This Learning Experience takes two class periods. One class is needed for the field trip of the school neighborhood, and one class is needed to discuss their observations of these structures.
Lesson Summary
The students take a tour of the school neighborhood. Students make and record observations of structures during the tour. The students share their observations in a class discussion at the end of the tour. Their observations are posted on the Principles of Good Construction and Design poster, and the Class Observations of Structures poster. These two posters are posted and revisited by the students throughout the unit.
Teacher Background
This lesson obtains the students initial observations of structures, and could be used as a pre-assessment. This learning experience will give the students an opportunity to look critically at structures, and question how they stand up. The students will observe the aesthetic qualities of structures. The students will take this same tour during Learning Experience 12, which could serve as a post assessment.
Set-up/Management Tips
- Permission slips and parent volunteers will need to be arranged ahead of time for this field trip.
- Arrange for the students to have pencils and clipboards so they have a writing surface to use on the field trip. Photocopy the student recording sheets Science Notebook Page-Structures in Our Neighborhood pages 33 and 35 in the manual for the students to record their observations on during the field trip.
- Select the structures in advance and create a map of the field trip structures. Number the structures on the map so that everyone knows which structure is being observed and later discussed in class discussions. Give each student a photocopy of the map of the numbered structures. Post a copy of the map in the classroom.
- If possible take photos of the structures during the field trip to post on their Class Observations of Structures poster.
- There is an optional Home-School Worksheet pg.37 and parent letter, pg. 39 that asks the student to tour the neighborhood near their home and record observations.
- Prepare a chart to use after the tour to record the class observations on the “Structures We Observed” page 28 of teacher’s manual. Post the photographs of the neighborhood structures on this poster.
- Information about how to set up the students’ science notebooks explained on teacher’s manual pages 23-24.
- Create a bulletin board of structures entitled “Observations of Structures” and invite the students to add pictures, and record their observations on the board throughout the unit.
- Post the vocabulary words for the structures unit on the word wall at the beginning of the unit or as the words are introduced during the unit.
- Class Record and Student Profiles are found on teacher’s manual pages I-21 to I-32. These can be used to record the students’ development of science concepts and abilities/understandings necessary to do scientific inquiry.
- Optional mentioned and not included in the kit Round Buildings, Square Buildings, and Buildings That Wiggle Like a Fish by Philip Issacson mentioned on teacher’s manual page 30.
- Science notebook questions and writing suggestions for this learning experience are listed below:
* Teacher’s manual page 25-Instruct them to date and title a page, “My Ideas about Structures.”
* Have the students write a description and make drawings of how they would change the neighborhood.
* Have the students’ research and report on the history of the neighborhood. Use the local historical society, town archives, and library to obtain information.
Literacy Support
Scientific Vocabulary
The following words are key vocabulary words that will be introduced in this lesson and reinforced throughout the unit:
|
|
