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Lesson Plan

4th Grade heterogeneous classroom

In the previous lesson we learned what erosion is, this lesson will focus on how and why it occurs.

Objective:

After this lesson, students will be able to explain the process of erosion and identify its causes, including water, wind, and living things.

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We are looking at the same beach 13 years apart? What is different? What could have contributed to the change?

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Brain Based Principal 1- Real World Relevance

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Brain Based Principal 1- Real World Relevance

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Engagement activity: 7 pictures for students to make observations about differences in landscape. "Thumbnail" pictures for vocab chart.

Allow students time to review pictures on smart board. Do a turn and talk for each. Ask then for student observations about each picture. Record thoughts on an anchor chart, referring students back to unit vocabulary chart to match identifiers with correct tier 2 and 3 vocabulary words introduced from previous lesson. Choose students to match "thumbnail" pictures to vocab words and glue them on the vocab chart. Have a few of each picture as they may indicate more than one word.

This activity helps students to connect their learning of erosion with its real world implications. The visual images; beaches, landforms, animals, and human activities that students are familiar with that contribute to erosion; paired with discussion of each while introducing/reiterating unit vocabulary, will send synapses firing and build connections in different parts of the brain. The turn and talk, used to spark the metacognitive process and inspire varying viewpoints and debate (Parrish. 2022), will help students move up Blooms Taxonomy from simply remembering the unit vocabulary and ideas, to understanding and applying them as they make connections from pictures to terms.

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Students make observations about picture with partner at turn and talk, share those to anchor chart.

Words to introduce with this picture:

Erodes, meander

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Same place, different time. What do you notice?

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Students turn and talk, share observations, and we add those to anchor chart.

Words to note: Weathering, wind, waves of water (note alliteration)

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These pictures were all taken within 3 weeks. What do you think happened?

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Repeat turn and talk. Record student observations.

Ask students how this differs from the Grand Canyon.

Lot of water in a little time or little water over a lot of time?

Vocab: flood, floodplain, sedimentation, deposition

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How might this beaver contribute to erosion?

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Students brainstorm ideas. Ask leading questions if necessary.

What other wild animals promote erosion?

In what ways?

Words to use to promote thinking: burrow, trails, ruts, trampling, digging

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What about sheep? Do they contribute to erosion? How?  Can you think of any other animal that may contribute to erosion?

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Picture 6- Agricultural impact on erosion

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Picture 6- Agricultural impact on erosion

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Students brainstorm ideas. Ask leading questions if necessary.

Things to consider: Trampling, overgrazing, removal of trees, vegetation

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Human beings contribute to erosion as well. Think of some ways and we will add them to our anchor chart.

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Students brainstorm ideas. Ask leading questions if necessary. Introduce erosion related vocab:

deforestation

construction

mining (briefly discuss that miners go into the earth, blasting their way through rock and soil, to gather minerals we use everyday)

Farming: large animal grazing/agriculture

Road construction

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The erosion activity will help students make connections needed to strengthen recall and deepen learning.

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Brain Based Principle 2- Multisensory Learning

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Brain Based Principle 2- Multisensory Learning

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Students will be put into groups of four to participate in erosion activity.

Students will actively engage in building up a dirt/sand

wall and creating rock paths for water to flow. They will be given materials and afforded an opportunity to create their own designs they believe will hold up to their water trial. They will make observations on how the water affects their

build. Students will video their experiments, discussing

their observations. Each student will be responsible

for a part in the video (narration/2 demonstration/

1 videographer)

Needs for experiment

5 large trays, crates to slope trays, dirt, rocks, sand,

water, 5 tablecloths, use of video equipment on rotation

This lesson segment engages students in a multi-sensory experience. This type of hand-on learning supports better understanding of concepts, promotes critical thinking and collaboration, builds relevance and connection, and boosts confidence and the growth mindset (National Science and Math Initiative. 2024.). Hands-on learning helps students make more and deeper connections, allowing for better recall and transfer of the skills. It also allows for students to engage in the creation of erosion, the very thing they are learning about, which further enhances their understanding.

