Algae Graphing Lesson Plan
Teacher Candidate: Sarah Vinluan
Date: April 2016
Grade Level: Pre-K
Central Focus
From the Learning Segment
Plan.
Content Standard
What Content Standards,
from the Learning Segment
Plan, are most relevant to
the Student Learning
Objectives for this particular
Lesson Plan?
Student Learning
Objective(s)
What learning objectives
do your Content Standards
Description
Students will interpret data to
create a pictograph based on
the weight and type of algae
collected.
C.CGA.03
The child is able to work with
peers to create, express,
research, and experiment.
In this lesson, the student will
be able to:
Work with their peers
to interpret collected
Explanation &
Justification
The central focus of this
lesson connects to the
Braided Curriculum and
philosophy of the
University of Hawaii at
Manoa Childrens
Center. Within the
philosophy, it connects
to the universal teaching
standards of joint
product activity,
contextualization, and
complex thinking. It also
relates to task
sequencing, modeling,
and questioning which
are parts of the seven
forms of assistance.
This content standard
connects to child-guided
activities, which is one
of the ten strands of the
Braided Curriculum
These student learning
objectives are aligned
with the central focus
and content standard of
help develop?
Prior Academic
Knowledge and
Conceptions
What knowledge,
skills, and concepts must
students already know to be
successful with this lesson?
What prior knowledge
and/or gaps in knowledge do
these students have that are
necessary to support the
learning of the skills and
concepts for this lesson?
What do you know
about your students
everyday experiences,
cultural backgrounds and
practices, and interests?
Common Errors,
Developmental
Approximations,
Misconceptions, Partial
Understandings, or
Misunderstandings
What are common errors
or misunderstandings of
data and represent it on this lesson.
a pictograph.
Understand parts of a
pictograph such as the
X and Y axis and key.
Understand the concept
that a symbol on the
pictograph represents a
specific amount of
algae.
Prior knowledge that students At this grade level,
must know to be successful students may not have a
with this lesson included: complete understanding
An understanding of of counting, cardinality,
counting and and addition of one digit
cardinality. numbers. If students do
How to add one digit not have this prior
numbers. knowledge or are
We know that our struggling, teachers will
students have collected review and model these
these types of algae concepts to assist them.
before, and should be
able to identify the
species whether it be
invasive, or native.
Possible common errors or These common errors
misunderstandings of students and misunderstandings
are: would illustrate gaps in
Misunderstanding that a prior knowledge or an
symbol on the graph incomplete
represents an incorrect understanding of the
amount of algae. lesson. To address the
Forgetting the key in errors and
students related to the
Student Learning Objective
of this lesson?
How will you address
them for this group of
students?
the pictograph. misunderstandings for
Not starting the X and this group of students,
Y axis at zero. the teachers would
Not equally spacing the model or review the
numbers along the axis. concepts and parts of the
Data collection errors lesson that the students
Labeling errors are struggling with.

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

Description of what the teacher (you) will be doing and/or what the students will be doing.
Launch To begin the lesson, the teachers will introduce the concept of a
5 Minutes KWL chart. We will explain what it is and what each letter stands
How will you for. For the K portion, students will share what they already know
start the lesson about graphs, specifically pictographs, and the algae they collected
to engage and at the beach.
motivate Secondly, we will ask the students what they want to learn about
students in pictographs and algae after this investigation. This will be written in
learning? the W column. All of this information will be recorded on a chart
paper, as well as on iPads.
At the end of the lesson, the students will write down what they
learned in the L column.

