JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY

Name: Kaitlin Morrissey

Cooperating/Mentor Teacher and School: Laura Rapsawich, Central Middle School

Date lesson is to be presented: January 25, 2018

Date of submission: January 23, 2018

LESSON TITLE & UNIT TITLE

Unit: Ecosystems

Lesson: Biomes Stations

CONTEXT OF THE CLASSROOM

For the lesson to be observed, the seventh-grade class has nineteen students with a variety of personalities
and inquisitive questions. They enjoy talking with each other but will speak in regards to the lesson and
content that we are covering. While not all fall into the same category of personality, many are very
outgoing and will participate when prompted. There is a student who is very easily distracted so she is
able to have a back table to herself. She will often sit on the top of the table but, when allowed some of
her own space and some freedom, she responds by trying to accomplish the work to the best of her
abilities. However, even given her own space, she struggles to complete tasks, stay focused, and work
independently without assistance. In the same class, we also have a student who was the only 100% grade
we had on the last unit test. This goes to show the diversity of the room and the varying levels that coexist
in the class.

CONTEXT OF THE LESSON

We will spend two days completing the Biome Stations. This lesson will be observing the second day of
the activity so students should have a good handle on the tasks asked of them for the lesson. These will be
the third and fourth days of the unit and will fall directly after the completion of their Biomes notes. The
main goal of the station activity is to further familiarize the students with the biomes and allow them to
more thoroughly explore the characteristics and factors that accompany each of the biomes given.
EDUCATION STANDARDS

 LS.1.2.1: Biomes are regional ecosystems characterized by distinct types of organisms that have
developed under specific soil and climate conditions.

OBJECTIVES

1. Students can identify the seven land biomes.

1. Students are still confusing the biome vocabulary and the differences between the biomes that we
discussed in the notes. Students will be better able to identify and compare biomes when they are
more clear on the unique qualities of each biome.

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE

The specific, lesson-related vocabulary terms students will learn and be able to use fluently will include
the following: biome, abiotic, biotic, and each of the biome name titles. These words will be addressed
directly but students should have gone over these and should be familiar with them. The teacher will
continue to review as the lesson is introduced and the station is described. The students will specifically
work more with these words in their stations which ask questions that require students to use the
vocabulary.

ASSESSING LEARNING

To assess students’ knowledge before we begin the stations, I will model what it will look like for
students to complete the station worksheet. Students will watch a video that discusses one of the biomes
not listed on their worksheet and they will complete and turn in the worksheet as a bell work class time
assignment. Students have also been assessed previously on their knowledge of biomes which will play a
role in the designing of groups and tables.

During the lab, students will complete the station worksheet and should be able to have filled each blank
box that asks them about the different aspects of the biome they are working with.
After students have completed the lab, they should be able to write up a short comparison response essay
that highlights how the biomes differ and how they are alike. Students will be asked to use full sentences
and create a working essay that they could use as a writing prompt example for assessment.

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES, MATERIALS, & TECHNOLOGY

For this lesson, the following materials are required for each of the potential groups:

 One of the station activities:

The lesson will also require the smart board in order to introduce the lesson with the video. It will also be
used to display the specific lesson directions and expectations as students work on the station.

