Chris Gordon
MLED 403.001
October 31, 2005
Motivating Lesson Intro
Subtracting Fractions (Math)
I would start off with a bell, or opening assignment to be done before class, on the board that has the students write what they know about fractions and subtraction. I would enter the room dressed as a giant Hershey’s © chocolate bar. (I would have to check with the school to see if I can bring real chocolate bars in.) We would discuss as a class some of their answers to what they had written down for their bell. I would pass out chocolate bars, two to each student, to get them ready for a story. I would then read the book about subtracting fractions using Hershey’s © bars. As I read the book I would stop and help them through the examples presented in the book and expand upon those examples from the book.
A real life connection to this topic that we will discuss would be dividing candy between people; I would hopefully do this lesson around Halloween. To pique their curiosity, I would dress up as a giant Hershey’s © chocolate bar. I would trigger prior knowledge by making the bell have them discuss what they know about fractions and subtraction. I believe they may find it surprising how easy it is to subtract fractions when they have something concrete, like chocolate bars, there to aid in their learning.
The Rock Cycle (Science)
The theme for the rock cycle would be rockin’ round the rock cycle. I would have fifties and sixties music playing in the background when they walked into the classroom to get them in the right frame of mind for rockin’ round the rock cycle. Each student would have a piece of wax paper, an aluminum cupcake wrapper, plastic knife, paper towel, and a baggie that would have milk, dark, and white chocolate Hershey’s © kisses in it. As a class we would then go in and briefly discuss the rock cycle and safety issues that go along with doing this activity. Then I would go into the whole activity where the students will create the rock cycle using the Hershey’s © kisses.
The real life connection that I would have to go along with this would be volcanoes, cliffs, and any other places where you can actually see the rock cycle naturally occurring, this may also include a video. To pique their curiosity I would have the music playing and would be dressed up for the time period, like a poodle skirt. I would also have a song that they could sing about the rock cycle. This could be connected to the student’s lives by discussing Mt. St. Helens. They would probably find it surprising how much easier it is to understand the rock cycle when they can actually recreate it by using some different kinds of chocolate kisses.
Paleontology with Dinosaurs (Science)
I would have a bell, or opening assignment to be done before class, up on the board that has them write what Paleontology is. After we discuss what it means as a class, there will be a brown bag for each group hiding around the room that they will have to find. Inside of each bag there will be a set of dinosaur bones, cut apart, two paintbrushes, newspaper, and three Dixie © cups “fossils”. As a group they will have to uncover the “fossils” hidden in the cups with the paintbrushes. They will also have to put together the dinosaur bones to make their dinosaur. They will then go on with the rest of the lesson that I would have planned to go along with this activity.
I will get them curious about the topic by discussing what a Paleontologist is and what they do. I would bring in real life fossils to make the real world connection about why a Paleontologist looks for fossils. By having them look for their bags and get their fossils out of the Dixie © cups with the paint brushes, they will get a feel for what it is really like to be a Paleontologist. I think they will find it surprising how hard it is to actually put together a dinosaur and how they have to use clues from the fossils around the bones to guess what type of animal it may be and what the environment was like for that animal.