
I have spent the last few weeks developing a Combustion main lesson for Class 7. Today was my final chance to get the chemistry lab ready for the lessons to start tomorrow. For the first week I have planned to introduce fire in a number of ways which will be in the coming days posts.
Students will be asked to develop a pamphlet which could be distributed for community education about a famous chemist and their discovery which is still used in the modern era. I have created a pamphlet as the handout. This will be their only homework set for the first two weeks.
I look forward to the next three weeks and teaching the main lesson.
I had a wonderful opportunity to teach Class 2 from Collingwood College. They were completing journal work and main lesson writing work. There was vast range of completion of work and managing a large group of spirited individuals require a high level of patience and direction for myself. Just as teenagers do, seven and eight year olds will test you. I knew the clear requirements students needed to do before moving on with the next piece of work but on numerous occasions I was told certainly that what they had shown me was all they need to do. Staying firm the testing was shorted lived when they realised their teacher and I had similar expectations of their work. Having not been in a classroom with this age group on my own before I was slow to read the signs that they needed a change but was saved by the lunchtime bell which was timed perfectly for the session. I need to remember to be more dynamic and not worry about shortening tasks if it means holding the group together in a more harmonious way. Time and more experience will hone these skills.
In early June I spent an hour with class 1 students planting seed potatoes. Students needed to estimate how many new potatoes would be generated when planting 9 seed potatoes in each large container. Students used stones to create groups to help them determine a total sum. Most students where limited to counting by 1′s, 5′s and 10′s.
MY LEARNING
I underestimated the time needed to describe and break down the components of the learning activity. Having done all teaching to date with teens the overall class dynamic and my expectations where completely underestimated. The rapore the class teacher had with her class demonstrated how understanding you class members can make such a huge difference in the overall group dynamic.
I returned to harvest and count the potatoes in December 2011. The 4 months since the first class students had developed and enhanced their mathematical understanding with students being able to group and count in 2′s and some in 4′s.
“how do you remember numbers?”
“I put it in my head” “I use my fingers” “it is a little more than my age”
How many potatoes do you think we will harvest?
“millions” ”hundreds” ”more than 9″
Below is a A SEQUENCE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING which I was required to develop and analyse to complete my teacher registration.
Main Lesson: Food Chemistry
Class 8
Key Concepts:
Key Skills:
VELs Outcomes:
FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE TEACHING
The School: A city based Steiner school city based in transition to a senior IB program. Split facility across two campus in transaction to one. Student have a core class teacher till class 8 who will cover most subjects.
Characteristics of students which may affect their learning:
A mixed ability class with students who have always been in Waldorf education mixed with students new to Waldorf in Class 8. Some students will have educational disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD and numeracy and literacy limitations. The majority of students at a average to above average level for their expected VELs outcomes.
Teaching Challenges presented by the class or students
A very talkative groups who need to be reminded to not talk while other are. Some students define chemistry as “explosion” and do not connect with a subtle version of chemistry. Student of class 8 undertook a major year long project with a number choosing cooking or food as a focus so have an active interest in the main lesson topic.
Physical Learning environment:
The classroom for Class 8 and the utilisation of local walking paths through the Collingwood Children’s Farm
Other important factors to consider:
No Laboratory available. Daily 2 hour class for 3 weeks with a science double class utilised for the main lesson.
Dates: November 1-19th 2010 Main lesson times 8:55am-10:45am Daily
What student should know at the conclusion of the unit:
Prior knowledge and skills:
Teaching and learning activities to engage students and achieve learning aims:
o Experiments:
o Art:
o Reading and Listening:
o Maths and Analysis:
o Food Diary:
o Research and presentation
Monitoring student learning and effectiveness of teaching:
Questions at the start of each lesson to recap and summarise what was covered the day before, having students write their own procedures from an experiment conducted the previous session. Review of homework,
3 day rhythm- eg allowing students to experience an experiment day 1, develop their procedure, aims and observations in good copy day 2 and discuss the theory. Write conclusions based on discussion from day 2 on day 3. Using open questions, targeting individual students.
Assessment Tasks:
Project Poster: includes drafting, research skill and the final poster layout
Food Chemistry Project Student Handout
Project Presentation: a 5 minute class presentation which summarises the information used in the poster with supporting food props examples
Main Lesson Test: A main lesson overview to recall and problem solve food science concepts covered in the main lesson.
Main Lesson Book: The main lesson book is a record of class work. It should be neat, ordered and contain all notes, diagrams and tasks completed during the unit of work. (A-E)
Completeness: all elements of the main lesson book present (A-E)
Beauty: elements of colour, layout and theme throughout the book (A-E)
Accuracy: spelling, science concepts and diagrams accurate (A-E)
CHOCOLATE
Master Chief: Tempering chocolate
Tempering Chocolate Poh Julie Venn
References
To consolidate the learning of geometry students where asked to design and create an image using a compass, protractor, wood, nail, hammer and wool.
Change the environment for different units of work can alter the learning outcomes. Without a laboratory, the seating of students and arrangement of tables and chairs helped to focus students.
Arrangement of tables for experiments:
Table formation for class discussion and board focused work: