ED223: Field Observation 1

Date: 11/30
Your Name: Kelcey Miller
2016
Name of Center or Site:

15 Points

Due

Date of Observation: Thursday, October 13,

West Point Elementary

Type of Program: Mrs. Hamills

4th Grade Science Class

Age of Children: 9-10 years old
Time of Observation: 2:00 to 3:30
Number Present: Teachers: 1 Teacher and 1 Paraprofessional
Children: 22

Observational Task: Science class Observation Grade 1-4

Observe a science class in its entirety. Identify the goal of the lesson, the
procedures and the content being covered. Note the methods of instruction
along with the interaction between teacher/student and student/student.

When I observed Mrs. Hamills fourth grade science class, the students
were doing an engineering activity in groups. The PA standard related to the
lesson was Standard 3.4.4.C2 - Describe the engineering design process:
Define a problem. Generate ideas. Select a solution and test it. Make the
item. Evaluate the item. Communicate the solution with others. Present the
results. The students did more than just describe the engineering process.
They were actually engaged in the process. They created floor plans and
designed a house out of shoe boxes. Each student was assigned a specific
All observations and rationales are required to be typed.

room in the house. They had to create that room in their shoe box. Then,
they worked with their group to attach the individual rooms together to make
a house.
I noticed that Mrs. Hamill conducts her class in a very organized
manner. She began the class by greeting the students. The students were so
excited to see her, they exclaimed, Good afternoon, Mrs. Hamill! Next, they
did a question of the day. She chose one student to come to the front of the
room to read the question. Mrs. Hamill then utilized the think-pair-share
technique. The students thought of the answer individually, then they shared
with a partner. At the very end, she asked for a volunteer to share their
answer with the whole class. After that, Mrs. Hamill asked the students to
recall what they did during the previous class. The students told her that
they drew a floor plan in groups. She told the students they would continue
to work on their floor plans in class. She reviewed the checklist of what
should be included in their floor plans and answered their questions about
the requirements. Mrs. Hamill then wrote a list of what the students should
complete during class. She told them they should finish their floor plans,
measure the dimensions of their shoe boxes, and get help cutting the doors
and windows. Mrs. Hamill explained the rubric for the assignment and
showed them the point values of each component. She also discussed
dimensions with the class. She showed them how to measure the length and
width of their shoe boxes using a ruler. After that, she gave the students time
to work on their houses in their groups.
I got to observe the students interactions as they were working in
their groups. The students established roles. They decided who would get the
supplies, who would measure the dimensions, and who would tell Mrs. Hamill
where to cut the doors and windows. Overall, the students seemed to work
together very well. They discussed how they should attach their rooms to
make a house. I only noticed one disagreement. One of the students had
Mrs. Hamill cut out the doors and windows without asking his group first. The
group had to re-think their layout because of this.
I also got to see the interactions between Mrs. Hamill and the students.
These interactions were very positive as well. The students waited in line for
Mrs. Hamill to help them cut out their doors and windows. They thanked Mrs.
All observations and rationales are required to be typed.

Hamill for her help and she told them she was glad to assist them. The
students also waited in line to ask her questions about the project. Mrs.
Hamill answered their questions and helped them with whatever they
needed.
In the end, I had a great time observing Mrs. Hamills fourth grade
science class. It was my first time observing an elementary science class and
it was definitely a memorable experience. I love how Mrs. Hamill organized
the class. She had the students recall what occurred in the previous lesson
and then she built off that. I also liked the activity Mrs. Hamill chose. I could
tell that the students were having a lot of fun with it. The students were
learning and using their creativity at the same time. They had to use higher
level thinking skills to design their houses. The activity was also crosscurricular. Math concepts like dimensions were involved in the project.

Type a one page rationale/reflection about your observation. Include your

perceptions, thoughts, opinions, and reflections on your time in the
classroom. Include a PA Academic standard that ties to the specific
observation with an explanation.

All observations and rationales are required to be typed.