Gilbertson_ms_m_2010

Introduction to Chemistry
Dates of Teaching:
March 8th
, 2010 – April 2nd
, 2010
For ML Authorization Level
Winter/Spring 2010
George Fox University
Master of Arts in Teaching Program

Table of Contents
Section 1: Contextual Information ……………………...Page 3
Section 2: Mapping, Standards, and Assessment …….....Page 12
Section 3: Lesson Plans and Reflections………………...Page 30
Section 4: Learning Gains Data……………………..…...Page 73
Section 5: Final Unit Reflection…………………..……...Page 106
Appendix………………………………………………....Page 114
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Section One: Contextual Information
Community Environment
The City of Newberg is located approximately twenty three miles outside of
Portland Oregon. It is nestled between the Chehalem Mountains and the Willamette River
giving it a diverse landscape. The city of Newberg became an official city in 1889 and
draws its name from the cities first postmaster Sebastian Brutscher who named the city
after his Bavarian home of Neuburg in Germany. Notable landmarks in the city are
George Fox University and the Hoover-Minthorn house which was once home to a young
Herbert Hoover, the 31st
president of the United States.
Today Newberg is home to the growing wine industry in the Willamette Valley.
Newberg lies upon pacific highway 99W which makes it a main thoroughfare for tourists
on their way to the coast. This tourism has led to the city’s growth over the past several
decades and has fueled the development of The Alison Inn & Spa, Newberg’s first and
only resort-style lodging. Newberg’s location also makes it very accessible. Newberg is
within an hour drive of nearly all of Portland and its major metropolitan areas, and less
than two hours to the coast, Mt. Hood, and other major cities such as Salem, Corvallis,
and Eugene. Even though Newberg is relatively close to all of these locations it retains a
small town atmosphere and a quiet demeanor.
Newberg is home to a population of nearly twenty three thousand people within
its five square mile area, 85% of them being Caucasian, 11% Hispanic, and the final 4%
being of African American, Asian, or Native American descent. Young adults (ages
twenty to thirty) make up Newberg’s largest age demographic of 18%, followed by
children and adolescents (ages ten through twenty) at 16%. The average household
income in Newberg is $55,007 as of 2008, which is above Oregon’s average of $50, 169.
The majority of people in Newberg are married with a spouse, about 53%, nearly 70% of
people have graduated high school, and 87% have their own transportation to their place
of employment.
School Environment
The Newberg school district is home to approximately five thousand two
hundred students, Mt. View middle School accounting for around five to six hundred 6th
through 8th
grade students, given the year. Mt. View’s student body has around 40% who
qualify for the free or reduced lunch program while the state of Oregon has an average of
42%. The school supports a staff of thirty three teachers including three counselors, two
physical education teachers, an orchestra teacher, a choir director, and a band teacher, a
librarian, a technology librarian, seven teacher assistants, and ten other staff
(janitors/office assistants/etc.). The student to teacher ratio is around 19:1 and nearly 94%
of all teachers here have a masters degree and are highly qualified to teach.
Mountain View has a somewhat diverse student body with around 16% of the
student body being Hispanic (Oregon’s average, 14%), 2% being of Asian descent
(Oregon’s average, 5%), and 2% African American (Oregon’s average, 3%). The rest of
the student body is Caucasian; around 80% (Oregon’s average, 73%). Mt. View supports
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around 8% of its students with English Language Development (ELD) classes and has
assistants that move throughout the school during the course of the day.
Mt. View’s mission statement is “Mountain View Middle School students are
learners, citizens, and individuals drawing support from parents, teachers, and the
community”.
Classroom Environment
Mr. C’s classroom is one that is optimal for a science classroom. The room
itself is rather large because it was an old shop room equipped with ventilation fans and
many large work tables and counters. However this is only half of the classroom. When
one enters the room they enter a normal looking classroom with four rows of tables that
can support around thirty students per class period. The other half of the class is the shop
area where labs and experiments are conducted. Mr. C also has a television with a
dvd/vcr combo, a document camera, a computer (pc), and a projector that is connected to
all three. He also has an overhead projector which is primarily used for class notes.
The shop area itself is substantial in size and space. Mr. C can have an entire
class working comfortably in this area just as easily as he could have them in their seats.
The shop area has a wide array of tools including most basic hand tools (hammers, saws,
screw drivers, etc.) as well as many power tools including multiple power drills, electric
saws, and a powerful fan. The shop area also contains a large closet filled with materials
for the year’s experiments and labs. Students are expected to use this equipment with the
utmost caring and respect while operating all of this equipment with the proper safety
measures in place.
The climate of Mr. C’s classroom is one of business interspersed with a good
amount of humor and excitement. Mr. C has a high level of respect that he has earned and
developed throughout his twenty nine years of teaching and it is shown while he teaches.
The class has a vibe of exploration mixed with foundational science, which spans across
all five periods that are taught.
There are a few classroom systems in place, but not nearly as many as a grade
school classroom would have. The most prominent class system is the classroom folder
that each student receives and keeps throughout the year. Students keep their work and
class notes within these folders and turn them in periodically for credit. The notebooks
are kept in a shelf system that arranges they by class and by row of seats that they are in.
Another class system is the daily warm up. This is usually a question that ties the
previous day’s lesson with the current lesson of the day.
What this contextual information means to my teaching…
The contextual information that I have obtained on the city of Newberg as well
as Mt. View Middle School helps me understand the community and people that I am
serving to a new extent. I understand their social context of being a growing suburban
city outside of Portland, their makeup of mostly Caucasian and Hispanic families, and
their routines which help me organize how to effectively design curriculum and class
time to better reach and teach the students. This information will also provide me with the
basic knowledge of the families within the city. Being able to know where a family
stands will help me conduct myself accordingly, given different situations. For example,
if certain families cannot communicate as well because of a language barrier then I will
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be able to find resources or friends to help bridge that gap. This information also shows
me the wide amount of resources available to my teaching. Being able to utilize many of
the different materials that Mr. C has collected and purchased over the years will be a
great benefit for the different kinds of students that I will encounter in my classes and be
a great advantage when considering multiple intelligences.
MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY
Developmentally - Who are my students?
Socially
An adolescent’s social development is characterized by a stronger sense of self
awareness, a greater understanding of ones surrounding environment and an increases
concern of ones own body image. Social relationships are also more valuable to
adolescents than any time before in their lives. With all of these changes there are many
aspects of social development that make this a dynamic time in a student’s life.
In adolescence the self concept of a person emerges. Students gather the different
parts of themselves through relationships with their peers, parents, and their own thoughts
associated with both. With the rise of the self concept also comes the rise of heightened
self consciousness. Eighth grade students are constantly concerned with what their peers
think about their appearance, thoughts, and behaviors. Peer groups also become more
important at this stage in development, often taking a major portion of the students social
influence if not the majority of it. Their peer groups allow them to have their own identity
while remaining part of a larger picture (school or a class) and students tend to rely on
that peer group for support and friendship.
Utilizing students peer groups in the class will be critical for success. Since
students are at varied levels of development and have different peer groups, mixing of
students for assignments will have to be delicate so as to not alienate any one student.
Also providing activities where female students as well as male students to flourish and
interact with one another, hopefully between different peer groups, will be something to
constantly keep in mind when designing activities and labs.
Emotionally
While students change in their social lives, they change as much emotionally.
Since students are developing a strong self concept there are many emotional ties that
have shape students in major ways. However, by adolescence most students have control
over their emotional regulation which makes it somewhat difficult to get a bearing on
where a student is in relation to a problem or where they stand on an issue.
In adolescence students begin to develop emotional scripts. These scripts are a set
of expectations about how people will act towards different emotional displays. Students
at this point will regulate their script to elicit different emotional responses from others.
Self awareness and self consciousness, similarly to social development, play
major factors in emotional development. Students, especially by eighth grade, begin to
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realize that their emotional responses to situations can have social ramifications to them.
At this stage, social interactions can become a balancing act on how to express oneself.
Gender also plays a role in emotional development. Males are less likely to
disclose emotional distress while females are more likely to convey feelings of anger,
frustration, and sadness in times of distress.
Knowing where my students lie emotionally helps me explain things to them in a
way they understand. To be more specific, it helps me realize that students at the 8th
grade
level will not always display emotion to things I say or teach to them even though they
may care deep down. Knowing the emotional spectrum of my students will also assist me
in reading my students emotions better when they are confused or when they are having a
difficult day.
Physically
Eight grade students are undergoing dramatic physical changes. Their bodies are
midway through the bodily process of puberty which for many adolescents is a time of
awkwardness and strange feelings. Most students in eighth grade are thirteen or fourteen
years old and have mastered their fine and gross motor skills as well as having most of
their bodily senses fined tuned.
Puberty affects male and female students differently. In male students puberty
generally begins around age ten, starting with the growth of testicles and the growth of
pubic hair. Generally after the age of twelve, males have a growth spurt in height, growth
in their penis, and begin developing facial hair. This period is also notorious for voice
changes in males as their voices begin to get deeper.
In females puberty generally begins earlier. Females can begin their bodily
changes as early as the age of eight but in general most do not begin their adolescent
changes until around age ten. In females puberty is characterized by growth in breasts,
growth of pubic hair, and changes in physical growth, usually shown in height. By the
time females are fourteen many of them are as tall as they will grow for the rest of their
lives. The greatest factor in adolescence for females is menarche. This is when a females
menstrual cycle begins. This is generally one of the last physical changes that occurs in
women.
Knowing where students lie upon the physical spectrum can help me plan
physical activities that the entire class can participate in more equally, so as to not
alienate any students that are not at the same physical level as their peers. This
information also helps me understand what physical activities my students might enjoy
participating in. Knowing that information can be a good tool for analogies and helping
tie in information to a student who is struggling.
Cognitively
Adolescents in eighth grade typically have a higher level of reasoning abilities.
These new abilities help adolescents view and experiment with different options with
each new scenario and unlike most of their younger peers, they are able to use reason and
abstract thought to get to their conclusions.
Student’s thought process in adolescence begins to shift from concrete to
more abstract thought. An example of this would be a student beginning to question
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societal norms and beliefs. As time passes students begin to form stronger opinions on
their beliefs and begin to see things in a more linear nature, meaning that they see past
events and can begin to predict future events better than they could at a younger age.
Ethics and future goals are also emerging into an adolescent’s mind at this age. Students
begin to solidify their beliefs and begin to plan for a future that they envision in their own
mind. As students move through this process, differentiated instruction and activities that
engage multiple intelligences will be great tools to help foster the students growing
minds.
What have these students studied previously about the topic of my work sample
unit?
The students in my eighth grade science class have very little previous knowledge
on the subject of chemistry. There are some basic elements such as atomic structure that
they have learned in other units throughout this year but in their sixth and seventh grade
science classes they have only covered the topics of earth science and biology thus far.
Brief explanation of Cooperating Teacher’s teaching philosophy:
Mr. C’s teaching philosophy is very much a philosophy of practicality. When
asked the question of what his own philosophy is he responded by saying “You have to
provide the students with something worthwhile to them. Something that will get their
attention and captivate them, while making it applicable to their lives. If students are
engaged in the lesson then your behavioral issues will disappear and you will have
students who want to be there and who are ready to get work accomplished”. Tying
lessons into students lives while getting students tied in with a hook each day is what Mr.
C is known for and how he has become such a well known and reputable teacher in the
Newberg School district.
Strengths and previous experiences of student teacher going into this experience:
In the spring of 2007 (April-June) I co-taught a preschool classroom in Corvallis,
OR with five other classmates, for a practicum at Oregon State University. Our classroom
was run by a head teacher and her assistant who graded our assignments and helped us
progress along throughout the months. Each of the co-teachers had a focused week where
they assumed the role of head teacher in the classroom, directing the other co-teachers
and activities for a five day period. This included prep work, a parent teacher conference,
and an at home visit with parents. My unit was interesting because the activities I spent
the most time preparing and organizing were the ones the students were least interested
in. My final activity was a chemistry experiment that had two clear liquids that when
mixed turned dark purple. The students absolutely loved this and it was a good
experience to end my head teaching week on.
Another experience that I have teaching comes from the spring of 2002. My
chemistry teacher in high school offered me a position to be a science mentor for students
at Mabel Rush Grade School. Myself, along with two other peers created a six week plan
that touched on six different scientific topics and implemented them throughout the
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spring. Two of the lessons lied within the topic of chemistry which my partners and I
utilized to the fullest extent, being in a high school chemistry lab. Even though this is
somewhat minor, I feel like I have a firm grasp on chemistry, at least in lab
demonstrations, that I can utilize in the classroom.
My final teaching experience that relates to this practicum was my experience in
my last practicum. In my first placement I was stationed in a fourth grade classroom in
Dayton, Oregon and taught a mathematics unit on data, statistics, and graphing. Even
though the students, as well as the school atmosphere, were very different in my last
placement, I learned a lot about students and how they function in and out of the
classroom. Even more importantly, I learned a lot about how school days actually
function. There will inevitably be days where you won’t be able to get everything you
want done but there will also be days where you get more than you expect accomplished.
Bringing this aspect of “classroom reality” into this practicum will help me in my
organization of lessons and ultimately when I become a teacher, will help me reflect on
where the class is heading as a whole and how to lead them to my desired goals
effectively.
Specific goals for student teacher’s growth during this unit:
I have three goals for this student teaching practicum.
I) To learn how to manage multiple classes of students – Meaning, how to
learn each class well enough that I can adjust my management strategies to
accommodate their behaviors.
II) To learn how to have and utilize back up plans while teaching
III) Learn to have a more professional demeanor in front of students
What does this information mean to me as I plan and teach the work sample?
This information about my students shows me more in depth where they are
developmentally, how they’re growing, and where they could and should be moving
throughout the school year. Knowing where students fall on the developmental spectrum
makes it easier to understand why students do the things they do and hopefully shed some
light on how I can prepare lessons that will expand their understanding and get them
thinking about the subject more deeply. Utilizing their developing social and cognitive
minds, I can design lesson plans that get them interacting with their peers while getting
them to think about science more abstractly, meaning thinking about science as more than
just vocabulary and experiments. Knowing where students fall physically will help me
know when the students need to get up and move around to prevent boredom and
stagnation. Finally, knowing students emotionally helps me read the students and see
their confusion or frustration levels. This will help me better focus on what I need to
explain more clearly to the class.
Knowing what the students have previously learned also ties into that. Teachers,
to be effective, need to keep their classes progressing forward, and by knowing what your
students already have in their skill sets, one can continue to build upon them, as opposed
to reiterating the same information over and over.
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Knowing my co-teachers philosophy is similar to coming into a company and
understanding how the boss runs the operation. Once you understand how things run in
the classroom then you can place yourself in positions that make you valuable and very
useful. Becoming a respected addition to the classroom is something I strive for. Finally,
remembering my previous strengths also brings up weaknesses in my mind. Realizing
your strong and weak points helps you create goals for the future.
By having goals and knowing where I stand while realizing where students are
developmentally I will be able to design lessons that are relevant and interesting for the
students while making them challenging and fun as well.
Student Information
Name Information about this student IEP / 504 / Other
Alternative
Learning Plans
Student
1
Quiet but very kind. Enjoys the company of student 3.
Bright and positive
Student
2
Quirky and nice. Often off task and sometimes
disruptive. Means well but has trouble managing his
emotions when excited. Enjoys cartoons and childrens
television shows (Sesame Street). Possibly use analogies
to games and videos when dealing with this student.
504 – Sitting in
front of class /
check in & check
out of school /
travel sheet for
behavior
Student
3
Smart and good natured. Gives good constructive
feedback when called upon. Enjoys science. Enjoys pop
music. Listening to current music might be beneficial.
Student
4
Smart yet can be distracting to others. Only child. Often
replies with sarcasm to be funny but actually knows
material well which is shown in his test scores. Have
discussed video game systems with this student and
student 17. A tie into those might help with attention
issues that might arise.
Student
5
Very bright and science minded. Often thinks of answers
that other students wouldn’t. Reliable to help in the class
when he finishes early. Kind to entire class. Generally
gets full credit on all assignments. Might be a good
resource if I ever forget a concept.
Student
6
Quiet and non assuming. When in groups, he lets others
take charge. Liked by peers but rarely offers his opinion
or stance on things. Enjoys projects.
Student
7
Normal student. Well behaved. Often tired. Nice to all
peers. Student enjoys hands on activities. Possibly
partner him with other students who don’t thrive as much
in hands on lessons.
9

Student
8
Often late to class. Good sense of humor. Turns in many
assignments in late but generally with good work. Enjoys
sports. Favorite sport is basketball. Also likes slang.
Being well versed in this lingo could help me understand
him when he’s trying to fly under the radar.
Student
9
Very fashionable. Bright and positive. Friends with
student 19. Good student to call on if no one knows the
answer. Another pop music fan.
Student
10
Shy and quiet but very bright. Friends with student 3 and
21. Good sense of humor.
Student
11
Interesting sense of humor. Average student but well
liked by the class. Handwriting that is sometimes
illegible. Hunter
Student
12
Athletic and good natured. Well liked by peers. Enjoys
science. Also likes video games.
IEP – Language
arts & reading
Student
13
Generally quiet but very bright. Often helps his peers
with questions. Good sense of humor and very nice.
Student
14
Enjoys a good laugh. Susceptible to getting pulled off
task by student 4 and 17 but is very smart. Enjoys
football and basketball. Sports analogies might be useful.
Student
15
A morning person. Great sense of humor and enjoys
giving feedback to teachers. Struggles with tests but
enjoys the subject of science. Likes animals and being
social.
Student
16
Enjoys anime television shows. Close to his friends.
Good sense of humor. Has some anger issues with other
students in the class. Managing who this student works
with will be important.
IEP – Behavioral
issues
Student
17
Athletic but often disruptive. Enjoys science but talks
when he should be listening. Enjoys video games and
sports, which seems to be the trend of the males in this
class.
Student
18
Good natured. Fun to be around. Gives good feedback
when called on. Struggles with tests but completes all of
his work with good effort. Student likes University of
Oregon athletics.
Student
19
Quiet but very kind. Extremely bright and fun to talk to.
Gets along with all of her peers. Pop music fan.
(Will not be shown in assessments / transferred
classes)
Student
20
Average student but has good participation. Funny and
well liked by the class. This student generally flies under
the radar so getting her voice heard is something I want
to achieve in my few weeks teaching.
Student
21
Talented artist. Very smart and nice. Friends with student
10 and 3. Seems to be interested in the opposite sex more
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than her peers.
Student
22
Athletic, very nice, good sense of humor, and intelligent.
A joy to teach. This would be a good student to throw
into a group of students that are having difficulty getting
along.
Student
23
This student is no longer present in the class because of
behavior issues (will be removed for assessments).
Student
24
(Aide)
Very kind and helpful. Enjoys offering assistance to
teachers and peers. Nice to have around. Is also a regular
student in period four. Is a good resource to have around
when a student might be able to understand a concept
better from a peer.
IEP –
Communication
disorder
How did you gather this information?
• Observation
• Interview
• Information from teachers
• Observation from student work
What is useful and dangerous about the information above?
The information above is useful because it helps me get a better understanding on
how to teach my students individually. I not only get to see their strengths but also their
weaknesses and abilities. Being able to understand where my students are coming from
when they give an answer or feedback helps me aide them in reaching a high level of
understanding and comprehension. This information also plays a part in classroom
management practices. Knowing which students work well together and which students
become off task together will help me organize group activities more effectively and will
also help me avoid unneeded confrontation between students. Finally this information is
useful because it helps you realize when there is something off with your students
behavior. Understanding the class’ normal demeanor helps pinpoint out any sudden
changes for the worse. Being able to target which student is causing the change will help
me remedy the problem faster and more efficiently.
What makes this information dangerous is the same things that makes it useful.
Knowing each student individually can make it easier to cut a student slack or give
leniency to a student just because you enjoy their presence in the classroom. This isn’t
right in any way but it is a normal reaction to treat people who comply with your requests
better than those who don’t. Another reason that this information is dangerous is when it
comes to classroom work. Giving too much help to students in areas where they struggle
instead of challenging them and helping them build up their abilities doesn’t help
students in the long run. Getting to know the students needs to be as fair and balanced as
possible and is a continual fine tuning process; however, it is not always easy. If
favoritism towards one or more students is shown things can get problematic with the rest
of the class and in extreme cases the faculty of the school. Finding the right balance of
fairness and control is crucial and necessary to run a successful classroom.
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Section 2
Mapping, Standards, and
Assessment:
Elements, Compounds, Mixtures,
Solutions, Chemical vs. Physical Change,
and Phases of matter
12

