TCNJ Lesson Plan

Farms around the World

Student Name: Brittany Beris

School Name: Lawrenceville Elementary

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Host Teachers Name: Mr. Berry

Guiding Questions:
How do farms differ around the world?
How are farms similar around the world?
Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge:
Students will have prior knowledge on farms from New Jersey. They will know how they are
used to serve the community and what animals live on farms. The students will know what a
farmer does and how important the farmers work is. The students may have some
misconceptions on farms growing things besides vegetables and grains even if the farm is from
another part of the world.
Students also have background knowledge on Venn-Diagrams and how they are used to
categorize similarities and differences between two or more objects.
Standards:
K-ESS3-1: Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and
animals (including humans) and the places they live.
Learning Objectives and Assessments:
Learning Objectives

Students will identify similarities and

differences between the New Jersey farms we
have been studying and different farms from
around the world.

Materials:

Ipads

Assessment

Teacher will assess students identification of

similarities and differences between two farms
from different parts of the world.

Slide show of different parts of Scottish farms.

Slide show of different parts of a Japanese farm.
Slide show of different parts of an Indian farm.
Book: Carlos and the Giant Squash. By Jan Romero Stevens, illustrated by Jeanne
Arnold
Plan for distribution/cleanup of materials:
The students will not have any material they need to clean up.

Step by Step plan:

1. Lesson beginning- I will ask the students Has anyone ever traveled to another country
before? If so has anyone ever been to a farm in another country? Did it look/ do you think
farms in other countries look like the farms in New Jersey? I will ask the students a
series of questions to create an understanding of how they think farms around the world
look, or to know if they think there are farms all over the world.
2. Next I will open the book Carlos and the Giant Squash. I will explain to the students
that New Mexico was still a part of the United States, but is a very different area then the
one we live in. I will explain how the weather is different (much hotter), which creates
different types of soil/dirt (harder and dry), and that these influences effect the types of
crops the farmers can grow. I will explain to the class that this book is also helpful
because the words are written in Spanish and English. I will begin the book in English.
Once each page is done (in English) I will read a line in Spanish (that has to do with
farming). I will have the students repeat words such as squash, crops, farm, shovel, dirt,
and sun in Spanish. I chose these words because they are relevant to what the students are
learning about the New Mexican farm, and are words they know and can connect with.
Once the book is over I will ask the students if they think farms are used in more areas
then just New Jersey.
3. Next I will explain that the class will be broken up into three groups. Each group will
explore farms from different countries on ipads. I will ask the students to remind each
other of specific rules they have when it comes to handling the ipads. Once they share
their rules I will explain that there will be two people to one ipad within their groups. I
will call five students to the math table to discover Indian farms with me as their
supervisor. I have previously selected a group of students I know have been to India and
have a personal connection to this country. The next group will consist of six students
and they will be sent to the discovery table with Rachel as their supervisor. I have
previously selected this group knowing that two of the students have been to Japan, and
have a personal connection with this country. The final group of four students will be sent
to the reading table to look over farms from Scotland with Mr. Berry as their supervisor. I
chose Mr. Berry to specifically supervise this group because his family comes from
Scotland, and he has a deep connection with this country. I will have each ipad loaded
with the slide show ready for them to begin discovering similarities and differences
between the new farm they are looking at, and the New Jersey farm that we have been
going over with them the last two weeks.

4. I will let the students lead most of the discussion, having the teacher facilitate and be able
to answer questions the students may have. Once the students are done exploring the
pictures of their new country I will have the facilitating teacher pull out the VennDiagram worksheet I have created for this lesson. Each table will talk about similarities
and differences they see between their new farm (India, Japan, or Scotland) and compare
the pictures of those farms with the typical New Jersey farm they have been learning
about.
5. Closure- Once each group has finished their Venn-Diagram I will call the class back
together on the rug (facing the white board). I will hang each groups Venn-Diagram on
the board behind me and will ask the students what some of their favorite differences
they found in their new countries. I will make sure the student first tells the class what
country they reviewed before they share what they have learned. I will then do the same
for similarities between their new farms and the New Jersey farms. I will be able to
assess the students knowledge on New Jersey farms because I will not have any pictures
of New Jersey farms for the students to look at alongside the pictures of a farm from
another country.
Key Questions:

Has anyone ever been to another country

Has anyone ever been to a farm in another country?
Was it just like the farm youve been to in New Jersey?
Do you think farms are the same in different countries? Why?
Do you think farms are different in other countries? Why?
How are these farms similar?
How are these farms different?

