NAME: ______
The following items present teaching and learning scenarios. Ring the letter of the response that you consider most similar to how you would teach the lesson. Please take note that there are no responses that are incorrect. Expand on your choice in the block, and also why you did not choose each of the other options.
ITEM 1: Light reflection
Ms. Baker is teaching her 8th grade students the law of reflection: when a ray of light strikes a mirrored surface, it leaves at the same angle as when it arrived. Ms. Baker has to decide how she will teach the lesson.
Thinking about your own teaching, of the following, which is most similar to how you would teach the lesson?
A.I would write the law of reflection on the board and illustrate with a diagram. Next I'd show them a real example, using a light ray source, mirror, and protractor. Then we would discuss any questions the students might have.
B.I would first pose a question about reflection for the students to explore. The students could investigate using light ray sources, mirrors, and protractors, and then discuss their findings. I would close the lesson by giving them a summary of the law of reflection.
C.I would ask students to find out what they can about light behavior around mirrors by exploring on their own with an assortment of available items, including light ray sources, mirrors, and protractors. Then the students would report back on what they did and what they found out.
D.I would write the law of reflection on the board and illustrate with a diagram. Then I'd have the students verify the law using light ray sources, mirrors, and protractors. We would then discuss their findings.
ITEM 2: Finding the density of a mystery
substance
Mr. Cobb’s 8th grade students have learned the concept of density, through examples of solid objects whose mass and volume could be measured. Mr. Cobb next sets students an ‘application’ experiment where they have to apply their knowledge of density. He provides a ‘mystery element’ in granular form as shown. The students’ challenge is to devise a method of finding the volume of this substance, take the necessary data, calculate density, and hence suggest what the mystery element might be. (They will have to use a water displacement method to measure volume since there are air spaces between granules).
Thinking about how you might teach, which one of the following approaches would you suggest that Mr. Cobb use for this lab activity?
- Provide students with lab worksheets giving the experimental method and procedural steps. Students follow this and enter their experimental data in blank tables on the worksheet. They then calculate density and give their result and conclusion.
- Provide students with an instruction sheet which outlines the experimental method. Students follow this and record data in a way of their choosing in their lab notebooks. They then calculate density and give their result and conclusion.
- Do not provide method or instructions but have students first propose and develop a method they intend to use. Before going ahead they discuss this with Mr. Cobb, get feedback, revise if necessary, and then go ahead with their experiment, calculations and result.
- Leave students to their own devices as much as possible; they should figure out a method on their own and decide what measurements to take and how. They then do their experiment their own way, and write up their method, result and conclusion.
ITEM 3: Thermometers and how they work
Mr. Ndlovu is developing a science lesson for his 4th grade students, in which he would like them to acquire an understanding of thermometers and how they work. He has real thermometers available. He also has materials that students could use to assemble their own basic thermometers (small bottle as bulb, cork with hole, straws and colored water). Mr. Ndlovu considers four different ideas about how to structure and teach the lesson.
Thinking about how you would teach, which one of the following is most similar to the approach you would take?
A.Start by telling students that today they will make a mystery device, see how it behaves and then try to conclude what it might be used for. Then show the students how to put their materials together, and have them explore what happens to the water column in the straw when they put the bulb in cold and hot water. Ask them to suggest what they have ‘invented’ and what it can be used for. Finally wrap up with a discussion of thermometers and how they work.
B.Write the lesson title ‘Thermometers’ on the board and draw a thermometer diagram. Then explain how a thermometer works and answer student questions. Conclude by placing a real thermometer in cold and hot water and showing students how the thermometer reading changes.
C.Ask the class what they know about thermometers. List student responses on the board, and then working from some of their ideas, draw a thermometer and explain how it works. Then have students use thermometers at their tables, measuring the temperatures of cold and hot water.
D.Start by telling the class that today they will discover something for themselves. Each group will have a bottle, cork, straw and colored water, plus containers of hot and cold water. Show them how to assemble the materials but give no further guidance. They can explore as they wish and come up with ideas, which they can then report to the class.
ITEM 4: Acid-base Indicator
Mr. Peters is planning chemistry lessons for his 7th graders. Online, he found that red cabbage juice can be used as as “indicattor” to test for the pH of common household chemicals, such as lemon juice, ammonia, and bleach. At 7th grade, the only concept that he wants students to understand is that there are some chemicals that change color when mixed with acids or bases and the color can also indicte the strength of the acid or base. Mr. Peters is not sure how he might use the cabbage juice in an activity or if he should at all.
