Learning Cycle Lesson Planning Form
Grade Level:
Science Standards to be Addressed:
First
SC.1.P.12.1 Demonstrate and describe the various ways that objects move, such as in a
straight line, zig-zag, back and forth, round and round, fast, and slow.
Science concept(s): Objects move in various ways such as back and forth, round and round, zig-zag, straight, fast, and slow.
Science Topic/Content Area:
Forces and Motion
1. What concepts/big ideas
do you intend students to
learn?
2. What do you expect
students to understand
about this concept and be
able to do as a result?
3. Why is it important for
students to learn this
concept? (Rationale)
4. Provide an overview/
explain what teachers
should know about this
topic. What
misconceptions do
students typically have
about this concept?
(Lesson Background Info)
7. What specific activities
might be useful for helping
students develop an
understanding of the
concept in each phase of
Process Skills: Observing and Collecting data; students will be making specific observations of the movement of playground
equipment while they are outside on the playground. They will also be collecting data in their science notebooks of the
observations they are making. They will then use their data and observations to help them create their own playground.
Idea(s)about the nature of science: Science is a complex social activity; scientists work together and hold discussions of their findings.
Students will be working together like scientists to explore the different ways that objects move through the engage piece and explore.
During the explore phase they will have the opportunity to make observations with their classmates and talk about why they think it is a
certain movement. Furthermore, during the explain phase students will have an opportunity to engage in a turn and talk and whole group
discussion to share their thoughts and ideas because scientist share their ideas.
I expect students to be able to do two things. The first thing students should be able to do is identify or recognize the different ways that
objects can move such as back and forth, round and round, zig-zag, straight, fast, and slow. The second thing I expect my students to be
able to do is demonstrate the different ways that objects move such as back and forth, round and round, zig-zag, straight, fast, and slow
during our engage piece. During the activities students should be able to demonstrate the movements.
Students need to learn this to open their minds to new ways objects move instead of only thinking objects only move forward. Also it is
important students learn this so they can take their knowledge and apply it to real world objects that are moving. Additionally, they need
to learn this to clear up misconceptions they may have about ways objects move. For instance students believe whatever way you push or
pull an object is the direction that it goes.
Teacher Needs to Know: Objects move in various ways such as back and forth, round and round, zig-zag, straight, fast, and slow. Pushes,
pulls, and gravity are all forces that can make objects move. When a force is applied it causes objects to move in different ways such as
directions (back and forth, round and round, zig-zag, straight) and speeds (fast and slow). Also, need to know student misconceptions as
listed below. “An unbalanced force is a push or pull that makes something changes its motion. A force is a push or pull that
makes something start moving, stop moving, or change direction. If an object is not moving, a push or pull will set it in motion. If
the object is moving, a push or pull will change its speed or direction. The same object will move different distances depending
on the strength of the force on a given surface. It takes more force to move a given object a long distance rather than a short
distance on a given surface. (Realize that friction is a force acting on an object moving in everyday situations. If the frictional
force is changed, the amount of force required for a given distance also changes.)“
http://mrlindauer.com/K2/newlabs/G1_BigIdea_12.pdf
Student Misconceptions: The motion of an object is always in the direction of the net force applied to the object. Terminology, for
example left and right or up and down instead of back and forth or circle instead of round and round. Also, student’s
perspectives may vary on what “fast” is and what “slow” is or looks like to them. http://amasci.com/miscon/opphys.html
Engage: Walk the students out to the playground area. At the playground area have three different areas set up where students can
engage in the different ways objects can move. One are should be set up using cones borrowed from P.E. Set the cones up in a zig-zag
pattern for the students to walk along. Another area should be set up with 3-4 hula hoops that will also be borrowed from P.E. Students
will take turns using the hula-hoops around their waist. The last area that should be set up is an area with a rope to do “tug-a-war” and a
ball for students to roll back and forth. Once students have rotated to all three areas call them over to the fence area. Have students
Adapted from the Content Representation Tool (Loughran, Mulhall, & Berry, 2004)
the Learning Cycle?
spread apart at arms length and face forward. Tell them they will be racing and that their end point is the point I’m standing at. Engaging in
these different activities will serve as a review for the students of the different ways objects move. They will engage in back and forth,
round and round, zig-zag, straight, fast, and slow. Once students are sitting on their bottoms have a short debrief of what the students just
engaged in. Let the students share out the different ways they or the objects were moving and get a discussion going. This will also provide
some feedback on if the students understand the different movements they were engaging in. The engage phase will get students thinking
about the different ways object move so they are prepared to find different ways objects move on the playground.
