Unit Reflective Summary

Teacher Candidate for Science Endorsement: Alison Friend

School: Tritt Elementary School Grade: First

Unit Topic: Magnets

My magnet unit was very hands on and engaging. Students had many opportunities
to explore and use magnets to explain how they repel and attract. Each lesson followed
the five E format. Students were engaged through videos, read alouds, music, and/or
games. They were provided time to explore with magnets during every lesson. My first
graders explained through whole group, small group, and paired discussions. They also
explained their scientific discoveries through journaling, drawing, and writing.
Extensions were offered each day. Formative and performance assessments were
implemented each day, and a summative assessment was given at the closure of the
unit.

Formative assessments were implemented each day. Students would journal, draw
and/or write about their scientific discoveries with magnets. There were two science
experiment recording sheets students completed, and I used those documents to
evaluate students learning. My students appeared to have a difficult time understanding
the term repel, so we made and anchor chart together, and the students wrote the
vocabulary word definition in their science journals. According to my summative
assessment, the majority of the students mastered all standards.

All the hands on lessons targeting how magnets attract and repel were scientifically
worthwhile. Students were able to make their claim, show evidence, and provide
reasons for their claim. Some students had difficulty with the science vocabulary: repel
and attract. Some misconceptions were that magnets sticks to any metal and that
magnets stick to shiny objects. Students were provided many opportunities to test these
theories and draw conclusions. Some students believed opposite poles repelled and
same poles attracted. A video that focused on how opposites attract like magnets was
viewed to deepen understanding. We also played a song and game simulation to clear
up this misunderstanding. Students were able to change their thinking.

Students were scientists throughout this unit. All students were given equal
opportunities to explore, explain, and extend their learning. The unit began with a
teacher created probe where students were given the opportunity to make their claim.
After exploring the classroom with the magnets, all students were allowed to change
their answer on the probe and discuss their evidence and reasoning. Students worked in
collaborative groups to test how magnets attract and how magnets repel. An optional
homework assignment was given, and learners were asked to locate how magnet were
used at home in their everyday life. This offered new learning for all as they discovered
the power and usefulness of magnets.

Overall the unit and lessons were successful. If I could change anything, I wish I had
more time to teach the unit. I would prefer more time each day and to teach the unit
longer than four days. My summative assessment was paper and pencil short answer. If
I had enough magnets, I would have evaluated the students through a performance
assessment using real magnets. It was a fun and exciting unit, and almost all students
met the standards.