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Annie ReuterDr. BautistaEDT 317E – A, C18 March 2015

Part One: Lesson Plan

1. Title/Source of Lesson: All About the Moon!2. Description of learners percent or numerical description of gender, race,

IEPs, ELLs, etc.a. 22 students totalb. 12 boys, 10 girlsc. No ELL studentsd. 5 students with IEPse. 21 Caucasian students, 1 African American student

3. Standards:a. Grade Band Theme: Observations of the Environmentb. Strand: Living and nonliving things have specific physical properties that

can be used to sort and classify. The physical properties of air and water are presented as they apply to weather.

c. Topic: Daily and Seasonal Changesd. Condensed Content Statement: The moon, sun, and stars are visible at

different times of the day or night.e. Note: Our cooperating teacher requested that we teach a lesson from the

National Geographic: Sun, Moon, and Stars book they have been using in the classroom. We found that the only science standard that aligned with our lesson was the kindergarten standard included above.

4. Instructional Objectives:a. Students will be able to identify the moon’s phase when looking at an

image of the moon.b. Students will be able to describe the moon’s surface.c. Students will be able to describe where the moon gets its light.d. Students will be able to describe how the moon orbits the Earth.

5. Differentiations:a. The moon in all of its phases was simulated in the classroom over a 2

week span, if students were unable to look at the moon at night while they were at home.

b. Visual supports during the introduction of the phases (large moon poster).c. Moon phase cards included both an image and the word representation of

the phase.d. Class discussion and the moon song offered auditory support for students. e. Multiple teachers available to help individual students during the lesson,

especially when making the moon phase books.f. Hands-on activities making the moon phase book and the birthday

phase chart.6. Materials/Resources Needed:

a. Poster paper with response

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b. Stringc. Styrofoam ball to simulate moond. Black construction papere. Moon phase cardsf. Moon phase posterg. Sample moon phase bookh. Paperi. Pencilsj. Scissorsk. Black crayon/marker/colored pencill. Staplerm. Coffee filtersn. Index cardso. Moon phases worksheetp. National Geographic: Sun, Moon, and Stars bookq. “Moon Song” www.havefunteaching.com/song/science-songsr. Website to find phases for birthdays http://stardate.org/nightsky/moons. Lesson ideas adapted from

http://scienceinaboxmoonphases.wikispaces.com/Lesson+Plans+%26+Websites

7. Key/Academic Vocabulary:a. Observationb. Surfacec. Orbitd. Phasee. Fullf. Newg. Crescenth. First Quarteri. Last Quarterj. Gibbous

8. Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks:Day 1:

a. Teacher will first interview students in small groups to find out students prior knowledge and misconceptions about the moon and its role in the atmosphere.

b. Interview questions will include:i. What are some characteristics of the moon?

1. Tell us what you know about the moon.ii. What is the moon made up of?

1. What shape is the moon?iii. When can you see the moon?iv. How does the moon shine?v. Does the moon orbit or revolve around any planets?

1. How long does it take the moon to go around Earth?vi. What do you know about the phases of the moon?

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vii. Why is the moon important?viii. How are day and night different?

c. Based on the pre assessment and students answers to these questions, the teacher will make sure to address any misconceptions within the lesson.

d. After all of the questions are asked to each group, the teacher will announce to the class that students should go home and observe the moon that night. Teacher will tell students to write down their observation and be prepared to share them in class the next day.

Days 2-9:e. The next day, the teacher will write a response for students to follow-up

with in their response journals, recording their observations of what they saw the night before.

f. When beginning the lesson, the teacher will ask the students to share their responses while writing these characteristics and observations on the board for students to see.

g. The teacher will then explain to students that they are going to create a moon simulation in the classroom, for students to be able to observe the moon and the different phases that it goes through, in a shorter period of time.

h. Students will be able to observe the moon simulation for the next eight days, and write down any observations they would like to record.

Day 10:i. The teacher will first begin the lesson by asking students questions about

the moons surface such as “What characteristics can you use to describe the moon’s surface?”

j. As students respond, the teacher will write these characteristics on the board.

k. Students will then be asked to get out their National Geographic Science book Sun, Moon, and Stars.

l. The class will read together pages 30 and 31 from the book about what the moon is made up of.

m. The teacher will then ask students based on their observations from the moon simulation, how long they think it takes the moon to orbit, what they know about the phases of the moon, and how the moon shines.

n. As students respond, the teacher will write these ideas on the board.o. Then the class will read pages 34 and 35 from the National Geographic

Science book. p. The teacher will show the students the moon phase cards on the

overhead projector and ask students if they can put them in order. q. The teacher will call on students to come up and tape the note cards on

the board as they are put in order.r. The teacher will then tell the students “Now you are going to make your

own moon and phase booklets to use!” “You will need to get out a pencil, scissors, and a black marker.”

