Brief Description of Evidence:

During the fall semester of 2022, in my Introduction to Scientific Inquiry class,I made a lesson plan with a partner about volcanoes for second graders. We created a slideshow with vocabulary about volcanoes. As we go through the vocabulary the students will write the words down on their writing sheets. This allows them to practice their handwriting as well. We went over a diagram of the volcano and had the students fill out their diagrams along with the one we filled out on the board. At the end of our lesson, we conducted an experiment. This experiment was apple volcanoes. The students were paired up into partners. One partner had an apple volcano with vinegar and baking soda, the other partner had an apple volcano with diet Coke and Mentos. The students had to come up with a hypothesis on which volcano they believed would have a bigger eruption. After their volcanoes ‘erupted’ they wrote down their observations and discussed with their partners and the class whether or not their hypothesis was correct. After completing the project, students were given a performance assessment that allowed them to write a poem or rap song highlighting the important ideas about volcanoes.

Analysis of What I Learned:

Creating this lesson taught me how to write a well-thought-out lesson plan and navigate the Indiana Standards page. I learned where to find the Indiana Standards that I used for my lesson and how to navigate them. I also learned how to find and create assignments that were developmentally appropriate for the grade level I was covering, which was second grade. I learned the tools of inquiry, how to use them in my lesson plan, and how to teach them to my students. A theory that I found that relates to my lesson is Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education. This theory states that you have to develop a certain grasp of a subject before you can move on to form a deeper understanding of it (Armstrong). I chose this theory because students have to develop a grasp of the subject matter before they have a deeper understanding of it. Students need to grow over time, starting off with giving them the material and skills they need so that way in the future they will be able to understand this material on their own. 

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the InTASC Standard:

I demonstrate my competence for InTASC Standard #4 because I knew the central concepts about volcanoes and created an interactive lesson for my students. I also know the tools of inquiry and I used them during my lesson.  My partner and I asked our students questions throughout the lesson to make sure they were engaged and understood the material. The students also learned how to use the tools of inquiry during the lesson. During our experiment we had our students create a hypothesis, ask questions to us and each other, and write their observations down. The students will be able to use these tools for future grade levels and to problem solve in everyday life. 

 

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Armstrong, P. (2010). Bloom’s Taxonomy. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/.

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2011, April). Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards: A Resource for State Dialogue. Washington, DC: Author.