Evidence of Student Learning

Heather Cryan
Towson University

Part A
Learning Context, Topic, and Objective
Demographics Pine Grove Middle School (PGMS) is located in Baltimore County,
with a total enrollment of 902 students and features a majority of the classrooms as inclusion
classes. The students in the school are moderately culturally diverse with 53% of the population
of students being white, 31.8% black, 4% Hispanic/Latino, 8% Asian, and 2.5% bi-racial. 52% of
the population is male, while 48% are female students. Approximately 42% of students receive
Free and Reduced Meals, 11% of students are in the special education program, 8.5% receive a
504 plan, and 34% are in the gifted and talented program. There are no students enrolled in the
ESL program.
The average classroom size consists of 27.5 students in each class. The class that will be
of focus for the Evidence of Student Learning project is an inclusion classroom with 30 students,
8 of those students have an IEP, and 1 has a Behavior Plan. The classroom model consists of an
inclusion class, with a general education teacher and a special education co-teacher. The
environment is positive, all students are supportive of each other and help to create a focused
learning environment. Gender. The classroom consists of 19 males to 11 females. For the 8
students that have IEPs, the gender consists of 6 males to 2 females. Exceptionalities. Five of
these eight students have learning disabilities with a focus on reading comprehension. The other
three students have other health impairment, with a focus on reducing distractions. Oral and
written language development. There are no oral development delays in this group of students.
There is one student whom is assigned a scribe for written assignments and has access to type on
the computer rather than write. There is no concern for the written language development of the
other seven students. Cultural and linguistic differences. While there are no linguistic

differences in these students, this group of students does experience cultural differences, and
three of these students come from a low-socioeconomic background.
Of all the students with IEPs, five of the seven have reduce distractions, preferential
seating, and extended time. Five of the students have human readers during tests or instruction.
Align with MCCSS. The unit plan aligned with this objective align with Maryland College and
Career State Standards. The anchor standard aligned to this lesson plans learning objective was
Standard 2.0 Earth/Space Science: Students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the
chemical and physical interactions (i.e., natural forces and cycles, transfer of energy) of the
environment, Earth, and the universe that occur over time (MCCSS). Students focus was on
Indicator 3, Objective a: Recognize and explain the tilt of the Earths axis; Recognize and
describe that Earth's axis is tilted about 23 from vertical with respect to the plane of its orbit
and points in the same direction during the year.(MCCSS). Write Meaningful Objectives. The
three objectives used for this unit are as follows: Day 1: Students will be able to explain
relationships between the Earth and the Sun using hands on, written, and oral explanations to
identify the phenomenon that occur; Day 2: Students will be able to use the research they collect
from their experiment to analyze data in order to explain the effects of the tilt of Earths axis;
Day 3: Students will be able to complete an experiment and use their observations to identify
how the amount of sunlight affects the Seasons as the Earth revolves around the Sun. Since this
is a science classroom, these objectives include hands on activities to promote student learning
and creating conclusions based off of their own observations from their experiment. We call this
hands on student learning. Students are therefore finding their own answers through experiments
and research in texts or other resources.

Cite standard and essential skills. Objectives one, two and three correlate with Standard
2.0, that students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the chemical and physical
interactions of the environment, Earth, and the universe that occur over time. Objective 1
connects with Maryland College and Career Readiness Skills and Processes, Indicator 1 of
students making models. Students must analyze the value and limitations of different types of
models in explaining real things and processes (http://mdk12.msde.maryland.gov). In this lesson,
students were asked to create paper 2-D versions of the Earth to model the Day/Night and year
phenomenon and how these occur. Skills and Processes objective A, from MCCRS, aligns with
Objective 2, where students organized and presented data in tables to identify the relationships.
In this case, students were able to record the temperature in 3 different tilted angles of the
Northern hemisphere on a globe, in order to determine which Season it was in each hemisphere
by comparing data. Objective 3 also follows this same Skills and Processes objective in the
MCCR Standards. Students completed an experiment and recorded data, in which they were able
to compare how this data showed a relationship between the angle of the Sun and the
temperature on Earth.
Students will demonstrate their knowledge by interpreting their own experiments to
determine what their observations are showing them. Students must breakdown data and discuss
their reasoning with classmates to create a deeper understanding of what their data shows.
Students finalize their demonstration of knowledge through explaining their results either in
written or picture form.
All objectives align to the Maryland Curriculum State Standards. They also align with the
Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards and objectives that sum up the standards. The
objectives include hands on activities, written, and oral pieces to include all students in the

classroom and making these objectives attainable to all learning goals and objectives on students
IEPs.
Part B Assessment Plan
In order to assess students learning of the objectives, students were given a preassessment prior to two of the lessons in order to determine how much students knew about the
topic. These pre-assessments consisted of four multiple choice questions on day 1, and four true
or false questions on day two. This pre-assessment challenged students on what they knew about
the relationship between Earths environment and the Sun, which is the overall standard of the
Maryland Common Core. As a class, students briefly reviewed the pre-assessment questions by
raising their hands to show which answer they chose to each pre-assessment as the teacher read
them aloud. This way, the teacher was able to gather a brief summary of the amount of students
who had knowledge prior to the lesson or who were unfamiliar with the lesson to be discussed
before the lesson was continued. This pre-assessment was simply to determine how much of the
lesson students were already familiar with. If the students already knew too much of the lesson,
the lesson would have to be adjusted in order to create a new challenge for students to learn.
After reviewing the pre-assessment for day one, I could conclude that 40% of the
students got 3 out of 4 questions correct, while 60% of the students got 2 out of 4 questions or
less correct. This was a topic students will learn new information from. With this in mind, I can
pair students together in future lessons who had more accuracy with students who did not do so
well (See pre-assessment 1).
After reviewing the pre-assessment for day two, I could conclude that this was a fairly
unfamiliar topic to most students in the classroom. With 40% of the students getting 1 out of 4
questions right, 50% of students got 2 out of 4 questions right, and 16% of students got 0 out of 4

questions correct. This was a topic that students would be able to grasp new information on. (See
pre-assessment 2).

