Name: Melissa Heiseler Grade Level: 1st

LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

*If used independent of a Unit Plan of SLO*

Lesson Day Tuesday, February 6th

Goal Statement Students will use their senses to observe the properties of different
A description of the enduring understanding or big ideas that students solids which will allow them to develop vocabulary to communicate the
will possess at the end of the Learning plan based on grade level different properties of solids.
content standards and curriculum

How will this lesson support the learning goal? This lesson will support the overall learning goal of using senses to
(1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes) observe the properties of solids through the exploration of observing
various solid objects and having discussions to help foster the
vocabulary growth needed to communicate these properties.

PA Standards Standard - 3.2.1.A1

List the Pennsylvania standard(s) relevant for this lesson
Observe and describe the properties of liquids and solids.

Academic Language  Matter

What language will students be expected to utilize by the end of the  Solid
lesson? Consider language function and language demands (see
Lesson Plan User Guide).  Observe
What key terms are essential?  Properties
What key terms are essential to develop and extend students’  (Various words that students come up with to describe their
academic language? solid objects will be discussed as brought up)
What opportunities will you provide for students to practice the new
language and develop fluency, both written and oral?
There will be ample time for exploration of solid objects which will
allow students time to practice using this vocabulary, especially
properties
 Objective(s)
(1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes) Students will be able to observe different solids and use vocabulary to
describe their properties, accordingly
Taking the learning goal into consideration, what is the objective(s) of
this lesson that will support progress toward the learning goal.

Objectives should be learner focused (not what the teacher will do or

accomplish), observable (use verbs that can be measured), and target
a specific outcome. Please refer to the SLO User Guide for the “ABCD”
method or “I CAN” statements that can be used as a guide.
Technology Materials/ Resources  Rock in zip lock bag
(1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources)  Chart paper and marker
 6 numbered brown bags (two labeled #1, two labeled #2, two
What texts, digital resources, & materials will be used in this lesson? labeled #3)
How do the materials align with the learning objective(s)? If appropriate,
what educational technology will be used to support the learning  2 cotton balls, 2 plastic triangles, 2 wooden cylinders (cotton
outcomes of this lesson? How do the resources support the learning balls placed in the #1 bags, triangles in #2, and cylinders in #3)
objectives?  3 basins filled with 6 bags of solid objects. Objects in each bag
include:
Cite publications and any web resources.
o Cotton ball
o Plastic triangle
o Wooden cylinder
o Cloth square
o Plastic tube
o Craft stick
o Screw
o Insulated wire
Anticipatory Set  Teacher will remind students that today, we will be talking about
(1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and solids.
Pedagogy)  Teacher will ask the students what they remember about solids
from yesterday (they keep their size and shape)
__5__ minutes  Teacher will ask for some examples of solids
How will you set the purpose and help students learn why today’s
 Teacher will tell students that today, we are going to be
lesson is important to them as learners?
How will you pique the interest or curiosity regarding the lesson topic? scientists by observing different solids
How will you build on students’ prior knowledge?
How will you introduce and explain the strategy/concept or skill?

Provide very detailed steps.