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s. The teacher will put up the poster board of the phases on the board, for students to be able to look at while making their booklets.

t. The teacher will then tell students that they are to draw the eight moon phases on each of the eight coffee filters they are given.

u. The teacher will hold up an example for students to be able to look at and explain to students that assistance will be provided if needed.

v. The teacher will then play the moon song from the website www.havefunteaching.com/song/science-songs, while students make the booklets.

w. The teacher will go around and help students make the booklets as needed, and staple the left side when finished.

x. After all students are finished with their booklets, the teacher will then pass out index cards.

y. The teacher will explain to students that now they are going to be able to see what phase the moon is going to have on their next birthday.

z. The teacher will pull up the website http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon, and click through the months, asking children “Whose birthday is in (blank) month?” Then asking students to look for their birthday and begin drawing the phase on an index card.

aa.Once all of the months are clicked through the teacher will tell students to flip to the back of their index card.

bb.Teacher will tell students to put their name, the name of their phase on their birthday, and their birth date on the back of this card.

cc. After a few minutes of completing this, the teacher will put up a graph that has the number of students and eight phases of the moon on the axes.

dd.The teacher will call students up by row to put their birthday moon card in the correct row on the graph.

ee.After all students have put their cards on the graph, ask them the following questions about the graph:

i. How many pictures are in each phase?ii. Which phase has the most pictures?iii. Which phase has the least picturesiv. Ask students to say an interesting fact about the graph.

ff. The teacher will then hand out the formal assessment worksheet and give students a few minutes to complete.

gg.Once students are finished with the worksheet, the teacher will have students go over it as a class.

9. Assessment Plan:a. Informal: Students are observed during class discussion and in their

observations of the simulated moon, with a focus on what vocabulary terms they use correctly. Students will also be evaluated based on successful completion of a birthday moon phase card.

b. Formal: Students will complete a moon phase worksheet that includes questions about the moon’s surface, how the moon orbits Earth, and where the moon gets its light. They also will put the phases of the moon in order and describe what is happening in the new moon phase.

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Part Two: Lesson Plan Reflection

Planning Commentary Planning for Instruction and Assessment 1. Central Focus

a. Describe the central focus for the lesson.The title of this lesson is “All About the Moon!”. Therefore, the central focus of the lesson is about the moon and its role in the atmosphere, including information about the moon’s surface, the moon’s orbit, and how the moon receives light. The lesson addresses a few common misconceptions that students have regarding these concepts.b. Given the central focus, how does your lesson support inquiry-based

learning? Explain all strategies you plan to use to ensure inquiry.My lesson supports inquiry-based learning for students in a variety of ways, specifically because it follows the “5E” inquiry format for teaching and the activities and strategies used include are embedded with inquiry. Many of these activities and strategies in the lesson include an inquiry element, especially when students are given the chance to explore the moon through a simulation in the classroom. They also are given the chance to write and discuss their observations and inferences about the moon, based on what they currently experience and any prior learning or experience with the moon, during the pre-assessment interview and during the moon simulation. As stated above, the lesson also follows the 5E Learning Cycle format. The first step in this cyle is “Engage”, which is accomplished in my lesson through the interview pre-assessment. Next, in the “Explore” stage, students will observe the moon in the sky and a simulated moon in the classroom, talking about differences they see over an eight-day span. This will begin to introduce the concept of moon phases to students. The third stage is “Explain”, seen in this lesson when students complete their own moon phase books. The topic will have been introduced already, so students will be getting the chance to further explore and increase their understanding of the moon progresses through the phases. The following stage is “Elaborate”, and is seen in the next activity. The class will look at a calendar with the corresponding moon phase for every day, and each student will make a card showing what phase the moon is in on their birthdays. Also, the moon phase song that will be played is elaborates on what has already been taught. Lastly, the “Evaluate” stage is seen in the worksheet that the students are asked to complete at the conclusion of the lesson.

2. Knowledge of Children to Inform Teachinga. What do you know about the children’s prior academic learning and

prerequisite skills related to the central focus – what do children know, what can they do, and what are they learning to do related to the central focus?

