opportunities to

explain concepts, but this process may be
primarily teacher-directed. There may not
be sufficient opportunities for students to
communicate with others to develop and
demonstrate their mastery of new
vocabulary or terms through writing,
drawing, and speaking.

Students are encouraged to explain concepts in their own

words based on what they did in the Explore phase.
Teacher introduces common language, terms, and
vocabulary and helps students build on their initial
explanations to construct more accurate and sophisticated
explanations. Some form of writing, drawing, or speaking is
used to assess students development, progress, and
growth with the new information presented. This stage is
predominantly student-led, with the teacher asking highly
relevant and compelling questions to guide the process.

(0-2 points)

(3-4 points)

(5 points)

Activities are unrelated to concepts

learned and/or do not facilitate deeper
understanding in students.

Activities provide some opportunity for

students to expand their understanding of
the concepts or to make connections with
related concepts.

Activities allow for students to elaborate on the concepts

learned, make connections to other related concepts, and
apply their understandings to the world around them.
Highly relevant and compelling questions are present.

(0-2 points)

(3-4 points)

(5 points)

Lesson Evaluation
Assessment is limited to one form in a
single stage and does not relate to
the objective(s).

Assessments gauge student learning of

the objective(s) but may not directly align
with the conditions or behaviors of the
objective(s). Only formative OR summative
assessments (not both) are used and are
not fully incorporated through all stages of
the lesson.

Candidate effectively proposes multiple strategies for

determining levels of mastery of lesson objective(s).
Assessments are clearly aligned with the objectives of the
lesson. Both formative and summative assessments are
seamlessly incorporated throughout all stages of the
lesson.

(0-2 points)

(3-4 points)

(5 points)

Evaluate

Additional Lesson Components

Alignment/structure of
lesson

Accurate science content

Communication of ideas

Lesson focuses on how to complete

an activity, rather than on developing
student understanding have content
and skills.

Lesson sequence is clear and time is

allowed for student questions and practice,
but important details regarding some
segments may be missing from the lesson.

Sequence and organization of lesson is effective, logical

and structured to increase student understanding. Lesson
sequence allows for student questions, practice and
success during each important segment.

Several key activities do not align to

the objective(s) and standards.

Most activities align to the objective(s) and

standards.

All activities align to the objective(s) and standards.

(0-1 point)

(2 points)

(3 points)

Science content is not accurate.

Science content is accurate in most of the

lesson plan.

Science content is accurate throughout the entire lesson.

(0 point)

(1 point)

(2 points)

The plan is difficult to read or hard to

follow because of excessive
mechanical (spelling, grammar)
errors.

Ideas are communicated somewhat

clearly, with some mechanical (spelling,
grammar) errors found.

Ideas are communicated clearly, with no mechanical

(spelling, grammar) errors found in the lesson plan.

(0-1 point)

(2 points)

(3 points)