Chemistry: The Building Blocks of Life
Subject: Chemistry Grade Level: 8th
Grade
Established Goal(s): From the State of Oregon
• Students will be able to understand and explain the difference between an element and a
compound
• Students will be able to determine if a substance is an element, mixture, or a solution.
• Students will be able to identify the difference between a physical vs. a chemical change
• Students will be able to explain the three phases of matter
State Standards (8th
Grade Science)
• 8.1P.1 Describe the atomic model and explain how the types and arrangements of atoms
determine the physical and chemical properties of elements and compounds.
• 8.1P.2 Explain how the Periodic Table is an organization of elements based on their
physical and chemical properties.
• 8.2P.1 Compare and contrast physical and chemical changes and describe how the law
of conservation of mass applies to these changes.
Enduring Understanding(s):
Chemicals make up the living world
around us. Their interactions and
mankind’s ability to harness these reactions
has greatly affected the course of human
history.
While the use of chemicals can and has
changed mankind for the good, chemicals
can also be extremely dangerous. Respect
for chemicals and their reactivity must be
had to properly utilize chemicals to their
full potential.
Essential Question(s):
• Is it possible to change a chemical’s
appearance without changing its
chemical structure?
• Is there a difference between a
solution, a compound, and a mixture?
• How can atomic structure be
manipulated?
Knowledge
Knowledge of atomic structure,
including protons, neutrons, and
electrons.
Knowledge of elements,
compounds, solutions, and
homogeneous & heterogeneous
mixtures.
Basic understanding of the periodic
table of the elements
Knowledge of physical & chemical
changes and the three stages of
matter.
Skills
Determining an element’s atomic
mass, atomic number, and
elemental symbol.
Being able to identify elements
and count atoms within a
compound.
Dispositions
A positive attitude
Ability to work well with
others
Responsive to instruction
Accepting of constructive
criticism.
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Daily Assessment of progress toward learning
objective / Evidence of Learning
Pre-
Assessment
Science - 8.1P.1
Science - 8.1P.2
Science - 8.2P.1
Pre Assessment Questionnaire – Students will
participate in a six question questionnaire about
the different subjects of this work sample.
Elements, compounds, mixtures, solutions, the
phases of matter, and physical vs. chemical
change will all be covered.
Day Learning Objectives /
State Standards
Daily Activities & Assessment
(Assessments will be bold and italicized)
1 Students will be
able to identify
what an element is.
Students will be
able to explain the
three major parts
of an atom’s
structure.
Science - 8.1P.1
Pre Assessment Questionnaire (5 to 10 min) -
Students will be administered a six questionnaire
that focuses on the goals of the unit. Topics
covered in the questionnaire will be: elements,
compounds, mixtures, solutions, the periodic table
of the elements, the phases of matter, and physical
vs. chemical change. Students will use their
previous knowledge to complete these questions
and this pre assessment will help me modify my
future lessons.
Introduction to chemistry – What is Chemistry?
(warm up) Intro to the terms chemistry and
chemicals (overhead projector)– 5 min
History of the atom mini lesson – Students will
go through the history of the atom from its
conception to the modern model. This lesson will
take place with a lecture style presentation
accompanied with drawings that the student and
teacher complete together (of the multiple atomic
models). (5 to 10 min)
Size of the atom guess & check – Students will
take a few minuets to come up with a comparison
of the size of an atom. Students will be told that a
hypothetical nucleus is the size of a marble. Their
task is to determine how big of a space the
electrons would be orbiting around it (Cowboy
Stadium).Students will then be shown an example
of an atoms size by learning how many atoms are
15

in each breath of air they breathe in. (5 to 10 min)
What is an element – The examination of what
an element really is, getting down to atomic
structure (its proton/electron balance and its
neutrons) Students will be shown an example of a
hydrogen atom and how it differs from a helium
atom (if another proton is present). Emphasis will
be stressed that the number of protons determines
the element. Students will also learn what a
molecule is (more than one atom of a substance)
Another thing that will be briefly mentioned will
be isotopes (number of neutrons) (5 to 10 min)
Can an element change form? – Brief lecture
on how there are ninety two naturally occurring
elements, however, there are one hundred ten
elements on the periodic table. Students will be
asked how that is possible. ( 5 to 10 min)
What is a compound? – Students will be asked if
one naturally occurring element can be changed
into another naturally occurring element by
adding the elements together (an example
Hydrogen + Helium = Lithium, not possible).
Once students have their answers they will be
shown how when different elements when added
together don’t make other elements, but instead
compounds. Multiple examples of compounds
will be given (water & methane) and students will
be shown how to determine which atoms are in
the compound as well as the amount of each atom
in the compound. (5 to 10 min)
History of Chemistry (BBC): A Volatile
History – Discovering the Elements [Time
Permitting] – Youtube video (Part I and possibly
II) – (10 to 20 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25lprEvoFJ8
2 Students will be
able to find and
identify multiple
elements using the
periodic table of
the elements.
Review of the Atomic Model warm up –
Students will review how atomic structure
(amount of protons/electrons) has a direct cause to
what kind of element a substance is. Students will
also be asked about what an isotope of an element
is (number of neutrons) – 5 min.
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Students will also
analyze the
periodic table for
patterns.
Science - 8.1P.2
The Elements – This portion of the lecture is
about the elements as a group. Discussion on
element symbols and their origins (some derived
from the name of the element, others stemming
from the person who discovered it) as well as a
discussion on atomic mass (mass of protons and
neutrons combined) and atomic number (number
of protons in an atom) will make up this section. –
10 to 15 min
The Periodic Table – Students will be given a
copy of the periodic table that is in black and
white. Students will then be asked a synthesis
question that ties into the pre assessment (which
elements do you know & name their symbols if
you know them). Students will star the element
symbols that they know. After the starring is
complete, students will be given another brief
lecture on the history of the periodic table
(overhead or document camera might be used);
how it began to be arranged by patterns that
scientists saw within the elements. Students will
then be asked to see if they can find any patterns
within the periodic table. After a few min of that
students will then be asked what their patterns
were. Once student’s thoughts are presented the
teacher will explain how columns and rows in the
periodic table are set up (periods and groups) (10
to 15 min)
Elemental Flash Cards – In this activity students
will create flash cards for thirty three selected
elements. Cards will include atomic mass, atomic
number, and element symbol on one side, and
element name on the other. Students will create
and color these cards as creatively as they would
like, and if they complete this process early, then
they will begin practice memorizing the elements
on their cards – 20 to 30 min.
3 Students will be
able to find and
analyze multiple
Elemental Flash Cards Cont. – In this activity,
students will create flash cards for thirty three
selected elements. Cards will include atomic
17

elements using the
periodic table of
the elements and
identify them
through
memorization.
Science - 8.1P.2
mass, atomic number, and element symbol on one
side, and element name on the other. Students will
create and color these cards as creatively as they
would like and when they complete this process
they will begin practice memorizing the elements
on their cards – 20 to 25 min.
Flash Card Memorization Drills – When
students are done with their flash cards they will
partner up and begin memorizing the elements
and their symbols. Students who are finding this
to easy can attempt to memorize the given
elements atomic number and atomic mass - 10 to
15 min.
History of Chemistry (BBC): A Volatile
History – Discovering the Elements [Time
Permitting] – Youtube video (Parts I, II, or III
depending if any have been shown yet) – (10 to
20 min)
Quiz the teacher– I am going to memorize these
elements with the students (so I can easily check
in with students during their work time). At the
end of the class period I will have students quiz
me but with a wager. For example a student could
wager 5, meaning that they can quiz me on five
random elements, but in return I get to quiz them
on five random elements themselves. At different
intervals there will be prize incentives (candy) as
well as if the teacher gets stumped. (5 min to 10
min)
4 Students will be
able to search and
discover elements
using the periodic
table of the
elements as well as
separating
compounds to their
separate elements.
Science - 8.1P.1
Science - 8.1P.2
Element vs. Compound warm up – Students
will identify elements vs. compounds. Students
will also practice identifying different atoms and
their amounts within compounds. – 5 to 10 min
Periodic Table/Element Report Part I –
Students will be assigned a random element from
the periodic table by a random drawing from a hat
and will be given a lab handout. This handout will
have some essential questions about the student’s
element which they will complete by the end of
the period. Students will be taken to the library
18

for a day of research on their element while they
use their worksheet to guide their search. – 40 to
45 min. (5 to 10 min explaining the first step of
the project, 30 to 40 min in the library)
Lab Handout Observation/Check – Students will
each show me their completed lab handout before
they leave the library
5 Students will be
able to search and
discover elements
using the periodic
table of the
elements as well as
separating
compounds to their
separate elements
Science - 8.1P.1
Science - 8.1P.2
Compound Breakdown warm up – warm up
involving breaking down compounds into their
separate atoms. Students will also be introduced
to the concept of multiple molecules – 5 min
Periodic Table/Element Report Part II – This
portion of the assignment is when students use
their lab handout from the day before to create a
mini poster (a piece of 8” by 11.5” printer paper)
for their element. Students will Draw the
chemicals symbol, its atomic mass, and its atomic
number on the one side of the paper (just like
their flash cards) but this time they will get
creative and have time to draw and decorate their
poster with information that is relevant to their
element (ex. Calcium – Ca, atomic #20, atomic
mass 40, and drawings of a glass of milk and a
skeleton – showing where this element if located
and used). On the other side of their poster the
students will write the full name of their element
and transfer their information from the questions
on their lab handout and write each as a sentence.
Students will be given most of a period to work
on their report of their element in the classroom.
Some craft materials will be given for students to
create their mini poster. – 40 min.
(History of Chemistry (BBC): A Volatile
History – Discovering the Elements – Youtube
video Part III or IV if needed – 10 min)
6 Students will be
able to search and
discover elements
using the periodic
table of the
Element Symbol Recognition warm up –
Students will be given ten random elements from
their flash card list and be asked what their names
are. The teacher might also turn some into
molecules and have students identify those
19

elements and will
be able to
recognize multiple
elements that they
have previously
learned.
Science - 8.1P.1
Science - 8.1P.2
separately as well – 5 min
Periodic Table/Element Report Part III.
Students will bring and briefly present their
element to the class. This won’t be a formal
speech but instead will be a 2 minute summary of
what they found about their element and an
explanation of their mini poster. – Time will
depend on the period – 30 min at least
Creation of the Periodic Table – The students
and the teacher will come together to create a
large version of the periodic table on the wall.
The periodic table will be comprised of the
student’s mini posters and will be displayed for
the rest of the chemistry unit – 15 min.
(History of Chemistry (BBC): A Volatile
History – Discovering the Elements – Youtube
video Part III, IV, or V if needed – 10 min
7 Students will be able
to identify the different
types of mixtures as
well as classify each
individual part along
with its weight, within
the mixture.
Science - 8.2P.1
Mixing It Up warm up – Students will be asked
a question from the pre assessment about the
different types of mixtures (homogeneous or
heterogeneous) – 5 min
Blender Magic – Mixture Demo/mini lesson –
A demonstration on the different kinds of
mixtures (homogeneous and heterogeneous) using
a blender to create a new kind of mixture. An
example will be a piece of pizza (heterogeneous)
that when cooked becomes more homogeneous.
Students will be taking notes on the vocabulary
for both kinds of mixtures – 15 min
Hit the Trail Lab Part I– Mixtures – Students, in
groups of 2 to 4, depending on the amount of
scales, will examine a bag of trail mix and
determine whether it is a homogeneous or
heterogeneous mixture, weigh the total weight of
the bag + its contents, then separate the contents
of the bag into like parts. Once this is complete
students will weigh each component individually
and then calculate each components percentage of
20

the mixture.
to identify a solvent
and a solute in a
solution by comparing
and contrasting the
different components
of the solution.
Students will be able
to discriminate
whether a substance is
an element/compound/
solution/or mixture.
(optional)
Science - 8.2P.1
Solution warm up / intro – Students will be
given time to think of a definition for a solution.
After the allotted time students will share their
answer with a table mate then a class discussion
will take place about what the definition of a
solution is. I will then ask students to distinguish
solutions that I show them, either in person, or on
an online format. The vocabulary that will be
discussed is solvent, solute, and solution – 10 min
Hit the Trail Lab Part II – Students, in their
same groups from the mixture lab, will be given
three M&M candies each and then asked to find a
spot in the lab area to settle in. Students will then
dissolve the candy shell of one M&M at a time in
their mouth and record the time, each time
changing the way the candy is consumed (once
with just melting, one using the tongue to assist
melting, and one using tongue and teeth).
Students will record their melting time trials and
then complete the lab handout which consists of
multiple practice problems that have to deal with
solutions - 30 to 35 min
Element/Compound/Mixture/Solution
Worksheet (Time Permitting) – This worksheet
has multiple substances that need to be identified
as one or multiple category options.
to classify and explain
the three phases of
matter including what
substance molecules
are doing in each state.
Science - 8.2P.1
Phases of matter warm up / mini lesson -
Students will identify whether a substance is a
liquid, gas, or solid. The teacher will then explain
each state of matter, breaking them down to their
molecular level – 5 to 10 min
Bill Nye the Science Guy – Students will watch
an episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy about the
phases of matter – 20 min.
Phases of Matter Writing / Drawing
Assignment – This assignment is about a fictional
character named Cubert who is an ice cube.
Cubert wishes to travel far away and learns that
he must change shape to do so. This writing
21

assignment will have students drawing this story
first then while using vocabulary on the phases of
matter and a given template, or creating their own
story, students will write a story about Cubert and
his adventures – 10 to 15 min
to distinguish between
a physical change and
a chemical change by
connecting their
knowledge of changes
to what they see.
Science - 8.2P.1
Phases of Matter review warm up – Students
will identify the different stages of matter by
completing a filling in the blank warm up
question. The vocabulary word sublimation will
also be introduced (when a solid turns directly
into a gas) – 5 min
Chemical vs. Physical Change mini lesson –
Students will be shown the example of a chemical
vs. a physical change with paper being crumpled
(physical) and then burnt (chemical) as well as
being introduced to the vocabulary and
explanation of what each kind of change is and
does. Students will then be shown a power point
presentation (or possibly overhead slides
depending on resources and time) on whether
changes in the pictures are chemical or physical.
Students will each write down what they think on
a piece of paper, then with their table row, decide
whether to cast a vote towards chemical or
physical change – 10 to 15 min.
Chemical vs. Physical change lab – This lab has
students using four substances (sugar, baking
soda, baking powder, and corn starch) and mixing
them with four, technically three, different liquid
substances (vinegar, water, and iodine) each
sample will be observed and recorded in a pre
made table. After the lab is complete the students
will fill out the back of their lab which will have
another table that will ask for whether a physical
or chemical change occurred.
Post
Assessment
Science - 8.1P.1
Science - 8.1P.2
Science - 8.2P.1
Modified Quiz from Mr. C’s Class – This Quiz
will be an assessment of what my students know
two weeks into the unit. There will be questions
regarding element identification, compound
breakdown, the difference between the kinds of
solutions, classifying the different phases of
matter, and identifying physical vs. chemical
22

change. However, this quiz might be given a day
or two after this work sample is complete.
Pre-requisite Skills:
Students should be familiar how to read English, take notes, use a computer for research,
abide by rules of the classroom and safe laboratory procedure, and use basic addition and
subtraction for equation balancing. Students will also need to understand the expectations of
the classroom including how to work in pairs and small groups, raising of hand for responses
or questions, and completing class work in a timely manner.
Plan for Literacy Inclusion:
A number of the science activities and labs the students will be given will have written
instruction on them in case a student has forgotten what their task is. Students will filter out
unneeded information while organizing pertinent data. To do this they will use strategies such
as T-tables, a table where students can separate information into two categories, highlighting,
and simple notation to help organize and filter information. While students search for
information on their element in the element report, I can give a brief lesson in how to search
for specific information using a search engine. This should help students who do not know
how to do elaborate searches come up with useful information for their project specifically
where their element exists in nature and for what the element is used for in every day life.
Environmental Set-Up and Changes During Unit:
The changes that could occur while I teach are minimal. Students would use the shop area
in the classroom for labs and the classroom section of the class to complete assignments and
other paper based assignments. The rows of the desks that the students sit in will most likely
not change at all unless there are issues with them for an assignment. If students need more
personal space then that can be accommodated for simply by having a student move location.
Plan for Differentiation
Differentiation in my lessons will come in the form of the activities. They span the multiple
intelligences of bodily-kinesthetic, visual-spatial, interpersonal, verbal-linguistic, and some
intrapersonal communication as well. Very few students in my sample class have IEP’s or 504
plans but the ones who do have them more for behavioral issues than learning disabilities. For
students who have a language barrier I have the resource of a mobile teaching assistant who can
translate information if it isn’t clear to those students.
Plan for Family and Community Involvement:
23

