Weathering and Erosion

Emily Fellows, Fourth Grade, Science

Introductory Statement:

I am student teaching in Godwin Heights Public Schools. Specifically, I am at North Godwin Elementary with 24 fourth grade students. We
have 5 CI special education students. There are 18 English language learners in our classroom. There is a big emphasis in our class and
school on making sure everyone is welcome, valued, and made to feel important in our community. The majority of our students love to be
very active, with PE being the favorite special. We have a group of very reserved students that are soft spoken and a group of big
personalities that love to chat any chance they have. I will be teaching science for my instructional project.

PRE-PLANNING -

● Standard(s) addressed in the lessons (state if they are CCSS, Next Gen, etc AND write in which lesson it
was addressed)
o 4-ESS2-1 Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering
or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation**

● Pre-assessment document (copy & paste or hyperlink)

o https://docs.google.com/forms/d/157QmtFeZ-DKsLYlY54ILIZEFDB90rAvLP85qtkjYC1s/viewform?edi
t_requested=true

● Post-assessment document (copy & paste or hyperlink)

o https://docs.google.com/forms/d/157QmtFeZ-DKsLYlY54ILIZEFDB90rAvLP85qtkjYC1s/viewform?edi
t_requested=true

PRE-ASSESSMENT:

● Link/Include: Tidey- Weathering and Erosion Quiz (Responses)

● Reflection of pre-assessment with aggregated data:
This assessment shows me my class as a whole has a lack of background knowledge on this subject. None of the
students showed mastery of the topics, so as I present this information in my lessons, I will be mindful that this is all
brand new to them. My students tend to have less prior knowledge when it comes to science topics compared to other
subjects, so this unit will be the same. Some of my students have ideas about hardened sand forming rocks, which is
something I can build off of in my instruction. Many of the students made it clear to me that they were guessing while
answering multiple choice questions and most wrote “I don’t know” on short answer questions. This was the outcome I
expected and it will leave room for lots of growth!

● 20 students took the pre assessment.

 ● There were 7 questions.

● The pre assessment class mean (average) was 7.3%.

● Set a SMART Goal (Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-Based Goals)

By the end of my instructional plan at least 60% of my students will achieve a score of 50% or higher
on the post-assessment

OUTLINE of THREE LESSONS - provide a general scope and sequence of what you plan to teach in the three
lessons, using data from the pre-assessment to support your decision-making
● Pre-Assessment
● Lesson One (10/24)
○ Weathering vs. Erosion - learning what they are and what the difference is
■ assess prior knowledge
■ Illustrate concepts
■ create working definitions with partners
■ apply to real-world situation
■ final understood definitions written
● Lesson Two (10/25)
○ Processes of Weathering - learning how it occurs
■ Mystery Science resource
■ Ice wedging, root wedging, and repeated hits weathering processes
■ Illustrate ice wedging/root wedging
■ Sugar experiment - symbolize broken rock pieces rolling down mountain
■ Record observations and compare to real rocks weathering process
● Lesson Three (10/27)
○ Weathering and Erosion in the Real World - learning how to identify weathering and erosion in the
world around us and what could have caused it
■ Split students into 2 groups to rotate stations
■ One group watches a science show explaining examples of weathering and erosion
processes in real life while drawing/writing about what they are seeing
■ One group goes out to the playground to observe how these processes of weathering and
erosion are changing it. Explore/facilitate discussion of examples we find. Record
observations and analyzations on their worksheet.
● Post-Assessment (10/28) - same as pre-assessment on Google Classroom
● Reteaching/New Teaching

OVERVIEW - brief summaries of how you have or will address the following using your pre-assessment and
3 lesson plans

● Written Explanation of Unit (content area, unit, prescribed curriculum, importance of content, students’
exposure to content leading up to this learning, etc.)
o This earth science unit about weathering and erosion is being done through Battle Creek Science.
The students have very little to no prior knowledge about the subject. These will be their first science
lessons of the year.
● How Key Instructional Plan Components are Included In Lessons

o Use of technology to maximize student learning (describe at least 1 tool/strategy)