My knowledge about children’s prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focus of the lesson is based on the pre-assessment that was conducted with all students. The interview included questions about the moon’s surface, the moon’s orbit, and where the moon gets its light, which

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are three aspects of the moon that students commonly have misconceptions about. From the interview, I concluded the primary misconception for students was about how the moon got its light and how the moon progresses through phases. During the actual lesson, more information was gathered through listening to the language students used to describe the moon during observations of the simulated moon. My students have previously engaged in appropriate guided class discussion, so I knew this would be an effective instructional strategy. Through this lesson, children are learning more about the moon and its role in the atmosphere; they are gaining an awareness of how the moon affects their lives and learning how to describe the moon in more detail and using the key vocabulary.b. Personal/cultural/community assets – what do you know about your

children’s everyday experiences, cultural backgrounds and practices, and interests?

A few different personal, cultural, and community assets of my students influenced activities and strategies used in this lesson. Although my cooperating teacher requested that my co-teacher and I taught a lesson from the National Geographic: Sun, Moon, and Stars book, we knew that focusing on a scientific topic found outside would be enjoyable for the students. Over my time with the students, I learned that they love to be outside and that nature interests them. Furthermore, in the pre-assessment, many students talked about seeing the moon while driving in the car or playing outside at night. Because of these factors, teaching a lesson about the moon and increasing their understanding of how this scientific phenomenon works would be both interesting and beneficial. Another interest of many students in the class is song and dance, so incorporating the “Moon Song” into the lesson will be a fun additional strategy to reinforce the topics being taught.

3. Supporting Children’s Development and Learninga. Explain how your understanding of the children’s development, prior

academic learning, and everyday life experiences guided your choice or adaptation of learning experiences and materials.

As discussed earlier, my knowledge of the children’s everyday life guided my choice of learning experiences. Since I knew the students like being outside and learning about nature, teaching a lesson about the moon would be interesting. This topic was also chosen because my cooperating teacher requested it be taught. The class had already learned about other similar topics, such as the sun and planets, so a lesson about the moon would build on their prior knowledge. I also had an awareness of the students’ prior knowledge about the moon through the pre-assessment interview; this provided more information about what common misconceptions to be sure to address in the lesson.b. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned

supports are appropriate for the whole class, individuals, and/or groups of children with specific learning needs.

The instructional strategies, activities, and supports are appropriate for teaching this lesson to the class and individual students. There were multiple

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entry points included in the lesson, seen in observations of the moon simulation, class discussions, and completion of a moon phase book. The lesson includes plenty of visual and auditory learning, as well as manipulatives and hands-on experiences with the real moon and the simulated moon. The majority of the lesson is open-ended as well, allowing students to engage in discussion at their own pace. Students are able to orally talk about the moon or can write a response in their journals. Lastly, myself, my co-teacher, my cooperating teacher, and a teacher who works specifically with the five students on individualized education plans were all available throughout the entire lesson to help or support students if needed.c. Describe common preconceptions or misunderstandings (based on

prior academic learning and experiences) within your central focus and how you plan to identify and address them.

Common misconceptions in this lesson include how the moon receives its light and how long it takes for the moon to orbit the Earth. These were identified through research and again during the pre-assessment interview conducted with all students. For example, many students believe the moon makes its own light, when in reality the moon reflects light from the sun. Students’ misunderstandings will be addressed in the lesson through the activities used, especially explicit instruction about the moon’s light. Student observation during the moon simulation will begin to address and question the misconceptions and the correct concepts will be introduced during teacher instruction after the moon simulation is complete and further discussed during the completion of moon phase books. The worksheet given at the conclusion of the lesson is a formal assessment of whether students’ misconceptions still exist or if they have a correct understanding of the material.

4. Supporting Children’s Language Developmenta. Identify the key academic vocabulary (i.e. developmentally

appropriate sounds, words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs) that will support children’s learning in the planned learning experiences.

The key academic vocabulary used in this lesson includes “observation”, “surface”, “orbit”, “phase”, “full”, “new”, “crescent”, “first quarter”, “last quarter” and “gibbous”. Each of the moon’s phases are included, as well as important concepts that have to do with the moon and its role in the atmosphere. Finally, “observation” is a broad scientific investigation term that is included.b. Identify a key learning experience from the lesson plan that provides

children with opportunities to develop, practice, and/or use the vocabulary identified in prompt 4a.