I have written a letter to the parents of my students to explain who I am, a brief background
of myself, my purpose for being at the school, and the unit I am teaching. I have also included
a summary of my action research project which is a blog. This summary includes what the
blog will cover, how my blog will be used, and a permission slip requesting the parent’s
permission to use the blog. My school is a normal sized middle school which utilizes the
many community volunteers and the small support staff, who are paid assistants who travel
around the school helping teachers where they are needed. Meeting and collaborating with
them will also be a high priority of mine. The parent letter can be found at the end of this
section.
March , 2010
Dear Parents,
Hello, my name is Jesse Gilbertson and I have been given the opportunity to be your son
or daughter’s student teacher in Mr. Canaday’s 8th
grade science course. I currently attend
George Fox University and am enrolled in their Masters of Arts in Teaching program. I feel very
fortunate to work with Mr. Canaday, as he was once my own 8th
grade science teacher and I have
enjoyed the short time I have spent with your children thus far. I officially started my time in the
classroom on January 4th
, 2010 and will be finishing on April 23rd
, 2010.
I was born and raised in Newberg and progressed through the public school system here
beginning at Edwards Elementary, followed by Mountain View Middle School, and Newberg
High School. After I completed high school I enrolled at Oregon State University where I
finished with a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences in 2007. I resumed my
studies at George Fox University in 2009.
This week I have begun my student teaching full time duties in Mr. Canaday’s class. And
he has given me the task of teaching the first half of the chemistry unit. I will be introducing your
son or daughter to the topics of the periodic table of the elements, compounds, atomic structure of
chemicals, mixtures, solutions, the phases of matter (liquid, solid, gas), and last but not least
physical and chemical change. These topics stem from the state of Oregon’s state standards for
eighth grade science (Oregon Science State Standards: 8.1P.1, 8.1P.2, 8.2P.1) and they have
influenced my goals for your students while I teach them. To be specific I have four goals that I
intend to get your son or daughter to accomplish; they are as follows:
• Students will be able to understand and explain the difference between an element
and a compound
• Students will be able to determine if a substance is an element, mixture, or a
solution.
• Students will be able to identify the difference between a physical vs. a chemical
change
• Students will be able to explain the three phases of matter
Through this unit I will also be providing external resources on my classroom blog which
I started earlier this year. This blog will be a resourse to help further your students learning and
will also be a source for extra credit as well. To extend my hand to you as an educator I will
provide a blog post for you, the parent, to ask questions, present concerns, or just comment
however you wish. I intend for this blog to be a line of open communication between you and
myself and I hope that you utilize it. As well as the blog, I will be open and available for
24

conferences, phone calls, and any other means of communication that you use with Mr. Canaday.
Pleas feel free to contact me.
I am really looking forward to working with your son or daughter and Mr. Canaday this
winter and spring and I hope to meet as many of you as possible. Thank you for taking the time to
read this and have a great day.
Sincerely,
Jesse Gilbertson
25

Chemistry Unit Pre-Assessment Name___________________
Period_____
1) What is an element? What is a compound? How are they different?
2) There are two different kinds of mixtures in regards to chemistry. The first is
homogeneous and the second is heterogeneous. Describe the differences between
the two.
3) There are two components to a solution. What are they?
4) What kind of mixture is a solution classified as? (circle one) heterogeneous /
homogeneous
5) A person crumpling a piece of paper would be a __________________ change. A
person lighting a piece of paper would be called a __________________ change.
6) There are three phases (forms) of matter. What are they?
26

Pre Assessment Grading Criteria
Oregon state standards for this questionnaire
• 8.1P.1 Describe the atomic model and explain how the types and arrangements of
atoms determine the physical and chemical properties of elements and
compounds.
• 8.1P.2 Explain how the Periodic Table is an organization of elements based on
their physical and chemical properties.
• 8.2P.1 Compare and contrast physical and chemical changes and describe how the
law of conservation of mass applies to these changes.
•
Unit goals for work sample
1) Students will be able to understand and explain the difference between an element
and a compound
2) Students will be able to determine if a substance is an element, mixture, or a
solution.
3) Students will be able to identify the difference between a physical vs. a chemical
change
4) Students will be able to explain the three phases of matter
5)
Grading Rubric
Test Question Points State Standard Unit Goal
What is an element? What is a compound?
How are they different?
5 points 8.1P.1
8.1P.2
1 & 2
There are two different kinds of mixtures in
regards to chemistry. The first is
homogeneous and the second is
heterogeneous. Describe the differences
between the two.
2 points 8.1P.1
8.2P.1
2
There are two components to a solution.
What are they?
2 points 8.2P.1 2
What kind of mixture is a solution
classified as? (circle one) heterogeneous /
homogeneous
1 point 8.2P.1 2
A person crumpling a piece of paper would
be a __________________ change.
A person lighting a piece of paper would
be called a __________________ change.
2 points 8.2P.1 3
There are three phases (forms) of matter.
What are they?
3 points 8.1P.1
8.2P.1
4
27

Chemistry Unit Quiz (Mr G’s Version) Name___________________
Period________
Choose the best answer. Mark the letter on the answer sheet provided.
Part I – Symbols and Elements. Match the element or symbol with its symbol or
element.
1) Hydrogen
a) Hi b) H c) Hy d) Hn e) Hg
2) Silver
a) Si b) Sr c) Sv d) Ag e) Au
3) Helium
a) He b) Hi c) H d) Hm e) Pb
4) Potassium
a) S b) K c) Po d) P e) Pb
5) Aluminum
a) A b) An c) Al d) Am e) Pb
6) Sodium
a) Na b) So c) S d) Sn e) Sd
7) Uranium
a) Ur b) U c) Un d) Pb e) Sn
8) Copper
a) C b) Cu c) Co d) Pb e) Na
9) Tin
a) T b) Tn c) Sn d) Ti e) Au
10) Lead
a) Pb b) Ld c) Le d) L e) Ag
11) Fe
a) Tin b) Iron c) Copper d) Fluorine e) Fezium
12) Ne
a) Neon b) Nitrogen c) Nickel d) Hydrogen e) Oxygen
28

13) Fl
a) Silicon b) Fluorine c) Nickel d) Fluoride e) Nitrogen
14) Li
a) Lead b) Iodine c) Lithium d) Calcium e) Oxygen
15) S
a) Silicon b) Sodium c) Sulfur d) Zinc e) Platinum
16) C
a) Carbon b) Chlorine c) Chromium d) Calcium e) Oxygen
17) Au
a) Tin b) Lead c) Gold d) Silicon e) Radon
18) N
a) Nickel b) Mercury c) Silver d) Nitrogen e) Sodium
19) Rn
a) Plutonium b) Nickel c) Radon d) Helium e) Carbon
20) Mg
a) Manganese b) Aluminum c) Chromium d) Gold e) Magnesium
Atom and Element Counting – Multiple choice. Determine how many elements
or how many atoms are in these common compounds.
21) NaCO3 – How many elements make up this compound?
a) 2 b) 4 c) 3 d) 5 e) 1
22) H2O – How many elements are in a molecule of water?
a) 3 b) 2 c) 4 d) 0 e) 1
23) NaCl – How many elements are present in a molecule of table salt?
a) 1 b) 3 c) 4 d) 2 e) 0
24) C12H22O11 – How many atoms are in a molecule of table sugar?
a) 39 b) 45 c) 3 d) 22 e) 11
25) Fe3O2 – How many elements make up this compound (rust)?
a) 2 b) 3 c) 5 d) 7 e) 2,010
26) How many elements are in the compound Methane (CH4)?
a) 3 b) 2 c) 5 d) 1
29

27) How many atoms of oxygen are in a molecule of water (H2O)?
a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 0
Multiple choice– Compounds, mixtures & solutions, phases of matter, physical &
chemical change
28) A smoothie from Jamba Juice would be considered what kind of mixture?
a) Homogeneous b) Heterogeneous
29) A big fat hamburger with cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce, ketchup on the top but
and mustard on the bottom bun would be considered what kind of mixture?
30) When making a pitcher of Kool-Aide, Mr. Canaday uses 8 cups of water, 2 packs
of tropical punch Kool-Aide, and 1 cup of sugar. In this solution what ingredient
would be considered the solvent?
a) sugar b) Kool-Aide c) water d) none of the above
would be considered the solute?
a) sugar b) Kool-Aide c) water d) A and B
32) Mr. Canaday creates iron toys for his sons so they will have a hard time breaking
them. However, one toy gets left out in the rain and begins to rust. Is this an
example of a physical or a chemical change?
a) physical b) chemical
33) Mr. Gilbertson fills a cup up with ice but gets distracted by his new Xbox and
forgets to fill it with Mt. Dew. The ice melting in the cup would be an example of
a…
a) physical change b) chemical change
34) Water evaporating into the air would be an example of what change in the phase
of matter
a) solid to gas b) liquid to solid c) liquid to gas d) solid to liquid
35) Chemicals like iodine and dry ice (frozen CO2) turn directly from solid to gas.
This process is called
a) stupefaction b) sublimation c) Canadaycation d) saponofication
30

* Each question is worth one point.
Section 3: Lesson Plans & Reflections
31

Lesson 1
Teacher Name(s): Jesse Gilbertson
Lesson Title: Chemistry: Chemicals, elements, compounds, and atoms
Unit Title/Topic: Chemistry – The Building Blocks of Our World
Target Grade Level: 8th
grade Science
Estimated Time for Lesson: 55 minutes
Standards: Oregon Science - 8.1P.1 Describe the atomic model and explain how the
types and arrangements of atoms determine the physical and chemical properties of
elements and compounds.
Materials:
A pencil or pen
Notebook paper
Lesson Objectives and Plan for Assessment:
• Students will be able to identify what an element is and the three major parts of an
atom’s structure.
• Assessment for this lesson will be The Pre-Assessment Questionnaire.
Anticipatory Set:
Pre Assessment Questionnaire (5 to 10 min) - Students will be administered a
six questionnaire that focuses on the goals of the unit. Topics covered in the
questionnaire will be: elements, compounds, mixtures, solutions, the periodic table of the
elements, the phases of matter, and physical vs. chemical change. Students will use their
previous knowledge to complete these questions and this pre assessment will help me
modify my future lessons.
Lesson Sequence:
• Intro to Chemistry (5 to 10 min) : Students will be asked to write down what
they think the words chemical chemistry mean. Students will then discuss what
they think the words means with their table mate followed by the teacher
administering the vocabulary for chemical and chemistry.
• History of the atom mini lesson (5 to 10 min)– Students will go through the
history of the atom from its conception to the modern model. This lesson will take
place with a lecture style presentation accompanied with drawings that the student
and teacher complete together (of the multiple atomic models). Terms that will be
discussed : Nucleus, proton, electron, neutron (and their charges)
32

• Size of the atom guess & check (5 to 10 min) –– Students will take a few minuets
to come up with a comparison of the size of an atom. Students will be told that a
hypothetical nucleus is the size of a marble. Their task is to determine how big of
a space the electrons would be orbiting around it (relatively the size of the Dallas
Cowboy Stadium). Students will estimate how many atoms are in each breath of
air that they breathe out. After the estimate is made and shared with the class the
real answer will be revealed.
• What is an Element? (5 to 10 min) – The examination of what an element really
is, getting down to atomic structure (its proton/electron balance and its neutrons)
Students will be shown an example of a hydrogen atom and how it differs from a
helium atom (if another proton is present). Emphasis will be stressed that the
number of protons determines the element. Students will also learn what a
molecule is (more than one atom of a substance) Another thing that will be briefly
mentioned will be isotopes (number of neutrons) Students will be shown that an
element is a substance that is made up entirely of one kind of atom.
• Can an element change form? (5 to 10 min) – Brief lecture on how there are
ninety two naturally occurring elements, however, there are one hundred ten
elements on the periodic table. Students will be asked how that is possible
• What is a Compound? (5 to 10 min) – Students will be asked if one naturally
occurring element can be changed into another naturally occurring element by
adding the elements together (an example Hydrogen + Helium = Lithium, not
possible). Once students have their answers they will be shown how when
different elements when added together don’t make other elements, but instead
compounds. Multiple examples of compounds will be given (water & methane)
and students will be shown how to determine which atoms are in the compound as
well as the amount of each atom in the compound
Closure:
• History of Chemistry (BBC): A Volatile History ( 10 to 20 min) – Discovering
the Elements: Youtube video (Part I and II – Time Permitting)
• Students will write down on a scrap piece of paper 1 interesting fact that they
learned from the video and one thing that they already knew
Differentiation: Meeting needs of individual learners
Differentiation for this lesson will take the form of pictures and diagrams within
the lecture. Students who need additional time can set up a time at lunch or after class to
meet with me about their inquiries.
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 1 – 3/8/2010
Lesson Title: Intro to Chemistry
33

Synopsis of what
happened:
Today was my first day taking over the entire day of
8th
grade chemistry by myself. It was somewhat daunting but
at the same time exciting and I think it went relatively well
for what I had planned. The one problem I have, at least in
this level of students is that I have five periods of the same
class, meaning the events of each get blurred together. Even
so, my first period class, which is my sample class, stood
out above the rest in my mind.
When I started my lesson I was very nervous,
meaning my actual body temp started rising and then falling
when I would speak and when I would let the students write
their notes. It annoyed me, but by the end of the day that
wasn’t an issue. I began the lesson with an anticipatory set
of the students writing down what they thought the word
chemical meant. A lot of them didn’t give me ank answer
when they were called on. Some said “I don’t know” and
others just shrugged. This class is first period and the
students are thirteen, so at this time in the morning I wasn’t
sure what to expect as a response from them. Someone
finally ventured out and said “a substance?” to which I
responded “Yes!” I then elaborated and gave definitions of a
chemical and chemistry to them.
After these terms were written down I moved my
lesson to the history of the atomic model. I had pictures of
many of the contributing scientists dating back to around
500BC. For each scientist I drew a picture of them, a crude
cartoon character, the date that they made their discovery or
finding, and their contribution to the atomic model. The
students seemed to like this portion of the lesson because
they got to draw while taking notes. I enjoyed this section of
the lesson because if used up around twenty min of my time.
In first and third period I re-drew the characters each time,
but realized that my hands were getting stained blue and
green from the overhead projector so after third period I
used the same drawings I had already completed.
From this I did an activity to get the students
thinking about the actual size scale of an atom. I asked them
if a nucleus of an atom was as big as a marble how big the
electron cloud around it would be. I received many answers,
some on the small side (golf ball, bowling ball) to some that
were even larger than expected (the moon, the state of
Texas). The real answer was “as big as the Dallas Cowboy
stadium” and the students were baffled. I explained that a
nucleus is so small, even with so much empty space
between the electrons that it still makes up all mater in the
world. I then asked them to then guess how many atoms that
34

a person breathes in each breath they take. The answers
were large (ten trillion, seventy billion) but the answer was
much larger (25 with twenty one zeros). The students
thought that was very interesting.
At the end of the class we went over some
vocabulary terms. The terms Element, Compound,
Molecule, and Isotope were introduced and explained.
Students took notes on how compounds were comprised of
different elements and the difference between a compound
and a molecule. At the very end of class I had around five
minuets to spare so I showed a video that I had found on
youtube about the history of chemistry from BBC. The
video is excellent and the students enjoyed watching it,
especially when the host of the video placed a steel bolt in a
beaker of mercury and it floated on the top.
What I learned about
teaching/ learning/
students/ self
Today I learned that my students were more
patient that I expected. I wasn’t sure if the students would be
respectful and on task the entire period if it was all note
taking, but the size comparison activities and the picture
notes helped alleviate some of that tension.
I learned that teaching doesn’t need to be super
stressful. In first period I was sweating because I didn’t
think I knew the material but I really just needed to relax
and let the students see that I’m really just a young man
who’s trying to learn how to teach. When I started loosening
up and relaxing more with the later periods I was a much
better response in their demeanor and their responses.
I learned that I need to be more comfortable with the
students. Acting tense makes them nervous and unsure if
they want to care or not, so being ready, alert and awake, as
well as knowing my material well will benefit the entire clas
in the end.
What I may have
missed:
In this lesson I think that I missed some more
interactive learning activities. However when I told my CT
what my lecture was about and how I was conducting it but
he thought that the activities and drawings were a good
change up and that the students would respond well.
What I anticipate about
student response
tomorrow:
I think that tomorrow will be great as long as there is
more than just note taking, which there is. The element flash
card activity isn’t the most exciting activity but it will get eh
students used to seeing the elements and their symbols.
Progress toward The lesson objective was met. The students were able
35

objectives: to name the different parts of an atom and how to
distinguish what an element is.
Adaptations for
tomorrow:
More activities, less notes, and a more relaxed
mental state on my part.
36

Lesson 2
Lesson Title: Periodic Table & Element Flash Cards
Unit Title/Topic: Elements and their labels
grade Science
Standards:
• Oregon Science : 8.1P.2 Explain how the Periodic Table is an organization of
elements based on their physical and chemical properties.
Materials:
• Pencil or Pen
• Paper
• Markers
• Students will be able to find and analyze multiple elements using the periodic
table of the elements and identify them through memorization.
• Assessment in this lesson will be in the form of an exit slip drill where students
will have to answer which element is derived from a symbol or in vice versa
order.
Anticipatory Set:
• Review of the Atomic Model warm up (5 min) – Students will review how atomic
structure (amount of protons/electrons) has a direct cause to what kind of element
a substance is. Students will also be asked about what an isotope of an element is
(number of neutrons)
Lesson Sequence:
The Elements
• The Elements (10 to 15 min) – This portion of the lecture is about the elements as
a group. Discussion on element symbols and their origins (some derived from the
name of the element, others stemming from the person who discovered it) as well
as a discussion on atomic mass (mass of protons and neutrons combined) and
atomic number (number of protons in an atom) will make up this section
37

