Developmental Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Stephanie Steinberg, Angela Davidheiser, Megan Fink Date: 11/6/18

Group Size: 20 Allotted Time: 40 minutes Grade Level: 2nd. Grade

Subject or Topic: Levers (Unit: Lesson 4)

Common Core/PA Standard(s):
● ELP.4.L.1-3.5 Construct a model demonstrating the effects of force on motion based
on oral descriptions.
● 3.2.1.B2 Demonstrate various types of motion. Observe and describe how pushes and
pulls change the motion of objects.
Learning Targets/Objectives:
● The second-grade students will demonstrate their knowledge of levers by creating a
model that shows how a lever works.
● The second-grade students will explore force and motion by using the lever to show
how it affects movement.

Assessment Approaches: Evidence:

1.Conversation between peers, with teacher 1. Observation of discussion, documented
2. Prediction/Result Chart notes
3. Lever Model 2. Chart with the predictions and results of
4. Exit Ticket the activity
3. Observation/display finished model
4. “What is one new thing you learned
about levers?”

Assessment Scale:

(Score student exit ticket using the scale below)

1- Below Basic. 2- Basic. 3- Proficient

(one/no sentence, lacks detail) (one sentence, some detail) (one-three sentences, detail)

Subject Matter/Content:
Prerequisites:
● Basic examples of force in everyday life
● Basic examples of motion in everyday life
Key Vocabulary:
● Lever - used to move a load with one end when force is applied to the other end
● Fulcrum - the point on which the lever balances
● Load - the object the lever is lifting
● Effort - the force applied to make the object move

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 ● Motion - the action or process of being moved
Content/Facts:
● Levers
- Levers (definition).
- A lever balances on a fulcrum.
- Fulcrum (definition).
- When force or effort is applied to one end of the bar of the lever, it moves the load on
the other end.
- Effort (definition).
- Load (definition).
- The motion depends on the type of lever and where the fulcrum is.
- Motion (definition).
- Different sizes and weights.
- There are different types of levers, but all have a fulcrum.
- The position of the fulcrum determines where the load will be.

Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
● “Yesterday we learned about inclined planes and how ramps can help us.”
● “Today we are going to learn about levers!”
● The teacher will write the target question on the board.
● Target question: “What are some levers that you see and use around you?”
● The teacher will direct the students to turn and discuss with a partner or at their table.
● As the students are discussing, the teacher will walk around the classroom observing
the student’s conversations.
● The teacher will bring the class back together and ask one person from each pair/group
to share one idea they came up with.
● Examples of ideas:
- door handles
- arm/elbow
- wheelbarrow
- seesaw
- boulder/stick

Development/Teaching Approaches
● After the students have discussed and shared their ideas with the class, the teacher will
transition into the introduction of the content.
● The teacher will use an inquiry-based approach to teach levers, defining parts of the
lever as the lesson goes on.
● The teacher will show the pictures of levers.
● The teacher will use an anchor chart and guided notes to document the content
involved within the lesson.
● “We will define the parts of a lever on the anchor chart as a class, and then using your
guided notes you will be able to fill in your note chart.”
● The teacher will display the blank poster board and colored markers at the front of the
room.
● The teacher will pass out the guided notes sheet to each student.

