Indiana Wesleyan University

Elementary Education Science Lesson Plan

Kenzie Teel

LESSON RATIONALE
The real-world needs students to critically think about materials and how they interact with other objects. At a
first glance students need to recognize the properties of materials and determine whether or not they can accomplish the
task. This lesson allows students to practice this critical thinking on a smaller scale with fewer variables.

READINESS
I.Goal/Objectives/Standard
A. Goal:
a. Students will demonstrate the scientific method to construct the tallest and strongest tower utilizing
various materials.

B. Objectives:
a. Students will collect, analyze, and communicate data found within the tower building experiment.
b. Students will compare the materials use during each tower trial to determine which satisfies their
needs for the intended purpose.
c. Students will develop a basic understanding and recall of the scientific method and the steps needed
in correspondence to the tower experiment through recall.

C. Standard:
a. 2.PS.4 Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties
that are best suited for an intended purpose.

II. Management Plan-

a. Time per lesson element: (1-hour total)
 Anticipatory Set: 3 minutes
 Mini lesson: 5 minutes
 Experiment: 12 minutes per tower (36 minutes + recoding and analyzing = 40 total minutes)
 Closure: 10 minutes

b. Use of space:
 Anticipatory Set: The students will be in three groups at their cluster tables.
 Mini-lesson: The students will move to the rug area for a brief mini-lesson.
 Experiment: The students will move back to their cluster tables to perform the experiments.
 Conclusion: The students will stay at their cluster tables when sharing and explaining their results and
answering questions.

c. List of materials:
 Mystery bags: 6 pictures per each bag (18 pictures total)
 Tub #1:
o Paper
o Tape
o String
o Glue
o 3 books
o Shoe box
 Tub #2:
o Spaghetti noodles
o Marshmallows
o String
o Styrofoam
o Model clay
o Index cards
 Tub #3:

1
 o Cardboard
o Scissors
o String
o Glue
o Rocks
o Shoe box
 Recording sheet
 Meter stick (measurement)
 Pencil
 Paper (non-lined)

d. Describe expectations and procedures:

 The students have a clip chart is used on a regular basis for both positive and negative behaviors. This
clip chart will be used in the lesson to keep students accountable for their actions and participation during
the lesson.
 The students know that participation is a part of their overall grade, so students will be expected to
actively participate during the lesson.
 The students will be expected to respect everyone in the groups, work together on the project, and
contribute to the overall tower.
 The students will listen to verbal instructions or the instructions provided on their recording sheets if they
need a visual form.

III. Anticipatory Set

“Hey, how are you guys today? *Allow students to respond on how they are feeling *. In front of you at each
table is a bag with a word on it, like this table’s bag says ‘Cooking’, inside each bag is a bunch of pictures that I want
you to sort through and determine whether you could use the item to accomplish the task or not. You are going to
have 2 minutes to determine which pile the items belong in. Ready, Set, Sort!”
The students will be given 2 minutes to sort through the items. During this time I will walk around to
make sure the students are on task. I will not answer questions during this time because it is an exploration for
the students to work out amongst themselves. The students are broken up into three groups based on where
they are sitting in the classroom arrangement.
“Time is up, who want to tell the class what their word was and then how they determined whether or not
the items accomplished the task or not?”
Allow each group to share their thought processes when determining whether items fit or not.
“Those were good explanations, you all worked really hard! Now, quietly come to the carpet and we will
discuss a few terms before we start our experiments.”

Purpose:
“As students and adults, we need to understand why things work a certain way to help us understand the object
better. Today we are going to use a trial and error method to look at the different properties that objects have
and how those different properties can be used to fulfill a purpose while others cannot.”

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION

IV. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners—
a. I will provide visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles into the experiment that way each student
is able to utilize one to get the most out of the lesson.
b. I will provide a recording sheet with the directions for each student in case they prefer to learn through
visual understandings.
c. The students will be working in groups and not individually, so this will benefit the students who need
assistance or peers to bounce ideas off of.
d. If the lower-level groups are struggling, I will provide assistance or suggestions, but I want them to
problem solve through most of the obstacles to build a stamina to difficult issues.

