The classroom is a seventh grade Life Sciences class. The school is located in an urban area and is considered a Title I school due the high percentage of students on free and reduced lunch. There are 22 students in the class, of which 2 are special education inclusion students and 3 English Language Learners at different levels of English proficiency. The subtopic for the Life Science class is the function of organ systems in the human body specifically the digestive system.
Objective 1: In a teacher guided dialog on with a visual of the digestive system, students will discuss what they know about the digestive system and what organs compose the system with at least one response.
Objective 2: After a presentation of the digestive system from the teacher and working in pairs, students will explain the function of the digestive system in a three sentence paragraph and identify the major organs on a diagram of the system with 80% accuracy.
Objective 3: When presented with vocabulary associated with the digestive system, students will create a sentence or draw a picture to show understanding of the word with 80% accuracy.
Objective 4: Working in collaborative pairs, students will trace one another and draw the digestive system in the outline and label the organs with 80% accuracy.
Objective 5: Given the writing prompt of “describe what happened to your dinner last night after you ate it”, students will write a five paragraph essay describing the digestive process with 80% accuracy.
Objective 1
The purpose of this lesson is an introductory lesson which will afford the teacher the opportunity to assess students’ previous knowledge and to introduce vocabulary and concepts associated with digestion. By keeping the format as an open discussion, students are given the opportunity to relate this topic with previous knowledge and experience of the subject. The lesson begins with the teacher handing out a cracker to each student and asking them to chew and swallow it, this engages the students and sets the stage for discussion. Evaluation of the discussion is casual, each student should respond or contribute at least once; teacher will probe students who are not engaging in the discussion. Special education and ELL students have been given the vocabulary words with definitions and visuals the Friday before to familiarize themselves with the words.
Objective: In a teacher guided dialog on with a visual of the digestive system, students will discuss what they know about the digestive system and what organs compose the system with at least one response.
Rationale: Determine students’ prior knowledge of the digestive system and introduce vocabulary and concepts.
Materials: Visual of the digestive system projected on the screen in which the organs are labeled and crackers.
Activity: Teacher passes out crackers for students to eat. Teacher begins to question and probe students about what they are experiencing while eating the cracker. This discussion will be guided into a whole group discussion of the digestive system.
Evaluation: Each student must respond or contribute at least one time; answers are not considered right or wrong in this activity.
Differentiated strategies: Teacher will probe students and scaffold their responses. New vocabulary was shared with special Education and Ell students the Friday before the unit is introduced.
Objective 2
The teacher uses a Power Point presentation to show and explain the function of the digestive system and the major organs (teeth, tongue, saliva, esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, gall bladder, small intestines, large intestines and rectum). The visuals and the lecture will appeal to all learners in the class to introduce new information. The activity that follows is a three paragraph written assignment explaining the function of the digestive system and the labeling of a digestive system consisting of the major organs. According to constructivist theories of learning and in order to support diverse learners and those having difficulty with the material, students are broken into pairs to collaborate on the writing and labeling activity (Turner 2011).
Objective 2: After a presentation of the digestive system from the teacher and working in pairs, students will explain the function of the digestive system in a three sentence paragraph and identify the major organs on a diagram of the system with 80% accuracy.
Rationale: To ensure that students have the opportunity to incorporate writing and identification of major organs in collaborative pairs.
Materials: Power Point presentation with visuals and blank diagrams of the digestive system to label.
Activity: Teacher lecture with Power Point presentation. Student then pair up with partners to write a paragraph and label the diagram of the digestive system.
Evaluation: Paragraph includes the three concepts of ingesting nutrients; breaking down nutrients and eliminating waste. Diagram, 11 of 11 organs identified.
Differentiated Instruction: Working in pairs to scaffold partners.
Objective 3
In this lesson, students are required to show understanding of the vocabulary associated with the digestive unit by either using the words in sentences or drawing pictures to represent the words independently. The vocabulary includes the organs and masticate, villi, enzyme, chyme and peristalsis. A Discovery Education video on digestion will be played quietly in the background and the teacher will work with a small group of students determined to be having difficulty with the unit.
Objective 3: When presented with vocabulary associated with the digestive system, students will create a sentence or draw a picture to show understanding of the word with 80% accuracy.
Rationale: Formative assessment of acquisition of material and the opportunity to work directly with students who are having difficulty.
Materials: Discovery Education video and vocabulary listed on the board.
Activity: This is an independent activity, students will write sentences using each of the vocabulary words or draw pictures to represent the words.
Evaluation: 80% of words re correctly used in sentences.
Differentiated Instruction: Students exhibiting difficulty will be pulled to work directly with the teacher.
Objective 4
This is a creative and engaging activity in which the students work in pairs, trace one of the students on butcher paper and then draw the digestive system in the outline and label the organs. These drawings will be displayed in the hallway so creativity is encouraged.
Objective: Working in collaborative pairs, students will trace one another and draw the digestive system in the outline and label the organs with 80% accuracy.
Rationale: Students must be creative and generate the organs of the digestive system in this activity. Working in pairs allows for scaffolding for struggling students. This also meant to be a kinesthetic and creative project.
Materials: Butcher paper, markers, crayons, construction paper, scissors and glue.
Activity: Students are given a length of premeasured butcher paper, one student traces the other on the paper, and students recreate the digestive system in the outline.
Evaluation: 80% of the organs are identified and properly placed.
Differentiated Instruction: Working in pairs.
Objective 5
This is the final assessment of content knowledge for the students. Students will create a traditional five paragraph essay that explains the functions of the digestive system and its organs. It is meant as a creative project to encourage both expression and knowledge.
Objective: Given the writing prompt of “describe what happened to your dinner last night after you ate it”, students will write a five paragraph essay describing the digestive process with 80% accuracy.
Rationale: This is the final assessment to check for student understanding of the digestive system. It is meant to be a creative process and incorporate writing into the science curriculum.
Materials: None
Activity: Students answer the prompt,”Describe what happened to your dinner last night after you ate it.”
Evaluation: 80% accuracy based on the number of vocabulary words, the functions of the system and organs are each identified. Students are not penalized for grammar and spelling although it is highlighted for their benefit when given back.
Differentiated Instruction: Students are not penalized for the conventions of writing, they are graded on their knowledge of the content.
Conclusion
Each of the objectives and lessons are tailored to allow all of the students to express their knowledge in different ways. The strategies that the teacher will employ do not penalize special education students, ELL student or students who may be having difficulty. The website allows for the students to spend extra time in the evening reviewing the information. The teacher also plans for small group instruction to target struggling students while allowing independent learning for students who are mastering the material. The students are being assessed each day in order for the teacher to pinpoint their level of understanding with a comprehensive assessment at the end of the week.
References
Armstrong, P. (2015). Bloom’s taxonomy. Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University. Retrieved
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2013).Your digestive system
and how it works. United States Department for Health and Human Services. Retrieved from:
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/Anatomy/your-digestive-
system/Pages/anatomy.aspx
Tulbure, C. (2011). Do different learning styles require differentiated teaching strategies?
Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 11, 155-159. DOI:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.01.052
Turner, S. (2011). Student-centered instruction: Integrating the learning sciences to support
elementary and middle school learners. Preventing School Failure, 55(3), 123-131.
DOI: 10.1080/10459880903472884
