Bdicks Finaltws

Running head: TWS 1
Beth Dicks
April 22, 2014
Kipling Wilson, High School, Collier County
ESE
Florida Gulf Coast University, EDG 4930

TWS 2
Table of Contents

Section 1: Contextual Factors 3
Section 2: Topic and Learning Objectives 13
Section 3: Assessment Plan 16
Section 4 A: Design for Instruction: 8esults of Pre-Assessment and Unit Plan 26
Section 4 B: Activities 34
Section 5: Instruction Decision Making 49
Section 6: Analysis of Impact on Student Learning 51
Section 7: Reflection and Self-Evaluation 60
References 64

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Section 1: Contextual Factors
Community:
For my final semester of student teaching, I am at Naples High School which is located in Naples,
FL. Naples has a population of 20,115 individuals with a median household income of $68,595. This
household income is significantly higher than the median income of the state of Florida which is
$44,299. The predominant race for Naples residents is white with 89.9% of the total population. The
second most prevalent race in Naples is Hispanic individuals with 4.5% of the total population. The crime
rate in Naples is 170.3, which is significantly lower than the national crime rate of 307.5 (City-data.com,
2013).
Naples also provides many parks and recreation opportunities. On Saturdays, Naples has an
open air farmers market. Naples hosts periodic family, art, and music events at local parks, such as an
outdoor family movie night at Cambier Park and chalk art on Fifth Avenue. Naples provides free beach
access to residents at the Naples Pier and local beaches. The Golisano Childrens Museum of Naples has
geocaching and camps for children. In addition, Naples has a zoo that offers free admission for local
residents on the first Saturday of every month (Naplesgov.com, 2014). There are 7 public libraries in
Naples, all of which host free educational programs for children and teens (Collier-lib.org, 2014).
In addition, Naples is part of Collier County which includes the cities of Naples, Marco Island,
and Everglades City. Collier County also has unincorporated areas that include: Ave Maria and
Immokalee. Some areas in Collier County, such as Immokalee and Everglades City, stand in contrast to
the community of Naples. For instance, Immokalees median household income is significantly lower
than Naples with $19,895 and the population is predominately Hispanic. In addition, Everglades City has
a population of 403 people and one school which is K-12 (Colliergov.net, 2014).
School District:
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The Collier County school district is ranked 33
rd
out of 67, within the whole of Florida, and
received a grade of a B. Collier County dropped one letter grade from an A in 2012 (Florida Department
of Education, 2014). The districts mission statement is: By providing exceptional educational
opportunities that motivate and engage each student, all students will complete school prepared for
ongoing learning as well as community and global responsibilities. (Collierschools.com, 2014) The
graduation rate for Collier County is 81% which is higher than the statewide rate of 76%. Collier County
has 48 schools which serve 44,941 students. Of these students, 60% are qualified for free or reduced
lunch. Collier Countys students nationalities are 47% Hispanic, 37% white, 12% black, 2% mixed, 1%
Asian, 1% Indian, and 0% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
The district has initiatives that support both teachers and students. These initiatives include: the
principal for a day program, adopt a school program, and the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program.
The principal for a day and adopt a school programs help to integrate the community into the school
system with the hopes that the community will support the school system with volunteer hours and
donations. The BYOD program is designed to integrate technology in the classroom, and it gives students
the opportunity to use their smart phones or tablets during instructional time.
The county employs nearly 3,200 teachers with the base salary schedule at $40,400 and top
salary schedule at $66,800. The community provides perks to Collier County teachers in the form of
discounts at local businesses (Collierschools.com, 2014). The county adheres to the Florida Department
of Educations Coordinated System for Professional Development which states that all counties must
provide opportunities for professional development including but not limited to in-services (Florida
Department of Education, 2014).

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School Information:
Naples High School (NHS) is located in zone 5 within the Collier County school district. This high
school is one of 5 high schools that serve the population of Naples. The preliminary 2013 school grade
for NHS is an A, which has increased from a B from 2012 (Florida Department of Education, 2014).
Naples High Schools mission statement is: is to provide a secure environment in which all students
can learn and achieve. The foundation of our school is excellence and our collective goal is to see the
potential of every student realized. All means all is the collective belief and vision of our school staff.
Our desired state is to continually re-evaluate through an ongoing cycle of improvement to identify
needs among our students and staff. (nhs.collierschools.com, 2014)
Of NHSs 1,667 students, 61% are on free or reduced lunch. The students nationalities are 59%
White, 8% Black, 29% Hispanic, 1.44% Asian, 2% Multiracial, 0.66% Indian, and 0.24% Hawaiian/Pacific
Islander, these demographics make NHS the most culturally diverse high school in the county. The
school has 193 ESE students, 8 inclusion teachers, and 5 self-contained classrooms: 3 autism, 1 Modified
Curriculum 2 (MC2), and 1 Modified Curriculum 3 (MC3). The MC2 and MC3 ESE students from the
Barren Collier school zone are sent to Naples High School. Of the total student population, 29.82% speak
a language other than English at home and 4.74% are considered LEP.
NHS offers many extracurricular activities for its students including: sports, JROTC, dance,
philosophy, gardening and many more. In addition, NHS has 16 AP courses available and 9 AICE courses
available. Of the 86 teachers employed at NHS, 63% hold advanced degrees (nhs.collierschools.com,
2014).
Classroom Factors:
The class that I am interning in is an inclusion Earth Science class, with 6 instructional periods a
day. My cooperating teacher co-teaches. One teacher is ESE certified and the other is certified in the
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content area. All of the students are in 9
th
grade. The classroom is large and has an area for individual
student desks and 3 lab tables. The classroom has an overhead projector and a white board. There are 2
computers in the classroom that are used primarily by the teachers for clerical work. The classroom does
not have any windows. The students are expected to bring paper and a pencil to class with them every
day and when they walk into the classroom they are expected to begin the bell work that is on the
projector. The textbooks for the class are provided as needed by the teachers.
The students primarily complete small group station work where one group works with a
teacher, a second group works with the second teacher, and the third group completes independent
work. The groups rotate to each station before the end of the period. Every Friday, the students learn
about A2D (Attention to Details). These lessons are designed to support the ESE and ESOL students with
managing classwork, following directions, and using their background knowledge to solve practical
problems. In addition, the first 20 minutes of class on Fridays are dedicated to D.E.A.R (Drop Everything
and Read). This encourages the students to incorporate literacy into their daily lives, thus increasing
their reading comprehension which helps in all aspects of school.
Student Characteristics:
All of the students are placed in the Earth Science class because they scored a 3 or below in their
8th grade FCAT scores (Reading, Math, and/or Science). The class sizes are high. The smallest class size is
27 students and the largest class size is 35 students. In one day, I see 182 students. Of these students,
61% have an exceptionality (ESE, ELL, and/or 504 plan).
The class that I am collecting data on for the unit is the 2
nd
period class. These students typically
have positive attitudes and they seem to have developed meaningful relationships with their classmates
and their two classroom teachers. After prompting, most students are able to explain their knowledge
about the topic being studied. However, these students have a difficult time engaging in lessons,
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especially independent practice. In addition, these students are overstimulated when given activities
that require movement or self-regulating behavior. All of the students who have IEPs in this class are
expected to be self-advocates. This means that the teacher does not make accommodations (primarily,
extended test time and extended assignments) for the student unless the student asks for an
accommodation. The expectation is for the students to learn independent functioning skills that will
benefit them once they graduate.
Contextual Factors Chart:
Student IEP Goals ESE/ELL/
504
FCAT:
Reading
FCAT:
Math
FCAT:
Science
Gender Attitude/Motivation/L
earning
Styles/Interests
001 Goals
associated
with Speech
and
Language
therapy and
maintained
by Speech
and
Language
pathologist
Language
Impaired
2 1 2 M Student athlete would
like to become a
professional athlete
(Must maintain 2.0
GPA), excels during
group work as a
leader
002 ELL - LZ 2 2 2 F Is most comfortable
while completing
individual activities, is
extremely motivated
to succeed, enjoys
soccer, volleyball and
reading
003 Social
Emotional:
Student will
choose
effective
social
strategies
during
decisions
and
interactions

Independen
t
functioning:
Specific
Learning
Disabled
2 2 1 M One-on-one
instruction helps this
student to retain
information and focus,
is athletic and a
kinesthetic learner
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no more
than 2
missing
assignments
per quarter
004 2 1 2 M Enjoys this class,
athletic and on sports
team, is engaged
during in class
discussions
005 3 2 2 F Very social and
energetic, enjoys
singing, friendly and
helpful, finishes her
work faster than her
peers
006 Independen
t
Functioning:
Attain a
standard
diploma and
maintain a
2.75 GPA 4
out of 4
quarters
Other
Health
Impaired
3 2 2 M Loves science and
dislikes math, enjoys
writing for fun,
benefits most from
visual instruction,
needs prompting to
maintain appropriate
behavior in social
situations
007 2 1 1 M Is the most successful
during one-on-one
instruction, must
maintain a 2.0 GPA for
sports
008 504
ELL - LZ
1 2 2 F Enjoys independent
work the most, seems
to be introverted and
introspective, loves to
sing and her favorite
subject is Science
009 2 1 1 M Is a natural leader
during group work,
always gives his work
100% effort,
kinesthetic learner
010 2 2 2 F Enjoys math and
Spanish classes,
struggles while taking
traditional tests, very
social and engaged in
the school community
011 Independen
t
functioning:
Attain a
Specific
Learning
Disabled
3 3 2 M Always participates in
classroom discussions,
audio learner, athletic,
motivated to succeed
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standard
diploma and
maintain a
2.8 GPA 4
out of 4
quarters
in school, has
improved GPA by 0.5
toward meeting IEP
goal
012 ELL- LZ 3 2 1 M Enjoys math, likes to
joke around with his
peers, strong
interpersonal
intelligences, good at
multi-tasking
013 2 1 2 M Needs motivation to
complete work in
class, enjoys watching
and playing football
014 2 1 2 M Struggles with
traditional testing and
needs longer time to
complete work, is an
effective self-
advocate, plays soccer
and is a visual learner
015 2 3 1 M Needs extra help
while being given
directions for tasks,
visual learner,
extremely motivated
to succeed, plays
soccer
016 ELL - LZ 2 3 2 M Prefers to work in
groups, consistently
on task
017 2 2 2 F Needs extra time to
complete work, is not
motivated to
complete school work,
enjoys watching TV
018 ELL- LZ 2 2 2 F Slow and steady with
classwork, works
within her means and
is consistently
motivated, positive
attitude visual learner
019 Goals
associated
with Speech
and
Language
therapy and
maintained
by Speech
Language
Impaired
2 5 5 M Very smart with vast
capabilities, immature
behavior (shouting
out, sarcastic
comments, combative
behavior etc) which
negatively effects his
focus and social
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and
Language
pathologist
interactions, enjoys
playing video games
and loves to eat tacos
020 2 1 2 F Visual Learner,
Responds well to 1 on
1 instructions, enjoys
History and Science
classes, athletic, needs
motivation to
complete work and
constant prompting
021 4 1 2 M A new student, seems
to have issues
processing oral
instruction and
directions, stated that
his favorite thing to do
is sleep
022 ELL - LZ 2 3 2 F Meticulous with
classwork, does not
have issues with
specific activities,
flexible, enjoys
reading
023 2 2 1 F Social Studies is
favorite subject, work
ethics depends on
grouping, becomes
distracted when
working in a group
with certain peers or
working next to
certain peers
024 ELL - LZ 2 3 3 M Is a slow worker but
gives his work his full
concentration and
effort, prefers visual
aids in class, favorite
subject is Science
025 Independen
t
functioning
and
Reading:
use reading
strategies to
maintain a
2.5 GPA in
order to
attain a
standard
diploma
Specific
Learning
Disabled
1 1 1 F Is frequently absent
which makes it
difficult to assess her
knowledge and
learning styles, would
like to learn more
about her home life
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026 2 2 2 F Very organized,
involved in the school
community with
cheerleading and
volleyball, flexible,
motivated with strong
interpersonal
intelligences

Instructional Implications:
While I am teaching this unit, I will need to ensure that I am meeting the needs of all of my
students. Naples High School has a high percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. I
need to be cognizant of this while I am assigning work for my students. I need to understand the
socioeconomic needs of my students and ensure that I have supplies for any activities that need to be
completed at home or in class. This will guarantee that I am not isolating students who cannot afford
school supplies.
Student 025 is frequently absent. First, I need to gather more information about this student
and why she is frequently absent. Then, I need to devise a plan with my cooperating teachers, and other
appropriate school staff if needed, to help support her with academics and to help her with any social or
emotional problems she may be having.
Students 014 and 010 have difficulty with traditional testing. I will support these students by
incorporating alternative assessments into the unit and unit test. Students 003, 007 and 020 benefit the
most from 1 on 1 instruction. While the class is completing individual work, I will spend about 5 minutes
with each of these students 1 on 1 to work on their individual needs, based on the lesson. Students 017,
018, and 024 tend to work slower than their peers on assignments. I will provide these students with
additional time either during lunch, their study hall or after school to complete their work. I will
encourage them to take their time and not to feel rushed because of the pace that their peers are
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working at in class. In contrast, student 005 frequently finishes her work early. I will provide additional
activities for this student, and others who finish early, to complete to help them gain additional
knowledge and practice.
About half of the students are athletic, on a sports teams and/or kinesthetic learners. I will
integrate kinesthetic activities for these students such as creating a skit where the students act out
weather patterns. The students who are ESOL, ESE and visual learners (001, 002, 003, 008, 006, 011,
012, 015, 018, 019, 020, 021, 022, 024, and 025) will benefit from visual aids in class. I will write
directions on the whiteboard in addition to saying them, I will provide pictures to accompany certain
vocabulary words and I will provide pictures and/or videos of the geologic processes we will be
discussing. In addition, I will include a graph analysis component in the unit test to honor these students
who are visual learners. Students 009, 012, and 026 have strong leadership and interpersonal skills. I will
give these students mentoring and leadership roles while completing station work or group work. Most
of the students enjoy completing group work, so I will integrate that into the unit. But, students 008 and
002 are the most comfortable completing individual work so I will also have one or two individual
activities for the unit.
Students 002 and 019 have trouble controlling their behavior while in class, so I will give them
verbal prompts to remind them of the behavior that is expected of them and I will give them specific
praise when they are engaging in positive interactions in the classroom. These reminders will help them
to focus on the lessons and therefore succeed academically. Finally, I will create multi-disciplinary
lessons to help contextualize the information. Specifically, I will integrate Mathematics and Social
Studies for students 010, 012, 020, and 023 who have indicated that they enjoy learning about these
topics.

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Section 2: Topic and Learning Objectives
Description of the Content:
The overall topic of this unit is a Florida close-up in relation to Earth Science. During the unit,
the students will be learning about Floridas place in the atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere.
Specifically, students will be learning about the rainfall and climate of Florida and how it is impacted by
Floridas two climate zones and El Nio and La Nia. The students will be learning how to analyze rainfall
data throughout Florida and determine why there are variations in precipitation throughout the state.
Also, students will be learning about Floridas geologic history from the Precambrian era to recent times.
The students will be expected to be able to make connections between the physical make-up of Florida
now and the events in history that caused these physical features. Finally, students will be learning
about how the Florida Keys were formed and about the local coral reefs. The students will be expected
to identify the ecological purpose for the coral reefs and to discuss the effects that pollution has on the
coral reefs. The purpose of this unit is for the students to apply information that they have already
learned in this course to their local environment. The length of this unit will be one week, 5 school days.
List of Sunshine State Standards:
SC.912.E.6.2 Connect surface features to surface processes that are responsible for their formation
SC.912.E.6.4 Analyze how specific geologic processes and features are expressed in Florida and
elsewhere
SC.912.E.7.4 Summarize the conditions that contribute to the climate of a geographical area, including
the relationships to lakes and oceans
Unit Learning Objectives:
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Given 3 fill in the blank questions and 1 true/false question, students will identify surface features and
processes in Florida with 3/4 accuracy
Given 4 true/false questions, students will evaluate whether the geologic processes and features are
expressed in Florida or elsewhere with 3/4 accuracy
Given 2 fill in the blank questions, students will identify climate conditions present in Florida with 2/2
accuracy
Given 2 short answer questions and 1 graphing question, students will analyze the cause and effect of
Floridas climate on its average precipitation with 3/3 accuracy
Describe the Types and Levels of the Learning Objectives:
Two of my four learning objectives require students to identify information. These learning
objectives are addressing the lowest level of Blooms Taxonomy which is the knowledge level. The third
objective requires students to evaluate whether information provided is true or false. This learning
objective addresses a higher level of Blooms Taxonomy: Evaluation. Finally, the fourth objective
requires students to analyze data and to draw appropriate conclusions based on the data. This objective
addresses the analyzing level of Blooms Taxonomy which is a higher level.
Discuss why the Leaning Objectives are Appropriate:
This unit is important for the students for two main reasons. First, the students are applying
their prior knowledge to a new context which will help to deepen their understanding of the content.
Second, this unit is about Florida. This will help to contextualize the information that they are applying
and make it relevant to their lives as Floridians. The learning objectives are going to meet the students
needs. The students that are in this class are having difficulty academically and 60% of them have an
exceptionality. This is why 2 of the 4 objectives are at the lowest level of Blooms Taxonomy. The
TWS 15
students need to be able to demonstrate basic knowledge and terminology associated with this unit.
This type of information will be heavily emphasized during the unit to ensure that the students have
mastered the basics. The third and fourth objectives which require the students to evaluate and analyze
information are measuring the depth of the students knowledge. The skills required in these objectives
will be explicitly taught during the lesson. I will model how to complete these questions.

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Section 3: Assessment Plan

Introductory Paragraph:
I am teaching in a 9th grade inclusion Earth Science classroom. I teach 6 periods a day and a
total of 182 students. Of the 182 students, 60% have an exceptionality (ESE, ELL or 504 plan). I am
specifically collecting data on the second period class which has 27 students: 6 ESE, 7 ESOL, and 1 504
plan. All of the students were placed in the class because they received a 3 or below on their 8th grade
FCAT. The unit that I will be teaching is about Floridas place within the context of Earth Science. This
unit will require the students to apply knowledge that they have learned earlier in the school year to the
context of Florida. The unit will specifically address climate, weather, geologic processes and features in
Florida and the Florida Keys.
Overview of Assessment Plan:
Learning Objective Assessments Format of Assessment Adaptations
Given 3 fill in the blank
questions and 1
true/false question,
students will identify
surface features and
processes in Florida
with 3/4 accuracy
Pre- Assessment

Formative Assessment

1. Unit Test: Questions
1, 2, 4 and 7

1. Bell work activity:
Metacognition -
students will reflect on
their knowledge as the
unit is ending. The
students will write 1
paragraph explaining
their strengths and
weaknesses.

compare and contrast
the maps on page C8
and C13. Give two
reasons how they are
different, and two ways
they are alike. Tell me
what the maps are
used for.
Individual verbal
instructions for ESOL
students

The teacher will give a
guided worksheet to
the ESOL students
which will prompt
them through the
process of
metacognition.

Show a model to the
entire class on how to
complete this using
stems. For example:
Two reasons the maps
are alike are Two
reasons the maps are
different are The
maps are used for
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Post Assessment

3. Cooperative
Learning activity:
Students will be given a
blank map of Florida.
The students will
individually label one
surface feature on this
map, using the book as
a reference. Then, the
student will pass the
map to their shoulder
partner and that
person will draw a
different surface
feature. This will
continue for 5 passes.
At the end, the
students will gather in
a small group and
reflect on the finished
map.

1, 2, 4 and 7

ESOL and ESE students
will be grouped with
peers that will support
language and cognitive
development. Crayons
will be provided for
contrasting colors.

