Patty Dianto-Ucciferri

Reflections of two exemplary teachers: 5th and 3rd grades

5th: STEM lesson: Designing and constructing a model of a lemonade stand
This lesson allowed students to conduct a business plan and a prototype for
their lemonade stand. Students worked independently to draw their plan for
how their stand should look and its size. They were able to use grid paper for
their sketch or regular drawing paper. The teacher stressed the importance
of using precise measurements to scale their design. Some students used 1
inch to equal a foot and others used centimeters. The teacher allowed for
mistakes when drawing their prototype and helped the students to see how
their scale may not be an adequate size once they used the titles on their
classroom floor for the actual size. The teacher incorporated the engineering
design process throughout this lesson. Even though I was unable to observe
this classroom daily, I was able to be a part of judging the prototypes the
students constructed. The winning prototype was used to build a real
lemonade stand with a parent volunteer. Later, students were able to make
lemonade for their stand. The students were able to see that their design in
its real world application.

3rd grade lesson: Testing various types of soil for water retention
Students were given a variety of soil samples to test for its ability to retain
water. Before testing the soil samples, students were able to use magnifying
glasses to observe each sample. Students recorded the name, texture, size,
and color of each type of soil. They were able to discuss observations and
prior learning (what they read in their science books) with their group. After
testing each type of soil, students recorded their data on a chart. The
teacher led a class discussion on their findings. Science vocabulary was
used by the teacher and students throughout the lesson. The teacher
referred to the standard during the closing of the lesson.