5E Science Lesson Reflection

The Reflection: The reflection component should make you think about your overall impressions and
feelings that you had. You also might address something that surprised you or something that made you
pause.

Questions to consider in your reflection:

1. What aspects of your lesson were implemented differently than you planned? Why did that
happen?
Because of time, I moved the elaborate into the explore sections. This altered my lesson plan way more
than I expected, and I feel it was a bad decision.
2. If you were going to teach this lesson to the same group of students, what would you do
differently? Why? What would you do the same? Why?

There are several things I would do differently. First, I would have the non-Newtonian solution in an
extra-large container, so that more than one student could feel it a time. Second, I would not move the
elaborate into the explore. Third, I would do more stations, and smaller groups. I would probably have the
non-Newtonian solution be its own station, and then come up with another elaborate for the students.
Fourth, I would split the lesson into two days. This would allow the students to really have time to
explore within their stations, and then more time for the explanation, elaborate and closure. Fifth, the
students in this classroom were not formilar with stations. I would take more time explaining what was
expected of them, and how to work in stations. I would also add more challenging stations. The stations I
did were provided by the fifth-grade teachers, but I feel some were too easy and not as engaging as I
would like. I would keep the cookies crumble station, because the students really loved this station. It was
a fun way for them to work hands on with matter. I also would keep the sorting station, because this
station was the most challenging, but also the most successful. For the video station, I would add
something to make it more challenging. Maybe an online quiz after they watched the video. I would want
to add some more engaging stations. It would be great to have microscopic slides of different matter that
they students could observe.

3. What surprised you in your lesson?

I was very surprised that the students had never done stations. When I told them what they were doing for
this lesson, they all were confused and said they had never done this before. Because of this, the students
loved it! They were used to text book and notes, so this was a great change for them. Almost every
students reflection mentioned never doing stations and how much they loved it. A few students wrote this
was the best science lesson of the year- which made me feel great and made it all worth it.

4. Describe an instance or particular encounter that comes to mind. Why did you pick that instance?
What is so perplexing about that particular moment?

Watching the students at the sorting station. This station was probably the most challenging, but they all
worked great with each other. This station had the most collaboration, and I feel was the most successful.
I loved observing this station, and I didnt even want to ask them any questions, I just wanted to watch
them work. They were all so focused, and really working with each other. Which is what I think science
stations are all about.

5. What connections can you make to your lesson today from your coursework, the literature, and
any previous lessons or experiences?
I made several connections, one being witnessing the students really collaborate. This really was the best
part of the lesson. Even with the chaos of the non-Newtonian solution being at the sorting station, it was
worth it to witness them work so well together. I could see their brains turning. The cookie crumbles
station was a big hit with the students, and was fun to facilitate. Some students knew and realized that
even though the cookie is crumbled up, it still weighs the same, but some students thought it weighed
less. This was the main station that I really had to facilitate and ask questions to get their minds going.

The Analysis: The analysis part addresses the lessons effectiveness to what extent did the students
meet the objectives stated in your lesson plan and how do you know? Make a claim about student
learning and support it with evidence that you gathered from the lesson.

General questions to consider in your analysis:

1. To what extend did the students learn what was intended? How do you know? As part of your
answer, please indicate:
Every student met the objective. There was not a single science notebook that was not complete. They did
not all contain correct answers for the cookie crumbles station, but they made corrections after the
explanation stage of the lesson. My teaching methods were effective with making sure the students knew
what was acquired of them, but my methods lacked in classroom management for this lesson.
Accommodations were made for a student that reads on a first-grade level. She was partnered with
another student to help her with understanding the instructions and writing her journal entries. Every
station had the students actively engaged, which I know from how much they were communicating. Time
management was not effective. As I had to change up the explore and elaborate parts of my lesson, as
well as shorten the explanation stage.

2. Identify an individual or group of students who had difficulty in todays lesson. How do you
account for this performance? How will you help this (these) student(s) achieve the learning
objectives?

There wasnt a student who had difficulty with the stations. The video station itself had a few issues. As
the video would take the students to a different page once it was complete, so for every station rotation I
would have to go fix it. Since this was such an exciting and new experience for the students, there werent
any that needed guidance or motivation to complete the objective. If a student was confused about
anything, I witness another peer of the group step in and help them. The students worked great with each
other. When it came time to rotate, there was some confusion. This was my fault for not explaining clearly
enough how to rotate from station to station.

3. Identify an individual or group of students who did especially well in this lesson today. How do
you account for this performance?

One student did outstanding. In the fact that in her reflection, she knew about matter, and more! She wrote
to me that there is a fourth state of matter, known as plasma, and that for my next lesson I should include
it. I completely agree with her, and will use this for my next lesson. She also is who suggested to me to
have a larger container for the non-Newtonian solution. She is an extremely smart student, and provided
me with outstanding feedback to grow from.

Questions to consider specific to a science lesson:

1. In what ways did you access prior knowledge? What misconceptions were revealed during this
lesson?
I accessed prior knowledge with the video on matter the students watched for one of the stations. In
previous grades the students learned about matter, and these stations just expanded from their previous
knowledge. One misconception was with the non-Newtonian solution, as it was not a solid or a liquid,
and changed form based off pressure, not heat.

2. Consider the extent to which you provided opportunities for your students to do science. What
process skills/practices were embedded and discussed in the lesson?
Students did science with feeling and exploring the solution. Also with physically crumbling the cookies,
and examining the crumbs. I wish I would have included more hands on activities for the students within
the stations.
3. Analyze the explain phase. To what extent were the students sharing discoveries from their
exploration? Consider your scientific explanations. Were you accurate in your discussions of
science content? Were you precise in your use of vocabulary? Did you encourage precision in
students use of vocabulary? Did you support student accuracy (in other words, did you correctly
identify student work as accurate or inaccurate)? This does not mean that you necessarily told a
student they were wrong, but that you recognized their lack of accuracy and took steps to support
their further learning.
During our explanation stage, a big topic was the cookie crumbles station. During this station, the
students had to crumble a cookie, and answer if the crumbs of the cookies weighed the same as a whole
cookie, more than a whole cookie, or less than a whole cookie. Most students knew that the crumbs of the
cookie weighed the same as the whole cookie, however some thought the crumbs weighed less. I
supported student accuracy, as I did not tell the student flat out that they were wrong, but instead I had
them create a discussion with a student that had the correct answer, and this student was able to explain to
them why the cookie crumbs and cookie weighed the same.

4. Consider how science was represented in the class. What explicit connections were made to the
nature of science?

These stations lacked explicit connections to nature. Matter is everywhere and everything, including
nature. But the students did not concentrate on that during these stations.