Extended testing time
for ESE students and
the student with a 504
plan. Pictures added in
the test for ESOL
students
Given 4 true/false
questions, students will
evaluate whether the
geologic processes and
features described are
expressed in Florida or
elsewhere with 3/4
accuracy
Pre-Assessment


6, 8, 9, 10

short answer, How did
the Florida Platform
form? Students will
reference pages C8 and
C9.

2. Small group activity:
hypothesize the effects
of the destruction of
Floridas coral reef on
the ecology, economy,
society, etc. of Florida
Individual verbal
students

Visual aids and
diagrams available in
the textbook. I will
read the prompt aloud
to the students as well
as have written
directions on the board

The teacher will group
the ESE and ESOL
students with peers
that will support them
with language and
cognitive development
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Post Assessment

3. Individual activity:
the students will create
a timeline of the
geologic processes that
helped to shape
present day Florida.

6, 8, 9, 10

ESOL students will be
provided with a
timeline template with
pictures of the events
to help make word
associations and to
identify key events

the test for ESOL
students

Given 2 fill in the blank
questions, students will
identify climate
conditions present in
Florida with 2/2
accuracy
Pre-Assessment


Post Assessment
3 and 5

students will compare
and contrast the
effects of El Nio and
La Nia using a Venn
diagram

3 and 5

Individual verbal
students

UDL principals will be
used, the teacher will
draw an example of a
Venn diagram for the
students to reference
where each section is
color coded for high
contrast

the test for ESOL
students
Given 2 short answer
questions and 1
graphing question,
students will analyze
the cause and effect of
Floridas climate on its
average precipitation
with 3/3 accuracy
Pre-Assessment


11, 12 and 13

1. Bell Work: draw a
picture of Florida and
separate the state into
its two climate zones.
Label these zones and
list the differences in
climate
Individual verbal
students

Verbal and written
instructions for the
students. The students
will use a map of
Florida as a reference.

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Post Assessment

2. Small group activity:
The students will
create a bar graph
depicting the rainfall
totals of 2013 in Naples
and comparing it to the
rainfall totals in
Orlando. Using the
book as a reference,
the students will cite
the two reasons why
Naples has a higher
percentage of rainfall
than Orlando. The
students will
hypothesize other
cities in Florida that will
have high rainfall totals
like Naples.

11, 12 and 13

The ESOL and ESE
students will be paired
with students that will
support their language
and cognitive
development. The
students will be given
markers to color in the
bar graph to help
differentiate the
information and so it
has high visual
contrast.

the test for ESOL
students

Pre-Assessment Plan:
For my 9
th
grade Earth Science class, the students will be given the end of unit test as the pre-
assessment. This test will cover the topics discussed during the Florida unit. This pre-assessment will
assess the students prior knowledge of key vocabulary words, the students understanding of the
history and formation of Floridas geologic features, and the varying climate zones and associated
effects in Florida. Student knowledge will be evidenced by: correct identification of vocabulary words in
section 1, correctly evaluating geologic processes in the true/false section AND identifying the incorrect
part of the sentence, creating a bar graph to accurately represent precipitation data in section 3, and
finally in section 4 the students will demonstrate their knowledge by thoughtfully evaluating the data
from section 3 and expressing their analysis by answering the short answer questions correctly.
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The pre-assessment will be given to the students January 30
th
, during the early release day for
Collier County. I will let the students know that they will not be graded, to ease their anxiety associated
with testing. After the students have finished taking the test I will let them know that they will be taking
this test later in the semester, so they can be aware of my expectations for the unit and mentally
prepare themselves. I will also tell the students that we will be learning about the topics on the pre-test.
I will explain that I gave them this pre-assessment in order to learn about what they already know which
will help me to teach them more effectively. I will change the content of the post assessment and the
unit if I find that the majority of my students have a strong background knowledge in any of the topic
areas.
Finally, I will not only be looking at this assessment to determine what background knowledge
the students have, but to determine if the majority of students have difficulty with certain types of test
questions. I will walk among the students as they take this test and notice any difficulties that the
students are having. I will ask the students that are having difficulty to express to me what it is on the
test that is challenging to them. If needed, I will modify the format, not the content, of the post
assessment according this is informal data I will be collecting.
Copy of Pre-Assessment:

Name ________________________________________ Date _____________

Section 1: Fill in the Blank (1 point each)
Using the word bank below, write the correct vocabulary word at the end of each statement.
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1. This is a wide relatively flat geographic feature that sits between the Gulf of Mexico and the
Atlantic Ocean __________________________________
2. This material was deposited in Florida as the result of the erosion of the Appalachian
Mountains
__________________________________________________
3. Miami, FL is located in this climate zone ___________________________________________
4. Siliciclastic and this type of rock were the main types of sediment deposited in Florida during
the Cenozoic Era _______________________________________________
5. This causes more precipitation and fewer hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic
Ocean _____________________________________________________
Section 2: True/False (2 points each)
Read each statement. If the statement is TRUE, circle the T. If the statement is FALSE, circle the F
AND circle the incorrect information in the statement.
6. T F Without phosphate depositions, much of Southern Floridas coastline would be
underwater
7. T F Florida is located next to the Caribbean Plate, which causes Florida to be a tectonically
active area
8. T F Florida was once part of Northwest Africa between 600 million and 700 million years
ago
9. T F During the Ice Age, Florida had three times its current land area
10. T F The Florida Keys were formed by volcanic hotspots
Section 3: Graphing (2 points total)
Using the data below, create a simple BAR GRAPH. Remember to label all parts of the graph

Carbonate Humid Tropical
El Nio Siliciclastic
Florida Platform
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Section 4: Short Answer
Reference the graph and data table from section 3 to answer the two short answer questions below
12. Did Miami or Orlando have more rainfall in 2012? How do you know? (1 point)
13. List two reasons why the city from question 12 had more rainfall than the other in 2012 (2
points)

Post Assessment Plan
As of this moment, the students will take the same test for the post assessment as the pre-
assessment. If the pre-assessment data indicates that the test format was ineffective or that I need to
modify the unit, I will make the needed changes to help my students succeed. My intention is to use the
same test because repetition is an effective strategy to help my students succeed due to memory
retention difficulties that some students have. In addition, students 010 and 014 have difficulty with
traditional testing. This repetition will help these students to familiarize themselves with the format of
the test and what is expected of them which will help to alleviate their anxiety.
Also, I included a graphing section which will honor my students learning styles and need for
non-traditional testing methods. The graphing portion will honor the visual learners (001, 002, 003, 008,
006, 011, 012, 015, 018, 019, 020, 021, 022, 024, and 025). It will help the students to have a visual aid
Rainfall totals per month in inches from 2012
Miami:
Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
0.5 3 5 8 15 12.5 9 16 11 6.5 0.5 0.5

Orlando:
Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
0.5 3 1 1.5 4 10 3 6 9 2 0.5 1

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to answer the short answer questions that follow this section. The graph will help to make the abstract
information concrete, which will help all of my students to make an effective analysis. In addition, this
unit will be integrative and the unit test will reflect this. It will incorporate Math and Social Studies. This
will honor the interests and academic strengths of students 010, 012, 020, and 023. The test will be
given on the 6
th
day of the unit, around the 12
th
of March. I will present a review lesson and game on the
5
th
day of the unit that will mimic the test.

Copy of Post Assessment:
The same assessment used in the copy of pre-assessment section.

Formative Assessment Plan
The model that my cooperating teacher uses in his classroom is one of inquiry based learning. I
will use this same model while teaching my unit. The first thing that the students will complete upon
entering the classroom is bell work. These activities either help to introduce new information or
reinforce a topic that was studied the previous day. Next will be a brief period of direct instruction at the
beginning of the class, and then we will give the students inquiry based activities to complete. I will be
using the bell ringers and the activities as my formative assessments. There will be 4 in class activities
throughout this unit. There are 2 activities addressing the 2
nd
objective because this will be the largest
section of the unit. There is one activity each for objectives number 1 and 4. There are no inquiry
activities for objective 3 because objective 3 and 4 will be taught during the same class period.
For the first inquiry based activity, the students will be creating a timeline of the geologic history
of Florida, which will engage visual learners and students with mathematical/logical intelligences
(students 001, 002, 003, 008, 006, 010, 011, 012, 015, 018, 019, 020, 021, 022, 023, 024, and 025). At
the end of this activity, I will model an exemplary timeline and the students will compare their timeline
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to my model. The students will use this to monitor their understanding of the topic and to grade
themselves on this assignment. The students will put a number 1-5 on the top corner of their timeline
to indicate their understanding of the material (the rating scale will be discussed throughout the unit).
Next, the students will engage in a cooperative learning activity where each student contributes one
part toward making a map of Florida. The students will individually complete one piece of the map and
then pass it on to another student who will complete a second part of the map, and so on. At the end of
this activity, the students will gather in small groups based on the map creation and discuss what they
have learned from this activity by answering 3 discussion questions that will be provided by the teacher.
This activity engages students with interpersonal intelligences (students 009, 012, and 026), kinesthetic
learners (more than half of the class), visual learners and auditory learners (students 004 and 011).
Next, the students will create a bar graph of rainfall data and analyze this graph. The students
will be given data from 2013 from Naples and Orlando. Using Naples will help to contextualize this
lesson. This activity engages students with visual/spatial intelligences, mathematical/logical intelligences
and visual learners. In addition, this activity mimics the sections 3 and 4 on the test, so it will give them a
direct model of how to succeed on the test. For the final activity the students will work in a small group
(3 or 4 students) where they will hypothesize the effects of the destruction of Floridas coral reef on
Floridas ecology, economy and society. The students will write a 3 paragraph narrative explaining the
possible effects. This engages students with interpersonal, intrapersonal and verbal/linguistic
intelligences and visual and auditory learners. The teachers will walk among the students during this
activity and give them specific feedback on their progress and ask the students comprehension
questions related to the activity.
These four activities integrate both group work and individual activities. The group work will
meet the needs of the majority of my students who enjoy group work. In addition, the individual
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assignments were designed for students (002, 003, 007 and 008) who need one-on-one instruction
and/or enjoy independent work.
I will have 5 bell work activities for the students. The 2
nd
, 3
rd
and 4
th
objectives have one bell
work activity, and the 1
st
objective has 2 bell work activities. The first 4 bell work activities include:
creating a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting El Nio and La Nia, comparing and contrasting two
different maps of Florida and reflecting on the use of both maps, drawing a picture of Florida and its
climate zones and listing the differences between the two zones, and a short answer question requiring
the students to explain how the Florida Platform formed. All of these bell work activities engage a
different learning style or intelligence. The Venn diagram is for visual learners with spatial intelligences
and it uses higher order thinking. The comparing and contrasting of the Florida maps also meets the
needs of visual learners with spatial intelligences and higher order thinking. The drawing activity honors
those students with artistic intelligences (student 005). And finally, the short answer question honors
students with linguistic intelligences and integrates literacy into the unit.
The 5
th
and final bell work assignment will ask the students to use their metacognition skills to
think about how well they understand the unit and any strengths or weaknesses they have. The teacher
will walk among the students while they complete this bell ringer and address any concerns that the
students have at this point in the unit. If needed, the teacher will create a plan with the student to help
them to succeed during the post assessment.
These formative assessments will help me to determine my students learning and progress in
the lesson. Based on the results, I will repeat sections that need clarification, extend and/or shorten
time on certain concepts and extended lessons in which the students are completing exemplary work or
give additional practice for lessons in which students are having difficulty. The formative assessments
will help me to pace the unit and to ensure that all of my students are succeeding.
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Section 4 A: Design for Instruction: 8esults of Pre-Assessment and Unit Plan
Results of Pre-assessment:
Pre-test Results by Objective
Student
ID
Obj 1 Obj 2 Obj 3 Obj 4 Pre-Test
Raw
score
Studen
t p
Raw
score
Studen
t p
Raw
score
Studen
t p
Raw
score
Studen
t p
Raw
score
Studen
t p
001 3

