SED 406 Observation # 2

SED 406:  Observation Assignment #2

In this observation assignment, your goal is to reverse-engineer a lesson plan. Watch the class, and write the lesson plan that teacher is using.

Do this by OBSERVATION, even if the teacher is willing to share their lesson plan with you. This is about improving your observation skills, not getting ‘the answer’.

Lesson Plan Template for SED 406 and 407 part 1 = planning
Teacher Candidate: Elizabeth Bitgood	Subject: World History 1	Grade(s): 9th
Name of Lesson: Using primary sources/background on Marco Polo
Learning Objective(s), including Bloom's taxonomic level: (label A, B, C, *D) *optional The student will be able to understand the advantages and disadvantages of using a primary source when studying history.  Students will be able to understand the life and times of Marco Polo, and show this understanding in an essay.
Student Standards (GSE or/GLE or Common Core-in draft for math/science- list which): Rhode Island State Standards for Social Studies: Grade 9RI. 2. History: Historical Comprehension., 2.b. The student identifies the central question(s) the historical narrative addresses. 2.d. The student evidences historical perspectives.
Teacher Standards (professional society and/or NETS  and RIPTS-list which): RIPTS  2. Teachers have a deep content knowledge base sufficient to create learning experiences that reflect an understanding of central concepts, vocabulary, structures, and tools of inquiry of the disciplines/content areas they teach.
Rationale: Why this lesson? How does it fit into the curriculum and context? Is this the introduction, conclusion, or somewhere in the middle of the unit of instruction? This lesson is an introduction to the topic of Mongol China.  It will introduce the culture, and feel of the time and place.  Reading parts from Marco Polo’s book and writing an essay on the topic will help with student comprehension of the topic.
Materials/Resources needed, including technology: Do now packet, Handouts, pen/pencil
Accommodations and Modifications (special needs and learning styles) For example:  Dr. Kraus has poor vision and needs written material to be at least 12 pt. font.  He also reads two grade levels higher and needs appropriate reading material.  No accommodations were observed
What content resources support this knowledge base? (list at least 2) Textbook, handouts
How confident are you in this topic as you start this lesson? The teacher seemed to be confident in this lesson.  He indicated that he had taught it many times before.

Lesson Plan Template part 2 = action
Bell-ringer: How will you get students seated, and ready for academic work? (without your voice) The teacher already had the student’s DO NOW packets placed on their desks, indicating that they should sit down and get started right away on the lesson.
Anticipatory Set: How will you introduce the material, interest the students, show relevance of topic? The teacher introduced the topic by having them answer a DO NOW question from their reading on Mongol China.  He then engaged the class in discussion over the DO NOW question.
Phase (change as needed)/Time	Teacher action	Student action	Questions/Assessments
e.g. Intro/5 min. 5min	Point out objectives and summarize the essay they will have to write in a few days	listen
10min	Told students to do the DO NOW	Answered the question in their do now packet
Presentation or Open-ended/ 10min	Passed out handout on primary/secondary sources Read it to the students	Read along and fill in the questions on the back
Guided Practice or Convergent/ 65min	Passed out anther handout on Marco Polo, read it to the class, and worked as a group to answer questions on Marco Polo.	Listened and responded to the questions on the sheet, copied down answers.	Questions were on a hand out
Closing/ 5min	Stressed the importance of the lesson towards writing the essay later in the week.	listened
HW/Application/	none
Review and Reflection: How will you review for students who are still having trouble? I would direct them to read the handout and then show them how to get the answers from the text, encourage small groups to work on the questions rather than as a class.
Extension: What will you offer to students who have mastered this? Nothing was offered
*Closing: How will you review the material, and draw conclusions? (may be listed above)

	Lesson Plan Template pt. 3 = reflection
WHAT?	What went well?   The students did read the handout as a group so most of them did hear the information.  The tricky vocabulary was written on the board so that they would be able to understand the difficult words.
	What area of weakness needs addressing? The class was not engaged or all that interested in the assignment.  As the class worked as a group many students did not bother doing the work and simply copied the answers down once the teacher went over the assignments.
	Which objectives were met? What is the evidence? As this was one lesson out of a three day lesion plan I did not see if the objectives were met
	Which students did not meet objectives? The students in the back of the room did not meet the objectives.  They had been talking during the whole lesion and did not copy down the answers that the class came up with and the teacher wrote on the board.
	Was time managed appropriately? Time was not managed well as the final handout was not gotten to and was put off till the next class.
	Did any teacher mannerisms or actions detract from the lesson? The teacher spent a great deal of time writing the answers to the questionnaire on the board to share them with the class.  His back was turned to the students quit a lot of the time.
	*What were the strengths and weaknesses of classroom management? The teacher did not exhibit much in the way of management.  For example, two girls were seated next to each other; they had moved their desks closer to the other as well.  These two girls talked during the entire lesson.  The teacher did not move to separate them or quiet them.  He would occasionally ask the students as a group  if they were paying attention, and stress the importance of the lesson, but otherwise did not move to silence any of the talking students.
SO WHAT?	Was the lesson engaging? This lesion was not very engaging to the students.  Most did not really participate and a few talked constantly throughout the class.
	*What did I learn from my peer observation (address at least one aspect)   I learned that it is vitally important to address any behaviors that interfere with the lesson.  This teacher did not really do anything to stop the constant chatter of students except raise his voice level to be heard over the offending students.
NOW WHAT?	How will this experience influence your professional identity?
	How will it influence how you plan/teach/assess in the future? This will influence me because I saw how when a teacher tolerates non attention and student talk during a lesion it continues and does not stop on its own.  I will endeavor to make sure that I develop better class room management skills to avoid a similar situation.