Region 2 Elementary Science Model Lesson (Point of Entry Model and the 5E Instructional Model)

Lesson:   Simple Circuits                                                                                                                                                                              Grade 4
NYCDOE Scope and Sequence Alignment: Unit 2, Electricity-Simple Machines 
NYSED Core Curriculum Area(s) Addressed:  Standard 4, Physical Setting (pages 16-19) - 4.1a (Energy exists in various forms: heat, electric, chemical, sound, mechanical, light; 4.1b (Energy can be transferred from one place to another); 4.1e (Electricity travels in a closed circuit)

LESSON COMPONENT*	STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY*	
TEACHER ROLE/ STRATEGIES*	
5E  INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL STAGE(S)*	
				
Interactive Mini Lesson

- Activate students’ prior knowledge of electricity by completing the first two columns of a KWLS graphic organizer**:
What do we know about electricity?
	
What do we want to know about electricity?	
What have we learned about electricity?	
What do we still want to know?	

	

- Motivate and make real world connections:  Tell students - Many students shared that they got an iPod for the holidays.  Today you are going to explore how simple circuits help make a machine work (like an iPod).

- Teacher will show students a model of a simple circuit that lights a bulb and then share and explain a diagram model of the circuit on overhead.  Both open and closed circuits will be modeled and discussed.

- Circuitry, sources of energy, energy receivers, and electrical flow will be explained in context and added to the word wall.	

- Share understandings with partner and whole group

- Observe

	

- Elicit prior knowledge, record students’ responses, analyze student understanding and adjust the lesson as needed

- Model, analyze student understanding and adjust the lesson as needed	

-Engagement

	
Partner and Small Group Work

- Teacher will distribute materials students will use to create a simple circuit.

- Students will work in groups to explore a simple circuit.  They will use the diagram model to build a circuit that lights a bulb.  They will begin to develop an understanding of how connections are made and how electricity flows through a circuit.

- As students work in cooperative groups, the teacher will circulate, asking questions to assess understandings, such as:
•	Why did you decide to do it that way?
•	Why do you think that works/doesn’t work?
•	Can you design another setup that is different and will still work?
•	Is there anything special you should know about the light bulb to make it light?

- After teacher has circulated to each group, he/she will ask group to talk about what they learned about electricity.  	

- Provide peer support, replicate, construct new knowledge, apply knowledge

- Examine and analyze perspectives	

- Advise, coach, guide, monitor student understanding and application

- Facilitate	

- Exploration

- Explanation
	
Independent Work

- Teacher will ask students to work independently to record their new learnings in their science journal/ notebook.	

- Deepen understandings, revise previous understandings	

- Circulate and provide guidance as needed	

- Explanation
	
Whole Class Share

- Teacher will elicit from students their new learnings and will record responses in the third column of the KWL graphic organizer.

- Teacher will ask students what they still want to know and add this to the last column of the KWLS chart.  This will be used to make connections to and inform follow up lessons in the unit.	

- Summarize, re-conceptualize, examine multiple and diverse perspectives, demonstrate learnings

- Facilitate, record, question, guide, summarize	

- Elaboration	
Summary Applications and After Class Activities

- Teacher will ask students to apply their new learnings to the iPod connection made in the beginning of the lesson.  Teacher may ask:  Based on our work today, what do we know about how an iPod works?

- Teacher will present an applicable question from a previous New York State Elementary Level Science Assessment and introduce test taking strategies that apply to the question.  

- The question below was taken from the 2004 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test, Written Test (Multiple Choice section), Question 25, Page 10 (which is available on-line and in the NYS Elementary Level Science Assessment folder on the toolkit CD).

(See next page.)
- Tell students:
-	When a question refers to an illustration, study the illustration carefully. Study the details and information in the diagram. If you take time to understand the diagram, it will be easier for you to answer the question. Check each answer against the illustration.
-	When you look at the choices for multiple choice questions, quickly review what you know about the topic before you answer it. 
-	Pay attention to key words in the question such as, electrical circuit, circuit, and incomplete.
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- Have students think about the answer to the question on their own, pair with a partner to discuss the answer, and share whole group.

- Teacher will ask students to illustrate and label open and closed simple circuit diagrams for homework and explain the difference.	

