edTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Understanding the Brain

Elementary Science
_____________________________________________________________________________
Central Focus/Big Idea: Life Science
Subject of this lesson: Parts of the brain and their function
Grade Level: 3rd
NC Essential Standard(s): 3.L.1 Understand human body systems and how they are essential
for life: protection, movement and support.
Next Generation Science Standard(s): MS-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and
Processes

MS-LS1-2 Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts
of cells contribute to the function.
MS-LS1-3 Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting
subsystems composed of groups of cells.
MS-LS1-8 Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors to stimuli by sending
messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories.

21st Century Skills: Collaboration - Outcome for 4th grade addresses students working in groups
together; Information Literacy Outcome for 4th grade addresses students locating reliable
information from the video and online text; Creativity and Innovation Outcome for 4th grade
addresses students putting together the parts of the brain in the explore section.
Academic Language Demand
Language Function: Students are expected to be able to explain the function of the
different parts of the brain and their role within the nervous system.
Analyze

Argue

Categorize

Interpret

Predict

Question

Compare/contras
t
Retell

Describe

Explain

Summarize

Scientific Vocabulary: cerebrum, cerebellum, pituitary gland, thalamus, brain stem,

nerves, spinal cord, neuron, nervous system

Instructional Objective: Students will be able to identify and label the different parts of the
brain as well as understand their function in groups. They will be able to successfully label all
parts of the brain in the evaluate section and answer 10 out of 11 questions correctly on the other
part of the quiz on the evaluate section independently.

Prior Knowledge (student): This is all new material for students so there is no prior knowledge
needed about the brain for this lesson.
Content Knowledge (teacher): The teacher should read the article on KidsHealth and watch the
video so they know what they are teaching the students and can summarize what they will be
learning. The teacher should know about the brain and the main parts of the brain including the
cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland. The teacher should be
able to label the parts of the brain and know their function.
Accommodations for special needs: Students with disabilities will be closely monitored during
the small groups so I can make sure that they are on task. I will make sure the table groups work
well together and can help the other students at their table if needed. If students need help
cutting out their templates I will help them as needed.
Materials and Technology requirements:

Internet for video and article

Brain parts, names, and function cards (one set per group and one for the teacher)
My Brain sheet
Glue sticks
Scissors
Crayons
Human body template (one per student and one for teacher)
Brain template (one per student and one for teacher)
Quiz (one per student)

Total Estimated Time: 2-3 class periods (About 2-3 hours)

Source of lesson: kidshealth.org
Safety considerations: Make sure that students know how to appropriately use scissors and use
kid scissors instead of adult scissors.

Content and Strategies (Procedure)

Engage:
Video
To capture students attention I will show them a short video about the brain. It talks about the
different parts of the brain and where they are located. If the Internet isnt working I would have
the video recorded and saved on my computer so it doesnt require the internet and I can play it
from there. After the video I would ask a few questions to see what they took away from the
video:

What were the main parts of the brain they mentioned in the video? Can someone tell me one of
names? Cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, pituitary gland, hypothalamus
What was the function of each part they mentioned?
Is the brain part of your nervous system? Yes
How much did they say the brain weighed? 3 pounds
What three things make up the nervous system? Spinal cord, brain, and neurons

These questions will get students thinking about the video they just watched and transition into
the activity they are about to do.
Explore:
Brain parts
To help students explore the brain and the different parts have them assemble the cerebrum,
cerebellum, brain stem, and thalamus. They will have those four pieces of the brain and have to
assemble them where they think they go in the brain. Once they assemble the pieces they will
label them using the cards they have with each parts name on it. Basically they will be matching
the assembled part with the name of that part. Then they will match the part with its function
using the rest of the cards they have with their different functions on them. Once the groups are
finished have the different parts with magnets on the board and go over the activity. Have them
show you where they think the parts go and work together as a class to get it correct. Label the
parts and match them with their functions on the board as well. Students get to see where the
parts of the brain belong, their name, and their function. These questions will help students wrap
up what they learned:

Which part of the brain controls balance? Cerebellum

Which part of the brain controls involuntary movements such as breathing? Brain stem
What does the cerebrum do? Controls voluntary movements such as catching a ball
What does the thalamus do? Controls body temperature
What helps you grow? Pituitary gland

