Exploring Gravity with KindergartnersLesson Plan-Vocabulary term posters-Materials for student use-PDF of Gravity book (partial pages used)-Collaborating Teacher Observation notes-ReflectionPrior to performing this lesson with my students, I had to make some unexpected adjustments. Originally, the objects (in my lesson, rocks) were to be dropped with a parachute. I cut out parachute templates and tried the experiment at home. The rocks were just too much for the parachutes, so I improvised and adjusted the lesson. Instead of using parachutes and comparing small rocks to larger rocks, the students had the opportunity to examine the pull of gravity with a normal sized rock and a piece of tissue paper. I believe this adjustment made the concepts of mass and gravity more comprehensible for students. By the end of the lesson, the students were able to make connections between mass/weight and the force of gravity. Students recorded their observations and inferences in their science journals using the key terms. Through our discussions together, conferencing while the learners were writing and their journal entries I was able to analyze the data collected and determine they met the objective of the lesson (When investigating the natural world, students will be able to accurately make observations, record data and understand the force of gravity (and its relationship with mass) with no errors in judgment.). I believe the illustration of observations worked well for my young learners and the opportunity and be up, engaged and moving in the classroom promoted learning. Now that students have a solid understanding of gravity, I look forward to their progress through the Life Cycles science unit! After this lesson, I recognized the amount of patience it takes to work with young students. The learners were off task and out of focus for most of the day, so an afternoon lesson with lots of manipulatives and movement was slightly overwhelming for some. Though the students were high energy, the lesson still engaged them. However, as an educator, I recognize the importance of classroom behavior management. I hope to soon improve my ability to handle such a large group of easily distracted learners. Specifically, I'd like to acknowledge appropriate behavior more often. Through working with a peer and discussing the lesson's adherence to learning styles, I was enlightened to realizing an excellent strategy to meet auditory learner's needs! If I did this lesson again, I would incorporate this song/chant to engage auditory learners:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
March 2017
|