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Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Elementary Education Program

Pre-Observation Form

Directions: This form is to be completed prior to every lesson that will be observed by the mentor
teacher or university supervisor. It is to be submitted no later than 3 business days prior to the actual
observation along with your lesson plans.

Name: Audrey Moore Date: 11/8/17

1. What is the topic of your lesson?


a. This is a Kindergarten Social Studies Lesson. The main social studies standard
that will be taught is Needs and Wants, but I have also tied in the history of the
Pilgrims journey to America on the Mayflower, as well as the First Thanksgiving.

2. Why are you teaching this lesson? What is your rationale for teaching it?

a. I am teaching this lesson to teach students a history lesson that is relevant to the
time of year that they are in, while incorporating a main common core standard at
the same time. It is essential for students to understand the difference between a
need and a want as early as they can, because it will help them to make smart
economic decisions in the future, as well as understand that all people have the
same basic needs in life.

3. What is your Teaching Behavior Focus? Why did you choose this?

1. I want to provide clear directions and make sure to do a guided demonstration of the
activity students will complete. I think modeling activities are important so that all
students have a chance to be successful in the lesson. The Pilgrim Family Simulation at
the end is an open-ended task, but I still dont want students to copy the things I chose
when I modeled it, so I need to make sure to re-enforce the fact that each family has to
make decisions on their own. With the pre-k element in the class, it is especially
important to model activities first.
2. I want to engage students through discussion, and have a good balance between direct
instruction and student questioning. The students will need me to guide the discussion
about the book we read in the beginning, especially since it is new content to most
students in the class. However, I want students to have many opportunities to share their
ideas and opinions.
3. I also want to do a good job of paraphrasing students verbal content. In order for
students to want to listen to what you have to say when you teach them, they need to
know that you respect what they have to say, and know that you think their contributions
are valuable. When students share an idea, even if it was not the answer I was looking for,
I want to make sure that I do a good job of affirming that I heard their answer, and
building off of it if I can.
4. Why did you design your instruction in this lesson the way that you did? Why did
you choose this way of teaching the lesson (e.g., Was the idea from a methods
course? From your mentor teacher? Another source?)

a. As I was thinking about the best way help students engage with the concept of
needs and wants, and after reading about some needs and wants that Pilgrims has
to choose between on their voyage to America, I knew that I wanted to have them
complete a sorting activity, so that I could see that they knew how to distinguish
between the two new vocabulary words. The original lesson plan that I was
looking at for this lesson was just asking for students to share ideas of things they
would want to bring on the Mayflower, and the teacher would put these on chart
paper. I decided to change this portion because not only were the students not
talking about wants, but they were also passively sitting as the teacher made a
list. From observing my class, as well as listening to ideas from my mentor
teacher, I know that my students learn best when getting to do work that is hands-
on.
b. I thought that the best way to introduce the story of the Pilgrims and the First
Thanksgiving was through a well-illustrated childrens book. I learned about
choosing quality childrens literature in my reading methods course.

5. As you are thinking through this lesson, what do you believe will be the most
challenging part of this lesson for you when you teach it? Why?

a. Duringthefinalsortingactivity,itcouldbechallengingifsomestudentshave
majordisagreementsoverwhatitemsneedtogluedinthesuitcaseornot.
However,itwillbeagoodlessononhowtoworktogetherwithothers.

b. Some students may not come from a family that partakes in anything on
Thanksgiving, so they will benefit from partaking in a discussion with the whole
class after the reading of the book The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving.

c. The items that are discussed as needs and wants in the class may be different from
student to student, so when students state a need or a want to be included on the
chart paper, the teacher should also have them state WHY they are putting the
item into the category that they did. This could be challenging because if students
have different viewpoints on what items are wants or needs, I will have to
find a way to help students understand each others points.

6. How will you know if your learning outcomes for the students are met
successfully?

1. My first learning objective is: I can create a list of items that I would bring with me if I
were going on the Mayflower, with help from my teacher. I will know if students can
meet this objective if they suggest reasonable items during the discussion, or if they can
make reasonable justifications for the objects they choose to glue in their suitcases in
the final activity.
2. My second learning objective is: I can classify what things are needs, and what things
are wants. I will know if this objective is met based on the items that students glue in
their suitcases in the final activity, and what justifications they give for them.
3. My third learning objective is: I can talk about the experience of the Pilgrims on the
Mayflower, and talk about why we celebrate Thanksgiving now. I will know if this
objective is met based on the discussion we have as a class after the reading of the book.

7. How will your classroom management support the learning outcomes?

a. When students are listening to the story, they will be grouped together on the
carpet, at the front of the room to be close to the teacher, as well as the book.
Grouping students like this, rather than at tables will make it easier to manage
distracting behavior. It will also reduce distractions if students are nearer to the
book, and let them see pictures of what it was like for the Pilgrims on the
Mayflower and in the new world.
b. After the reading of the book, some students may begin to get restless, since it is a
long book. If I notice this, I will allow students to stand up and pretend like they
are sailing on the Mayflower for 30 seconds. Allowing students to stand up will
let them release some energy, and get prepared to engage in the class discussion
around the book.
c. Allowing students to work on a hands-on activity to demonstrate their knowledge
of needs and wants will allow me to have a better assessment of what they
understand about that standard.

8. List 1-3 areas which you would like for your observer to pay particular attention.
Why do you want your observer to focus on these areas?

1. The way I facilitate discussion. When I lead discussions around the book at the
beginning, and then de-brief the needs/wants sort at the end, I want to make sure that
I am respectful of all students contributions.
2. The way I manage behavior, and areas I could improve on. If the students are not
paying attention, or if I am not making sure that they are paying attention, the
students will not all be getting a fair chance to hear the content.
3. The questions that I ask when I read the book, and whether or not they were effective.
This book is full of new content and facts, and I want to make sure that I am
introducing it in an age appropriate way.

9. Is there anything else you would like your observer to know before the
observation?

a. I anticipate that this lesson will take around 30 minutes. If it goes past 3:10, some of
the preschoolers take naps/rest at this time, so some of them may receive the option to go
do a different activity, rather than being a part of the whole group discussion at the end.

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