Gwynedd-Mercy College

School of Education
Personal Integrity and Social Responsibility
Lesson Plan

Your Name: Michele Morelli

Date: 10/3/13

School:________________________

Grade/Topic: 1st grade, Magnetism

STANDARD: (.5 point)

PDE Standard: 3.2 Physical Sciences: Chemistry and Physics
PDE Standard: 1.6 Speaking and Listening
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATION: (2 points)
Students will discover magnetism by using magnets to attract different materials and
creating a chart to show magnetic and non-magnetic items.
I. PLANNING AND PREPARATION:
1. Briefly describe the students in your class, including those with special needs, explain
how you will meet the needs of all learners. (.5 point)
This lesson is developed for a first grade classroom of thirty children in total, sixteen
boys and fourteen girls. There are no children with an IEP in this class. This lesson is
designed to meet the needs of all of the students in the classroom, paying attention to
different learning styles such as auditory, visual and tactile. I will provide additional
assistance if needed.
2. What are your expectations for this lesson? What do you want students to learn and be
able to do with the knowledge? (.5 point)
The students will discover magnetism by using magnets to test the attraction of different
items. After the students discuss what they know and want to know about magnetism, the
students will test different objects such as paper clips, screws, cotton balls, pencils,
cereal, plastic and aluminum cans. The students will then use their findings to create a Tchart of magnetic and non-magnetic items.
3. Why are these expectations suitable for this particular group (identified in #1) of
students? (1 points)

These expectations are very suitable for this particular group of students because they are
highly social. Referencing the PDE standards, first graders can listen actively and
respond to others in group settings be them large or small. At their age, these students are
developmentally able to follow directions and routines, as well as use materials
purposefully and respectfully.
4. How do these expectations support the school districts curriculum, state standards, and
content standards? (.5 point)
These expectations support the PA Academic Standards specifically in:
PDE Standards: Science and Technology and Engineering Education
3.2 Physical Sciences: Chemistry and Physics
3.2.1.A6: *Use simple equipment (tools and other technologies) to gather data
and understand that this allows scientists to collect more information than
relying only on their senses to gather information.
*Use data/evidence to construct explanations and understand that scientists
develop explanations based on their evidence and compare them with their
current scientific knowledge.
PDE Standards: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening
1.6 Speaking and Listening
1.6.1.A: Listen actively and respond to others in large and small group
situations with appropriate questions and ideas.
This lesson supports these standards because the students will be working together in
groups, using tools to gather information about magnetism, then using the newly found
evidence to develop a T-chart about the tested materials magnetic attraction.
5. Explain the psychological principles/theories you used in constructing this lesson. (2
points)
This lesson reflects part of Bruners Constructivist Theory. Bruner theorized that children
learn by constructing new ideas/concepts based on their current knowledge of the subject.
Children rely on their current schema or cognitive structures to help them understand new
topics and build upon others. This lesson encourages children to use their background
knowledge on magnetics, as well as the other material used in this lesson to figure out
how they connect to each other.
II. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT:
6. Describe the effective classroom routines and procedures resulting in little or no loss of
instructional time. (1 point)

Prior to the actual class period, I will label stations with number 1-6 using large, visible
signs. On a table in front of the classroom will be my Science in a Box, which will
have all of the materials each group will need, including lab sheets and poster board (the
box will be hidden when the students arrive for the motivation portion of the lesson). I
will also create a simple K-W-L chart on the front board. When the students arrive, I will
ask them to sit at their assigned seats. They will participate in the class discussion and
motivation as a whole, and then I will separate the students into groups of five using the
count-off method. They will then be asked to move to the station corresponding to their
number. After the groups are situated and the rules have been discussed, I will ask 1
student from each group to come up to the front of the room and gather the materials.
7. Identify what you will do to set clear standards of conduct and behavior
management of student behavior. (1 point)
The classroom rules will be written in large font on a poster board in front of the room. I
will call attention to this list after all of the students have moved to their assigned stations
(before they are asked to gather their materials), making sure to go over any rules which
could pertain to our lesson. Following basic classroom rules, I will go over some rules
specific to this lesson. Specific rules for this lesson include:

