AMERCIA’S CHOICE WORKSHOP MODEL LESSON PLAN FORMAT FOR A 45 MINUTE LESSON
MINILESSON/OPENING: 5 to 10 minutes--Teacher Introduces Objective of the Day to Whole Class
WORK PERIOD: 15 to 20 minutes--Students Work in Small Groups to meet the Objective of the Day.
SHARE: (Whole Group) 10 to 15 minutes--Teacher Leads a Class Discussion and Assesses if the Students have met the Objective of the Day.
THIS FORMAT MUST BE FOLLOWED FOR EVERY SINGLE LESSON WITHOUT EXCEPTION, AND I MUST FOLLOW THE SCRIPTED LESSON EXACTLY AS I HAVE WRITTEN IT.
LESSON 1
MINILESSON/OPENING
OBJECTIVE: (Strategy + Curriculum/Content + Application)
SWBAT: Given a project idea and hypothesis, write the independent variable, dependent variable, constant variables, materials, and procedure. (IS THIS OBJECTIVE STATED CORRECTLY???????)
PURPOSE/RATIONALE:
Good Writers/Good Readers (I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF "GOOD WRITERS/GOOD READERS AND HOW THIS WORKS INTO AN INQUIRY LESSON)
LINK TO PREVIOUS LESSON:
(SAY) "You have turned in many extraordinary lab reports. A science project is just a glorified lab report. It contains all the parts of a lab report. In fact, you must hand in your science project in lab report format before you place it on the science board. During the vacation, you are going to decide which experiment you will do for your exit project. You may complete the experiment if you like, but do NOT put it on the board. Hand in to me a LAB REPORT of your project. I will DEFINITELY have suggestions to make before you place it on the board. (IDEAS FOR BETTER WORDING?????)
EXPLICIT TEACHING/MODEL:
(SAY) One of the hardest parts about the science project is identifying the variables and planning the procedure. Today we are going to practice doing just that. I am going to read to you an experiment and you are going to figure out the independent variable, dependent variable, and controlled variables, materials, and procedure. (IDEAS FOR BETTER WORDING????)
(DISPLAY) GUIDING QUESTIONS: What is the independent variable? How will you measure it? What is the dependent variable? How will you measure it? What other variables need to be controlled? What things will you need to observe? How will you take measurements? Where will you record your data? Who will collect the data? When will you collect the data? What sequence of events must occur?
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT/TRY IT OUT:
SAY: Let’s practice before we go off and work by ourselves.
READ: paper towel experiment from BIG 8 Review. Agree on variables and a simple procedure.
STATUS OF THE CLASS/SOLIDIFY
WORK PERIOD: (Differentiated by CONTENT /PROCESS /PRODUCT /ASSESSMENT)
Read “Sample Experiment 1" In BIG 8 REVIEW p20
Students work in groups to answer the guiding questions: What is the independent variable? How will you measure it? What is the dependent variable? How will you measure it? What other variables need to be controlled? What things will you need to observe? How will you take measurements? Where will you record your data? Who will collect the data? When will you collect the data? What sequence of events must occur?
(I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO TEACH THIS LESSON DIFFERENTLY TO 8 DIFFERENT GROUPS. CAN ANYONE HELP???)
GROUP 1
GROUP 2
GROUP 3
GROUP 4
GROUP 5
GROUP 6
GROUP 7
GROUP 8
Differentiation: Give more attention to some groups ??????????
CLOSING/SUMMARY
SHARE: Each group shares its plan with the rest of the class.
Process ( WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY PROCESS???????)
Content (WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY CONTENT ?????????)
HOMEWORK: (Differentiated)
807 and 808 Unit 1 pp 4-15 All Checks on odd pages.
802, 805, 806, page 9 – 42 Apply to your science project.
PROBLEMS WITH THIS LESSON: SOME CLASSES/GROUPS FINISHED IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM, HYPOTHESIS, INDEPDENDENT VARIABLE, DEPENDENT VARIABLE, CONSTANTS, MATERIALS, AND PROCEDURES. OTHER CLASSES/GROUPS DID NOT FINISH. WHEN SOME GROUPS FINISH BEFORE OTHER GROUPS IN THE SAME CLASS, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE TEACHER HAS NOT DIFFERENTIATED CORRECTLY. CAN ANYONE SUGGEST HOW I SHOULD HAVE DIFFERENTIATED SO THAT EVERYONE IN THE CLASS FINISHES AT THE EXACTLY THE SAME TIME?????????
