TCNJ Lesson Plan

Unit Lesson 4: Bits and Pieces

Student Name: Katie Giancaspro

School Name: Lawrenceville

Elementary
Grade level: First

Host Teachers Name: Mrs. Pileggi

Guiding and/or Essential Questions:

How can mixtures of solid particles be described?
Are all solids big, hard objects?
Pre-Lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge:
The children have a wide variety of experience with science and solids,
liquids, and gases. Based on the pre-assessment, I know that many students
have some ideas about solids. All students displayed a curiosity toward
learning about science when they filled out the section of the preassessment that asked what they wanted to know. A large portion of the
class believes that solids are very hard materials. A very small portion of the
class knew little to no information about solids and liquids.
Standards:
5.2.2.A.2: Identify common objects as solids, liquids, or gases.
5.1.P.A.1: Display curiosity about science objects, materials, activities, and
longer-term investigations in progress.
Learning Objectives and Assessments:
Learning Objective
Students will work

Assessment
Teacher will assess students work areas,

hands-on to separate

looking to see that they have successfully

tiny solid particles.

separated the various parts of soup mix.

Teacher will take notes on children who seem
to be grasping the material exceptionally well
as well as students who seem to be struggling.

Students will create art

Teacher will assess students art for

using soup mix particles.

completion.

Materials/Resources:

Foss Kit (Soup mix, screens, containers)

Paper
Glue
Plans for set-up/distribution/clean-up of materials:

I will have the soup mix, tools, and containers on trays, waiting for
students at the guided reading and back tables. When the lesson

is complete, I will put them away.

I will hand out the science journals where the students will draw
and label solids. The students will leave the journals on their desks
for us to check while they are at special.

Step by Step Plan:

1. Introduction: I will call the students to their circle spots on the rug. I
will show them 5 bottles of different solids and ask if the class knows
what they are (lima, pinto beans, mung beans, rice, and cornmeal). I
will ask the class if these materials are still solids even though some of
them are very tiny. I will tell the class that solids can come in a lot of

tiny pieces. Together, we will sort the bottles from largest to smallest
pieces, as I ask questions such as Which bottle has the smallest
pieces inside it? I will ask how the cornmeal looks and how they
think it would feel. They may say that its dusty or tiny. I will tell the
class that materials like that are called powders and ask if anyone
knows of any other powders. They may know about baby powder or
powdered sugar.
2. Next, I will explain that they will be working in groups of 3 to separate
soup mix. Given different sized screens (for sifting) and a scoop, they
will separate the different solids into separate containers. I will have
the materials laid out on trays, which will be waiting for them at their
tables. I will tell the class that when I call them, they should come to
the table I call them to (the guided reading table or the back table)
where they will try to separate the different kinds of solids into
separate containers. I will tell them that they need to share the
materials, giving everyone a turn, and keep them on the trays. I will
call two groups of 3 at a time.
3. Next, I will explain that the rest of the class will work at their desks
drawing and labeling as many solids as they can think of while they
wait their turn, Mr. Chiesa will help supervise this activity. When the
students are at their desks, they will draw and label as many solids as
they can in their science journals-the person with the most will receive
a coupon. I will call each group of students to work on sorting the soup
mix and let them know that they can finish drawing and labeling in

their journals after this project. I will be calling 6 students at a time to

sort the soup mix.
4. Closure: Finally, after all students have had a chance to sort the soup
mix, they will all return to their seats. I will ask the students to talk to
me about the different ways they separated the mix and used the
screens. I will use an example of sifting sand to find seashells (if the
holes in the screen are too big, all the shells would fall through) to get
the students thinking. I will add any vocabulary that comes up, such
as powder, to the vocabulary window. Mr. Chiesa and I will collect all
journals to find out who came up with the most solids. The classroom
teacher will take over from here.
Key Questions:

How did you separate the soup mix?

How did you use the screens?

What do you see inside this bottle?

Can very tiny materials be solids?

Logistics:
Timing:

Introduction: 5 minutes
Working in groups of 3: 7 minutes per group (total of 30 minutes)
Closure: 5 minutes

Transitions:
The students will be called to the rug by table number. All students will be
told to go to their desks by table number, and then I will call the name of

each student working on sorting the soup mix. All students who are not
sorting the soup mix will be at their desks. After sorting the soup mix, I will
instruct the students to return to their desks for the lesson closure.
Classroom Management:

I will praise students who are being good role models.

When I need the students attention, I will say Hocus Pocus to which

the children will reply Everybody Focus.

I will also use the peace symbol, which stands for respect/quiet to

remind the students to raise their hands when talking.

If a student is not acting appropriately during a lesson, they will be
given a warning the first time but after that the teacher may move
their number onto the yellow traffic light.

Differentiation:

I will provide adequate wait time after asking a question, enabling all
students to think.

I will provide support to groups of students who are struggling. I will

provide extra support to student M who sometimes gets off task and
becomes unmotivated.

Student C may use his headphones while he is doing art.

Early finishers may read a book from their seat sack.

TCNJ Lesson Plan
Unit Lesson 5: Introducing Liquids and their Properties

Student Name: Katie Giancaspro

Elementary

School Name: Lawrenceville

Grade level: First

Host Teachers Name: Mrs. Pileggi

Guiding and/or Essential Questions:

How can liquids be described?
What are their properties?
Pre-Lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge:
The children have a wide variety of experience with science and solids,
liquids, and gases. Based on the pre-assessment, I know that many students
have some ideas about liquids. All students displayed a curiosity toward
learning about science when they filled out the section of the preassessment that asked what they wanted to know. A large portion of the
class believes that liquids are water. A very small portion of the class knew
little to no information about solids and liquids.
Standards:
5.1.P.B.1: Observe, question, predict, and investigate materials, objects,
and phenomena (e.g., using simple tools to crack a nut and look inside)
during indoor and outdoor classroom activities and during any longer-term
investigations.
5.1.P.B.2: Use basic science terms and topic-related science vocabulary.
5.2.2.A.2: Identify common objects as solids, liquids, or gases.
Learning Objectives and Assessments:
Learning Objective

Assessment

Students will name some

Teacher will assess students through a

properties of liquids as they

whole-class discussion. Teacher will take

explore and observe them.

notes on children who seem to be grasping

the material exceptionally well as well as
students who seem to be struggling.
Teacher will assess What stuck with you?
post-it notes, checking for names of
properties of liquids.

Materials/Resources:

http://www.psd1.org/cms/lib4/WA01001055/Centricity/Domain/36/WHA

T%20IS%20A%20SCIENTIST%20GUIDE.pdf
http://www.kindergartenkindergarten.com/2010/07/we-are-all-

scientists.html
Foss Kit
4 sets of 7 bottles of liquids (Part of Foss kit)
Memory card game (teacher-made)
Chart
Worksheets
Plans for set-up/distribution/clean-up of materials:

I will give each group of students their 7 bottles to explore. When

the timer goes off, I will collect them.

I will give each pair of students a deck of cards, which they will
place back into their bags and into a basket when the game is
over.

Step by Step Plan:

1. Introduction: If the students are not already seated, I will call them to
the rug by table number. I will tell them that now that theyve learned

a lot about the properties of solids, well be learning about liquids

today. Before we begin, Ill ask the class if anyone can remind me what
a property of something is. The correct answer would be something like
this: a property is what we learn about something by looking at and
feeling something. What were some properties of solids? Im going to
show you some bottles with different liquids inside them. When I give
you the bottles, as a scientist, you should look carefully at the bottles I
give you and think about whats the same and different about the
liquids in each bottle. To be safe, you should never open the bottles I
give you, unless I tell you to. Sometimes scientists work with materials
that arent safe to touch so its important that they stay in their
containers. Always handle the bottles gently so they dont break. Its
okay to roll them in front of you like this (show class how to roll the
bottle keeping it close to their bodies) but make sure it stays near you.
You will be working in 3 groups to observe as much as you can about
the liquids. Right now, were not guessing whats inside the bottles, Ill
tell you that later. Think about how the liquids move, what happens
when you tilt the bottle very slowly, what happens when you shake it,
and whats the same and different about them.
2. I will spilt the class into 3 groups, direct them to their areas on the rug,
hand them their liquids and let them investigate it. I will put on the
timer and remind them that when it goes off, they need to clean up. I
will continue reminding students of what they should be thinking as

they explore, until the timer goes off. At that point, I will collect all
bottles.
3. Next, I will show the students one bottle at a time, asking what they
noticed about each one. I will record their observations on a chart,
explaining the following vocabulary as it came up: bubbly, liquid, pour,
surface, translucent, transparent and viscous. I will add all properties
to the chart and tell the class that we can add more as we continue
learning together. All vocabulary words will be added to the science
vocabulary window.
4. Finally, I will tell the students that I brought a game for them to play
about liquids. I will show them the memory cards and explain how you
play. Each card has a different property of liquids on it so to play,
students will place all the cards face down in front of them and take
turns trying to find the picture that matches the written property. Each
student picks up one card and has one chance to find its match, after
that the other student will get a turn. The students will be put into
pairs to play. When you get a card that matches a card in your hand,
you keep them both. Whoever has the most matches at the end wins.
5. Closure: I will tell them that I am putting the timer on for 10 minutes,
and when it goes off, they need to put their cards into their bags and
put the bags into my basket and then sit on the rug. I will tell the
students that by the end of the day, they should stick a What stuck
with you post-it on the chart of the door stating properties they
learned about liquids today and properties they learned about solids
from other lessons. I will inform them of the good things I saw as they

worked today and let them know that on Monday, they will learn about
solids and water with Mr. Chiesa. I will also hand out our home-school
connection worksheet and explain to the class that they will work with
their parents to fill out this worksheet about solids and liquids. We will
tell the parents, through a letter sent home, that sending us pictures of
the different solids and liquids they found is encouraged but not
required.
Key Questions:

What are some properties of liquids?

What did you find out about these liquids?

What happens when you shake the bottle? Roll it? Tilt it?

Logistics:
Timing:

Introduction: 5 minutes
Exploring Liquids: 10 minutes
Writing Properties: 5 minutes
Game instructions: 2 minutes
Game: 10 minutes
Closing: 3-5 minutes

Transitions:
The students will be called to their circle spots by table number. They will be
able to play cards anywhere in the room.
Classroom Management:

I will praise students who are being good role models.

When I need the students attention, I will say Hocus Pocus to which
the children will reply Everybody Focus.

I will also use the peace symbol, which stands for respect/quiet to

remind the students to raise their hands when talking.

If a student is not acting appropriately during a lesson, they will be
given a warning the first time but after that the teacher may move
their number onto the yellow traffic light.

Differentiation:

I will provide adequate wait time after asking a question, enabling all
students to think.

I will provide support to groups of students who are struggling. I will

provide extra support to student M who sometimes gets off task and
becomes unmotivated.