Science Lesson Plan

Introduction to Solids
Time Needed: 1 hour 15 minutes
Lesson Overview
- This lesson is about what the properties of a solid are. It is a stand-alone
lesson, and the first lesson that introduces the students to solids. Throughout
this lesson, there will be whole-group discussions (science talk to start),
partner talks (at the end discussion), group work (while investigation the 7
different objects), and individual work (when completing the sentence strips
with their descriptive words of solids). Students will note patterns about
solids based off their investigation. Students will construct an explanation for
the properties of a solid.
Materials
Teacher Materials:
- 15 Sentence sheets handout
- Written labels for each object
- 3 cloth squares of different sizes and textures
- 2 plastic triangles of different sizes
- 2 plastic tubes of different sizes
- 1 wood cylinder
- 3 different craft sticks
- 3 different screws
- 1 insulated wire
Student Materials:
- Pencil
Preparation
- All materials will be placed together on the back table
- Arrange students in groups of 4 for the investigation
- Have one student be the “getter” to get the materials and take them
back to their group
- Have the same “getter” return the materials before the whole group
discussion
Safety
- General safety precautions and responsible behavior is expected
- Same rules as any other time in the classroom expected
Lesson
1 Title: Science Talk/Introduce the I-AIM Stage & Function
driving question Question & Elicit Students’ Initial
Ideas
Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what
the teacher says/does.
1. Gather students in a whole group circle on the carpet
2. Tell them we will be doing a science talk and we expect all listening ears on.
3. The driving question will be “How would you describe a solid?”
4. Conduct the science talk
a. Listen to all student ideas without giving an explanation/correct
answer
5. Encourage all students to participate
6. Write down some student ideas on the board so we can compare initial
answers to final answers

Assessment:
In this activity we will be looking for active participation in each student by
expecting an answer or active listening in all students. This will be an informal pre-
assessment by looking to see students initial ideas about solids.

Accommodations/Adaptations:
- As long of a wait time as needed
- Help students clarify their thinking
- “Can you say more about that?”
- “What do you mean by that?”
- “Can you give an example?”
- “Why do you think that?”
- “What’s your evidence?”
- “Does everyone agree with that idea? Why or why not?”
- Don’t force participation, only for those that are comfortable

2 Title: Investigation Pt. 1- Distribute I-AIM Stage & Function

four new objects Explore and Investigation &
Explore Phenomenon for Patterns

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what

the teacher says/does.
1. Tell students we will now be investigating different objects
a. What do they feel like?
b. What do they look like?
c. How would you describe them?
2. Organize students into groups of four on the carpet
3. Assign one student in each group to be the “getter” of supplies
 4. Have each group move to a table
5. Have the “getter” get the bag of supplies from the back table
6. Give students 10 minutes to investigate the set of objects (Cloth squares,
plastic triangles, plastic tubes, and wood cylinders)
7. No recording for investigation Pt.1 → Just remember your observations and ideas to
share later

Assessment:
- Ongoing formative assessment
- Walk around while students are investigating to see if they are noticing
the properties of solids
- Are students noticing that solids have a definite shape/relatively
unchanging shape?
- Are students noticing that solids can be in many different forms?
- Cloth vs plastic tube vs wood cylinder, etc.
Accommodations/Adaptations:
- Support for ELL’S → group work, peer support and translations, hands-on activity, allow
code switching , use of real objects, labels, and collaborative group

3 Title: I-AIM Stage & Function

Whole group discussion → Identify patterns, Explore and Investigate &
Identify Patterns
introduce vocabulary (properties of solids)

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what

the teacher says/does.
1. Have the getter return the supplies to the back table
2. Bring all groups back to the carpet to share observations
3. Make a list of words on the board that students used to describe the solid
objects
4. Class identifies patterns from the observations
5. Use student generated words to introduce new vocabulary
a. First introduce property: things we know about objects by looking at
them or feeling them
b. Use student generated words to generate vocabulary of the properties
of a solid. Possibilities include:
i. Flexible: capable of bending
ii. Rigid: Opposite of flexible
iii. Soft
iv. Hard
v. Rough
vi. Smooth
vii. Transparent
 viii. Flat
ix. Pointed
6. List whatever new vocabulary words are generated on the board
Assessment:
- Formative assessment for during discussion
- Can students identify patterns from the observations?
Accommodations/Adaptations:
ELL support: peer translation, multi modes of representation, labels, collaborative
group, monitoring tone and speech

4 Title: I-AIM Stage & Function

Investigation Pt. 2- Distribute three new Explain & Students Explain
objects and Sentence Sheets Patterns

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what

the teacher says/does.
1. Tell students they will be investigating three new objects and filling out one
sentence strip per object with their properties
2. Have each group return to the table
3. Hand out three sentence strips per student
4. Have the same “getter” get the set of new objects from the back table
5. Give students ten minutes to investigate the three new objects and fill out
their sentence strips

Assessment:
- Summative assessment
- Can students fill out the sentence strips with their newly learned
vocabulary words for the properties of a solid?

Accommodations/Adaptations:
Sentence frames
Adaptation: Sentence frame not record observation sheet
Use of real objects and cultural artifacts

5 Title: I-AIM Stage & Function

Explain & Introduce Scientific
 Final Discussion → Construct an explanation and Ideas
Reflect & reflect on changes in
reflect on other solids in their community ideas
Apply & Apply to Similar Contexts

Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what

the teacher says/does.
1. Return to the driving question → How would you describe a solid?
a. Did students use new vocabulary in their sentence strips to describe
the solids?
b. Have students construct an explanation to answer the driving question
i. What are the properties of a solid?
ii. Ideal response: Solids are characterized by structural rigidity
and resistance to changes of shape.
c. Have students compare new knowledge to initial ideas from the
science talk
2. Closing for lesson:
a. Apply scientific ideas to new situations by asking questions
i. What solids do you see in this classroom?
ii. What solids do you see in this school?
iii. What solids do you see in the community?
b. Have students draw or write about a solid they see in their community

Assessment:
- Formative assessment
- Can students use correct vocabulary to describe a solid?
- Did students construct an explanation for what is a solid?
- Summative assessment
- Are sentence frames filled out correctly?
- Their picture of a solid → is it a solid?

Accommodations/Adaptations:
- Peer translation and talk buddy
- Funds of knowledge
- Collaborative group
- Monitoring tone and speech used
- Draw instead of write for ELL support

Student Science Toolkits

Our lesson connects to students ideas because it is built all on student ideas. The
word bank is created by students ideas. It also builds on students ideas because
with a science talk we will begin right away hearing from them. Also, the
investigation begins with little knowledge on explanations therefore, the students
will be experiencing and using their own knowledge to make observations. On top
of that, we will be using objects that can be found in a typical home. This allows the
students to have some familiarity to the objects they observe. Also, in the end of
the lesson when we ask about other solids that can be found in the community, the
students will reference things they use with peers like a skateboard.

Lesson Artifacts

Bibliography/Sources
“Teachers Guide: Solids and Liquids FOSS Kit Textbook”
“I- AIM Chart and Model Handout”
“Supports for ELLs in Science Handout”
“I-AIM and Assessment Handout”