Gabi Cohen
TLS 314
Professor Gunckel
Benchmark Assignment
28, April 2019
Analyzing and Reflecting on Your Lesson Benchmark Assignment
Science Teaching Observation Feedback & Reflection
Student Teacher Name(s): Gabi Cohen Name of Person Providing Feedback: Gabi
Cohen
Date of Lesson: 4/15/19 Lesson Title/Topic: Balancing Paper Crayfish
Criteria Strengths Stretches to work on and
ideas for next time
Driving Question: I asked the driving question I can ask students where they
Was there a driving question? Was it presented before my mentor got the have seen balance before to
to students? Were students able to respond video to start which was, connect to their funds of
with their ideas? Did the activities address the “What does it mean when knowledge.
driving question? something is balanced?”
Students understood the idea
of balance but had a better
idea after the lesson was over
and were able to give a proper
definition. Yes, the lesson
addressed the driving question
since it was all about exploring
balance.
Scientists’ Science & I-AIM: Yes, my goal for this lesson I could have identified the fact
Were experiences provided before after the introduction, was to that they were exploring and
explanations? Were patterns made clear and allow students enough time to making meaning before they
evident? Were scientific explanations developed explore the paper crayfish and came up with explanations and
(if applicable to lesson)? Did students engage in walk around the classroom asked them if they think they
scientific practices? If so, which ones? (video part 2). They had time could have come up with
to explore before they came explanations without the
up with explanations. balancing portion of this lesson
and elicited their ideas about
that.
Using Student Science Toolkits When I brought out the I could have asked more open-
Were student science toolkits (ideas and funds clothespins, I asked them ended questions.
of knowledge) elicited? Did teachers use and where they have seen these
build on student science toolkits and before in their daily lives.
responses? Did teacher use open-ended (Video 2.5 39 seconds in)
questions to guide and connect to student
thinking? Was teacher responsive to student
questions and comments?
Literacy Integration This was not video recorded, I could have found a book on
Were there opportunities for students to read, but after our exploration and balance and read it to them
write, or talk during the lesson? Were the group discussion of discovering before I introduced the lesson
literacy goals met? If so, how? Were there both explanations about balance, I but because of time I did not
small and whole group talk strategies used? Did did a vocabulary lesson where have time for that. I could have
teacher use talk moves to engage students in I introduced terms like also done small group sharing in
talk? crayfish, balance, balancing addition to whole group which is
point, counterweights, etc. what I mainly did.
Criteria Your Strengths Stretches to work on and
(include evidence) ideas for next time
Student Needs and Accommodations: I made sure to model the N/A
Were all students’ needs met? Were activity numerous times. No
accommodations made for ELL students? Were ELL students and only one
accommodations made for students with special student with special needs who
needs? was working with his special
education during this science
lesson.
Lesson Closing: Was there a closing to the Yes, when we came back to The one thing I didn’t think to
lesson? Did the closing return to the driving the rug to discuss, talk about mention that my mentor brought
question. Were there opportunities for students vocabulary and wrap up the up during this lesson was the
to reflect on their learning? lesson, I made sure we came idea that when something is
back to the idea of balance balanced the weight always
and what causes something to needs to be on the bottom.
be balanced.
Learning Goals and Assessment: Yes, students were able to say I could have done an individual
Did the lesson address the stated learning when something is balanced assessment (formative) to ensure
goals? How did the teacher assess student and after my mentor brought each student understood the
progress towards reaching the learning goals? up the location of the weights, lesson in addition to the class
What evidence is there that the learning goals they were able to talk about discussion where I elicited
were reached? Include evidence from formative how if the weight is on top, it’ll students ideas (summative).
and summative assessments. fall over. When my student
came up to me and showed
me that he was balancing the
crayfish on his ear, I told him
it needed to be on a balancing
point and that his ear is not
firm enough for that (16
seconds into video 3).
Preparation, Management, & Safety: I felt very prepared going into N/A
Were teachers prepared? Was the instruction this lesson and created a safe
organized and smooth? Were safety and and fun learning environment.
behavior expectations clearly set? Were My students loved it!
directions and procedures clearly stated and
modeled? Were all students participating? Was
time available used effectively and fully?
Additional Comments
Rubric for Teaching Analysis
Category &
Criteria Your Points & Comments
Points
Strengths are described in detail in all
categories
Specific, detailed stretches or ideas for future
teaching are noted for all categories
Science Sufficient evidence is provided for strengths for
Teaching all categories. Evidence is explained. Evidence
Analysis Sheet is noted on Go React video or sufficiently
described.
15 points Responses in all categories respond to guiding
questions and indicate deep understanding of
course concepts
Analysis for all categories is thorough and
insightful.
Lesson Debrief
Observation Feedback & Reflection sheet from
& Reflection
mentor teacher is included
with mentor
OR notes from debrief session with mentor
teacher
teacher is included.
Mentor teacher signature is included.
5 points
Selected video clip is at least 5 minutes and
relevant to teaching scientists science.
Provides learning goals, driving question, and
Video Sharing
lesson overview to peers.
10 points
Provide thoughtful comments on all peers’
GoReact videos.
All comments to peers relate to course
concepts.
Responds all prompts thoughtfully and
completely.
Connects to evidence from experience,
teaching video, debrief session with mentor
Post-Teaching
teacher, and sharing session with peers.
Reflection
Demonstrates deep understanding of course
concepts
25 points
Connects to course readings, including proper
bibliographic citation and reference list.
Demonstrates deep reflective analysis of own
teaching experiences.
Total Points =
55 points
6
Reflection Paper
After teaching the FOSS kit science lesson on balancing paper crayfish, I feel very good
about the lesson and feel prepared to teach science lessons going into my first year of
teaching. Within this lesson, I made sure to connect to students’ funds of knowledge, pull from
their science toolkits, allow them to make meaningful experiences before their explanations,
and ask open-ended questions. I learned much about teaching science to early learners using
scientists’ science and student science toolkits from planning and teaching my lesson. I learned
that we can introduce big concepts at an early age such as engineering. Teaching science to
young children should be introduced in the same manner that real scientists conduct their
experiments as it gives young children that sense of competence and makes them feel like a
real scientist conducting a real investigation. Having students make those meaningful
experiences before they come up with their own explanations, helps them to discover those
ideas based on real life experiences.
After teaching my lesson and seeing how effective scientists’ science is with young
children, it showed me how much they not only enjoy those experiences but how much it helps
them understand the concept behind the lesson. My students understood how to balance a
crayfish on a balancing point using either their fingers or another part of their body, they
understood how the weight needs to be on the bottom and not the top or it will fall over, and
they understood that the weight at the bottom needs to be evenly distributed for it to stay
balanced or the concept of counterbalance. All of these things were comprehendible to my 1st
graders because they were able to explore the materials hands on. Although not all students
are visual learners, every student in science will more easily understand the concept of balance
and all other concepts by making those meaningful experiences.
7
Connecting this lesson back to the readings I have read this semester, I connected to
one strongly and that was Experiences, Patterns and Explanations. “Scientists find patterns in
millions of experiences with phenomena, then develop a few explanations to account for those
patterns” (47). This connects because we are teaching children to be young scientists and it
shows the importance of why we do so. I have learned so much in this teaching science to
young children course and feel more than prepared going into my first year of teaching.