 Instructional Activities
(1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and
Pedagogy;
1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)
__20-25__ minutes
Exploration (Model): How will students explore the new concepts? How
will you model or provide explicit instruction? You MUST include a
teacher think-aloud using student-friendly language here.
Guided Practice: How will you provide support to students as they apply
the new concept? How will you allow them to practice (with teacher
support)?
Independent practice: How will students review and solidify these
concepts to be able to use this new knowledge? How will you monitor
and provide feedback?
Provide very detailed steps and include teacher talk where appropriate.
 Teacher will explain that scientists use their senses to observe
objects in order to describe them. Things that we know about
objects by observing them as we look at them or feel them are
properties. So, I could say that some properties of this rock
(hold up rock bag) are bumpy, hard, and grey.
 Teacher will explain that first, we are just going to use our
sense of touch to describe the properties of some mystery
solids.
 Teacher will split the class in half and have the students form
two circles on the carpet.
 Each circle will get three brown bags with different objects in
them (one bag at a time will go around the circle). Without
looking, they will feel what’s inside and start brainstorming
words they can use to describe the object (its properties).
 It will be emphasized to be gentle while touching the objects,
and not to squeeze any too hard so they do not break. Students
can “pet” the objects or gently place them in their hands,
without taking them out of the bags
 After the first bag has made its way around each circle and
each student had a chance to feel (about 5 seconds for each
student), we will stop, place the bag in the middle of the circle,
and share some properties (at least 3). Teacher will then take a
few guesses at what the object is.
 The same cycle will happen for “Solid #2” and “Solid #3”
 Once all solids have been discussed, the teacher will take them
out of the bags to show the students what they were
o Solid #1: Cotton ball (soft, round, small)
o Solid #2: Plastic triangle (smooth, pointed, flat)
o Solid #3: Wood cylinder (hard, curved, smooth)
 Teacher will then send students back to their table groups,
where they will spend some time exploring other solids that are
in the bags in their basins at their tables (cloth squares, plastic
tubes, craft sticks, screws, and insulated wires – the objects
used in the brown bags will also get put back in two of the table
basins).
 Teacher will prompt the students to think about the properties of
each solid, and see if they can make any comparisons between
them: how are some of them the same? How are they different?

Closure
(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)
_5-10__ minutes
How will students share or show what they have learned in
this lesson?
How will you restate the teaching point or ask students to
do so and clarify key concepts?
How will you provide opportunities to extend ideas and
check for understanding?
How will this lesson lead to the next lesson?
 Students will get 10-15 minutes to explore.
 As students are exploring and observing their solids, the
teacher will be circulating around to each group, checking in
with as many students as possible, recording any noteworthy
observations on the assessment checklist.
 After 10-15 minutes, we will have an end-of-exploration
discussion, where students will share some properties for the
objects. Teacher will record the properties on a new sheet of
chart paper labeled “Properties of Solids,” to begin a “Properties
of Solids Word Bank”
 Some properties that will most likely be shared are:
o Cloth square: soft, thin, flexible
o Plastic triangle: pointed, smooth, flat
o Plastic tube: flexible, curved, smooth, clear
o Craft stick: flat, smooth, straight, rigid
o Screw: rigid, hard, texture
o Insulated wire: smooth, flexible, curved
 Teacher will share with the students that tomorrow, we will
continue to observe the properties of solids and will begin
sorting them based on their properties.
 Teacher will make sure all students put their solids back in their
bags and then in the basins, and have one student put the
basin filled with solids on the counter near the cubbies
 Differentiation  No differentiation is needed for this lesson
(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)

What differentiated support will you provide for students whose

academic development is below or above the current grade level?
What specific differentiation of content, process, products, and/or
learning environment do you plan to employ to meet the needs of all of
your students?
How does your lesson support differences with regard to linguistic,
academic, and cultural diversity?
How does your lesson actively build upon the resources that
linguistically and culturally diverse students bring to the experience?

How will your lesson be supportive for all students, including English
Language Learners, and build upon the linguistic, cultural, and
experiential resources that they bring to their learning?
How will your lesson promote creative and critical thinking and
inventiveness?
Accommodations ** (see note below)  Alex and Noah H will be in different groups during the mystery
(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction) solids activity, to prevent any unwanted arguing

What classroom accommodations do you plan to employ to increase

curriculum access for students identified with special education needs
or 504?

Describe how these accommodations align with the current

Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for each student as applicable
(avoid using actual names of students).
Modifications**(see note below)  No modifications are needed for this lesson
(1e: Designing Coherent Instruction)

