Designing Homes to withstand Weathering

Problem-Based Learning Model

Pages 301 - 303
Grade 3 Science

1. MATERIALS/PREPLANNING
Materials 2 boxes of foil, 1 bag of cotton balls, 2 packs of bobby pins, 3 packs of large straws, 3 packs of pipe cleaners, 1
bag of Q-tips, 2 packs of play-doh, 6 packs of popsicle sticks, 2 packs of foam, 1 pack of Styrofoam cups, 2 packs of index
cards.
Vocabulary Grassland, Temperate Climate, Rainforest, Tropics, Tundra
Literature World book kids

2. OBJECTIVE
Students in grade three will build a house that can withstand our extreme weather conditions.
DOK/ Taxonomy: Create
3-ESS3-1.
Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard

3. ASSESSMENT Perfect Assessment Tool Rationale:

Authentic Assessment: Assessing real world writing and This assessment supports the constructivism theoretical
creating. model as it observes how students construct their own
I am assessing student work using a rubric. A copy is meaning as they design and build a house that
included within the lesson plan. withstands extreme weathering.

4. CENTRAL FOCUS/ PURPOSE (2 parts to include)

1. Students in the third grade will make a claim about a design solution the reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
2. Class, today we are going to be designing our own buildings. Our designs are going to create different solutions to the
problem of extreme weathering. When you design your building, try to develop a solution that can withstand extreme
weather.

5. MOTIVATION FOR LEARNING

Within the constructivist theory, learners are actively striving to make sense of their environment. As a result of this, learners
are intrinsically motivated.
In order to support motivation to learn, I will guide students in questioning how they can create a solution to the problem of
extreme weathering. I will allow students to create different solutions and become intrinsically motivated by allowing them to

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 design their own building.
This lesson will promote growth mindset because even if a groups building does not withstand extreme weathering, they will
have the opportunity to learn from their design flaw and brainstorm ways to improve the design. Within growth mindset,
students learn from their mistakes and as a result of this, mistakes become a valuable commodity within learning.

6. PRE-LESSON - Just before teaching the new lesson do the following:

Students have previously learned about extreme weather conditions. Students are familiar with extreme weather and
understand how extreme weather can damage buildings.
Today, we will be designing and building houses that can withstand extreme weather conditions. You will create solutions to
the problems caused by extreme weather.

6. LESSON BODY: Provide text page #301-302 for your lesson. Follow the exact steps provided in the text for the
lesson you are teaching. Clarity is the key.

Step 1 Identify the Problem I want you to look at this extreme weather video. While we watch, think about the problem
created from the extreme weathering. Teacher will show class video. Did anyone identify any problems caused by
the extreme weathering? Teacher will write the problems on the board, students will write the problems in their
science journals.
Step 2 Develop a Plan for solving the Problem The teacher will assign students to different groups to develop a plan. Each
group member receives a role for working together. Member 1: Data Gatherer, Member 2: Scribe, Member 3: Sage,
Member 4: Reporter, Member 5: Illustrator. / Teacher develops a timeline for the students: You will have 15 minutes
to discuss. You will then have 15 minutes to create a plan, 30 minutes to build your model.

Step 3 Implement the Plan The students will present their solutions to the class. The students will have time to implement and
build their plan. The students will incorporate the solutions presented and find ways to use the materials provided
by the teacher.

Step 4 Evaluate the Plan This stage will take place during the next day. After building their models, the teacher will place the
outside, overnight, to see if the models can withstand the weather. The teacher may also dump water or heat up the
models to test the students solutions. Based on this, the students will evaluate their work by analyzing the data
from the models. Groups will receive feedback on their solutions and suggestions for strengthening their solutions.
Students will reflect on their contributions as individuals and within the group. What worked well and what could be
improved? They will write about this within their journal.

Step 5 Closure Now that we have tested our solutions, we can vote on the group with the best solution. Please refer to your
data and choose the best solution that withstood the extreme weathering.

7. ASSIGNMENT
The perfect assignment that I have designed incorporates visual and kinesthetic learning as students not only need to write
and draw images of their solution, but also build their design. Students can used suggested materials to develop their design
and are not limited to a specific set of tools but are encouraged to utilize whatever they need.

8. Student Work Examples/Technology Support

Youtube, Worldbook Kids
Students also have personal chromebooks and so they are able to utilize references on their haiku web page to research
designs.

Reflective Thinking/Curriculum Evaluation @50 Points

9. Reflective Thinking/Curriculum Evaluation

Relevance: Explain how this lesson demonstrates your competence with one of the Graduate SLOs below? Delete unused
SLOs.

SLO 3: Employ leadership practices to optimize educational and institutional outcomes.

Within this lesson design, I am fulfilling SLO 3 because I am creating a lesson that addresses problem based learning in the

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elementary school classroom. As an elementary school educator, the majority of my time is utilized within direct instruction or
assessment. Allowing students to explore and build their own solutions that are not found within the text book is a way that I can
employ leadership practice to optimize educational and institutional outcomes. By providing this lesson for and encouraging other
educators, I can lead the way toward the development of problem solving skills and intrinsic motivation within the classroom on my
elementary schools campus.

Significance/competence: Using careful analysis and evaluative thought, address the points listed below. Add other
pertinent information that supports our competence by using this lesson model.

Explain how this lesson supports helping students reach levels of deeper learning.
The lesson supports helping students reach levels of deeper learning because students must identify, analyze, develop
and analyze again. Students are not given instruction on how to build their model and therefore must solve their own problems using
research and teamwork.
How does this model make learning stick in long term memory?
This learning model is experiential, meaning that students will store this in their episodic memory. Because students
must engage in order to develop their designs, they will process the experience through practice and store this within their
long term memory.
Provide examples and rationale for appropriate use of this teaching model and where it is suitable throughout your
curriculum. Indicate/discuss strengths/weaknesses based on theology/theory.
This teaching model is suitable for the science units within elementary school curriculum. The strengths associated with
the constructivist theory is that students create their own meaning and develop their understanding based on their level of
engagement. Within science, this is very successful because students are excited to use different materials to build their
model. The constructivist theory may be more challenging for a traditional subject such as English language arts unless this
model is utilized and students are able to create their own solutions for the posed problem.
How will you support advanced/ELD/Special needs learners through using this model?
By allowing students to work in small groups, I am able to support learners of all levels. Providing each student with an
individual job will allow the team to support one another without frustrating other students. Students can focus on their job
and develop the project within their field. Advanced learners can access additional research on their haiku web page while
students with special needs can access existing models in order to develop their own. ELD learners can utilize images and
video in order to develop a deeper understanding of the information being presented.
Provide links to the Common Core State Standards and explain how this lesson could support the CCSS.
3-ESS3-1.
Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard
This lesson directly supports ccss by allowing students to create a claim about the merit of a design solution.

Link to Theory:

Explain the links between this lesson model and the supporting theory (i.e., behaviorism, info processing, social learning or
constructivist).
Link this lesson to one or more of the Big Ideas and provide a rationale.
Link this lesson to the New Learning Sciences and provide rationale for your selection and descriptive examples.
Describe technological resources you have found useful.

Growth Mindset

How does this lesson help a student develop a stronger positive growth mindset? Provide specific examples. Include ideas on how
you might reward learning according to the Growth Mindset research.

Professional Actions/Areas for growth: What are your next professional steps in this area to keep moving forward as a
professional?

Discuss what went well and what changes you have made for improving learning.
What have you learned about how learning happens?
What more do you need to read or learn?
How does this add to your credibility to supervise student teachers?

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