▪ This website’s video slides are very well done and lead our students through real world
examples of what weathering looks like allows time for discussion throughout. It perfectly
segways into their own hands-on experiment. It offers clear instruction on difficult topics with
imagery to help our students understand (especially EL students). The continued visual aids
for the experiment help with management of the experiment as well to ensure everyone is
able to see what their task is step by step and follow along.
https://mysteryscience.com/rocks/mystery-3/weathering-erosion/57?code=NDUyMDc4OA&t
=student&chapter=all#slide-id-0

o 21st Century Skills (describe how each of the following is present in the IP)
▪ Critical Thinking - Students will be given questions to solve using their acquired knowledge,
such as how do you think the Grand Canyon was formed based on the way it looks? Real
world applications help them use their knowledge critically.
▪ Communication - Students will regularly participate in turn and talks and other group
discussions to practice sharing their ideas verbally. They will also communicate their
individual thoughts through writing.
▪ Collaboration - There is partner work in each lesson and it is particularly pertinent in the
experiments.
▪ Creativity - Students are asked to use their own words to share what they’ve learned rather
than memorizing given definitions. They also draw several times to represent their ideas.

o High Leverage Practices (describe how you use at least 2 practices to ensure equitable learning
occurs)
▪ Specifying and reinforcing productive student behavior-giving expectations of what students
should be doing with their partners (being accepting, a good listener, and staying on task)
and rewarding with pride tickets when those expectations are met. Correct off task behavior.
▪ Eliciting and interpreting individual students’ thinking-Jot lots will allow me to see where each
student is in their thinking and understanding of the core takeaways of my lessons. I can use
this to find patterns of thinking in the class as well as to create effective groupings.

o Grouping strategies used to meet learners’ needs and enhance instruction (describe at least 2)
▪ Allowing students who have less of a grasp on the subject to be grouped together to watch
the review video before doing inquiry work to give them more of a basis to work with.
▪ Work with elbow partners for experiments-this is a brand new seating arrangement
purposely next to students they won’t be too chatty with and can work together well.

o Engagement strategies used to engage students and enhance learning (describe at least 3)
▪ Students walk around the room to music and freeze by a partner to share ideas when the
music stops. Opportunity to share what their partner said.
▪ Pulling students to demonstrate in front of the class with fun objects (hammer, smarties,
broom)
 ▪ Everyone has a job during hands on experiments

o Support of English Language Learners and Special Populations (describe at least 3 specific EL
and/or UDL strategies)
▪ Including images on the board with instructions for experiments to make following along
easier.
▪ Teacher small group work with students that are not at the level to complete an experiment
independently (CI students)
▪ Allowing for “coaches” with written responses-students that finish quickly may help struggling
students find the right words.

o Connection to Real-World Problems and Local and/or Global Issues (evidence of culturally relevant
connections based on students’ cultural backgrounds)
▪ Students will explore the playground for evidence of erosion and weathering to connect it to
their real lives.

o Content Area Integration (evidence of at least 2 ways content has been integrated)
▪ English Language Arts - Practice restating questions in answers and writing complete
sentences throughout worksheets explaining our observations.
▪ Music/Art -
▪ Math -
▪ Social/Emotional - Teamwork/working with partners we don’t choose. Teaching students not
to avoid working with others that they aren’t close with. We are all valuable members of the
class and we treat each other with respect by listening to each other’s ideas.

o Differentiation (evidence of at least 1 way learning has been differentiated in each of the following)
▪ Content - Making sure students showing less understanding receive review before
attempting to identify real world examples.
▪ Product - Students will have the option to draw or write about their observations
▪ Environment - Some students will work in a teacher’s small group instead of partners to get
the help that best suits their learning needs.
▪ Process - some students will have opportunities to be coaches to further their understanding
and some will have opportunities to be coached to gain support from peers.

o Formative Assessments (briefly describe 3 ways in-the-moment assessment will occur)

▪ Partner shares →share what your partner said
▪ Sticky note jot lot definitions
▪ Draw a quick picture of…

THREE COMPLETE LESSON PLANS - Ready To Teach

Lesson One:

● 5E LP Form 1
Lesson Two:

● 5E LP Form 2

Lesson Three:

● 5E LP Form 3

THREE COMPLETE LESSONS TAUGHT WITH MODIFICATIONS & REFLECTIONS

Lesson One Data & Reflection:

● Student work sample(s)

● Formative Assessment(s) used with each lesson taught: Students wrote the definitions of weathering and
erosion in their own words on a sticky note and placed it on our jot lot.