• Periodic Table (10 to 15 min) – Students will be given a copy of the periodic
table that is in black and white. Students will then be asked a synthesis question
that ties into the pre assessment (which elements do you know & name their
symbols if you know them). Students will star the element symbols that they
know. After the starring is complete, students will be given another brief lecture
on the history of the periodic table (overhead or document camera might be used);
how it began to be arranged by patterns that scientists saw within the elements.
Students will then be asked to see if they can find any patterns within the periodic
table. After a few min of that students will then be asked what their patterns were.
Once student’s thoughts are presented the teacher will explain how columns and
rows in the periodic table are set up (periods and groups).
Element Flash Cards
• Element Flash Cards (25 to 30 min) – In this activity, students will create flash
cards for thirty three selected elements. Cards will include atomic mass, atomic
number, and element symbol on one side, and element name on the other.
Students will create and color these cards as creatively as they would like, and if
they complete this process early, then they will begin practice memorizing the
elements on their cards.
Closure:
• Element Exit Slip – Students will line up at the door and have to answer an
element name that the teacher asks them to leave. This will hold the students
accountable for staying on task the entire period
Differentiation will be in the modification of the Flash Card activity. Students will be
given a modified list of elements. One that is more pertinent to the chemistry quiz and
test.
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 2 – 3/10/2010
Lesson Title: The Periodic Table of the Elements
Synopsis of what
happened:
Today was a much better day as far as nervousness
went, at least until my supervisor came and completely
revised my lesson. In first period my lesson was much
different because of it too. I had my students guess where
the elements got their names from and gave them a few
minutes to think it over. They came up with peoples names,
states and planets which were all technically correct. I
broadened the categories to places, people, and Greek or
Latin origin, which I had them take notes on.
Next we discussed the origin of the elemental
symbols, the atomic number (new term), and the atomic
38

mass (another new term). To explain this I had an overhead
slide that displayed the elemental symbol for neon (Ne) the
atomic number (10) located above the symbol, and the
atomic mass (20) located below the symbol. I had the
students tell me where they thought the symbols came from
and they responded that they symbols were just letters in the
element. So I asked them about gold. Once they found gold
on the periodic table on the wall they said they had no clue
how it got its name. I then explained that a lot of the
elements had the first letter of the element in its symbol, but
there were also a lot hat had origins in Greek or Latin as
well. Au, standing for aurum, the Latin word for gold,
represented gold on the table. From there I explained what
atomic number was (# of protons in an element) and what
atomic mass was (proton plus neutron weight). One student
inquired why electrons were not added in, to which I
answered by explaining that electrons were even smaller
than protons and neutrons, making their weight so small that
it wasn’t even counted.
After out discussion on how to read individual
elements we discussed how to read the periodic table. I
explained how periods and rows worked, but Im not sure it
stuck. It also didn’t help that I confused the two. Two
students who had been looking at a chemistry book
corrected me, which was embarrassing, and we proceeded
on.
I then assigned them their element flash card project.
There were to use a list of 33 common elements and create
flash cards for them so that they can quiz each other. This
was easy to explain and proceeded without any distractions.
teaching/ learning/
students/ self
Today I learned that my students are really funny.
Today their conversations and interactions with me made
me laugh a lot. It was good to see their humorous side and to
interact with them on their own playing field. Not every
class I have in the day is like my sample class so it is good
to have them first thing in the day to try my lesson on and
work the kinks out.
I learned that teaching is easier when ones supervisor
isn’t watching. The entire time I was teaching I would see
my advisor writing notes and when I was corrected by my
own students I was needless to say, phased.
I learned that when I am calm my students respond
better to me. Remaining in that mentally controlled state
even if it is not authentic is just another means of classroom
management. I need to be able to have myself in this calm
39

state throughout the period regardless of who may be
watching me.
What I may have
missed:
After I consulted my supervisor I realized that having
the students reading a periodic table to search through
would be a better tool to use when having students just
guessing blindly about element names. Handing out a table
in the beginning of the lesson would give the lesson a lot
more depth and flexibility to move in different directions.
student response
tomorrow:
I think that student response will be normal
tomorrow. We will just be working on the flash cards and
playing a game for candy involving memorization of the
elements, so things should be great.
Progress toward
objectives:
The goal of analyzing the elements and being
able to identifying them by their name and symbols was
met.
Adaptations for
tomorrow:
I don’t think anything will needed to be modified
for tomorrow.
40

Lesson 3
Lesson Title: Flash Card Memorization
Unit Title/Topic: Learning the Elements
grade Science
Standards:
• Oregon Science : 8.1P.2 Explain how the Periodic Table is an organization of
Materials:
• Paper or Pen
• Markers
• Other decorative materials
• Students will be able to find and analyze multiple elements using the periodic
table of the elements and identify them through memorization.
• Assessment in this lesson will be in the form of an exit slip drill where students
will challenge the teacher in a contest of element memorization, however, some
students might not be assessed because of time.
Anticipatory Set:
• Element Symbol Recognition warm up (5 min) – Students will be given ten
random elements from their flash card list and be asked what their names are. The
teacher might also turn some into molecules and have students identify those
separately as well
Lesson Sequence:
• Elemental Flash Cards Cont. (25 to 30 min) – In this activity, which began
yesterday, students will create flash cards for thirty three selected elements.
41

Cards will include atomic mass, atomic number, and element symbol on one
side, and element name on the other. Students will create and color these cards
as creatively as they would like and when they complete this process they will
begin practice memorizing the elements on their cards
• Element Flash Card Practice/Drills (25 to 30 min)– When students are done
with their flash cards they will partner up and begin memorizing the elements
and their symbols. Students who are finding this to easy can attempt to
memorize the given elements atomic number and atomic mass
Closure:
• Quiz the teacher (5 min to 10 min) – I am going to memorize these elements
with the students (so I can easily check in with students during their work
time). At the end of the class period I will have students quiz me but with a
wager. For example a student could wager 5, meaning that they can quiz me
on five random elements, but in return I get to quiz them on five random
elements themselves. At different intervals there will be prize incentives
(candy) as well as if the teacher gets stumped.
• Differentiation in this lesson will take the place of a modified drilling activity.
I will have the students who are struggling with the concept of the assignment
and have them only learn the element and its symbol. Once to this point, then
a student can progress towards learning atomic number then atomic mass.
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 3 – 3/11/2010
Lesson Title: Element Flash Cards
Synopsis of what
happened:
Today’s lesson was pretty simple. After an
anticipapatory set of recognizing element symbols I had the
students continue creating and practicing their elemental
flash cards. There was a little bit of confusion with what
needed to be on the flash cards, mainly the symbol and the
element name being on opposite sides of the cards but other
than that today’s lesson went very smoothly.
There was one part of the lesson that went really
well. It was a game that I created where students could try to
stump me in naming elements or their symbols. Each round
they were able to quiz me on five at a time. Each time I was
stumped, they earned a piece of candy. After they had their
chance to stump me, I got to quiz them on three of their
symbol/element combos. If they got all of them right, then
they earned a piece of candy. A lot of students participated
in this during first period and a few even stumped me!
42

teaching/ learning/
students/ self
To be honest, I don’t think I really learned anything
about teaching today. Its not that I didn’t teach, but today
was just a continuation of yesterday. I was more of a
facilitator than a teacher today but that is another part of
being a teacher that is important to master as well so it was a
good experience.
Today I learned that learning is fun when a game is
involved. Today I was stumped by a student twice in a row
and I immediately made a very conscious effort to
remember those elements so that I wouldn’t get stumped
later in the day… and I didn’t. Sometimes getting beaten is
even more effective than winning.
Today learned that my students, at least in first
period, are pretty self motivated. I just gave them
instructions and they took to their assignment. As the
facilitator I had to occasionally lead them back on task when
they were straying, but for the most part they were great.
Today I saw myself really opening up and getting to
know my students as a real teacher as opposed to a guy who
just participates in the back of the room. It was really a great
experience to feel like a real teacher.
What I may have
missed:
Today I think that having every student required
to play the game I created would have been beneficial. It
would be a good formative assessment to see where the
students lied in their knowledge of the elements
student response
tomorrow:
The student response should be alright tomorrow,
however we have a strange schedule and we will be in the
library using laptops so the dynamic will be completely
different.
Progress toward
objectives:
The objective for this lesson was met and the
students really began showing that they knew the symbols
for the elements.
Adaptations for
tomorrow:
Tomorrow’s lesson will be very different so being
flexible will have to be my biggest adaptation.
43

Lesson 4
Lesson Title: Adopt an Element / Research Day
Unit Title/Topic: Research on the Elements of the Periodic Table.
grade Science
Standards:
• Oregon Science: 8.1P.1 Describe the atomic model and explain how the types and
arrangements of atoms determine the physical and chemical properties of
• Oregon Science: 8.1P.2 Explain how the Periodic Table is an organization of
Materials:
• Pen or Pencil
• Paper
• Laptop computer for research (provided via library)
• Element Report Handout (provided)
• Students will be able to search and discover elements using the periodic table
of the elements as well as separating compounds to their separate elements.
• Assessment in this lesson will be done by a quick check of the lab handout at
the end of the period to make sure students have utilized their time well.
Anticipatory Set:
44

• Elements in the Compound Warm Up (5 min) – Students will identify
elements vs. compounds. Students will also practice identifying different
atoms and their amounts within compounds.
Lesson Sequence:
• Periodic Table/Element Report Part I (40 to 45 min. (5 to 10 min explaining
the first step of the project, 30 to 40 min in the library) – Students will be
assigned a random element from the periodic table by a random drawing from
a hat and will be given a lab handout. This handout will have some essential
questions about the student’s element which they will complete by the end of
the period. Students will be taken to the library for a day of research on their
element while they use their worksheet to guide their search.
Closure:
• Lab Handout Check (5 min)– Students will each show me their completed
lab handout before they leave the library showing that they have researched
their element and used their time wisely.
• Differentiation in this lesson will come in the form of individual help while
students are working on their element project.
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 3 – 3/11/2010
Lesson Title: Element Flash Cards
Synopsis of what
happened:
Today’s lesson was pretty simple. After an
anticipapatory set of recognizing element symbols I had the
students continue creating and practicing their elemental
flash cards. There was a little bit of confusion with what
needed to be on the flash cards, mainly the symbol and the
element name being on opposite sides of the cards but other
than that today’s lesson went very smoothly.
There was one part of the lesson that went really
well. It was a game that I created where students could try to
stump me in naming elements or their symbols. Each round
they were able to quiz me on five at a time. Each time I was
stumped, they earned a piece of candy. After they had their
chance to stump me, I got to quiz them on three of their
symbol/element combos. If they got all of them right, then
they earned a piece of candy. A lot of students participated
in this during first period and a few even stumped me!
teaching/ learning/
To be honest, I don’t think I really learned anything
about teaching today. Its not that I didn’t teach, but today
45

students/ self was just a continuation of yesterday. I was more of a
facilitator than a teacher today but that is another part of
being a teacher that is important to master as well so it was a
good experience.
Today I learned that learning is fun when a game is
involved. Today I was stumped by a student twice in a row
and I immediately made a very conscious effort to
remember those elements so that I wouldn’t get stumped
later in the day… and I didn’t. Sometimes getting beaten is
even more effective than winning.
Today learned that my students, at least in first
period, are pretty self motivated. I just gave them
instructions and they took to their assignment. As the
facilitator I had to occasionally lead them back on task when
they were straying, but for the most part they were great.
Today I saw myself really opening up and getting to
know my students as a real teacher as opposed to a guy who
just participates in the back of the room. It was really a great
experience to feel like a real teacher.
What I may have
missed:
Today I think that having every student required
to play the game I created would have been beneficial. It
would be a good formative assessment to see where the
students lied in their knowledge of the elements
student response
tomorrow:
The student response should be alright tomorrow,
however we have a strange schedule and we will be in the
library using laptops so the dynamic will be completely
different.
Progress toward
objectives:
The objective for this lesson was met and the
students really began showing that they knew the symbols
for the elements.
Adaptations for
tomorrow:
Tomorrow’s lesson will be very different so being
flexible will have to be my biggest adaptation.
46

Lesson 5 (Original Lesson Plan)
This lesson was not used in my work
sample
Lesson Title: Element Report Cont.
Unit Title/Topic: Continuation of the Element Report
grade Science
Standards:
Materials:
• Pencil or pen
• Paper
• Any miscellanies supplies a student could use for a report such as books and
outside resources.
• Students will be able to search and discover elements using the periodic table of
the elements as well as separating compounds to their separate elements
47

• Assessment in this lesson will be in the form of the students finished (or nearly
finished) element mini poster (At this point it will be a progress check on how
their project is looking and a check in to see where each student needs to go).
Anticipatory Set:
• Compound Breakdown warm up (5 min) – warm up involving breaking down
compounds into their separate atoms. Students will also be introduced to the
concept of multiple molecules (example – CO2, and 2 CO2, showing two
molecules of CO2).
Lesson Sequence:
• Periodic Table/Element Report Part II (30 to 40 min) – This portion of the
assignment is when students use their lab handout from the day before to
create a mini poster (a piece of 8” by 11.5” printer paper) for their element.
Students will Draw the chemicals symbol, its atomic mass, and its atomic
number on the one side of the paper (just like their flash cards) but this time
they will get creative and have time to draw and decorate their poster with
information that is relevant to their element (ex. Calcium – Ca, atomic #20,
atomic mass 40, and drawings of a glass of milk and a skeleton – showing
where this element if located and used). On the other side of their poster the
students will write the full name of their element and transfer their
information from the questions on their lab handout and write each as a
sentence. Students will be given most of a period to work on their report of
their element in the classroom. Some craft materials will be given for students
to create their mini poster
• (History of Chemistry (BBC): A Volatile History – Discovering the
Elements – Youtube video Part III or IV if needed – 10 min)
Closure:
• Students will prepare for their short presentation in the next day by practicing
their speech with other students.
• Differentiation in this lesson will come in the form of individual help while
students are working on their element project.
Lesson 5 (Actual Lesson)
Lesson Title: Element Report / Periodic Table Creation
Unit Title/Topic: The Periodic Table of the Elements
48

grade Science
Standards:
Materials:
• Pencil or a pen
• Paper
• Element Project handout
• Students will be able to search and discover elements using the periodic table
of the elements and will be able to recognize multiple elements that they have
previously learned.
• Assessment in this lesson will come in the form of the students brief
presentations on their element.
Anticipatory Set:
• Element Symbol Recognition (5 to 10 min) – Students will be given element
symbols or element names and then be asked to name the element or element
symbol that each question represents. The teacher might also turn some into
molecules and have students identify those separately as well
Lesson Sequence:
• Periodic Table/Element Report Part III (25 to 35 min) - Students will bring
and briefly present their element to the class. This won’t be a formal speech
but instead will be a 2 minute summary of what they found about their
element and an explanation of their mini poster. – Time will depend on the
period
• Periodic Table Creation (10 to 15 min) – Students along with the teacher will
find a large blank spot on the wall and begin construction of a giant periodic
table. This will not only display students work but also serve as a Periodic
table to look at for their final test. The periodic table will be comprised of the
student’s mini posters and will be displayed for the rest of the chemistry unit
• (History of Chemistry (BBC): A Volatile History – Discovering the Elements
– Youtube video Part III, IV, or V if needed – 10 min +
49

Closure:
• If you had the choice… (exit slip) – Students will write a brief statement about if
they had gotten to choose the element that they did their report on, which element
it would have been and why.
• Differentiation in this lesson will come in the form of a modified presentation.
Students who do not wish to come to the front of the class can stay where they are
and students with language barriers can either have a translator assist them or come in
after school and complete it in private, if that makes them more comfortable.
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 5 – 3/15/2010
Lesson Title: Element Report Continued
Synopsis of what
happened:
Today’s lesson was another day where I became
more of a facilitator than an instructor. On Thursday of last
week (because of a shortened week of school for grading), I
took my students to the library to begin a research project
where students were assigned a random element on the
periodic table of the elements which they had to do some
simple research on. Over the weekend I thought of how I
could modify the activity so that the students could actually
turn in quality work with the limited time they had to do
research in the library. I decided to cut the activity a day
short but extend the due date till the 19th
, which is the Friday
of this week. That would leave two class days for research
but still give the students ample time to complete their work
outside of class. My tenth day of my work sample will then
be a review day on the Monday the students and teachers
return from spring break which is the 29th
of March.
When I began class today I made the announcement,
once again, that there would be a quiz when the students
returned from spring break and then moved into the warm
up. As usual this took place with no problems. From there I
explained to the class what I was looking for on the second
portion of the project and when it was due (Friday). I had
created an example using the element sodium, showing a
salt shaker pouring out the symbol and the atomic number
from it. I also showed the elements name, and its atomic
mass as well as a creative piece (the salt shaker) to show
what this element really is and what it is used for in the lives
of mankind. I told them at the very least, have the atomic
mass and number, the elements symbol, and its name, along
with a creative piece that explains where the element is
50

located, what it used for, or any other useful information
about it.
I then turned the student’s eyes towards the five
classroom laptops that were on and connected to the
internet. I told students if they were not complete in their lab
sheet, a handout that explained the assignment and had
questions about the element, to complete their research on
the laptops. I did put out the disclaimer that students might
want to work with another person on the laptop just so that
more than one person could use the computer at a time and
that their research could happen more quickly.
I then had the students turn their attention to a pile of
craft supplies that they were to use to create their mini
poster. I told them to make sure that the materials were put
back when it was over and also that the students needed to
align their poster in a vertical format so as to make the
whole table uniform. I then asked if the class had any
questions and was surprised when no students had any
inquiries. I then let the students work on their projects.
Some students began to finish a lot earlier than I
expected but I had them practice their element flash cards
and work on other homework instead. Only a few students
finished today so I’m hoping that I get the rest throughout
the week and not all on Friday.
teaching/ learning/
students/ self
Today I learned that my students in my sample
class, if left alone and with their peers, can work well and
cooperate without any major dissention amongst them. As
long as the groupings of students who have issues with each
other are separated, nothing eventful happens at all. No
complaints here.
I learned that learning can take a simple project and
make it into a non linear learning experience. Some of the
students had to stretch their minds to come up with ideas for
their element posters. Some decided to use where their
element was found on earth, while others used the elements
practical uses as their inspiration. While doing this they had
to come up with creative interpretations for these aspects of
their elements and it was fun and interesting to see where
their thought process was and then having me help it along
if it was stuck.
I learned later in the day that teaching is a lot of
repetition, but in this case, better rehearsed repetition. While
in 6th
period, I was a lot better to call out potential hang-ups
that students might have because I’d seen four other class
periods complete the same assignment. There is just certain
things that come with the experience of the day that my
51

sample class does not get to benefit from. I wonder what
period gets the optimum amount of actual guidance in the
assignments when I’m teaching because of the time frame I
work in.
Today I didn’t learn much about myself as a teacher.
I didn’t feel today was a hard day but I did feel it was
repetitious and sort of boring. I was thinking that if all my
assignments were this dull, I bet I would complain about
them more than the students. I really need to come up with
creative and interesting assignments so that my students stay
engaged and that I don’t bore myself as well.
What I may have
missed:
What may have been missed today would be more
structure or more substance. Today was just a work day for
the project, but having something for early finishers besides
practicing the element flash cards would have been great.
student response
tomorrow:
Tomorrow I think student response is going to be
very high because of the demonstration and lab we are
running. It should be very exciting and fun to see.
Progress toward
objectives:
Students continued their research and their warm
up consisted of breaking down compounds into their
separate parts. I feel the objective was met.
Adaptations for
tomorrow:
Tomorrow I will not be running my planned
lesson 6.
Lessons 7, 8, 9 and 10 will become lessons 6,
7, 8, and 9.
52