V.Lesson Presentation:
“The first term I want us to look at is properties. Does anyone know what this word means? *Allow two students
to try and answer * Properties means the characteristics of an object. So, for example, this metal spoon has what
properties? *Metal and hard*. Yes, correct, this metal spoon is made of metal, it is hard, but it is also able to be bend if I use
enough pressure. What is a spoon used for again? *Eating * Okay, so how about a pencil, what is the pencils properties or
characteristics? *Wood, lead, eraser* What is a pencils purpose? *to write*. Okay, that makes but could I use the spoon to
write? *no *. Can anybody tell me why a spoon is not used to write with? *Because it is not made with lead which is the

2
writing part. * So, we just determined which item was more useful to write with based on the properties. Instead of just
knowing that pencils are used to write and spoons are used to eat, you were able to look at the properties or characteristics
and tell me why a pencil is used instead of a spoon to write. That is what scientists do, they look at the properties of lots of
different materials to see which one would best work in lots of different situations. While you were looking through the bags
before, you were sorting the items based on properties without even knowing it, which is pretty neat. Now, we are going to
explore some other properties of items used to build a tower. In this exploration we are going to follow the steps of the
scientific method. Who remembers the steps we should follow, we learned this last we in science lab? * Find a purpose, create
a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, look at the data, make conclusion, communicate findings * Correct, so first I will explain that
the purpose of this lesson is to build the strongest and tallest tower out of the materials that I give you. Then you will make a
hypothesis on which tower materials will work best, and then we will test, analyze, and communicate the results throughout
the process. Give me a thumbs up if how the scientific method works is understood or a thumbs down if I need to clarify again.
* Check for student responses through the signals. * I am going to give an overall description and then break it down into
smaller parts. Quietly, go back to your tables and stand behind your desks, so you can see as I move around the room to
explain.”
Allow time for the students to move to their seats and to stand behind their desks.
“ We are going to build three towers out of materials already determined; they are sorted into different tubs, so
each table will start with the first tub for the time, then we will move to the next tub once the timer goes off, and then the
final tub. What questions do you have about the overall experiment?”
Allow time for students to respond with questions.
“ Before we start the tower building, I am going to show you the materials in tub 1, 2, and 3, and I want you to
make a hypothesis or an educated guess on which tub items will build the tallest and strongest tower. So, in tub #1 we have: a
stack of paper, tape, string, glue, 3 books, and a shoebox. In tub #2 we have: spaghetti noodles, marshmallows, string,
Styrofoam, model clay, and index cards. Finally tub #3 we have: cardboard, scissors, string, glue, rocks, and a shoe box. Now, I
want you as a group to think about the materials and on the recording sheet at your table, I want you to write down your
hypothesis on which tub materials will build the tallest and strongest tower. Make sure to think about the items and the
properties that they have. I will give you about 30 seconds to write down the prediction.”
Allow students to create a prediction based on the materials provided.
“Now, during the time you are going to get 9 minutes to build a tower using only the materials in the tub. Once
the time is up, then I’ll explain what to do with the last 3 minutes. Any questions before we start?”
Allow students to ask questions if they arise. I will pass out Tub #1 during this time, so that each group starts
with the same materials for building.
“Okay, Ready, Set, Build!”
Students will be given 9 minutes to build and during this time I will walk around and take notes on how
students are using the materials. I will also talk to students to see the thought processes behind using materials in new
and innovative ways. At the end of the 9 minutes, we will measure each tower and the students will record the heights on
their recording sheets under Tower #1. Then the students will describe the materials they used to build the tower and
why those items were used in certain ways based on properties.
“Freeze, time is up! I will come around and measure the height of the tower. Do not add anything or the tower
will be disqualified, and the height will be zero. If I am not at your table, on the recording sheet there is a Tower #1 section
that has a measurement slot and a blank area. In the blank area, write what materials you used and why. Make sure to think
about the properties of the items and how those helped the tower building process.”
During this time, while the students are writing I will walk around to each table and measure the towers using
the meter stick. The students will be writing down the items and how the specific properties helped them to build the
tower. This will take 3 minutes to write and measure.
“Now we are going to move to Tub #2. Again, you are going to have 9 minutes to build and then 3 minutes to
write and measure. After having the first tower built, are there any questions about what happens after we start?
Allow students to ask questions if they arise and respond accordingly
“Now, we are going to start building a tower with Tub #2 materials. Ready, Set, Build!”
While the students are building, I will be walking around and asking them what materials they are using and
why those materials in specific spots. Some questions I may ask could include: ‘Why are you using ________?’, ‘ How does
____ help the structure by being in that spot?’ , or ‘What could you change about the design to make the tower stronger and
taller?
“Freeze, time is up! I will come around and measure the height of the tower. Do not add anything or the tower will
be disqualified, and the height will be zero. If I am not at your table, on the recording sheet there is a Tower #2 section that
has a measurement slot and a blank area. In the blank area, write what materials you used and why. Make sure to think
about the properties of the items and how those helped the tower building process. Make sure you are filling out the
recording sheet because this is one of the scientific method steps that we are practicing.”
During this time, while the students are writing I will walk around to each table and measure the towers using
the meter stick. The students will be writing down the items and how the specific properties helped them to build the
tower. This will take 3 minutes to write and measure.