Exploration: Once the engage phase is finished and students are finished with their discussion tell students what they will be doing next.
Introduce the “challenge” students have which is they will be being engineers and need to design a new playground that has different
pieces of playground equipment that move in different ways. Tell students that they will be going over to the actual playground area and
making observations of the different ways the equipment moves that is on the playground. Students could also write down the way they
move (still same ways) on the playground equipment. Since students have already engaged in the different ways objects move during the
engage phase they will now be able to take that knowledge and use it to help them find the different ways the objects move on the
playground or the way they move on the playground equipment. The observations should be recorded in their science notebooks using
drawings, words, labels, arrows, or whatever works best for them. Allow students to test their thinking by s=using the monkey bars, or
slides, etc to solidify the movement they think something makes. Give students fifteen minutes to do this. Encourage students to work
with other students as they record their observations. Take this opportunity to remind students science is social and scientists share their
ideas with one another. As the teacher, walk around and listen in and take anecdotal notes on what students are discussing and what
playground equipment they are picking out. Record if there are any movements that students are struggling with or ones that are of
strength. (cpalms.org)
Explanation: Move students back into the classroom setting. Once in the classroom have students pull out their science notebooks so they
can discuss the data that they collected in their science notebooks. The data they are sharing is the observations that were made during
the explore phase. Students should be able to hold a discussion about what they observed the previous day. Provide an opportunity for
students to turn and talk about their observations from the playground about how objects move. Hold a discussion as a whole group
where students area able to share their observations. Students may put their science notebooks up under the ELMO to project their
findings. This is another opportunity to let students know science is social and that sharing their ideas is just like what scientists do. As
students share different pieces of playground equipment have prepared photographs to go with each piece of equipment that the
students will offer during the discussion (if they are actual photos of the playground equipment at the school it would make it very
meaningful and relevant to the students). As students share out the equipment hang photos up at the front of the classroom so students
have a visual of the equipment being discussed. This is good for the ELL students and may provide new ideas by seeing the piece of
equipment again or solidify the movement that the class is saying it makes. Take the explain time as an opportunity to ask students
questions such as “Why do you think this piece of equipment makes this movement?” or “How did you know the equipment moved in that
way?” “Can objects move in more than one way? “How is the movement of this piece of equipment similar/different to this piece of
equipment?”
Extension: To extend students learning remind students they will be engineers and remind them of their challenge. The engage, explore,
and explain phases should all be supportive to what the students are going to be doing. They went over the different ways objects move
and they found the different ways objects move on the playground. Additionally, they have discussed all of their observations and shared
so now they should be able to apply it to a real world scenario. The challenge will be to design a 2-d playground that has evidence of all of
the different ways objects can move. They should apply their learning from over the course of the past learning cycles. Also, they will be
Adapted from the Content Representation Tool (Loughran, Mulhall, & Berry, 2004)
encouraged to use the observations they collected from our very own playground exploration at school to help them design their very own
playground. This will be done independently. (cpalms.org)
8. In what ways would you
assess students’
understanding or
confusion about this
concept?
Formative Assessment: As students are engaging in the exploration part of the learning cycle we will carry and anecdotal record sheet to
document students responses when we talk to them about the observations and data they are collecting from the playground.
Additionally, when students are finished collecting their observations we can look at the observations they collected and see where they
are at by their observations recorded.
Summative Evaluation: Students will create their very own foldable that shows the different ways that objects move. There should be six
flaps (one for each way: fast, slow, straight, round and round, back and forth, and zig-zag.) Students should draw a picture of something
that shows the movement and use arrows as support. (First Grade Curriculum Map)
9. What materials/
equipment are needed to
teach the lesson?
10. References (Please list
all resources consulted in
developing this form)
- Playground equipment at school
- Science Notebooks
- Rope for tug o war
- Hula hoops
- Cones to set up zig-zag area
- Photos of the school playground or photos of playground equipment
- ELMO
- Paper for foldable
- First grade curriculum map
- http://amasci.com/miscon/opphys.html
- cpalms.org
- http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceUpload/Preview/13370 (Playground Equipment Lesson)
- http://mrlindauer.com/K2/newlabs/G1_BigIdea_12.pdf (Teacher Background)
Adapted from the Content Representation Tool (Loughran, Mulhall, & Berry, 2004)