(Pre-assessment 1)

(Pre-assessment 2)

Throughout each lesson in the three-day unit, students were working towards the
objective goal for each lesson. Students were evaluated using a variety of formative
assessments throughout the lessons. The multiple forms of assessment were conversation, exit
tickets, questioning, and misconception checks. For all three lessons, students were
questioned on their understanding of the material. Students would complete an activity in which,
at the end of the lesson, students would respond as a class by raising their hand to answer review
questions in a quiz-game format or on a one to one basis with the teacher. For activities on days
two and three, students worked in small groups and pairs. With the class being broken up and
students focused on student-centered learning, this left opportunity for teachers to visit each
group and converse with them about what they are learning to check for their level of
understanding. For students that were not quite grasping concepts, teachers were then able to
help students break down the hands on activity in a way that students were able to comprehend.
By engaging in informal conversations, I was able to comprehend students learning ability and
how much of the information they were understanding.
At the end of the first two lessons, students were also given a formative assessment in the
form of an exit ticket. Students completed the exit ticket either as homework or in class if there
was enough time after the lesson. The exit tickets allowed students to take the knowledge they
learned today in class and apply it to different scenarios, allowing the student to display if they
have fully grasped the information that they have learned. (see exit ticket 1 and 2).

(Exit ticket 1)

Analysis Seasons
Graduate Students from Harvard University think that the Seasons occur because of the distance of the
Earth from the Sun. Use the diagram below to explain if this is true or not, draw the axis on each Earth
and label the season in the Southern. Can you explain why the Graduates were wrong?
_____________________________________________________________________________

(Exit Ticket 2).

The summative unit assessment was compiled of questions from each of the three
lessons. This summative assessment was a review of the students ability to display their
knowledge from the past three lessons in astronomy. Our focus was on student-centered learning
so that students would be able to develop a deep understanding of the material presented.
Students were given four multiple choice questions, two true or false, and one written response
that included questions from the past three lessons. Out of the entire class, 50% mastered the
content at an 85% accuracy. Of the eight students with IEPs, 50% of these students mastered the
content at 85% or above accuracy. These all align with the MCCS Standards and Essential Skills,
Standard 2.D., Indicators 2 and 3: Students were able to identify and explain celestial
phenomenon and Recognize and explain the effects of the tilt of the Earths axis. Questions 1-3

covered information from Standard 2.D. Indicator 2, while questions 4-7 covered information
from Standard 2.D. Indicator 3. (See below for summative assessment).

(Summative Assessment).
Students demonstrated all three lesson objectives in each day. For day one, students
worked at their seats independently and as a class to complete a hands on activity by making a

model to display the phenomenon created by the Earth and the Sun. Students were required to
answer on their papers where they created the model, what these phenomenon are called, how
they occur, and how long they last. Students were able to identify day and night as well as one
year and explain how they occur. Once these models were completed, students were given a
worksheet to fill in. This worksheet required students to take the information they learned from
their interactive activity and confirm their understanding by correctly answering all questions.
For students who grasped most of the information, they were able to fill out the worksheet
mostly based on their activity. For students that needed more clarification, they were able to read
a passage provided to find their answers. For students with IEPs, their passages were underlined
and italicized in areas where important information was given. Students were then given an exit
ticket which allowed students to take the information they learned and apply it to a different
setting, when they were asked about rotation and revolution on the planet Mars. 58% of the class
was able to grasp the information with 100% accuracy (exit ticket 1). Of the eight students with
IEPs, 4 of those students were able to grasp the information with 100% accuracy, while the other
4 appeared to be confused on the question or the concept and was not able to display an
understanding. The analysis was modified with a starter sentence that allowed student to circle
true or false to the statement and then explain why. With this data I can conclude that 58% of the
students are meeting the objectives and goals for this lesson.
On day two, students briefly reviewed rotation and revolution learned on day one.
Students were then broken up into groups of 6 (predetermined by teacher to place students by
learning needs). Each group had their turn at five different stations: two independent work
(reading passage and answering questions and watching video and answering questions) and
three stations were interactive lessons (identifying Seasons in different hemispheres based on

temperature using globes and heat lamps). There was one teacher in each interactive group to
observe students and ask questions about their conclusions. Students were informally assessed on
their understanding at these hands on stations. Once all groups completed each station, students
were given an exit ticket to assess their knowledge from the days lesson. Students were asked to
draw the axis and label which season it was in the Southern hemisphere on four different earths,
and then explain how the graduates of Harvard University were wrong about understanding of
the seasons. From this exit ticket, 53% of the class got 100% accuracy, while 24% got 50%
accuracy (exit ticket 2). This exit ticket was modified with a starter sentence. Of the eight
students with IEPs, 3 of the students got 100% accuracy while 4 of the students got 50%
accuracy.
On day three, students were broken up into pairs, after reviewing the analysis from
yesterdays lesson. Students then worked in groups of two to identify how the angles of light
affect seasons on Earth using a hands on activity to identify their objective of the day. Students
ended the day with a summative assessment over the past three lessons. 50% of the entire class
mastered this test with an 85% accuracy as well as 50% of the students with IEPs. (see
summative assessment). In order for students to show mastery of the content, they must have
used their recent knowledge from the previous three lessons to correctly answer the seven
questions. These assessments not only aligned with the entire unit, but with each other and
objectives as well. Each lesson is directly tied into the next in order to provide scaffolding to
build up to the conclusion of the MCCS Standards of explaining how the physical interactions of
Earths environment and the universe occur overtime.