75% 1

25% 1

50% 2

66% 6 46%
002 2

50% 2

50% 2

100% 2

66% 8 62%
003 0

0% 1

25% 0

0% 0

0% 1 8%
004 2

50% 2

50% 0

0% 2

66% 6 46%
005 2

50% 0

0% 1

50% 1.5

50% 5.5 42%
006 2

50% 0

0% 1

50% 1

33% 4 31%
007 1

25% 0

0% 1

50% 0

0% 2 15%
008 1

25% 2

50% 1

50% 2

66% 6 46%
009 2

50% 0

0% 1

50% 2

66% 5 38%
010 4

100% 2

50% 2

100% 2

66% 10 77%
011 4

100% 0

0% 2

100% 1.5

50% 7.5 58%
012 3

75% 1

25% 2

100% 0

0% 6 46%
013 3

75% 1

25% 2

100% 1

33% 7 54%
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014 2

50% 1

25% 0

0% 0

0% 3 23%
015 3

75% 1

25% 1

50% 1

33% 6 46%
016 4

100% 1

25% 2

100% 3

66% 9 69%
017 3

75% 3

75% 0

0% 2

66% 8 62%
018 0

0% 1

25% 0

0% 2

66% 3 23%
019 4

100% 2

50% 2

100% 2.5

83% 9.5 73%
020 1

25% 1

25% 0

0% 1

33% 3 23%
021 2

50% 2

50% 1

50% 1

33% 6 46%
022 0 0% 0 0% 1 50% 1 33% 2 15%
023 2 50% 1 25% 1 50% 2 66% 6 46%
024 3 75% 2 50% 2 100% 1 33% 8 62%
025 3 75% 2 50% 1 50% 1 33% 7 54%
026 4 100% 1 25% 2 100% 1 33% 8 62%
Mean 2.31 57.69% 1.15 28.85% 1.12 55.77% 1.37 43.85% 5.87 45.12%

In general, the results of the pre-assessment were what I expected them to be. Objective 1,
which was identifying surface features and processes in Florida had the highest average score with a
57.69%. I thought that the students would do the best on this objective because it involved a lower level
of Blooms Taxonomy and involved terms that they have already encountered. Of the 26 students, 12 of
them achieved mastery on this objective. Because of this relatively high rate of success, I will be
modifying this section of the test to include one distractor in the word bank, this will ensure that the
students fully comprehend each vocabulary word. In addition, I will spend less time overall teaching
these terms. But students 003, 018, and 022 received a 0% on this objective. These three students are
going to need more intensive instruction on this objective than the other students. To accommodate
these students I will pair them with one of the 5 students who received a 100% on this objective (010,
011, 016, 019 and 026) during small group activities.
The results for objective 2 were the lowest, with a class average of 28.85%. This objective asked
the students to use a higher level of Blooms Taxonomy and evaluate whether certain geologic processes
are expressed in Florida or elsewhere. In order to evaluate this, the students were required to not only
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decide whether the statement was true or false, they also had to circle the incorrect information in the
statement if it was false. I expected this objective to have a low average for this class. None of the
students received a 100% on this objective, but student 017 did attain mastery. I will not be changing
these test questions. In addition, I will keep my instructional plans the same. I intended on heavily
discussing this objective, spending an entire class period on just this topic and completing 3 different
activities related to this objective: 1 bell ringer and 2 inquiry based activities. Student 017 may need
some extension activities during this part of the unit. I will have an extension activity ready, but I will
determine by using formative assessments during the lesson if I will give this activity to the student.
Objective 3 had the second to highest average with a 55.77%. I expected this result as well. This
objective required students to identify climate conditions present in Florida and therefore used a lower
level of Blooms Taxonomy. Similarly to objective 1 most students have at least heard these terms used
in previous classes. Also like objective 1, I will be adding a climate distractor in the word bank for the
exam. 9 students attained mastery on this objective during the pre-test. But, students 003, 004, 014,
017, 018 and 020 received a 0% on this objective. Students 003 and 018 also received a 0% on the first
objective. These students seem to have limited background knowledge of this topic, so I will still discuss
the basics of these terms. But, I will modify my instruction slightly. Most students seem to have some
background knowledge about the climate in Florida, so I will incorporate more in-depth instruction than
I had initially planned.
Objective 4 had the second to lowest average with a 43.85%. This objective required students to
analyze the cause and effect of Floridas climate on its precipitation. No students attained mastery of
this objective. Within this objective, there were 3 questions on the test. Of the 3 questions, almost every
student was able to answer the first question correctly. This question asked the students to determine
which city had more rainfall in 2013 based on a data table. I expected most, if not all, of the students to
answer this correctly. This tells me that most students already have data analysis skills, which means
TWS 29
that I will not have to spend a large amount of time teaching these skills. In addition, while the students
were completing the graphing question, most received at least partial credit which tells me that the
students are able to graph. But, I noticed that the students were overwhelmed with the amount of
information required on the graph. I will modify the test so that I only have 4 months of data for each
city, which will still allow me to assess the students knowledge of graphing but will lower their anxiety
associated with that question. The most important question associated with objective 4, was the
analysis question. No students answered this question correctly. I expected this. I will continue my plan
for instruction in regards to this objective. I will be teaching the students how to explicitly analyze the
data to determine the cause of the amount of precipitation. The students will complete a graphing and
analysis activity that mimics the exam.

Overview of the Unit:
Day 1: Monday 4/3

Topic: Introduction/Climate and Rainfall

Activities:

Bell work activity: draw a picture of Florida and separate the state into its two climate zones. Label
these zones and list the differences in climate (Objective 4)

Small group activity: The students will create a bar graph depicting the rainfall totals of 2013 in
Naples and comparing it to the rainfall totals in Orlando (Objective 4)

Day 2: Tuesday 4/4

Topic: Floridas Geologic History- Ancient and Middle History

Activities:

Bell work activity: students will compare and contrast the effects of El Nio and La Nia using a Venn
diagram. Review of Mondays lesson (Objective 3)

Cooperative Learning activity: Students will be given a blank map of Florida. The students will
individually label one surface feature on this map, using the book as a reference. Then, the student
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will pass the map to their shoulder partner and that person will draw a different surface feature.
(Objective 1)

Day 3: Wednesday 4/5

Topic: Floridas Geologic History Later History

Activities:

Bell work activity: compare and contrast the maps on page C8 and C13. Give two reasons how they
are different, and two ways they are alike. Tell me what the maps are used for (Objective 1)

Individual activity: the students will create a timeline of the geologic processes that helped to shape
present day Florida (Objective 2)

Day 4: Thursday 4/6

Topic: The Florida Keys and the Coral Reef

Activities:

Bell work activity: short answer, How did the Florida Platform form? Students will reference pages C8
and C9. Review for Wednesdays Lesson (Objective 2)

Small group activity: hypothesize the effects of the destruction of Floridas coral reef on the ecology,
economy, society, etc. of Florida (Objective 2)

Day 5: Monday 4/10

Topic: Review

Activities:

Bell work activity: Metacognition - students will reflect on their knowledge as the unit is ending. The
students will write 1 paragraph explaining their strengths and weaknesses. (Objective 1)

Jeopardy Game: Reviewing key terms and concepts taught during the unit. (All Objectives)

Day 6: Tuesday 4/11

Topic: Test Day

Activities:

Unit Test: (All Objectives)

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Revised Unit Test:
Name ________________________________________ Date _____________

Section 1: Fill in the Blank (1 point each)
Using the word bank below, write the correct vocabulary word at the end of each statement. Not all
words will be used.

