Cycles and Patterns

MSI 2015

Ginger Tutton

Debra Curtis

Riverfront Christian School

Our Class

• Riverfront Christian School in Warren County, Virginia

• 3rd and 4th grade Math and Science• There were 19 students in the two classes • 4 diverse learners

Our Unit

• Target Science Literacy Atlas: Mathematical Inquiry: MP 2A/1 (3-5)

• Target Science Literacy Atlas: Flow of Matter and Energy: FM 5E/3

• Target Science Literacy Atlas: The Universe: Solar System: 4B/2; 4A/4 (3-5)

Our focus of this unit is to have students learn what patterns and cycles are and

then apply that knowledge to other cycles. We want them to make the

connection that patterns repeat themselves. I.E. moon, life, apple.

Unit Learning Focus

5-E Integrated Subject Unit Plan

Title of Unit: Cycles and Patterns Unit Planners: Debra Curtis and Ginger Tutton School: Riverfront Christian School Grade Level: Third and Fourth Grade Unit learning focus: Our focus of this unit is to have students learn what a pattern and cycle is and then apply that knowledge to other cycles. We want them to make the connection that patterns repeat themselves. I.E. moon, life, apple. Unit learning goal(s): To distinguish what a pattern is and how a cycle works.

What is a pattern? What is a cycle? Examples of patterns and cycles

5E Learning Cycle Instructional Strategies for our Unit

Phase 1: Engage Capture student attention, activate student prior knowledge, stimulate thinking, raise key questions, etc.

Lesson 1. Students will be given Lego’s and told to make a pattern. Read Pattern Fish by Trudy Harris or Pattern Bugs Write a definition of patterns and cycles in Reflections Journal Did I make a pattern? Can my neighbor understand my pattern? 

Phase 2: Explore Allow students to observe, record data, isolate variables, design and plan investigations, create graphs, interpret results, develop hypotheses, and organize their findings.

Lesson 2. Use a handout with math concepts to fill in the apples on the tree YouTube video, Apple tree life cycle animation “Life for Beginners” Apple sequencing cards for group activity What is a cycle? What is a pattern? Do you see any similarities or differences between the two? 

Phase 3: Explain Introduce laws, models, theories, and vocabulary. Guide students toward coherent generalizations, and help students understand and use scientific vocabulary to explain the results of their explorations

Lesson 3. Use a video to show students how the moon goes through the different phases. Oreo cookie activity Review days, weeks, months, year Students will be asked to diagram the moon phase for a week’s time. 

Phase 4: Elaborate/ExtendProvide students an opportunity to apply their knowledge to new domains, raise new questions, and explore new hypotheses. May also include related problems for students to solve.

 Lesson 4. Moon sequencing worksheet Baseball, globe, and flashlight to observe how the light changes through reflection.

Draw your observations. Did you see any similarities to what happens to the moon as to what happened to

our baseball? How does the shape of the moon affect the amount of light reflected? 

Phase 5: Evaluate Administer formative assessment (although checking for understanding should be done throughout the lesson)

 Lesson 5. Students will complete a worksheet of complex patterns. Students will do a Reflections Journal throughout the week. We will update definitions

if needed. Students will create a birth to 100-year life cycle of their lives. Complete a cut and paste worksheet on the apple life cycle and moon cycle. 

Blooms’ Taxonomy

Differentiation

• On the apple lesson we differentiated the math sheet by eliminating the apples from the tree, the words from the bottom of the worksheet, and the numbers above the trees

• This made the worksheet a higher level assignment

• On the moon phase plate project we could have made this a lower level assignment by labeling the plate

Data and Outcomes

• For our pre and post assessments we asked the following questions:

List three things that you know about life cycles.

List three things that you learned about life cycles.

• The post lesson journal topic following our second lesson was, “What new information did you learn about the moon today?”

Student Surveys

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We shortened the student survey to only the top smiley face section.

This was given to the students at the beginning of the first lesson.

Observations

• While the students were engaged we noticed that they were fully invested in the lesson.

• They enjoyed the videos and the hands on projects (Oreo moon phase, apple life cycle).

• 4th grade students were quicker to respond to journal questions since they had already learned the life cycles.

• The lower level learners only struggled while completing the apple life cycle and the moon phase cookie project.

• The students took their time with the worksheets and projects.

• Some students already had a basic knowledge of cycles and patterns.

Lesson 2

• YouTube video, Apple tree life cycle animation “Life for Beginners”

• Apple sequencing cards for group activity

• Discuss life cycles

Lesson 4

• Moon sequencing worksheet

• Baseball, globe, and flashlight to observe how the light changes through reflection

• Moon Phases Mini-Book• Videos of moon phases:

http://www.ducksters.com/science/phases_of_the_moon.php

Reflections

Challenges• Time• Combination Classes• Oreo project was confusing• Classroom change

Successes• You Tube videos• Excitement over subject• Moon Chart

What would I change?• Allow more time over multiple

days to complete planned activities

• Single grade classes• Make a sample of the apple tree

page to model directions• Allow more time for post

assessment following the lesson

Thank You!!!!