UDL. Assessments included appropriate use of UDL and differentiation as needed.

Formative assessments such as the exit tickets included differentiations by underlining key words
and beginning starter sentences for students with reading comprehension difficulties on their IEP.
UDL was utilized in the summative assessment, with a variety of ways for students to excel at
responding, students had no more than three available responses to the four multiple choice
questions, and were given only two response options for the true or false questions. For the short
answer, as long as students wrote the correct type of sunlight given in the summer time, students
answers were accepted, although some chose to write explanations, which is always encouraged
to deepen understanding. Scoring tool was not applicable to assess assessments since most were
true and false or multiple choice.
To collect data throughout the unit lessons, teacher collected two pre-assessments, two
exit tickets, and one summative assessment. Once students were finished with summative
assessment, they were to put it into a box that stated Got it, Maybe, Didnt Get It, in order
for the teacher to be able to determine how confident students were with their answers. WarmUps (pre-assessments) were placed in the middle of the table and either collected by a student or
a teacher. Worksheets were kept by students but checked for completion to ensure that all
students were able to grasp the new information.
Part C
Instruction
At the beginning of each lesson, students were asked to read the objective, written in ageappropriate language, and discuss briefly what we would learn today. One student read the
objective aloud, then based off of what they learned in a previous lesson or know, students came

to a class conclusion of what they predicted the lessons would be about. By reading the objective
aloud and discussing this with the entire class, students with IEP goals that have reading
comprehension difficulties were able to verbally hear the objective and break down the objective
as a class. The objectives for these lessons aligned with the MCCSS Standard 2.0, Indicator 2
and 3: Identify and explain celestial phenomenon and explain the effects of the tilt of Earths
axis. The essential skills required for this standard include describing the relationships among the
period of revolution of a planet, the length of its solar year and explain how revolution and the
tilt of the Earths axis causes changes in the angle of the Sun and seasons in different
hemispheres (MCCSS). At the end of each lesson, students were asked to read aloud the
objective again. Students were then asked a few follow up questions to determine how much they
learned from the lesson and if the class as a whole has reached their objective. Objectives from
each lesson were built to align with the essential skills/indicators of Standard 2.0 D in order to
meet the MCCSS. The lessons are scaffolded in order to recall new information learned the day
before in a new lesson. Each of these objectives met with the MCCSS Standards and
Essential Skills and Knowledge, and IEP goals.
Students completed two pre-assessments on days one and two of the unit lessons. The
pre-assessments were completed the day of the lesson, and collected to determine the actual
prior knowledge of all students. To assess students prior knowledge of the lesson before the
lesson, students responded to the pre-assessment questions as they were read aloud on the power
point and students responded by raising their hand for whichever answer they chose. Students
were not given an answer since they would be finding the answers throughout the lesson. This
way, the teacher was able to get a quick understanding of how much students know before the
lesson. The objective for day one is to explain relationships between the Earth and the Sun using

hands on, written, or oral explanations to identify the phenomenon that occur. The preassessment for day one shows that students were assessed on how much they knew about the two
phenomenon: day and night, and a solar year. (see pre-assessment 1).

(Pre-assessment 1).
The objective for day two was to use the research they collect from their experiment to analyze
data in order to explain the effects of the tilt of Earths axis. This objective was properly
represented in the pre-assessment for day two because it consists of four true or false questions
about the Earths axis. (see pre-assessment 2).

(Pre-assessment 2).
There was no pre-assessment on day three, instead the warm up reviewed day twos previous
lesson in order to revisit a topic that most students had difficulty with on their exit ticket. To
ensure that the objectives each day are appropriate and being met, students were asked guiding
questions during hands on activities to complete informal assessments and check for
comprehension.
In order to motivate and engage students, each objective was followed by some form of
a motivation piece. On day one, students motivation was located towards the middle of the
lesson. Students were able to look at a chart of all the different planets and compare their days
and years to Earths. Students were able to determine how old they were on different planets and
explain why they would be a different age based on what they learned about the other planets
days and years in comparison to Earth. Students were very excited to see this comparison. On
day two, the students viewed a video of Harvard students that were explaining how the seasons
occur on earth, (which is what the students objective of the day was based on). Students were
able to take a guess to see if these prestigious students were correct about how the seasons occur,
and in the end, were able to state that they are smarter than a Harvard graduate. Day threes
motivation piece involved students holding up flashlights to their hands, with the flashlight at a