ACCORDING TO AMERICA'S CHOICE WORKSHOP MODEL, IF A CLASS DOES NOT MEET THE OBJECTIVE THAT I HAVE STATED, THEN I HAVE NOT PLANNED CORRECTLY. ONE OF MY CLASSES WAS ONLY ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE VARIABLES. THEY DIDN'T GET AS FAR AS PLANNING THE MATERIALS AND PROCEDURE. THE FACT THAT THE WHOLE CLASS DOES NOT MEET THE STATED OBJECTIVE IS CONSIDERED TO BE A FAILURE TO PLAN APPROPRIATELY ON THE PART OF THE TEACHER. HOW CAN I WRITE MY PLANS SO THAT STATED OBJECTIVE IS MET BY ALL CLASSES AND ALL STUDENTS????????????
LESSON 2
GUIDING FORMAT QUESTIONS:
What is it I want my students to know or be able to do?
I want my students to become familiar with the criteria for a successful science report.
MINILESSON/OPENING
OBJECTIVE: (Strategy + Curriculum/Content + Application)
SWBAT: Establish criteria for a good science project.
PURPOSE/RATIONALE: Good Writers/Good Readers… (I don’t understand this part of America’s Choice Workshop Model)
LINK TO PREVIOUS LESSON: Yesterday….
SAY: You have turned in many extraordinary lab reports. A science project is just a glorified lab reports. It contains all the parts of a lab report. In fact, you must hand in your science project in lab report format before you place it on the science board.
EXPLICIT TEACHING/MODEL: Today….
SAY: Today, we will agree on the criteria for a good report and apply it to "Joan's experiment" on page 23 of the Big 8 Review:.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT/TRY IT OUT:
Let’s practice before we go off and work by ourselves.
Let’s go over the criteria for a good science report. How can the report be turned into a science fair project?
STATUS OF THE CLASS/SOLIDIFY
WORK PERIOD: (Differentiated by CONTENT PROCESS PRODUCT ASSESSMENT)
Assign each group one part of the science project.
Group 1 PROBLEM
Group 2 HYPOTHESIS
Group 3 VARIABLES
Group 4 MATERIALS AND PROCEDURE
Group 5 DATA TABLE AND GRAPH
Group 6 CONCLUSION
Group 7 SOURCES OF ERROR
Group 8 VOCABUALRY
CLOSING/SUMMARY
Collect each part and critique according to the criteria for success. Arrange in science project format.
SHARE: (Process and Content)
Process Content
HOMEWORK: (Differentiated)
Write up the lab report for the lab “How does water affect erosion”
NEXT STEPS:
________________Workshop ????????
________________Workshop ?????????
2 comments:
I am a Language Arts teacher in Georgia, and we are required to use the America's Choice Workshop Model this upcoming school year. Unfortunately, I am having the same difficulties as you as I try to plan for this year.
I think the biggest problem is that America's Choice is geared toward elementary and middle school. I teach 11th grade.
I am having difficulty even finding examples of lessons plans for secondary education.
So...I'm not any help, but I sympathize with you.
I am a teacher in Maryland and this is our first year using the America's Choice model at my school. I teach 8th grade. The teachers at my school are also having the same problems with this program (not enough time, if the students don't get it it's our fault, confusing to the students, assessment issues ect.). I am not happy with this program and feel that it would be most beneficial in elementary schools. This way, by the time the student reaches middle and high school, they will have the neccessary skills they need to excel in the middle school and high school curriculum. We are very frustrated and I also cannot find any lesson plans that would show how to correctly implement the model. School systems are always changing and adding/removing programs. This is confusing and stressful to both the student and the teacher. In the end the ones who suffer are the students. I believe that more parent responsibility and involvement with their child at home would put an end to many of the demands that are placed on teachers due to things that are out of our control once the student leaves the school for the day-homework, studying, checking for understanding of material covered in class and parent involvement-teachers can only do so much. It's not fair when you teach your heart out and the students are not performing to continue to blame the teachers. What about the parents? What about the county/state? What about the administrators? Yet when it's all said and done, teachers are held responsible. Pitiful. This will be my last year teaching. I am fed up with the politics, programs, staff development, excessive paperwork, discipline issues, low pay-for the job we do, accountability-always us, parents who don't follow their children's progress or regress. It's sad. The statistics show that 50% of teachers leave the profession after 3 years. This is my fourth year so technically, I should have left last year. I empathize with you and I hope you can find a way to make the America's Choice program work for your students. Good luck!
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