Integrating and applying knowledge for instruction
Portfolio Exemplar Cover Sheet
Teacher Candidate: Alexa Donovan Cohort: 402
Title of Exemplar: The Big Bang
Portfolio Category: _______I ________II ___X___III _______IV _______V
ACEI Standard: A3.1 Integrating and applying knowledge for instruction
ACEI Standard Elements: Candidates plan and implement instruction based on knowledge of students, learning theory, connections across the curriculum, curriculum goals, and community.
Semester: 3 Date: 9/25/12
1. The Big Bang lesson plan and Big Bang Art extension lesson plan were developed for my specific class of first and second graders. Over the course of the semester we studied early life. Many theories of how the world came into existence were introduced and discussed. Knowing my students are deep thinkers and love to question, this lesson plan was designed in a way that would encourage students to ponder their understanding of the universe. I linked the historical big bang theory across the curriculum to art in order to give students a way to express their understanding of the big bang in a creative and engaging way.
2. Planning the Big Bang lesson plan encouraged me to get creative as a teacher. I wanted to make sure I encouraged students to think without expressing my beliefs or imposing any so called “truths” on them. This lesson plan taught me the importance of developing a neutral lesson based on a curriculum that could be controversial. I also gained experience through collaboration with parents. In a classroom there is a wide range of beliefs. A parent who wanted to make sure that the curriculum was not purely based on creationism approached my mentor teacher. This encouraged the importance of teaching the big bang theory.
Teacher Candidate: Alexa Donovan Cohort: 402
Title of Exemplar: The Big Bang
Portfolio Category: _______I ________II ___X___III _______IV _______V
ACEI Standard: A3.1 Integrating and applying knowledge for instruction
ACEI Standard Elements: Candidates plan and implement instruction based on knowledge of students, learning theory, connections across the curriculum, curriculum goals, and community.
Semester: 3 Date: 9/25/12
1. The Big Bang lesson plan and Big Bang Art extension lesson plan were developed for my specific class of first and second graders. Over the course of the semester we studied early life. Many theories of how the world came into existence were introduced and discussed. Knowing my students are deep thinkers and love to question, this lesson plan was designed in a way that would encourage students to ponder their understanding of the universe. I linked the historical big bang theory across the curriculum to art in order to give students a way to express their understanding of the big bang in a creative and engaging way.
2. Planning the Big Bang lesson plan encouraged me to get creative as a teacher. I wanted to make sure I encouraged students to think without expressing my beliefs or imposing any so called “truths” on them. This lesson plan taught me the importance of developing a neutral lesson based on a curriculum that could be controversial. I also gained experience through collaboration with parents. In a classroom there is a wide range of beliefs. A parent who wanted to make sure that the curriculum was not purely based on creationism approached my mentor teacher. This encouraged the importance of teaching the big bang theory.
The Big Bang Lesson Plan
Step 1—Desired Results:
Standards, benchmarks, other objectives as needed (e.g., IEP)—What should students know, understand, and be able to do as a result of the lesson?
MPI Standard: Gain understanding how the world began: Creation stories and other theories.
Step 2—Assessment Evidence
Performance task—What will students do to show what they have learned?
Students will create a watercolor representing what the Big Bang may have looked like. Students will explain what is happening in their picture which shows their retention of knowledge of the theory.
Performance criteria—How good is good enough to meet standards?
Loosely based standard. Not forcing any definite knowledge. If students create their watercolor and can explain how it represents the big bag that will be proficient.
Concepts Addressed: The Big Bang, the Universe, history of cosmology, scientific theories, relative size of things, expansion of the universe
Lesson Goals: Students will be able to create a watercolor and through verbal conferencing explain what happened during the big bang.
Students will
Pre Lesson:
By Jennifer Morgan
(Tiered: The students were becoming very impatient with the text, saying it was too long. I began to summarize the main point of each page instead… Sarah (mentor teacher) said students in the past have loved the text but this classes abstract understanding of concepts is less developed than previous classes)
Power Point Introduction: (Together brainstorm ideas)
What is the universe?
What is the universe made out of?
How did it come to be?
(Have students turn and talk “how do you think the universe came to be” remember to be respectful of each others opinion)
Now we are going to talk about some other people’s ideas of how the universe came to be?
