Third-grade Unit - Evaluate Lesson

Lesson Title: How Do We Assess Our Inquiry Learning and Inquiry Process?

Inquiry Phase: Evaluate/Reflect

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Essential Questions:

1. What can we learn by studying the lives of people who have influenced the well-being of a community?

2. How do we formulate open-ended questions and conduct an inquiry project?

Lesson Plan Objectives:

At the end of these lessons, students will be able to:

1. Evaluate their achievements and challenges.

2. Reflect on their learning process.

3. Identify additional questions or topics to explore.

Social Studies TEKS (for this inquiry unit):

§113.14. (b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities. The student is expected to: (A) describe how individuals, events, and ideas have changed communities, past and present.

(12) Citizenship. The student understands the impact of individual and group decisions on communities in a constitutional republic. The student is expected to: (A) give examples of community changes that result from individual or group decisions; (B) identify examples of actions individuals and groups can take to improve the community.

(14) Culture. The student understands the role of heroes in shaping the culture of communities, the state, and the nation. The student is expected to: (A) identify and compare the heroic deeds of state and national heroes, including Hector P. Garcia and James A. Lovell, and other individuals such as Harriet Tubman, Juliette Gordon Low, Todd Beamer, Ellen Ochoa, John "Danny" Olivas, and other contemporary heroes.

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner Indicators:

2.4.2 Reflect on systematic process, and assess for completeness of investigation.

2.4.4 Develop directions for future investigations.

Assessment Tool: Reflection Graphic Organizer

Also See: Self Reflection on Inquiry Graphic Organizer in Guided Inquiry Design Framework on page 159 and Self Reflection - Inquiry Tools on page 160.

Resources for this Unit of Study

Resource for this Lesson: Reflection Graphic Organizer

Estimated Lesson Time: One 30-minute Lesson

Instructional Plan Outline:

Classroom Teacher – School Librarian Collaboration: The educators will model reflection using think-alouds. They will share their inquiry unit learning experiences, including their feelings, challenges, and specific new knowledge gained.

Measurable Outcome or Final Products: Students reflect on the various stages of the inquiry process in terms of their feelings, accomplishments and challenges, and cognitive outcomes.

Preparation

• The educators review and make copies of the Reflection Graphic Organizer.

• Note: Educators may have included the Reflection Graphic Organizer in students’ inquiry journals. If students have been recording feelings, accomplishments, and challenges at each inquiry stage, this lesson will focus on the second side of the graphic organizer.

• Divide the students into partners.

Motivation

1. Project the Reflection Graphic Organizer.

2. Discuss the importance of reflecting on the learning process as well as the final product.

3. Educators post the lesson objectives and let students know they will be working with a partner to think aloud and complete an individual reflection graphic organizer.

Presentation

4. One educator uses the Reflection Graphic Organizer to prompt the other educator to use think-alouds and reflect on the process of the inquiry unit, sharing feelings, accomplishments, and challenges at each phase of the unit. This can be for the first side, the second side, or both sides of the graphic organizer.

5. The educator who is reflecting completes the Reflection Graphic Organizer as she/he shares. The supporting educator asks clarifying or probing questions to help the other complete all fields on the graphic organizer.

6. If students need more modeling, the educators switch roles and repeat this process. If they do not need more modeling, let students know that they will repeat this activity so both partners have the opportunity to think aloud and record on their individual graphic organizer.

Guided Practice

7. Educators monitor as students work in pairs to reflect using think-alouds and record their responses on the Reflection Graphic Organizer.

8. Educators record their feedback for students on the students’ rubrics.

Closure

9. At the end of the lesson, student volunteers will share their experience of the reflection exercise.

10. Volunteers will share additional questions or topics to explore.

Reflection

11. Why is reflecting an important part of learning?

12. How do you know you learned something from this inquiry unit?

Assessment

13. Educators review students’ Reflection Graphic Organizers and determine directions for future inquiry learning based on students’ interests.

Lesson Plan Resources

Student Resources

3rd_Grade_Evaluate_Reflection_Graphic_Organizer.docx

Educator Resources

Lesson Plans

3rd_Grade_Evaluate_Lesson_Plan_Only.doc

3rd_Grade_Evaluate_Lesson_Plan_Full.pdf