· Philosophy of Education Statement

· Domain I (The Learner and Learning)

· Rationale for Artifact for Standard 1: (Learner Development)
· Artifact for Standard 1: The Theories of Jean Piaget vs. The Theories of Lev Vygotsky
· Rationale for Artifact for Standard 2: (Learning Differences)
· Artifact for Standard 2: Shape Up
· Rationale for Artifact for Standard 3: (Learning Environments)
· Artifact for Standard 3: Vertebrates & Invertebrates: Life Cycles & Adaptations

· Domain II (Content Knowledge)

· Rationale for Artifact for Standard 4: (Content Knowledge)
· Artifact for Standard 4: Static Electricity
· Rationale for Artifact for Standard 5: (Application of Content)
· Artifact for Standard 5: Native Americans

· Domain III (Instructional Practice)

· Rationale for Artifact for Standard 6: (Assessment)
· Artifact for Standard 6: Inference Lesson
· Rationale for Artifact for Standard 7: (Planning For Instruction)
· For Elementary Literacy
· Artifact for Standard 7: Life Cycle of A Frog
· Rationale for Artifact for Standard 8: (Instructional Strategies)
· Artifact for Standard 8: Science Unit Plans (Fourth Grade)

· Domain IV (Professional Responsibility)

· Rationale for Artifact for Standard 9: (Professional Learning and Ethical Practice)
· Artifact for Standard 9: Observed Inference Lesson Reflective & Observed Shape Up
Lesson Reflective
· Rationale for Artifact for Standard 10: (Leadership and Collaboration)
· Artifact for Standard 10: Case Study
 Philosophy of Education

The purpose of education is to pass fundamental and essential knowledge on to

others. Education is indispensable for the human race to further perpetuate its growth for

the future. Without education and learning, we're not moving forward; if we're not moving

ahead, we're moving backward.

In order for education to be advantageous, it starts with an effective instructor. An

effective educator is one that first possesses the required knowledge needed to pass on to

his/her students. If a teacher does not fully understand what is required to be taught, it is

probable that the concepts being conveyed to students will not be fully correct in its

translation to students; and therefore, the students will suffer.

The other vital component of a successful educator is one that possesses great

organizational skills. The act of educating can be a daily juggling act of teaching concepts,

while managing various student abilities, and contending with differing behavioral issues.

It is also very important for an educator to have the ability to teach concepts in more

than one way. It is imperative that a teacher be able to teach concepts in multiple ways

because not everyone learns in the same manner, and it is important for educators to

recognize that learning can take place in different ways. Educators need to be able to

identify various learning types in their classrooms, and they need strategies to teach the

information that is required of them to diverse types of learners.

While it is extremely important for a child's body to be exercised, one could argue

that it is more important for a child's brain to be challenged through education than for
his/her body to be exercised. It is essential that children's minds be expanded through all

forms of education, and that starts with an effective, organized, and prepared educator.

It is the teacher's obligation that his/her students go home each day smarter than

when they first walked through the classroom door. If a teacher can successfully obtain that

goal, that teacher has now become an educator. Most anyone can "teach" someone through

the act of telling him/her something that he/she didn't know beforehand; however, when

the person being taught has acquired more knowledge with the help of his/her teacher, that

instructor has now become an educator.

Standard 1: “Learner Development”

· The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of
learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic,
social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally
appropriate and challenging learning experiences.

Name of Artifact One: The Theories of Jean Piaget vs. The Theories of Lev Vygotsky
Date: November 20th, 2008
Course: EDI 601: Social Foundations of Education

Rationale: The artifact I have chosen to demonstrate my knowledge of Standard 1 is a paper

I wrote during the Fall 2008 semester while I was taking the course, “EDI 601: Social
Foundations of Education” at LIU Post in Brookville, NY.

This artifact describes the educational philosophies of two constructivists, Jean Piaget and
Lev Vygotsky, and it contrasts both of their ideas regarding the rate at which children learn
and mature, whether it be through natural development and/or through social interactions.

Piaget’s theories are all based on scientific information and schematic ideas. One of Piaget’s
most important theories is his theory on the four developmental stages each child goes
through in his/her developmental process. Vygotsky’s vast work on cognitive development
caused him to have a belief that learning mainly takes place on a social level. He believe
that it is essential for a person to first learn socially, and later use that knowledge to further
understand a topic on an individual level. Vygotsky also believed that one’s use of cultural
tools, such as language, numbers, and symbols constricts our thinking.

This artifact relates to Standard 1 because it explains two different schools of thought
regarding how children learn, and it reminds me that my students will need to be taught
lessons and concepts in various ways that are beneficial to each of them based on their
developmental and social levels.

