Observation

Instructional Observation
Classroom: Ms. Brandon
Grade: 4th
Curriculum Area: Science
What I notice

Observer: Bryson
Date: 10/20/16
Time: 1:15
Thoughts, Questions, Connections to
Methods Classes

The teacher gave a demonstration

relating to movement of light, circuits,
chemical and physical change.
The teacher used kinesthetic movement
to provide examples. Ex: If an object is
transparent siiiiighhht is said along
with arm movements.

I enjoyed watching the students use

kinesthetic movements to help
remember information from prior
lessons. I wonder how they use these
movements in a test setting.

The students were allowed to stand up

during this demonstration.
The students copied the movements as
the teacher modeled.
The students modeled the movements
by responding to objects around the
room as well. This helped the teacher
gauge understanding.
The teacher then talked about circuits
and their different
properties/characteristics. This included
a conductor, power source, closed
circuit, open circuit, etc.
The students then verbally answered
questions about circuits and examples
of things making up circuits. Ex:
paperclip, key, metal strip
Lastly, the teacher discussed the major
differences between chemical and
physical change. During this period, the
teacher explained the definition of
chemical/physical change. She also
asked students to come up with
examples of these two events verbally.
Ex: bending spoon, breaking a stick,
burning a match

The teacher was very involved in

getting the students moving and using
their body to represent science
curriculum.
The modeling of this lesson was very
important. It provided the students with
a real-world example of how to use
their bodies to remember information.
The discussion about circuits impressed
me because I was skeptical of the
students being able to understand such
complex information.
Impressively, the students were able to
recall facts about circuits rather easily.
I enjoyed the conversation the students
had about chemical and physical
change. I believe this was important for
the students and their review of prior
information.

The teacher now gives the students an

assessment to measure their overall
understanding.

The students proved their

understanding of the concepts prior to
the assessment. This provided the
teacher with a clear understanding of
the students abilities prior to
assessment.

Reflection:
The science lesson that I observed changed my perspective on science education in the
elementary school setting. I believe the primary change in my perspective stemmed from the
concepts of organization and management. These are areas that I find difficult to keep constant
and I respect teachers who have exceptional class and time management skills. Instruction of the
lesson was very structured and organized to ensure the time spent on the content was meaningful.
This was important because science instruction at this school was scheduled to be instructed for
30 minutes every other day. Ms. Brandon had to ensure that the students were engaged the entire
time to provide space for assessment after the review of information. She worked well in keeping
the classes attention and getting the students interested in the reengagement lesson. Therefore,
the students were provided with a meaningful review of information prior to assessment of their
understanding of science curriculum.
I respected the structure of the science lesson and how smoothly it transitioned. For
instance, the teacher began by modeling each of the three concepts she covered: light, circuits,
and chemical/physical change. When introducing a new topic, the teacher explicitly modeled the
strategy she wanted student to use while tackling the content. She then had the students reflect
her modeling and pass a series of assessment questions in an information setting. Before moving
to the next topic, the teacher ensured that every student understood the information being

covered. This provided her with perspective of what students understood, where they were
struggling, and what content may need to be recovered in the future. This structure directly
affected the time of the lesson as well; the more efficiently content was covered, the more time
students had for review before assessment.
Overall, the lesson was meaningful and beneficial to the students. Ms. Brandon gave the
students an opportunity to get involved with a lesson and activate their prior knowledge before
assessment. The students were actively engaged during the entirety of the lesson due to the
teachers management and organizational skills. From this lesson, I learned the importance of
structure, organization, and management during a science lesson.