Living or Non-living? A Kindergarten “First” Learning Experience By: Pamela Hays Royalton-Hartland Elementary School Gasport, New York 1Peer Review: February, 2012

Peer Review Focus Questions Are there further revisions that would make this LE more complete or useful to other teachers? Are there suggestions for improving my presentation of the LE? 2 Peer Review: February, 2012

District Background Information taken from NYS Report Card Rural school district in upstate New York. 33% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. 94% identify as Caucasian. Average class size: 22 students Total K-12 enrollment approx students 3 Peer Review: February, 2012 (slide modification 7/13)

Grade Level/Ability of Students Learning experience for a kindergarten class comprised of 22 students, 11 girls and 11 boys. Included one identified child (speech impaired), 3 students at varying levels of the RTI process, and 3 students receiving ERSS speech and/or OT services. One third of the students entered kindergarten at age 4. 4Peer Review: February, 2012

Time Frame for LE Four to five days of instruction and assessment. Students continued to explore concepts for several weeks after formal lessons ceased. 5Peer Review: February, 2012

MST 4 (Science) Key Idea 1 (Living Environment) Younger students’ ideas about the characteristics of organisms develop from their basic concepts of living and non-living things. As students are given opportunities to observe and classify living and nonliving things, they should be reminded that living and nonliving things are sometimes given attributes they do not really have. Understanding the variety and complexity of life and its processes can help students develop respect for their own and for all life. It should also lead them to better realize the value of all life on this fragile planet. 6Peer Review: February, 2012 Rationale

Essential Questions Year-long Essential Question: What is our responsibility to the planet Earth as human beings? Or How can we be good stewards of the Earth? LE Essential Question: Why is it important for humans to know if something is living or non- living? 7Peer Review: February, 2012

Enduring Understandings Things in our world can be sorted into two categories: living or non-living. Living things have needs that non-living things do not. Humans impact living things by their decisions. 8Peer Review: February, 2012

Major Objectives Make qualitative observations in order to classify an item as living or non-living. Consider role of humans in the care of living things. (self-reflection) 9Peer Review: February, 2012

Learning Opportunities Develop key questions to determine if an object is living or non-living. Sort objects into living and non-living categories, in groups, with family members, and individually. Uncover the difference between naturally occurring and man-made non-living objects. Communicate ideas for caring for living things. 10 Peer Review: February, 2012

New York State Standard Related to yearlong theme MST 4 (Science) Key Idea 7 (Living Environment) Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environments. Humans are dependent upon and have an impact on their environment. Students should recognize how human decisions cause environmental changes to occur. Students should be given opportunities to identify and investigate the factors that positively or negatively affect the physical environment and its resources. PI 7.1 Identify ways in which humans have changed their environment and the effects of those changes. Peer Review: February,

New York State Standards Specific to this LE PI 1.1 Describe the characteristics of and variations between living and non-living things. MST 1 (Analysis, Inquiry and Design): Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions. 12Peer Review: February, 2012 MST 4 (Science) Key Idea 7 (Living Environment)

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Specific to this LE Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas SL.K.4. Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail. Peer Review: February,

Assessments Pre-lesson (diagnostic): Living or Non-living pre-assessment. During the LE (formative): Completion of “My Living and Non-living Things Cards” will be used to assess students’ understanding during the LE. In addition, pages generated for whole class student book will be evaluated for student understanding. Post-lessons (summative): Living or Non-living post-assessment. In addition, students are assessed on their understanding of the difference between man-made and natural non-living things using Natural or Man-made? 16Peer Review: February, 2012

Developing Student How did you know which things were living? (What makes them living?) Needs food/water Grows Reproduces Needs air Gets rid of waste Reacts to environment Comments: Like when we have lunch. When asked if there was anything else, shrugged shoulders. When asked to name something that was living stated “my dog”. 15Peer Review: February, 2012

Proficient Student How did you know which things were living? (What makes them living?) Needs food/water Grows Reproduces Needs air Gets rid of waste Reacts to environment Comments: Needs water (pets get drinks from people, some animals get drinks from the pond, we have to water the plants in our room). Have to eat (plants get their food from the sun – don’t really get that) They have babies that grow up to be like them. 16Peer Review: February, 2012

Distinguished Student How did you know which things were living? (What makes them living?) Needs food/water Grows Reproduces Needs air Gets rid of waste (emerging) Reacts to environment Comments: Eats and drinks (plants die when you don’t water them), grows, has babies or grows more from seeds. Breathes (students asked previously about plants breathing and was satisfied that plants need air as well). Noted that animals and people “poop and pee” and inquired if plants did too. When asked what he thought, student thought they probably did, just differently, like when they “breathe”. 17Peer Review: February, 2012

Modification Table ModificationRationaleBenefit Instructional: Use of Small Groups Small groups provide peer interaction for the purpose of learning/ completing a task. Students are able to provide assistance and additional information to peers. (The sum of the parts is greater than the whole…) Students work in small groups independently after the first month of school. The first month is spent learning procedures and social skills to accomplish this. 18 Peer Review: February, 2012

Changes that resulted from past peer reviews…. Re-organized congruency table and added ELA common core standards. Added titles to tables within the written LE under “Student Work” section. Revised rubric to better reflect learning objectives/goals. Added Table of Contents and (hopefully) clearer organization of LE components. 19 Peer Review: February, 2012

20 Instructional Task Learning Objectives Student Work Assessment Tool Classify given pictures as living and nonliving. Communicate rationale for classification in one-on-one interview with teacher. Reflect on the role of humans in the care of living things during the individual interview. MST 4 1.1, 1.2, 7.1 SL.K.4 Make observations necessary for classifying items as living or nonliving. Classify objects or pictures as either living or nonliving based on understanding of living and nonliving things. Consider role of humans in the care of living things. (self-reflection) Living or Nonliving post- assessment (individual) Conversation with teacher during interview Conversation with teacher during interview Interview Rubric – Classifying Skill dimension Interview Rubric – Interview Explanation dimension Anecdotal notes Learning Objectives Instructional Task Student Work Assessment Tool Make qualitative observations in order to classify an item as living or nonliving. MST 1 - S1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Using whole class observations brainstorm criteria for determining living or nonliving. List criteria and evaluate each idea for validity. Large, whole class chart. Teacher will address each student to allow for individual ideas to be expressed and to assess student understanding. OLD

Peer Review: February,

Reflections The big picture: Working on LE’s and participating in peer review changes the way I think and ultimately the way I teach. Thank you to the members of TLQP and students/teachers in Teaching to the Standards at Daemen College for helping me to learn, practice, and improve. Although I am not teaching kindergarten this year I hope to continue working on LE’s that encourage the teaching of science in the early childhood grades. 22Peer Review: February, 2012