All of my classmates and I have completed our Science lesson plans. It was really interesting to see how different each of our lessons actually were. There was a lesson on Life Science, Earth Science and the Scientific Method.
The second group (after our lesson- which seems like so long ago- especially with all of the snow days in between!) had the topic of life science. I was curious to see what topic they would teach in this broad subject. Actually, all of our subjects were very broad and I know that it is quite difficult to narrow down the subject to one topic. My group went through a few ideas before we finally decided on our topic- so many choices- so little time. And most importantly, what will the students enjoy the most?
The teacher candidates did a lesson on the Dichotomous Key, something I remember doing back in Middle School! The direct instruction lesson was done really well. I liked how they used the SmartTools for their presentation/lesson and all of the tricks they were able to do with this program. It was very interactive and really kept the students engaged. The lesson had great flow and the two teachers were well prepared and worked really well together .
During the inquiry lesson, the teachers conducted a lab with the students, which the students absolutely loved. They had to use a Dichotomous Key to figure out the flavor of the Harry Potter Jelly Beans. I thought this was a great idea for a lab and really allowed the students to use their new knowledge about a Dichotomous Key. Some jelly beans looked really similar and if the students weren't careful- could end up identifying a peach flavor one as vomit! Could you imagine?! I was not brave enough to try the gross flavors, but I heard that they really are true to the taste! Once the students were done identifying the different jelly beans, they were able to try them out. The students really enjoyed the lesson and the teachers did a great job!
