Running head: STEP STANDARD FIVE 1

STEP Standard Five: Implementation of Instructional Unit

Gina Peebles

Grand Canyon University; SEC-590

Student Teaching: Secondary Education

October 27, 2019

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STEP Standard Five: Implementation of Instructional Unit

Video Recording Link: https://youtu.be/zo7YE79-xuU

Summary of Unit Implementation:

Day 1 – Utilizing the whiteboards to have the students practice drawing Bohr models

went well. The students began to compete among tables as to who had the best representation of

the model. The reversed process of the exit ticket threw a few of the students off, but we still got

87% correct. The engagement strategies used were effective during the group work, but I needed

to utilize more proximity and reminding when it came time for individual work.

Day 2 – The “Do Now” was to identify each subatomic particle and explain what they do.

Then we went over the exit ticket from the day before to make sure that we caught the students

that did not get it correct. I used popcorn annotation to chuck their reading of two full pages in

the textbook. Then we worked together on a couple of questions in the book. Gradual release of

responsibility ran well and helped the students to feel confident in their work.

Day 3 – The students made connections and had a good open discussion about

observations. When we came back together, I had the students use response chaining, they

responded to DOK two and three level questions in their groups aloud. The Venn diagram was a

success, and journal checks revealed a good understanding of the material. The students had not

used technology for a while, so we had a few hiccups with the NearPod; however, we got the

issues resolved quickly and did not lose a lot of class time. The exit ticket focused on identifying

evidence, we ended up getting 92% correct.

Day 4 – This lesson was a focus on claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER) so that the

students would have a solid foundation for me to use constructivism when doing the lab, the next
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day. We used choral response and repetition when conducting CERs on the board together. This

went very well, and the exit ticket showed a marked improvement on their CER technique.

Day 5 – This lab day was a huge success overall. There were a couple of periods that

were quiet and easily engaged, while there were others that were loud, and we had to spend time

waiting for them to listen. The students often held each other accountable because they wanted to

continue the lab. The CERs were completed and helped the students to reach conclusions that

they all agreed upon.

Summary of Student Learning:

Day 1 – I noticed that if the student annotated, they got the questions right. The students

that were off task missed the independent practice that solidified this part of the lesson. Because

the students that were off task did not get the exit ticket right, I needed to add a slide of the exit

ticket into Day 2’s PowerPoint so that we could go over it. Students were able to identify when

an electron’s outer shell is full and associated that with non-reactivity.

Day 2 – The adjustments made to the PowerPoint made a difference for the students that

were off task on the day prior. By addressing this issue immediately, the students were now back

on track. The students were able to relate groups and periods to the periodic table and identify

which atom is being shown without knowing how many protons it has. When conducting CFUs I

established that each student knew where an atom forms a bond and define if an element was

reactive or not.

Day 3 – Students were able to identify the reactant and the product side of a chemical

equation. They also could determine if a chemical equation supported the Law of Conservation

of Mass. This was a good lesson for the students because I was able to build on the Law of

Conservation of Energy. It was the same type of idea and the students caught on quickly.
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Day 4 – Students did well identifying examples and non-examples of chemical reactions.

Physical changes should have been prior knowledge from 6th grade. However, some students did

not remember what the difference was. We spent a little extra time going over these issues, and I

used popsicle sticks to call on random students to give these examples. If the student did not

know an example, they could call on another student to help them.

Day 5 – The students did well coming up with the safety rules in their “do now” exercise

at the beginning of class. The CERs were excellent due to the earlier practice on day 4. The

students enjoyed being in the lab; however, moving our class downstairs was a little disorienting

for some of our special needs students. We had an extra hand with our special education

instructor to help keep them on task and engaged.

Reflection of Video Recording:

I feel as though I need to increase my wait time after I ask questions. Within the first few

moments of my video I answered my own question twice. I believe I left out my pause because I

was a little nervous that I would not get enough of the lesson on the videotape. But I have

noticed since that I do tend to answer my own question at times instead of waiting for the

students to make the connections themselves.

The students that I have in this lab missed the lab because they were either suspended or

skipping. This knowledge allowed me to prepare multiple engagement strategies to keep their

attention. These strategies help to create a flow of information back and forth between myself

and the students. I also pause for the students to explore and discuss their observations and the

implications the information has on the experiment. When a student has a question, I do not

answer right away, I allow their peers to share their ideas about the question. I make corrections

if it is necessary and encourage the students to teach each other. This is a strategy I can continue
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to build on in the future. When students teach each other, it empowers them and the student that

is being taught. They will retain the information much better. I believe that if I have mastered

this process, students will be able to teach each other the material.