Two Scoops Are Better Than One

Contributor
Jeri Faber, educator
Type Category
Instructional Materials
Types
Lesson/Lesson Plan
Note
This resource, vetted by NSTA curators, is provided to teachers along with suggested modifications to make it more in line with the vision of the NGSS. While not considered to be "fully aligned," the resources and expert recommendations provide teachers with concrete examples and expert guidance using the EQuIP rubric to adapted existing resources. Read more here.

Reviews

Description

This lesson is the second day of an end of the unit task to address the Performance Expectation: Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.  This end of unit task is expected to take 3-4 days to complete.   In the previous lesson (http://betterlesson.com/lesson/628130/i-scream-you-scream-we-all-scream-for-vanilla-ice-cream), the students were challenged to brainstorm their version of a vanilla flower pollinator. For this lesson, students work with a partner to choose and develop their engineering plans by drawing a diagram for a vanilla plant pollinator.  They also create a list of materials needed for the task.

Intended Audience

Educator
Educational Level
  • Elementary School
  • Grade 2
Language
English
Access Restrictions

Free access with user action - The right to view and/or download material without financial barriers but users are required to register or experience some other low-barrier to use.

Performance Expectations

K-2-ETS1-2 Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Clarification Statement: none

Assessment Boundary: none

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this performance expectation.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
Teachers should remind students to label their drawings so that items needed to construct the pollinator are evident.

2-LS2-2 Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.

Clarification Statement: none

Assessment Boundary: none

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this performance expectation.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
The teacher should have taught lessons, shared videos, or read books aloud prior to this activity about animal pollination. Using prior learning and their own background knowledge, students design a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in pollinating plants. The students also develop a plan to construct the model.

Science and Engineering Practices

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this science and engineering practice.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
Teachers should guide students through the planning and designing of a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in pollinating plants. The author of the lesson plan has included engineering design posters that will assist students in the steps they need to follow to develop the simple plant pollinator model. These posters should be posted in the room.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea.

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
Students work with partners to construct a model and determine which design materials will make the best plant pollinator. The students should communicate and justify to each other why certain design elements and materials are needed to develop the plant pollination model so that it serves its purpose of pollinating a plant.

Crosscutting Concepts

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this crosscutting concept.

Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
Teachers should encourage students to converse about the design, materials, and development of the shape and stability of the plant pollination model.

Resource Quality

  • Alignment to the Dimensions of the NGSS: All dimensions of the NGSS are addressed as students plan and design a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in pollinating plants.

  • Instructional Supports: The lesson creator provides step by step instructions and helpful tips for other teachers to implement this lesson in their own classroom. Hyperlinks within the lesson allow teachers to refer back to the previous day's lesson and resources, including the engineering design posters for student reference. Connections to Common Core State Standards for speaking and listening are an added bonus in this lesson.

  • Monitoring Student Progress: Although there are no formative or summative assessments listed, teachers can assess student progress using the "Best Idea Vanilla Pollinator" student sheet.

  • Quality of Technological Interactivity: Students reference the Engineering Design Posters that are projected on the SMART board. At the end of the lesson, teachers could project some of the plant pollinator designs on the board for students to observe and evaluate.