INSTRUCTION
1. Preparation of the learning environment (if required): The tables should be in their typical
formation. The students will walk into the classroom and receive a bell work half-sheet that will
alert them to the upcoming assignment. Students will gather quietly in their seats and prepare
themselves for the video.
2. Introduction to the lesson: Students will be introduced to the format of the station worksheet by
modeling how to complete it using the video that I will display and work with them to complete.
They will be able to successfully fill in the information for the Savanna Biome. The first day will
spend more time reviewing how to complete the worksheet and the expectations for behavior
during the lesson. The second day should focus more on ensuring that all of the information is
correct and that students are being attentive to the details of the biomes factors.
3. Body of the lesson: After the short video and modeling to introduce students to the format of the
station activities, students will work independently on their worksheets for the first half of their
station time. They will gather information, determine the missing portions of the worksheet, and
ask any questions they may have to the teacher during this silent time. The second portion of their
station time will be group time to compare and check their answers for correctness. They may
seek to find clarification on different answers at this time. From their, students will move on to
working on the next station. Time permitting, students should complete 3 of the 6 stations per
day.
4. Feedback: During the small group work specifically, the teacher will walk around and work with
 groups to make sure students are on task and comprehending the biomes. The students should be
able to complete this task with the help of their notes if they need it. They will be able to use
multiple resources if they are not able to find the information with the station they are at. Students
will turn in their station activity at the completion of the second day and will receive classwork
credit for finishing.
5. Closure: When there is approximately fifteen to twenty minutes left of the second day of stations,
students will receive a writing prompt to complete. They will be asked to write a short essay
response and compare and contrast two biomes. They must highlight specific details that they
found during their station time and must use those to support the prompt. The writing prompt
must be done in such a way that is grammatically correct as well as structurally comparable to all
of the cross-curriculum writing tasks that they complete throughout the school year.

DIFFERENTIATION

As a whole, the class has students that are willing and (mostly) excited to be in class. They are a funny
group that conversation is easy to engage in. However, they do have a tendency to want to get off-task by
asking questions that do not entirely relate to the content we are discussing. However, as a whole, they are
able to complete lessons in a reasonable amount of time and do not often delay class time with too much
chatter or commotion. With the differing levels of comprehension and reading backgrounds, students do
have different needs when it comes to their learning. For the groupings of students in the stations, I will
use the prior assessment feedback that I gained from the pre-assessment of the Biomes unit that we gave
them at the beginning of our unit. I will also use their bell work that highlighted the major takeaways of
the notes packet, with emphasis on what exactly a biome is and how to describe it. Using the data and
feedback provided with these two pre-assessment forms as well as the knowledge and familiarity that I
have with the students, I will be grouping them based on their levels. For the lower-performing groups, I
will make sure to stay attentive to their needs while they are working through the worksheet. The students
who are higher-performing so far in the unit will be given a bit more freedom and asked to take more time
to try to find the answers themselves.

RATIONALE/THEORETICAL REASONING/RESEARCH

The lesson is a station activity, which allows students to be hands on with the activities and learn by
doing. The activity allows students to be guided into an activity that will shed light on the concepts and
ideas they have discussed prior and gives them an opportunity to manipulate and discover for themselves.
Especially given their age, seventh-grade can be a challenge because they are becoming more
independent while still needed some support and guidance. By doing an activity like a station structure,
they are able to have time to work with peers and come to their own conclusions while still having the
teacher to help guide and clarify. Students also benefit from more structure and a clear and
distinguishable goal. This worksheet will be modeled, which will allow students at every pace to be able
to completely understand what is being asked of them. Students will also be given a combination of
independent and group work. This allows some students the time to focus in that they need in order to
complete any given assignment. With time to still compare their answers for correctness with their peers,
it ensures that students will not be left behind without the information that this lesson is intending to give
to each student.

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

Technology will allow students to better comprehend the biomes through the watching of videos at two of
the stations as well as in the whole-class setting to model how the stations should go. Students should use
the technology to support their learning during this lesson.

INTEGRATION OF PRIOR MENTOR FEEDBACK

One of the primary items that I have been given to work on is to structure and make directions as clear as
possible for students before sending them off on their own to work. As I have had to experience, a lack of
clarity and precise of language when explaining directions can lead to aimless chatter because students
may be unsure of exactly what they are supposed to do. I hope that the modeling of the station will help
bridge the gap of confusion and lead to a smooth and successful station activity.

The other major piece that I have gotten feedback on as well as want to improve for myself is the
classroom presence and authority that I present to the students. I hope to have the respect and attention of
the students throughout the entire lesson. While it may depend somewhat on the students themselves, I
hope to be able to keep their attention using positive reinforcement, a few reminders of the expectations,
and enough structure that will provide clear directions for what students should be doing at all times.