Lesson 6
Lesson Title: In the Mix
Unit Title/Topic: Mixtures & Solutions
grade Science
Standards:
• Oregon Science: 8.2P.1 Compare and contrast physical and chemical changes and
describe how the law of conservation of mass applies to these changes.
Materials:
• Pencil or Pen
• Paper
• Lab handout
• Scale
• Plastic Bags
• Home Made Trail Mix
• Students will be able to identify the different types of mixtures as well as classify
each individual part along with its weight, within the mixture.
• Assessment in this lesson will come in the form of the lab handout form that each
student will receive.
Anticipatory Set:
53

• Mixing It Up warm up (5 min) – Students will be asked a question from the pre
assessment about the different types of mixtures (homogeneous or heterogeneous)
Lesson Sequence:
• Blender Magic Demonstration (15 min) – Students will watch a demonstration /
lecture on the different types of mixtures (food). Students will identify separate
ingredients as different kinds of mixtures and then when correctly guessed the
food will be put in a blender for a final mixing demonstration. Students will be
taking notes on the vocabulary for both kinds of mixtures
• Hit the Trail Lab Part I (25 to 30 min)– Mixtures – Students, in groups of 2 to 4,
depending on the amount of scales, will use a lab handout to examine a bag of
trail mix and determine whether it is a homogeneous or heterogeneous mixture,
weigh the total weight of the bag + its contents, then separate the contents of the
bag into like parts. Once this is complete students will weigh each component
individually and then calculate each components percentage of the mixture. Once
that is complete there will be a few synthesis questions at the end of the lab on the
lab sheet.
Closure:
• Mixture check in (5 min) – Teacher will ask students questions about their
findings and the percentage of their mixtures as well as what would have
happened if the mixture was of a different variety.
• Differentiation in this lesson will come in the form of the grouping of students. If
students are having a hard time in their group, they can be moved into a group of
friendly students who are getting the concept.
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 6 – 3/16/2010
Lesson Title: In the Mix
Synopsis of what
happened:
Today’s lesson couldn’t have gone better. From the
beginning to the end I had the students actively
participating, engaged, and on task. To be completely
honest, my advisor was there so I wanted to have a really
stellar lesson and it turned out great.
I started my lesson with a warm up about
recognizing elements by their symbols. No problems there. I
then moved onto a quick demonstration of mixtures by
selecting students by their hair color and texture. The first
group of students had different kinds of hair (different color
and textures) and the second group had similar hair (mainly
female students who had black hair). From here I explained
the difference between homogeneous mixtures and
54

heterogeneous mixtures and gave the students the
vocabulary for their notes.
I then shifted to an assortment of foods that I had
brought out and set on the table in the front of the room. I
explained how the foods were examples of homogeneous or
heterogeneous mixtures. I took each food individually, some
needing to be unwrapped, and went with the class and tried
to decide which each food was categorized as. Most of these
were heterogeneous mixtures until we got to a clear blue
colored Gatorade. I had the students think of what this
mixture might be. The class agreed that it was a
homogeneous mixture, but I inquired further by telling them
that it was a special kind of homogeneous mixture. Student
5 then offered up the answer “solution” which was correct. I
then explained what a solution was; indicating a great way
to tell is that the mixture would be translucent, or clear. I
gave them that vocabulary word for their notes right after. I
then asked them about a gallon of milk. Since no one had an
idea of what it would be classified beyond a homogeneous
mixture, I explained to them what a colloid was and gave
them that vocabulary word for their notes. This is where it
got fun. I told them that I wanted to change the
heterogeneous mixtures into something new. I put all of the
ingredients, including a slice of frozen pizza, a twinkie, and
mixed vegetables, into a blender with the Gatorade and milk
and blended them up. The students thought it looked nasty,
so I poured some of it out into a beaker and walked it
around for the class to see. Some students sniffed it and had
enough but some still wanted to try it, to no avail.
After this demo was complete I had some students
pass out the lab sheets and began to explain the mixture lab
and how to conduct it. I showed the students the mixture
bags they would receive and what to do with them once they
got them. The students were to weigh the mixture, then
weigh each portion of the mixture separately to find the
percentage of that portion in relation to the total weight.
Most students did not have problems when doing this lab.
The questions I received were easy to answer, and really just
clarifications on where to input information on the lab
handout (which I was sure to do the next four periods).
Once students finished their lab they could eat their
ingredients and return to their seats to answer the lab
questions and then practice their element flash cards.
Everything went well and it was a great class.
What I learned about Today I learned that teaching is best done when you
55

teaching/ learning/
students/ self
have a really good plan that has multiple parts to it. I had a
lot of things going on in class today but they all flowed
really well into each other and I ended the class barely three
minutes short of the hour period. Each part wasn’t necessary
for the others either. If something major such as the blender
breaking down, I could have cut that portion out of the
lesson and given the notes another way, not as good of a
way, but I could have managed.
Learning is something best done with interaction.
My classes today all responded well because I was
involving them the entire lesson. Some of the interaction
was individual but a lot of it was whole class participation
including the lab portion of the lesson. Keeping my students
involved is something I need to emphasize more in my
lessons.
I learned that some of my students are daring and
some are definitely not. This was shown by the different
periods I taught today. My sample class was very hesitant as
a whole to get near the blended mixture, but others were
more than willing to take a huge gulp of the disgusting
mixture. Tailoring to these different mind sets, between the
periods, might help my teaching as well.
Today I learned that I should be this prepared for
every lesson. I did such a stellar job because I was under a
lot of pressure with my advisor coming in, but the students
really benefited from it. I need to focus a little harder if I’m
going to continue these kind of lessons.
What I may have
missed:
Today I don’t think I missed much except for the
closure portion of my lesson. I needed to bring the class
back together to debrief about the lesson and concepts but I
was so excited to see them working that I let that part slip
by. Other than that I thought I was pretty spot on.
student response
tomorrow:
Student response tomorrow should be good. I don’t
think that they are expecting anything spectacular but
another fun lesson would be appreciated.
Progress toward
objectives:
The students were able to classify the different
kinds of mixtures by the end of the period so I feel the
objective was met.
Adaptations for
tomorrow:
Keeping the students engaged.
56

Lesson 7
Lesson Title: What’s the Solution?
Unit Title/Topic: Mixtures and Solutions
grade Science
Standards:
Materials:
• Pencil or Pen
• Paper
• Lab handout
• Scale
• Plastic Bags
• Home Made Trail Mix
• Students will be able to identify a solvent and a solute in a solution by
comparing and contrasting the different components of the solution.
• Students will be able to discriminate whether a substance is an
element/compound/ solution/or mixture. (optional)
57

• Assessment in this lesson will come in the form of the lab handout form that
each student will receive.
Anticipatory Set:
• What Kind of Mixture? (5 min) – Students will be shown (in words) three or
four different kinds of mixtures and will be asked to identify what kind of
mixture each is.
Lesson Sequence:
• Solution warm up / intro (10 to 15 min) – Students will be given time to
think of a definition for a solution. After the allotted time students will share
their answer with a table mate then a class discussion will take place about
what the definition of a solution is. I will then ask students to distinguish
solutions that I show them, either in person, or on an online format. The
vocabulary that will be discussed is solvent, solute, and solution
• Hit the Trail Lab Part II (30 to 35 min)– Students, in their same groups from
the mixture lab, will be given three M&M candies each and then asked to find
a spot in the lab area to settle in. Students will then dissolve the candy shell of
one M&M at a time in their mouth and record the time, each time changing
the way the candy is consumed (once with just melting, one using the tongue
to assist melting, and one using tongue and teeth). Students will record their
melting time trials and then complete the lab handout which consists of
multiple practice problems that have to deal with solutions
• Element/Compound/Mixture/Solution Worksheet (Time Permitting) – This
worksheet has multiple substances that need to be identified as one or multiple
category options.
• Differentiation in this lesson will come in the form of the grouping of students. If
students are having a hard time in their group, they can be moved into a group of
friendly students who are getting the concept.
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 7 – 3/17/2010
Lesson Title: What’s the Solution?
Synopsis of what
happened:
Today’s lesson was about solutions. This lesson
wasn’t as fun as yesterdays lesson so I was somewhat
bummed out that I didn’t have another really fun
demonstration for the students. I did bring in a visual though
that helped them visualize what a solution is.
Today I started off by restating what a solution was,
indicating that its clarity is a dead give away. I then pulled
out a large container, designed for ice tea, filled with water,
58

and set it down on a stool in front of me. I then explained
that solutions had two distinct parts. One part was the
solvent. I then held my water up and explained that in a
solution the solvent is the part that dissolves the second part.
I then asked the class if they knew what the second part of a
solution and one student in the back, under their breath said
solute. I then told them, whoever they were that they were
right and explained that a solute is what is being dissolved. I
then pulled out a packet of Kool-Aide and a cup of sugar
and explained that these were considered solutes. I then
gave the students the vocabulary for these words.
The next part of this lesson was explaining the lab. I
described to the students how they would get three M&M’s
and would be using their mouths as the solvent and the
candy shell as the solute. One M&M would be used per trial
and each trial would involve a different way to dissolve the
candy shell in their mouths. The students heard “candy” and
were hooked in, but once the students began the lab I
realized that the lab itself lacked luster. The students
finished their lab a lot quicker than I expected and I had to
kill some time at the end. In the other periods I was a lot
more aware of time and used it significantly better to use up
more of the period’s time. When the students were finished I
had them practice their flash cards and work on other
homework until the last group finished. Once everyone was
back together I discussed the lab results with the students
and had them pass their lab reports in. The lab and lesson
weren’t as good as the previous day, but they went smoothly
so I can’t complain much.
teaching/ learning/
students/ self
I learned that my teaching still needs some work but
as long as I have the concepts locked in place I can elaborate
on them and have a good lesson. In the later periods I spent
more time in the discussion on what a solvent and a solute
were and was able to explain my visual a lot better. That just
comes with the repetition though.
I learned that learning happens all over the place in
class. A great example was when some students finished
early I came over toe check on them and they asked me a
question about homo vs hetero, but not in the context of
mixtures. They wanted to know about sexual orientation and
if homosexual mean attracted to the same sex and if
heterosexual mean attracted to the opposite. I confirmed
their question and they seemed to be glad that I wasn’t
bothered by answering it. Learning happens everywhere.
What I learned about my students is that they finally
59

see me as a teacher. Today right before the warm up two
students were in the early stages of a verbal altercation and
I, without thinking, just snapped and said very firmly “NO,
that stops now!” Both students tried to offer their argument
to me but I shut both of them down quickly and told them I
didn’t care, I wasn’t going to have that happening in the
class. It worked great! I was firm enough and equal in not
taking a side that the students just avoided each other for the
rest of the class. My management is getting better and
better.
Today I learned that I, at times, show my uncertainty
to the students, which is a major “no no”. I was a little
discouraged today because my cohort leader was in
watching me teach and I didn’t feel I did well and I let that
show while I was teaching. I didn’t see the students respond
negatively but I do not want to expose a major weakness to
them. Remaining calm and collected will be another thing to
continue working on.
What I may have
missed:
Today I think I missed a clear plan for early
finishers. I had something in mind, but I didn’t expect so
many students in my sample class (period 1) to finish so
quickly. Time management will be something to be more
aware of while teaching in these next few weeks.
student response
tomorrow:
Tomorrow I have no idea how the students will
react. I am showing a Bill Nye video and I’m not sure that
they’ll be into it or not. I’ll just have to see. It could even be
a period by period thing, meaning that some will be into it
and other periods might not.
Progress toward
objectives:
Students were able to identify, compare, and contrast
different parts of a solution. I believe the goal was met.
Adaptations for
tomorrow:
Tomorrow I will need to not show the students if
I get unsure of myself and I will need to keep the students
engaged throughout the lesson again.
60

Lesson 8
Lesson Title: Phases of Matter
Unit Title/Topic: The Phases of Matter
grade Science
Standards:
Materials:
• Pencil or Pen
• Spare Paper
• Writing Assignment Handout
• Students will be able to classify and explain the three phases of matter including
what substance molecules are doing in each state
• Assessment in this lesson will come in the form of the creative writing/drawing
assignment.
Anticipatory Set:
• Phases of Matter Warm Up / Mini Lesson (10 to 15 min) Students will identify
whether a substance is a liquid, gas, or solid. After students have hashed that out
61

in their mind they will share with their table partner. After this is finished the
teacher will explain the three phases of matter and how their physical structure
changes in each phase at the molecular level.
Lesson Sequence:
• Bill Nye The Science Guy: Phases of Matter (25 min) – This video is about the
Phases of matter that should take up a majority of the time in the class.
• Phases of Matter Writing / Drawing Assignment (Courtesy of Sam Pirece) (10 to
15 min) – This assignment is about a fictional character named Cubert who is an
ice cube. Cubert wishes to travel far away and learns that he must change shape to
do so. This writing assignment will have students drawing this story first then
while using vocabulary on the phases of matter and a given template, or creating
their own story, students will write a story about Cubert and his adventures
Closure:
• Team Liquid/ Team Solid/ Team Gas – Students will separate into groups by
deciding what phase of matter that they think is the most interesting. Once the
groups are split up the group will come up with a consensus on why they chose
that phase of matter.
• Differentiation in this lesson will come in the form of students working with a
partner if needed.
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 8 – 3/19/2010
Lesson Title: Phases of Matter
Synopsis of what
happened:
Today my lesson went well. Some periods enjoyed
the lesson more than others but as a whole I felt it went very
well. I started the lesson with a warm up on the different
parts in a solution. That, as usual, went fine. Next I moved
onto a brief note taking portion of the lesson. I had the
students follow me through the phases of matter starting
with solids. I decided to use a cartoon example of a
character named Cubert, who is an ice cube. Through the
notes we met Cubert’s cousins Puddles and Lil’ Steamer.
These cousins were the different stages of matter, but were
all still water. After I drew the characters I explained each
phase of matter at the molecular level, emphasizing that to
change phase, energy (primarily heat) is needed. I then
reached another character named “Dry Ice Cube” who was
suppose to resemble the rap artist Ice Cube. His purpose in
the lecture was to talk about the concept of sublimation
which is changing from a solid straight to a gas (dry ice is
frozen carbon dioxide which sublimates at room
62

temperature). The students seemed to enjoy the pictures
along with the note taking which I was hoping for.
After the note set was done I played an episode of
Bill Nye the Science Guy on the phases of matter. My
sample class thought this was absolute torture. They insisted
on fast forwarding through parts and really took the fun out
of the episode, which was very well done actually. Other
periods, like I predicted were the opposite of period 1 and
loved the whole thing. It was strange but nothing too severe.
The favorite part in the video was when Bill Nye takes a
container of liquid nitrogen and places an onion in it. When
he takes it out and takes a knife to it, it shatters. The
students thought that that was great.
Once the video was over I passed out a writing
assignment about Cubert and a journey he was taking to
France to see his cousin Le Cubix. I explained that I wanted
to see the three vocabulary words, liquid, gas, and solid
within the story and that they could create their own or use
the template that I had on the document camera provided for
them. I then explained to them that I wanted them to
illustrate the story on the top and that good artwork would
result in extra credit. I must have explained it well in every
class because there were hardly any questions besides “what
if you cant draw?” The students worked well on this
assignment but a lot of them were not finished because of
their drawings or original story. I extended the due date to
the next day and had the students take the assignment home
if they were not finished. The class ended quietly in writing
every period and it was a pretty relaxed day.
teaching/ learning/
students/ self
Today I learned that sometimes its easier to let
someone else explain a concept then elaborate on it, such as
I did with Bill Nye. The whole video had so many hands on
example of phase change that I didn’t think there was a
better way of presenting the material. It was a bit corny but
the students were responsive to the appropriate parts.
I realized that learning is different with each student.
Technically I didn’t realize this today, but It was shown
very apparently to me today with the students and their
artwork. Some of them had stellar art but couldn’t think of a
story, while others excelled in the story but lacked in
detailed illustration. It was cool to see where students were
comfortable in and hopefully I can use this in my future
lessons.
I learned that my different classes, within themselves
are pretty similar, but between the different periods, very
63

different. Some periods loved Bill Nye while the others
couldn’t have cared less. It was strange to see such extremes
within one day but it is good to know for future films I want
to show in class.
I learned that I need some kind of movie in my
lesson strategy so that I can remain sane and also catch up
on grading papers!
What I may have
missed:
Today I might have missed some timing issues. The
writing assignment took a lot longer than I expected but that
was fine with me because it showed that the students were
actually thinking about the concept and creating some good
work.
student response
tomorrow:
Tomorrow I expect the response to be good because
we have our first major lab. I think the students are looking
Progress toward
objectives:
The students were able to identify and categorize the
three phases of matter. I believe the goal was met.
Adaptations for
tomorrow:
Tomorrow I will have to make sure discipline
measures are taken preemptively so that I don’t have any
major issues in the lab tomorrow.
64

Lesson 9
Lesson Title: Change
Unit Title/Topic: Physical and Chemical Change
grade Science
Standards:
Materials:
• Pencil or pen
• Note paper
• Lab Handout
• Students will be able to distinguish between a physical change and a
chemical change as well as being able to explain what a catalyst is.
• Assessment will be in the form of the lab handout for the physical vs.
chemical change lab.
Anticipatory Set:
65