Logistics:
Timing: 45 minutes.
Lesson beginning: 5 minutes
Carlos and the Giant Squash: 10 minutes
Slide show presentation: 12 minutes
Centers: 12 minutes
Closure: 6 minutes
Transitions:
The students will stay on the rug for the lesson beginning and the book reading. Once
these two activities are over the students will enter their center time where they are able
to fluidly move from center to center. The students are obligated to complete all three
centers but can walk to whichever they chose first, second, and third.
Classroom Management:

During the lesson beginning and the book reading I will have Miss. R sit with the
students to ensure they are listening and staying on task. If she is sitting with them they
are most likely not going to fool around as much.
During centers each center will consist of a small group of students. This will allow the
teacher at each center to focus on the students there and to make sure they are focused
and on task.
Differentiation
For students that have a hard time reading and writing I will supply them with many pictures and
group discussion about the different farms. I will also supply magnifying glasses for students that
will have a hard time finding similarities and differences in the pictures.
I made sure to choose countries that many of the students have been to, have family in, and have
a personal connection to. I think this will allow the students to truly connect to the lesson and be
interested in the new information they are learning. I also chose a country that my cooperating
teacher connects with which I felt would benefit the students as he was reviewing the country
with them because he is very passionate about where he comes from.

TCNJ Lesson Plan

Making Ice Cream

Student Name: Brittany Beris

School Name: Lawrenceville Elementary

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Host Teachers Name: Mr. Berry

Guiding Questions:
What types of food comes from cows?
How can we graph data of our favorite ice-cream flavors?

Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge:

The students will have prior knowledge on what different farm animals can provide for
the community. They will have knowledge on pigs, chickens, sheep and most importantly for
this lesson, cows.

Standards:
CCSS.Math.Content.1.MD.C.4: Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three
categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each
category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.
K-ESS3-1: Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and
animals (including humans) and the places they live.

Learning Objectives and Assessments:

Learning Objectives

Students will categorize which ice cream flavor

they prefer onto a graph.

Assessment

Teacher will assess students categorization as

they place the post-it under the correct flavor
they choose

Students will interpret data and be able to

compare data.

Teacher will assess students ability to

compare data for correct comparison.

Students will experiment with a resource that is

taken from cows to make create a new edible
product.

Teacher will assess students experiments for

the creation of a new edible product.

Materials:

Chart paper
Post-it notes (three different colors)
Milk
Vanilla essence
Ice cubes
Rock salt
Medium zip-lock bags
Large zip-lock bags
Paper towels
Chocolate syrup
Strawberry syrup
Sprinkles
Plastic spoons
Hand wipes
Lets find out about Ice Cream by Mary Ebeltoft Reid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-7s7WrTX7k- youtube BBC channel on how icecream is made
Plan for distribution/cleanup of materials:
The students will have their bags of ice cream prepared for them. The only thing they will
add themselves is the ice cubes. They will then throw away the bags when they are done
with the experiment into one of the two trashcans located around the room.

Step by Step plan:

1. Lesson beginning- I will begin the lesson by asking the students who here likes icecream? I have previous knowledge that all the students like ice-cream from my first day
at Lawrenceville Elementary and creating our all about me people. I will then ask the
class if they know where ice-cream comes from. Once I hear the students responses I
will tell them we are going to watch a video on how ice-cream is made!
2. The students will watch a 5 minute video created by BBC prime of how ice cream is
made. Once the video is over I will ask the students if they have any questions about what