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● The teacher will then transition into using the anchor chart.
● The teacher will define levers using objects and pictures and will write the definition
on the anchor chart.
● The students will fill in the top part of their sheet with the definition of lever.
● The teacher will then define the parts of a lever and direct the students to fill in the
blanks on their sheet.
● Once the blanks are filled in and the anchor chart is completed, the teacher will put the
students into pairs and give the directions for the inquiry activity.
● “Now that you have learned about levers, we are going to create our own levers using
the materials in front of us.”
● The teacher will have the materials out on the table.
● Before beginning the project, the teacher will instruct the students to fill out the next
section on their inquiry sheet.
● The teacher will explain the materials and give examples, while leaving room for
exploration and inquiry.
● The teacher will ask students for an example or two of how the materials may be used.
● “The ruler could be used as the bar for the lever; what else could the ruler be used for?”
● Examples of materials:
- The popsicle sticks can be used as the bar.
- The Legos can be used to build the different parts of a lever.
- The blocks can be used as the fulcrum or as the object to be moved.
- The ruler could be the lever that lifts the counting bears, and the pencil could be
the fulcrum.
● The teacher will instruct the students to choose three objects from the table.
● “I am going to create my lever by using ____”
● “Draw a picture of what you predict your finished lever will look like.”
- “Can anyone tell me what predict means?”
- “Now predict what you think your lever will look like.
● The teacher will walk around the room and observe the students, engaging them in
discussion and asking questions.
● The teacher will ask the students to raise their hands to share their ideas.
● “Using your materials, you and your partner will create a lever at your table.”
● The teacher will remind the students to refer to the anchor chart and their note guide as
they create their lever.
● The students will use the materials to build their levers.
● As they are building, the teacher will observe and ask questions.
● Example questions:
- “Which part of your lever is the fulcrum?”
- “What did you use to represent the bar?”
- “What did you choose to be the load?”
● Once the students have completed their lever, the teacher will instruct them to fill in the
third part of their inquiry sheet.
● “Draw a picture of what your finished lever looks like.”
● “Is it different than or the same as what you predicted it would look like?”
● “Label the parts of your lever - what is the bar, the fulcrum, and the load?”
● “What is the effort and the motion of your levers?”

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 ● The teacher will instruct the students to share their answers with their table.
● The teacher will ask for one student from each group to share an answer.
● The teacher will facilitate discussion and ask students to demonstrate their lever
creations.
● The teacher will then give each student an exit slip that will be turned in before they
leave.
● Exit slip: “What is one new thing you learned about levers?”
● The students will individually answer the question and the exit slips will be collected
by the teacher.

Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
● The teacher will ask the students questions to engage them in a discussion about levers
and the parts they learned about.
● “Did you build your lever the way you predicted you would, or did you change your
idea?”
● “What did you notice would happen with your lever if you added heavier objects on the
end?”
● “What was difficult about building your levers?”
● “What happens if you move the fulcrum one way or the other?”
● “What happens if you changed the materials you used to build your levers?”
● “Would a lever still work without one of its parts?”
● “How can we use levers in our daily life?”
● The teacher will then display an object to introduce the students to the next day’s topic.

Accommodations/Differentiation:
● For students who are struggling, the guided notes section will have an answer list that
the students can choose from to fill in the blanks.
● If a student struggles with making decisions or focusing, the materials will be chosen
for the student so that there are less distractions.
● For students who are accelerated, they can be challenged to make a more complex
lever or more detailed drawings.

Materials/Resources:
● Anchor chart
● Markers
● Lever picture examples
● Inquiry sheet
● Exit ticket
● Materials to build levers
- blocks (various sizes)
- wood (various sizes)
- rulers
- pencils
- markers
- popsicle sticks
- foam pieces

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 - Legos
- spoons
- counting bears
- rubber bands
- paper clips
- other real-life objects

Foresman, S. (2006). Science: See learning in a whole new light student edition. New York,

NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Foresman, S. (2006). Science: See learning in a whole new light teacher’s edition. New York,

NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Macmillan, McGraw-Hill. (2011). Science a closer look: Physical science teacher’s edition

grade 2. Columbus, OH: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill.

Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels

Remediation Plan (if applicable)

Personal Reflection Questions

Additional reflection/thoughts

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 Lever Inquiry Sheet

Part 1: Guided Notes

A lever is a ____________________ that balances on a fixed point. This point is

called the _____________________. The object the lever is lifting is called the
____________________. The _______________________ is the force applied to make the
object move. The ________________________ is the way in which a lever moves.

- Answer choices for accommodations:

 Bar
 Fulcrum
 Load
 Effort
 Motion

Part 2: Planning and Prediction

Draw or list the materials you will use to create your lever.

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

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Draw a picture of what you predict your completed lever will look like.

Part 3: Completed Inquiry

Part 3: Completed Inquiry

Draw a picture of what your completed lever looks like!

Label each part of your lever.

The bar in my lever is a ___________________________________________.

Was my completed lever different than or the same as my prediction? Why?

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Label each part of your lever.

The bar in my lever is a ___________________________________________.

The fulcrum in my lever is a ______________________________________________.

The load is my lever is a ___________________________________________.

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The effort for my lever is ____________________________________________.

The motion for my lever is _______________________.

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Exit Slip:
What is one new thing that you learned about levers? How can you use levers
as a tool?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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Sample Lever Pictures: