Teaching Samples From Student Teaching
Playground Signs and Symbols
The following is a Project-Based Social Studies lesson I did in a kindergarten classroom. The class looked at both American and everyday symbols. After learning about everyday common symbols, students worked in partners to create a symbol for the playground. Students worked collaboratively in partners to create a symbol that is important to them during their recess time on the playground. This was a cross-curricular lesson that incorporated reading, writing, social studies with an emphasis on critical thinking. Some sample projects are below.
The following is a Project-Based Social Studies lesson I did in a kindergarten classroom. The class looked at both American and everyday symbols. After learning about everyday common symbols, students worked in partners to create a symbol for the playground. Students worked collaboratively in partners to create a symbol that is important to them during their recess time on the playground. This was a cross-curricular lesson that incorporated reading, writing, social studies with an emphasis on critical thinking. Some sample projects are below.
Animal Habitats in Shoe Boxes
Students in a kindergarten class researched an animal of their choice using iPads and books to discover facts and information about the habitat of their particular animal. Students chose between mammals, fish, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Then, students created the habitat for their animal inside of a shoebox using a variety of materials of their choice. This lesson was student-based where I was a facilitator and let students guide their own learning.
Students in a kindergarten class researched an animal of their choice using iPads and books to discover facts and information about the habitat of their particular animal. Students chose between mammals, fish, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Then, students created the habitat for their animal inside of a shoebox using a variety of materials of their choice. This lesson was student-based where I was a facilitator and let students guide their own learning.
Seeds
A cross-curricular unit in kindergarten on plants. Included below are samples of a lima bean growth observation, grass seeds planted in cups and informational writing about seeds.
The Next Generation Science Standards addressed include:
K-LS1-1.Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive
K-ESS3-1.Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live.
Common Core Literacy Standard addressed:
Text Types and Purposes
2. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
A cross-curricular unit in kindergarten on plants. Included below are samples of a lima bean growth observation, grass seeds planted in cups and informational writing about seeds.
The Next Generation Science Standards addressed include:
K-LS1-1.Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive
K-ESS3-1.Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live.
Common Core Literacy Standard addressed:
Text Types and Purposes
2. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
2D and 3D Shape Sort
A kindergarten math lesson sorting 2D and 3D shapes using real world application. Once students sorted each shape, they were to label what the shape's name. This lesson incorporated real-world application using common food items that are both two-dimensional and three-dimensional.
Common Core Standards Addressed:
Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres).
A kindergarten math lesson sorting 2D and 3D shapes using real world application. Once students sorted each shape, they were to label what the shape's name. This lesson incorporated real-world application using common food items that are both two-dimensional and three-dimensional.
Common Core Standards Addressed:
Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres).
- Identify shapes as two-dimensional (lying in a plane, “flat”) or three-dimensional (“solid”)
- Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and vertices/“corners”) and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length).
- Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes
Opinion Writing
A lesson done in a kindergarten classroom. I taught a writing lesson that focused on understanding and communicating the main idea of the story. I used the book Froggy Builds a Treehouse as a mentor text to portray the concept of "main idea". We filled in a graphic organizer with details about the text. Then, students wrote opinion pieces about the book discussing whether or not they enjoyed the story. Their writing included a sentence starter, reasons why they liked the book and examples from the book along with a closing. A class goal is to use a "juicy" word (adjective) in their writing. Attached is a student sample writing, an English Language Learners writing and the graphic organizer done by all.
The Common Core Standard Addressed:
Text Types and Purposes
1.Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is . . .).
A lesson done in a kindergarten classroom. I taught a writing lesson that focused on understanding and communicating the main idea of the story. I used the book Froggy Builds a Treehouse as a mentor text to portray the concept of "main idea". We filled in a graphic organizer with details about the text. Then, students wrote opinion pieces about the book discussing whether or not they enjoyed the story. Their writing included a sentence starter, reasons why they liked the book and examples from the book along with a closing. A class goal is to use a "juicy" word (adjective) in their writing. Attached is a student sample writing, an English Language Learners writing and the graphic organizer done by all.
The Common Core Standard Addressed:
Text Types and Purposes
1.Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is . . .).
College Readiness--Informational Writing
As a class, we researched the classroom college, University of Southern California and wrote down facts about the university. Then, students articulated facts into complete sentences and wrote a paragraph with a topic sentence, three facts/details, and a closing sentence.
As a class, we researched the classroom college, University of Southern California and wrote down facts about the university. Then, students articulated facts into complete sentences and wrote a paragraph with a topic sentence, three facts/details, and a closing sentence.
A set of scenarios to teach character education to third graders. The emphasis for this particular lesson was being respectful and bullying.
In third grade, there was an emphasis on solving word problems in math using the four operations. Students developed a conceptual understanding of how to solve these word problems by persevering through the steps. They also discussed how to solve two-step problems with one another by agreeing and disagreeing and giving reasons why. Students were able to solve these problems multiple ways including building arrays, using the box diagram method, number lines, and repeated addition and subtraction. Below is a sample set of problems students solved independently, in groups or altogether using the Promethean Board.