Lesson Reflections

Lesson 1 Tropical Rain Forest and Temperate Forest

Overall I thought this lesson was very successful. Completing the word association graphic
organizer was a great way for me to formatively assess both classes and see how much they
remembered from their previous study of biomes. This activity showed me that they remembered
a lot about deserts and rain forests, but they were a bit confused about the difference between the
tundra and the taiga. That information will be especially useful for me in our fourth lesson, since
we will discuss the tundra and the taiga on that day.
At first, a few of the students seemed to be a little bit bored because they have already studied
this material. When we started talking about parts of an ecosystem, though, they seemed to have
less prior knowledge, and they paid closer attention. I loved seeing them become interested and
engaged when we began discussing deforestation and the real-world applications of what they
learned. The practice activity also sparked their interest, and many of them were eager to share
the letters they had written.
One suggestion Mrs. Murphree gave me was to read the current events article aloud after letting
the students read it independently. This would give me a chance to go over any unfamiliar words,
and it would benefit students who are auditory learners. In my other lessons, I would also like to
allow more time in the opportunity for practice segment so that more students have a chance to
share their work.
Lesson 2 Marine and Freshwater Biomes
Todays lesson was a little different from yesterdays because none of the content was a review.
Last time they studied biomes, they did not include marine and freshwater biomes, so those
topics were entirely new to the students. However, I tried to use lots of personal connections to
make the concepts more relevant to them. For example, I asked them if they had ever been to the
beach and seen red flags up during high tide. Many of them had, and that helped me explain
about ocean tides and the intertidal zone.
Todays exit ticket scores were not quite as good as yesterdays. Several students answered the
short answer question incorrectly because they gave an example of a different type of
relationship, or because they gave me a definition instead of an example. Several others got the
vocabulary words mixed up. In the future, I would like to be more direct about pointing out the
vocabulary words they will need to know.
The students seemed to really enjoy the symbiotic relationship card activity. They loved getting
to share about their organisms with the class. Its amazing to me how one simple resource, like
the relationship cards, can make a huge difference in the students engagement. When they had
something to hold onto and examine in their pairs, they were much more interested than they
would have been if we had just gone over examples together in a discussion format. I think its
important to give them time for partner and/or group interaction.

Lesson 3 Tundra and Taiga

Because we had a delayed start due to icy weather today, I did not have as much time as I usually
have to teach this lesson. I knew that I was going to need to condense the lesson somehow, so I
came up with an alternative way of completing the Opportunity for Practice section. I had
originally planned for the students to break into groups and discuss several different plates of
food, but I decided to complete the activity in a whole-group setting instead. I projected one plate
of food onto the Promethean board, and I asked guiding questions to walk them through the
activity altogether. This was not the ideal way to work through the activity, but considering the
time constraints, I felt that this adaptation still got students to grasp the concept the way the
original activity intended.
Lesson 4 Grassland and Desert
I was very impressed with the exit ticket scores for today, as they are the best they have been so
far in the unit. I think the students really benefitted from the business card activity. Filling out the
organisms niche in a fun way helped cement the concept of a niche, and it also gave them a
creative outlet and some time for collaboration with their group members. I asked one person
from each group to present his or her business card to the class using the ELMO document
camera, and they also loved showing off their work. If I teach fifth grade someday, I would
definitely use this activity again!
If I could do this lesson over again, I would probably change the way I did the current events
article. The purpose of this article was to provide a scenario to frame our discussion of the
biomes for the day, and it was also designed as test preparation for the upcoming Aspire testing.
However, I should have gone over vocabulary words and given them some basic preparation
before asking them to read the passage independently. Going over this information before their
reading time, as opposed to during our follow-up discussion as we did today, would help them
interpret the passage and answer the questions more successfully. I want to be sure that I am
incorporating effective reading strategies into every lesson, regardless of what subject area I am
focusing on.
Lesson 5 Culminating Activity (Preservation Project)
This project seemed a little confusing for the students at first, but by the time I was finished
explaining, they were excited about the idea of using creativity to express what we have been
learning about all week. They especially loved being able to choose which of the four projects
they wanted to complete. The students also got to choose which biome, ecosystem element, and
conservation topic they wanted to address in their projects. I think giving students choice is a
great way to motivate them and engage them, which is why I wanted to be sure this culminating
activity included an element of choice.
I feel that I did a better job of explaining the project in the second class, which is understandable
since it was my second time describing it. In the first class, I was able to figure out what I could
say that would make the most sense to them, as well as which things only confused them. I know
Ill continue to learn this skill as a first-year teacher Ill have to practice giving instructions and
delivering content in multiple ways until I figure out what works best. I think I put a lot of

pressure on myself to get it right the first time, but I know that the important thing is to be
flexible and adjust my instruction when needed.
Lesson 6 Study Guide
Today was a good day for working with students individually on the concepts that they struggled
with the most. Several people had missed one day or another of the content lessons, so I took
some time to sit with them and go over the information they had missed. I also walked around
the classroom to answer questions and monitor students while they were working. This was a
great way for me to see where the class struggled as a whole. Then I could address those gaps in
knowledge with a quick mini-lesson with the entire class.
I designed the study guide to include the same information that would be on the test, but I put it
in a different format so that it would not be exactly the same. We walked through each answer,
and I clarified where needed. I also asked them several questions about the picture of a food web,
which they will also have to do on the test. If I could have done this again, I think I might have
put more specific questions on the study guide about the conservation aspect. We discussed this
in detail as a class, which I did because this information will be part of a short answer question
on the test. I wanted them to be prepared to explain their thinking, so I asked them to explain it
verbally during our review, but I think it might have been helpful for studying purposes if I had
used more specific questions.
Lesson 7 Summative Assessment
When I first started grading todays tests, I was a little disappointed in myself as a teacher
because I noticed that a handful of students werent making very good grades. I thought perhaps
I had not done a good enough job delivering the content, or that I had not given them enough
time and materials to prepare or the test. By the time I finished, though, I was actually quite
proud of my students, since so many of them made As and Bs.
The students seemed to struggle most with the short answer questions about symbiotic
relationships and conservation. They often gave me some of the information I asked for, but not
all of it. A few of them also wrote about parts of a food chain instead of symbiotic relationships,
something I had not realized was confusing to them. If I teach a similar unit in the future, Ill
know to make that distinction clear.
Overall, I am very pleased with the way this test, and the unit as a whole, turned out. Through the
lessons, project, and test, I think my students learned what makes an ecosystem or biome
function, as well as why it is important to preserve those things. They also demonstrated on the
test that they understood the human connection to nature, which is the overarching theme I
wanted them to grasp. I hope that this review unit was successful in preparing them for their
upcoming assessments, and I also hope that it challenged them and extended their learning.