Assignment: Lesson Plan

EDEC 253-003: Second Professional Seminar

Karina Alexander & Meagan Greco

Instructor: Teresa Germano Saucier

McGill University

May 17th, 2019

Title of lesson The Life Cycle of a Ladybug Date May 17th, 2019 Subject area Science

Class 5-year-old kindergarten Topic Ladybugs

Time Duration 30 mins

Materials Required

Teacher:

- Paper to fill out the KWL chart with students- Storybook: “Ladybug” by Karen Hartley and Chris macro. - Vocabulary wall (pupa, larvae) - Activity worksheet

Child

- Crayons - Glue- Scissors

Pre-school Competencies

Competency 1To perform sensorimotor actions effectively in different contexts: Students will be performing fine motor actions by cutting and gluing the pieces to make the spinner. Students will be situating themselves in their physical environment when they are sitting on the carpet for the story.

Competency 4To communicate using the resources of language:Students will develop their vocabulary by learning scientific terms that correspond to the life cycle of ladybugs. In the classroom, there will be a word wall with words such as molting, larvae, pupa for students to view. Students will then be able to use the vocabulary by maintaining conversation with their peers about ladybugs.

Competency 5To construct his/her understanding of the world: Students will construct their understanding of the world by learning about ladybugs (different species, life cycle, their impact on the environment).

Objectives (curricular domain)

As a group lesson, students will complete a KWHLH and they will learn about the transformation stages of a ladybug. By the end of the lesson students will gain an understanding of how ladybugs transform.

Essential Question(s)

- How does a ladybug transform? - Are all caterpillars the same? - What is a life cycle?- What else has a life cycle?

Lesson Timing

Introduction (hook):

Whole Class Discussion: [3 mins]The student teachers will begin the lesson by gathering all students to come sit in a circle on the classroom’s carpet.

- A student teacher will say: “boys and girls now that we have finished learning about bees, we will be learning about a new insect (ladybugs)!”

A student teacher will ask students about their experiences with ladybugs by asking them questions such as:

- Have you ever touched a ladybug? (I will provide wait time and take about 3-4 answers per question)

Student will know:

- Ladybugs undergo transformation stages.

- Children will learn new terminologies such as molting and larvae.

Development (Learning activities – step by step sequential procedure):

Step 1: KWL [7mins]

Once students have shared their experiences, a student teacher will ask them: “what do you think you know about ladybugs?”

We will be guiding students into a class discussion about ladybugs. During the whole class discussion students will be asked to brainstorm what they know and what they want to know about ladybugs. We will collect the information that students have shared on KWL chart.

The student teacher will say: Who wants to share what you know about ladybugs? (Provide students with wait time and will take about 6 answers). We will then ask students: “what do you want to learn about ladybugs?”.

- K: Know about ladybugs- W: what they want to learn about ladybugs

Step 2: Read aloud [7mins] (stop reading at page 13)

As students are already sitting in a circle, a student teacher will conduct a read aloud of the text titled: “Ladybug” by the

Students will understand:- That ladybugs develop through

different stages.

Students will do:

- Complete a KWL chart on ladybugs.

- Engage in conversation about ladybugs.

- Brainstorm about ladybugs.

Cross Curricular Competencies:

- Science and technology: students will be learning scientific terms such as molting and larvae.

Competency 2: To cooperate with others Competency 9: Communicates appropriately

authors Karen Hartley and Chris Macro. She will show them the cover page of the book. She will be holding up the book high enough to ensure that every child can see the images. She will ask students: “What do you think the book will be about?”.

Broad Areas of Learning:

During the read aloud, she will ask students questions about the information they are reading. Examples of questions are:

- How many legs do ladybugs have? Are they an insect?

- Where have we seen the word larva before? (bee life cycle)

Step 3: Activity [10 mins]The students will do an activity where they create a spinner that showcases the different stages of a ladybug’s life cycle. A student teacher will show the students the different steps they have to do by making an example spinner in front of them.

- Step 1: They will cut out the circles that will be placed on top of each other. The bottom part provides the names of each stage in the life cycle, and an image for each stage. The top part will be explained in step 2.