- Extend learnings, apply knowledge to real world, make connections

- Demonstrate learnings	

- Guide, reinforce, extend learnings	

- Elaboration

- Evaluation	

* See 5E Instructional Model and Region 2 POEM folder. 
** See Instructional Support Documents folder.

Effective Strategies for ELLs 
There are many effective strategies (some of which are listed below), which can accelerate second language acquisition and content area learning for English language learners.  The attached ELL Addendum highlights where in the science model lesson ELL strategies are integrated and where additional strategies can be added to meet the needs of ELL students.  The model lesson and accompanying ELL Addendum incorporate many of the strategies listed below:
•	address all four modalities (reading, writing, listening and speaking) e.g. students share their experiences and findings through oral discourse (science talk) as well as the reading and writing activities in the lessons
•	incorporate strategies for differentiated instruction e.g. when the objective is to understand the basic properties of a cell – that it is a unit of life , has different parts, and divides to make more - one student constructs a diagram or model of a cell while another student investigates cloning 
•	build and activate background knowledge through various brainstorming and discussion activities prior to introducing new scientific concepts
•	utilize graphic organizers/conceptual maps to lay out a picture of big ideas in a unit and how they are connected to one another
•	use content theme-based instruction as a framework for assimilating new information and applying language skills  and strategies learned across the curriculum
•	adapt written materials through the use of charts and  graphs as well as “hands-on” texts with pictures and diagrams, i.e. a flowchart with diagrams and pictures conveys a scientific process to English language learners more rapidly than several paragraphs of text filled with complex structures and difficult vocabulary
•	explore a smaller number of science concepts through a three-tiered approach: a teacher demonstration, a group investigation and an independent investigation so that students learn important content in–depth and acquire necessary language skills
•	engage students in hands-on activities (demonstrations and experiments) that provide opportunities for purposeful language use in meaningful academic experiences
•	provide opportunities for students to develop scientific literacy by having students draw and label diagrams or pictures related to scientific concepts; classify words into specific categories; fill in charts; order sentences in correct sequences; and use key vocabulary to answer how/why/what questions, summarize information from readings or observations, draw conclusions, or state opinions
•	allow for strategic flexible grouping that enables students to exchange ideas with their peers in the native language so that they will understand complicated academic and content-specific concepts and knowledge ... enhances student ability  to use bilingual dictionaries, websites, and glossaries
•	employ strategic use of native language (rely on translation of documents, questions and lesson plan directions from English to Spanish)
•	incorporate rich technology (w/state of the art microscopes, computers, laser technology as well as traditional resources such as  overheads, movie clips, drawings, audio tapes, etc.) 
Please note:  Generic information about test modifications and regulations for ELLs along with glossaries from SED in several languages are included in the NYS Assessments folder.

ELL Addendum to Elementary Science Lesson: Simple Circuits
	
Helpful ELL Strategies Already Integrated Into Lesson
	Additional ELL Strategies to Enhance Comprehension of Content and Language	
•	builds and activates background knowledge through KWLS chart prior to introducing new scientific concepts
•	adapts written materials through the use of diagrams
•	explores scientific concept of electricity  through a three-tiered approach: a teacher demonstration, a group investigation and an independent investigation so that students learn important content in–depth
•	engages students in hands-on activities (demonstrations and experiments) that provide opportunities for purposeful language use in meaningful academic experiences
	•	utilize a graphic organizer/conceptual map to highlight the “Big Idea”, in this case:
•	energy exists in various forms (this may be illustrated in a web)
•	energy can be transferred from one place to another (this may be illustrated in a diagram)
•	electricity travels in a closed circuit (this may be illustrated in a diagram)
•	provide opportunities for students to develop scientific literacy by having students draw and label their diagrams or pictures and use key vocabulary to answer how/why/what questions, summarize information from readings or observations, draw conclusions, or state opinion
•	group students with native speakers of English and speakers of their own language depending upon availability and lesson objective, and assign roles according to each student’s proficiency level, e.g. a student who is able to read and write English can record the results of the investigation while a student who writes little English might record numbers on a chart or draw pictures illustrating the group’s findings
•	provide meaningful feedback and ask open-ended questions during partner/small group work while modeling correct language structure