flat horizontal line, and then tilted at an angle on their hands. Students were able to feel the
difference between the heat given off at different angles, and were able to use this motivation to
apply to their lesson about the effect of different angles of sunlight on the seasons. Students were
engaged throughout each lesson because each of the three days involved a hands on activity, in
which students were able to find the answer to the days objectives themselves through studentcentered learning.
In this unit, new knowledge and content was introduced by the teacher through the
objective, and by the students through student-centered learning. Students were given an outline
to follow either through instructions or their worksheet, and were instructed to follow the steps to
reach their objective. On day one, students completed a model of the Earth and was able to
identify two new vocabulary words: rotation and revolution. Through their models they were
able to come up with their own definitions about what these words mean in relationship of the
Earth and Sun. Students were then able to find further information on these new words through a
reading passage which they used to fill in their worksheets (see worksheet day 1 and models day
1). Students were able to discuss final conclusions at the end of the lesson as teacher reviewed
new content with the class. On day two, students were able to identify new knowledge and
content in five different stations. Students were able to identify what effect the Earths tilt of the
axis has by researching information from a text, watching a video, and completing three hands
on interactive activities where they can see the outcome of the effects of the axis (see worksheet
day 2). Teachers were present at each hands on station to guide students outcomes with
questions. On day three, students were able to utilize a flashlight and protractor to show how
angles of light also help to create the seasons on Earth in different hemispheres. Through a class
discussion, students were able to sum up their data into meaningful information. Using the tools

provided to the students, students were able to obtain new knowledge based off of their own
individual research. Students were able to discuss with each other as scientists and record their
answers to come to a conclusion based off of their results (see worksheet day 3). As a teacher, we
did very little instruction on new knowledge and content. Students were encouraged to find their
understanding of the material based off of their own observations and research that theyve
completed. By finding their own answers, students are better able to make an understanding of
the lessons.
Rotation and Revolution
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

The Earths axis is an __________________ line that passes through the ___________ of the Earth.
What direction does the Earth rotate? (circle one) Clockwise or Counterclockwise
True or false (circle one) When the Earth rotates, this causes day and night.
For one complete rotation, it takes the Earth ________ hours.
Revolution is the movement of the ___________ around the ___________.
One complete revolution of the Earth takes (circle one) 24 hours 365 days 365 days
The Earths orbit is an _____________________ shape.
A Leap Year occurs once every (circle one) 7 years 4 years 5 years
When Earth revolves around the Sun, this creates _______________.

(Worksheet day 1)
(models Day 1)

Seasons Worksheet
Weather and Climate Textbook: (read pgs. 12-13 in Astronomy)
Solstice is when the Sun reaches its _______________ distance North or South of the ______________.
When the Sun is farthest North of the equater, it is _____________ solstice in the Northern Hemipshere. When it is
farthest South, it is ___________ solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.

_______________ occurs twice a year and means that day and night are each _______ hours long everywhere on
Earth.
Brain Pop:
Why does Earth have Seasons?___________________________
What is the degree to which the Earth is tilted?___________________
Complete the quiz at the end as a group. Check your answers
Use the Chart below for each Station to identify Seasons in Maryland:
Location

Temperature

Season in Northern
Hemisphere

Warmer or Cooler in
Southern Hemisphere?

Station 1
Station 2
Station 3
Station 4

Shade the
hemisphere in
______ where it is
winter in the

Shade the hemisphere

in ______ where it is
summer in the North.

Shade the
hemisphere in
_______ where it is
Spring in the

Shade the
hemisphere in
_______ where it is
Fall in the North.

(Worksheet Day 2)
Angles of Light
Angle of Light
90-degrees
60-degrees

Number of Squares in Lighted Area

30-degrees
1.

What angle had the most direct light? ________________________

2.

What angle had the least direct light? ________________________

3.

The 90 angle represents the Equator on Earth; using this information what can you conclude about the
temperatures at this location? __________________________

4.

The 30 angle represents the Poles on Earth; using this information what can you infer about the energy per
square meter and this location? ____________________

5.

Explain what the angle of light has to do with temperature based on your data: _______
_____________________________________________________________________

(Worksheet Day 3)

In this unit, students worked with a lot of hands on activities. New skills were
introduced and modeled to students in the beginning of each lesson. In order to have students
conduct these experiments, teacher started off with guided practice. On day one, students
observed teacher first complete a rotation and revolution model, without an explanation of what
was being made. Students then completed their own model to represent rotation on one page, and
revolution on the other. Students used their skills of researching and concluding to determine
what their model was showing, or to research in the text if they could not come to a conclusion
on their own. On day two, students were working in groups of six to identify what effect the tilt
of the Earths axis has. Students were guided briefly with instructions on which groups they
would be in, which rotations to follow, what students would be doing in each group, and to use
their worksheet guide them through the objective. The skills introduced in this lesson were
during the interactive hands on groups, where students were directed to record the data that they
observe on the temperature scale, and then make a conclusion at the very end based on what their
data shows. On day three, students were working in pairs to determine how the amount of light
affects the seasons as the Earth moves around the Sun. Teacher began the lesson after passing out
worksheet with guided practice. Students were asked to follow along with the teacher as they
went through the first set of instructions. Teacher modeled how to use a 90-degree angle on a

protractor and a flashlight to draw the angle of light on a sheet of graph paper. Then, using
independent practice, students worked in pairs to complete the same directions with a 60degree angle and a 30-degree angle, as teacher walked around and monitored work. Students
then worked independently to complete the answers to sum up the data they have collected. The
skills that they used were more in depth data collection in which students had to create their own
data this time based on the amount of light they observed, and then count this data in order to
make a conclusion.
Students were asked leading questions throughout all independent practice/hands on
activities. Since this is student-centered learning, students are completing the majority of the
lessons on their own or as a class together. Teachers ask leading questions to help the students
think deeper about the model that they have created or are observing, and put it into real-world
terms. What does this model show us? What does this mean in real life in relationship of the
Earth and Sun? Rather than giving students answers, teacher encouraged students to use
critical and creative thinking skills. In cases where students were asked questions and replied
with the wrong answer, rather than tell the student the correct answer, the student was
encouraged to find the answer on their own. In one situation a student was unclear of how the
distance of Mercury from the Sun caused it to have a shorter revolution than Earth. Since the
passage and guiding questions did not lead the student to the correct answer, the teacher
encouraged the student to demonstrate this for himself, using the giant models of the solar
system in the room. The Sun located in the room was much closer to Mercury than Earth, and
with the guided practice of the teacher, the student was able to physically walk through the
question and figure out why Mercury revolves faster around the Sun than Earth revolves around
the Sun, hence, why a student would be 56 on Mercury but only 13 on Earth.

