Norah Burdette
MATP 610
Stutzel
November 9, 2015
PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY
Graduate School of Education and Psychology
Second Lesson Plan
Lesson Title: Photosynthesis and the Pumpkin Seed
Context: 5th Grade
Number of students in the class: 30
Time: 45 Minutes
Materials:
- 10 digital microscopes (1 per every 3 kids)
- 1 digital microscope connected to the TV
- 10 freshly picked basil leaves
- 20 plastic cups
- Soil to fill each cup halfway
- 10 pumpkin seeds
- 10 large Ziploc bags
- 10 permanent markers
Key Standards:
5-PS3-1: Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair,
growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.
5-LS1-1: Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth
chiefly from air and water.
Measurable Objectives
Learning Target - By the end of today’s lesson, I will have learned enough about the
structure of plants and the process of photosynthesis to make an educated
hypothesis predicting the growth patterns of both a pumpkin seed I plant in soil,
water and leave in open-air sunlight and a pumpkin seed that has had one
ingredient, of my choosing, of the photosynthesis recipe removed. I will show that I
have learned this by documenting my hypotheses for the predicted growth of each
seed in my science journal and by then making verbal observations and conclusions
the following week via group and class discussion.
Skills or processes - Teamwork, learning to use a microscope, understanding the
structure of a basil leaf, planting, designing my own experiment within my group
and making predictions about the growth patterns of two planted pumpkin seeds.
Academic Language:
1
Norah Burdette
MATP 610
Stutzel
November 9, 2015
Hypothesis, Mesophyll, Chloroplast, Photosynthesis, Phloem, Xylem, Cholrophyll
Background: The students in this science lab will have already experienced two
lessons related to plant structure and how their nutrients are absorbed. They will
come to class knowing what phloem and xylem are and how they support life in a
plant. They will also come to class with hands-on experience of the celery
experiment and have an understanding of how water and nutrients are absorbed by
plants.
Motivation: The science lab is an environment where success is built upon
collaboration, thus each student will work within a group. The motivation behind
this lesson is to help visually demonstrate how the process of photosynthesis works
and discuss why it is so important to our health and the health of our planet.
Connections to prior knowledge/assets:
Students should have prior knowledge of the structure of plants and how plants
absorb nutrients and water.
Lesson Sequence: Groups will consist of six students working at each lab station
and two mini-groups within the larger group for microscope and planting work.
The students will come in, put on their lab coats and head straight to the microscope
at their table. Per the directions written on the board, they will examine a
previously mounted basil leaf and then we will provide direct instruction
illustrating the structure of the leaf and building upon previously acquired schema.
The topic of photosynthesis will then be introduced, incorporating their
understanding of nutrient and water absorption in plants. Once we have checked
for understanding, we will start the hands-on activity and have them plant two
pumpkin seeds per table, leaving one as the control and letting them design the
experiment of the other seed by removing one of the steps in the photosynthesis
process (light, water, air, or soil).
Anticipatory Set: Students will enter a dark science lab and the board will read,
‘Take a look. What do you see ?’. There will be a microscope set up on each desk
with a basil leaf slide and will give them time without instruction to observe and
discuss what they see within their groups.
Based on: Vygotsky, Theory of Play/Constructivist Theory/Unguided
Inquiry/Cooperative Learning/Inductive Learning/Inquiry Training
Time: What the Teacher Does:
5 mins Say: Nothing
Model: Looking in the microscope
What the Students Do:
Put on their lab coats, take turns looking
in the microscope and discussing their
observations.
2
Norah Burdette
MATP 610
Stutzel
November 9, 2015
Introduction: We will open up the floor for predictions about what we will be
learning today and then introduce the topic of photosynthesis via a digital
microscope connected to the television that mirrors their own microscopes.
Based on: Constructivist Theory/Instructional Scaffolding/Deductive
Strategy/Cooperative Learning/Direct Instruction
Time:
10
mins
What the Teacher Does:
Say: We wanted you to see first-hand
how amazingly complex leaf
structures are. We are now going to
utilize what we have learned over the
past two weeks about plant structure
(phloem, xylem and nutrient and
water absorbtion) to dive a little
deeper into leaf structure.
Model: Identify, via digital
microscope connected to the
television, the additional parts of leaf
structure that are essential for
photosynthesis (mesophyll and
chloroplast)
Check for understanding: Ask if
everyone can see these structures
and discuss in class how each of these
structures contribute to the process
of photosynthesis.
What the Students Do:
Look at the microscope being broadcast
via TV and into their own microscopes
and identify the mesophyll and
chloroplasts. Ask questions, answer
teacher questions and draw the leaf they
see in their science journal, labeling the
mesophyll and chloroplast.