3
 “Now we are going to move to Tub #3. Again, you are going to have 9 minutes to build and then 3 minutes to
write and measure. After having the first tower built, are there any questions about what happens after we start?
Allow students to ask questions if they arise and respond accordingly
“Now, we are going to start building a tower with Tub 3 materials. Ready, Set, Build!”
While the students are building, I will be walking around and asking them what materials they are using and
why those materials in specific spots. Some questions I may ask could include: ‘Why are you using ________?’, ‘ How does
____ help the structure by being in that spot?’ , or ‘What could you change about the design to make the tower stronger and
taller?
“Freeze, time is up! I will come around and measure the height of the tower. Do not add anything or the tower will
be disqualified, and the height will be zero. If I am not at your table, on the recording sheet there is a Tower #2 section that
has a measurement slot and a blank area. In the blank area, write what materials you used and why. Make sure to think
about the properties of the items and how those helped the tower building process. Make sure you are filling out the
recording sheet because this is one of the scientific method steps that we are practicing.”
During this time, while the students are writing I will walk around to each table and measure the towers using
the meter stick. The students will be writing down the items and how the specific properties helped them to build the
tower. This will take 3 minutes to write and measure.
“You guys did a great job building? Was it harder or easier than you thought? Raise your hand if you thought it was
harder than you first thought. *Allow students to raise their hands* Now, raise your hands if building the towers was easier
than you first imagined. *Allow students to raise their hands. * I can see it being both easy and hard depending on how you
used the materials and their properties to build the towers. Now I want you to take 1 minute to fill out the rest of the
recording sheet to make sure it provides the accurate information from the tower experiment.”
Allow one minutes for the students to finalize their recording sheets.
“Look at the hypothesis prediction your group made before the tower experiment started, were the results you got
accurate in the findings. Did the tower tub you predict to be the tallest and strongest actually build the best tower? Think
about the materials and the properties the have; did that play a role in how the towers were build and the successfulness of
them? Take two minutes to look over an analyze you results before we share our findings with the class.”
Allow two minutes for the students to analyze the data and comprehend when the tower was successful or not.
“Now I want each group to communicate their results which is the last step of the scientific method with the class. So,
tell us the tower tub you predicted to be the tallest and strongest, then the one that actually was the most successful.”
Allow each of the three groups to communicate their hypothesis and findings.
“Group #1, what was your hypothesis and findings?”
Allow Group #1 to share their answer.
“Group #2, what was your hypothesis and findings?”
Allow Group #2 to share their answer.
“Group #3, what was your hypothesis and findings?”
Allow Group #3 to share their answer.

VI. Check for understanding:

 I will check for understanding by questioning students during the minilesson to provide reasoning and why
different objects are suitable for a task or not. This will allow the students to recognize the properties and
analyze the differences.
 I will check for understandings through handle signals with the thumbs-up and thumbs-down method. It is a
simple signal that students can give without drawing too much attention to themselves if they need more
clarification.
 I will be walking around and asking during the experiment as to why certain materials are being used in certain
ways to build the tower. I will make sure that students can provide a reasoning behind the action.
 I will check for understanding in their recording sheets as well, if the students lack understanding then their
recording sheets are going to show where they are confused. If they do not understand the content, there will be
a catch up meeting on the following day to reexplain the concepts again.

VII. Review learning outcomes / Closure

“Now who can tell me why tower _____ was the tallest and strongest based on the materials was used to build with?”
Allow students to respond with their answers describing the properties of the items they used and how they
benefited the tower.
“Yes, I agree those materials have specific properties that would help the tower stand tall and strong and
accomplish the purpose of a tower. Who can explain the steps of the scientific method we used when working through the
tower experiment?”
Allow all students to respond ‘ the purpose was to build the tallest and strongest tower, we made our hypothesis
based on which tower we though would stand the tallest, we tested the experiment by building the towers, we recorded and
analyzed the data on the recording sheet, and we communicated by sharing with the class’

4
 “Great job! One thing before we finish, I want you to remember about the properties and how they make each item
different, but we need those different properties to complete the task or maybe it would not have worked. Variety and
differences are a good thing to have in life.”

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

Formative Assessment:
 The formative assessments will be the notes that I take while walking around and talking to students about the
design and materials used to create their towers.
 I will use formative assessments to see if the students can recall the scientific method that was previously
learned in the science class before, and which students are confidence verse struggling.
 I will have the students use a thumbs-up and thumbs-down system to determine how much of a content area
they understand.

Summative Assessment:
 The summative assessment will be the completed recording sheet. This sheet will have a the hypothesis, the
tower recordings, and material properties that the students are analyzing. Students will need to justify their
findings as to why the materials helped or hindered their building success.

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
7. How could I add on to this lesson based off the students interest?
8. Where the students hypothesis’ skewed in some way? If so, how can that be prevented?
9. Where the students able to accurately complete the recording sheet? If not, why?

Recording Sheet:

5
Mystery Bags:

Cooking:

Playing:

6
Transportation: