Observation
Student Observation
Classroom: John Motely Morehead Stem Academy
Grade: 5th
Curriculum Area: Force and Motion (Time distance
graphs).
What I notice
- Went over homework first.
- Passed out warm-up: Warm-up has 10
questions and the students answered 1-4
and then turned warm-up in the bin
when finished.
- Mrs. Chapman read the questions to the
students and asked for key words.
- After warm up they watched youtube
video song.
- After song she asked the class what the
difference was between speed and
velocity.
- Went over an interactive PowerPoint:
graphing motion.
Distance and time on a graph (distance-y
axis and time x axis).
Really went over the x and y-axis and
what the difference was between them.
Compared lines of a graph.
Formula for speed and distance.
Printed off the power point and gave it to
the students to glue into their notebook.
Gave out homework on time distance
graphs for assessment.
Mrs. Chapman asked questions
throughout the power point.
Had a vocabulary quiz on science terms.
Observer: Ellen Chapman
Date: 9/ 18/17
Time:11:20am
Thoughts, Questions, Connections to Methods
Classes
- When class was talkative she said: Ill
wait.
- Told the class to save homework so they
can study it for the EOG.
- Class was very talkative: Mrs. Chapman
said, Ill wait. This did not really work
and I wonder what other methods she
could use that would better control the
class.
- 5 points off the warm up if they forgot to
put their name on it.
- Put a timer up on the board for the
students to see when time is up, I
thought it is a good idea, but it may put
pressure on students that time is going to
run out.
- The lesson was more of a direct lesson
plan rather than an inquiry lesson plan
(5E model).
- She did not ask many questions in the
beginning and I feel like the students lost
interest.
- I liked how she compared distance and
speed by using different colors on the
graph as well as completing the
corresponding formula in the same color.
- Posed questions and did a turn and talk
and had to explain why. I thought this
was a good idea.
- Direct Lesson plan
- Used give me five for classroom
management.
- Said, Good job when students got
questions correct.
Questions to Consider in Your Reflection:

Do you think the teacher you observed established and communicated learning goals, tracked
student progress throughout the lesson, and celebrated success? Explain.
Do you think the teacher was effective at managing the classroom during science instruction?
Explain.
Do you think the teacher helped students effectively interact with new science concepts and/or
processes? If so, how? If not, why do you think that?
Do you think the teacher helped students deepen their understanding of new science concepts
and/or processes? Explain.
Do you think the teacher effectively engaged the students? Explain.
Do you think the lesson you observed was an inquiry lesson? Explain.
What aspects of the lesson that you observed would you change? Keep? Explain.

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 On Monday September 18, 2017 at 11: 20 am, I observed Mrs. Chapmans science

lesson. The teacher did not do a 5E lesson plan; rather she completed a direct lesson plan. The

lesson plan was a basic power point on time distance graphs. I think that Mrs. Chapman

established and communicated learning goals by going over the objectives at the beginning of

class. She asked many questions while going through the power point to check for

understanding. She also celebrated success by saying good job to students who correctly

answered her questions. While Mrs. Chapman was teaching, the class was extremely chatty. She

kept on saying: give me five to get the class to quiet down, but it did not seem to work. Other

than that, I think the class was well managed, although I think Mrs. Chapman should have used

a different strategy to get the class to listen.

I do not think that Mrs. Chapman helped students effectively interacted with new

science concepts. Before the class started a power point, they went over homework from the

other night and then jumped right into the lesson. The lesson was not very engaging or exciting

and I think that many of the students lost interest and started talking. There was no hands on

activities that the students were to do, instead there only was the teacher lecturing. I think if the

teacher used an explore part of the lesson, then the students would be able to have time with the

material before the teacher talked about the material. The teacher did not really deepen the

students understanding of new science concepts. Since the lesson was direct, and there was little

to no student involvement. The lesson was dry and did not have the students doing hands on

activities that I think is crucial for a science class. Although this was a direct lesson plan, Mrs.

Chapman got the students engaged in her lesson by letting them watch a youtube video song.

By doing this, students got a better understanding of what they were about to learn about.

The lesson that I observed was not an inquiry science lesson, rather it followed the

template of a direct lesson plan. There was no opportunity for the students to explore science by

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themselves first. The teacher just went over a power point and explained the concept to the

students. By doing this, the teacher lost interest in many of the students. It may have been that

the students just came back from testing, but they were not paying attention at all. Honestly, if I

were to teach this lesson, I would change the whole thing. I may use the power point, but I

would definitely have a hands on activity for the students to explore. I also will follow the 5E

template just like the one we use in out methods class. Overall, I learned a lot from this

observation. I thought every school used the 5E lesson plan for science, but was wrong. I now

come to notice how important the 5E lesson plan is for students.