SarahCaswellWarnick

EducatingStudentswithDisabilities
ResearchBasedLessonPlan

Objective:

Studentswillbeabletoidentifythepartsof
anatomandlabeladiagramoftheatomwith
appropriatevocabularywordsandcharges.

Studentswillbeabletoidentifytrendsinthe
periodictableandexplainhowitisorganized

Studentswillbeabletoexplainwhatan
atomicnumberisandhowitisusedto
describeanelement(i.e.,atomicnumberis
thenumberofprotonsinanelementandis
specifictoeachelement.Notwoelements
havethesameatomicnumber)

ResearchBasedStrategiesEmployedin
thisLesson:

Modeling
ThinkAloud
MentalandPhysicalImages
GraphicOrganizerforDevelopmentof
vocabulary

WarmUp:

Reviewthepartsofanatom.
1. Whatarethethreedifferentparticles
thatareinatoms?Whataretheir
charges?
2. Listthreethingsyouknowaboutthe
periodictableandthreethingsyou
wouldliketolearn.

Rotation1(fullclass)

Studentswillcompleteagraphicorganizer
withinformationaboutthepartsofanatom.
Vocabularyintroducedandreviewedwill
include:proton,neutron,electron,nucleus,
electroncloud,atom,ionandatomicnumber

Studentswillcreateadrawingofanatomand
labelallofthepartsoftheatom

Studentswillwritedownthedefinitionsof
eachofthepartsoftheatoms,thechargeof
thedifferentparticlesandexamples.

Studentswillcolorthedifferentperiodsofthe
periodictabletocreateavisual
representationoftheelementsthatbelong
together.
Rotation2(class)

Studentswillbedividedintotwogroups.The
groupswillbeheterogeneousinboth
motivationandacademicabilitytoencourage
participationandaccuratecompletionofthe
activity.Themidwaysplitwillbeusedto
determinegrouping.

Thisgroupofstudentswillworkonlineonthe
phet.colorado.eduwebsiteonanatomic
structuresimulation.Studentswilluse
modelingtodemonstratehowatomsarebuilt
andwhereintheatomdifferentparticlesare
located.

Thisprogramallowsstudentstohavevisual
aidsandtophysicallymovethepartsofan
atomaroundandseetheimpact.For
strugglingreaders,thisisamorehandson
wayforthemtovisuallyseewhatis
happening.

Rotation3(class)

Studentswillparticipateinaperiodictable
scavengerhunt.Eachstudentwillbegivena
blankperiodictableandanincompletetable
ofelements,atomicnumber,numberor
protons,numberofelectronsinaneutral
atom,andwillcompletethetableusingthe
informationontheirperiodictable.Students
willworkindependentlytocompletethis
assignmenttodemonstratetheir
understandingofhowtousetheperiodic
table.

Iwillworkwiththisgrouptocompletethefirst
23rowsontheirworksheet.Iwillusethe
thinkaloudmethodtowalkthroughhowIuse
theinformationprovidedtomeandthe
periodictabletocompletethechartandget
theinformationnecessary.

Rotation4

Studentswillcomebacktogetherasafull
classandcreateasuperherobasedonan

elementassignedtothem.Eachstudentwill
begivenanelementcardwithinformation
aboutthecharacteristicsoftheelementthat
theyhavebeenassigned.Studentswillread
thecardandcreateasuperherousingthose
characteristics.Studentswillusethename
oftheelement,chemicalsymbol,physical
characteristicsandatomicnumber.

Oncecompleted,allstudentswillposttheir
superheroontheboardintheplacewhereit
wouldbelocatedintheperiodictable.
Studentswillbeaskedtoreflectonthe
groupsofsuperherosinthesamerowand
howthecharacteristicsoftheseelementsare
similartooneandother.

Thisactivityallowsstudentswithlimited
Englishproficiencyandlimitedliteracyskills
todemonstratetheirunderstandingofhow
theperiodsoftheperiodictablesharesimilar
characteristicsbyusingartandcreativity.

SarahCaswellWarnick
EducatingStudentswithDisabilities
ResearchBasedLessonReflection

Ithinkitisimportanttogivealittlebitofbackgroundaboutthestudentsforwhomthis
lessonwasdesigned.Theclassthatthislessonwasimplementedinhas32students
rostered.ThirteenstudentshaveIEPsandthreeareEnglishLanguageLearners.
Thereare329thgradersand110thgraderintheclass.ThisisaPhysicalScience
classthatisincludesunitsonchemistry,physics,environmentalscienceandspace.
Thelessontaughtwasfromthechemistryunit.Myschoolhasablockschedule,so
eachofourperiodsis90minuteslong.