they saw. ** This was what was planned- the day of the lesson the cooperating teacher
lent his computer to another teacher so I was unable to play the video.
a. I will read the students the book, Lets find out about Ice Cream by Mary
Ebeltoft Reid. Throughout the book I will ask the students questions and make
connections between what they know about farms and new information the
book will teach them. The book introduces technology, and different
vocabulary words that the students will learn in the process of making icecream.
3. After the video/book reading I will make the connection that ice-creams main ingredient
comes from what animal? They will answer cows! This will ensure me that the students
understand that the cows milk can be made and used in other products
4. Next I will ask the students Out of the flavors chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, who
likes chocolate the most? Who likes strawberry? Who likes vanilla? For the students
who raise their hands for chocolate I will hand them a blue post-it, for the students that
raise their hands for strawberry I will hand them a pink post-it. For the students who raise
their hands for vanilla I will hand them a green post-it. I will have a graph drawn on
poster paper of the three flavors of ice cream and will call the students up one by one to
place their post-it over the correct flavor of ice-cream. Once they are finished, they will
see that they have made a bar graph of the three flavors of ice-cream.
5. I will then ask the students How many people like chocolate? How many people like
Vanilla? How many people like Strawberry? How many more people like chocolate
compared to strawberry? (assuming chocolate will have the most votes) How many
people voted all together?
6. Next I will send the students that all this talk about ice-cream makes me really want to eat
some ice-cream. Who else would like some ice-cream right now? After the kids respond I
will send them back to their seats and tell them that they have to put their extra strong
listening ears on in order to complete our next activity. I will then show the students how
we are going to make our own ice-cream (differently than the video) in our own seats!
7. Place the cream, sugar and vanilla into the medium-sized Ziploc bag and combine the
ingredients. Be sure to zip up the bag securely first
8. Place the ice into the larger Ziploc bag.
9. Spoon the salt over the top of the ice in the larger Ziploc bag.
10. Place the medium bag containing the cream mixture inside the larger bag on top of the ice
and salt and zip up the bag securely.
11. Shake and massage the bag for five to 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes the
consistency of ice cream.
12. The bag will be wrapped in paper towel while the students are shaking as it can get quite
cold!
13. The students will have the medium bag mixture prepared for them. I will have the
students scoop ice out of a container that I will place in the middle of their table. The
teacher monitoring each table will add the salt and make sure their bags are zipped shut. I
will add chocolate syrup and strawberry syrup to the students who chose those flavors at
the start of the lesson.

14. The students will shake their bags until the ice-cream forms. They will call a teacher over
to show them their finished products. The teacher will then sprinkle some sprinkles over
the students finished product.
15. Closure- The students will enjoy their ice-cream while the teacher repeats one more time
how ice-cream comes from cows who live on farms- reinforcing that farms are a great
help to the community.

Key Questions:

Who likes ice-cream?

How many people voted for chocolate?
How many people voted for Vanilla?
How many people voted for Strawberry?
How many more people voted for chocolate compared to strawberry? (assuming
chocolate will have the most votes)
How many people voted all together?
Where does the milk come from to make ice cream?

Logistics:
Timing: 50 minutes
Lesson beginning: 2 minutes
Video: 5 minutes
Graphing data: 10 minutes
Answering math questions: 3 minutes
Demonstration of ice-cream: 5 minutes
Directions for students: 2 minutes
Experiment: 19 minutes
Closure: 2 minutes
Transitions:
The students will be on the rug for the beginning of the lesson through the answering of
the math questions. Once that is over I will send the students back to their desks in order
for them to have a good view of me while I mix the ingredients together to make icecream. The students will stay at their tables while making their own ice-cream and eating
it.
Classroom Management:
Throughout the first half of the lesson I will be talking to the students as a whole. I will
have a good view of them, and will relocate students if they cannot handle the person
they are sitting next to, or I can give them a seat in the back on a chair.
During the ice-cream making the students will be sitting at the tables with a teacher at
each table to ensure the students are safely preforming the experiment.

Differentiation:
For students who have a hard time paying attention I may have Miss. R sit with the students in
the back to make sure they are paying attention for the first half of the lesson. If the students are
having trouble placing the ice in the bag, there are teachers who can help assist each student
through the experiment.

TCNJ Lesson Plan

Comparing Squash!

Student Name: Brittany Beris

School Name: Lawrenceville Elementary

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Host Teachers Name: Mr. Berry

Guiding Questions:
What are similarities and differences between butternut squash, spaghetti squash and an acorn
squash?
How can the students use a triple Venn-Diagram in order to highlight similarities and differences
between three different types of squash?

Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge:

The students have prior knowledge on how to use a Venn-Diagram comparing two different
objects. They might have misconceptions in thinking Venn-Diagrams are only used for
comparing two different items.

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.K.9
With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts
on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.1.a
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking
about the topics and texts under discussion).
Learning Objectives and Assessments:
Learning Objectives

Assessment

Student will identify similarities and differences Teacher will assess students identification of
between three different types of squash.
the similarities and differences between three
different types of squash through filling out a 3

circled Venn-Diagram.

Materials:
-

http://teachbesideme.com/autumn-science-comparing-squash/ - Lesson on comparing

squash.
Mrs. Mcnosh and the Great Big Squash, by Sarah Weeks
Butternut squash cut in half
Spaghetti squash cut in half
Acorn squash cut in half
Spoon
Tray
Plates
Napkins
Hand wipes

Plan for distribution/cleanup of materials:

The students will be entering my center fluidly throughout their center time. I will have
the material set up for the students and will have the last group help me clean up once center
time is over.