Key learning experiences that provide children with opportunities to develop and use the vocabulary listed above are incorporated throughout most of the lesson. Students may use the terms in their written and oral observations of the moon in the sky and the simulated moon in the classroom. The teacher will later ask students what these terms mean and students will read about them in their National Geographic: Sun, Moon, and Stars books. If necessary, the teacher will explicitly teach the words to students. Also, index cards with an image and the written representation for each moon phase will

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be shown to students and available for use during the creation of the moon phase books. Overall, the vocabulary words will be incorporated into the whole lesson, so students will have plenty of opportunities to develop an understanding and practice using the terms.c. Language Support – Describe the instructional supports (during

and/or prior to the learning experience) that help children develop and use the vocabulary identified in prompt 4a.

As stated above, the vocabulary terms will be used throughout the whole lesson and there will be instructional supports included so children correctly use the words. The words will first be explored during the students’ observation of the moon at night and in the classroom. Students will also see the written representation in their National Geographic books, on the moon phase cards, and on the final worksheet. The teacher will encourage students to use this academic language during class discussion and their written responses, so that they have more experience actually using the words. Lastly, the teacher will also be using the vocabulary throughout the whole lesson so students will have constant exposure and support in developing their understanding of the terms.

5. Monitoring Children’s Learninga. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will

provide direct evidence of children’s learning of the central focus throughout the learning segment.

There are both formal and informal assessments planned for this lesson, both of which will provide evidence of children’s learning of the central focus. Informally, there will be teacher observation throughout the whole lesson, including the pre-assessment and observations of the moon simulation. Teachers will pay special attention to the language students use in talking about what part of the moon is “lit up” each day in the classroom. Formally, there will be a poster or chart on the wall on which students will describe the simulated moon every day, noticing patterns, similarities, and differences. Also, students will identify the phase the moon will be in on their birthday and be asked to draw a picture and write the phase on an index card to make a graph with the whole class. Lastly, all students will complete the final worksheet at the conclusion of the lesson so that teachers can see which misconceptions were successfully addressed and where students have a partial or full understanding.b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments

allows children with specific needs to demonstrate their learning.The planned assessments included in my lesson allow all children to demonstrate their learning, since there are a variety of ways for teachers to see what students learned. First, the teacher will observe students during the lesson and pay attention to how students are picking up on the concepts. For some students, class discussion may be the best way for them to show what they are learning. The final worksheet is the most standard form of assessment and will be completed individually. However, depending on students’ ability, only part of the worksheet will be completed individually and

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some of the questions may be answered out loud to the teacher instead of written down. Lastly, students will draw a picture of the moon phase on their birthday and write what the phase is, but the picture is enough for the teacher to see what students know. Since there is variety in the types of assessments used in this lesson, all children, including those with specific needs, will be able to demonstrate their learning to the teacher.

Instructional Commentary Instructing and Engaging Children In Learning 1. Promoting A Positive Learning Environment

a. How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to children with varied needs and backgrounds, and challenge children to engage in learning?

The design of this lesson challenged children to engage in learning and my language and interactions demonstrated respect and responsiveness for all students. During the lesson, students engaged in class discussion, and I also conversed with small groups of students during the observations and making the moon phase books. The lesson included use of the National Geographic book, which students are already familiar with, so reading aloud and discussing the topics was a familiar instructional strategy for all students. There was also individual assistance provided by myself and the other teachers if any students required additional support at any point in the lesson.

2. Engaging Children in Learninga. Explain how your instruction engaged young children in scientific

inquiry or scientific practices.This lesson engaged children in scientific inquiry throughout all of the instruction, and even follows the 5E Learning Cycle. The lesson began by engaging students through a pre-assessment interview; students then explored the moon’s phases through a simulation in the classroom and were asked to share their observations and inferences about the moon each day. The lesson then was further explained to students through individually completing a moon phase book, and elaborated upon through the “Moon Song”. Students also looked at a calendar to determine the moon phase on their birthday, increasing their awareness that the moon constantly goes through the phases. Lastly, students were formally evaluated by completing a worksheet about the topic.b. Describe how your instruction linked children’s development, prior

learning, and personal, cultural, and community assets with new learning.

The instruction in this lesson linked children’s prior learning and personal and community assets in a variety of ways. My students enjoy learning about nature topics and are familiar with the moon already. They have also been taught other similar science lessons, about the sun for example. Students have previously engaged in appropriate class discussion and have completed formal worksheets individually. Because of these different factors, the topic of the lesson is appropriate for children’s development, prior learning, and

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interests, and the instructional strategies used are effective and correspond to their learning ability.

3. Deepening Children’s Learning During Instructiona. Explain how you elicited and built on children’s responses to

promote thinking and develop understandings of how to conduct a scientific investigation and how to use evidence to construct and defend an explanation of a scientific phenomenon.

This lesson built on children’s prior learning since the pre-assessment interview showed what common misconceptions students believed, so instructional activities were developed to elicit these misconceptions, address them scientifically, and promote thinking. Students gained an initial understanding of how to conduct a scientific investigation, and participated in an investigation through the moon simulation activity. Through class discussion, students got the chance to defend their findings and theories about the moon phases and by creating their own moon phase books, students constructed and explained a scientific phenomenon. b. Explain how you made interdisciplinary connections through the

learning experiences to promote children’s development of language and literacy.

Interdisciplinary connections were made during this lesson in order to promote children’s language and literacy development. For example, the key vocabulary was introduced and students were encouraged to use these new terms both in class discussion and their written responses. Including written responses also promotes literacy development, as does having students express their thoughts and observations of the simulated moon orally during class discussion. Another interdisciplinary connection was made with science and math as well, since students completed a bar graph chart with the phase cards showing the moon on each student’s birthday.

4. Analyzing Teachinga. How did your instruction support learning for the whole class and

children who need greater support or challenge?My instruction supported learning for the whole class and students who need greater support because it included a plethora of instructional strategies and embedded differentiations. There was plenty of group discussion in which all students participated, a beneficial activity for both students who contribute ideas and students who listen and absorb information. During the completion of individual moon phase books, individual assistance and further explanation was provided to students if needed. Finally, while completing the birthday phase cards, students ideally provided the written and pictorial representation of the moon phase, but could choose to only draw a picture. b. Drawing and written phase on cardsc. What changes would you make to your instruction to better support

children’s learning of the central focus (i.e. missed opportunities)?In order to better support children’s learning of the central focus, more instruction is necessary regarding the moon’s orbit and its role in how people on Earth determine day and night. In order to do this, creating a hands-on

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activity that teaches the orbit as well as the phases of the moon would be more beneficial. Explaining the orbit of the moon in more detail would give students a more complete understanding of how the moon progresses through the phases. Also, reinforcing the connection between the moon and the calendar would provide children with a better understanding of moon’s importance and role in the world. d. Why do you think these changes would improve children’s learning?

Support your explanation with evidence of children’s learning and principles from development theory and/or research.

These changes would improve children’s learning because more misconceptions about the moon would be addressed and students would have a stronger understanding about the moon and its role in the atmosphere. Students would also be more aware of the connection between the moon and the calendar. Lastly, connecting the orbit of the moon to the phases would improve children’s learning since it would be more complete.

Assessment Commentary Assessing Children’s Learning 1. Analyzing Children’s Learning

a. Identify the specific standards/objectives from the lesson measured by the assessment you conducted.

The standard addressed in this lesson was found in the Common Core State Standards for Kindergarten. My cooperating teacher requested a lesson be taught about the moon, and this topic only aligned with a standard not at grade level. The Grade Band Theme is “Observations of the Environment” and the Strand is “Living and nonliving things have specific physical properties that can be used to sort and classify. The physical properties of air and water are presented as they apply to weather.” The topic is “Daily and Seasonal Changes”, and the Condensed Content Statement is “The moon, sun, and stars are visible at different times of the day or night.” The following are the four objectives for this lesson: (1) Students will be able to identify the moon’s phase when looking at an image of the moon, (2) Students will be able to describe the moon’s surface, (3) Students will be able to describe where the moon gets its light, and (4) Students will be able to describe how the moon orbits the Earth. This standard and these objectives were met with both informal assessment, through teacher observation and completing their birthday phase card, and formal assessment, through the completion of the final worksheet. b. Provide the evaluation criteria you used to analyze the children’s

learning.To formally evaluate and analyze students’ learning, during the lesson, each student found the phase of the moon on their birthday and was asked to draw a picture and write the corresponding phase. Students also had to complete a final worksheet about the lesson, asking questions about the moon’s surface, the moon’s orbit, how the moon gets its light, sequencing the phases of the moon, and describing what is happening during the new moon phase.

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c. Provide a graphic (table or chart) or narrative that summarizes children’s learning for your whole class. Be sure to summarize children’s learning for all evaluation criteria described above (1.b).