Understanding these two theories of how children learn, affords me the ability to better
educate my students with the knowledge that my students may be at different intellectual
levels through natural development and/or through their social interactions. While I am
teaching my students, I will now be aware of the fact that children learn and mature at
different rates, and I will be cognizant of this information while I am educating my students.
I will be aware that not all students of the same age have the same intellectual abilities of
other children at the same age, while others may not have the same cognitive abilities based
on their surroundings of other children the same age.
 Daniel Bod
EDI 601
November 20th, 2008

The Theories of Jean Piaget vs. The Theories of Lev Vygotsky

Constructivists, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are both regarded as two of the most

influential theorists on educational development among children. While both of these two

scientists grew up in the early twentieth century and did most of their work at the same

time, each of these two men arrived at two separate theories. While each of these two

men’s theories is different in design, each one’s theories have some similarities with the

other one’s theories and vice versa.

Jean Piaget was a philosopher in Switzerland, in the early 1900s and spent his time

working with children, and trying to better understand how children learn. Piaget’s theories

are all based on scientific information and schematic ideas. One of Piaget’s most important

theories is his theory on the four developmental stages each child goes through in his/her

developmental process. The first of the four developmental stages Piaget identified is called

the “Sensorimotor Stage,” which is described as a time in which children are egocentric, and

cannot perceive the world from any point of view, other than their own. This stage is one in

which he believed all children are in while they are infants, (generally) from the time they

are born until the time they are two years-old. Piaget conducted experiments to observe

how infants responded to “object permanence.” “Object permanence” is the term used to

describe the awareness that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible.

Piaget’s experiments consisted of infants being shown a toy or a pleasing object, and then

the objects of toys were hidden beneath a blanket. Some of the babies had an awareness

that the items had not simply vanished around the age of eight months-old, during the
sensorimotor stage of cognitive development. The next stage Piaget theorizes is the

“Preoperational Stage.” This stage focuses on children from around age two to age seven

and suggests that children are still egocentric, they develop semiotic functioning, and they

are not yet logical thinkers. It is during this time that children develop language skills and

they can identify items with words and images. The third stage of the four stages of

cognitive development that Piaget called, “Concrete Operational,” is a stage that most

seven year-old children to eleven year-old children reach, and is characterized by the

appropriate use of logic. This stage finds that children are able to sort objects according to

their classifications, as well as to classify items based on their characteristics. Children in

this stage will also be able to see items from more than one perspective. For example, if a

child that has reached this stage is given a row of five quarters spread over twelve inches,

and later a row of five quarters spread over twenty-four inches, this student will be able to

deduce that, although the quarters suddenly take up more space, it is still the same amount

of quarters as before. Toward the end of this stage, Piaget said that children begin to lose

their egocentrism. The final stage of Piaget’s developmental theory is called the “Formal

Operations” stage. Adolescents and young adults will find themselves in this stage. This is

the most advanced stage that Piaget has identified and says that people in this stage have

the ability to reason about abstract concepts such as friendship, love, morality, and justice.

In contrast to Jean Piaget’s theories, Lev Vygotsky, a Russian-born psychologist in the

early 1900s, had more of a sociocultural theory on how he believed children learn.

Vygotsky’s vast work on cognitive development caused him to have a belief that learning

mainly takes places on a social level. He believed that it is essential for a person to first

learn socially and later use that knowledge to further understand a topic on an individual
level. Vygotsky also believed that one’s use of cultural tools, such as language, numbers,

and symbols constricts our thinking. Vygotsky’s main belief was that children learn best

when they have social support and that learning comes before development, which is in

strong contrast to the beliefs of Piaget. Vygotsky’s work discussed children learn better

when they are taught using a “scaffolding method.” While not identified until the 1950s, the

practice of “instructional scaffolding” (which originated from Vygotsky’s scientific findings)

says that students have a better understanding of skills and concepts when they are taught

with a foundation and with support all throughout a lesson. These supports are introduced

when a lesson is first being introduced to a student and they can include resources,

templates, guides, and personal accounts. Once these initial “scaffolds” are applied, the

student has a foundation on which he/she can build his/her knowledge and as the student

becomes more informed and comfortable with a concept, these “scaffolds” can begin to be

removed until all are gone and the student’s knowledge is independent from any

“scaffolds.” In addition, Vygotsky’s theories also spoke about a “co-constructed process,”

whereby a group of students would interact and negotiate (usually verbally) to create an

understanding or to solve a problem.

Vygotsky believed strongly that children learn best when they are in a social setting

and have the collaborative help of others to expand on their own prior knowledge. When

students are placed in a group setting, the other members of the group are part of the

“scaffold” and are there to help one another with the understanding of a concept. Once the

other students in the group are removed, the individual student will be able to use their new

found knowledge to help with the understanding of the taught concept. He believed that a

child can solve a problem with the right amount of “scaffolding.”

