ED421 Elementary Science Methods

INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING TEMPLATE

for planning science lessons
Please complete this version of the template. However, please also see the guidance
provided in the "annotated version" of this document, found starting on page 4 of this file.
This will help you develop a high-quality science lesson plan oriented to the EEE framework.
Overview and Context
Your name(s):
Grade level and school:
Title of lesson/activity:
Teaching date(s) and time(s):
Estimated time for
lesson/activity:
Overview of lesson:

Context of lesson:

Bethlyn Lucas
3rd Grade Burns Park
Comparing Light Sources
Thursday, November 13th
30 minutes
Students will be thinking about what characteristics make a
light source, versus something that simply reflects light.
They will have a brief discussion before their experiment
talking about what objects they think might be light
sources and why.
This is only the second lesson in the light unit. Students are
still in the very beginning stages of understanding light in a
scientific way.

Sources:
Learning Goals
Learning Goals (1-2 in each)

SCIENCE CONTENT / CORE

DISCIPLINARY IDEAS
Students will be able to
Discuss the properties of
light using the similarities
and differences between
light sources.
SCIENTIFIC PRACTICES
Students will be able to
Observe various light sources
and record what they see.

Connection to Standards
(Michigan GLCEs and/or Next
Generation Science
Standards)
P.EN.03.21 Demonstrate that
light travels in a straight
path.

Connection to Activities

S.IP.03.11 Make purposeful

observation of the natural
world using the appropriate
senses.

-Students observe light using

their visual sense.

S.IP.03.16 Construct simple

charts and graphs from data
and observations.

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-In the description of the light

emitted from source, this is
one possible thing they can
note.

-Students record data from

observations in a simple
chart.

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IF APPLICABLE:
CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS
Students will be able to
IF PREFERRED: You may
integrate your learning goal
statement (core disciplinary
idea x scientific practice x
crosscutting concept)

EEE Connection
Investigation question
students will answer:
Claim with evidence and
reasoning you hope students
will generate:

"Which objects are sources of light?"

I think anything that makes a light of its own is a light
source.
I think this because I've seen that some objects make light
and other objects just show light from other sources.
as appropriate [see annotation below]: The science idea or
principle [NA, continued in another lesson]
that helps me explain this is _______ (reasoning). This helps
me use my evidence to support my claim because _____.
Attending to the Learners

Anticipating student ideas,

including alternative ideas,
misconceptions, and prior
knowledge:
Making the content accessible
to all students, including using
specific equity practices from
class:

Students may at first consider things such as a mirror to be

a light source because it reflects light which can look
similar to producing light. Students may also, however, be
able to correctly identify many light sources because they
have had experience with them in their everyday lives.
During the experiment I will be monitoring the class to
answer questions as they come up. I will also go over the
chart and objects we will be experimenting with before the
experiment to make sure students have the knowledge and
language to carry out the observations and record them.

Assessments
Type of Assessment
Sources of Light
Chart

Learning-Goals Connection
Observe various light sources and record what they see.

Instructional Sequence
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Materials
:

Flashlight, lamp, glow in the dark sticks, mirrors, etc.

Recording charts, pencils
Whiteboard, Elmo/projector
Instructional Sequence: Engage Element

Steps for Engage Element

Time

The teacher will:

The students will:

5 Minutes

Mentor teacher will discuss

the lesson from the previous
day briefly and talk about
how we can really think like
scientists by making
observations. She will talk
briefly about how we will be
observing light today and
finding out what properties
make something a light
source. She will also briefly
describe some ways we can
describe light.

Listen.

Management Considerations for Engage Element:

-Make sure students are in a place where they can easily hear the teacher and are
away from distractions.

Instructional Sequence: Experience Element

Steps for Experience Element

Time

The teacher will:

The students will:

20 minutes

"To help us really think like

scientists and remember all
of the great observations we
are going to make, we need a
way to record what we
discover or see. We will be
using the Sources of Light
chart in your science journal,
which I have on the board.
We are going to break our

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Listen, look at science

journals, answer questions.

