CREATIVE LESSON REDESIGN 1

Creative Lesson Redesign

Dean Smith

Arizona State University

CREATIVE LESSON REDESIGN 2

Grade Level: 7th

Unit/Subject: Science

Instructional Plan Title Life Science

I. Planning

Lesson The seventh-grade Life Science program focuses on an awareness of the

Summary and living world’s environmental problems, transitions, cycles, trends and
Focus: connections. Students will draw on these fundamental concepts by
investigating the structure of cells and the classification of species;
interactions within the ecosystem between species, and changes as a result of
genetic knowledge. The program combines creative research, algebra,
content-specific reading, writing, and technology skills. Our goal in science is
to prepare the students for the fast-changing future while mastering the
learning standards.
CREATIVE LESSON REDESIGN 3

Instructional Teacher materials:

Materials,
Equipment, · Representation sheet for fractions (class set)
and
· Pre-made fraction representation pictures/cards (for visual aid-simple
Technology:
comparison board post-perfect for students at lower levels) (fasten this onto
index card for better durability)

· Worksheet “Gummy Worm Stretching!” (class set)

Homework:

· Working Paper (class set)

· Student research sheet (card of index)

Student Materials:

· Technology 3 ring binder ½ inch or 1 inch – used on research materials

· Planner

· Book/magazine, or other content suitable for reading

· White loose-leaf notebook paper (well recycled material)

· Writing utensil

Classroom and The educational standards of the students differ in classroom:

Student
Factors: · Gifted learners

· Average (1-2 years above grade level)

· On target pupils (average)

· Off goal student (down 1-2 grade level)

CREATIVE LESSON REDESIGN 4

National / State Everything species need to live and grow energy and matter. To grasp this
Learning definition as the basis:
Standards:
· Students recognize that plants are the primary source of energy and matter
entering most food chains

· Students know that producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores,

omnivores and decomposers) are interconnected in food chains and food
webs, and may compete with one another for ecosystem resources

· Students are familiar with decomposers like many pillows, insects and
microorganisms recycling matter from dead plants and animals

Living organisms rely on each other for survival and on their environment. To
grasp this definition as the basis:

· Students recognize that ecosystems can be characterized by living and

non-living elements.

· Students are aware that some species of plants and animals live well in any
particular climate, some live less well and some cannot survive.

· Students are aware that many plants depend on animals for pollination and
dispersal of seed, and that animals depend on food and shelter.

· Students are conscious that most microorganisms do not cause disease and
many are beneficial.

Specific Learning Targets/Objectives:

The expectations of Life Science continue to concentrate on student development when it
comes to recognizing the essence in research. This scientific view describes the concept of
creating and evaluating theories of nature using observation, experimentation, models, facts and
systematic processes. The essence of science incorporates the principles that scientific theories
are founded on critical thinking; are subject to rules of proof; are compatible with empirical,
inferential, and experimental proof; are open to reasoned criticism; and are subject to
refinement and change with the advent of new scientific evidence. The essence of science
requires the idea that science can explain the meaning of behavior and foresee future
consequences, but can not be used to answer all questions.
CREATIVE LESSON REDESIGN 5
Lesson Focus Question:

Academic Key Vocabulary: Instruction and Development:

Language: Herbivores By planning and carrying out study in which the
Carnivores subject can demonstrate an understanding of
Omnivores scientific reasoning, logic and the nature of
Decomposers science:
Fungi a) Data is grouped into tables showing
repeated tests and means
Insects
b) Development of a multi-attribute
Microorganisms
classification scheme
Pollination
c) Triple beam and electronic weights,
thermometers, metric rulers, graduated
cylinders and test equipment are used for data
collection;
d) Models and simulations designed to
explain and describe phenomena
e) Define sources of error in the
experiment
f) Describes variable dependency,
independent variables and constants
g) Theoretical variables are checked and
tests replicated
h) Data is ordered, graphically shared,
interpreted and used to make predictions
i) Data patterns are described, interpreted
and analyzed; and
j) Current innovations are used to
strengthen Life Science values
CREATIVE LESSON REDESIGN
Students will take a quiz composed of multiple choice questions.
Summative
Assessment:
Instruction
Group discussion
Interactive whiteboard game
PowerPoint about the different
species and the life cycle
6
Differentiation Strategies
Activities Assessment
Students will engage in the IEP/504 students and ELL
interaction process by looking students’ complete
at pictures from a PowerPoint evaluations by special
lesson and asking questions. computer programs.
In the Explore phase, students
will listen to a book about the
Life Cycle.
Students will engage in
practice the Life Cycle of
species during the explain
phase and discuss what they
see.
Students will take part in the
elaborate phase with an
interactive whiteboard activity
and watch a PowerPoint about
the life cycle.
The students will complete
their assessment during the
evaluate phase.
II. Instruction
CREATIVE LESSON REDESIGN 7
The 5Es Probing Questions

