Lesson # 2 Science: Autumn

The Learner(s)

Who are your learners? What is their general level of development? What are their interests and
lived experiences, and how do those connect to this lesson?

-There are 17 kindergarten students in Mrs. Morris's classroom at Samuel Clemens Elementary
school. Some students have experienced preschool before kindergarten while others are just
beginning their school career and because of this the students are at a wide range of
development. Students will be active for a portion of this lesson which is developmentally
appropriate for the ranges within this classroom.

Prior Learning

What do the students already know prior to this lesson? Consider prior assessment data, teacher
observations, MAP data, or other sources that will inform you about students' strengths and areas
of growth.

The students just finished with their scientific unit about summer. They focused on some
symbols of summer such as the weather and some activities that they do during that season. Most
of the class went exploring to a pumpkin farm a couple weeks ago and it is now fall outside so
they have that firsthand experience. They are just beginning their unit on autumn so I am
unaware as to how much more background knowledge the students possess.

Rationale

Given your answers to the above, describe your rationale for teaching this lesson in this way to
these students.

My rationale for teaching this lesson in this form is to give the students a hands-on opportunity
to explore some distinctions between the symbols of autumn and the rest of the seasons. Students
at this stage of development love to play and be physically active so doing a physical item sort
fits. The students have done sorting before so they know how to distinguish items into one hula
hoop or the other.
Accommodations / Strategies for Differentiation

What are needed supports and/or additional challenges needed for individuals or subgroups to
demonstrate high learning outcomes? Describe connections to IEP goals if known.

Some of the students in my classroom struggle with behaving in a respectful manner. In this
instance I will ask them to stop and follow the rules though if it gets out of hand on the carpet I
will ask them to sit next to me instead of where they are currently at. This way, they can still
participate but they will be under closer watch.

Outcomes/ Goals
Standards

What relevant content and anchor standards connect to this learning experience?

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.5.a
Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the
categories represent.

Learning Objective

What will students be able to do as a result of this learning experience? Frame your response in
an "I can" statement (kid-friendly language).

I will know I have done a good job when...

I can place my item in the correct hula hoop.

Assessment
What are the multiple ways you will know whether your students have learned, and how deeply
they have learned? What elements of choice in showing their learning can you provide to
students? Describe formative and summative assessment strategies. Provide examples of how
you will keep track of students' learning (chart, conversational notes, rubric for analyzing student
work, etc.)

I will know that my students have learned by seeing their placement of their item into the correct
hula hoop. For student choice during this assessment, after we go through and name all of the
items I will have the students choose which item it is that they would like to place in the hula
hoops. To keep track of this I will have my own worksheet by me with the items listed on it. If
the student places it correctly I will simply place a check next to the item name. If not, I will
write their name next to the object that was not placed correctly. I do not have items for all of the
students so it is important that when I do this activity I call on a range of students to get a better
sense for the full group understanding.

Academic Language Demands

What are the academic language demands of this lesson? From the edTPA "Making Good
Choices" handbook:

"Language demands include the oral, visual, and written language that students need to
understand and use in order to complete learning tasks successfully within your learning
segment. Academic language demands are so embedded in instructional activities that you may
take many for granted, especially when you are a subject-matter expert. It is therefore important
to examine learning tasks and consider what language your students need to

Understand (what will they need to read, listen to, think about);
They will need to think about what time of year each item is most commonly found, what
each item is, where each item should be placed
Communicate (what will they need to speak about, write about, connect to); and
They will need to say verbally what each item is so that they understand before the
sorting begins
Perform (what will they need to sing, play, demonstrate, express, read, create
and expectations for acceptable forms).
The students will need to demonstrate ability to sort items into autumn and not autumn
hula hoops

These language demands include a language function, important vocabulary and/or symbols,
syntax and/or discourse. The focus should be on new or partially mastered language demands
that are central to the planned learning tasks."

Vocabulary: autumn, summer, fall, winter, spring, seasons

 Materials/ Resources
Materials and Resources

What materials and resources will your students and you need for this lesson?

The materials for this lesson are:

Snowman
Blowing bubbles
Winter scarf
Hat and gloves
Pumpkin(s) (orange, white, striped, etc.)
Red, yellow, and orange leaves
Candy cane
Apple
Scarecrow
Hot chocolate

Will you need to reconfigure the arrangement of the room, and if so, how?

N/A

What charts or visuals will you prepare?

Items for sort, the word Autumn and Winter, Spring, Summer

Are there particular materials or resource needs for particular individuals or subgroups?

No

How will you support and engage your students through technology?

N/A

If you're "flipping" your lesson or classroom, what online resources or learning experiences are
connected?

N/A

Procedures
Introduction

How will you engage the students in the important and essential ideas at the beginning of the
learning experience? What open-ended questions might you ask to activate their curiosity and
wonder? What connections can you make to their interests and strengths?

I will begin by reminding the students that last season was summer and currently the season is
fall. Fall also goes by another name, autumn. I will tell them briefly how in summer it is warm
and the trees are all green whereas in fall the tree leaves are turning red, orange, and yellow. Fall
is also known as the harvesting season.

To become acquainted with the items that will be used for this lesson I will hold up each item
one at a time and ask the students to think in their head what it is for a couple of seconds. Then
when I open my hand they will all say what the item is so that they are all on the same page.
When we have gone through all of the items I will encourage my students to think about why
each item might represent either autumn or one of the other three seasons. If there is time at the
end of the lesson I will come back to this question that I have posed.

Demonstration / Modeling

How will you provide interactive/ demonstrative examples of the activities and expectations of
the learning experience? (Modeling, reviewing norms for group work, co-constructing a rubric
for self assessment, other?)

I will then demonstrate for the students what I want them to do. I will demonstrate with the apple
and show how I want my students to come up and place one item in the hula hoop they think it
belongs to. I will then ask them to show whether they agree with the student who placed the item
in the hoop. (The students have set hand gestures for agree or having a different idea).

Individual or Group Exploration and Practice

How will your students work individually or collaboratively with the ideas of the lesson? What
will you do to support and probe their thinking as they engage with ideas?

I will then begin calling upon individual students who are sitting respectfully so they may choose
an item and place it in the hula hoop. Then it will be up to the majority of the group whether
most agree or have a different idea. If most students agree with the placement of the item, we
will move on. If there is five or more students that have a different idea I will call upon one of
the students with differing ideas and ask them why they would move the item to the other hoop.
Sharing/ Celebrating Learning

How will students exchange and share their work? How will you select students for sharing, and
how do you anticipate that you will connect their individual or group work with the learning
objectives and assessment methods?

Together we will review which items were placed in which hoops. This will reaffirm for the
students which items are mascots for which seasons.

Closure/ Transition

How will you adjourn the learning opportunity and make an effective transition, both to the next
time that students will engage with the ideas as well as to the next moment of the day?

I will end with reminding the students that there are more items that can be found in autumn and
represent it than just the ones that I brought with me today. Now Mrs. Morris will

How can you flexibly adapt your plan if you run out of time or if things go more quickly than
you anticipate?

If I run out of time I will end here. If I end up with extra time I will ask the students to discuss
why the apple was placed in autumn and what sort of things can be done with apples during
autumn. If there is still extra time we can discuss another object of choice.