Thinking about how you would teach, of the following, which is most similar to how you would advise Mr. Peters? Assume any activities are done safely.
A. Mr. Peters should first explain that acid-base indicators are chemicals that change color
when in acids or bases.. He should have a lab activity ready for the students where they can
then verify the indicator effect by observing what happens when they add red cabbage juice
to lemon juice, water, ammonia, and detergent.
B. Mr. Peters should ask students to watch closely as he pours red cabbage juice into a vial
of water, and then into an unlabeled vial of lemon juice. He should then ask them if they have any ideas about what happened. Then he should have them try pouring red cabbage juice into labeled vials of lemon juice, ammonia, and bleach. After discussing their observations, Mr. Peters should explain the concept of acid-base indicators.
C. Mr. Peters should give his students a set of labeled viails with red cabbage juice, lemon juice, ammonia, and laundry detergent, along with a set of empty vials. He should have his students try mixing pairs of chemicals in the empty vials and recording their observations. He should conclude the lesson by having students go online to find explanations for what they observed.
D. Mr. Peters should first explain that acid-base indicators are chemicals that change color
when in acids or bases. Using red cabbage juice as an example, he should then
demonstrate how the juice turns different colors in lemon juice, water, ammonia, and laundry
detergent.
ITEM 5: Lesson on force and motion
Ms. Brandt is preparing a lesson to introduce her 5th grade students to the relationship between force and motion, namely that a net force will cause an object to speed up or slow down (Newton’s 2nd Law). The classroom has available a loaded wagon to which a pulling force can be applied. Ms. Brandt is considering four different approaches to the lesson.
Thinking about how you would want to teach this lesson, of the following, which one is most similar to what you would do?
A.Write a clear statement of Newton’s 2nd Law on the board and explain it carefully for my students. Then I would demonstrate the law by pulling on a loaded wagon with a constant force in front of the class as they observe the motion.
B.Write a clear statement of Newton’s 2nd Law on the board and explain it carefully for my students. I would then have the students verify the law by pulling on a loaded wagon themselves and confirming what type of motion results.
C.Raise the question of what kind of motion results from a constant force. I would then guide my students to explore the question themselves by pulling on a loaded wagon and observing what happens. From the evidence they would then propose a possible law.
D.Raise the question of whether there is any relationship between force and motion. My students would then be free to explore this safely in the lab. Afterward we would have a class discussion of their findings.
ITEM 6: Temperature and solubility
Ms. Maluleke’s 7th graders have learned that sugar becomes more soluble in water as the temperature increases. She has demonstrated this by putting the same amount of sugar into cold and hot water in two graduated cylinders: after shaking, any undissolved solid settles at the bottom and one can compare this in the hot and cold water cylinders. Now she wants her students to learn that not all solids respond the same way. For example, the solubility of salt does not increase with temperature. Graduated cylinders, salt, and cold and hot water are available.
Thinking about how you would teach, of the following, which one is most similar to how you would conduct this lesson?
A. I would ask if the class thinks that all solids dissolve better in hot water. What about salt? I would ask them to design an experiment to test whether the amount of salt that dissolves depends on water temperature, then find out using graduated cylinders, salt, and cold and hot water.
B. I would explain that while they found that heat increases the solubility of sugar in water, not all solids behave the same way. I would demonstrate this by using the graduated cylinders, salt, and cold and hot water.
C. I would explain that while they found that sugar is more soluble in hot water, not all solids behave the same way. I would then have them verify this in the lab, providing clear instructions to ensure they do it correctly, e.g. to use the same amount of salt in each cylinder.
D. I would give my class sets of graduated cylinders, sugar, salt, and cold and hot water, and ask them if they could find out anything interesting using this equipment and materials. Later, we would discuss their ideas.
ITEM 7: Light & shadows
Ms. Adams’s third grade students have learned that light travels in a straight path and that shadows arise when an object blocks light. Ms. Adams wants her students to be able to apply these ideas to make predictions about shadow behavior.
She turns out the main room lights, and has one child Sam stand in the light from a lamp on the floor, casting a shadow on the wall. Students draw ray diagrams in their notebooks showing how Sam’s shadow is being formed. Ms. Adams says that once we understand about shadows we can predict what will happen to the shadow if Sam moves further from the lamp.