On day three, rather than beginning with a pre-assessment, the formative assessment,
Exit ticket from day 2, was used to check for understanding. Most students appeared to get this
exit ticket incorrect when they completed it yesterday, which means a lot of them are likely
confused about how the Earths tilted axis creates the Seasons. In order to clear up this
confusion, the exit ticket was reviewed to explain how this tilt creates the seasons. At the end of
lessons day one and two, students participated in a Quick Review formative assessment. Students
answered questions from the drill earlier that day by raising their hand to choose their answer,
and got immediate feedback through the powerpoint presented. For those questions in which
most students were unclear, I was able to pause the class, and do a quick recap to guide students
through the question and use this as a teachable moment so that students were able to correctly
answer the question.
UDL was incorporated through all lessons to meet each students learning needs.
Throughout day one, the lesson included several different aspects to meet the needs of different
leaners. Students were able to complete a hands on model of rotation and revolution. For
students that did not learn best from the model version, all students were asked to write what new
vocabulary word each model represented and explain what each model is showing. Students
were then able to apply this new concept to a different planet. For students that had difficulty
writing, teacher would allow student to orally explain their definitions as teacher wrote for
student. On day two, students were able to work in groups, assigned based on their learning
needs. So students that were performing very well on pre-assessments were placed with students
that were having difficulties, or had comprehension difficulties in their IEP. Students that have
attention difficulties on their IEP were placed with students that would not distract them and
would best keep them focused. There was plenty of activity in this lesson, so students that

needed more movement were able to stand throughout the lesson, participate hands on, interact
with other students, and actively participate in their lesson. There was also book work for
students who learned better through information in passages. Then there was also a video for
students who learn best from verbal information. All students were asked to complete each
station, therefore incorporating different learning styles in all students. On day three, students
were asked to work in pairs. Using their pairs, they were able to work together using a hands on
activity and then able to discuss what their results show them about the effect of angles of light.
This was a form of think pair share, in which students worked in pairs to come to a conclusion
about their data and share what theyve found.
Differentiated instruction was also included for students with IEPs that have reading
comprehension difficulties. In order to differentiate for this, students reading passages were
modified by underlining important information and italicizing key words. Students with IEPs
also received modified exit slips that also included underlining of the main question and a starter
sentence (see exit slip modified).
Analysis:
Mercury is the 1st planet from the Sun. Its year is 88 days long, and there are 58 hours in
one day. Is it true that Mercury takes 88 days to complete one rotation? And 58 hours to
revolve around the Sun? Explain why or why not?
_It is (circle one) true / false that Mercury takes 88 days to complete one rotation and 58
hours to revolve around the Sun because._________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

(Exit Ticket Modified).

While working in these groups, students were given clear, descriptive feedback.
Teachers walked around the classroom to monitor work and clarify any misinterpretations. Most

students especially struggled when asked to determine which Season it would be if the Sun was
angled to hit closer to the equator. Students often said summer or winter, since this was easier to
understand, however, through providing feedback on their response that they are correct on
certain assumptions, but missing a main picture, students were able to change correct their
comprehension to understanding how the seasons were fall or spring. Students received quick
feedback also from the reviews given in power point, in which students chose an answer to
themselves and the answer was revealed, this way students would be able to self-check. If
multiple students got the answer wrong, teacher would go into detail, explaining why the answer
was not the one they chose and clarifying any questions.
At the end of each lesson, after students had completed their student-centered learning,
students were gathered to focus their attention on a review. Teacher briefly asks leading
questions to students to summarize the important points of the lesson. Teacher would review
main points of lesson that students should take with them. Teacher would identify the things that
students should have found in their results from their work. This would be done at the end of
each lesson. Students would participate by responding to a short quiz with immediate feedback
so that students would immediately know if their answer was correct or not.
Appropriate assessments were administered at the end of class, along with the informal
assessments that were discussed earlier which included questioning, observation, and conversing
with students during the student-centered learning. Formative assessments that were used were
exit tickets used on days one and two of the three day unit. Students were given an opportunity in
their exit tickets to use what theyve learned to apply it to a new scenario and give an explanation
about what they know. Students with IEPs received modified exit tickets that had a starter

sentence as well as underlined and italicized words in order to direct students attention (see exit
tickets 1 and 2).
Analysis:
Mercury is the 1st planet from the Sun. Its year is 88 days long, and there are 58 hours in
one day. Is it true that Mercury takes 88 days to complete one rotation? And 58 hours to
revolve around the Sun? Explain why or why not?
_It is (circle one) true / false that Mercury takes 88 days to complete one rotation and 58
hours to revolve around the Sun because._________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

(Exit ticket 1)
Analysis Seasons
Graduate Students from Harvard University think that the Seasons occur because of the distance of the Earth from the Sun. Use
the diagram below to explain if this is true or not, draw the axis on each Earth and label the season in the Southern Hemispheres.
Can you explain why the Graduates were wrong?
__The Graduates were wrong because______________________________________________________