Step by Step plan:

16. Lesson beginning- I will begin the lesson by asking the kids if they can name any
vegetables that grow in the fall. Once the students list some vegetables I will ask (if they
havent listed it already) if they have ever seen or eaten squash before. I will ask the
students if they know how many different types of squash there are before I present the
butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash. I will tell the students we are going to compare
these three squash (each one will be cut in half) and I will ask them how we can do that.
In hopes that the students will say a Venn-Diagram I will then tell the students we are
going to explore the three squash in order to compare their similarities and differences.
17. I will place the three pieces of squash in front of the students and ask them to describe the
first one for me. I will tell the students to use their senses in order to get a good feel for
the vegetable in front of them. We will start with the butternut squash, go to the spaghetti
squash and end with the acorn squash. For each piece of squash I will ask the students
questions about the squash to correlate them with their senses. The questions will be as
followed: What does the squash feel like? (inside and outside) What does the squash look

like? (inside and outside) What does the squash smell like? If anyone has tasted squash
what does it taste like?
18. Next I will allow the students to feel the inside of the squash so they can compare not
only the outside of the squash but the inside as well. I will let the students squish the
middle and examine the seeds to see if all three squash have a similar or different middle.
19. Once the students hands are cleaned with the paper towels and hand wipes I will provide
them, we will begin to fill out our Venn-Diagram. I will ask the students to give me all
the similarities of the three squash first and then move to the differences. Each circle will
be labeled and a picture of the squash will be next to the circle so the students know
which squash we are talking about at all times.
20. Once we have gone over the Venn-Diagram I will re-ask the students what a VennDiagram is and what it is used for. I will ask the students if they can think of two other
things with a Venn-Diagram to compare. This will ensure me that the students have true
understanding of what a Venn-Diagram does.
21. Closure- To wrap my lesson up I will gather all the students after center is complete and
each student partook in the Venn-Diagram lesson and read them a fun book called, Mrs.
Mcnosh and the Great Big Squash, by Sarah Weeks.

Key Questions:
1. What does the squash feel like? (inside and outside)
2. What does the squash look like? (inside and outside)
3. What does the squash smell like?
4. If anyone has tasted squash what does it taste like?
5. What are their similarities?
6. What are their differences?
7. What is a Venn-Diagram?
8. What is a Venn-Diagram used for?

Logistics:
Timing: 15 minutes
Lesson Beginning: 1 minutes
Explanation: 1
Discovery: 7
Venn-Diagram: 6

Closure: (for all students once they have all completed the center) 12 minutes
.
Transitions:
The students will be fluidly moving from center to center. During my lesson the students
will be sitting at the discovery table for the entirety of the lesson.
Classroom Management:
I will have three to four students at a time at my center. I feel that I can manage the
students well since there are going to be a small group.
Differentiation
I will have the students scoop out the insides of the squash and have them feel the inside
to highlight students that work better using their sensory skills.
I will also use pictures next to the labeled squash so the students who cannot read will
know which of the three circles belongs to what squash.

TCNJ Lesson Plan

Birthdays!

Student Name: Brittany Beris

Grade Level: Kindergarten

School Name: Lawrenceville Elementary

Host Teachers Name: Mr. Berry

Guiding Questions:
1. What makes shapes similar and different?
2. Can we connect a shape to an object we see in the classroom or at home?

Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge (ex. background knowledge,

possible misconceptions, prior lesson content)
The students will have prior knowledge of basic shapes based on previous lessons they have had
in the classroom. I will reinforce the idea that most shapes have sides and a corners but not all
shapes need sides and corners to be considered a shape (circle). The students may have
misconceptions on non-basic shapes that they are not used to seeing (semi-circle or a heart).

Standards:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.5
Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and
drawing shapes.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.3
Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.

Learning Objectives and Assessments:

Learning Objectives

Assessment

Students will be able to identify shapes based

on their corners and sides, or lack thereof.

The teacher will assess students identification

by having them connect dots to create a shape
on paper.

Students will be able to recognize shapes in

their environment.

Teacher will assess students identification of

the real life shape on their worksheet.

Materials: (List all, include any online or book references)

1. Large shape cut outs to hang on the board with rip away strip to reveal the name of the
shape.
2. The Secret Birthday Message, By Eric Carle
3. Connect the dots shapes sheet
4. Markers
5. Scissors
6. http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts//1239.html
7. http://www.bigactivities.com/ctd/shapes/
8. www.coloringcastle.com/connect_the_dots_shapes.html
Plan for distribution/cleanup of materials:
The students will be at their tables when I hand out the connect the dots shapes sheets. The
students have baskets of markers, scissors and crayons at their table that they will use to
complete their work sheets. Once they are finished with their worksheets they will throw their
scraps away in the trashcans located all over the room.