Instruction
__________ The teachers will first review the concepts of native and invasive
Minutes algae species.
What will Next the teacher will show the students a blank graph and identify
you do to the parts of a graph. They will explain that the X axis represents the
engage students types of algae (invasive or native) and the Y axis represents the
in developing weight of how much of each type was collected. The key on the
understanding graph and its importance will also be explained.
of the lesson The teacher will explain that a single algae symbol, equals 5
objective(s)? (number may change) pounds of algae on the pictograph. They algae
How will you symbol is a picture of the alga type that will be on the pictograph.
link the new After, the teacher will demonstrate how to use the data about the
content (skills collected algae to place the algae symbols on the graph.
and concepts) to
students prior Linking the new skills to graph
academic To engage our students in developing understanding of the lesson
learning and objectives we will begin with a KWL chart to ask students about
their prior knowledge, and questions they have about what they dont
personal/cultura know and want to learn.
l and The new skill that the students will learn is how to graph the
community information they received while collecting the algae species. They
assets? will do this through a pictograph, which is created as a group.
What will We will link the new content to the students prior learning by using
you say and do? the data they collected on native and invasive species of algae. This
What questions will allow the students to create and have a visual representation of
will you ask? the impact they made while removing the species of algae from the
How will you beach.
engage students To determine if the students are meeting the learning objectives, the
to help them teacher can ask questions throughout this instruction portion.
understand the Students answers can be used to gauge their understanding.
concepts?
What will
students do?
How will you
determine if
students are
meeting the
intended
learning
objectives?

Structured Students will have the opportunity to practice by having the

Practice and opportunity to place the algae symbols on the graph themselves.
Application Students will be applying the concept that one algae symbol
__________ represents 5 pounds of actual algae. Based on the collected data and
Minutes weight of each algae type, students need to place the correct amount
How will you of symbols in the right places. They will also be applying their new
give students knowledge of the X and Y axis.
the opportunity The performance of the students will determine if they are meeting
to practice so the intended learning objectives. If a student places the algae symbol
you can provide incorrectly, they do not have a full understanding of the concept
feedback? being taught.
 How will
students apply
what they have
learned?
How will you
determine if
students are
meeting the
intended
learning
objectives?

Closure We will end the lesson by returning back to the KWL chart that we
5 Minutes began at the beginning of the lesson. The group will now fill out the
How will you L column. Students will share what they learned from the lesson
end the lesson? and the teacher will record it on the chart.

Materials The teacher needs:

What Chart paper
materials does Markers
the teacher need Ipad
for this lesson? Notebook
What materials Clipboard
do the students Tape or velcro
need for this
lesson? The students need:
Chart paper
Pictograph symbols (print out small pictures of algae to tape on the
graph)
Markers
Tape or velcro

Student Learning Strategies

Identify strategies specific to working with this group of students as it pertains to this particular
Lesson.
Differentiation Whole Class: N/A
/ Planned
Support Groups of students with similar needs:
How will you Students will be in small groups of five to eight students, if there are
provide 3 or more students who have a similar need, this is when the teacher
students access should differentiate the lesson a little bit to help all students with the
to learning same need understand, while keeping them in the same group and
based on not pulling them out.
individual and Teachers will have to adjust by slowing down, using different
group needs? vocabulary, and taking more time for the students to understand the
How will you concept before jumping into the actual lesson.
support
students with
gaps in the Individual students:
prior During this lesson, students will always be in their small groups (5-8
knowledge that students), the hope is that, students will be able to work with each
is necessary to other the whole time through discussion, and the math.
be successful in If there is a student or a few students who arent understanding, it is
this lesson? important for the teacher to recognize if the student needs individual
You must assistance or just an overview or a reworded direction.
provide an If the student still isnt understanding a concept, one of the few
explanation and teachers co-teaching will have the student come out of the group to
justification for ask questions about what the student isnt understanding.
each interaction The goal is to have the student pulled from the group for the least
employed. amount of time, so its the job of the teacher to get to the root of
what the student isnt understanding and correct it, so the student can
return to their small group.

Student Whole Class: N/A

Interactions
How will you Small Groups:
structure This entire lesson is based on small group interaction. Students are
opportunities creating the pictograph as a small group. In the group, each student
for students to will have the opportunity to participate. If a student is struggling,
work with they can also receive help from their peers.
partners or in Partnerships:
groups? During this lesson the students will be broken up into small groups.
What criteria During the KWL chart, and graphing, students will have the
will you use opportunity to turn to their neighbors and discuss questions the
when forming teacher will ask such as, Do any of you know which one the X axis
groups? is? During this time, students will then turn to their neighbors to
You must discuss, and come back to the group after a couple minutes of
provide an discussion.
explanation and
justification for
each interaction
employed.