Thinking about how you would teach, how would you suggest Ms. Adams continue this part of the lesson?
- Ask each student to think and make their own prediction of what will happen to the shadow, based on what they have learned, and explain with a ray diagram. Then have Sam move to check their predictions.
- Ask students to predict what will happen to the shadow, and make a ray diagram, but give no further guidance. Then have Sam move, and if there is a discrepancy let the students discuss and resolve.
- Draw a ray diagram on the board to show that the shadow will be smaller when Sam is further from the lamp. Then have Sam move to confirm this prediction.
- Have students follow her directions to make a second diagram in their notebooks with Sam further away, and point out to them how this shows the shadow will become smaller. Then have Sam move to confirm the prediction.
ITEM 8: Photosynthesis
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6Ms. Hamid has been teaching her 8th grade students about photosynthesis, and in particular that chlorophyll in plant leaves is light-induced. She then has her students conduct an activity to illustrate this. She has placed fast-growing seedlings where they are exposed to different levels of light intensity. The students observe the growing plants over several days and estimate the amount of chlorophyll using a color chart to record leaf color. They record their data in their science notebooks and on a classroom data table. On the last day, Ms. Hamid reviews the role of light in chlorophyll production as illustrated by the activity.
Thinking about how you would teach this topic, of the following, which is the best evaluation of her lesson?
A. The instructional sequence would be better if reversed; i.e. have students do the plant observations first, showing that chlorophyll is light-induced, after which Ms. Hamid can explain the process more fully.
B. Ms. Hamid begins appropriately with an explanation of the concepts she wants the students to learn. This being so, it is not clear that the activity is needed, especially since it requires so much class time.
C. This is a good lesson design overall because Ms. Hamid begins with an explanation of the concepts she wants the students to learn followed by a experimental activity for students to confirm that chlorophyll production is light-induced.
D. Ms. Hamid’s approach is too pre-organized and prescriptive. It would be better for students themselves to decide how to set up plants and lights, see what happens, and figure out a way to compare chlorophyll production in the leaves.
ITEM 9: Rain and water flow
Ms. Walters wants to start teaching her 2nd grade students about water movement and bodies of water on Earth, i.e., to understand that when rain falls on Earth the water flows downhill into bodies of water (streams, rivers, lakes, oceans), or into the ground.
Thinking of how you would design a lesson for your students, which of the following approaches would you suggest Ms. Walters take?
A. Project a diagram showing rain falling onto the earth, and water running downhill to form
streams, rivers, lakes and oceans, with some going into the ground. Then go over each
aspect carefully while pointing to it on the diagram, taking questions along the way.
B. Provide a box of soil at each bench and have groups shape landscapes in it with hills and
valleys. Have them suggest what might happen if they sprinkle water on it to represent rain.
Then have them try it out, report their observations and relate that to what happens on Earth.
C. Have student groups shape soil into hills and valleys and sprinkle water onto it, but don’t tell
them in advance what it is about or what to focus attention on. Have them report what they
observe happens and suggest if this is similar to anything on Earth.
D. Tell students that rain falling on the ground will flow downhill to form streams, rivers, lakes
and oceans. Demonstrate this with a model: a large shallow box of soil, shaped into hills and
valleys. Students watch as she sprinkles water from the spray nozzle of a watering can, and
asks them to notice how it flows downhill to form streams and then ponds.
ITEM 10: Incorrect volume measurement
Mr. Cobb’s 8th grade students have been asked to devise a method of finding the density of this granular substance, in order to suggest what the mystery element might be. One group of students decides to measure the volume of their granular sample by pouring the sample dry into a measuring cylinder. Unlike a water displacement method, their method will give a wrong value for the actual volume of granules (because it includes air spaces).
Thinking about how you might teach, how do you think Mr. Cobb should deal with this?
- Tell them immediately that this method will give the wrong volume because of air spaces in the sample, and that they should use the water displacement method instead.
- Before they go any further, ask them to think about their volume measurement, and prompt the idea of air spaces between granules if necessary. Once they recognize the problem ask them to think of another method, then continue.
- Let them go through with the whole experiment using their method, calculating a density value and suggesting a possible element. Then point out the anomalous result, ask them to think again and have them re-do the experiment after identifying the problem.
- Let them go through with it their way, calculating a (wrong) density value and suggesting a possible element. But do not have them repeat the experiment correctly; rather have them put their anomalous result down to ‘experimental error.’
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