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Sources of Light Chart into

two parts. Let's all draw a line
right in the middle of our
page. Now, the top portion
will be objects we believe are
sources of light. When we
test an object and think it is a
source of light, we will record
it on the left. Then, we will
describe the type of light that
is emitted or shines out of the
source. What are some good
description words for light?
Right, those are some words I
might write on the right side
of my chart. Now, the bottom
half will be a little different.
We will write "Not a Light
Source" at the top. Here we
will record objects we test
that we don't think are
sources of light. If we think an
object is not a source of light
we do not need to record
anything in the description
because there is no light
being emitted to describe!
Let's try an example. If I have
my phone, and I turn it on
*hold it up* is this a light
source? Yes. So what do I do?
Right! I write cell phone in
the box on the left. Now I
have to describe the light.
How might you describe it?
Those are some good ideas.
We are going to have about
10 minutes to explore the
objects before we come back
together."

Carry out the observation, record

observations.

Monitoring QuestionsIs that a light source?

Why or why not?
How would you describe
the light that object is
emitting?
Are there any other light
sources you can think of
that we don't have?
What are some objects
that seem like they might
be light sources but
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aren't?

Management Considerations for Experience Element:

Materials need to be distributed efficiently in baskets/buckets after instructions have
been given so students aren't distracted by materials beforehand. During monitoring
close attention must be paid to make sure students aren't simply playing with
materials, but using them for science.

Instructional Sequence: Explain Element

Steps for Explain Element

Time

The teacher will:

The students will:

5 minutes

My mentor teacher will ask

students what they found.
She will direct them in
cleaning up materials.

Share what they have

recorded.

Management Considerations for Explain Element:

Make sure students move responsibly about the room while cleaning up and remain
at a low volume.

Reflection on Planning
Learning goal for self:
Preparing to teach this
lesson:

I hope I can help students be both enthusiastic AND

responsible during their experimenting.
I analyzed the original lesson plan in terms of the IPCs. I then
wrote my lesson, making adaptations off of the original. I read
over the lesson several times and rehearsed it to myself once.

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ED421 Elementary Science Methods

INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING TEMPLATE (Annotated)
for planning science lessons

Overview and Context

Section

Description

Main Connection to Instructional

Planning Considerations

Your name(s):
Grade level
and school:
Title of
lesson/activit
y:
Teaching
date(s) and
time(s):
Estimated
time for
lesson/activit
y:
Overview

Indicate your name(s).

Indicate the grade level of the students and the school site for the lesson.

Context of
lesson

Describe the unit of study, including the lesson that comes before and
after your lesson, and explain how these lessons help develop a big idea
or disciplinary practice.

Sources

List the source(s) you used in the creation of your lesson plane.g.,
websites, curriculum materials, books. If you drew heavily on or adapted
an existing lesson plan, note that. Please turn in copies of the original
lesson plan from the teacher's guide (if relevant) with your assignment.

Indicate the title of the lesson/activity.

Indicate the date and time you will teach the lesson/activity.
Provide an estimate of the time needed for the lesson/activity.

Provide a short description (2-3 sentences) of the lesson/activity.

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C1: Quality of the Learning Goals

C3: Quality of the Instruction

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Learning Goals and EEE Connection

Section

Description

Main Connection to Instructional

Planning Considerations

Learning
goals

List the learning goal(s) you have for your students. Use measurable
behaviors that can be linked to the assessments. Focus on science
content (core disciplinary ideas) and scientific practices. Particularly if
you are drawing on the Next Generation Science Standards, you may
integrate the core disciplinary ideas and scientific practices into a single
learning goal. (The statement may also incorporate a crosscutting
concept.)

Connections
to standards

State the content expectations from the Michigan GLCE(s), Next

Generation Science Standards, Common Core State Standards [with
specific connection to science]. You may also want to state the
standard(s) from your local curriculum that you address in your lesson,
but please be sure you include the state or national standard you are
working toward.

Connection to
activities

Briefly describe how the activities in the instructional sequence help

students make progress toward the stated learning goal(s).

Investigation
question

Write out the specific investigation question driving the lesson. This
question should establish a meaningful purpose for experiencing the
scientific phenomenon and should generate interest among the students.
Write out the claim (possibly two claims) that you hope students will
generate. Identify the evidence from this lesson (and any relevant
previous lessons) that students will use to support the claim. Identify the
reasoning (scientific idea or principle) that students can use to support
the claim and connect the claim to the evidence. Even if students are not
providing the reasoning component as a part of your lesson, you need to
articulate the big scientific idea or principle that applies.