What curricular modifications and/or changes in performance

standards, if any, do you plan to employ to facilitate the participation of
students identified with special education needs?
 Assessment (Formal or Informal)  As students are sharing properties of the mystery solids, the
(1f: Assessing Student Learning) teacher will be informally assessing their ability to come up with
appropriate words to describe each one. Notes will be kept on
How will you and the students assess where the learning objectives, each student, as needed
listed above, were met?
 Teacher will also be informally assessing all students while
Each formal or informal assessment should describe how it is aligned to circulating around the room as they are exploring and observing
the above objectives). the rest of the solids, taking notes as needed, to see that
appropriate properties are being discussed for each solid.
Teacher will get a better sense of these properties during the
whole group discussion, as well
 Reflection on Instruction
At the conclusion of the lesson you should reflect on the
lesson. The reflection should go beyond simply answering
the question “Was this a good lesson?” Below are some
questions to assist you in your reflective process
(Danielson, 2008):
o What evidence did you collect to demonstrate that
your students have met or are progressing towards
the learning outcomes/objectives?
o View student work samples. What do they reveal
about the students’ level of engagement and
comprehension?
o What changes, if any, would you make to the lesson
if you teach this lesson in the future? What
misconceptions, if any, do you need to clarify before
teaching the next lesson?
o Did you stray from your lesson plan? If so, how and
why?
o Comment on your classroom procedures, student
conduct, and your use of physical space. To what
extent did these contribute to student learning?
o Comment on different aspects of your instructional
delivery (e.g., activities, grouping of students,
materials/resources utilized). To what extent were
they effective?
 Despite there being more behaviors from students than usual
during this lesson, I thought that the majority of the students
effectively met the lesson’s objectives and demonstrated their
learning well. This group works well following a teacher
modeling – guided practice – independent practice model,
which is what I incorporated in this lesson. I made sure to
model using my senses to come up with properties by using the
rock in the beginning of the lesson, then had students begin to
practice doing this on their own during the mystery solids
activity, with my guidance and scaffolding of vocabulary words
as appropriate, which led to more of the independent practice
when the students went back to their seats to observe their own
solids and then share properties during the whole group
discussion.
 All of the evidence of learning collected took the form of
observations and group/one-on-one conversations with
students. I was observing the students during the mystery
solids activity and while they were observing their solids
independently, to see what they were noticing and what they
were doing with the solids. I also had brief discussions with as
many students as possible during the independent practice to
see that they could share an appropriate property with one of
the solids that either they chose or that I asked them about.
 If I were to teach this lesson again, there are two major things I
would do differently. First, for the closure, I would have brought
the students back to the rug to have a discussion about the
solids and create the Properties of Solids word bank. This is
what I initially planned for, but noticing my time, I made an in-
the-moment decision to keep them at their seats to not have to
worry about the transition. As we continued, however, I could
tell that I was losing a lot of the students, and I think they would
have maintained their attention better if they were all on the
carpet where it was easier to see the chart paper. Secondly,
because of all of the disruptive behaviors during the mystery
solids activity, I think instead of just sending a few students
back to their seats, I would send the whole class back to their
seats, or have had them take a “30 second nap,” which my
mentor teacher later told me about. Sending the individual
 students back to their seats who were the major causes of the
disruptions proved to be effective, as when they rejoined us,
their behaviors were improved, but when I thought about it, it
really was a majority of the class that was acting silly and not
listening, and I think the rest of the lesson would have ran more
smoothly if everyone went back to their seats for a minute or
two, and then returned so we could completely start again.
 With all of this in mind, I still think that the hands-on, exploratory
nature of this lesson lead to effective learning, and that the
students had fun learning with some “mystery” and a chance to
discover and explore on their own.

**Accommodations and Modifications

Students with disabilities may need accommodations or modifications to their educational program to participate in the general curriculum. Both are essential to consider when planning an equitable
educational experience for students with disabilities. Accommodations refer to changes in how a student learns the material but they do not change knowledge content. With accommodations, a student
receives the SAME education as other children, but the student can access content or express knowledge in different ways. Modifications refer to changes of what is taught or what students with
disabilities are expected to learn. This may include adaptations made to instruction and assessment that change or reduce learning expectations. (Please refer to the SLO User Guide and SLO template
for additional explanation.)

When completing these two sections, you need to describe, if appropriate, how you will ensure that students will access the material based on the accommodations or modifications listed within the IEP or
504 plan. There should be a direct connection within the Anticipatory Set, Instructional Activity, and Closure section of the lesson plan template.