(Exit ticket 2)
Students without IEPs were simply given an exit ticket without the starter sentence and
underlined/italicized words. On day three, students completed a summative assessment of the
three day unit. All students were given a seven question assessment that was not differentiated

because it was written in a UDL format. Students that had IEPs for reading comprehension
difficulties were read to if they wanted this option. The summative assessment covered the three
day lesson of rotation and revolution, how the tilt of the Earths axis affects the seasons, and how
the angles of light affect seasons in different hemispheres. All of the assessments tied into the
objectives which were scaffolded each day as new information was introduced. The summative
assessment consisted of 4 multiple choice, two true or false, and one short answer or simply the
phrase that the question was asking for. The questions were not only learned throughout the
student-centered learning, but were also used for the drills each day and were reviewed at the end
of the class. All students had the proper amount of time to comprehend the material and the UDL
format allowed students to not only have to write one long essay, or complete all fill in the
blanks. Students were able to challenge their knowledge in different formats (see analysis day 3).
(Analysis day 3)

Part D
Analysis and Instruction of Decision Making
The chart below shows the pre-assessment data on day one for the unit using a preassessment based off of the Maryland Common Core State Standard objectives of how the
relationships of the Earth and the Sun affect us. This chart shows that a majority of the
students are unfamiliar with this information and do not have a very good understanding of the
topics prior to learning the new information.
Pre-assessment Data: (Day 1)
Students
Student A
Student B
Student C
Student D
Student E
Student F
Student G
Student H

Pre-assessment day 1
1 out of 4 correct
1
1
2
3
1
1
2

out
out
out
out
out
out
out

of
of
of
of
of
of
of

4
4
4
4
4
4
4

correct
correct
correct
correct
correct
correct
correct

Students were assessed on their ability to complete their worksheets in groups and
independently by following instructions given by teacher and completing work. Students were
given a formative assessment in the form of an exit ticket at the end of the lesson on day one.
The formative assessments were modified as explained in Part C for all students with Reading
Comprehension on their IEPs. The exit tickets consisted of a starter sentence and required a brief
explanation of an applied topic that was learned in class. Students were given two points for
having the correct statement and a good explanation. See the chart below for day one exit
tickets. The students were assessed on their knowledge of whether the applied statement was
true or false, and students then had to explain why this was true or false using the two new

vocabulary words that they learned today. This data shows us that 3 out of 8 students were
comprehending the new material, 4 out of 8 were close but off on explanations or their final
answer, and 1 was not able to display comprehension of information. Observations also took
place as a form of formative assessment. Students were observed on day one as teachers walked
around the room to assess students work. Students were checked to see whether they were
staying on track with their worksheets, redirected when necessary, and teachers questioned
students for understanding of material. Day one was fairly independent work and all students
were able to follow instructions with minor redirections.
Formative Assessment Data (Day 1 Exit Ticket)
Students
Student A

Pre-assessment day 1
1 out of 2

Student B
Student C
Student D
Student E
Student F
Student G
Student H

2 out of 2
1 out of 2
0 out of 2
2 out of 2
2 out of 2
1 out of 2
1 out of 2

On day two of the unit lessons, students were given another pre-assessment to test for
students knowledge of how the seasons are created. The pre-assessment was derived from the
objectives in the MCCS Standards on the tilt of the Earths axis. The chart below shows
students background knowledge prior to the lesson being taught on day two. Students were
assessed on information that they likely did not know yet, and compared very similarly to the
students in class without IEPs.

Pre-assessment Data (Day 2)

Students
Student A

Pre-assessment day 2
0 out of 4 correct

Student B

3 out of 4 correct

Student C

2 out of 4 correct

Student D

0 out of 4 correct

Student E

3 out of 4 correct

Student F

1 out of 4 correct

Student G

0 out of 4 correct

Student H

1 out of 4 correct

Students were assessed on their ability to participate in a group work activity during a
student-centered lesson. Students were grouped by learning levels and behavioral levels. The
formative assessment used on day two was an exit slip at the end of class. Students were asked to
state whether or not the Harvard Graduates were correct about the seasons, which was a video
observed after the objectives. Based on what they observed in class, students were expected to
take their new knowledge about how the seasons occur and explain using a brief explanation and
drawing (see part C). Students were also observed at each hands on interactive station and were
lead with guided questions and redirected when off track. Student F, tended to get off track with
behavior and often had to be redirected. Student F has a piece of Velcro that he has been using as
a texture piece to ground himself when having difficulty focusing as an attempt to help with his
other health impairment coded on the IEP. Student A also required several guiding questions and
redirection in order to ensure the concept was clear enough due to difficulties with reading
comprehension as coded on his IEP. All other students did well and were encouraged to
participate in each active group. The chart below shows that students were assessed using the

exit ticket and a majority of the students showed that they comprehended the material compared
to the beginning of the days lesson. Five of the eight students with IEPs got full credit on this
exit ticket, while three out of eight got 1 out of 2.
Formative Assessment (Exit Ticket day two)
Students
Student A

Exit Ticket 2
1 out of 2

Student B

2 out of 2

Student C

2 out of 2

Student D

1 out of 2

Student E

2 out of 2

Student F

1 out of 2

Student G

1 out of 2

Student H

2 out of 2

The summative assessment was completed on the third day of the unit lessons. All
students were asked to complete a seven question quiz in order to show how much information
was retained from the past three lessons. These questions were in UDL format and were very
similar to questions that students had reviewed multiple times throughout the three day lessons.
The summative assessment below is shown in a light blue. Students averaged a 4 out of 7 total.
In the chart below, the assessments are visible as the total percentage which students scored in
order to show the comparison of students overall growth. See chart below for students overall
growth and percentage on each pre-assessment, formative assessment, and summative
assessment.