Claim with
evidence and
reasoning

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C1: Quality of the Learning Goals

C3: Quality of the Instruction

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Attending to the Learners

Section

Description

Main Connection to Instructional

Planning Considerations

Anticipating
student ideas

Explain what you think will be students prior knowledge about the
content, including the alternative ideas or challenges you anticipate
students might face and how you plan to work with each of these
challenges during the lesson. Also explain your ideas about how students
are likely to respond to the tasks in the lesson and how you might use
these likely responses to focus students on the intended content.
Draw on resources such as the MSTA list, Benchmarks chapter 15, or
resources found on CTools. Connect back to specific readings or sources.

C3: Quality of the Instruction

C4: Learners in My Classroom

Here, you may also want to anticipate inaccurate or inappropriate claims

or evidence students may generate.
Making the
content
accessible to
all students

Describe how you will help ALL students engage productively in the
lesson. This includes identifying assumptions made during the lesson
about students prior experiences, knowledge, and capabilities; making
the representations, explanations, and/or vocabulary accessible and
meaningful to all students; and making connections to students
personal, cultural, and social experiences during the lesson, if
appropriate.

C4: Learners in My Classroom

Consider how you will use the equity practices for science teaching we've
worked on:
selecting and enacting the activities with care, including through
connecting science to students' lives
using scientific language in accessible and accurate ways, and
helping children to do so
using multiple representations of the ideas and making
connections between representations
considering a broad conception of scientific expertise
being explicit about what might have been invisible to some
learners (e.g., providing rationales for instructional decisions,
unpacking terminology, having clear rules, being clear about
what's invisible or otherwise inaccessible about the scientific
phenomenon)
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Section

Description

Main Connection to Instructional

Planning Considerations

Assessment
Section

Description

Main Connection to Instructional

Planning Considerations

Type of
assessment

Name the type of assessment you will use to assess student learning
(e.g., worksheet, exit slip, teacher observation, whole class discussion). If
possible, try to create an assessment that allows you to make claims
about individual student learning.
Remember, the last dimension of the Explain element of the EEE
framework entails applying knowledge to new problems or questions.
This provides an excellent context for assessment.

Learninggoals
connection

C2: Quality of the Assessments

State the learning goal(s) that the assessment targets.

Instructional Sequence
Section

Description

Main Connection to
Instructional Planning
Considerations

Materials

List the materials you will need and the materials the students will need.
Include quantities and indicate which are attached.
Attach all documents that you plan to use in your lesson, including
overheads, assessments, rubrics/answer keys, worksheets, and handouts.
(In creating your handouts, be sure you think carefully about the specific
questions you're giving students as well as the format for them to write
any responses. For example, is there enough room for children's large

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Section

Description

Main Connection to
Instructional Planning
Considerations

writing? Are the page breaks in the right spots? Are the instructions clear
and kid-friendly? Is everything spelled correctly and grammatically
correct? Do the artifacts look professional?)

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Time

Structure your lesson/activity into chunks or segments in order to break it

down into its component parts, and then list the time it will take to
complete each part. You may even want to add an additional column to
indicate larger chunks of instruction.
Be specific about what you will do and how long each activity will take.
Try to envision each main element of the lesson and make a realistic
estimate of how long it will takeremember to account for distributing
materials, confusion about setting up the investigation, etc. Consider
what portion(s) of the lesson would you shorten or eliminate, if things are
running longer than you'd expected. The biggest problem novice science
teachers face is running out of time for the sensemaking about the
activity or investigation (the Explain element).

Steps
describing
what the
teacher and
students will
do

Describe the activities that you will do with your students. Communicate
HOW, not just WHAT, you plan on teaching, and provide enough
specificity that someone else could teach from your plan. This includes
scripting the key questions you plan to ask. Identify at least 5 questions
to use at specific points throughout the lesson that will foster students
scientific sense-making.

