Penn Mentor: Julia Agnew

Student Teacher: Clare Lee

11/30 Science Lesson

Lea Elementary

Notes:
Description of events: Commentary of events:

9:20 Teacher gathers students in workspace near

cubbies

good reference to classroom procedures and

Power of 3 reminders before lesson expectations

could be used as a mindfulness routine in future

Has students close eyes and listen to sounds of Teacher talkmaybe too much, making it difficult
school for students to really listen closely at times

Asks students what they heard

Asks students to add details, elaborate

Some do respond

Introduce vocab
Teacher repeats students and asks for details

Introduces funnel: students describe how it is used

at home
Teacher shows how to use it to amplify voice

Students use and look into each others ears

Teacher asks students what they saw

Teacher repeats students answers

Small stick, It holds the ear up

Uses hands to feel ear parts, guides students
Teacher asks students to make connection
between funnel and ear

Student sees hole in funnel and hole in ear

Teacher reminds students make connection sign,

regroups and continues with funnel discussion

Big hole and small hole, talking into large end and
sound travels to the small hole

Briefly explains how sound goes into ear and then

into ear canal and then sends a message to brain

Checks for understanding with Does that make

sense?
students nod heads understanding this visual aid,
eager to touch funnel
Will demonstrate what students will do with
partnerslittle glitch bc students saw a clue to the
sound inside

Listen to the sound it makes and use descriptions

Repeats use descriptions

What sound did you hear that makes you think it Might benefit from some kind of brainstorming
is liquid? chart or procedure to keep students from jumping
to name object inside container:
1. liquid or solid
What makes you think its water? 2. loud or soft
3. one item or many
4. whole object
Students lean in to confirm it is water 5. what might it be?
This could all be oral or there might be a poster
with images to guide students in describing these
Teachers says Eyes up here and sometimes
sounds
says students names to refocus
Explains students will work in partners and has
another good reminder using specific classroom
students explain how they will use power of 3
language

Students see containers are numbered

Students grabs container, another scooting

forward
Teacher calms and restarts

Listen, hear, tell partner what you hear with a

description

When I say begin

What makes you think its sand?

Were not opening them

Describe what you hear

What do you hear?

Prompts: is it loud?

Talk to partner, youre only working with

What makes you say --?

Repeats describing words

Students continue to say sand not describing

sound

Partners with two at a time

What makes you think this is ice?

Quantity, loud/soft
Students want to name item inside

What makes you think?

What sounds do you hear?

Round or a circle, medium loud

Teacher has students settle down and shake softly

so as not to distract other students

Teacher changes containers between groups and

reminds students they are not guessing, just
listening with ears

Tells student she is not responding because she is

calling her name repeatedly. Reminds student to
raise hand. She does and participates
appropriately.

Has students settle and tells them she said she

told them to work in partners but they are calling
her name and tapping her. Work in partners and
talk with partner and raise hand if something to tell
teacher.

A lot of noise

Partner conversations:
It must be a necklace, no its corn
It sounds like when you try to make coffee

Students begin smelling containers

Teachers says she should have been more clear,

should have reminded you about raising hands but
it was hard to talk to someone when someone else
was tapping me. Reminds them next time to raise
hands and talk to partners, asks if they agree that
would be better.

Explains they will shake and see what it is

Shakes

Student says corn. Are these times we could ask students to expand
Teacher prompts to describe: upon their comments, telling more about these
A lot? everyday connections?
Hard or soft?

Sugar.
Soft
Just a little bit
I noticed you also use smell, another sense

Blow a bubble in your mouth reminder

Reiterates students used two sense, smell and

hearing, for this container

Hard? Soft? Little bit or a lot?

Just one. A bracelet.

Raisins.

Students raising hand to name item.

I dont want to know what you think it is. I want to

know what you hear.

Loud noises.
6 rings

Toilet paper
Asks student if she has anything to add
What makes you think?
Students use hand sanitizer, teacher has them
hold out palm of hand
Instructs them theyll be allowed to eat if they
follow directions, to feel the marshmallow

Cold, soft like toilet paper,

What does it feel like? 3x
Squishy
Try ripping apart
Stretchy
Smell like anything? Flowers

Do you know why I asked you to feel it?

To use our senses, eyes to see it, hands to touch,
nose to smell, listen with your ears, no go ahead
and use last sense taste to taste it

What does it taste like? A banana. Marshmallows.

So thats all for our lesson. Did you have fun?

Very funand yummy.
Why did you have the most fun with this activity?
Eating marshmallows.

Directs students to eat and wash hands before

returning

Debriefing session:

Teacher felt she might have been clearer about teacher expectations, specific behaviors. Did so in
the middle of lesson but it was late because they were excited and already exhibiting some
inappropriate behaviors.

Teacher had to think in the moment and found that difficult. Anticipated responses were off and it was
hard to have students think more deeply but they repeated those surface level answers. When
students did answer differently, it was proof that they were thinking more deeply.
What made you think? led to more interesting answers.
Teaching the lesson:
Time-wise, teacher didnt expect length but felt it was necessary to regroup and explain expectations
around behaviors.

Teacher was quite conscious of not using you guys and was choosing words carefully.

Structure of lesson: Hook was a good transition. Closing eyes and listening, a moment of peace.
Discussion of how to use this as a mindfulness routine.
Funnel was a good hands-on and visual aid.
Teacher might have been more exact regarding procedures for the listening activityspeaking to
each other rather than with teacher.

Discussion of importance of turn and talk routine.

Seating made it difficult for students to speak as a group and have teacher on the peripheral.
Perhaps, students would have been more apt to speak among themselves if the sequence of how to
describe sounds were more ingrained from the group practice. Teacher might have circulated to lean
in and listened to students, choosing when and when not to engage or help guide their conversation.

Marshmallow activityteacher felt they were done. Students were able to use the different senses.
Might lead to another lesson on one of the senses or even a mindfulness routine around taste.