- Step 2: There is a piece on the top part of the spinner that must be cut out, so that when it is spun, one of the stages of the life cycle will be visible. It will be demonstrated for the students, but if they need help with cutting that piece, a teacher can help them.

- Step 3: The student teacher will say that when the pieces are cut, the students can colour them.

- Step 4: The students will raise their hands and a teacher or student teacher will put in a pin, binding the two pieces together. The students can then spin the bottom piece and they will see the different stages of the life cycle inside the top piece.

- Making the spinner allows students to use fine motor skills, and also allows them to read over and remember the different stages in a ladybug’s life cycle in a fun way.

Citizenship and Community Life: Children will develop an understanding about ladybugs and how they impact our society.

Closure (transition):

Conclusion: [3 mins]

We will conclude the class by inviting the students back to the carpet and reviewing what we have learned together as a class. We will ask students what they have learned about ladybugs and the life cycle of a ladybug.

Universal Design for Learning/Differentiation:

For visual learners, I will write and draw out different aspects throughout the lesson in order to provide students with visual cues.

FORMATIVE - Assessment FOR learning:

Throughout this lesson, students will be assed formatively. I will be listening to students as they discuss about ladybugs. Did students comprehend aspects of the book (molting, larva, pupa)?

FORMATIVE - Assessment AS learning:

SUMMATIVE - Assessment OF learning:

Further considerations (follow up activities):

Extension activity:

- Continuing our KWL chart and adding in the “L” aspect after students have learned more about ladybugs. (for example: their diet, their habitats).

Questions can be asked such as:

- How did we learn about ladybugs? What did we do to learn about ladybugs?

- Who wants to share what they learned about ladybugs?

- What else did you learn throughout our lesson?

- What other ways do you think that we can learn about ladybugs?

- The book that we began during this lesson can be finished, because we are only reading a small portion for the life

cycle lesson.

- Other books about ladybugs can be read to students, such as the text: “Ladybugs: Red, Fiery, and Bright” by Mia Posada.

- To further students understanding about ladybugs, the teacher could bring ladybugs into the classroom. Students will be able to engage in the science skill of inquiry as they observe the ladybugs.

Reflection:

Overall, I believe that this lesson was well executed. Students were engaged throughout the whole

lesson. Students were able to successfully create their ladybug spinner and learn about the life cycle of a

ladybug. Students understood that ladybugs undergo different transformation stages. An area, that could have

been improved while executing the lesson is telling students why it is important to learn about ladybugs. The

lesson could have been more authentic and meaningful to students by telling them why it is important for us to

take care of ladybugs and not harm them. Moreover, I realized that in order to improve the lesson, I could have

posted on the board the different steps that students would have to complete. I believe that posting the different

steps on the board will provide students with a visual representation of what needs to be done (step 1: cut out

the circles, step 2: color the circles). Having the visual steps on the board would allow students to be more

independent throughout the activity instead of constantly raising their hand to ask what is next. When teaching

this lesson in the future, I would provide students with time frames. In a kindergarten classroom, students are

completing their work at various different rates. In the future, I would tell students how much time they have

for doing a specific task such as cutting out the circles for the ladybugs in order to ensure that students are

aware of the timing and that the activity does not go significantly over time.

Professional Competencies:

Competency 1: To act as professional inheritor, critic and interpreter of knowledge or culture when teaching students. When teaching students this lesson, I will insure that I am providing them with correct and accurate

information about the life cycle of a ladybug. I will make sure that I am providing students with information that will meet their developmental goals.

Competency 2: To communicate clearly in the language of instruction, both orally and in writing, using correct grammar in various contexts related to teaching. During this lesson, I will ensure that when I am teaching students that I am communicating clearly and precisely with students at their appropriate level.

Competency 3: To develop teaching/learning situations that are appropriate to the students concerned and the subject content with a view to developing the competencies targeted in the programs of study. This lesson was created to meet preschool aged children. The activities that I have incorporated will allow students to interact with the subject.

Competency 6: To plan, organize, and supervise a class in such a way as to promote students’ learning and social development.

- Throughout this lesson, I will have students alternating between sitting and standing in a circle. I will create an open area that will provide children ample space to complete the ladybug activity.