Do not open the bag or touch any materials until you have been given full directions.
Do not put any of the materials in your mouth.
Allow each group member to equally and actively participate.
Be careful with and respectful of all materials.
8. Identify what you will do to establish expectations for student achievement. (1
point)
I will establish expectations for student achievement by modeling. One of the materials to
be tested in this lesson is cereal. The cereal will be dissolved in water in a small,
Tupperware container. I will model to the students how and where to hold the magnet to
get the best results. I will tell the students how long they should hold their magnet in
place for, but I will not model this completely for fear of hindering their chances of
discovery. I will also model during the assessment portion of this lesson. I will show the
students how to create and label a T-chart on their poster boards. There will be no formal
rubrics or scoring guides used for this lesson.
III. INSTRUCTION:
9. What will you do to motivate students? (1 point)
I will motivate the students by pulling out my Science in a Box from its hiding spot and
placing it on the front table. I will tell the students that today we are all going to conduct
a science experiment, and all of our materials are in this one, lone box. I will then ask
students to raise their hands and guess what our focus of the lesson is, using the picture

clues on the outside of the box. I will ask each student to explain why they believe their
guess is correct. After a few students have guessed what is in the box, I will open it and
pull out a magnet.
10. What will you do to activate prior knowledge? (1 point)
To activate the students prior knowledge, I will create a K-W-L chart about magnets. I
will ask them what they already know about magnets, and what they would like to learn
about magnets. To help stimulate this conversation, I will ask the students a few
questions. Some of the questions will include:
What am I holding in my hand? What does it do? (KNOWLEDGE)
Where have you seen magnets in your every day life? (KNOWLEDGE)
11. How do you plan to engage students in the content? What will you do? What will
students do? (3 points total)
The materials for this lesson include:
Science in a Box (The box itself, decorated on the outside with picture clues)
Six magnets, one for each group
Six gallon-sized Ziploc bags, each containing the following:
A screw
A nut/bolt
A pencil
A small, Tupperware container filled with cereal dissolved in water
An aluminum can
A small, plastic soldier/toy
A paperclip
A cotton ball
Six medium-sized poster boards, one for each group
Six picture-bags attached to each poster board [a picture of each item from the Ziploc bag
(aluminum can, cotton ball, etc.) for each group, Six of each item, forty eight pictures in
total]
Six markers, one for each group
Six glue sticks

The lesson will go as follows:

1. While the students are in their assigned seats, I will begin with the motivation as
explained in question nine.
2. Upon completion of the motivation, we will move directly into the prior knowledge
portion of the lesson, presented in question 10.
3. After we have finished the W portion of our K-W-L chart, I will tell the students to
keep all of our questions in mind while we conduct our experiments. I will explain to the
students that today we are going to be testing different items to see if they are magnetic. I
will tell the students that magnetic means the magnet will attract, or pull the item towards
it ( If applicable, I will model this idea by placing the magnet from the motivation on a
magnetic item on the wall or in the room elsewhere).

4. I will then tell the students that they will be performing these experiments in groups of
five. Using the count-off method, I will divide the students into six groups and instruct
them to assemble according to the corresponding number in the labeled area of the room.
5. After the students are in their groups, I will go over all rules and regulations listed in
question seven.
6. Following the discussion of rules, I will ask one student from each group to come up to
the front of the class and grab a Ziploc bag, a magnet, a marker, a glue stick, and a poster
board with a bag full of pictures attached.
7. I will then ask the groups to put the magnet all the way to the right side of their table, far
away from their Ziploc bag. The students will then be asked to empty the contents of their
bags and gently, neatly assemble them on the table.
8. I will tell the students to take a look at the Tupperware container first. I will ask, What
do you think this is? Could anything in this mixture be magnetic? I will tell them that
the container is holding a mixture of cereal and water. I will model how to open the
Tupperware container (if necessary), and where to place the magnet. I will tell the
students an approximate number of minutes to hold the magnet in place, but will not
physically model it for fear of hindering their discovery. I will make sure to tell the
students to watch the magnet and the contents of the container closely for any
action(While I walk around the room and observe each group, I will ask them to tell me
what they are observing. After I know that each group has seen what happened in the
water, I will explain to the students that the iron inside of the cereal sticks to the magnet
because iron is magnetic. Therefore, an ingredient in the foods we eat is magnetic!).
9. I will then ask the student to move this item aside and begin to test the other materials in
the Ziploc bag by placing the magnet up to it. If the magnet is pulled towards the item,
the item is magnetic. If there is no feeling of attraction between the magnet and the item,
then it is non-magnetic.
10. After the students have tested all of the items in their bag, they will be asked to return all
of the materials to the gallon-sized Ziploc bag and place it aside. They must then place
their poster board in the middle of their table, detach the picture-bag and move it aside,
and choose one group member to make a T-chart.
11. Modeling in front of the class, I will draw a large T on the board. I will explain to the
students, Now we are going to organize our findings according to their magnetic pull.
Lets make a chart to show which items from our bags were magnetic, and which were
not magnetic. I want each person with a marker in their hand to draw a large T on your
poster board, like this. On the top left of the T, I want you to write MAGNETIC. On
the right side, I would like you to write NON-MAGNETIC. Now glue the pictures of
the items that are magnetic to the left side of the chart, under MAGNETIC. Glue the
pictures of the items that are not magnetic to the right side of the chart, under NONMAGNETIC.
12. When every group has finished their posters, I will ask them to write their names on the
bottom and hang them on the wall in a designated area.
13. We will then take a look at the posters and discuss our findings. I will ask the students
why they thought the screws were magnetic but the can was not. I will then explain to the
students that magnets ONLY attract items with iron inside of them. Iron is a metal that is
mixed with many other types of metals to make different items such as paper clips,
scissor blades, screws, nails, nuts and bolts, refrigerators, etc. Iron is also in foods like