What is a scientist…? Introduce the following scientists who believed in the ever-expanding universe…
Lets start with albert Einstein… now can someone tell me who Albert Einstein is? (One of the students will most likely recognize him as a scientist) What is a scientist? (Brainstorm ideas)
Albert Einstein’s theory:
Gorges Lemaitre: Believed that the universe is expanding, things are constantly and slowly moving outward
Edwin Hubble: Astronomer, believed galaxies are moving away from us
Summing up the scientist observations:
“These important scientists made observations about outer space and were able to use their observations to come up with this important theory: If everything in the universe is moving farther away from us in every direction, then everything is moving out in every direction from any point in the universe. If everything is moving outward in every direction, then it used to be packed tight together. Tracing this movement back through time, the universe started out as being very tiny.”
*Have students stand far apart from each other, clasp their hands tightly together and begin to pull their elbows out (model) tell them to hold tight but keep pulling and pulling…and then to let go! (This idea shows the idea of general relativity) (help ELL students better understand concepts)
Say, “Today we are going to create our own Big Bang. Now (hold up the balloon filled with scraps) this is going to be our first stage of the universe before it started to expand a lot. This is when the universe is in a condensed stage, meaning everything in it is very close together. Next we are going to blow up the balloon, this is the stage of the universe where things are really starting to expand. And then… we are going to pop our balloon (representing the big bang) and see what happens!
Lets remember this is a scientific theory so we don’t know exactly if this is what happened and we don’t know how long this took, we are speeding the process up because it could have taken billions of years to spread-out as far as it is spread out today.”
Creating the Big Bang:
After the students discuss keynote questions and have a chance to ask questions, they will be told that they are now going to simulate their own Big Bang.
Standards, benchmarks, other objectives as needed (e.g., IEP)—What should students know, understand, and be able to do as a result of the lesson?
MPI Standard: Gain understanding how the world began: Creation stories and other theories.
Step 2—Assessment Evidence
Performance task—What will students do to show what they have learned?
Students will create a watercolor representing what the Big Bang may have looked like. Students will explain what is happening in their picture which shows their retention of knowledge of the theory.
Performance criteria—How good is good enough to meet standards?
Loosely based standard. Not forcing any definite knowledge. If students create their watercolor and can explain how it represents the big bag that will be proficient.
Concepts Addressed: The Big Bang, the Universe, history of cosmology, scientific theories, relative size of things, expansion of the universe
Lesson Goals: Students will be able to create a watercolor and through verbal conferencing explain what happened during the big bang.
Students will
- Simulate the distribution of matter and energy from the Big Bang
Pre Lesson:
- Stuff balloons with different colored paper confetti (use things like glitter/tinfoil to make it more exciting)
- Mark off 4 4x4 grids on the floor with blue tape
- Gather sheets of blank paper to allow student to record what they see (use as reference guide in art extension lesson)
By Jennifer Morgan
(Tiered: The students were becoming very impatient with the text, saying it was too long. I began to summarize the main point of each page instead… Sarah (mentor teacher) said students in the past have loved the text but this classes abstract understanding of concepts is less developed than previous classes)
Power Point Introduction: (Together brainstorm ideas)
What is the universe?
What is the universe made out of?
How did it come to be?
(Have students turn and talk “how do you think the universe came to be” remember to be respectful of each others opinion)
Now we are going to talk about some other people’s ideas of how the universe came to be?
What is a scientist…? Introduce the following scientists who believed in the ever-expanding universe…
Lets start with albert Einstein… now can someone tell me who Albert Einstein is? (One of the students will most likely recognize him as a scientist) What is a scientist? (Brainstorm ideas)
Albert Einstein’s theory:
Gorges Lemaitre: Believed that the universe is expanding, things are constantly and slowly moving outward
Edwin Hubble: Astronomer, believed galaxies are moving away from us
Summing up the scientist observations:
“These important scientists made observations about outer space and were able to use their observations to come up with this important theory: If everything in the universe is moving farther away from us in every direction, then everything is moving out in every direction from any point in the universe. If everything is moving outward in every direction, then it used to be packed tight together. Tracing this movement back through time, the universe started out as being very tiny.”
*Have students stand far apart from each other, clasp their hands tightly together and begin to pull their elbows out (model) tell them to hold tight but keep pulling and pulling…and then to let go! (This idea shows the idea of general relativity) (help ELL students better understand concepts)
Say, “Today we are going to create our own Big Bang. Now (hold up the balloon filled with scraps) this is going to be our first stage of the universe before it started to expand a lot. This is when the universe is in a condensed stage, meaning everything in it is very close together. Next we are going to blow up the balloon, this is the stage of the universe where things are really starting to expand. And then… we are going to pop our balloon (representing the big bang) and see what happens!