C3: Quality of the Instruction

C3: Quality of the Instruction

C4: Learners in My Classroom

The first element of your instructional sequence (ENGAGE) should

detail how you will launch the lesson. This will include engaging students
in the following tasks (as appropriate):
Posing a focal question/problem to establish a meaningful purpose for
the lesson.
Sharing initial ideas about the focal question.
Potentially: Participating in an initial shared experience.
The second element of your instructional sequence (EXPERIENCE)
should detail how you will engage students in setting up and carrying out
an investigation. This will include engaging students in the following
tasks (as appropriate):
Establishing data collection protocols.
Carrying out the investigation.
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The third element of your instructional sequence (EXPLAIN) should

detail how you will promote students sense-making. This will include
engaging students in the following tasks (as appropriate):
Identify patterns and trends in the data for answering the
investigation question or problem
Generate claims supported by scientific evidence and reasoning.
(Write out the claims with evidence and reasoning that you hope
students will generate.)
Applying knowledge to new situations.

Notes and
reminders,
including
management
consideration
s

For each of the elements, specify what you will be expecting to observe
as the students engage in the lesson and in what format they will be
engaging. The format is the number of students who will be working
together on a particular task such as whole class, small group (specify
how many), or as individuals. You will want to specify any observable
behaviors that you will to see and hear.
Include additional things that you want to remember to do during
instruction. This includes management considerations (e.g., how you will
manage the distribution and clean up of materials, transitions between
segments of instruction, group work (if relevant), and students who finish
early from a task.)

C5: Classroom Management and

Norms

Reflection on Planning
Section
Learning goal for self

Description
State at least one learning goal that you have for yourself, with regard to your teaching. In other
words, what are you working on to improve your teaching practice? If someone will be observing
your lesson, also think about what aspect of your teaching you would like the observer to focus
on. This may or may not be the same thing as the learning goals you have for yourself.

Preparing to teach this

lesson

Describe the things you did in preparation to teach this lesson. For example: practiced the
activity with the actual materials, answered the worksheet questions myself, thought through
timing, researched materials, etc.

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Instructional Planning Considerations

Consideration 1. Quality of Learning Goals
a. Are the learning goals well-specified? (Do they specify what students should know,
understand, and/or be able to do as a result of engaging in the lesson1?)
b. Do the learning goals focus on worthwhile content2? (Are the learning goals
important to learning the discipline; aligned with standards; useful in school, in life,
and/or on the test?)
c. Does the lesson connect in a sensible sequence to other lessons within the unit, to
develop a coherent storyline?
Consideration 2. Quality of Assessments
a. Are the assessments aligned with the main learning goals (including concepts,
practices, and skills)?
b. Do the formative assessments enable the students and the teacher to monitor
progress toward the learning goals?
c. Do the assessments provide all students the opportunity to show what they know,
understand, and/or are able to do as a result of engaging in the instruction?
Consideration 3. Quality of the Instruction
a. Does the lesson provide high-quality opportunities for students to participate with,
reason about, and make sense of the content?
b. Do the representations of content (i.e., explanations, illustrations, and analogies)
support students understandings of the concepts, practices and skills?
c. Are there opportunities for students to share their ideas throughout the lesson?
d. Are there opportunities for students to make connections among learning goals,
activities, tasks, and ideas, within and across lessons?
Consideration 4. Learners in My Classroom
a. Does the lesson provide opportunities to differentiate instruction to ensure
equitable access to learning for all of my students?
b. Does the lesson demonstrate an awareness of and appreciation for cultural
differences and social diversity, draw on diversity as a resource in instruction, and
help my students make meaningful connections between the content and their own
lives?
c. Does the lesson make appropriate assumptions about prerequisite knowledge and
skills, including knowledge of the concepts and vocabulary? Does the lesson
communicate these assumptions and help me prepare my students so that they have
equitable access to the learning opportunities?
Consideration 5. Classroom Management and Norms
a. Is the timing and pacing appropriate?
b. Is the distribution, use and collection of materials well-managed?
c. Are participation structures for students (e.g., whole group, small group, partner,
individual) appropriate to the learning goals?

Although the word lesson is used throughout the document, these considerations can also be
applied to smaller tasks, larger units as well as other types of resources.
Content throughout the document refers to concepts, procedures, ideas, and facts, as well as
disciplinary practices (such as making predictions in science or constructing mathematical
arguments in mathematics).

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