1. This is a wide relatively flat geographic feature that sits between the Gulf of Mexico and the
Atlantic Ocean __________________________________

2. This material was deposited in Florida as the result of the erosion of the Appalachian Mountains
__________________________________________________

3. Miami, FL is located in this climate zone ___________________________________________

4. Siliciclastic and this type of rock were the main types of sediment deposited in Florida during the
Cenozoic Era _______________________________________________

5. This causes more precipitation and fewer hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic
Ocean _____________________________________________________

Section 2: True/False (2 points each)
Read each statement. If the statement is TRUE, circle the T. If the statement is FALSE, circle the F
AND circle the incorrect information in the statement.
6. T F Without phosphate depositions, much of Southern Floridas coastline would be
Carbonate Humid Tropical
El Nio Siliciclastic
Florida Platform Igneous
Humid Subtropical
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underwater

7. T F Florida is located next to the Caribbean Plate, which causes Florida to be a tectonically
active area

8. T F Florida was once part of Northwest Africa between 600 million and 700 million years ago

9. T F During the Ice Age, Florida had three times its current land area

10. T F The Florida Keys were formed by volcanic hotspots

Section 3: Graphing (2 points total)
Using the data below, create a vertical BAR GRAPH. Remember to label all parts of the graph

Rain totals in inches from 2012
Miami:
May June July Aug Sept Oct
15 12.5 9 16 11 6.5

Orlando:
May June July Aug Sept Oct
4 10 3 6 9 2

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Section 4: Short Answer
Reference the data table and graph from section 3 to answer the two short answer questions

11. Did Miami or Orlando have more rainfall in 2012? (1 point)

12. List two reasons why the city from question 11 had more rainfall than the other in 2012 (2
points)

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Section 4 B: Activities
Activity I: Climate Bar Graph
This activity related to objective 4 for the unit (given 2 short answer questions and 1 graphing
question, students will analyze the cause and effect of Floridas climate on its average precipitation with
3/3 accuracy). The activity required the students to create a bar graph comparing and contrasting
rainfall data from Naples and Orlando. After the students created the graph, they were required to use
their textbook and notes to determine the two reasons why one city had more rainfall than the other.
The activity directly mimicked a question on the unit test which asked the students to compare
and contrast rainfall data from Miami and Orlando and to determine the cause of the increased rainfall.
On the pre-assessment, no students were able to answer why one city had more rainfall than the other
successfully. This activity, and the corresponding notes, heavily emphasized the reason behind increased
rainfall in certain areas of Florida because of the pre-assessment data.
In order to complete this activity, I provided the students with crayons, graphing paper, rulers
and notes on Floridas climate. The notes were given using a power point presentation that included
visual aids and interactive graphics. I posted the instructions for the activity on the overhead projector
TWS 35
for the duration of the activity for the students to reference. I modeled how to complete a bar graph
with the students and ensured that they had vibrant colored crayons to differentiate the two different
cities within the graph.
During the activity, I asked the students probing questions to ensure that they understood the
content and method for completing the activity. Based on the students answers, I would determine
their level of understanding and adjust accordingly. In addition, I monitored their progress towards
completing the bar graph. At the end of the activity I asked the students to rate their understanding of
the content using a 1-5 comprehension rubric. I collected the activity and the rubric and reviewed both
before the next school day. Based on this information, I adjusted the review for the next days lesson.
This activity helped to meet my students specific needs as learners. This activity honored my
students with visual/spatial intelligences and mathematical strengths (students 001, 002, 003, 008, 006,
010, 011, 012, 015, 018, 019, 020, 021, 022, 023, 024, and 025). In addition, this activity was completed
in a small group which helped students 009, 012, and 026 who have strong leadership skills and
interpersonal intelligences. Finally, this activity incorporated relevant contextual information to the
students lives as Floridians and used cities that all of my students reported having background
knowledge about.
Activity I: Lesson Plan
Daily Lesson Plan
1 . Common Core Standards
SC.912.E.7.4 Summarize the conditions that contribute to
the climate of a geographical area, including the
relationships to lakes and oceans

Essential Question
Floridas Climate
2. Objectives

Students will:

Given rainfall data, students will analyze the causes of increased or decreased rainfall in two Florida cities
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3. Assessment & Evaluation

Formative (Quick check of comprehension during/after the lesson) *NOTE: This is NOT student practice.
Students grading themselves at the end of the activity using a teacher made rubric, higher order questioning
throughout the lesson

Summative (Assesses the mastery of the skill taught and usually carries a grade)
N/A

4. Teacher Presentation or Facilitation:
Include beginning and ending reviews and show evidence of Differentiated Instruction by highlighting or using bold
type. Remember, the technology you use in the lesson may be a type of DI. State your presentation in steps:

1. Teacher will post the bell ringer on the board. Draw the state of Florida and label and draw the two different
climate zones. Give an example of a city in each climate zone. Use figure 5 on page C6 as a reference
2. Teacher will ask students to volunteer examples of cities in each climate zone and explain the differences in weather
patterns they have noticed in the two climate zones.
3. Teacher will show a power point presentation introducing the new unit: Florida and Geology. The power point will
also include vocabulary for the climate section of the unit. The power point will include pictures. The students will
take notes.
4. The teacher will give directions for the activity. Students will create a bar graph of rainfall totals from Orlando and
Naples and then they will identify which area had more rainfall and list two reasons why that area had more rainfall.
The students will reference the notes from the power point and pages C4-C7 to determine the two causes.
5. The teacher will post the directions on the overhead projector for the students to reference.
6. The teacher will divide the students into groups of 3 and pass out graphing paper and crayons to each group to use
while creating their bar graph.
7. The teacher will have the students work on this assignment while she rotates to ask probing questions like, Have
you noticed a trend in the rainfall data? What city do you think might have a similar amount of rainfall as Naples?
8. The teacher will stop the students 5 minutes before the bell rings and she will give the students a rubric for this
activity and she will ask each group to rate themselves according to the rubric.
9. The teacher will collect the bar graph, accompanying questions, and rubric from each group at the end of class.
5. Specific accommodations, interventions, notes, etc

Specific Needs:
Period 2: Give M his own copy of written instructions to keep on his desk
Period 3: Give N her own copy of written instructions for the bell ringer and the activity
Period 4: Ensure that the sign language interpreter is given written instructions and notes from the power point to effectively
communicate with A. Give A his own copy of written instructions. Clearly label the crayons with the color name for A

Accommodations for every class:
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Provide ESE students extended time for completing the activity
Group ESE and ESOL students with peers that will support their cognitive and language development
Provide the ESOL students with modified instructions and/or a bar graph template as needed
Provide extension activities for students who finish the activity early (highest likelihood in periods 6 and 7)

Follow-up Reflection (completed after the lesson has been taught)
Regarding Classroom Management: Describe the strengths
and weaknesses you noticed during this lesson.
No notable classroom management issues. Typical
redirection and prompting needed for this group of
students. Directions needed to be repeated often to
ensure comprehension.

Students: Based upon the formative/summative assessments,
describe the student learning that took place.
Most students were able to create the double bar graph
without significant prompting. Only a few students were
able to successfully analyze the data and determine the
cause of the increased rainfall. Many students thought that
the increased rainfall was due to El Nio. Will need to
review the analysis in more depth tomorrow.

Activity I: Student 026 Sample Work

TWS 38
Bar Graph

Comprehension Questions

Activity II: Geologic Timeline
This activity related to objective 2 for the unit (given 4 true/false questions, students will
evaluate whether the geologic processes and features described are expressed in Florida or elsewhere
with 3/4 accuracy). This individual activity required the students to sort 8 geologic events onto a
timeline spanning from the Precambrain Era (oldest geologic time) to the Cenozoic Era (current day). In
addition, the students were required to explain two of the geologic events. This activity was designed to
ensure that the students understand the events that have shaped the physical features of current day
Florida.
Objective 2 had the lowest percentage correct on the pre-assessment. In addition, objective 2
encompassed the largest amount of material for the unit. This activity was created to help the students
TWS 39
to identify geologic events that occur in Florida and to give the students a visual representation of the
history of Florida. Finally, this activity helped the students to create a mental picture of the changes that
have taken place in Floridas geologic history which should aid in memorization and comprehension of
the material.
In order to complete this activity, the students were given a geologic time reference sheet, a
directions sheet with the 8 geologic events, and were shown a video at the beginning of class that
expanded upon Floridas geologic history. The students were expected to bring their own paper and
pencil (a classroom routine), but we had both of these materials available for students who cannot bring
paper or a pencil. In addition, I modeled how to set up the timeline under the document camera and
plotted the earliest geologic event with the students. I used a think-aloud strategy to model the
completion of the activity.
During the activity I walked among the students and asked higher order questions to check for
understanding and I monitored the students progress towards completing the activity successfully. In
addition, I asked the students to rate themselves on the same scale as the first activity at the end of the
class period. After the students turned in their timeline and assessment, I reviewed the results. I looked
for common errors in the timeline and made a note to address these issues the following day.
The activity helped to meet my students specific needs as learners. This timeline met the needs
of my visual learners and students with mathematical/logical intelligences, like the first activity I
discussed. In addition, it honored students 008 and 002 who prefer to work individually. In addition, the
supplemental video helped the students who are auditory (students 005 and 011) and visual learners.
Finally, it honored the students who are kinesthetic learners, the majority of my class, because the
students are actively creating a timeline.