Growth from Day 1 to Day 3

Student H
Student G
Student F
Student E
Student D
Student C
Student B
Student A
0

0.1

Assessm
ents
summative assessment
pre-assessment
formative assessment
pre assessment
2
formative assessment 2

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

Stud
ent A
0.57
0.25
0.5

Stud
ent B
0.86
0.25
0.1

Stud
ent C
0.71
0.25
0.5

Stude
nt D
0.29
0.5
0

Stud
ent E
0.71
0.75
1

Stude
nt F
0.57
0.25
1

Stude
nt G
0.29
0.25
0.5

Stude
nt H
0.57
0.5
0.5

0.75

0.5

0.75

0.25

0.25

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

To test students overall growth, students grades were combined from pre-assessment
one and two and the average percentage was used. This total percentage was subtracted from the
summative assessment to show the growth in students learning from what they didnt know in
days one and two, to day threes summative assessment. Since the two pre-assessments both
tested for different information, and this information is combined on the summative assessment.
The pre-assessment showed how much students knew about the topic prior to the lesson, whereas
the summative assessment is the display of students knowledge that they comprehend from the

three day unit lesson. The chart below shows students overall percentage change from day
one to day three. All but Student E showed an increase in knowledge.
Percentage Change from Day 1 to Day 3
Student

Student A
Student B
Student C
Student D
Student E
Student F
Student G
Student H

Combination
score of Day 1
and Day 2 Preassessments
13%
50%
38%
25%
75%
25%
13%
38%

Summative

Percentage

Assessment

Change

(Day 3)
57%
86%
71%
29%
71%
57%
29%
57%

44%
36%
33%
4%
-4%
32%
16%
19%

When comparing how much students knew on day three (summative assessment) to
what students knew on day 1 and 2 (combination of pre-assessments), I can conclude that
most students showed significant growth of knowledge. Student A started with a very low
percentage, meaning he did not come in with a plethora of background information, and showed
an increase of 44%. Although Student B came in with more background information than
Student A, Student B still showed an increase in knowledge with 36%. Students C and F also
showed a little above a 30% increase in knowledge. Students G, H, and D showed a slight
increase in knowledge with less than 20% improvement. However, Student E showed a decrease
in knowledge with a negative change of 4%. Student E had a good amount of background
information on days one and two, but seemed to be confused when it came to the summative
assessment, and scored less overall than the pre-assessments.

To disaggregate the data based on the contextual factors of the school, these students
with IEPs (whom were all incorporated into UDL lesson rather than pulled into small groups)
were all similar to the classrooms demographics. There were two females and 6 males, which
fits the classroom data, which had a higher ratio of boys than girls. All of these 8 students had
IEPs. All students come from a middle class socioeconomic background. Three of the students
were African American and all have reading comprehension difficulties. Two of these students
showed significant progress in their overall scores, while one only showed a 4% increase in
scores. One student was biracial with reading comprehension and showed significant progress in
scores as well. Of the four students that are Caucasian, three students have difficulties with
distractions and focusing their attention, only one of these students showed a significant increase
in percentage of change, while the other two students either did not improve much or at all.
Looking at patterns of achievement, aside from one, all students showed some form of
increase in percentage of their grade from pre-assessment to summative assessment. It appears
that, aside from one student, students whom performed well on both pre-assessments improved
their percentage, or got a better percentage on the summative assessment. This shows overall that
students whom had a brief understanding of the Earth and Suns relationship were able to better
put this new information into context. The lack of student achievement was visible in the scores
of students with focusing difficulties. Their progress was significantly lower than the students
that had reading comprehension difficulties.
For future instruction, in order to help students meet the MCCSS, I would focus on more
hands on interventions for these students that showed a lack of achievement. I think students
with focusing difficulties would benefit more from being physically involved in the lesson, as
well as repeating back information to ensure that students are comprehending the information

being taught. I would do more one on one checks to make sure that students are understanding
the information by having them explain different processes in their own words. For assessments I
would try to incorporate different options or multiple options for students to be able to better
display their knowledge. The assessments that students completed were mainly reading and
writing. For students that have difficulty focusing their attention, I would likely have to shorten
the multiple choice options to two instead of three, and have students make lists or bullets
instead of writing a detailed response. To help students follow along with tests, these students
might benefit from a reading guide strip to keep students attention focused on specifically what
the question is asking. This could be incorporated into their lessons during reading assignments
as well. From the data I collected I can conclude that a majority of the students with reading
comprehension showed significant improvement from day one to day three of this unit lesson.
By modifying some assessments and instruction to these lessons, I could better benefit students
with focusing difficulties to better meet the standards of the MCCSS.
Part E
Reflection and Self Evaluation
After reflecting on all aspects of my unit plan for whole group instruction, there are a few
changes that I would make for future lessons. I felt that the unit overall was successful in the
sense that the class improved as a whole from day one to day 3 since 50% of the entire class
mastered the summative assessment with 85% accuracy of the content. Unfortunately, of the
eight students with an IEP, only one mastered the content at 85% accuracy, and a total of three
got 70% of the content. In order to meet the needs of these students with IEPs, the unit plan
should be modified to include possibly more differentiation for these students. Although the
summative assessment was inclusive of all things taught and reviewed on days one through