Explanation:
My brain
After having students explore the brain and its function I will go through the text on KidsHealth
and talk about the different parts in more depth. As I go through the text I will ask students
questions and emphasize the important parts as well as where the parts belong in the brain. After
going through the text there is a small online quiz you can take. As a class we will go over the
questions and answers. But, before giving the quiz there is a sheet called My Brain and it
summarizes the main functions of the brain. All of these resources will give students more

understanding of the brain and its place in the nervous system. The quiz is a great way to ask
students questions and see where they are in their understanding. If the Internet is not working I
will have a printed out version of the text I can show the students or read to them. I will also
have a copy of the online quiz so I can still read it to the students if the Internet still isnt
working. A few questions to extend their thinking are:

What part of the brain is the largest? Cerebrum

If you damaged your cerebrum what would you have trouble doing? Voluntary movement
If you damaged your cerebellum what would you have trouble doing? Balancing
If your thalamus stopped working, what problems would your body have? You wouldnt be able
to control body temperature (Ex. goose bumps when cold, sweating when hot)
What does your spinal cord do? Carries messages between the brain and the body
Does your brain control your emotions? Yes
What can you do to keep your brain healthy? Eat healthy, exercise, drink water

Elaborate:
Brain on the human body
Since the students are learning about the human body have them cut out their human body
template and their brain template. They are going to color the different parts of the brain. Each
part of the brain has a color associated with it that they will have to follow and color in. For
example the cerebrum will be orange. After I give directions I will pass out the materials. They
will have about 10-15 minutes to do this. After they do that I want them to put all their materials
down so I know they are ready to continue. I will have a human body template on the board and
as a class we will talk about where the brain is located on the body. Once everyone is finished I
will have students turn and talk to their partner and tell them one fact they have learned about the
brain today. Then as a class we will glue their brain piece onto the human body template. This
will show students where the brain goes on the body. After gluing the brain as a class have
students turn and talk to their partner and show them where on their body their brain is. They
should all point to their head. To clean up the activity have each student return materials to their
appropriate place and turn in their body templates. This activity will show students where their
brain is located on their body. This is a great way for them to see this and relate it to their own
body. To close up the lesson I would ask students a few questions before giving them their quiz:

Tell me one thing you learned about the brain today?

Is your brain the control center of your body? Yes

Evaluate:
Quiz and classroom activities
Students will be assessed at the end of the lesson with a quiz. The quiz will consist of 11
questions asking them information they learned from the video and article. There are also a few
questions about the vocabulary terms they learned. Students will also have to label 4 important
parts of the brain. This quiz will asses their understanding of the brain as part of the nervous
system and whether or not they can locate where the parts of the brain are. You will assess their
understanding by evaluating how well they do on the quiz and how well they do on the activities
in class.
Assessment Results of all objectives/skills: I was extremely impressed with how well the
students did on their classwork and their final quiz. At the end of class there wasnt a lot of time

to finish the quiz but the students that did, got all of them correct! I was so proud! Overall the
students could label the brain but some of them had a difficult time. I think this was because I
didnt go over labeling the brain as well as I should have, which is why I added the group
activity in the explore section. I also think that the students were more focused on coloring
rather than labeling the brain. This is why in my updated lesson plan I gave students a time limit
to color their small brains they place on their human body template.
Reflection on lesson: Overall I really enjoyed teaching this lesson. I feel that the students
retained a lot of the information and enjoyed the activities. One thing I could have done
differently is focus more on the brain and their functions and where they are located rather than
focusing on the nervous system as well. It may have been too much for the students to
comprehend. I wanted them to understand not only the function of the brain but also how it
works with the body. I didnt have time to teach all of the parts during my lesson because of the
limited time we had. I feel that if I had more time it wouldnt have seemed so rushed and the
amount of work wouldnt have seemed like so much. During the video I had students taking
notes but realized they should just watch the video and can focus more on understanding in the
explain section. I also stopped the video and talked with the students, which was a good thing
because they were taking notes but otherwise I should have just let them watch it through. I
explained the text so that seemed like a more appropriate time instead of explaining the video
and the text. I would have to see next time if that makes a difference in their assessment and if I
should continue explaining the video or not. However, the students did very well on their
assessment and that could have been due to taking the notes during the video. I loved the content
of this lesson and found it interesting. I cant wait to teach about the human body in my future
career because there is so much to learn and it is interesting! There are also many fun activities
you can do. I also didnt originally have the students turn and talk to tell their students about the
brain. Instead I had them doing one of the worksheets that I decided to just add to the quiz at the
end. I wanted to make the labeling part more hands on so I made it a group activity they could
manipulate instead of an individual activity where they were just labeling. I feel that the group
activity would help them connect the functions with the parts of the brain.
CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________