Teacher Observation #2 - Lorrae Walker –

Expeditionary/STEM Lesson, 2nd Grade

Date: March 15, 2018
Time: 1:30-2:00
Location: Classroom

Standard(s): 2NBT5 Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on
place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and
subtraction.
S2CS6c Scientists often repeat experiments multiple times and subject their ideas to
criticism by other scientists who may disagree with them and do further tests.
S2P3b Demonstrate the effects of changes of speed on an object.

Observation Summary: Background: Students have been studying fairy tales and
have read Jack and the Beanstalk. Ms. Walker opens the lesson with a hook using a
YouTube video of the fairy tale. After the video is over, she preps the students for their
STEM challenge. She says to the students: "Oh no! Jack has done it again. He can’t
resist magic beans, and the giant is once again pursuing him. The giant, having learned
from past mistakes, has lined the beanstalk with barbed wire. Jack needs another plan
of escape. That’s where YOU come in.”

Design Challenge: Build Jack a parachute to help him escape the giant.

The students are immediately hooked and are already excited about the challenge. She
has to calm them down while she reviews the engineering design process. She uses a
PowerPoint presentation to review the steps in the challenge and to review
the constraints of the challenge. She poses questions to the class about the task and
the math involved. “How do we measure?” “What instruments do we use to measure?”
Each student is given a challenge packet with the rubric for the tasks. Students will work
in their assigned groups. She states that today they will just focus on brainstorming a
plan for their parachutes. She instructs the groups to determine their challenge jobs.
There is a timekeeper, challenge captain, reporter, and materials manager. The
students seem to be well aware of the roles and quickly decide their jobs. A team of four
girls argues over the challenge captain, and Ms. Walker steps in and selects a captain
and tells the girls the next challenge one of them can be the captain. Ms. Walker gave
them copies of the materials list they have access to help them plan, She also modeled
how the brainstorming should go and reminded them that there were no bad ideas and
they should come up with as many as possible.

The students spent the rest of the session planning. (I was unable to remain for
the closing of the lesson.)

Ms. Walker demonstrated knowledge of her content and presented a task that was
engaging and relevant to multiple subjects in her class. The students were engaged in
the lesson and demonstrated knowledge of their responsibilities as it related to STEM
challenges and the classroom procedures. It was a pleasure to observe Ms. Walker and
her students.