Jeannie Baier
Jean Turney
Fauquier County Public Schools
Lesson Study
 This year I taught the MSI Lesson in March. I taught
three of the four lessons including the pre and post
test. The MSI lesson kept me focused on integrating
math into my science lessons. I taught measurement
during the first quarter to prepare them for using
measurement tools as I planned for them to use
balances, gram stackers, centimeter and inch rulers,
and beakers throughout many science lessons. I
consciously included measurement and graphing in
most of my science lessons. I also incorporated
journals and exit ticket responses.
MSI Lesson on Matter
 Engage – Fill a Jar
 Explore – Classifying Activity, Measuring Mass of
Solid, Liquid and Gas, Graphing Results
 Explain – Students Engage in Group Discussion and
Wrote in Science Journals
 Extend – Show Fractional Parts Relating to the
Classifying Activity
 Evaluate – Journal Entries, Student Data Sheets,
Performance Assessments
My Class
 The students in this case study were from Fauquier County, Virginia
elementary schools: Greenville and H.M. Pearson Elementary.
 42 third grade students participated in the full lesson
 8 Gifted/Talented students
 4 ESL students
 2 special education students
 26 regular education students
 71 fifth grade students participated in the classification lesson
 7 Gifted/Talented students
 3 ESL students
 10 special education students
 51 regular education students
Math and Science SOLs
Math
3.9 a,c
 Use customary and metric
unit to measure length and
mass in grams
3.17 a,b,c
 Organize data and construct
graphs
Science
3.1 a,b,c,e,h
 Scientific Investigation:
observations are made,
predictions are made, objects are
classified and length and mass
are measured; data are gathered
and organized
3.3 a, b, c
 Objects are made of one or more
materials; physical properties
remain the same as objects
change in visible size; visible
physical changes are identified
Test Scores
Pre -Test
Post Test
12-90%
6-80%
20-70%
2 – 50%
2 – 30%
20 – 100%
12 – 90%
8 – 80%
2- 70%
Matter Test Scores
Grade in Percent
100
90
80
Post Test
70
PreTest
60
below 50
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Number of Students
Integration and Blooms Scale
Integration
 This was a Process
Integration with 50% math
and 50% science.
Blooms Taxonomy
 Comprehension – 2
 Explain, Graph, Interpret,
Recording
 Application – 3
 Apply, Solve
 Analysis – 4
 Compare, Classify, Infer
Explore
 Sort matter by physical properties: color,
size, shape, texture and mass.
Task: Students were given 14 objects to classify by their
physical properties. Then students observed other groups’
sorts and decided how each group sorted their items.
 Integrate math through measurement, collecting data,
and graphing.
Task: Students used pictures of actual objects to create a
paper representative of their sort.
Successes: Students chose various physical
properties to use for sorting and were able to figure
out what other students used to sort their objects.
Challenges: Students did not chose to use the
measurement tools provided and the paper sort
was time consuming and did not contribute to
student understanding.
Modifications: Teacher would direct students to
use measurement tools to measure for length and
mass before sorting and eliminate paper sort
activity.
Explore
 Solid, liquid, and gas are the three states of matter.
 Which state of matter has the most mass?
Task: Fill two balloons with equal amounts of water, freeze
one balloon until the water becomes a solid. Then measure
the mass of each balloon, then breathe air into same size
balloon to measure its mass. Record your data.
Successes: Students showed competence using the
balance scales and gram stackers.
Challenges: The frozen water balloon was too
heavy to measure the mass. Also, teacher was
uncomfortable giving third graders filled water
balloons.
Modifications: Teacher would give students an ice
cube in a zip lock baggie and have them measure it
first. Then allow the ice cube to melt and then
measure the water.
Explain
 Was your prediction correct?
 Can you explain the results?
Successes: Students were able to explain why the
liquid weighed more than the solid. Students
shared observations and held good conversation.
Challenges: The water balloon weighed too
much for the scale and made it difficult to
graph. Its measurement threw off the scale of
the graph. Also, unable to determine the
amount of gas collected.
Modifications: Teacher would give students an ice
cube in a zip lock baggie and have them measure it
first. Then allow the ice cube to melt and then
measure the water.
Reflection
 This lesson had value as an integrated math/science
lesson because the students had several opportunities
to use math to interpret, evaluate and communicate
scientific ideas. Using the modifications
recommended this lesson would be more effective.