Thislessonwasoriginallysupposedtotakeplaceallononedaywiththeblended
learningandrotationmodelthatourschoolemployswithour9thgradeclasses.Inthis
model,studentsreceivesomedirectinstruction,sometimeworkingindependentlyon
thecomputersandsometimeeitherworkingindependentlywiththeteacherorinsmall
groups.AsIimplementedthelesson,Irealizedthatitwasnotpossibletocompletein
onedayandtherefore,itwasspreadoutovertwodaysinordertoincludeallofthe
elementsofthelessonplanandincludetheresearchbasedpracticestoensurethatall
studentsunderstandthematerial.

Thislessonincludedguidednotesandagraphicorganizertointroducethenew
vocabularyrelatedtotheperiodictableandtoreviewthevocabularyassociatedwith
atomicstructure.Studentsusedadiagramoftheatomtolabelthepartsoftheatom
andvisuallyassociatewhereintheatomeachoftheitemsislocated.Studentsthen
usedagraphicorganizertotakenotesonthevocabularyassociatedwiththeperiodic
tablesuchasatomicnumber,element,andisotope.Thispartofthelessonwent
relativelywellasstudentsliketoknowwhattheyareexpectedtowritedownandwhere.
Byclearlystructuringthisformystudents,itallowedformydiverselearnerstoall
participateinthedirectinstructionandnotetakingsectionofthelesson.

Studentsreallyenjoyedtheperiodictablescavengerhuntastheywereabletobe
successfulincompletingaworksheetandfindingtheinformationthattheywerelooking
for.Repetitionandpresentingtheinformationinmultiplewaysforstudentstofind
allowedstudentstoexperiencesuccessandallowedmetotrulyassessunderstanding.
Thiswasaccomplishedbyprovidingstudentswithdifferentpiecesofinformationand
allowingthemtofillintherest.Studentscompletedthisassignmentindependently,but
inasmallergroupsettingwithmyassistanceandguidance.Iwentoverthefirsttwo

rowsinthechartandusedthethinkaloudmethodtoexplainmythoughtprocessasI
usedtheperiodictabletogathertheinformationneededtocompletethetable.

Theonlinemodelingonthephet.colorado.eduwebsitewasalsoverysuccessfulasit
allowedforvisualmodelingforbothmyspecialeducationstudentsandmyEnglish
LanguageLearners.Studentswereabletoexperiencetrialanderroronthecomputer
simulationandseetheimpactoftheirmanipulationinrealtime.Studentswerealso
abletogetimmediatefeedbackontheiranswerssotheycouldfigureoutifwhatthey
weredoingwascorrect.

Onceeachgroupcompletedtheirrotation,theyswappedsothateverystudentgottodo
bothactivities.

Finally,asafullclass,studentsdesignedtheirownsuperherobasedonanelement
assignedtothem.Eachstudentwasgivenacardwiththeelementassignedtothem
andbasicinformationaboutthatelement.ThiswasanactivitythatIthoughtthe
studentswouldreallyenjoyandquicklygetinto.However,itwasastruggletogetthem
tobecreativeandtopickupcoloredpencilsandcrayonstocreateadrawingbasedon
thecharacteristicsoftheelementassigned.Therewasalotofcomplainingandasking
howolddoyouthinkweare?Oncestudentsgotstartedontheprojectandactually
putpenciltopaper,theydidenjoyit.Iwassuprisedattheamountofcheerleadingand
encouragementIneededtogivetogetthestudentsstarted.

BothmyPenntorandmyMTLDfromTFAobservedthefirstdayofthislesson.Their
feedbackincludedsuggestingthatIgiveclearerandmoreconcisedirectionsandthatI
checkforunderstandingonthedirections.Theybothfeltthatstudentswereconfused
withtheinstructionsonthesuperheroandthatpartoftheirlackofmotivationtoget
startedcamefromtheirlackofunderstandingofwhattodoandhowitrelatedtothe
lesson.BothmyPenntorandMTLDthoughtthatthecreativityoftheassignmentwasa
goodwaytoreachstudents.TheyalsoenjoyedthatIincludedmanydifferentwaysfor
studentstoaccessthecontent.

IfIdothislessonagain,Iwillsethardertimelimitsoneachactivitytocreatemore
urgencyincompletingeachassignment.Iwillalsowriteoutsimpleinstructionsforeach
activityforeverystudent.Iwillplanmoretimeforthetotallessontoensurethatfull
potentialisreached.Priortothisclass,Iprobablywouldnothaveusedasmany
differentactivitiestopresentthesamematerialandIwouldnothavethoughtabout
usingartandgraphicorganizersasameanstoreinforcesciencecontent.