MSP Lesson Sharing, June 2015
Teaching Integrated Math-Science Lessons for Inclusive Classrooms
Experimenting with Force and Motion Using Origami Frogs
By Lisa Zeff, 5th/6th Grade Science Teacher at Daniel Morgan Middle School
Winchester City Schools, Virginia
My Classes
❏I taught this science lesson to 12 classes consisting of 20 students each from the fifth grade at Daniel Morgan Middle School from Winchester, Va. They abilities range from very high to low. At least 2 students were on the Autism Spectrum and 2 others had identified emotional deficits. Four of the classes were identified at ESL. Four other classes were inclusion classes and had an aide for students with specific academic needs. Many students in our school come from low socioeconomic families (close to 70% of my students are free and reduced lunch.
My Lesson
❏Different science lesson from what I had presented from last June.
❏Science SOL 5.1 (Science Investigation), Science SOL 4.2 (Force and Motion), Math SOL 3.17 (Collect, Organize, Analyze, and Graph Data), Math SOL 5.1 (Rounding decimal numbers), SOL 4.6 (Describe results in metric measurement)
❏I feel that this science lesson is considered High Cognitive Demand for Science Experimentation, Explanation, and Data Representation, Analysis, and Interpretation. In math this activity fits in with Math Procedures with Connections Tasks.
❏This activity can be found in the MSI Book, Activities Linking Science with Math K-4, pages 67- 78 Activity 8
❏I tried to group the students for this activity in heterogeneous groups in which I made sure that at least on strong leader was in each group. I partnered up struggling students with other students to assist them
Data/Outcomes
❏No formal pre- and post test or student surveys
❏Informal Pre- Post discussion questions to assess student knowledge. I used a thumbs up, sideways, down to indicate if they liked this science activity, would like to share with the family tonight, and if they like to try this experiment again at home using a different variable.
❏I saw a lot of problem solving within the groups of students. Answers on the sheets varied.
❏I have some student work to share. Even though calculators where available, many students chose to work out their math work.
Reflections and Next Steps
Challenges/Strategies
●End of the year behaviors/ Our science team decided to do a rotation of classes and activities after we took attendance to alleviate some of those behavior issues, and I tried this high interest science activity
●Students that I recieved were new to me/ While the students where constructing their origami frogs I came around to each group to get to know their names
●Students frogs where difficult to make for some of the students/ I used the simpliest instructions for origami frogs off the internet. I let them struggle a bit but then I had showed them how in front of the class and partnered some studnents who continued to struggle with other students who were able to construct the frog.
●The second question repeats the first/When the students realized that the question was a typo, I asked what do you think they had wanted to ask.
●Students didn’t read or understand millimeters and automatically wanted to use centimeters/ I went to each group frequently and addressed this issue within the group. If most of the class responded with what is mm, I went to the board and quickly reviewed this math concept.
●Frogs would flip when jumped/ I let the students struggle with this and then gave them some ideas like a starting line and reminded them of the tools that I gave them and prompt them with the question of what could you do to with these tools to record their data
Successes
●The students liked the experiment, worked as a group, solved problems and discusssed possible improvements, were motivated to try it at home with their family, and some were intrigued enough to want to try this again at home with another variable.
What Would I Change Next Time
●I would either let the early finishers try this experiment again with a blank scientific method template and let me investigate with another variable with their origami from or spend another class period with the entire class to do their own frog investigation.
Additional Lessons Taught
Before:
●Concepts and skills connected with potential and kinetic energy, measurement, and scientific investigation.
After:
●Further this type of scientific investigation with paper airplanes
Next Steps
●More scientific investigations with math integration and activities that ramp up the activities to a higher level of learning. As well as posing more purposeful questions.
●Use the “Claims, Evidence, and Reasonings” to really explain the conclusion and hypothesis or even when answered open ended questions so that I get the more detailed answers
●I would also like to plan my units more with the 5