 A major part of Lev Vygotsky’s theories on social learning is a concept he developed

called “Zone of Proximal Development.” The “Zone of Proximal Development” refers to the

happy-medium between what a student can do independently versus what the student can

do via assistance. He believed that the most helpful social interactions were the ones with

people who are more capable or advanced in their thinking.

While Piaget’s theories say that learning is constrained by development, Vygotsky’s

theories say that learning pushes development. Piaget said, “Learning is subordinated to

development and not vice versa.” While, in contrast, Vygotsky said, “Organized learning

results in mental development and sets in motion a variety of developmental processes that

would be impossible apart from learning.” He also contrasted Piaget’s theories when he said

he believed “…learning to be an active process that does not have to wait for readiness. It is

a tool in development.” While Vygotsky believed in social interaction as the way people

learn best, it was Piaget that believed strongly that children have to be cognitively ready to

learn and that they learn on an individual basis, by age and maturity level.

Piaget’s theories have an “Inside-Out” approach to them. Piaget believed that it was

the child that learned more and had better cognitive capabilities as he/she reached stages

introduced by Piaget. In vast contrast, Vygotsky had an “Outside-In” approach to the way in

which he believed children learned. He believed that while children gain more knowledge as

they grow older, it is the social interactions children have that have the greatest effect on

their cognitive development.

While the two theorists of cognitive learning had very separate viewpoints, their

beliefs were also similar in certain instances. For example, they both believed that a child’s

environment played a role in the learning process, and they both believed that a child’s
surroundings are essential to learning and development. Both men also believed that

development is systematic and hierarchal. While Piaget’s theories on cognitive learning say

that children have different levels of comprehension with regard to which stage of learning

they are in, Vygotsky said that there is also an order to the way in which children learn;

however, he just believed that it isn’t rooted in science, but rather, it is rooted in social

interaction. Each scientist believed that there is a structural organization of development. In

addition, both men’s work was similar because they each used clinical methods to obtain

their findings.

As a classroom teacher, I would be aware of each of these two theories of learning

and I would be conscious of them when I teach my lessons. I think that each of these two

theories have merit, although I don’t believe that either theory is more precise than the

other, nor do I believe that either of them is completely accurate in his theories. I believe

that Piaget was correct in his assessment of how children learn at various stages and their

growing capacities as they age. I am a strong believer in Piaget’s evidence that children

have different cognitive abilities at different ages and as a classroom teacher, I would be

very cognizant of the age of my students when implementing a lesson; I would be very

attentive to the level at which I assess their abilities and the level at which I teach them.

Nonetheless, I think that Piaget’s ideas lacked the social aspect of the learning process. I

think that it is of utmost importance to understand one’s students’ abilities and capabilities

so that when instructing them, they are being taught with a comprehension of the concepts

being communicated. If a teacher has a classroom full of eight year-old students, it would be

very important for the teacher to acknowledge that the students are probably in the

“Concrete Operational” stage and they may not yet have the ability to reason about abstract
concepts such as friendship, love, morality, and justice. This acknowledgement of the

students’ stage level is important when teaching lessons on reading comprehension and

lessons on social studies.

In conjunction with Piaget’s theories on cognitive development, I believe that

Vygotsky’s theories on “scaffolding” and sociocultural learning are both essential teaching

practices to a well-rounded child. When I have a classroom of my own, while I plan to have

an awareness of the biological, capacity level of my students, I will also be conscious of my

students’ prior knowledge and potential capabilities. I would also be aware of the benefit of

applying each of their own prior and current knowledge to help one another in group

activity. I also believe that it is very important to be perceptive of one’s students’ problem

solving abilities and potential problem solving abilities, as described by Vygotsky, via his

theory of the “Zone of Proximal Development.”

Standard 2: “Learner Differences”

· The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and
communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to
meet high standards.

Name of Artifact Two: Shape Up

Date: February 28th, 2013
Course: EDI 709: Student Teaching Experience

Rationale: The artifact I have chosen to demonstrate my knowledge of Standard 2 is a lesson

I taught at Powells Lane Elementary School in Westbury, NY during the Spring 2013 semester
while I was taking the course, “EDI 709: Student Teaching Experience” at LIU Post in
Brookville, NY.

The objective of this lesson is to have students be able to use geometric shapes to
build/create larger geometric shapes. While doing so, students will recognize shapes in
different layouts and configurations. In addition, students will use the building of new,
larger shapes to solve provided mathematical problems through addition and subtraction.