Body of Instruction: Next, we will dive deeper into the larger process of
photosynthesis itself and show the video ‘Photosynthesis in Plants – Animation for
Kids’ to provide the students with more detailed information about the process and
equation used in photosynthesis.
Differentiation/Scaffolding: We will create diverse groups of six students,
making sure to include both genders, a variety of races and all learning levels.
These students are average-learning fifth-graders who speak English as their
first language, so other than the instructions in the beginning, we don’t plan on
providing much scaffolding.
Based on: Constructivist Theory/Instructional Scaffolding
3
Norah Burdette
MATP 610
Stutzel
November 9, 2015
Time What the Teacher Does:
What the Students Do:
8 mins Say: Take a look at this video and pay Watch video, jot notes and ask questions
special attention to the ‘ingredients’
after video ends.
needed in the photosynthesis recipe.
You may want to jot down some
notes.
Model: Watching video and taking
notes.
Check for understanding: Ask if
there are any questions.
Check for understanding: After the video ends, we will answer any questions the
students may have. We will review the photosynthesis equation learned and review
why photosynthesis is so important to our health. We will then begin the hands-on
pumpkin seed experiment to drive home the topic of photosynthesis with active
learning.
Differentiation / Scaffolding: We will walk around the room while the
students are planting their seeds and provide support as needed.
Based on: Constructivist Theory/Instructional Scaffolding/Cooperative Learning
Time
20
mins
What the Teacher Does:
Say: Ask the students to plant one
control group (a pumpkin seed
planted in soil, watered, with access
to air and sunlight) and to then pick
the variable (soil, water, air or light)
that they would like to eliminate from
the photosynthesis process. Allow
them time to discuss, assign jobs and
get started.
Model: Planting of the pumpkin
seeds in the control cup. Model one
option for variable elimination by
placing the planted pumpkin seed cup
in a Ziploc bag and then squeezing
the air out.
What the Students Do:
Students work together to plant one
pumpkin seed control cup and then
discuss as a team which photosynthesis
variable to eliminate (water, soil, air or
light) and how to do this. They can use
the suggestions we give them of placing
their variable cup in the closet, not
watering it, placing it in a sealed Ziploc
bag, not using soil or any other creative
variable removal method they can agree
upon. They will then plant both seeds,
label their cups and write their
hypotheses for anticipated plant growth
over a one-week time span in their
science journals.
4
Norah Burdette
MATP 610
Stutzel
November 9, 2015
Elaborate on the content : As they are working in their groups, we will walk
around and answer any questions, provide support and suggestions for
photosynthesis variable elimination. We will discuss possible outcomes and ask
probing questions to help keep them on task.
Differentiation / Scaffolding: Ask them to take a vote on which photosynthesis
variable to eliminate if they are having trouble coming to a consensus or pick one
for them if they seem unengaged.
Based on: Vygotsky, Theory of Play/Constructivist Theory/Instructional
Scaffolding/Cooperative Learning/Inquiry Training
Time
What the Teacher Does:
During Say: Provide support, probing
Activity questions and help where needed.
Model: Show them possible variable
elimination choices and suggestions
for how they can be accomplished.
What the Students Do:
Plant both sets of seeds, discuss their
predictions with their group and then
write their hypotheses, including ‘why’
justification, in their science journals.
Assessment : Assessment will be formative and will be conducted by observing
how well each group interacted, what discussions were had and how close they
seemed to be to understanding the process of photosynthesis. We will pay special
attention to their hypotheses and what they thought would change in the plant
growth process as a result of removing one of the basic elements/variables of
photosynthesis. We will use this information to better understand their levels of
comprehension and where we will need to provide additional instruction on an
individual basis and/or how the groups should be reorganized. The next class will
provide an additional opportunity for formative assessment and student selfassessment since we will see how closely the students’ hypotheses lined up with the
plant growth results. These results will then provide a jumping off point for the next
experiment or a possible extension of the photosynthesis experiment incorporating
more variable elimination/addition experiments.
Differentiation / Scaffolding: If students are struggling, we will provide them
with additional scaffolding and if they are unable to cooperate in a group we
may pull them to work with the teacher if necessary.
Based on: Vygotsky, Theory of Play/Constructivist Theory/Instructional
Scaffolding/Cooperative Learning/Inquiry Training
5
Norah Burdette
MATP 610
Stutzel
November 9, 2015
Time What the Teacher Does:
2 mins Say: When you come in next week,
take a look at your plants and see
how close you were to your
hypothesis. Discuss why with your
groups and ask questions!
Higher-Order Thinking: What
happens when trees are cut down?
How does that affect us?
What the Students Do:
Students participate in the group activity,
ask questions and form their hypotheses.
They then leave with the higher-order
thinking question to ponder over the
course of the week.
Reflection (after teaching): What worked; what could be changed to increase
effectiveness of the lesson
6