Jennifer Allen ELED-3221-003 Reflection on Observation of Science Lesson Observing a science lesson was a little difficult for me.

The school is on a twoweek science and social studies rotation. I came to the school just as science was over and a new unit of social studies was beginning. However, I did get to see a wrap up activity on the science unit on magnets. The activity was part of morning work, however, it was very much about investigation. Students had to go around and ask peers questions on their paper. For example, a student came up and asked me What, in the World, are two opposite magnets? I answered with the North and South Pole. They had to do this with all of the questions on the paper until they got all of the answers. They couldnt ask someone a question twice. They had to interact with all of their classmates. I saw some students having a disagreement about an answer. As I was about to intervene, I saw them go over to their theme studies bins and extract materials that had to do with magnets. One student showed the other, with the materials, why his answer was correct. They other students saw this actual evidence of the answer. I thought this was amazing that the students solved the disagreement in an academic way instead of approaching a teacher to solve it for them. I could tell that the students really enjoyed the past unit on magnets during my two-week visit. Before, the magnet materials were taken up to make room for the new social studies unit, the students were interacting with the games, materials and articles on magnets during their free time. There was a set of strong magnets among the materials and I observed students taking these and seeing to what limit the magnets would still stick together depending on what was between them. The students tested them on the chairs and tables and classroom door. While I was there, I didnt see to what limit the magnets would no longer attract to one another. However, I thought the self-investigation with these magnets was great. Even though I didnt get to see how my cooperating teacher ran an actual science lesson, I gained a lot of insight about how science is viewed by the students and school. I asked a lot of students what their favorite subjects were and many replied that they loved theme studies, which is the science/social studies rotation. Many said they loved science and wish they were able to do it more. They said that they get to do a lot of experiments and hands on things. The cooperating teacher told me that she runs science like she runs her other subjects, as a workshop. This tells me that science is investigative and hands on all the time, just like reading, writing and math in her classroom. However, when I explained to my cooperating teacher about the 5 E lesson formats, she didnt really know what I was talking about. As I explained the parts of it, she began to make connections with the way she runs her lessons. She said she didnt have a name for it, but that they sound very similar. By the mini lesson I observed, I gathered that all of the above is true. Learning is best done among peers, where they can investigate issues and concepts together with open materials that are readily available.