Week 8 Math Lesson

You can check out my Math Lesson Plan

Week 7 Lesson Plan

Reading lesson plan

Backward Design Reading Lesson Plan

Click below to see my lesson plan on reading- main ideas and supportive details for 1st grade.
Lesson Plan

Backward Design Writing Lesson Plan

Here is my writing lesson plan for Grade 1.
Lesson Plan

Reader's Response on Ms Coufal's Class

• The overall teaching of Ms Coufal's class was pretty amazing. The students were eager to learn and excited about the various activities. They were excited to learn which is because of the teacher's teaching. Ms. Coufal realized that in addition to the material that is being taught there are also little things that can make a student happy and motivate them to learn such as a fun pointer as they read. The idea of super powers also encouraged students to push themselves passed the initial "I can't" and do what they never though they would be able to do. 
• First there was a mini lesson on picture power-predicting which word will be used in a sentence or story based on the picture. There was a shared reading activity as students first practiced popping sounds and then went on to learn how to predict through pictures. Then students got into pairs and practiced what they knew about being good buddies as they did independent reading and then worked with each other. 
• As students are working independently the teacher went around and took notes to assess if the students understood the reading goal. She would listen to them read and if they were OK she would even push them up a level. The notes would them be assessed to create targeted reading lessons geared towards the students. 

Water Quality Lesson and Rubric

Desired Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the key factors that influence water quality
• explain how human interference can affect the quality of a water ecosystem and the survival of organisms
• Identify different relationships among the factors that affect water quality
• Explain how the key factors affect the living organisms in a water ecosystem
• Use of credible cyber resources for research and data collection
• Use of ICTs as research is being conducted such as testable questions and locating accurate information
• Use of ICTs to support data collection, analysis, presentation and finally to draw conclusions.
• Use of ICT to present findings to the public in a clear way

Acceptable Evidence:
The activity addresses the following Next Generation Science Standards performance expectations (Achieve Inc. 2013):

• MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
• MS-LS2-2. Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
•  MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

Learning Activities:
Day1: Students will brainstorm as a group and create a list of factors affecting water quality. As a group they should discuss their opinions. After this 10-15 minute exercise have students search for article related to water quality. As they are working help them conduct their research by giving them tips on putting in key words. Help them draw conclusions to their findings.
Day 2: Propose 2 main questions that students can thereby conduct research with testable questions. Ask students how to collect data . Show them how to use various forms of technology to collect data and to examine the correlation between the two factors discussed-water temperature and dissolved-oxygen. Have students organize their work in a spreadsheet and chart.
Day 3: Now it is time for scaffolding. The students have collected data with the teachers guidance and now it is their time to research on their own. Show students how to use other ICTs to enhance their search and presentation. Give students their own research questions to go ahead on their own.
Day 4: Have students identify a scientifically testable question within their research. Students can work as a group to help each other formulate a hypothesis, develop a research plan, collect and analyze data, evaluate the data, and draw conclusions.Encourage the more advanced students to further their investigation by looking at other databases. Upon completion, have students share and discuss their work and the work of their peers.

Click below to see my rubric
Water Quality Rubric