● Data from formative assessments: All students had definitions that reflected the meaning of weathering and
erosion except for one student that said, “weathering is like telling the weather.” A few students didn’t specify
that they were talking about rocks or what was being “broken down” and “moved.”

● Reflection of data and instruction:

o Responses to Questions at End of Lesson One - 5E LP Form 1

Most students were able to write down an accurate definition of weathering and erosion on their final
sticky notes

In our next lesson, I want to start a vocab anchor chart while we review the terms

The students struggled a little with the initial sticky note to see what they knew. They haven’t done
that before so making sure expectations for that were clearer and low stakes would have been
helpful.

The students got a bit distracted by the camera so I will point that out before starting and ask them to
ignore it next time.
 I could tell they were wanting to be very chatty (which they always are for that last bit of the day after
recess), but I think the quick pace of moving them around and keeping them busy helped keep them
engaged.

A few students did not have much written at all on their final sticky notes so I’m not sure if they didn’t
know what to write or just didn’t want to. Tomorrow I can be mindful to check in with them as they do
their experiment to see if they are understanding the concepts.

I had a couple students that were already diving into what they thought caused weathering and
erosion before I spoke much on it, so I will keep those in mind as I walk around tomorrow to
challenge them to think deeper about the questions with their experiment. I also have a way for them
to further the experiment tomorrow already if they zip through it.

I was surprised how well so many of them connected the Grand Canyon to the weathering and
erosion concepts on their own and were excited to share their thoughts. Most students don’t have
much of a concept of how weathering really happens (which is expected now) so I will be sure to
make that clear in our next lesson.

o Instructional Decisions Made Based on Data Collected - I will be sure to emphasize that rocks are
what is being weathered and eroded when giving instruction.

o Comparison to Pre-Assessment Data - Students were unaware of the definitions on the

pre-assessment and are now showing a good understanding of the concepts.

o Changes/Modifications to Lesson Two - 5E LP Form 2 written in red

Lesson Two Data & Reflection:

● Student work sample(s)

● Formative Assessment(s) used with each lesson taught:
o Ice wedging/root wedging-students could choose one to draw a picture of what it was and place it on
the jot lot.
o Sugar Shake Recording Sheet

● Data from formative assessments: All students drew an accurate depiction of either root or ice wedging. After
the sugar shake experiment, students recognized how the sugar cubes were slowly breaking down from
hitting together, leaving little bits in the bottom of the cup and rounding out the cubes. About half didn’t seem
to make the connection that this can happen with rocks too, just slower. Some students wrote that the rocks
wouldn’t do this because they are too hard.

● Reflection of data and instruction:

o Responses to Questions at End of Lesson Two - 5E LP Form 2

Students successfully drew images reflecting what root and ice wedging are. After the sugar shake
experiment, students completed their reflection questions and participated in the whole group
discussion relating how this experiment illustrates weathering with rocks.

A common misconception I would like to address in my next lesson is that the rocks wouldn’t break
down like the sugar because they are much harder. I clarified that it takes longer, but rocks still break
down like the sugar in our discussion and will continue to emphasize this.

Students were very excited about “Doug” from the video (unexpected surprise) and engaged in the
activity/video. They were able to complete the activity successfully in their partnerships.

This ended up taking 3 days to do. I was expecting it would take 2 between the video and
experiment. Students were having a very chatty day on day 2 and so we had to stop for redirecting
which used up a lot of our time. Day 3 had a much better flow of instructions and student work. We
did it during the morning rather than the end of the day.

The learning didn’t appear too easy for any students. They all did surprisingly well with the root/ice
wedging, so I am excited to connect that to real-life examples tomorrow. Those that struggled a bit
weren’t making the full connection between the sugar shake activity and real rocks. About half of the
students could use more understanding of the lengthier process.
 o Instructional Decisions Made Based on Data Collected - Emphasize to students in my instruction that
these processes they observe in experiments happen in real life to rocks, just in a much slower way
usually.

o Comparison to Pre-Assessment and/or Lesson One Data - Students were previously unable to give
or identify any examples of weathering. Now most are able to explain three different types (ice
wedging, root wedging, and rocks rolling on other rocks).

o Changes/Modifications to Lesson Three - 5E LP Form 3 written in red

Lesson Three Data & Reflection:

● Student work sample(s)

● Formative Assessment(s) used with each lesson taught

o Video worksheet: Draw or write about one example of both weathering and erosion that you see in
the video
o Playground observation worksheet

● Data from formative assessments: Students all completed one example of both weathering and erosion,
though most chose to draw and many are a bit difficult to decipher. On the playground, students drew their
observations. Quite a few students struggled to identify if it was weathering or erosion they were looking at
and very few of them listed what could have caused the weathering/erosion (most likely for a lack of time).