Engage The lesson will start by discussing the Life What is a life cycle?
Cycle of different species and if the Life
Cycle is different for each species. Next,
I’ll ask questions about the Life Cycle and
how it is important.

Have an open class discussion in the

beginning of class and have students share
what they THINK they know about life
cycles. Write down their major points and
use it to compare to the class discussion at
the end.

Explore The instructor will set up a gallery walk Is the species herbivores, carnivores,
where photographs of various species' life omnivores, or decomposers?
cycles. In a group, the students will walk in
a circle in a clockwise direction. As the
students look at the images, they will write
down their thoughts in their notebook.

Play music while the students are walking

around.

Explain After walking through the gallery, the What kind of species did you
teacher randomly chooses a group to observe? How do you know?
illustrate their discovery. What kind of
species did you observe? How do you
know? If the group cannot provide clear
explanations, it can be interjected and
clarified by another group and they may
use their notes to support their argument.
CREATIVE LESSON REDESIGN 8

Elaborate The teacher will ask the students to think Do you think the life cycle of a
about the life cycle of humans before the human is the same as an insect?
lesson ends. Do you think the life cycle of
a human is the same as an insect? We will
briefly address their observation at the end
of the day or the beginning of the next day.

Have another open class discussion at the

end where students share what they know
about the life cycle and write down the key
points. Compare the lists from the
discussion at the start of class and the end
of class to emphasize how much growth
occurred.

Evaluate Students will be “quizzed” by participating in a kahoot. Scores will be then

collected by the teacher after.

This lesson is rather well written. It’s creative because the teacher could have just

presented a slideshow of pictures and showed students pictures of different species’ life cycles.

Instead, they chose to present the pictures as if students were in a museum and doing a gallery

walk. By having the students get up and move around for the gallery walk, this lesson also takes

into account the 17 minute rule as students will not just be sitting at their desks for the entire

time.

One thing that this lesson plan could have improved on is the use of music. While the

students are doing the gallery walk the teacher could be playing music for the students. Some

students and people work and perform better when they have music playing. Music could also be
CREATIVE LESSON REDESIGN 9
something that turns the class more into a community. If the teacher played a playlist of

everyones’ favorite songs or music that everyone liked, students could end up bonding moreover

this assignment. This improved sense of community and friendship helps improve the social

interaction with students and the lesson. The lesson does a great job of incorporating social

interaction with classroom discussions, the walk around, and group work, but by adding music

we can improve it even more.

One major area that this lesson plan could improve on was the evaluation section of this

lesson plan. Some students are horrible at taking tests, they could know most of the content, but

just be bad at taking tests. Whether students get too stressed out, panic, and forget everything

they learn, tests aren’t representative of what the student actually knows and understands. The

requirement is that “students will take a quiz composed of multiple choice questions.” It doesn’t

specify how they take a quiz, or that it has to be the usual pencil and paper quiz. This allows us

to be creative and to implement a kahoot for their evaluation. Kahoots are less stressful, and

more fun than the usual quiz. Due to these reasons, students are less likely to feel stressed out

and perform better on this “quiz”.

The safety and security aspect of this lesson plan could also be improved on. By having

an open classroom discussion in the beginning where students are able to share their thoughts,

even if they’re incorrect, demonstrates that this is a safe place for people to make mistakes and

that they’re here to learn. When the lesson plan said “If the group cannot provide clear

explanations, it can be interjected and clarified by another group and they may use their notes”

this demonstrates that students can help out other students to ensure that the concept is grasped

and that it is okay if they don’t have all the answers. The open class conversation at the end also
CREATIVE LESSON REDESIGN 10
helps to create this safe learning environment because it checks for understanding too. This

lesson offers several checks of students’ understanding with the discussions and presentations.

To reiterate, this lesson plan has already taken steps to become as brain compatible as

possible, however, there were several more things that we could add to this lesson to make it

even better for the students.