many vegetables, meats, and like the students saw, cereal. Our bodies need iron to
survive, which is why many of the foods we eat either contain iron or have added iron for
nutritional purposes. The aluminum can is, in fact, metal. However, aluminum is a
different kind of metal, and contains no traces of iron, making it non-magnetic.
12. Describe the use of questioning and discussion strategies that will encourage
students to participate in class. (1 point)
During the prior knowledge portion of the lesson, the strategy of large-group discussion
is used. Throughout much of the lesson I use simple Q&A strategies, and small-group
discussion. The discussion piece is so important for children at this age; they need
examples and ideas from their peers and teachers to build long-lasting impressions.
Regarding Blooms levels of questioning, majority of the questioning are knowledge,
comprehension and analysis based. Some of the questions asked throughout the lesson
and on the lab sheet include:
Why are the screws magnetic but the aluminum can is not? (ANALYSIS)
What is happening to the magnet inside of the water? (KNOWLEDGE)
What do you think this is? Could anything in this mixture be magnetic?
(COMPREHENSION)
13. What difficulties do students typically experience in this area, and how do you plan to
adapt/modify to meet their needs? (1 point)
Students at this age may have trouble seeing the connection between the iron in the cereal
and magnetism. In order to combat this issue, I will explain to the students why iron is in
cereal, and why some foods are fortified (I will do this following the lesson). Students at
this age are also not usually ready to write in complete sentences, which is why I decided
to use pictures as opposed to words on the lab sheet. If a group is finished before the rest
of the class, they will be asked to remain at their tables. The students will be encouraged
to converse in their groups about items around the classroom that could be magnetic.
14. Identify what informal and/or formal assessments you will use to monitor student
learning. (1 point)
I will be looking to see if the students have grasped the idea of magnetism, and which
types of materials could or couldnt be magnetic. To determine this, I will walk around
the room and use informal observation, paying close attention to the comments made
during and following the lesson. I will use the lab sheet/poster board as a formal
assessment, making sure that the pictures used correspond with the correct label
(magnetic or non-magnetic).
15. What will you do to bring closure to the lesson? (2 points)

To close this lesson, I will reiterate what was said about magnetism. I will tell the
students that magnets are attracted to iron, and anything that contains iron in them. I will
review which items were magnetic and which were not, as well as review why the cereal
was considered magnetic. The students will then be asked to turn to a friend and share
one item they believe to be magnetic in the classroom. Tomorrows lesson will go further
into magnetism, as we get to test different items around the classroom and school.

You will do Domain IV when you are Pre-Student and Student Teaching.
You may be doing a Reflection for your specific lesson based on your
professors requirements.
IV.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
16. Identify the school districts policies regarding staff attendance and
punctuality on the job.
17.

Identify the school districts plans for professional development.

18.
Describe what you have done to effectively communicate, both
orally and in writing, with your cooperating teacher, administrative staff,
supportive staff, students and parents.
19.
Identify what you have done to participate in and support school
building or district projects and/or events.
REFLECTION:
20.
Describe what went well with the lesson, what didnt go so well
and what you would do to improve your teaching effectiveness in the next
lesson.