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Good practices in brain based learning are short learning segments, using/applying/experimenting with ideas/concepts immediately after lesson, review throughout lesson, emotional connection with the lesson itself, and movement (Gupta. 2022.) This lesson supports each of those by integrating shorter learning segments (not one long lecture), continual review of vocab and concepts, following initial lesson with hands-on activity, supplying real-world implications of erosion for emotional connection, and incorporating movement (turn and talk, getting up and gluing thumbnail prints to vocabulary, the creation of the erosion experiment and subsequent video segment). These practices enhance student motivation, engagement, and keeps fourth graders interest and attention piqued.

In addition, studies show that retention is significantly better with positive engagement. This lesson has aspects of both cognitive and emotional positive engagement that support memory. (Millacci, T. 2024.) Cognitive by encouraging collaboration, metacognition, problem solving and critical thinking, and emotional by creating space for them to share ideas, be part of a group, creating interest, and well, having fun while learning!

Finally, the concluding activity supports memory consolidation. Having time to apply or rehearse what they have learned (via the experiment), and summarize or rehearse (with their video recording and narration) will facilitate consolidation of learning (Howard-Jones. 2019) as student brains make connections from the variety of sensory input to make sense and meaning of the learning.

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Lack of Engagement/Participation-             Challenge Accepted

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Lack of Engagement/Participation-             Challenge Accepted

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Certain students may try to fade into background and not participate in turn and talk or group activity. Creating and cultivating a safe space where students feel free to respond, even when their answer may not be "correct", is imperative to their participation. Students also will be "rehearsing" answers in their turn and talks and are more apt to share after discussing their ideas with a partner. Making sure that everyone has a part in the experiment and video is also key to ensuring that everyone participates, everyone feels a part of the project and valued, and so enjoys the process of learning. Group and partner work are essential to brain based learning as they promote active participation (wherein as in large group or lecture students can become disengaged quietly), give everyone a voice to share ideas, and engage students in critical thinking, problem solving, discussions that further their own understanding and build and strengthen neural connections.

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Ed Puzzle on Weathering and Erosion. Students watch and follow along, answering open ended, t/f, and multiple choice questions to determine comprehension as the video progress.

https://edpuzzle.com/media/6032c01eadaf8142433c74a2

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Edpuzzle video lesson. Make any video your lesson. Take a video and crop it, add your voice or embed questions at any point.

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Link to U.S. Park pages on water, wind, and weather. This link will allow students to short videos done in the parks with park rangers that show evidence of erosion and their causes, as well as links to experiments they can watch or even try at home.

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Teaching Resources-Erosion - Erosion: Water, Wind & Weather (U.S. National Park Service)

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Ranger Kelly demonstrates to students an erosion activity that can be done anywhere. This activity can be done as an add-on to the "Erosion and Us" video. Addresses NGSS standard: 2-ESS1-1

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Students collaborating to problem solve using critical thinking skills

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My goal with this lesson, in addition to helping students learn about erosion and its causes, is to teach critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills. These skills are vital throughout life and will continue to grow and strengthen as they are challenged and put to use often. My hope is to see positive engagement, roles in groups taken seriously, and active learning taking place as students share ideas and tasks. This will work toward the bigger goal of our continuing cultivation of a positive academic environment that will support all students learning, retention, and transfer.

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                                         References

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                                         References

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Grand Canyon University. (n.d.) Bloom's taxonomy. GCU media. https://lc.gcumedia.com/are337/blooms-taxonomy/v2.1/

Gupta, Priyanka. (2022). What is brain based learning? Ed-tech review. https://www.edtechreview.in/dictionary/what-is-brain-based-learning/#nbsp3-six-brainbased-learning-strategies-by-dr-lodge-mccammon

Howard-Jones, Paul. (2019). Consolidation of learning. IBE- Science of learning portal.https://solportal.ibe-unesco.org/articles/consolidation-of-learning/

Millacci, Ph.D., Tiffany Sauber. (2024). 7 engagement strategies for improved learning. Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/student-engagement/

National Science and Math Initiative. (2024).The benefits of hands-on science education in under-supported schools. NSMI Blog. https://www.nms.org/Resources/Newsroom/Blog/2024/April-2024/The-Benefits-of-Hands-On-Science-Education-in-Unde.aspx

Parrish, Nina. (2022). Brain based learning: Metacognitive talk guides students to discuss their thought processes. Edutopia.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/metacognitive-talk-guides-students-discuss-their-thought-processes/