InTASC Standard #4
Content Knowledge

Rationale:

​

Brief Description of Evidence: In the fall of 2022 in EDUC 224-Introduction to Scientific Inquiry, I created a 5E Unit Lesson Plan over a physical science unit for third grade. The science unit covered animal and plant life cycles. There are several pieces to this unit which includes the 5E Lesson Plan template, a recorded video of me teaching a section of the unit and completing a hands-on activity determining the role the seed plays in a plant life cycle, a slide show for the students to follow along with the plant life cycle experiment, a math worksheet, a matching worksheet, a Kahoot assignment, an assessment and a presentation that includes all the pieces to this lesson. The 5E Unit Lesson connects to one NGSS Standard, two literacy standards and three mathematical standards. The hands-on science experiment that I completed with the students included watching and documenting the changes and characteristics of a lima bean turning into a seedling. This experiment gave the students a hands-on opportunity to learn about the life cycle of a plant.

​

 

Artifacts: 

 

​

​

​

​

​

Reflection:

​

Analysis of What I Learned: By completing this 5E Unit Lesson Plan, I was able to learn about the stages of developing a unit lesson, how to read the NGSS academic standards and use the content connectors to integrate English language arts and mathematics into a science lesson. I learned of different methods of grabbing the attention of students at the beginning of a new lesson to get them engaged and inquisitive about the topic. I also learned that asking open ended questions along the way can keep students thinking and developing their own understanding and ideas about the topic. This lesson plan taught me the importance of exploration and how to apply a STEM activity to the lesson in order for the students to have a more hands-on learning experience. When students are able to have a hands-on learning experience that are more engaged with the lesson and are able to learn and grow from each other. Students are able to independently discover new things rather than being told what to think.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the InTASC Standard: This artifact demonstrates my competency of InTASC Standard 4 because of my ability to understand, create and implement a 5E Lesson Plan that uses content connectors and creates learning experiences where students are able to retain and comprehend information. I also was able to make my lessons accessible to students by being aware of some challenges that I may encounter with this lesson. To make this lesson more accessible, I read a book to engage the learners. The book can also be accessed as an audio book. The matching worksheet I created uses pictures instead of words. This helps the students who are still struggling to read be able to complete the same worksheet as their peers. For the experiment, I will group my students based on who will work best together and can assist each other’s weaknesses.   I also provide my students with the tools of inquiry by creating an engaging introduction to the lesson and asking the open ended questions that will keep the students interested and inquisitive. This artifact relates to John Dewey’s Hands On Approach because I provided the students with a hands-on STEM activity where they were able to watch and document a lima bean seed turning into a seedling. The students are able to physically touch the lima bean to feel the difference between a bean that was placed in a dark, cool area with some moisture compared to a seed that was submerged in the water and not in a proper location for sprouting.  They also were able to use their critical thinking skills to determine what will happen to the seedling if it is transferred to soil and provided the appropriate conditions for growing. John Dewey’s Hands On Approach states that “We learn best by doing,” (2022). Dewey’s educational point of view was that children must interact with their environment in order to adapt and learn. Rather than expecting children to accept whatever it is that I am teaching them, they should be provided opportunities where they are going to investigate and independently discover information. When they see something happening with their own two eyes (just like they did with the lima bean seeds) they retain information more. This is why I am a firm believer that students are going to have a more meaningful learning experience and assure mastery of the content when they are given the opportunity to learn by doing. 

​


 

Resources:

​

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2013, April). Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers 1.0: A

Resource for Ongoing Teacher Development. Washington, DC: Author.

 

Great pedagogical thinkers: John Dewey. Pedagogy4Change. (2022, May 3). Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.pedagogy4change.org/john-dewey/