three, the summative assessment was not differentiated at all for students with IEP. Focusing on a
UDL format, the summative assessment was designed to have all the questions presented in a
variety of ways, such as multiple choice, true or false, and a short answer.
The instructional strategies focused on student-centered learning and hands on activities.
Students were also expected to gather information from multiple sources such as a text, video, or
a reading passage. On day one, students worked independently with teacher led guided practice.
Students followed along with a hands on activity to create their own model of rotation and
revolution. This hands on activity was an effective instructional strategy for students to be able
to put their two new vocabulary words into physical perspective. The other half of this activity
was reading a short passage and complete worksheet. This portion of the lesson was rather
ineffective. The reading passage was difficult for some students to comprehend, (although it was
modified with underlining of important detail) and the worksheets must not have been clear
enough for all students because only about 40% of class completely finished the worksheet on
their own before reviewing this together as a class. To make this lesson more effective I would
have asked students to underline or highlight what they thought to be important words and
phrases while reading. I also would have made the questions more straight-forward and
decreased the amount so that students could focus on understanding the overall important
information rather than minor details.
On day two, instructional strategies consisted of very little instruction, and a large focus
on student-centered learning. I found this to be an effective instructional strategy because it
was very hands on and allowed students to make sense of the information through the
comprehension of their data and visuals. Students were actively transitioning into 5 different
groups in which three were hands on activities, one was collaborative book work, and one was a

collaborative worksheet based on a video. Teachers were present at each station to guide students
through their own understanding of how the seasons were created, which was a very difficult
concept for most students. Students successfully completed their worksheets and participated
very well in groups. This instructional strategy influenced student learning because students were
able to take control of their own learning in things other than reading and writing. Students were
able to use an activity that modeled the Earths Seasons. By using the globes, students were able
to address cultural and linguistic learning for some of the students that have lived in other
areas of the globe. There was a student that lived in Bangladesh and was able to relate to the
class how the Seasons in Bangladesh differ from that of the United States. This instruction was
meant to meet universal design for learning by meeting different learning needs. Some students
who are good at reading were able to find information from a passage, others were able to find
information through watching and listening to a video, and those who are more kinesthetic
learners were able to complete a hands on activity of a model replica of the Earth and the Sun to
create the seasons. This instruction influenced student learning by encouraging students to
complete hands on, student-centered learning which involved students becoming the scientists
and finding their own answers through activities that modeled the relationships of the Sun and
Earth.
To make this lesson more effective, I would have cut out one of the stations (likely
reading of the textbook) since this information was also repeated in the video. By cutting out this
station, this wouldve allowed more time to bring the class back together as a whole, and really
sum up what was learned in the interactive stations. Since this was a student-centered learning
lesson, it is highly possible that most students did not speak up when they were not
understanding the concept of the tilt of Earths axis in the kinesthetic learning stations, but rather

followed along with what the group wrote. To sum everything up, I should have made this
concept more clear with a large drawing of the axis and its revolution around the Sun. Students
were very confused about these questions as we reviewed at the end of the day and through their
assessments (see Part B).
On day three, students worked with partners to determine how the angle of light affected
temperature of the different Seasons. I found this pairing of students and the overall lesson to be
an effective instructional strategy. Students were given guided practice once and then
independent practice in their groups as the teacher walked around to monitor students work.
This was another hands on activity that involved a little bit of math as well as drawing. This was
a fun activity that most students were actively engaged in. The other half of the lesson was a
reading passage, which was completed by most students, but was also a little confusing to the
class as a whole. Most students got the question to this lesson on the summative assessment
correct, however, the worksheet was confusing for most students to complete. To make this
lesson more effective in the future, I wouldve made the worksheet less complex. I wouldve
had students define direct and indirect light before continuing on with the lesson after the
motivation piece, in which students felt direct and indirect light from a flashlight on their hands,
but may not have fully understood the concept to apply this to the lesson. In the future, I would
have the students define direct and indirect light before continuing on with the activity and
making comparisons of the light at different angles. I would also include more direct instruction
after the independent practice in order to clarify any misconceptions in data.
While teaching this lesson, we were lucky enough to have a classroom that involved two
teachers: a general education teacher and a special education co-teacher. I have found it very
helpful to collaborate with other professionals in the school. Working in a co-teaching

classroom, you have the opportunity to do more hands on activities or more difficult activities
with extra support in the classroom. There is also the opportunity for the class to easily be split
up into two groups with one of the teachers guiding each group. Through collaborating with the
special education teacher I learned how to modify and accommodate for students with IEPs
throughout the lessons. Modifying the exit ticket so that there is a starter sentence for students to
have something to begin with was one example of modification. Collaborating with special
education teachers can also help with seating and grouping, when students are to be grouped,
who would benefit sitting next to who based on their learning needs. Through collaborating with
the general education teacher, I learned how to modify my lesson throughout the day when
things were not working. I also learned different strategies of behavior management to gain
control of the class by teachers who have been using these strategies for a long time. By
collaborating with other professionals I can learn different ideas and ways of teaching lessons or
helping students that are having difficulty in class, in a way that was not considered before. Both
general education teachers and special education teachers could assist with developing
changes to future lesson plans.
Two personal professional learning goals based on CEC standards that I emerged
from the experience I got from this opportunity are CEC 2 and 3. CEC 2- development and
characteristics of learners was found to be a very important part of my lessons. Demonstrating
respect for each and every student is what Ive found to be very important in order to get the
respect of students to guide and motivate them through learning. CEC 3 understanding the
effects that an exceptional condition can have on an individuals learning. Understanding that all
students do not learn the same way is a very valuable lesson. Students can all learn, but may need
to do so in different ways. Knowing different ways to incorporate the lesson for students can help

to make all students successful in reaching their own individual goals. Taking students strengths
and putting them towards the lesson is something Ive learned to be very important in education.