Analysis of Classroom Interactions,

Student Learning, & Reflection

Final Segment of Lesson Design & Analysis – Part 4
Name(s): Amelia Leng

Lesson Topic and Grade Level: First Grade – Plants and Animals

 PERFORMANCE EXPECTATION: 1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants
and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs. [Clarification Statement: Examples
of human problems that can be solved by mimicking plant or animal solutions could include designing clothing or equipment
to protect bicyclists by mimicking turtle shells, acorn shells, and animal scales; stabilizing structures by mimicking animal tails
and roots on plants; keeping out intruders by mimicking thorns on branches and animal quills; and, detecting intruders by
mimicking eyes and ears.]
 NARROWED LESSON FOCUS: Animals and plants have characteristics that help them survive and meet their needs that
humans can also use.
 SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICE: Use materials to design a device that solves a specific problem or a solution to a
specific problem. (1-LS1-1)
 CROSSCUTTING CONCEPT: The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are plated to their
function(s). (1-LS1-1)

Phenomenon and Driving Question for Lesson:

 PHENOMENON: Humans do similar things that animals do to survive.

 DRIVING QUESTION: “What is the same about what we do and what animals do?”

1. Analysis of Whole Class Interactions and Classroom Culture

 a. What opportunities did students have to participate and engage in the lesson? Examples include talk, interactions with
materials, etc. How did students participate? (e.g., who was doing the talking, what kind of language were they using?) All of
the students were called to the rug. I first introduced the idea of the lesson, and told the class we were going to watch a video on how
animals adapt to their environment. Since I assumed most first graders don’t know what adapt means, I gave students the opportunity
to raise their hand and share with the class if they knew what adapt means. One boy had the basic idea, and I built on what he said and
clarified the meaning. During the video, which was my experience (Johannah’s was the read-aloud), I could see and hear students
reacting to the crazy animal adaptations they saw. Before the video started, I told them to try and remember one cool animal that was
their favorite, and we could share after the video was done. When the video finished, I called on about 5-7 students who raised their
hands to share what animals they liked. During the assessment activity, students were talking with their tablemates about which animal
and person they would pick, although I don’t think any two students who sit next to each did the same thing which was fantastic. We
also picked asked for volunteers on the carpet after the majority of the class was finished, who wanted to share and read their examples
to the class.

b. How did you elicit and leverage students’ resources (e.g., funds of knowledge, ways of knowing)? When students have a
partial idea, I would try to lead them to the correct answer by probing them with more questions, just as I did during the sense-making
discussions. I will also pull from what I learned about the students’ funds of knowledge and ways of knowing during the sense-making
activity in order to make my lesson more clear for the class. During both my video and Johannah’s read aloud, they students were talking
about the ideas of camouflage with fur and hibernation with bears, but since I was asking them to compare the animals with people, I
would say, “Yes bears do hibernate, but is that something that people do?” They would answer no, and then I would further the
discussion about what does bears fur do? It keeps them warm. What keeps us warm in the winter? Winter coats. This was something
that all the students could relate to because they live in Michigan. If this was being taught in a warm state, adjustments may be needed.

c. How did students interact with each other and you as the teacher? (e.g., how were their ideas responded to, were they
acknowledged, rejected or built on, whose ideas were taken up and whose were not?) I started the lesson and began with the
short, 5 minute YouTube video about animals that have unique adaptations for survival. During the video, the students were interacting
with others sitting near them on the carpet, but in a beneficial way, talking about what they were seeing in the video and expressing
themselves. If something was gross, or funny some of them would look at me for my reaction and I would encourage them with my
facial expressions, keeping them interested. Students were very eager to share with me after the video what stood out to them and then
some proceeded to tell me personal stories, which was a bit off topic, but I liked to see them relating what they saw to their own
personal lives. During the assessment, students were bouncing ideas and suggestions off of each other, or raising their hands to gladly
accept help from Johannah or I.
3. Reflections
Write a detailed, multi-sentence analytical response for each of the following questions:
Reflections on assessment: In addition to analyzing student responses to your assessment task for clear evidence of student
understanding, you will also need to reflect upon the effectiveness of your assessment.
1. What were the strengths of the assessment you chose for providing evidence of student science understanding?
a. Explain why. Include evidence (e.g., one example; overall class responses).
Our assessment was very successful in providing evidence of student science understanding. The whole point of our
assessment was that we wanted students to explain WHY they chose the animal and human activity that they did. We at
first were only going to do a matching activity, but that would not have shown any of the reasoning behind their choices.
Some examples are that two of my focal students above used the word “because”, and one used the word “similar”.
Students’ usage of those words shows the effectiveness that the assessment had on digging for student understanding.

2. What were the limitations of the assessment you chose for providing evidence of student science understanding?
Explain why. Include evidence (e.g., one example; overall class responses).
The limitations were they since we only provided blank lines in our template, students could technically write anything
they wanted, and not necessarily use words like “because” and “similar”, such as some students did. One student was
comparing a turtle shell to a hockey player and all she wrote was, “The hockey player has a helmet and pads”. A way this
could have been avoided is if halfway though the lines, we typed in the word “because” as a guide for students to know
the structure of their responses.
3. Based on your analysis of the responses, what changes would you make for this assessment task in order to get a
more complete picture of all students’ progress towards mastering your science content NGSS learning goals? Why?
If I were trying to get a more complete picture, I would have given students more time if they needed it. Even
though it took longer for some students to understand the concepts and get started on their work, I don’t
think that means that they understood anything less than the more gifted students did. Giving students more
time to work is setting them up in a better position to master the science content in the long run. If I weren’t
collecting these assessments as data for school, I would have told my students that if they didn’t finish, they
had to take it home and finish it. And students who had already finished could take it home and share it with
their parents, but everyone had to bring it back. This would be beneficial, and also not take away from time
needed in the classroom to get started on other subjects and lessons.
Reflections on classroom culture:
 1. How did the lesson conform or deviate from the established classroom culture from the mentor teacher? How might
that have impacted student interactions and learning? The lesson conformed to the established classroom structure in
multiple ways. We used a lot of the same techniques that Mrs. McElmurry uses. When she is trying to get their attention she
says, “Hey first graders” and they reply, “Yes, Mrs. McElmurry?”. We did this with our own names to gather them to the carpet
at the beginning of the lesson, to make it seem like any other normal morning. We also dismissed them by hair color to the
desks for the assessment, which is a form of classroom management Mrs. McElmurry uses so that they don’t all go at once.
Something that deviated from the classroom culture was that we did our science lesson in the morning, and they usually do their
science lessons in the afternoon just before school ends. I think that even though this was different than the norm, it worked out
better because first graders are more attentive and focused in the morning.
Reflections on teacher identity:
1. How did teaching your lesson impact your own identity as a teacher and as a science learner? This was my first real
experience talking to an entire class and it was such a fulfilling experience that I learned so much from. This impacted my
identity because it made me realize how much students depend on us as teachers, even the ones who usually always succeed.
Just by giving a student a compliment, or a high five, or encouragement can change their entire mood and motivation. After
doing this lesson, I really felt like I knew this is what I want to do in life. As a science teacher, it made me realize how science can
really be a great way for students to express themselves, and that students really find joy in making discoveries and explaining
how they came up with an idea.