• Phases of Matter review warm up (5 min)– Students will identify the
different stages of matter by completing a filling in the blank warm up
question. The vocabulary word sublimation will also be introduced (when
a solid turns directly into a gas)
Lesson Sequence:
• Chemical vs. Physical Change mini lesson (10 to 15 min)– Students will be
shown the example of a chemical vs. a physical change with paper being
crumpled (physical) and then burnt (chemical) as well as being introduced to
the vocabulary and explanation of what each kind of change is and does.
Students will then be shown a power point presentation (or possibly overhead
slides depending on resources and time) on whether changes in the pictures
are chemical or physical. Students will each write down what they think on a
piece of paper, then with their table row, decide whether to cast a vote towards
chemical or physical change.
• Chemical vs. Physical change lab (25 to 35 min)– This lab has students using
four substances (sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and corn starch) and
mixing them with four, technically three, different liquid substances (vinegar,
water, and iodine) each sample will be observed and recorded in a pre made
table. After the lab is complete the students will fill out the back of their lab
which will have another table that will ask for whether a physical or chemical
change occurred.
Closure:
• Students will use the end of the class to either clean their lab station or to
finish their lab sheet.
• Differentiation in this lesson will be in the form of specific lab groupings.
Placing lower level comprehension students with higher level students will
help the lower level students learn from their peers as well as their teacher.
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 9 – 3/19/2010
Lesson Title: Change (Physical vs. Chemical)
Synopsis of what
happened:
Today my lesson was on recognizing the difference
between a physical in contrast to a chemical change. I had
the first lab of my time teaching this class, that didn’t have
the students eating candy of any kind, which, to me, made it
more official.
I began to day with a brief lecture on what the
difference between a chemical vs. a physical change was,
introducing the vocabulary while doing so. I used the visual
of someone having an egg in their hand and then squeezing
66

it tightly. The students decided that this would be a physical
change since no new substance was created. I then presented
them the idea that the egg was put into a hot frying pan.
They class thought that it would be both a physical and a
chemical change. I then used this to springboard into the last
part of my mini lesson. I explained that a lot of times
chemical changes have physical appearance changes, but
that there were certain qualities that signified a chemical
change. I then gave them a list of characteristics to identify a
chemical change by, including the emission of gas
(bubbles), color change, and heat, to name a few.
Once the students had the appropriate vocabulary in
their notes I showed them multiple examples of chemical or
physical change and had them determine as a class which
each were. Some examples were fun to debate whether if it
was a physical or a chemical change and to hear the
different opinions from the students on, but others were
quite unanimous in their decision. After the class went
through the examples I changed gears and switched over to
the explanation of the lab that they would be conducting.
I made sure that before every period I displayed the
new stack of detentions that I had obtained from the office. I
wanted to make sure that the students knew that this lab
involved some chemicals that if used improperly could have
major consequences. The students thankfully responded
well. I explained to the class that they would be mixing
similar looking white powders (baking soda, baking powder,
powdered sugar, and cornstarch) with three kinds of liquid
(iodine, water, and vinegar) to determine what kind of
change took place. I explained the directions by having the
students read the different directions and precautions out
loud for the class to hear. This gave them another level of
accountability, especially since I had the students I thought
might have behavioral issues reading the instructions back
to me. I also showed the students an actual trial, using
baking soda and the three different kinds of liquid. While
doing this I emphasized the size of the scoops of powder,
the amount of drops to put into the powder, and how things
could get messy if there was an overuse of either powder or
liquid. I also gave them the option of washing off their
overhead transparency in the sink. Once these instructions
were in place I let the students loose in the lab area.
In the lab area things went very smoothly. There
were a few little issues with students not knowing where to
input information once they began testing, but once that was
cleared up it was smooth sailing. When some students began
67

to finish early I had them answer the lab questions and then
practice their flash cards until the period was near its end.
The last few minutes were used by me to ask the
students questions about their reactions in the lab. Many of
my students labeled gas emission and color change as the
only two chemical reactions present, while others were
convinced that there was a third (smell), which might have
just been vinegar. Regardless, the students participated in
the lab well and seemed to grasp the concept of chemical
and physical change well.
teaching/ learning/
students/ self
I learned that teaching at this age still needs to be
done in a step by step manner. I explained how to do this lab
as basic as I could, even conducting part of it in front of
them, but there were still questions about where to input
information and how to complete the lab correctly. Each
period got better and better but I suppose that I will have to
literally go step by step with these students through the rest
of my time with them.
I witnessed a student who usually doesn’t participate
very much, correct one of his classmates today. When the
classmate disagreed, I stepped in and explained that the first
student was correct. The second student took the criticism
well and it was cool to see that he learned something from
his classmate and not me. It just shows that learning is
happening all the time, and luckily in this case, it was in the
context of the class.
I learned that my students, when interested, can
complete their task with little to no distraction and enjoy
themselves doing it. It was great to sit back and watch the
classes work on their lab and only have to step in when there
was a question or problem.
I learned that even though I hate prepping the
classroom until 5:30 PM the night before, it is worth it to
have a great lesson and have the class flow so well. I’m
learning that this career has a lot of sacrifice, especially in
the early stages and I’m starting to realize this. I’m going to
have to be able to deal with these sacrifices if I am going to
be a truly successful teacher.
What I may have
missed:
Today I don’t think I missed much. If anything, I
was a little unorganized when collecting element report
projects and Cubert stories but other than that things went
well.
What I anticipate about I think that students, on return from spring break, are
68

student response
tomorrow:
going to need a crash course in review of the concepts and
material I have been teaching, for their quiz on Tuesday. I
think I am going to assign worksheets that have students
reviewing the concepts so that review can be done in the last
fifteen minutes of the class.
Progress toward
objectives:
The class was able to determine whether a reaction
took place or if the substances just created a physical
change. I feel the objective was indeed met.
Adaptations for
tomorrow:
On Monday I will need to review the concepts
and get the students mind focused back into school mode.
Lesson 10
Lesson Title: Lower the Energy
Unit Title/Topic: Catalysts
grade Science
Standards:
Materials:
• Pencil or pen
• Note paper
• Lab Handout
• Students will be able to determine what a catalyst does as well as describe how
the catalyst changes during a chemical reaction.
• Assessment in this assignment will be in the form of the students completed lab
handout.
69

Anticipatory Set:
• Missed quiz questions (5 min) – Students will be shown two to four of the most
commonly missed quiz questions from their recent quiz and will be asked to identify
the answer. Students will identify elements, element symbols, and other assorted
questions on physical vs. chemical change, the phases of matter, or mixtures and
solutions.
Lesson Sequence:
• Quiz Review (15 min) – Students will have their graded chemistry quiz (post
assessment) handed back to them and will also receive a copy of the quiz. Together,
with the help of an item analysis sheet, The teacher will go over the most missed
questions on the quiz and review the concepts that the missed questions covered.
Students will listen and actively participate in concept review by answering questions
on the material.
• Catalyst Mini Lesson / Lecture (10 to 15 min) – Students will be shown a fictional
example of a catalyst that appears in drawn form. The teacher will describe how two
opposing people want to do battle but will not because information about the other
comes too slowly. The third person acts as the catalyst and lowers the activation
energy for the battle to occur more quickly. The battle occurs and the third party is
left unscathed. This example is a metaphorical example of how a catalyst acts in
chemistry. A substance that lowers activation energy for a chemical reaction to
happen but is left unchanged after the reaction is over. The teacher will then give
examples of different catalysts in chemistry and will then have the students put their
notes away.
• Catalyst Lab (15 min) – Students will get their lab handout and will pull out a pencil
to make extra notes. Since this lab involves flames and some dangerous chemicals
students will need to know the procedure thoroughly before conducting the lab. The
teacher will lead the students through the procedure, emphasizing the most important
steps. Once the students have reviewed the lab sheet they will be broken into groups
by table row and sent to the lab area. Students will then be using hydrogen peroxide
and manganese oxide to free oxygen in a test tube. From there students will be using
a wooden split and then a piece of steel wool, lighting both on fire and blowing them
out (leaving ember-like results) and then dipping them into the excess oxygen.
Students will then write their results on their lab sheet. Once the lab is complete the
students will clean their lab stations for the next group and will finish their lab sheet.
Closure:
• Lab Results (5 to 10 min) – The teacher will ask the students how the freed oxygen in
the test tube affected the smoldering splint as well as the burning steel wool. Students
will be asked to describe what happened in their lab and how they believed oxygen
played a roll in that process.
70

• Differentiation in this lesson will be in the form of specific lab groupings if needed.
Placing lower level comprehension students with higher level students will help the
lower level students learn from their peers as well as their teacher.
Lesson Reflection
Lesson 10 – 4/1/2010
Lesson Title – Catalysts
Synopsis of what
happened:
I decided to use a random day from my full time
teaching stint as part of my work sample because if I used
they day that should technically be in the work sample it
would be extremely dull. That day was a review for a quiz
day while the lesson I chose to use actually has substance.
In my lesson today I began with the normal warm
up. I used random questions that were found in the quiz that
the students had taken two days previous. This went well
and the students came up with the correct answers. I told the
students who hadn’t taken the test to pay attention and
remember some free answers, but I’m not sure how many
students took that to heart. I then handed back a copy of the
quiz booklet and the students graded test scantron sheets as
well so that the class could go over questions they missed. I
had the students who had missed the quiz to step outside of
the room. Luckily there were two in my sample class and I
had them take out a set of their element flash cards to drill
each other. Once they had left I used the item analysis of the
quiz and went over problematic questions that students
faced. Each class had different questions that gave them
trouble but many of the questions that students missed
spanned across all of the periods. Mid way through this
correction a student pointed out a mistake I had made on my
test booklet. The element fluorine has a elemental symbol of
F not Fl. I decided to collect the student’s scantron sheets
that had missed that question and correct them later. This
was embarrassing, especially with my advisor watching me,
but I felt I handled it with grace. After the class had gone
through the most missed questions I had the students in the
hallway return for the second part of the lesson.
Once everyone was settled in I had a brief lecture on
catalysts. I explained how a catalyst worked by using
pictures that showed me as a catalyst that was able to spur
on a fictional battle between two other teachers at the
school. This may seem inappropriate but I know both of
these teachers personally and I asked my advisor when I was
done about the appropriateness of the story and he assured
me it wasn’t out of line. In the story my character spurs on
the two teachers by telling them what the other is saying
71

about the other. Once they hear it they get angry and battle.
My whole point was to show that a catalyst is something in
a chemical reaction that lowers the needed energy for a
reaction to take place, causing the reaction to quickly
happen, then once it is over, remains untouched. All of my
periods except the last enjoyed and appreciated the story.
From this point I finished my lecture on how catalysts work
and what their purpose is in chemistry.
Next, I handed out the students lab sheet to them and
step by step went through the lab so to avoid any
unnecessary mishaps. This lab involved fire and burning of
gasses so I was a little apprehensive about doing this lab all
by myself. Once the students understood what their task was
I let them choose their own groups of four and had them
complete their lab. It went great besides the fact that a lot of
students accidentally burned too much of their released
oxygen which hindered the second portion of their lab. I
decided to do the second part of the lab for the whole class
so that they could see what was suppose to happen and so
they could complete their lab sheet.
Once the students were done I asked them the
question about how oxygen affected a burning splint and
right before the students could answer the bell rang. My
sample period didn’t get a synthesis time in the lesson but
they were able to complete everything.
teaching/ learning/
students/ self
I learned that teaching is good when you can stay
on your feet. Getting called out that I had messed up on the
quiz was embarrassing but I was able to make a quick
modification which eventually became part of my lesson
later in the day. Also having students burning up too much
of their oxygen was something I didn’t anticipate. It was
good to be able to do the second part of the lab in front of
the whole class so that I could at least show them what
should have happened. The students were responsive and
didn’t complain at all.
I learned that my sample class, period one, has very
patient and fun students. During my lecture the students
participated, laughed, and added their two cents. It made the
lecture less stressful for me and gave me some wiggle room
to be creative and funny. When my students were in the lab,
most of them burned up too much oxygen which led to their
lab being cut short. They were good sports about it and just
watched a demo that I conducted. Their patience is very
appreciated.
I learned that variety in lessons is good for learning.
72

I had review, new material, and a lab in my lesson today and
the students were engaged the entire time. It was great
because behavior issues were minimum today as well. Of
course not all lessons can have that much variety but trying
to mix things up regularly will help students in the long run.
I’ve learned that my confidence as a teacher is
growing daily. I feel the relationship with the students and
realize that they feel it too. I think that teaching this grade
was very uncomfortable at first but the more I’m in front of
the class the more I feel able and ready to have my own
class.
What I may have
missed:
I missed small things that I couldn’t have known for
my first period class. Things like how to conduct the lab
correctly and most efficiently. I corrected these later in the
day.
student response
tomorrow:
I think tomorrow will be another good day. There is going to
be an even more engaging lab as well so I think student
response will be good.
Progress toward
objectives:
I feel students knew how to determine whether a reaction
took place or if the substances just created a physical change
as well as if a catalyst was present. I feel the objective was
met.
Adaptations for
tomorrow:
Be nimble and ready for the students.
73

Section Four:
Learning Gains Data
Interpretation of Learning Gains &
Analysis for Each Student
74

Foundational Information
Unit goals for work sample
6) Students will be able to understand and explain the difference between an element
and a compound
7) Students will be able to determine if a substance is an element, mixture, or a
solution.
8) Students will be able to identify the difference between a physical vs. a chemical
change
9) Students will be able to explain the three phases of matter
• Chemicals make up the living world around us. Their interactions and mankind’s
ability to harness these reactions has greatly affected the course of human history.
• While the use of chemicals can and has changed mankind for the good, chemicals
can also be extremely dangerous. Respect for chemicals and their reactivity must
be had to properly utilize chemicals to their full potential.
Assessment Tools
Pre Assessment
My pre assessment in this work sample came from multiple resources. Mr. C and
I went over the chemistry unit vocabulary and he decided that he wanted me to cover the
beginning section in the chemistry unit. This included material on the periodic table of
Enduring Understanding(s):
75

the elements, the elements themselves, compounds, mixtures (homogeneous &
heterogeneous), solutions (including solvents and solutes), physical vs. chemical change,
and the phases of matter. To assist me in my unit design I was given two texts on
chemistry, the first being the Physical Science text from Holt Science & Technology,
and the second, and most important, being the Matter: Building Blocks of the Universe
text from Prentice Hall: Science. Using these resources, as well as others found online, I
created the pre assessment.
The first portion (question 1) dealt with the elements. When designing my lessons
for this unit I realized that the periodic table, learning the elements, and learning how to
decipher elements within compounds, was going to take a full week. Because of this I
decided to make the first part of the pre assessment worth a larger point amount. On this
question I tried to determine what students knew about what an element and a compound
were as well as their differences.
Questions two, three, and four all cover the same unit goal so I associate them as
one group. The second week of my student teaching had two of its five days dedicated to
mixtures and solutions (a day for each topic). This portion of the pre assessment makes
up six of its points and covers a good chunk of material that the students would
eventually cover including the different kinds of mixtures, the parts of a solution, and
how to define a solution itself.
Question five deals with the topic of physical vs. chemical change. This question
was worth only two points because I felt it was slightly less important in the unit. This
topic only received one day in class because of the students overwhelming
comprehension of the topic, so my assumption was luckily confirmed after the pre
assessment was complete.
Finally, question six dealt with the different phases of matter (liquid, solid, and
gas). This is another topic that was only discussed in class one day so it was only given a
two point value as well.
The Pre assessment went well as far as I am concerned. Even though there were
students who I felt didn’t put their whole effort into it (shown in their high post
assessment score) the majority of the answers that were incorrect seemed to be starting in
the right place. I gave this pre assessment before I assumed the role of the lead teacher as
well, so I think some of the lack of effort in a few students came because of that as well.
Overall, I thought it went well and am glad to see the learning gains in the post
assessment.
Post Assessment
The post assessment in this work sample is something that I feel is harder to
interpret than the pre assessment. The post assessment is part of a larger unit quiz that all
of the classes took as part of their course requirements. This quiz was about element
symbol recognition, compound dissecting (counting atoms and elements within a
compound), mixtures, solutions, physical vs. chemical change, and the phases of matter. I
thought it would be easier if I just used this as the post assessment because there wasn’t a
lot of extra time to run the pre assessment again. This quiz covers the same material as
the pre assessment and the third portion of the quiz actually is a multiple choice section
that resembles much of the pre assessment (see the quiz in table ).
76

The first twenty questions in the quiz were element name and symbol recognition
which I felt corresponded to unit goal number one. The next eight questions dealt with
compounds and identifying specific things within them (how many atoms of specific
elements, or how many elements the compound was comprised of). This also fell into
unit goal one so I decided to just grade all of these twenty eight questions under the unit
goal one criteria. Like in the pre assessment this portion of the assessment was weighed
more heavily because of the time spent in the unit on these topics.
Questions twenty eight through thirty one were all about mixtures and solutions.
These fell into unit goal two’s category so they are grouped together in that fashion.
Similar to the pre assessment, this portion is weighed more heavily than the last two
because of the time spent in class on the topics.
Questions thirty two and thirty three fell into the category of unit goal three while
questions thirty four and thirty five stemmed from unit goal four. Each of these were
weighted less because of time spent in class.
I felt that this quiz, especially in my sample class, 1st
period, was a good reflection
of what these students learned. Even though this post assessment isn’t the same as the pre
assessment it still has all of the major elements that the pre assessment had. It is a little
harder to interpret but not enough to be a major problem.
Result Report
Table Summaries:
Table I
Pre and post assessment grading rubrics – This table provides the question(s) that
encompassed each unit goal as well as the corresponding state standard.
Table II
Pre and post assessment scores – This table is a side by side comparison of the pre
assessment and post assessment scores. This table only shows the final scores of each
assessment and some minor comments on student’s answers.
Table III
Pre assessment in-depth – This section is a break down of each question on the pre
assessment as well as where students scored each of their points.
Table IV
Post assessment in-depth – This section is a break down of the post assessment broken
up by the unit goals. There were too many questions to create a table that would show the
broken down the post assessment by question in a word document.
77

Table V
Pre and post assessment – This table simply shows the different assessments that were
used.
Table I
Pre Assessment Grading Rubric
Test Question Points State Standard Unit Goal
1) What is an element? What is a
compound? How are they different?
5 points 8.1P.1
8.1P.2
1 & 2
2) There are two different kinds of
mixtures in regards to chemistry. The first
is homogeneous and the second is
heterogeneous. Describe the differences
between the two.
2 points 8.1P.1
8.2P.1
2
3) There are two components to a solution.
What are they?
2 points 8.2P.1 2
4) What kind of mixture is a solution
classified as? (circle one) heterogeneous /
homogeneous
1 point 8.2P.1 2
5) A person crumpling a piece of paper
would be a __________________ change.
A person lighting a piece of paper would
be called a __________________ change.
2 points 8.2P.1 3
6) There are three phases (forms) of matter.
What are they?
3 points 8.1P.1
8.2P.1
4
78

Post Assessment Grading Rubric
Test Question(s)
To view test questions view table
Total
Possible
Points
State Standard Unit Goal
Questions 1-27
• Questions on element name and
symbol recognition / Element and
compound recognition and
manipulation
27 points 8.1P.1
8.1P.2
1 & 2
Questions 28, 29, 30, and 31
• Questions on mixtures (28/29) and
solutions (30/31) and their different
parts
4 points 8.1P.2 2
Questions 32 and 33
• Questions on chemical vs. physical
change
2 points 8.2P.1 3
Questions 34 and 35
• Questions on the phases of matter
2 point 8.1P.2
8.2P.1
4
79

