TCNJ Lesson Plan

Unit Day 8: Guest Speaker

Student Name: Angie Velazquez
Grade Level: 2nd Grade

School Name: Hopewell Elementary

Host Teachers Name: Ms. Harjes

Guiding and/or Essential Questions:

Why is matter important?
How does matter influence our lives?
How do people work with matter?
What are some of the steps involved when experimenting?
What do scientists do?
Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge (ex. background knowledge,
possible misconceptions, prior lesson content)
Students will have written their questions for the guest speaker on Monday. By this point
they have learned about properties of matter and objects, how certain materials are better for an
intended purpose, and how heating and cooling affects changes in the states.
Students might not yet understand how people might work with matter, its properties, and
its changes in their day to day lives. They might not be familiar with the process of interviewing
someone. They might try to talk about themselves when they should be focusing on the person
they are interviewing.
Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1.AFollow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g.,

gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time
about the topics and texts under discussion.).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.3Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in
order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of
a topic or issue.
NGSS 2-PS1-2Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine
which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.
NGSS 2-PS1-4Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by
heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.

Learning Objectives and Assessments:

Learning Objectives
Science: Students will discover how people
work with matter in their jobs and in their day
to day lives.

Assessment
I will check the students questions to make
sure they relate to matter and the guest speaker.
I will also assess the students notes/responses

Literacy: Students will take part in the

interview process and discuss what they have
learned

to the questions that were asked and what the

speaker said.
I will assess the students participation in the
interview. All students should try to ask at least
one question or make a connection to what the
guest says. I will assess their letters for accurate
information and format.

Materials/Resources: (List materials, include any online or book references and resources)
Prepared questions
Science workbooks
Sticky notes
Clipboards
Pencils
Anchor chart
Guest speaker: Francisco Velazquez (pharmaceutical chemist)
Plan for set-up/distribution/cleanup of materials:
Krystal and I will distribute the workbooks and sticky notes after I introduce the guest
speaker and go over directions. The students will bring clipboards and a pencil to the rug.
Clipboards will be returned as the students make their way back to their seats. Krystal and I will
collect the workbooks/sticky notes once the students are finished writing.
Step by Step plan (numbered):
PART 1:
1 Lesson beginning: To begin, I will introduce the guest speaker to the class while everyone
is at their seats. I will go over the guidelines for what they will be doing and how they
should be acting (Proper etiquette and classroom rules). I will remind the students that
they will be asking the guest questions and taking notes while they interview the guest
speaker. Students will be reminded to save their comments until the end when we open up
the interview for discussion.
2 After going over the rules, I will show the students the two methods of note-taking that
they can choose from. Students can choose to take notes on a worksheet (graphic
organizer) or on sticky notes. Either way they must write down: Name of speaker, what
he does, how his job relates to matter, things they learned, things they found interesting,
and any lingering wonderings they might have. Students will pick the method they feel
most comfortable with and Krystal and I will give them the appropriate materials as they
make their way to the rug.
3 Students will be dismissed to the rug by their tables. They will bring pencils and pick up
clipboards on their way there. The guest will have a few minutes to introduce himself and
talk about what he does and how he works with matter. Students will write this
information down.
4 After the guest has introduced themselves, the students will begin to ask them the
questions that they prepared beforehand and any other questions they came up with while

the guest talked. The guest speaker will answer their questions and the students will make
note of the answers. Krystal and I will help clarify any confusing points.
5 After all questions have been asked, the students say thank you and then be dismissed to
their desks in small groups (by table). They will return the clipboards as they make their
way over and give their notes to Krystal and me.
PART 2:
6 I will explain to the students that they will be writing letters to thank the guest speaker.
Students will be expected to first thank the person for coming, then give a little summary
about what they have learned in school, and then write something they learned from the
interview/things they found interesting/and wonderings. Krystal and I will distribute their
notes. If students finish early, they can finish any incomplete work from their workbooks
and then color the cover.
7 Closure: Once the students are done writing their letters, I will ask them to share
something that they learned from the interview. They can say what they wrote in the letter
or something else. Krystal and I will collect the letters and then dismiss the students for
lunch.
Key Questions (that you will ask):

How does matter influence our lives?

How do people work with matter?
What was one thing you learned today?

Logistics:
Timing: Morning Meeting (8:45~9:10 am) and Science (12:10 am-12:40 pm)
Morning (Part 1):
5 minutes to introduce guest speaker, give directions, and transition to rug
20 minutes for interview
o 5 minutes for guest to talk about the job/matter
o 15 to ask interview questions
Science (Part 2):
20 minutes for activity/letter
5 minutes for closure
Transitions:
I will dismiss students to and from the rug by their tables. Going to the rug I will dismiss
them by table color. Only the tables that are appear to be ready (sitting, being quiet, etc.) will get
called on first. Going back to the desks, I will call on small groups of students. Dismissing in
groups will reduce the amount of traffic in the clipboard bin area.
Classroom Management:
Students will be instructed to clip the worksheet to their clipboards to reduce the amount
of shuffling that occurs. They will also be instructed to place the clipboards on their laps, also to
reduce the amount of shuffling. If they start getting too talkative, I will clap my hands and
remind them how they should be acting while conducting an interview.

Differentiation
F will be given the option to draw the answers and label them instead of writing out what
the guest speaker said. When writing the letter, he can write short sentences and then draw a
picture related to the guest speaker and matter. Jonathan tends to sit in the back, so I will make
sure that he sits closer to the rocking chair for the interview.
Students will be given the option to write as much or as little as they want, as long as they
include the three things outlined in step 2. Students can also paraphrase when writing the guests
answers down in their workbooks.
By having students choose whether to write on sticky notes or on the graphic organizer,
they can choose the method that works best for them. By this point in the year, they are familiar
with both methods and know which one they prefer.