● Reflection of data and instruction:

o Responses to Questions at End of Lesson Three - 5E LP Form 3

Students were able to have a discussion in our small groups outside about what they were seeing
and give ideas about how the changes occurred. They were also able to draw and write their
hypotheses about what they saw.
 I wish that we had more time to allow for exploration because they really enjoyed the independence
of it and started some great conversations, but it was cut short. Also, I would try to avoid going out
during someone’s recess because that was distracting. We can’t always control our times, but a
good thing to keep in mind!

Students really enjoyed the activity and the video. The discussion was a bit more shallow than I
would’ve liked and I wish it wasn’t so rushed so that I could dive more into the misconceptions and
different ideas. Some students were distracted by fifth graders out on the playground and some were
having behavior issues that I was simultaneously trying to manage, so figuring out a way to have
more time and less stress in that department would be very helpful.

I had a few students almost immediately have an idea of how different things were formed. I would
like for them to explore more independently and find other examples on the playground to explain
without our group discussion. My students that struggled a little more would benefit from more time
looking at other examples with more teacher-led discussions. I want them to be able to come to
conclusions more independently with more time to do so. I also would give more review on the
difference between weathering and erosion.

Everyone knew what some of the causes of weathering and erosion were (roots, ice, rain, etc.). It
struck me how many students were still confusing weathering and erosion. We could use more
instruction there.

o Instructional Decisions Made Based on Data Collected - Students need more time to discuss their
observations and what they saw outside. That will be worked into our next lesson. We also need to
talk more about real life causes of weathering/erosion so that they are more easily able to identify it.

o Comparison to Pre-Assessment and/or Lesson Two Data - Most students are still understanding the
difference between weathering and erosion which is growth. They are more aware of the possible
causes than on the pre-assessment, though there is still much room for growth.

o Notes for Post-Assessment - I am expecting to see the most struggle with identifying causes,
although I want to see where we are at with it.

POST-ASSESSMENT:

● Student sample(s) Post-assessment

● Link/Include: Post-assessment results
● Reflection of post-assessment with aggregated data:
o Students have the greatest understanding of what the definitions of weathering and erosion are. The majority of students
were able to identify from a list what the causes of weathering are. The real life examples were a bit more difficult for
students to understand. Transferring those definitions to identify them proved tricky for about half of the students. In the
essay questions, almost all students had some kind of explanation for what caused the weathering/erosion they saw, but
many were not very in depth.
o In what ways did the instructional decisions you made based on formative assessment data help your students progress
towards mastery?
 It allowed me to address misconceptions that I noticed throughout my lessons so that they could have a solid
foundational understanding to keep building on.
o What does the data actually show?
My students are gaining knowledge of the concept but still have room for growth in their understanding of what the real
life causes of weathering and erosion are. I think it is also important to note that my students struggle with essay
questions and multi-step instructions. This is likely a factor in the lower scores on those questions as well. We continue to
include them and instruct them on how to properly answer those questions to give them practice for other important
assessments they will have to take.
o What patterns do you notice compared to what you already know about your students?
My students that tend to grasp new concepts (particularly in science/social studies) faster are the ones that scored higher
on this assessment. Some of the lower scoring students are also students that are pulled for interventions often during
part/all of science, so this contributes to their lower understanding as well.
o What deficiencies are still present?
We need to continue working on transferring our understanding of what weathering and erosion are to being able to
explain real life examples of it more in depth.
o What do your students still need to know and learn?
Students still need to learn what other types of weathering and erosion exist.
o What misconceptions did students present?
Some students are using explanations like ice wedging for a picture of a rock in the desert. I think when we discuss more
types of weathering, we can talk more about using the clues of what we see to help us hypothesize how the changes
occurred rather than just choosing a random type of weathering.
o What perceptions did you have about your students as learners during instruction and post-assessment?
I expected them to struggle with this a bit. They usually do with science and social studies since we have such little time
to spend on it. However, I knew they would be enthusiastic about it because it’s a more fun subject for them typically, and
they were. They did surprise me a bit with some of the comments they would offer during lessons and some of the great
explanations they came up with on the assessment.
o How has your view about them changed as a result of this data?
I think this data has shown me that as learners, we need to work on taking our time to fully read instructions and answer
every part of the question. Many of them showed that they were capable of answering things that they didn’t in other
questions. They tend to read the first part and then move on.
Some of my students surpassed my expectations in their ability to use the terms and concepts we learned to explain the
pictures. I think we clearly need to provide some reteaching and keep allowing growth, but also maintain these high
expectations to help them learn to show depth of thought.
● Include comparison to Pre-Assessment Data and use the following statements to help direct your
reflection:

o 19 students took the post assessment.

o Similar to the pre assessment, there were the same # of questions.

o The pre assessment mean was 7.3%.

o The post assessment class mean (average) was 58.3%

o There was 51% of growth from the pre to post assessment.

● Choose ONE of the following sentence stems to use in reflection:

 o The students met the SMART goal of “By the end of my instructional plan at least 60% of my
students will achieve a score of 50% or higher on the post-assessment,” with 63.2% achieving the
goal.

POST INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN DECISIONS/WORK (Choose ONE to Complete):

● Based on collected data from all three lessons, choose and complete ONE of the following:

A. Majority not mastering content – Create a re-teaching plan, include expectations for students’
demonstration of understanding.

B. All students demonstrate understanding and mastery of content – Create a plan to connect this
learning to the next content needing to be taught. How will you ensure connections will be
made? Create next lesson/lessons.  

C. Content lessons continue as part of a larger unit. Create lessons as needed for your instruction.
Provide evidence of the next lesson.
Our next lesson in the unit will be about the different types of weathering and erosion. We will
be conducting experiments to demonstrate various types. Students will record their
observations and write the cause and effect of each type on this recording sheet. We will be
discussing water erosion, wind erosion, chemical erosion, glacier erosion, temperature
weathering, and ice weathering. At the end of this lesson, I will challenge students to think
back to our playground observations and decide which of these they saw examples of (turn
and talk).

STUDENT FEEDBACK SURVEY:

● Upper Elementary Form

● Sample(s) of students’ evaluation/reflection of the lessons/instruction

 ● Briefly reflect on student feedback - What have you learned about yourself as a teacher through this
feedback?

From this feedback, it is good to see that my students feel I was doing my job well while teaching them. I
think I could keep focusing on clear directions to bump those agrees to strongly agrees. I also would like to
see my students feel more confident in what they have learned and “feeling successful in learning the
materials.” Maybe more opportunities for them to share culminating thoughts and for me to give them
feedback would be helpful in that area.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA:

https://www.gvsu.edu/coe/k12achievement

OVERALL REFLECTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN:

(Your personal evaluation of the lessons/instruction, your overall professional growth and learning as an instructor
and assessor: To what extent did your own knowledge and understanding change/grow through this IP process? In
what ways did you use data to drive your instructional decisions? Explain how your perceptions of your students as
learners changed as a result of this instructional plan? How did this experience help deepen your understanding of
using assessment more effectively and efficiently to inform your instructional practices? )

This IP process grew my understanding of how to anticipate student needs before teaching lessons and how to more
consciously incorporate best practices into each lesson of a unit. It also connected the lesson creation to a greater
unit goal, which was helpful for making sure my lessons were aimed at what I wanted to achieve with my students. I
used each formative assessment from the lessons to revise my next lessons and make sure to address
misconceptions so that they don’t persist and get students on track for future learning. With my students, I was able
to better identify what they struggle with in the learning process, both content wise and general learning styles.
Seeing their excitement for more engaging lessons was fun for me as well. Overall, I feel like I was able to more
effectively use data collected to change my instruction strategies as I go, rather than waiting until the end of the unit
to find out who doesn’t know things that were taught in the very beginning. I can be more effective in my teaching by
zoning in on what is necessary to teach and who it is necessary to teach it to, as well as what is not so necessary to
focus on.

RESOURCES:

● Battle Creek Science: Processes That Shape the Earth

● Mystery Science
● Generation Genius