STEMi Lesson Plan Template
Teachers Name: Alexis Trudel
School: CS200
STEMi PD Attended: Micorlab
Grade Level / 4
NYS Standards
Or
Common Core State Standards / Standard 4: Science
Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.
Objective(s) / Using the scientific method students will create a hypothesis that will begin an investigation on decomposition
Materials and Websites / The book of rot, tape, teacher made handout outlining scientific method, 5 cups per child, 1 per child: lemon peel, grape, plastic bead, piece of paper, piece of aluminum foil
Smart Start / - Review steps of the scientific method.
- Begin a discussion with students regarding decomposition. Ask questions like what is decomposition?, Has any one ever heard of a composting garbage?, What happens to garbage when it goes to the dump?
Mini-Lesson / -State today’s goal or teaching point: Students will create a hypothesis that will begin and investigation on decomposition. Students will write a hypothesis and prepare the beginning state of an investigation into decomposition.
- Explain to students that when writing a hypothesis we want to base our statement on information we all ready know. We don’t want to just make any statement we want to make an educated statement.
- Show students the supplies explain to the students that they will take one cup and one object (grape, lemon peel, plastic bead, aluminum, and paper) and burry it in moist soil. After a week we are going to check the soil dig up the object and see what happened
- Teacher then models for students by thinking aloud how she would make a hypothesis: “ hmm… based on what we talked about earlier and what I all ready know regarding decomposition I think that the grape will decompose the most. In the soil.”
- Teacher then shows students where to record the hypothesis on the scientific method handout.
- Teacher then models for students how they will assemble and label their project.
Application (Group Work) / - Students work independently to assemble their investigations.
- Students independently create a hypothesis and record it on their scientific method hand out
- Teacher circulates to assist and clear up any misunderstandings.
Conclusion / -Students and teachers reconvene to share their hypothesizes
- Teacher has an additional opportunity to compare and contrast students approaches to the project pointing out things that are particularly good and clearing up misunderstandings.
Extensions: / - Students can conduct independent research on the topic using computer based recourses.
- Students can record their observations on a daily basis.