Step by Step plan (numbered):

22. Lesson beginning- I will begin by calling the whole class over to sit on scatter position
on the rug. I will introduce birthdays and tell the student it is my birthday. I will ask the
students exciting questions about their birthdays and why their birthdays are so special.
Does anyone know why today is so special for me?
What is a birthday?
What do you do to celebrate your birthdays?
(Make sure I positively highlight the similarities and differences between birthday traditions)
These questions will allow the students to become engaged in conversation about birthdays.
They will be excited to share their birthday stories with the class and the teacher. For those
students that I do not get to call on, I will make an extra effort to talk to them about their
birthdays when they are doing their worksheets.
23. Next I will introduce the book The Secret Birthday Message, By Eric Carle.
24. I will read the book out loud to the class asking them questions throughout the book.

25. Next I will hold up each of the shapes that were used in the secret birthday message and
go over them with the students. I will ask the students to categorize the shapes by sides,
corners, and similar characteristics that certain shapes have. On the white board I will use
a Venn Diagram to cluster the shapes together based on how the students tell me to
(giving a reason as to why two or three shapes should be clustered together)
Lets start with these shapes (point to those that have all sides and corners). We can put
all of the shapes with sides and corners together because they all have two characteristics
in common. (sides and corners) *go over the word characteristics if need be
-why does a square and triangle belong in the same category?
-why did we place a triangle in this category?
Now we can place all the shapes that have no sides or corners in their own cluster
because they have different characteristics then shapes with sides and corners. What is
different about circles and ovals? (Curves)
Finally we can look at shapes that share sides and curves. (Hearts and semi-circles).
-why do we put them in the middle of the Venn Diagram? (because they have both
characteristics of sides, corners, and curves)

26. Next I will show the students an example of the worksheet I want them to create. I will
show how they need to connect the numbered dots in order to create a shape. Once they
are done creating three shapes (by connecting the dots) I will have the students color in
their shapes with the birthday theme.
Now that we know what types of shapes have sides, corners, and curves, I want you all
to help me create decorations for my birthday! Can anyone see what this is a picture of? I
cannot tell what it is! I need your help to discover what shapes are on the pictures by
connecting the numbered dots together! Has anyone ever made a connect the dot drawing
before? How do you connect the dots? What clues are on the paper to help uncover the
picture? (numbered dots) Once you have connected two different shapes I want you to
create a picture of something you see at a birthday party using the shape you uncovered.
GEOBOARDS?
27. Once the students hear the instructions I will send them to their tables and help assist
them in connecting the dots and creating birthday themed pictures.
28. Closure- I will have the some students share their pictures (at their tables) and the shape
they made while connecting the dots.

Key Questions (that you will ask):

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

How would they feel if they received a secret birthday message?

How are shapes the same?
How are shapes different?
Can we divide shapes into categories?
Why did we place these shapes in the same category?
What shapes did we see in The Secret Birthday Message?
Where can we find these kinds of shapes at a birthday party?

Logistics:
Timing: 30/35 minutes total
Introduction: 2 minutes
Read aloud: 8 minutes
Sharing shapes- 8 minutes
Directions for worksheet- 1 minute
Worksheets- 10 minutes
Closure- 3 minutes
.
Transitions:
The students will begin the lesson on the rug. Once I am finished reading the book to the
class, the students will stay on the rug for the first half of the lesson. Once we are done going
over shapes I will give the students directions on how to complete their worksheets. After the
directions are finished, I will direct the students to find a seat at one of the four tables in the
room so they can work on their worksheets.

Classroom Management:
I will manage the class from the front of the room while reading the book. The students
will be seated on the rug while I read to them from the rocking chair. I will ask the students
questions throughout the reading to ensure they are staying focused on the reading. Once the
reading is finished and the students begin working on their worksheets, I will walk around to
each table (as well as Rachel) making sure the students are staying on task and helping them if
they need.
Differentiation

Shapes

Sides

Corners

I
will create
different
sets of
shape
worksheets
to create a
challenge
for the
students
who find
the first
couple of
connect the
dot shapes
easy. For
the students
that finish
early I will
have them
create their
own
connect the dots shape that they can have another classmate complete. I will also challenge the
students to color in their shapes to fit the birthday theme of the lesson. I would like the students
to think outside the box and create an object they might have seen or had at one of their previous
birthdays.