Primary - Group Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
Year level(s): 1/2 Learning area/ACARA focus: Science

Date/Time: Tuesday 19
th
August, 2014. Lesson Focus: Photosynthesis
Background Information:
Carbon dioxide production has risen to unseen levels recently. Population has grown at the same
time, placing increasing demand on food and fuel stocks, not to mention land area. If plants and trees
are the only converters of Carbon dioxide into the air we need to live (oxygen), and the food we need
to eat, then the importance of this process (Photosynthesis) should be acknowledged. Can we instil an
energy saving and environmentally sustainable mentality in our youth? While global warmings
existence is disputed at the highest levels of government worldwide, this pre-service teacher would
argue we need to take the safe side of the argument.

Student prior knowledge:
Students understand the existence of the Sun and plants.
Students understand that we breathe oxygen.
Students understand that 1/8
th
of the Earths landmass suitable for growing.
Students have a basic understanding of good, ok and bad soils.

Teaching/Learning Purpose(s) (written in terms of outcomes):
Understand the basic process of photosynthesis that plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Be able to draw this diagram without help and know the 4 inputs and 2 outputs.

Preparation (1-2 mins):
Organise adequate/safe floor space.
Organise group in semi-circle around teacher and the materials. (Note: work down at their level)
Have all materials easily accessible science book, photosynthesis diagram, whiteboard, blank pieces
of paper and pens.

Learning Experiences:

1. How will I engage the learners?
Instead of introducing a completely new and foreign topic, make it relatable to previous
work or knowledge.
Adopt a question and answer mentality (avoid too many yes/no questions).
Students should use examples from their everyday lives to help with relevance.
Inclusion avoid single student dominance.
Repetition reinforce what is learnt.

2. Student tasks and activities (how will students achieve lesson purpose(s)? (15mins)
Ask students - Describe a planet with no oxygen. Could we survive?
Ask students - Describe areas of the planet with low levels of oxygen. Why?
Ask students - What are the sources of carbon dioxide? List.
Emphasis on the importance of oxygen should be established by now.
How is Oxygen produced? (Come to the conclusion that there is only one way
photosynthesis which should further emphasise oxygens importance).
Introduce diagram.
4 inputs talk about them can we do without one input? Engage in why a plant cant exist
without each individual Input. Get the group to recall all four without the diagram visible.
2 outputs talk about their importance to life on earth. Recall both without diagram visible.
Establish Photosynthesis as a plant converting 4 inputs into 2 outputs.
Produce a blank sheet of paper - get each student to take turns at labelling each individual
part (equal participation), with teacher assistance.
Repeat with no teacher assistance, students to work as team to complete.

3. Conclusion - how do you summarise learning and relate it to the lesson purpose(s)? (3-4 mins)
Remove all materials and question students on what theyve learnt. They should produce
answers that satisfy the learning outcomes. For example What is the photosynthesis
process? (Answer: Conversion of CO2 to O2) Whats involved? (Answer: 4 inputs and 2
outputs named).

Assessment and evaluation: (How do you know the students have achieved the learning purposes?

By now, it should be easier to determine which students grasp the concepts and those that
may not (level of participation/withdrawal). When engaging in answer/question and recall
during the conclusion, target those who havent participated as much.
If the diagram has been drawn and labelled correctly, without teacher assistance, then a
basic understanding of photosynthesis can be assumed. This is the type of satisfactory
answer required if a parent or friend asked a question about basic photosynthesis sometime
in the future.
Get another teacher or person to ask students to recall information without notice. Great
test of short-term retainment.

Evaluate your own performance:

I thought I did well to relate Photosynthesis to the previous afternoons science class. It
wouldve reinforced the importance of that work in the students mind. Their level of
participation and enthusiasm was satisfactory to me, and peaked at the assessment part,
which I was happy with. I did feel I lost them for a short time in the middle of the session,
when one student asked to get a drink and quickly following that, another asked to go to the
toilet. I didnt feel I could go on without those two, and didnt have something to occupy the
remaining students.

I thought my question and answer technique was adequate, and engaged the students well. I
maintained eye contact, enthusiasm and calmness. My content knowledge was also
satisfactory, as well as timing.
My mentor teacher asked two students from my group some photosynthesis related
questions after they returned to the class, they answered adequately.
Shortcomings lack of previous experience. I felt uncomfortable and a lack of control not
knowing the students names by memory. When one student went off on a tangent, I felt it
was too rude to say you in a sentence that asked them to stop or go back to task, in context
of being taught to build respectful and meaningful relationships. Also, that lack of experience
meant I didnt know how to handle the situation of the two sudden absentees.

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Lesson Plan

Year level(s): 1/2 Learning area/ACARA focus: Science

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