Science: Lesson Analysis
Strenghts, Difficulties, and the Unexpected
As planned, I taught my lesson in the school library. I sought to follow established classroom routines and procedures for behavior and participation, which I reviewed with the students at the beginning of the lesson.
I feel that the greatest strength of the lesson was that the students seemed excited to do science. From the moment that we entered the library, the students were ready to explore and begin an activity. They made strong personal connects to water use and referenced their trip to the Fairmont Water Works during the introductory portion of the lesson. Following the design portion of the lesson, all of the students seemed eager to repeat the activity. While we did not have time to do so, five of the six students kept their instruction sheets so that they could repeat the experiment at home. The students seemed engaged and focused while discussing their observations and analyses, and shared some very nuanced insights. Throughout the lesson, the students appeared to be engaged and to be having fun. Importantly, they also appeared to be learning.
The difficulties that I faced were management and behavior based. The students were extremely excited by the time we arrived at the library for the lesson, and I initially struggled to keep them focused (on one thing at a time and generally).
I did not expect that it would be so difficult to maintain focus and cooperation during the lesson. Periodically, some students became distracted and went off task. At these times I attempted to redirect and refocus the group by restating the expectations. I reminded the students that the library was a shared spaced, and that even though we were not in the classroom, the lesson was still a part of class. I noted that during a small group lesson it was even more important than usual to listen and to pay attention, as they would need to rely on themselves to know what to do. While the students seemed to respond to these efforts in the moment, the effect was short lived; I needed to pause repeatedly, which both reduced work time and detracted from the flow of the lesson.
In retrospect, I should have anticipated this difficulty. Since September, the students seem to have learned that small group, pullout lessons are not real class or lessons. Leaving the classroom seems to make it a game, and give the students an excuse to act up. I removed the students from the normal learning environment and the attention of the classroom teacher. This led to a challenge that I did not fully anticipated.
Additionally, due to space constrains, I had the materials for the lesson sorted on the table in the library before I brought the students down from the classroom. My intention had been to save time and make lesson more efficient. However, as the students entered the library, they saw the materials and were primed for an activity—immediately. Unfortunately, this was not the plan or reality of the lesson. I attempted to refocus the students by explaining that we had to cover other material BEFORE we would be able to do the experiment. I also explained that we might run short on time if they were unable to focus and attend to the directions.
Limited workspace was also an issue during the lesson. The groups were working in close proximity, and students periodically drifted into other groups to see what they were doing. This was exacerbated by the fact that one of the partner groups proved unable to cooperating without prompting.
Observations of Student Learning
Reviewing the students’ written work and listening to the recording of the postlab discussion, greatly enhanced my understanding of the students’ experience by:
-
allowing me to see the lesson from multiple perspectives;
-
enabling me to focus on details that I had missed in the moment.
My analysis (as detailed below) led me to believe that:
-
the lesson presented an appropriate challenge;
-
the material/content was solid;
-
the students were engaged in real science;
-
the students learned, and enjoyed themselves in the process.
Written Work:
Reviewing the students written work revealed:
-
a high level of attention to detail;
-
while work varied between students, but very astute observations overall;
-
the students identified aspects of the activity that had not occurred to me as I planned/taught the lesson
-
e.g.: predictions/observations relating to how the filter materials were altered after use;
-
-
deep analysis;
-
well-formed predictions and observations [see image below]
-
Prediction: filtering “might make it clearer”
-
Analysis: similar because clearer, different because the filtered water was clearer and filtered more quickly than she had expected
-
 |
|---|
 |
 |
 |
 Student predicted how the filter would be effected. |
 |
 |
 |
All but one of the students wrote that s/he would change at least one of his/her three materials when constructing a second filtration system. The sixth was satisfied that her filter had been effective. Her filtration system and filtered water are pictured to the left and below, respectively.
Recording of Postlab Discussion:
-
Great discussion
-
Students expressed their observations eloquently
-
They made comparisons between filters
-
Identified a connection between which materials a group had selected and the order in which they were layered in the filter
-
As the students explained to me during the discussion:
-
two of the three groups used/chose the same materials, but arranged them differently in their respective filters
-
members of both groups observed and mentioned that the order in which they had chosen to layer the materials had affected their results.
-
-
I had not made this connection indepently; I was too focused on teaching. To say the least, I was impressed by the students' insight, and the clarity with which they were able to express their observations and analyis.
-
-
-
Additionally, while I had only instructed the students to make predictions and observations relating to the water, the majority also focused on how the filtration materials would be/were effected.
-
As we concluded the discussion, the students asked to remove the used filter layers from the funnels in order to examine them more closely.
-
I gladly upended one of the filters onto a paper plate. [pictured right]
-
-
I have been in the classroom since September, and attended as many of the class's science lessons as possible. While the students often participate in hands-on activities and labs, this was the most science-rich, in depth discussion that I have heard. And that was eqaually--if not more--to the students credit as it was to my own.