This lesson really demonstrates the various uses of instructional strategies to encourage
students’ development of critical thinking and problem solving. This lesson was designed to
help students in the second grade to become more comfortable with simple geometric
shapes, and how they can interact with one another. Students develop their performance
skills while they are figuring out which shapes can be placed next to other shapes to create a
larger geometric shape. The students also expand on their problem solving skills by using the
same geometric shapes, with designated point values, to perform arithmetic equations. The
students are also challenged by using their performance skills to create the largest
geometric shapes they can, using the smaller shapes provided.

I bring multiple perspectives to the discussion of content by showing various ways that
certain geometric shapes can be made. For example, a rectangle can be made by combining
two squares, or it can be made combining a square with two triangles.

In addition, I make appropriate provisions for students with special needs by showing them
the initial geometric shape with all of the smaller shapes with spaces between them (for
those students that have perception problems).

A provision was also made for students whose first language is not English. I arranged for the
English as a Second Language teacher to be in the classroom to assist all of the students
whose first language is not English. She was very helpful to those students because much of
the work assigned in the classroom was written as word problems.

The students in the classroom were broken up into groups so that the students with a
greater understanding of what was being taught would be able to assist the struggling
students. I also designed instruction to build on students' prior knowledge by combining a
geometry lesson with arithmetic.
Name: Daniel Bod Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Schwartz
Date: February 28th, 2013 Grade: Four
School: Powells Lane Elementary School
Subject Area: Mathematics
Topic: Geometry/Arithmetic/Problem Solving
Grade: 4
Date: February 28th, 2013

Goal: Students will become more familiar with different types of geometric shapes and to be able to use them
to solve mathematical problems.

Objectives: To have students be able to use geometric shapes to build/create larger geometric shapes. While
doing so, students will recognize shapes in different layouts and configurations. In addition,
students will use the building of new, larger shapes to solve provided mathematical problems,
through addition and subtraction.

Teacher’s Materials/Tools
1. Objects In The Classroom
2. SMARTBoard
3. Packet of Shapes (handed out)
4. Worksheet for Drawing Assembled Shapes
5. Worksheet with Problem-Solving Equations
6. Review worksheet (homework)

Lesson Development
A.) Motivation: Ask students to identify geometric shapes found in common classroom items, and to see if
they are at all part of a larger geometric shape.
B.) Content Presentation: Show students the overhead slides with the collection of shapes to be handed
out. Give out packet of shapes to students (in groups of three). Give out both
handouts (the worksheet for drawing assembled shapes) and (the worksheet
with problem-solving equations).
C.) Activities: The students will participate in a class discussion to identify and point out geometric
shapes found in common classroom items. Students will be given a worksheet to review the
names of geometric shapes, and how many sides each one has. They will be given a packet
of shapes to manipulate and use to build larger geometric shapes. In groups of three, the
students will collaborate and draw sketches of the larger shapes they construct on a third
worksheet handed out to them. They may combine two triangles to create a square, or use
that new shape to add onto another square to create a rectangle. They may create a large
triangle using a square along with two triangles, etc. On a third worksheet, the students
will work privately to answer review questions about shapes, and about the construction of
shapes.
D.) Advanced Learner Adaptation: Advanced learners could be asked to combine some of the shapes
they’ve created with other shapes they’ve created to build even larger
geometric shapes.
E.) Special Needs Adaptation: Students that may have trouble combining more than two shapes together
to create geometric shapes, they can be asked to only create larger shapes
only using two of the provided shapes. Also, on the “Problem Solving
Equations” worksheet, they should be told how many shapes to use for
each equation.
F.) Assessment & Evaluation: Students should be able to identify geometric shapes within other
geometric shapes, and to use these shapes to solve mathematical problems
with the provided point-value system.
G.) Closure: Review the names of each geometric shape, and review what parallel lines are. Also, discuss
a couple of shape combinations that were made to create other, larger shapes.
H.) Extension: As a homework assignment, the students will use the shapes they’ve previously
constructed, and shapes they are yet to construct to help solve mathematical equations
using the point system designated to each shape on a worksheet. For example, the question
may ask the student to combine three shapes to create a trapezoid, and the new shape will
add up to four. They may be asked to build on that shape to create a triangle, and the
students will be asked what that shape adds up to. In addition, children may be encouraged
to go home and create four more shapes that they have discovered following the day’s
lesson.
Name: _______________________________ Class: __________________________
Subject: _____________________________ Date: __________________________

Shape-Up: Reviewing Shapes

1.) Draw A Triangle. Write How Many Sides A 2.) Draw A Square. Write How Many Sides A Square
Triangle Has. Has.

3.) Draw A Rectangle. