The 8th grade concept that I used for my lesson template was Newton's three laws of motion. My anticipatory set was having the kids watch a Brain Pop on Isaac Newton and fill out a graphic organizer about Newton's life. Then students take a Brain Pop Quiz as a class. Then we went to ScienceSpot.com and took interactive notes on Newton's three laws. It includes moving examples that the kids enjoy. Check out the car that runs into the brick wall, that is their favorite.
Then I take out a tennis racket and a tennis ball. At this point, engagement is pretty high. Anytime I bring something from home that would not ordinarily be in a classroom, the kids get super excited wondering what I am going to do. Then I demonstrate Newton's three laws using motion, the tennis racket, and the tennis ball. I actually hit the ball towards students, they actually like this!
Students get into groups of 4 and they get to pick a piece of sports equipment from me. Each group gets a number from a hat that decides which order the groups get to pick. As a group they have to come up with movements from their sport that fit Newton's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd law. Then each group presents and the class gives them feedback in terms of did the movement they described fit the law they matched it up to.
Lastly and if there is time, I give each group a bag filled with miscellaneous objects. This time they have to use 4 of the objects together to demonstrate one of the laws. The group gets up, explains, and demonstrates the movement. When all groups have went, we vote on which group we liked the best.
I just did this lesson with my students a couple weeks ago. I debated on should I do a lesson I've already done this year or should I do one on the new unit we just started, Space and the Solar System. I have not seen the Five E's before this class. I like the template because it is specifically for teaching science successfully. It reminds you of all the components that you need to include to create an inquiry based lesson. We have a lesson plan template that we are required to follow at my school. It is not a good fit for science.
I was a little confused by the unifying themes in terms of where Newton's laws of motion fit in, but after I read them I put them where they made sense to me. This lesson template took me a lot longer than I thought it would.
Agreed, the lesson plan took me much longer than I thought it would too. And it ended up to be 18 pages when it was all said and done! The 5 E's format is a great format for science planning because it allows you to really think through your questioning.
ReplyDeleteMy students love Brain Pop! Does your school pay for a membership? I have my students view the free movie of the week when it's appropriate. I wish my school would buy a subscription.
Wow! What a great idea for Newton's laws. I almost wish I still taught that part of science. I agree that the 5 E lesson plans take awhile, and I hated them at first. Now that I've been doing it for some time, I really love it. I feel so planned for upcoming years-like I can finally focus on making my lessons better instead of just conveying the content. Hang in there! It gets easier.
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