Gabi Cohen

TLS 314

Professor Gunckel

Benchmark Assignment

28, April 2019

Analyzing and Reflecting on Your Lesson Benchmark Assignment

 Science Teaching Observation Feedback & Reflection

Student Teacher Name(s): Gabi Cohen Name of Person Providing Feedback: Gabi
Cohen

Date of Lesson: 4/15/19 Lesson Title/Topic: Balancing Paper Crayfish

Criteria Strengths Stretches to work on and

Driving Question:
Was there a driving question? Was it presented
to students? Were students able to respond
with their ideas? Did the activities address the “What does it mean when
driving question?
Scientists’ Science & I-AIM:
Were experiences provided before
explanations? Were patterns made clear and
evident? Were scientific explanations developed explore the paper crayfish and
(if applicable to lesson)? Did students engage in walk around the classroom
scientific practices? If so, which ones?
Using Student Science Toolkits
Were student science toolkits (ideas and funds
of knowledge) elicited? Did teachers use and
build on student science toolkits and
responses? Did teacher use open-ended
questions to guide and connect to student
ideas for next time
I asked the driving question I can ask students where they
before my mentor got the have seen balance before to
video to start which was, connect to their funds of
knowledge.
something is balanced?”
Students understood the idea
of balance but had a better
idea after the lesson was over
and were able to give a proper
definition. Yes, the lesson
addressed the driving question
since it was all about exploring
balance.
Yes, my goal for this lesson I could have identified the fact
after the introduction, was to that they were exploring and
allow students enough time to making meaning before they
came up with explanations and
asked them if they think they
(video part 2). They had time could have come up with
to explore before they came explanations without the
up with explanations. balancing portion of this lesson
and elicited their ideas about
that.
When I brought out the I could have asked more open-
clothespins, I asked them ended questions.
where they have seen these
before in their daily lives.
(Video 2.5 39 seconds in)
thinking? Was teacher responsive to student
questions and comments?
Literacy Integration
Were there opportunities for students to read,
write, or talk during the lesson? Were the
literacy goals met? If so, how? Were there both
small and whole group talk strategies used? Did
teacher use talk moves to engage students in
talk?
This was not video recorded,
but after our exploration and
group discussion of discovering
explanations about balance, I
did a vocabulary lesson where
I introduced terms like
crayfish, balance, balancing
point, counterweights, etc.
I could have found a book on
balance and read it to them
before I introduced the lesson
but because of time I did not
have time for that. I could have
also done small group sharing in
addition to whole group which is
what I mainly did.
Criteria
Student Needs and Accommodations:
Were all students’ needs met? Were
accommodations made for ELL students? Were
accommodations made for students with special
needs?
Lesson Closing: Was there a closing to the
lesson? Did the closing return to the driving
question. Were there opportunities for students
to reflect on their learning?
Learning Goals and Assessment:
Did the lesson address the stated learning
goals? How did the teacher assess student
progress towards reaching the learning goals?
What evidence is there that the learning goals
were reached? Include evidence from formative
and summative assessments.
Preparation, Management, & Safety:
Were teachers prepared? Was the instruction
organized and smooth? Were safety and
behavior expectations clearly set? Were
directions and procedures clearly stated and
modeled? Were all students participating? Was
time available used effectively and fully?
Additional Comments
Your Strengths Stretches to work on and
(include evidence) ideas for next time
I made sure to model the N/A
activity numerous times. No
ELL students and only one
student with special needs who
was working with his special
education during this science
lesson.
Yes, when we came back to The one thing I didn’t think to
the rug to discuss, talk about mention that my mentor brought
vocabulary and wrap up the up during this lesson was the
lesson, I made sure we came idea that when something is
back to the idea of balance balanced the weight always
and what causes something to needs to be on the bottom.
be balanced.
Yes, students were able to say I could have done an individual
when something is balanced assessment (formative) to ensure
and after my mentor brought each student understood the
up the location of the weights, lesson in addition to the class
they were able to talk about discussion where I elicited
how if the weight is on top, it’ll students ideas (summative).
fall over. When my student
came up to me and showed
me that he was balancing the
crayfish on his ear, I told him
it needed to be on a balancing
point and that his ear is not
firm enough for that (16
seconds into video 3).
I felt very prepared going into N/A
this lesson and created a safe
and fun learning environment.
My students loved it!
Rubric for Teaching Analysis
Category &
Criteria Your Points & Comments
Points
 Strengths are described in detail in all
categories
 Specific, detailed stretches or ideas for future
teaching are noted for all categories
Science  Sufficient evidence is provided for strengths for
Teaching all categories. Evidence is explained. Evidence
Analysis Sheet is noted on Go React video or sufficiently
described.
15 points  Responses in all categories respond to guiding
questions and indicate deep understanding of
course concepts
 Analysis for all categories is thorough and
insightful.
Lesson Debrief
 Observation Feedback & Reflection sheet from
& Reflection
mentor teacher is included
with mentor
 OR notes from debrief session with mentor
teacher
teacher is included.
 Mentor teacher signature is included.
5 points
 Selected video clip is at least 5 minutes and
relevant to teaching scientists science.
 Provides learning goals, driving question, and
Video Sharing
lesson overview to peers.
10 points
 Provide thoughtful comments on all peers’
GoReact videos.
 All comments to peers relate to course
concepts.
 Responds all prompts thoughtfully and
completely.
 Connects to evidence from experience,
teaching video, debrief session with mentor
Post-Teaching
teacher, and sharing session with peers.
Reflection
 Demonstrates deep understanding of course
concepts
25 points
 Connects to course readings, including proper
bibliographic citation and reference list.
 Demonstrates deep reflective analysis of own
teaching experiences.
Total Points =
55 points

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 Reflection Paper

After teaching the FOSS kit science lesson on balancing paper crayfish, I feel very good

about the lesson and feel prepared to teach science lessons going into my first year of

teaching. Within this lesson, I made sure to connect to students’ funds of knowledge, pull from

their science toolkits, allow them to make meaningful experiences before their explanations,

and ask open-ended questions. I learned much about teaching science to early learners using

scientists’ science and student science toolkits from planning and teaching my lesson. I learned

that we can introduce big concepts at an early age such as engineering. Teaching science to

young children should be introduced in the same manner that real scientists conduct their

experiments as it gives young children that sense of competence and makes them feel like a

real scientist conducting a real investigation. Having students make those meaningful

experiences before they come up with their own explanations, helps them to discover those

ideas based on real life experiences.

After teaching my lesson and seeing how effective scientists’ science is with young

children, it showed me how much they not only enjoy those experiences but how much it helps

them understand the concept behind the lesson. My students understood how to balance a

crayfish on a balancing point using either their fingers or another part of their body, they

understood how the weight needs to be on the bottom and not the top or it will fall over, and

they understood that the weight at the bottom needs to be evenly distributed for it to stay

balanced or the concept of counterbalance. All of these things were comprehendible to my 1st

graders because they were able to explore the materials hands on. Although not all students

are visual learners, every student in science will more easily understand the concept of balance

and all other concepts by making those meaningful experiences.

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 Connecting this lesson back to the readings I have read this semester, I connected to

one strongly and that was Experiences, Patterns and Explanations. “Scientists find patterns in

millions of experiences with phenomena, then develop a few explanations to account for those

patterns” (47). This connects because we are teaching children to be young scientists and it

shows the importance of why we do so. I have learned so much in this teaching science to

young children course and feel more than prepared going into my first year of teaching.