TWS 40

Activity II: Lesson Plan
Daily Lesson Plan
SC.912.E.6.4 Analyze how specific geologic
processes and features are expressed in
Florida and elsewhere
Essential Question
Floridas Geologic History Later History
2. Objectives

Students will:

Given the creation of a geologic timeline, students will demonstrate their understanding of
the geologic processes that shaped modern day Florida


Formative (Quick check of comprehension during/after the lesson) *NOTE: This is NOT student
practice.
1-5 self-analysis of understanding


N/A


1. Teacher will place the following bell ringer on the board (a review of yesterdays lesson):
compare and contrast the maps on page C8 and C13. Give two ways they are different,
and two ways they are alike. Tell me what the maps are used for
2. The teacher will verbally review the later history vocabulary words and concepts that the
students took notes on in the power point on the previous day. She will ask questions like,
How was the siliciclastic material deposited in Florida? How did the growth of marine
microorganisms impact the development of Florida? How did the ice age impact
Florida?
3. The teacher will show the video: Oligocene Epoch - Florida Fossils: Evolution of Life and
Land (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWjwHE6iJls)
4. The teacher will explain that the video expands upon the impact of the ice age in Florida.
5. The teacher will tell the students they will be individually completing a timeline of the
geologic processes that helped to shape present day Florida. The teacher will give the
students a piece of paper with events on it and they will be responsible for organizing the
TWS 41
events in the correct order using page 231 in their book as a resource. The students will be
given 8 events. The students must choose 2 events and reference pages C8-C13 and write a 2
sentence explanation of each event on the back of their timeline.
6. The teacher will model the process of determining the oldest event and then placing it on
the timeline under the document camera.
7. The teacher will place written instructions under the document camera.
8. The teacher will pass out the directions with 8 events and geologic time reference sheet.
9. The teacher will walk among the students while they complete this activity asking
questions and helping as needed.
10. The teacher will show the class a model example of the completed activity while
reviewing key terms of the lesson.
11. At the end of the activity, the teacher will ask the students to write the number 1-5
according to their level of understanding on their timeline. (1- I dont get it; 2- I kinda-sorta
get it; 3- I get it, but I cant explain it; 4- I get it and can explain it to others; 5-I get it, I can
explain it to others and I can extend my understanding to new situations)
12. The teacher will collect the timeline and ask the students to put their materials away on
the front lab table.


Specific Needs:
Period 2: Give M his own copy of written instructions to keep on his desk
Period 3: Give N her own copy of written instructions for the bell ringer and the activity
Period 4: Ensure that the sign language interpreter is given written instructions to effectively
communicate with A. Give A his own copy of written instructions. The video has subtitles.

Provide the ESOL students with modified instructions as needed

Regarding Classroom Management:
Describe the strengths and weaknesses you
noticed during this lesson.
Slightly more off task behavior today than
usual. I had to address the entire class
more than once to remind them of the
classroom expectations and learning goals
for the day.

Students: Based upon the formative/summative
assessments, describe the student learning that
took place.
Some students were extremely successful with
this activity, the visual representation seemed
to click. Some students struggled with this
significantly. I spent quite a bit of time helping
students one-on-one during the class period to
ensure comprehension. After the individual
attention, those students who were struggling
were successful.
TWS 42

Activity II: Student 016 Sample Work

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Timeline

Explanation of 2 Geologic Events

Activity III: How Do We Save Our Coral Reefs?

This activity related to objective 2 for the unit as well. This activity began with a power point
presentation of the key terms and vocabulary and then included a video explaining how certain groups
of people are trying to save Floridas coral reefs. The students worked in partners and collaborated with
one another about the possible impact on Florida if the coral reef was destroyed, what is causing the
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coral reef harm, and ways that we can help to save the coral reef. The students shared their answers at
the end of the class period and engaged in a classroom discussion.
Objective 2 had the lowest percentage correct on the pre-assessment. In addition, objective 2
encompassed the largest amount of material for the unit. This activity was created to help the students
to understand the significance of Floridas coral reef. It was not only designed so that the students
would pass the test. I also wanted to students to feel a sense of stewardship for Floridas coral reef that
will continue outside of the classroom.
In order to complete this activity, students were shown a power point presentation of key
vocabulary and concepts and they were shown a video about Floridas coral reefs. Using this
information, the students collaborated with their peers to answer questions about the usefulness of the
coral reefs, what is harming the coral reefs, the implications of the destruction of the reefs and how we
can help to keep the coral reefs alive. The only materials that the students needed for the activity were
a piece of paper and a pencil. Students are expected to bring their own paper and pencil to class, but we
always had extra for students that are unable to bring these supplies to school.
During the lesson I monitored the students collaboration with their partners for higher order
thinking and comprehension. I asked the students probing questions. I also monitored the class
discussion at the end of the lesson. While I was teaching the lesson I would adjust directions or direct
instruction according to my formative assessments. After class, I looked at the students answers to the
questions and determined whether I needed to review any information or concepts during the next class
meeting.
This activity helped to meet my students specific needs as learners. This activity was wonderful
for students with linguistic intelligences (students 006, 011 and 026) and helped to integrate writing into
the unit. In addition, the power point and video honored students that are visual and auditory learners.
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This activity was also helpful for the students with interpersonal intelligences and those students who
enjoy engaging in classroom discussions. Finally, this activity was contextually important to Floridians
because of the direct and tangible impact the coral reefs have on our ecology and economy.
Activity III: Extended Lesson Plan
Daily Lesson Plan
SC.912.E.6.2 Connect surface features to
surface processes that are responsible for
their formation

Essential Question
Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys
2. Objectives

Students will:

Given 3 short answer questions, students will hypothesize the effect of the removal
of the coral reefs on Florida.


Formative (Quick check of comprehension during/after the lesson) *NOTE: This is NOT
student practice.
Think-pair-share and higher order questioning

N/A


1. The teacher will post the following bell ringer on the board (Review from
Tuesday and Wednesday): short answer, How did the Florida Platform form? Use
at least 3 sentences. Students will reference pages C8 and C9.
2. The teacher will ask one student to explain how the Florida Platform formed.
3. The teacher will show the students a power point introducing key concepts and
vocabulary words associated with the Florida Keys and its coral reef. The power
point will include pictures. The students will take notes. The teacher will ask
comprehension questions like, What is the difference between the formation of the
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Florida Keys and mainland Florida? What are other coral reefs that you have
heard about? What types of animals can you find in a coral reef?
4. The teacher will tell the students that they will be writing a prediction of the
effects of the destruction of the coral reef on Florida. The teacher will require the
students to hypothesize about the following three areas: ecology (environment),
Florida beaches, and tourism. The students must reference evidence from the text.
(pages C14 and C15) The students will work with their shoulder partners from
Tuesdays lesson.
5. The teacher will post the instructions on the document camera.
6. The teacher will give the students approximately 20 minutes to complete this
activity.
7. The teacher will tell the students to turn to the group in front of them and share
their hypothesis. (Think-Pair-Share, modified)
8. With time permitting, the teacher will ask two groups to share their hypothesis
with the class.
9. The teacher will collect this assignment

Specific Needs:
Period 1: O, Y and O will be placed in a group of 3
Period 2: D will be partnered with P to ensure a positive group work experience for
D. M will be given his own set of written instructions
Period 3: Give N her own copy of written instructions for the bell ringer and the
activity
Period 4: Ensure that the sign language interpreter is given written instructions and notes
from the power point to effectively communicate with A. Give A his own copy of
written instructions.

Group ESE and ESOL students with peers that will support their cognitive and language
development
Provide the ESOL students with modified instructions as needed
Provide emergent ESOL students with a template for completing the assignment

Regarding Classroom Management:
Describe the strengths and weaknesses you
noticed during this lesson.
Students were extremely engaged during
this lesson! The classroom was a little bit
noisier than usual, but the discussions
were all related to the content! The
students were excited to be learning.

Students: Based upon the
formative/summative assessments,
describe the student learning that took
place.
This was the most successful lesson of
the unit. The students were the most
successful because they cared about
the content and felt that is was relevant
to their lives. I do not think I will need
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to revisit any of the content more than
I was already planning on.
Activity III: Student 015 Sample Work

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Technology:
Using technology in my lessons was not always easy. Unfortunately, the technology that was
available in my classroom was limited to a computer connected to an overhead projector and a
document camera. The students enjoyed taking notes from a power point because I would add
animations and pictures. Because of this, I used a power point to present all of the vocabulary and key
concepts. Also, power point presentations helped to chunk the information into smaller pieces which
was more manageable to process for all of my students. In addition, I had many visual and auditory
learners in my classroom so videos were extremely effective for conveying information. Also, the
students would be motivated to behave appropriately if they were told that if they were inappropriate
they would be unable to watch a video. This was especially helpful for students 002 and 019 who have
trouble regulating their behavior. The use of power point presentations and videos in my classroom
were extremely effective during this unit.

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Section 5: Instructional Decision Making

Instructional Decision I:
Student 019 was very confused about the impact of El Nio on the climate of Florida during our
rainfall graphing activity. This student was having a difficult time comprehending that El Nio happened
infrequently and therefore was not the cause of consistently more rainfall in Naples in comparison
Orlando. The objective for this activity was for the students to be able to connect the increased rainfall
in Naples to the fact that Naples is a coastal city and in the humid tropical climate zone of Florida
(conditions that will never change, unlike El Nio). I worked individually with student 019 to help him
differentiate between the constant conditions in Naples and the fleeting conditions of El Nio. In
addition, I addressed the entire class and reviewed the characteristics of El Nio and asked them
whether this is a constant impact on Floridas climate or not and to explain why.
While I was looking at the students graphing and analysis activity, I noticed that a significant
amount of students throughout all 6 of my class periods had identified El Nio as the cause of increased
rainfall in Naples. In order to combat this common misconception in all of my classes, I modified the
review for the next days lesson. I had already planned the bell ringer as a Venn diagram comparing and
contrasting the effects of El Nio and La Nia which I continued to use. In order to further the students
understanding, I included an in-depth discussion of El Nio as a class and then explicitly explained that it
was not the cause of increased rainfall in Naples from the previous days activity and I asked the
students to tell me why this was the case.
The result of this instructional modification was that the students were able to successfully
analyze the differences between the effects of El Nio on Floridas climate and the effects of Floridas
climate zones and costal and land-locked areas on Floridas climate. In addition, there were fewer errors
on the test question that assessed this objective than on the pretest and fewer errors on the in class
climate activity. Also, student 019 received full marks on this section of the end of unit exam as well.
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Instructional Decision II:
During the day 3 lesson where the students were creating a timeline of geological events in
Florida, student 024 was having trouble with sequencing the events. The previous unit that the students
studied was about geologic time and the students completed many activities using the geologic eras to
sequence events. I assumed that the students would be able to use this skill to sequence events in
Floridas geologic history and did not heavily review this before the activity. Student 024 had issues
applying the previously learned sequencing skill into a new context. I spoke with the student individually
and reminded him of the strategies that he had learned in the previous unit. After I worked with this
student, I thought that the other students might benefit from a more in-depth review of the previous
unit.
I directed the students to stop working on their timeline and to focus on the document camera. I
used a think-aloud strategy to show the students how to cross reference their textbook to their geologic
time reference sheet and how to record the data on their timeline. I encouraged the students to also
use logic to check for accuracy. For example, one event was Floridas basement rocks are formed and
another was Floridas platform was formed on top of basement rocks about 350 million years ago. I
asked the students logically which event would come first. For the rest of the day I aired on the side of
caution and completed a more comprehensive review of this skill with all of my students. I determined
that I would feel more comfortable over explaining this concept than under explaining.
Student 024 seemed to gain more confidence in himself for the rest of the class period and he
completed this activity with minimal errors. In addition, this student made gains on the associated
objective on the end of unit exam. I had a few questions about sequencing in my following class periods,
but I expect (although I cannot prove) that the questions were minimized because of my thorough
review.
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Section 6: Analysis of Impact on Student Learning
Introduction:
I taught in a 9th grade inclusion Earth Science classroom. I collected data on my second period
class which had 27 students: 6 ESE, 7 ESOL, and 1 504 plan. The unit that I taught was about Floridas
place within the context of Earth Science. This unit required the students to apply knowledge that they
learned earlier in the school year to the context of Florida. The unit specifically addressed climate,
weather, geologic processes and features in Florida and the Florida Keys. I assessed the students
knowledge of this unit using a teacher-made end of unit exam. I will be reporting the students learning
gains based on this test in this section of the TWS.
Whole Class Results:
Pre-test Results by Objective
Student
ID
Obj 1 Obj 2 Obj 3 Obj 4 Total
Pre-
test
Post
test
Gain
s
Pre-
test
Post
test Gains
Pre-
test
Post
test Gains
Pre-
test
Post
test Gains
Pre-
test
Post
test Gains
1 75%
50%
-25% 25%
75%
50% 50%
100
%
50% 66%
83%
17% 46% 73% 23%
2 50%
50%
0% 50%
100%
50% 100
100
%
0% 66%
83%
17% 62% 81% 19%
3 0%
50%
50% 25%
75%
50% 0%
50%
50% 0%
83%
83% 8% 65% 57%
4 50%
50%
0% 50%
75%
25% 0%
100
%
100% 66%
83%
83% 46% 73% 27%
5 50%
50%
0% 0%
50%
50% 50%
0%
-50% 50%
83%
33% 42% 50% 8%
6 50%
100
%
50% 0%
75%
75% 50%
100
%
50% 33%
83%
50% 31% 88% 57%
7 25%
75%
50% 0%
75%
75% 50%
100
%
50% 0%
83%
83% 15% 81% 66%
8 25%
75%
50% 50%
50%
0% 50%
50%
0% 66%
66%
0% 46% 62% 16%
9 50%
50%
0% 0%
50%
50% 50%
50%
0% 66%
100%
34% 38% 62% 24%
10
100
%
75%
-25% 50%
100%
50% 100
100
%
0% 66%
100%
34% 77% 92% 15%
11
100
%
100
%
0% 0%
75%
75% 100
100
%
0% 50%
83%
33% 58% 88% 30%
12 75%
100
%
25% 25%
75%
50% 100
100
%
0% 0%
100%
100% 46% 92% 54%
13 75%
100
%
25% 25%
75%
50% 100
100
%
0% 33%
83%
50% 54% 88% 34%
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14 50%
75%
25% 25%
75%
50% 0%
100
%
100% 0%
66%
66% 23% 77% 54%
15 75%
75%
0% 25%
50%
25% 50%
100
%
50% 33%
100%
67% 46% 77% 31%
16
100
%
100
%
0% 25%
75%
50% 100
100
%
0% 66%
100%
34% 69% 92% 23%
17 75%
100
%
25% 75%
100%
25% 0%
100
%
100% 66%
83%
17% 62% 96% 34%
18 0%
50%
50% 25%
50%
25% 0%
0%
0% 66%
66%
0% 23% 46% 23%
19
100
%
75%
-25% 50%
100%
50% 100
100
%
0% 83%
100%
17% 73% 92% 19%
20 25%
50%
25% 25%
50%
25% 0%
100
%
100% 33%
66%
33% 23% 62% 39%
21 50% 75% 25% 50% 100% 50% 50% 50% 0% 33% 83% 50% 46% 81% 35%
22 0% 75% 75% 0% 75% 75% 50%
100
% 50% 33% 83% 50% 15% 81% 66%
23 50% 75% 25% 25% 75% 50% 50%
100
% 50% 66% 83% 17% 46% 81% 35%
24 75%
100
% 25% 50% 100% 50% 100
100
% 0% 33% 100% 67% 62% 100% 38%
26
100
% 50% -50% 25% 75% 50% 100
100
% 0% 33% 83% 50% 62% 73% 11%
Mean
57.7
% 73%
16.0
0%
28.6
%
75.00
%
47.00
%
55.8
%
84.0
0%
28.00
%
43.9
%
85.04
%
43.40
%
45.12
%
78.12
% 33.52%
SD

*** Student 025 was absent for the end of unit assessment and the following week. I attempted to
schedule a make-up date for her assessment but the student made the choice not to take the end of
unit assessment. I have removed her from this table in regards to data collection and gains because I
do not have any gains to report. Unfortunately, she was also absent for most of the unit so I do not
have any significant formative assessment data (qualitative and/or quantitative) to report either.

According to the pre-test and post test data, the whole class had an average gain of 33.52% and
the average class score for the unit exam was a 78.12%. No students had a lower score on the posttest
than on the pre-test, although some students had a negative gain on individual objectives. I noticed that
most of the negative gains were in objective 1. I believe this happened because I changed this section of
the test to have 2 extra words in the word bank than needed to answer the questions. I changed this
section of the test to ensure that the students understood the nuances of their vocabulary words.
Overall, 16 of the 26 students met the performance criterion of 75%. Therefore, 10 students did
not meet this criteria. The results of this assessment did fall within a norm bell-curve for student
achievement. Most of the students who did not meet the performance criterion did have significant
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gains from the pre-test. I believe that this is the more important data to consider, especially with my ESE
and ELL students who have difficulty retaining information and difficulty with testing. Overall, I was
pleased with the results of my assessment.
Gains per objective:
The class mean for objective one on the pre-test was 57.7%, the mean for objective one on the
post test was 73%; the mean gains for the class from pre-test to post-test for objective one was 16%.
The number of students who met the performance criterion on objective one was 16. Some possible
reasons that 9 students did not meet the criterion are the 2 extra distracting words that I included in the
word bank or a lack of understanding of the vocabulary words in the context that they were presented
in.
The class mean for objective two on the pre-test was 28.6%, the mean for objective two on the
post test was 75%; the mean gains for the class from pre-test to post-test for objective two was 47%.
The number of students who met the performance criterion on objective two was 19. A possible reason
that 6 students did not meet the criterion is that this set of questions required the students to indicate
whether a statement was true or false and to circle the incorrect information. This requires a more in-
depth knowledge of the content that these 6 students had not mastered.
The class mean for objective three on the pre-test was 55.8%, the mean for objective three on
the post test was 84%; the mean gains for the class from pre-test to post-test for objective three was
28%. The number of students who met the performance criterion on objective three was 19. Some
possible reasons that 6 students did not meet the criterion are that the students had trouble with
identifying vocabulary words which are extremely similar: El Nio versus La Nia; Humid Subtropical and
Humid Tropical. In addition, these students may have trouble using these words within a new context.
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The class mean for objective four on the pre-test was 43.9%, the mean for objective four on the
post test was 85.04%; the mean gains for the class from pre-test to post-test for objective four was
43.4%. The number of students who met the performance criterion on objective four was 21. A possible
reason that 4 students did not meet the criterion is that it was difficult for the students to analyze
information related to Miami, when our in class practice involved data from Naples. I explained during
the lesson for objective four that Miami and Naples have similar climate conditions, but these students
must have had difficulty making this connection in a testing situation.
Subgroups:

For the subgroup analysis I chose to analyze the data from the ESE, ELL and general education
students in my class. Within my class, the ESE and ELL subgroups were the most prominent and I
included the general education students in this analysis to contrast their achievement with students
with exceptionalities. In addition, I chose objective 2 to analyze because it required the students to
analyze information and therefore use higher-order thinking skills.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
ESE ELL Gen-Ed
Objective Two: Sub-Groups
Pre-test Avg Post test Avg Gains
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Within the ESE subgroup were 5 students: 2 students with language impairments, 2 students
with a specific learning disability and 1 student with other health impairment. Each of these students all
had different strengths and weaknesses, but they overlap with their need for additional clarification
with verbal language and all of these students were extremely visual learners. Within the ELL subgroup,
all 7 students were considered LZ. Although these students have exited the program, they still need
additional support with reading and writing. Similarly to the ESE subgroup of students, most of the ELL
students learned the best with visual aids and graphic organizers. The third group, general education
students, had 14 students and they all had different learning styles and strengths.
While analyzing this data, I noticed that the ESE students had the highest posttest average, 80%,
and the greatest gains with 60%. Interestingly, the general education group had the lowest posttest
average with a 73%. The gains that the general education students had was 45%. The data from the
general education students closely mimicked the ELL students data. The ELL students had a posttest
average with 75% and gains of 43%. Parts of this data surprised me and parts of this data makes logical
sense to me.
My initial reaction to the ESE subgroup having the highest gains and posttest score was shock.
After I seriously reflected on the personalities of the ESE students in comparison to the rest of the class,
my shock turned into understanding. Objective 2, in my opinion, was the most difficult of the objectives
because it required an in-depth understanding of the concepts beyond identification. Knowing that the
ESE students typically have difficulty with language, I assumed that they might have trouble with this
objective. Although these students have trouble in this area, these student also have the most support
from staff and have been taught skills to help them compensate for the effects of their disabilities. In
addition, these students have been taught to self-advocate and to take ownership for their learning. As
evidenced by their gains and their posttest scores, this support had a positive effect on their learning.
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The general education and ELL students were not too far behind the ESE students in their
posttest scores. I believe that the reason why the ELL and general education students had similar scores
is because all of the ELL students have been exited from the program and are now treated like general
education students. Overall, I was pleased with the scores of my entire class. The general education and
ELL students were typically successful throughout the exam. The individual students scores were mostly
consistent with the formative assessments throughout the unit lessons.
Student 026 Individual Analysis:
The data for student 026 shocked me. She is a general education student who is highly
motivated and always successful in her work. Her pre-test data was a 62% and her posttest was a 73%.
This student did not perform as well as I had anticipated on the post test. I will focus on the analysis of
objective 1 and objective 4. For objective 1, this student had a negative gain of -50%. According the
formative assessments (cooperative learning map on day 2 of the unit), student 026 had not only
mastered this content, but was one of the top achievers in the class. Throughout the entire lesson, this
student was able to answer the higher order questions I would ask with complete accuracy. I had
anticipated that this student would receive full marks on objective 1, not have a negative gain.
Student 026s performance on objective 4 was also surprising to me. She made a 50% gain on
this objective from a 33% on her pre-test to an 88% on her posttest. Normally, I would be happy with
these gains, but this student did an exemplary job on the in class assignment that was associated with
this objective and I anticipated full marks. In addition, she not only was extremely successful on the in
class assignment but she helped one of her classmates to be successful. Below is an example of this
students work on objective 4.
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I think that it is important to understand why this student did not meet my expectations based
on her formative assessments because this situation is one that all teachers will experience. I spoke with
this student after grading her test and she was very upset about her grade. Fortunately, it had a minimal
impact on her 98% average in the class. I asked her why she thought she did not do well on the test. She
explained to me that she gets very nervous before big tests and that her anxiety may have impacted her
performance. I reassured the student and spoke with her about ways that she can combat her test
anxiety in the future. This student is a high achieving and extremely intelligent person who has difficulty
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with traditional testing. Her performance on the test did not accurately portray her knowledge of the
content.
Student 006 Individual Analysis:
Student 006 did a wonderful job on his post test! I was very happy with his achievement during
this unit. Overall, student 006 received an 88% on his post test and had gains of 57%. This student
received one of the highest scores in the class. The result of student 006s ESE exceptionality is that he
needs extra help with language related activities and he needs help engaging in appropriate
social/emotional behaviors. In addition, this student has strengths understanding visual representations
of content and is motivated to succeed in school. For this analysis I will focus on objectives 1 and 2.
This student did well on day 2s cooperative learning activity which addressed objective 1. This
activity required the students to create a visual representation of the geologic history of Florida with
labels. This activity helped student 006 to internalize the information for this lesson by using an
integrated language and visual approach. While I was reviewing his progress on this activity, I noticed a
few errors and verbally reviewed the content with him during the activity. For objective 1, he received a
100% on the posttest and had a 50% gain from the pretest. I believe that this visual integration helped
him to succeed.
Objective 2 was one of the more complex objectives because it required students to determine
whether a statement was true or false and then determine which part of the statement was incorrect if
it was false. This ensured that the students had an in-depth knowledge of the content. The activities that
corresponded with objective 2 were on day 3 and 4. On day 3, the students created a geologic timeline
of Florida. Student 006 was very successful with this activity because of the visual representation of the
information. Interestingly, he did not have issues organizing the information unlike some of his peers.
This activity seemed to play to his strengths as a learner. During day 4s lesson I integrated a video about
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Floridas coral reefs. I believe this helped student 006 to succeed during the writing based activity for
that day. Student 006 had a pre-test score of 0% on this objective and received a 75% on his post test.
These gains were significant and indicated that this student learned during the activities and lessons.
I was very happy with the results from student 006s posttest. This student was able to succeed
because he was given activities and lessons that integrated his learning styles and strengths. Student
006 is a good example of how effective teaching must include a variety of strategies and activities that
help all of the students to succeed based on their individual needs.

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Section 7: Reflection and Self-Evaluation
Learning Objectives:
The learning objective where my students had the most success was learning objective 4. This
objective required the students to analyze rainfall data from Miami and Orlando and to determine which
city had more rainfall and why. The students received an average of 85.04% on the post assessment and
had gains of 43.4%. I believe that the students were the most successful on this objective because I
heavily stressed this objective during the lessons. The students were given a power point presentation
of the information related to this objective on day 1 and then were given an activity that directly
mimicked the test. The students graphed and analyzed rainfall data from Naples and Orlando. Based on
the formative assessments from this activity I realized that the students were having trouble analyzing
the data and drawing conclusions so we heavily reviewed the content.
In addition, I think that the students were successful because the lesson and activity associated
with this objective integrated my students learning needs. This activity integrated mathematics, visual
representations of content, high contrasting colors (for bar graphs), pictures in the power point, verbal
and oral instructions, and a writing component when the students took notes. Students 001, 002, 003,
008, 006, 010, 011, 012, 015, 018, 019, 020, 021, 022, 023, 024, and 025 have visual/spatial and
mathematical intelligences so this activity definitely met their needs. Also, because this activity was
completed in a small group this helped students 009, 012, and 026 who have strong leadership skills and
interpersonal intelligences.
In comparison, the students were the least successful on objective 1. The class average on the
posttest for this objective was a 73% and the class had gains of 16%. On the posttest, the students were
required to fill in the blank using a word bank. The word bank had 2 extra words that would not be used.
This was not initially the format for the pretest and I chose to include 2 extra words on the posttest
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because I wanted to ensure that the students fully understood the vocabulary words. I included the
word La Nia as a distractor for the word El Nio and I included the word Humid Subtropical as a
distractor for the word Humid Tropical. I believe that this addition to the posttest hindered the students
success.
The students in my class (ESE and ELL predominantly) have problems applying learned
information into a new context and they also typically have issues with decoding written language. In
hindsight, either I should not have changed the posttest or I should have modified my lesson plans. The
words that I included as distractors were too similar to the correct answers so this would be especially
difficult for the students who have trouble decoding language: students 001, 002, 008, 011, 012, 016,
018, 019, 022, and 024. In response to changing the posttest, I should have included a large section in a
lesson plan comparing and contrasting these difficult vocabulary words to ensure comprehension.
Combining this type of activity with the activities I had already planned for this objective would have
given the students more opportunities for success.
Educational Philosophy:
According to the Educational Philosophy Self-Assessment I am aligned with the humanism
philosophy. This philosophy explains that education is not only for cognitive development but for
affective development. During this unit, and throughout the entire internship, I tried to connect my
teaching to this philosophy. One of the core beliefs of a humanist philosophy is, There is a natural
tendency for people to learn, which will flourish if nourishing, encouraging environments are provided.
I always want my students to feel comfortable. I actively tried to learn about my students and their
educational needs. I designed my lessons to meet these needs. In addition, I made it clear to all of my
students that I was there to support them and if they needed any help or had any questions they could
talk to me.
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I believe that this unit integrated many of my students needs, but it did not meet all of their
needs. I was unable to integrate certain intelligences that my students possessed like music and
naturalistic. Also, after the unit ended I continued to learn about my students. For example, I was not
aware that student 026 had text anxiety. If I had known that prior to the posttest I would have made an
accommodation for her. I found it difficult within a 12 week period of time to be able to intimately know
the needs of my 182 students. I feel that if I was given more time with these students I would have been
a much more effective teacher for them. The cornerstone for effective education is developing positive
relationships in order to help each student meet their maximum potential.
Professional Development:
Based on my performance and my students performance on this unit, I have determined that I
would benefit from professional development in inquiry based learning and technology integration in
the classroom.
First, I would benefit from professional development in inquiry based learning because I felt that
I could have integrated more activities and lessons into this unit that allowed the students to create
their own knowledge prior to me giving direct instruction on the content. I think this would have helped
the students to develop an ownership for their learning and to truly contextualize the information. I will
begin my professional development by taking two steps. First, I will join the NSTA (National Science
Teachers Association). By joining this association I will have access to their publications which include
information about inquiry based learning. Next, in my future job I will find a teacher who has strengths
in science instruction and inquiry based learning and ask this teacher if they would be willing to mentor
me. I will collaborate with this teacher and other colleagues to provide meaningful learning experiences
for my students.
TWS 63
Next, I would benefit from professional development in technology integration in the classroom
because I had very little exposure to this in my internship. I believe that integrating technology is
extremely important because it is an integral part of our society and helps to engage the students in the
lesson. I wish I had opportunities during this internship to integrate technology other than videos and
power point presentations in my classroom, it would have helped to create a more engaging lesson. I
will begin my professional development by taking two steps. First I will explore the Edutopia guide on
how to integrate technology into the classroom found at the following link:
http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide. This guide includes a video, a power point, a
resources list and workshop activities to implement in the classroom. After I have explored this website I
will attend a webinar held by edtechteacher.org. This website hosts free webinars throughout the year.
The next webinars that I am interested in are on what games teach us about STEM and learning on April
29
th
and creation and collaboration tools for the BYOD classroom on May 6
th
.
As an educator it is an important part of my job to take part in professional development. There
are always new methods and strategies that I can learn about that will help to make me a more effective
educator. I will begin with professional development in inquiry based learning and technology
integration in the classroom. I believe that as I become more proficient in these areas, it will help me to
better serve my students needs.

TWS 64
References:
(2014). Collier County. Retrieved from www.colliergov.net
(2014). Collier County Public Library. Retrieved from www.collier-lib.org
(2014). Collier County Public Schools. Retrieved from www.collierschools.com
Florida Department of Education (2014). Department of Education. Retrieved from www.fldoe.org
(2013). Naples, Florida. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/city/Naples-Florida.html
(2014). Naples, FL. Retrieved from www.naplesgov.com
(2014). Naples High School. Retrieved from www.nhs.collierschools.com

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