Lets remember this is a scientific theory so we don’t know exactly if this is what happened and we don’t know how long this took, we are speeding the process up because it could have taken billions of years to spread-out as far as it is spread out today.”
Creating the Big Bang:
After the students discuss keynote questions and have a chance to ask questions, they will be told that they are now going to simulate their own Big Bang.
- Having moved all the desks and chairs to the side of the room
- Break the students into 4 groups (5 students per group), assign each group a number
- Give the designated person in each group a balloon filled with paper scraps (all students to watch the balloon blown up *teacher/adult blows up balloon, potential safety hazard).
- Instruct each group to choose a balloon holder, a balloon popper (teach should choose most responsible student in the group). And three observers: emphasize the importance of the three observers. One group at a time, ask the two designated students stands in the middle of the area of the floor designated as “Big Bang.” One student holds the balloon about shoulder height, and the second student pops the balloon.
- Continue with each group until all groups have popped their balloon in their designated Big Bang area.
- Students will be given paper to record what their area looks like (this will be a form of formative assessment)
- -Have groups record how the paper/glitter fell and then have them discuss questions on the keynote:
- -How did the paper fall?
- -Is it evenly dispersed?
- -Is it clustered in some areas?
- -What might these clustered areas become over time, if this were a real universe? (A galaxy? A planet? A star? A solar system?)
- -Where are the farthest reaches of this universe?
- -In this Big Bang, where is the known universe?
- Once the students seem to be able to answer these questions and understand what this simulation represents
Note: Art extension lesson plan. Introduction of watercolor, new media
Introduction & Session Instructions
The goal of this lesson plan is to have students create their own interpretation of what the Big Bang may have looked like using watercolor. The student should reach proficiency by creating a work of art that reflects the Big Bang using a new media, watercolor.
*This benchmark will be met over the semester by using a “variety of media”. Step one is watercolor.
Introductions & Greeting: 10 minutes
“Can I have someone share with me what we have been learning about the last couple days regarding the universe?...”
*Student should raise hand and say something regarding the Big Bang Theory
“Thank you (students name). We have been talking about the Big Bang Theory.. what have we learned about the Big Bang Theory, I would like you boys and girls to remind me by telling me a few things you remember…” (call on 5 students) once they have their juices flowing announce a turn and talk “Now, tell your partner what you remember about the Big Bang (after a minute or two say switch and have the other partner add to what the 1st partner remembered)
Session Instructions:
- Big Bang Lesson introduction of Art Piece
- Address materials
- House Rules
Mini-Lesson & Create
Connect and cite one example (from previous class/knowledge):
- The Big Bang Theory (this is the artistic extension to the previous lesson)
Say what you’re going to teach:
The students will learn to take a broad idea and make it their own. They will be using their imaginations as well as artistic techniques to come up with an original pastel piece of the Big Bang Theory.
Read Inspiration Text Piece: Time: 20 minutes
How does this relate to what we learned in class yesterday about the universe?
What do you notice about the pictures in this book?
Teach: Time: 10 minutes
“Today we are going to create our very own versions of what we think The Big Bang looked like…all of ours might look different because I might think the Big Bang looked different than how Ms. Field thinks the big Bang Looked. Does anyone know for sure how the Big Bang might have looked? No because we were not there to see it, it is a theory”
“We have water color and construction paper to use to design our Big Bang’s”
“We need to go over some house rules… How do we treat our art supplies? (Have students answer) How do we treat our classmates? Art time is very fun but we need to remember to respect the materials and each other!”
*Look back over picture slides in power point
* Handout paper
Active Engagement/Create: Time: 40 minute
- Give each student a white piece of watercolor paper
- Each student has watercolors
Conference:
As students finish one on one teacher student interviews will take place, teachers will record students explanations of their “Big Bang”
Write on sticky note and attach to each piece
Closing
Closing reflections on art creation:
Once all students are finished they can clean up their materials and set their creations on the back desk.
They will not have time to reflect until the next day when the students will have an art walk and spend several minutes looking at their classmates work.
Art meeting: what did you notice about all the Big Bang pieces?
How were they the same?
How were they different?
(Turn and talk, switch partners, student feedback to teacher)
Closing reflections on teaching & overall lesson:
Close students by thanking them for giving it their all, and reflect on the big bang
Notes:
Based on the work of Teachers College Reading & Writing Project, Columbia University
Materials—
Watercolor paper, watercolor, brushes, cups for water
Student Sample