LessonObservationGuide

ReaganEducationalCenter
GeneratingExcellence

Teacher:ShelbyLittle
Course:__8thGradeScience__________Period:
2
Date:10/7/14
WhatWillStudentsLearn?(Whatwillstudentsbeabletoperformattheendofthelesson?)
Studentswillbeabletodrawtheforcesactingoncertainobjects.Theywillbeabletodrawtheforcevectorsinthe
correctdirectionandshowthedifferenceinmagnitude.Studentswillalsobeabletoexplainhowunbalancedforces
causeanobjecttochangeitsvelocity.Studentswillbeabletoexplainhowinertiaeffectsandobjectsabilityto
resistachangeinvelocity.
1. Standardsandrelatedobjectivestobeaddressed:
CAScienceStandard8.2aStudentsknowaforcehasbothdirectionandmagnitude.
CAScienceStandard8.2eStudentsknowthatwhenforcesonanobjectareunbalanced,theobjectwillchangeits
velocity.
FocusedInstruction(IDoit)Instructionalpracticesandstrategiesutilizedinthelesson:

2a.Vocabulary

Whatinstructionalstrategieswillyouuseduringthelesson&why?

Whatacademicand/orcontentspecific
wordsmuststudentsunderstand?

Iwillbeginthelessonbyaskingaseriesofwarmupquestionsthatactivatestudents
priorknowledgeaboutforcesandNewtons1stLawofMotion.Thiswillhelp
studentstothinkaboutwhattheylearnedintheprevioustwolessonstopreparethem
forthecurrentlesson.Iwillthenshowavideoofhowforcesandinertiaarerelatedto
NFLtosparkstudentsinterestinthetopic.Iwillthenfocusonactiveand
collaborativelearningduringtherestofthelessontogivestudentsahandson
learningexperiencethatengageslearners.Finally,IwillusespiralreviewasI
consistentlyreferbacktotheimportanceofinertia,mass,andunbalancedforceswhen
discussingforcesandchangesinvelocity.

Vector
Force
Mass
Inertia
Unbalancedforces
Balancedforces
Gravity

3.GuidedInstruction(WeDoitTogether)Opportunitiesforstudentperformancethroughoutthelesson:

Howwillyouengagestudentsinpracticingnewlyacquiredskills?Howwillyouconnectpriorknowledge/backgroundtothelessonsandinstructional
strategies?

Thelessonwillbeginwiththestudentsansweringaseriesofquestionsandthenwewilldiscussthem.
Studentswillalsoanswerquestionsaboutthelabthatwasperformedthepreviousday.Afterweviewa
videoonhowinertiaisrelatedtotheNFL,wewillworktogethertodrawtheforcevectorsoftwofootball
playersintwodifferentsituations.Studentswillbegiventheopportunitytodrawtheforcesontheboard
sowecandiscusshowtheforcevectorsshouldbedrawn.Thiswillconnecttowhatstudentslearnedin
theirlectureonFridayaboutbalancedandunbalancedforces.
CheckingforUnderstandingInformalassessmentsofstudentlearningused:
HowwillyouverifythatALLstudentshaveachievedthestatedlessongoals?Howdoyouknowthattheygetit?

Whileweareworkingonthesampledrawingstogether,Iwillabletoassessifstudentsunderstandhowforce
vectorsshouldbedrawnandwhattheyrepresent.Thiswillhelptodeterminehowmanyexampleproblemsneedto
becompletedbeforeallowingcollaborativelearningtotakeplace.Iwillalsoassessstudentsinpairsbyhaving
themexplaintomewhatishappeningwithwhentheyflickanotecardoffaplasticcup.Iwillbeabletodetermine
towhatdegreetheygetitbyhowtheyexplaintheeffectofinertiaandunbalancedforcescausingthechangein
velocity.Iwillalsoviewtheirdrawingsandwrittenresponsesafterclasstodeterminewhatneedstoberetaught
duringthenextclassperiod.
Revised 9/19/2014

4.CollaborativeLearning(YoudoitTogether)Opportunitiesforstudentperformanceafterthelesson:

Howwillyouengagestudentsastheypracticethenewlymasteredskillswiththeirpeers?Whatarestudentsexpectedtodo,create,orcompleteas
they

practicetogethertocreatepermanence?

StudentswillbeexpectedtoworkinpairstodemonstrateNewtons1 stLawofMotion.Theywillplaceanindex
cardontopofaplasticcup,thentheywillplaceapennyontopoftheindexcard.Studentswillthenflicktheindex
cardcausingthepennytodropintothecup.Studentswillthenworktogethertosketchadrawingoftheinitialset
upandwhathappenedaftertheflick.Theyaretoincludeforcevectorstoexplainthephenomena.Theywillthen
explainwhathappenedandtherolethatinertiaandunbalancedforcesplayedintheprocess.
5. IndependentPractice(YouDoit)Opportunitiesforstudentperformanceafterthelesson:

Howwillyouengagestudentsastheypracticethenewlymasteredskills?Whatarestudentsexpectedtocompleteastheypracticeindividuallyto
permanence?

Studentswillbeaskedtocompleteadiagramsimilartotheonesmadeinclassaspartofthelabreporttheyare
writing.ThislabreportisbeingcompletedontheInertiaLabthatwascompletedMondayduringclasstime.
StudentswillincludethediagramintheirDatasectionoftheirlabreportwithacaptionexplainingwhatforces
areactingonthetoycar.
6.EngagingALLStudentsDifferentiatedInstruction:
Howisthelessondifferentiated,basedonindividualstudentneeds?
Studentswhorequiremodificationswillbegivenadiagramwiththefigurealreadydrawnonitandexplicit
instructionsforwhatprocedurestofollow.Thiswillhelptakeawaysomeoftheconfusionofdrawingthefigure
andallowthemtoworkmoreefficientlywiththeirpartnertodrawtheforcevectors.Thislessonisalsobasedon
SDAIEstrategiesasstudentsareabletovisuallyseehowforceandinertiacanberelatedtosomethingtheyare
interestedin,suchasNFLfootball.
7.InterventionReTeaching:
Whatwillyoudoifstudentsdonotmasterthestandardsandobjectives?Howwillyouassesslearningafterreteaching?
Forstudentswhodonotmasterthestandards,theywillbegivenmoretimeontheblockperiodtorelearnthe
concepts.Thesestudentswillbepulledintoasmallergroupwhiletheotherstudentscontinuewithfurther
enrichment.Thesestudentswillbegivendifferentscenariosdrawnonpaperandbeaskedtoexplaintheeffectof
inertiaandunbalancedforces.Thescenariostobetterunderstandunbalancedforceswillinclude:kickingasoccer
ball,atennisballhittingaracket,andpushingachairacrossaroom.Toreteachinertia,thestudentswillusethe
samewoodenrampsandcarsaswereusedinthelabandredothelab.Thiswillshowhowincreasingthemass
affectsinertia.
8.ExtendingtheLearningEnrichment:
Howwillyoudeepenstudentsunderstandingofthestandardsandobjectivesforthosestudentswhodogetit?
Forstudentswhounderstandtheconceptsthatarebeingtaught,theywillbegivenasecondscenariotopractice
explainingtheeffectofinertia.Theywillbeaskedtoholdtheirelbowoutandplaceastackofpenniesontheir
elbow.Theywillthenmovetheirelbowtotheirsidecausingthepenniestofall.Theywillthenbeaskedtoanswer
thesameseriesofquestionsasbefore,buttheanswerswillbemorecomplexasthemovementisoriginatingfrom
theirshoulder

Revised 9/19/2014