Table II
Pre and Post Assessment Scores
Name Pre Assessment / Comments
Six question survey
Possible points - 15
Post Assessment / Comments
Chemistry quiz
Possible points - 35
Student
1
3 Points 26 Points
Student
2
6 Points 22 Points
Student
3
9 Points
Basic concept of compounds
35 Points
Student
4
10 Points 32 Points
Student
5
11 Points
Good understanding of elements
35 Points
Student
6
3 Points 24 Points
Got the parts of a solution backward
Student
7
9 Points
Basic concept of
compounds/elements
24 Points
Got the parts of a solution backward
Student
8
5 Points 27 Points
Confused the kinds of mixtures and the
parts of solutions
Student
9
5 Points
Good understanding of the phases of
matter
35 Points
Student 6 Points 20 Points
80

10 Got the different kind of mixtures
backward
Student
11
4 Points 34 Points
Student
12
3 Points 32 Points
Big improvement. Got the parts of a
solution backward
Student
13
9 Points 34 Points
Student
14
2 Points 30 Points
Got the different kind of mixtures
backward
Student
15
6 Points
Thinks of in elements in ancient
Greek terms (earth, fire, wind,
water)
22 Points
Confused the kinds of mixtures and the
parts of solutions
Student
16
6 Points 35 Points
Student
17
6 Points
Student
18
3 Points
Student
19
5 Points 35 Points
Student
20
3 Points 33 Points
Student
21
2 Points 35 Points
Huge improvement
Student
22
NA NA
81

Table III
Pre Assessment In-Depth
Pre Assessment Scoring Guide: Period 1
• Assessment worth 15 points.
• Individual questions tied with unit goals
• Student 19 and 23 from Section #1 have been removed. Student 20 is now 19 etc.
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
1
3 Points 0 0 0 1pt 2pts 0
Student
2
6 Points 1pt 0 0 0 2pts 3pts
Student
3
9 Points 3pts 0 0 1pt 2pts 3pts
Student
4
10 Points 5pts 0 0 0 2pts 3pts
82

Student
5
11 Points 5pts 1pt 0 0 2pts 3pts
Student
6
Student
7
Student
8
5 Points 0 0 0 1pt 2pts 3pts
Student
9
5 Points 0 0 0 0 2pts 3pts
Student
10
Student
11
4 Points 0 1pt 0 1pt 2pts 0
Student
12
Student
13
Student
14
2 Points 0 0 0 0 2pts 0
Student
15
6 Points 2pts 1pt 0 1pt 2pts 0
Student
16
6 Points 3pts 1pt 0 0 2pts 0
Student
17
Student
18
3 Points 1pt 0 0 0 2pts 0
Student
19
Student
20
Student
21
2 Points 0 0 0 0 2pts 0
Student
22
(Aide)
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
83

Table IV
Post Assessment in Depth
Post Assessment Scoring Guide: Period 1
• Assessment worth 35 points.
• Sections tied with unit goals
• Student 19 and 23 from Section #1 have been removed. Student 20 is now 19 etc.
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 1 18 4 2 2 26
Student 2 15 3 2 2 22
Student 3 27 4 2 2 35
Student 4 24 4 2 2 32
Student 5 27 4 2 2 35
Student 6 19 3 1 1 24
Student 7 19 2 2 1 24
Student 8 23 0 2 2 27
Student 9 27 4 2 2 35
Student 10 16 1 1 2 20
Student 11 26 4 2 2 34
84

Student 12 27 3 0 2 32
Student 13 26 4 2 2 34
Student 14 25 1 2 2 30
Student 15 19 0 2 1 22
Student 16 27 4 2 2 35
Student 17
Student 18
Student 19 27 4 2 2 35
Student 20 25 4 2 2 33
Student 21 27 4 2 2 35
Student
22
(Aide)
NA NA NA NA NA
Table V
Pre Assessment
Period_____
the two.
homogeneous
85

Post Assessment
Period________
element.
36) Hydrogen
37) Silver
38) Helium
39) Potassium
40) Aluminum
41) Sodium
42) Uranium
43) Copper
44) Tin
45) Lead
46) Fe
86

47) Ne
48) Fl
49) Li
50) S
51) C
52) Au
53) N
54) Rn
55) Mg
a) 2 b) 4 c) 3 d) 5 e) 1
a) 3 b) 2 c) 4 d) 0 e) 1
a) 1 b) 3 c) 4 d) 2 e) 0
a) 39 b) 45 c) 3 d) 22 e) 11
a) 2 b) 3 c) 5 d) 7 e) 2,010
87

a) 3 b) 2 c) 5 d) 1
a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 0
chemical change
would be considered the solvent?
would be considered the solute?
67) Mr. Canaday creates iron toys for his sons so they will have a hard time breaking
them. However, one toy gets left out in the rain and begins to rust. Is this an
example of a physical or a chemical change?
68) Mr. Gilbertson fills a cup up with ice but gets distracted by his new Xbox and
forgets to fill it with Mt. Dew. The ice melting in the cup would be an example of
a…
69) Water evaporating into the air would be an example of what change in the phase
of matter
70) Chemicals like iodine and dry ice (frozen CO2) turn directly from solid to gas.
This process is called
88

Narrative Interpretation
Students as Individuals
Student 1)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
1
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 1 18 4 2 2 26
89

Student #1 was a very easy student to work with. Her demeanor was very kind
and she was very responsible, staying after school to make up assignments and making
sure that she had all of her work complete. From the pre assessment to the post
assessment, student 1 has shown that she has made significant learning gains specifically
in goals 1 and 2. On her pre assessment student 1 had know knowledge about elements or
compounds which is shown in her lack of points on question #1. Goal two is another area
where she improved. She only received one point from the three questions that covered
goal #2. On her post assessment she answered all four questions that goal two covered
correctly. It appears that her knowledge on mixtures and solutions has grown
significantly. Goal #3 was the one area that she had previous knowledge in (shown on her
pre assessment) and she retained that knowledge through the unit. Goal #4 was another
area she improved in by having no knowledge before the unit and then answering both
questions about phase changes correctly.
Student 2)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
2
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 2 15 3 2 2 22
Student 2 has show significant learning gains in this unit specifically under unit #2’s
goals. This students motivation through the unit was questionable but it is good to see
that he did make learning gains. As with a lot of students, his post assessment final score
is somewhat low ( a low D grade) but when it came to questions regarding the specific
goals in the unit he did particularly well. This student just had trouble with element
symbol recognition which is what hurt his score. Goals #3 and #4 were already met in his
pre assessment and he clearly made strides under goal #2 (no knowledge to getting three
of four correct). Overall this student met the goals but didn’t study his elements well
enough to perform on the quiz.
90

Student 3)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
3
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 3 27 4 2 2 35
Student 3 clearly exceeded the unit goals. On her pre assessment she had previous
knowledge that covered the goals #3 and #4 requirements. Goal #2 was where she made
the most progress in this unit. This is shown by her low score on the pre assessment and
her perfect score on the final assessment. She also made significant goals under goal #1
and answered every element question correctly on the quiz. Overall her progress was
great.
Student 4)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
4
10 Points 5pts 0 0 0 2pts 3pts
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
Goal 2
Questions
Goal 3
Questions
Goal 4
Questions
Total Score
91

1-27
Possible
Points: 27
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Possible
Points: 35
Student 4 24 4 2 2 32
Student 4 was one of the few students who had a clear concept of what an element and a
compound were on the pre assessment. He fully met the criteria for goals #1, #3 and #4
but still lacked the needed information for goal #2. His post assessment shows that his
knowledge from goals #1, #3, and #4 were all retained and that he now meets goal #2 as
well. Overall this student was fun to work with and progressed from where he began.
Student 5)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
5
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 5 27 4 2 2 35
Student 5 was one of the brightest young people that I have ever worked with. His
comments and insight showed in the subject of chemistry demonstrated that he was very
interested in the sciences. He demonstrated that goals #1, #3 and #4 were already
understood but showed a lack of content knowledge in the area of mixtures and solutions.
His post assessment shows that that lack of knowledge was filled through my work
sample and he received a perfect score on the quiz.
Student 6)
Pre Assessment
92

Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
6
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 6 19 3 1 1 24
Student 6 was a student who lacked motivation. Through my work sample he rarely
participated and turned in work that appeared to be scribbles half of the time. Regardless
of his effort in class his pre and post assessments show that he did make learning gains.
Goals #1 and #2 were the two areas that student 6 had very low levels of knowledge in
but on his post assessment he was able to identify many of the elements, break down
multiple compounds and answer questions about mixtures and solutions. For goal three
he appeared to regress somewhat because he only answered on of the chemical vs.
physical change questions correctly but it could simply be an error in reading the
question.
Student 7)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
7
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
Goal 2
Questions
Goal 3
Questions
Goal 4
Questions
Total Score
93

1-27
Possible
Points: 27
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Possible
Points: 35
Student 7 19 2 2 1 24
When analyzing student 7’s results I cant help but get upset. This student was a student
that would regularly participate in class and turn in good work on his assignments. In the
post assessment student 7 must have not studied very well because I personally feel that
he could have done much better on this quiz. Student 7 did show learning gains but not
very large ones. His knowledge of the elements and compounds has increased
significantly but his knowledge about mixtures and solutions wasn’t demonstrated well
on this quiz. Another thing that bothers me is that this student was proficient in his
knowledge on goal #4 on the pre assessment but didn’t do very well on the post
assessment. I felt that this student had sufficiently learned the material that was on the
quiz, based on his lab scores and his in class participation, but his quiz score shows me
that he did not study his element symbols well enough.
Student 8)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
8
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 8 23 0 2 2 27
Student 8 was one of the students that I was never really able to get a clear understanding
of what motivated him. While I conducted my work sample he was present for the
majority of the days but he always looked tired and I could never tell if he was retaining
the information. From the pre assessment I can see that he met goals #3 and #4 with no
problem but lacked knowledge in the area of elements, compounds, mixtures and
94

solutions. On his post assessment he made significant strides under goal #1 but he did not
progress further in goal #2 which is disappointing. I would have liked to see student 8
progress further especially with goal #2 because we spent two days working with this
goal in class which he participated in. I can recall the two labs we conducted that week,
both involving food, which he seemed to enjoy. I hoped that the concepts of these lessons
were learned by him but it seems that there was still confusion when the assessment came
around.
Student 9)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
9
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 9 27 4 2 2 35
Student 9 was a very enjoyable student to have in class. Her attitude and intelligence
made it easy for me to teach. As you can see her learning gains are huge. The only
concepts that she knew were phase change and physical vs. chemical change (goal #3 &
#4) and she carried that with her to the quiz. Her perfect score on the post assessment
should attest to the fact that she made huge learning gains this unit. Units #1 and #2 were
all left blank on her pre assessment but she has full points in every category on her post
assessment which should show that she clearly learned the necessary information about
the elements, compounds, mixtures and solutions.
Student 10)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Goal 2
Q2
Goal 2
Q3
Goal 2
Q4
Goal 3
Q5
Goal 4
Q6
95

Total
Points:
5
Total
Points:
2
Total
Points:
2
Total
Points:
1
Total
Points:
2
Total
Points:
3
Student
10
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 10 16 1 1 2 20
Student 10 was another student who was hard to read. While I was teaching the chemistry
unit this student would regularly raise his hand and give good answers. He also seemed to
really enjoy the material and be absorbing it. However, his final quiz results seemed to
speak otherwise, at least to his absorption of the material. Student 10 retained his
knowledge about phase change and chemical vs. physical change for the most part but
what I was most surprised about was his progress with goal #2. Student 10 had no prior
knowledge to mixtures and compounds but he also didn’t gain any information either, at
least that’s what the assessment results suggest. I believe that student 10 actually has a
higher comprehension than what this quiz suggests.
Student 11)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
11
4 Points 0 1pt 0 1pt 2pts 0
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
96

Points: 27 Points: 4 Points: 2 Points: 2
Student 11 26 4 2 2 34
Student 11 was a really easy student to teach. She turned in all of her work, was quiet
when she needed to be and was friendly to the entire class. Her learning gains are very
visible as well making it easy for me to interpret. Student 11 had very little previous
knowledge on the subject of chemistry, having vague ideas on mixtures and solutions and
the phases of matter (goals #2 and #4). Her post assessment shows that she has a clear
understanding of elements, compounds and their breakdown, mixtures, solutions,
chemical vs. physical change and the phases of matter, which are all four goals.
Student 12)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
12
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 12 27 3 0 2 32
Student 12 was a fairly quiet student who generally produced great work and had good
input to the class. His assessment results were very easy to analyze because on his pre
assessment he only met one goal (goal #4) giving him a lot of room to improve. As you
can see Student 12 improved greatly on his knowledge of the elements and compounds as
well as his knowledge of mixtures and solutions. What I find strange is that he partially
met goal #3 on his pre assessment but did not meet it on his post assessment. This could
be due to a reading error or attention to detail but regardless, this student met three of the
four goals of the unit.
Student 13)
Pre Assessment
97

Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
13
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 13 26 4 2 2 34
Student 13 was another great student. He was well behaved and turned in great work. He
demonstrated that he understood goals #3 and #4 during the pre assessment as well as
having partial understanding for goals #1 and #2. This student showed his learning gains
in both goals #1 and #2 in the post assessment and ended up only missing one point on
the quiz.
Student 14)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
14
2 Points 0 0 0 0 2pts 0
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
98

Student 14 25 1 2 2 30
Student 14 was a fun student. His learning gains were easy to see because when he took
the pre assessment I watched him read through it once, write down one answer to what he
knew and then wait until the class was finished. This lack of effort in the beginning
makes it seem like he learned a massive amount but I feel that the data in this case is
misleading. I would have liked to see him have met goal #2 on the post assessment
because of the time we spent in class on the topics. A lack in attention to detail possibly
played part in that. Other than that he met the other goals and did a good job on the quiz.
Student 15)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
15
6 Points 2pts 1pt 0 1pt 2pts 0
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 15 19 0 2 1 22
Student 15 was a student who would take a shot at something even if she was completely
incorrect and that is something I admired about her. On her pre assessment she tried to
give an answer to every question and ended up receiving partial credit on four of the six
questions. She partially met goals #1, #2 and #3. Even though her post assessment total
score wasn’t stellar, she did make gains for goal #1. I was somewhat disheartened when
she did not get any questions about mixtures and solutions correct. Overall she did make
some headway but I was hoping for more gains in each goal.
Student 16)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Goal 2
Q2
Goal 2
Q3
Goal 2
Q4
Goal 3
Q5
Goal 4
Q6
99

Total
Points:
5
Total
Points:
2
Total
Points:
2
Total
Points:
1
Total
Points:
2
Total
Points:
3
Student
16
6 Points 3pts 1pt 0 0 2pts 0
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 16 27 4 2 2 35
Student 16 was another student who made it easy to see his learning gains. While he has
partial knowledge in goals #1 and #2, he had met goal #3 during the pre assessment.
When looking at his post assessment scores you can see learning gains in all areas. A
perfect score on this quiz signifies, to me, that he met and exceeded each goal.
Student 17)
Post Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
17
Pre Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
No data available
100

Student 17 was absent the day of the post assessment as well as the rest of that week.
However, Student 17 did meet goals #3 and #4 on his pre assessment.
Student 18)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
18
3 Points 1pt 0 0 0 2pts 0
Post Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
No data Available
Student 18 was another student who was gone on the day of the post assessment. As of
yet he has not come in to take the quiz. Student 18 did meet goal #3 on his pre assessment
though.
Student 19)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
101

Student
19
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 19 27 4 2 2 35
Student 19 was a great student. On her pre assessment she met goals #3 and #4 but did
not attempt to answer the first four questions. Her post assessment shows a clear gain in
knowledge for goals #1 and #2 (full credit for both goals). Her participation was excellent
in class so this improvement was not a big surprise.
Student 20)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
20
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 20 25 4 2 2 33
I was pleased with Student 20’s progress. Her pre assessment showed that she had a small
amount of knowledge about mixtures and solutions and also that she met goal #3. On her
post assessment she demonstrated that she fully understood the material. She achieved
102

goals #1, #2, #3 and also #4. On her post assessment she only missed two points from the
total score which shows that she has a good grasp of the course material.
Student 21)
Pre Assessment
Student Pre
Assessment
Score (15 pts.)
Goal 1
& 2
Q1
Total
Points:
5
Goal 2
Q2
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q3
Total
Points:
2
Goal 2
Q4
Total
Points:
1
Goal 3
Q5
Total
Points:
2
Goal 4
Q6
Total
Points:
3
Student
21
2 Points 0 0 0 0 2pts 0
Post Assessment
Student Goal 1
Questions
1-27
Possible
Points: 27
Goal 2
Questions
28,29,30, 31
Possible
Points: 4
Goal 3
Questions
32 & 33
Possible
Points: 2
Goal 4
Questions
34 & 35
Possible
Points: 2
Total Score
Possible
Points: 35
Student 21 27 4 2 2 35
Student 21 was one of two students who read through the pre assessment and answered
one question then sat and waited for everyone to finish. Although there was a lack of
effort on his pre assessment, his post assessment shows something completely different.
A perfect quiz score demonstrates the meeting of all four goals.
103

Students as a Whole (Class Description)
My sample class (1st
period) as a whole did really well between the pre and post
assessments. I would like to contribute that completely to my fantastic teaching skills but
I think that I also need to give dues to other factors. The first factor in my students
success was that the material wasn’t terribly difficult. Most of the things that I taught
were conceptual and didn’t require mathematics, which is the one subject that affects this
class the most because of the varied levels present. These concepts were also given a lot
of time to soak in and to experiment with. I tried to have as many demonstrations or labs
to reinforce what I was teaching and I think that these examples helped drive home some
concepts, specifically with goal #2 (mixtures and solutions). Another factor that helped
my students is the amount of time that was spent learning the material. I was able to take
one concept per day and focus on it. I’m sure if I was teaching my own class that I would
have to cram more content into one day but as a student teacher I was given a lot of time
to teach the students a handful of concepts. The third factor I see in the student’s
improvement is the class size. There are only twenty one students in the class and there is
an aide present to do the classroom’s busy work. In regards to the unit goals I would say
that the entire class met unit goal #1 because everyone was able to get at least fifteen
questions about elements and compounds correct. Goal #2 was more difficult to
determine but the majority of students (14 of the 21, not including the two students who
missed the post assessment) answered three or four questions, out of four questions,
correctly. I would say that goal two was also met for most students. Goals #3 and #4 were
both unanimously met. There were only a few students who didn’t receive full credit on
104

their post assessment in these sections (4 of the 21) but the rest succeeded in doing so.
This class could use a little work with the memorization of their elements and possible a
quick review on mixtures and solutions but besides that I think they passed my unit with
flying colors.
Focused Examination
When looking at my data from a distanced perspective I see some of the
assessment results stemming from factors in the classroom. Unit goal #1 was most
affected by spring break, which was directly in the middle of my unit. The post
assessment was the Tuesday after spring break concluded and a lot of the students felt
rusty with their element recognition. I anticipated this but I wasn’t sure how severely this
would affect my students. Another piece of information I saw was that goals #3 and #4
were met almost unanimously across the entire class. I personally felt that the lessons for
these two days were the days I felt extremely comfortable in front of the class. This might
have let me open up and deliver a solid lesson that the students responded well to,
eventually increasing their understanding. Other random factors played a part as well.
Absences were the largest factor that threw me off when students came back. Trying to
get them caught up was a huge hassle, especially when one has nearly one hundred and
forty students to keep track of. Besides these factors that might have played a roll in the
students learning I feel they did extremely well given my limited experience.
Future Instruction Goals Recommendations
Student Future Recommendations
Student 1 Student 1 could use some work on unit goal #1, specifically in the
memorization of his element symbols. More studying would be beneficial
or extensions on testing time might also be an accommodation that would
benefit this student.
Student 2 Student 2 could benefit from having a time extension on testing or a
separate place to take a test. He could use some work on element symbol
recognition but besides that this student made significant gains on the
majority of the goals.
Student 3 Student 3 has demonstrated a clear understanding of the unit and has met
all four goals. I would recommend that she continues her study habits and
quality of work.
Student 4 Student 4 showed a good amount of knowledge prior to the chemistry
unit. He also demonstrated learning gains for goal #2. This student should
continue to study and learn in the same manner that he currently does.
Student 5 Student 5 is one of those students who has excellent study habits
accompanied by outstanding grades. The only recommendation I have for
him would be to balance his personal life with his studies.
Student 6 Student 6 made learning gains for goals #1, #2 and #4 but seemed to do
105

slightly worse on questions that concerned goal #3. I would suggest that
this student be put on some kind of IEP or 504 because he seems to have
trouble with some conceptual information. I see a high level of apathy in
this student as well but combating that will have to be his own personal
battle.
Student 7 Student 7 is another student who seems to be apathetic in class. I have
seen good work for this student but his attitude about school seems to be
the underlying problem. Student 7 met two of the four goals prior to the
teaching of the unit and later made gains in goal #1 and #2. I would
suggest that Student 7 figure out a more positive way to view school so
that he can utilize his potential
Student 8 Student 8 was a student who made learning gains in goals #1, #3 and #4
but still had confusion with mixtures and solutions. Brushing up on these
concepts would be beneficial for him especially when a state science test
is en route.
Student 9 I was pleased with the results of student 9’s post assessment. She has
made clear gains in knowledge for the unit and retained a positive
attitude throughout the whole experience. The only suggestion I have for
her would be to continue the hard work.
Student 10 I would suggest that student 10 study his element symbols more (goal #1)
as well as the material on mixtures and solutions (goal #2). This student
has a good attitude towards school and also possesses a good work ethic
towards projects but when it comes to tests or assessments he prepares
poorly. A modification that might help this student could be extended test
taking time or providing another place for him to take the assessment.
Student 11 To be honest I do not have any suggestions for student 11. She went into
the chemistry unit not knowing the material and when she was finished
she had met every unit goal. If anything, keep up the good work.
Student 12 Student 12 was a fun student who learned quite a bit in this unit. I would
suggest that he review chemical vs. physical change examples and the
phases of matter because these were trouble spots for this student on the
pre and post assessment. Besides that he did very well, specifically with
goal #1 and #2.
Student 13 Student 13 was one of the few students who had a decent grasp of the
subject material before we started. Even with goals #3 and #4 met before
the unit started, Student 13 was able to make gains in goals #1 and #2.
The only suggestion I have for student 13 is to continue to stay ahead of
his work and keep turning in quality assignments.
Student 14 Student 14 could work on learning mixtures and solutions more
thoroughly as well as possibly brush up on element recognition. Besides
that he was successful in meeting the unit goals.
Student 15 Student 15 might need some work on goal #4 but definitely needs to be
more familiar with goal #2 (mixtures & solutions). Element symbol
recognition as well as breaking down compounds would also be
something she could do to further her understanding.
Student 16 This student really doesn’t need any recommendations. His perfect score
106

on the post assessment shows that he has met all four goals as well as
mastering the memorization of his element symbols.
Student 17 Student 17 could work on completing missing assignments in a more
timely fashion. Other than that I have no post assessment to suggest any
further instruction.
Student 18 Student 18 could also work on completing missing work in a more timely
fashion. Besides that I have no assessment to suggest any further
instruction.
Student 19 Student 19 met all unit goals and her perfect post assessment score
demonstrates that she knows her element symbols and all of the concepts
clearly. I have no suggestions besides to keep up the good work.
Student 20 Student 20 has met all of the unit goals. Occasionally this student has
anxiety on assessments but her perfect quiz score shows that that was not
the case. Keep up the great work.
Student 21 Student 21 seemed to give little effort on his pre assessment but
demonstrated that he learned it throughout the unit by getting a perfect
score on his post assessment. My only suggestion would be to put effort
into all assignments even if they aren’t graded.
Section Five:
Final Unit Reflection
107

Developmentally Appropriate
When I began my second student teaching stint I was shocked by how many
memories came back to me. I had the privilege of teaching in the same middle school that
I attended and was surprised by how many teachers were still present as well as how
similar the school remained. I also began to see students in the light of my old peers,
meaning that their personalities reminded me of my old classmates. I had almost forgot
how strange the 8th
grade really is. These students are old enough to learn complex
material such as algebra, chemistry and physics but at the same time the students, in some
regards, still reminded me of the 4th
grade class I taught in the fall (2009). Students in the
8th
grade are becoming very self aware and that is shown quite vividly with my female
students. Their sense of self, specifically with their appearance, was quite a roller coaster
ride at times. Peer groups were also a major factor in the classroom. I saw alliances form
and crumble in the same day leaving in their wake dire consequences, at least till the next
morning when all was forgotten. Emotions ran high and low with some students. The
same student would be a ball of energy one day and a slug the next which made it, at
108

times, difficult to get a bearing on what a student’s norm was. Cognitively the students
were like sponges, soaking up details that you wouldn’t notice and not being afraid to
mention when you were at fault. The physical changes these students are going through
were fun at times to whiteness. There was a student who literally grew at least an inch
and a half from when I started till early April. Needless to say these physical changes
were throwing some students for a major curve ball. 8th
grade is an important time for
students because of the major transition directly ahead of them and also because for that
year they rule the school. As a teacher, the task to capitalize on the students enthusiasm
but also to be understanding of where a student is in their development is quite a
challenging task, but if done correctly a student in the 8th
grade can be left with lasting
impressions. The challenge at hand is to make sure theses impressions are positive and
promoting the students growth.
When I entered the classroom in early January I was able to be given a few weeks
to observe and figure out how to deal with these students. The first thing I realized is that
these students were not technically children anymore. I did not want to call them kids, or
adolescents for that matter, so I had to figure out a way to address them without sounding
to formal but at the same time not too child-like. I was able to add sarcasm back into my
conversations but chose to use it sparingly because of liability issues and students who
just didn’t understand it. I also had to watch the things I said to other teachers in student’s
presence. There were times early on in the practicum where my CT had to remind me that
students at this age could understand what saying or implying and that “I wasn’t in 4th
grade anymore”. These modifications to my persona helped me as the term progressed
and when I took control of the classroom.
The students themselves were not a major factor in the early part of my work
sample planning. I was given a set of vocabulary words that I was suppose to cover,
resources (lab handouts, worksheets, videos on chemistry, etc) and a timeline (which
because of the sex education unit was constricted to March). I felt unprepared in the fact
that I was not a science major at Oregon State, so I spent a lot of the early planning stages
reviewing the material so I could be able to get a firm grasp on what I was teaching. As I
became more integrated into the classroom I started to think of ideas for lessons that
would utilize where my students were in their development. I knew that there needed to
109

be a portion of my lessons that were heavily hands on for the kinesthetic learners.
Physically my students could manipulate objects with mastery (messing with mixtures
lab) so any kind of activity or lab was not a physical stretch for anyone. Socially I tried to
create a lot of interactive partner activities or provide students with time to work alone or
with groups (element flash cards). The cognitive piece was focused primarily into my
mini lessons or lectures. I tried to use pictures as well as words in my note sets so that
students could choose either one to write down or use both. I also tried to have
demonstrations so that students had a visual to accompany their note set. The emotional
component came in lab group parings. I tried to give all of my classes equal chance to
choose their own groups but there were a few periods where student pairs could not
handle themselves in an appropriate manner and had to be changed.
This unit was different from my last because I had more freedom in my last
placement to create a complete unit. In this placement I was given the foundation and the
framework of a unit and asked to do all of the finishing work on it. I was fine with that,
but it was difficult at times to design lessons that actually had personal meaning to the
students. While this unit did not lend itself to be created specifically for my classes, it
was able to be modified significantly to meet the needs of my students.
Best Practices
The learning experience for my students was not the most exciting experience that
they have had but it was a different experience than they were used to. In this unit I
wanted my students to learn about the elements (which includes the periodic table and
compounds) and mixtures (including solutions) with a smaller emphasis on the phases of
matter and physical vs. chemical change. I tried to spend more time on topics that I felt
had more weight in the chemistry unit beginning with five days straight of learning about
the elements, the periodic table and element symbol recognition. I also tried to give as
many real life examples as I could but at times my content knowledge was limited and
hindered me from doing so.
When justifying my teaching strategies I would say that I used the tools that I had
available to me while being conservative in what I thought I could actually conduct. I’ve
110

learned all kinds of different strategies, ones that sound absolutely wonderful (the reading
and writing workshops, inquiry based learning, etc.), but I honestly did not feel as if those
were going to be realistic for me to implement with the tools available and the time frame
I had to implement my unit. I generally used a basic lecture style mini lesson, followed
by an activity, a demonstration, or both and generally ending with a point or synthesis
that tied it all together. I wanted students to be able to work with their friends, which was
also a side experiment to see who worked well together and also to learn from each other,
so I designed a lot of partner activities in the lessons. I also didn’t want to change the
whole format of the class. Mr. C generally teaches in a similar manner but integrates his
examples and demonstrations much more seamlessly into his lessons but of course he has
thirty years of teaching experience under his belt so it’s just second nature for him to do
so. I tried to emulate the way he taught the class to the extent that I was comfortable and
the students seemed to respond well to my mannerisms and teaching style.
Exceptional and Diverse Populations
When I came back to my old middle school as a teacher I felt very comfortable
with the students, including their ethnic diversity. To be completely honest, it felt like I
was in nearly the exact same kind of demographic makeup that I was in eleven years ago.
What was even stranger was that the same demographics seemed to sit in the same places
in the cafeteria that they did when I was a student. I’m not sure if this was a coincidence
but when I realized that it gave me a strange feeling but also made me chuckle. With so
many aspects of the school and the student body reflecting my own memories it was
somewhat difficult for me to see any diversity in the classroom. However there were
enough students who needed differentiation to give me experience with varying my
lessons or activities for specific students.
The first instance that comes to mind was a student who took a test and failed it.
She came back to retake the test after school one day and found that when it was quiet
and her peers were not around her that she preformed much better (around ten or eleven
points to be precise). When the next assessment came around she started to get visibly
111

anxious. As I passed out the scantron sheets I kneeled next to her and told her that she
could use the back office to test in. Her anxiety seemed to visibly melt away and from
that point on she began taking her tests in the back room. This is just a slight modification
but I had never experienced a student being so nervous to having such a sudden shift to
confidence. It was very satisfying as an educator.
Another poignant example in my mind was when a Spanish speaking student
came in after school to retake a quiz. On his first try he had only received 14 out of 35
points and wanted to raise his grade. After he completed his quiz a second time I
corrected his quiz with him, asking him specifically about the questions he’d missed.
When I would come to a missed question I would read him the question and see if his
answer was different than he had marked. On ten instances he had filled in the wrong
answer but when asked verbally gave the correct answer. Since his English language
skills are still developing I gave him the ten points he earned with verbal assistance. His
score was still in the D range but he had a high enough grade to not affect his grade
significantly. It blew my mind away how much more he knew that wasn’t expressed
because he couldn’t fully understand the questions. This experience makes me really
want to obtain an ELL endorsement once I become a full time teacher.
Other examples of differentiation came in small doses. Letting students have an
extension on a project or a test were common things that happened multiple times per
week. As long as students came to me directly and had legitimate reasoning for needing
a differentiation I did not say no. I wouldn’t want to hinder a students learning just
because they couldn’t fit the mold of the class.
In retrospect, being aware of my surrounding as a truly diverse place could have
been more beneficial to the students. Because my surroundings were so similar in so
many ways to when I was a student at this school I didn’t notice as many diversity issues
as I would have if I was in a different setting or even simply in a different building. Being
more aware of language barriers as well as students lives at home would be the things
that I would be areas that I could have focused more on and that I will have to adjust
before the next time I am in front of a classroom.
Within the Classroom
112

On the journey of becoming a teacher this practicum experience showed me the
chaos of a middle school classroom. Amidst this chaos I found myself confronted by
some cultural issues, however, they were issues that I have come across before. These
issues have come up in the past because of a language barrier. In my 4th
period class there
were a group of four Hispanic students who had limited English ability that I struggled
with. These students were all very bright and also well behaved so the problem wasn’t
with them, it lied in the fact that when it came to the fine details of the unit material
(counting atoms, describing phase change). I had to be honest with these students and
explain to them that I wasn’t able to fully meet their needs and they understood and
accepted that fact. To prove to them that I did value their input I would try to make a few
extra stops at their lab station or at their tables during activity time just to make sure they
fully comprehended the material. I also tried to utilize the Spanish speaking assistant that
came to 4th
period for the first half of class. I would meet with her after school if there
were issues with the students and we would meet with the students together to resolve
these quandaries. In general I tried to treat these students as normal students but when I
could see visible confusion it was difficult for me to not immediately help them.
Teaching Strategies
I found it fairly easy to incorporate literacy into my lessons. Unlike a grade school
classroom, 8th
grade students are beginning to prepare for high school and eventually
college and writing note sets is a part of that process. Lecture notes served as the best
example of literacy incorporation but there were more subtle examples as well. Whenever
the students would have a lab, I would give the students the lab handout, generally
consisting of a recap of the mini lesson on the topic that the lab was about. This recap
was just another way to synthesize the lesson’s information but it also served as a good
literacy tool. While not all of my lessons had literacy as a focused component, reading
and writing found their way into nearly all the pieces of my unit.
Connecting Theory to Practice
113

While I was teaching this practicum I had one theorist standing in the background
taking notes and a few more simply observing. The theorist that I relate to and tie my
own practice to is Vygotsky (theorist taking notes). His ideas on scaffolding just make
sense to me because they provide framework for students while giving them customized
assistance if they need it. I feel that since the beginning of my graduate studies I have
been bombarded with the ideas of individualized instruction and differentiating learning
for students. I feel like Vygotsky’s scaffolding theory is the easiest way to accomplish
these needs for differentiation and personal instruction. Throughout my unit I provided a
lot of visual examples with my lessons, took varied notes, and conducted labs that were
demonstrated prior to starting the activity. I tried to provide my students with clear
examples, modeling of concepts and gave personal assistance or accommodations to
students who needed them.
The other two theorists that I feel I drew from in this practicum were Dewey and
Kohler. I feel like these theorists are important but secondary in my thought process
when designing instruction or teaching a lesson. I really appreciate the concept of
Dewey’s group learning theory and I try to implement it into my instruction by creating
various projects that involved students working in groups. These groups were various
sizes and configurations but always consisted of students working towards a specific
goal. Dewey’s theory of how humans became rational because of group activity was
shown to me during the labs that I ran. Watching students getting stumped on a question
but then working together to find a solution was rewarding to watch and I was glad I
brought that aspect into my teaching. Kohler’s theory of insight learning was a lot easier
to implement into my instruction this practicum. With the 4th
grade students I taught,
presenting them with an advanced concept then trying to explain the smaller parts to them
was beyond their developmental ability. With my 8th
grade students, I was able to
introduce an advanced topic and have them postulate on what other aspects were
involved in the topics sphere of influence. From this point I was able to break down each
lesson topic and present the smaller parts that make up the whole. It was nice being able
to not have to start with foundational pieces every time then work up to a more advanced
concept.
114

When I reflect on who I am becoming as a teacher I still wonder how this idea is
going to change. I’m sure constant evolution is the key to becoming a great teacher and at
the moment I feel like I am evolving rapidly towards becoming a competent teacher. I
feel that my classroom management is becoming fine tuned and that students responded
to me well once I got my bearings. In the middle school setting my biggest setback was a
lack of content knowledge but with proper review and further studying that can be
eliminated. Not having to teach subjects that I’m not as interested in has been beneficial
as well. All in all I feel that my progression as an educator is steadily been improving and
that my comfort in the classroom is a byproduct of this. I look forward to seeing how I
change and become an even better teacher in the future.
Appendix
115

Period_____
the two.
homogeneous
116

Period________
element.
71) Hydrogen
72) Silver
73) Helium
74) Potassium
75) Aluminum
117

76) Sodium
77) Uranium
78) Copper
79) Tin
80) Lead
81) Fe
82) Ne
83) Fl
84) Li
85) S
86) C
87) Au
88) N
89) Rn
90) Mg
118

a) 2 b) 4 c) 3 d) 5 e) 1
a) 3 b) 2 c) 4 d) 0 e) 1
a) 1 b) 3 c) 4 d) 2 e) 0
a) 39 b) 45 c) 3 d) 22 e) 11
a) 2 b) 3 c) 5 d) 7 e) 2,010
a) 3 b) 2 c) 5 d) 1
a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 0
chemical change
100) When making a pitcher of Kool-Aide, Mr. Canaday uses 8 cups of water,
2 packs of tropical punch Kool-Aide, and 1 cup of sugar. In this solution what
ingredient would be considered the solvent?
101) When making a pitcher of Kool-Aide, Mr. Canaday uses 8 cups of water,
2 packs of tropical punch Kool-Aide, and 1 cup of sugar. In this solution what
ingredient would be considered the solute?
119

102) Mr. Canaday creates iron toys for his sons so they will have a hard time
breaking them. However, one toy gets left out in the rain and begins to rust. Is this
an example of a physical or a chemical change?
103) Mr. Gilbertson fills a cup up with ice but gets distracted by his new Xbox
and forgets to fill it with Mt. Dew. The ice melting in the cup would be an
example of a…
104) Water evaporating into the air would be an example of what change in the
phase of matter
105) Chemicals like iodine and dry ice (frozen CO2) turn directly from solid to
gas. This process is called
120

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