Regarding the informal assessment, students were able to use the vocabulary terms of moon phases while making their birthday cards. Some students still referred to the crescent moon as the “banana-shaped moon”, in which case we corrected them and made sure they wrote the correct term on their card. The chart included below summarizes the data collected from the final worksheet that all students completed.

i. Question 5 Evaluation Criteria: 3 points possible1. 0 points: Student provided no answer.2. 1 point: Student attempted to answer the question, but

answer is not correct.3. 2 points: Student provided a partial answer and showed a

basic understanding.4. 3 points: Student provided a complete answer, written in a

complete sentence, and showed a full understanding.ii. Example Answers:

1. 1 point: “The stars are not shining on it.”2. 2 points: “The sun does not light the moon.”3. 3 points: “The sun isn’t getting its light on the moon so the

moon doesn’t shine like a full moon.”

Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 5Student 1 A C B 1/8 2/3Student 2 A C B 8/8 2/3Student 3 A C B 8/8 3/3Student 4 A C B 6/8 1/3Student 5 A C B 8/8 0/3Student 6 A C B 2/8 N/AStudent 7 A C B 3/8 1/3Student 8 A C A 8/8 1/3Student 9 A C B 7/8 3/3Student 10 A C B 6/8 2/3Student 11 A C B 4/8 2/3Student 12 A C B 8/8 3/3Student 13 A C B 4/8 3/3Student 14 C C B 0/8 2/3Student 15 A C B 1/8 1/3Student 16 C C B 5/8 N/AStudent 17 A C B 8/8 3/3Student 18 A D B 6/8 3/3Student 19 A C B 8/8 3/3Student 20 A C B 8/8 3/3Student 21 D D A N/A N/ATotal 18/21 19/21 19/21

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Correct

2. Feedback to Guide Further Learninga. Explain how feedback provided to the children addresses their

individual and developmental strengths and needs relative to standards and objectives measured.

During the lesson, feedback was provided to students in order to praise, encourage, and support their learning. Communication during class discussion of the moon simulation activity between the teachers and students was an informal form of feedback; for example, prompting students to further explain their answers and providing follow-up questions. Tips regarding discussion etiquette were included in this feedback if necessary. This was helpful for both individuals and the class, in facilitating smooth discussion. Also, teachers talked to individual students if needed, to better explain the concepts and get a closer understanding of their learning. Following up individually with the writing response also helped address students’ individual needs and strengths. b. How will you support children to apply the feedback to guide

improvement, either within the learning segment or at a later time?Children will be encouraged and supported to apply their feedback during the learning segment and later since the feedback will be fairly continuous. Discussion is prevalent in the classroom, so students will be encouraged to use the tips and pointers from the teacher during other discussions. Writing responses are also an instructional strategy used very often in the classroom, and these responses are expected to become stronger based on provided feedback as well.

3. Evidence of Language Understanding and Usea. Explain the extent to which children were able to use vocabulary to

develop content understandings.Students were able to use the vocabulary terms more frequently after the words were explicitly taught. Also, once the moon simulation was completed and students had their own moon phase books, their understanding of the moon’s phases was much stronger. Each student was also able to independently identify the phase of the moon on his or her birthday, although a handle of students continued to refer to the crescent phase as the “banana-shape moon”. As the moon simulation continued, student use of the vocabulary terms increased and their initial understanding of the concepts strengthened considerably. Then, when the vocabulary was used in the explicit instruction and activities, students were more familiar with the meanings and could more effectively use the terms in class discussion.

4. Using Assessment to Inform Instructiona. Based on your analysis of children’s learning presented above,

describe next steps for instruction for the whole class.Based on what students learned from this lesson, next steps for further instruction include teaching another topic about the atmosphere. Science is not taught that often in my school, but if a similar topic were taught to

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students, there would not be misconceptions to address about the moon. Students have more prior knowledge to build future lessons on, especially in terms of nature and atmospheric topics. Also, since students have had experience with scientific investigations, in future lessons there would be better discussion about the topics. b. Explain how these next steps follow from your analysis of children’s

learning. Support your explanation with principles from research and/or developmental theory.

After analyzing students’ learning, incorporating the instructional strategies and activities used in this lesson into future learning would benefit students. They are already familiar with the topics and how class discussions are facilitated. Students have engaged in appropriate discussion, specifically in science lessons, so this is an effective strategy to use. Building on prior knowledge especially is helpful for successful student learning.

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Appendix A: Photos from “All About the Moon!” Lesson

Informal Assessment: Prompt for student response

Formal Assessment: Final worksheet

Birthday Moon Phase Chart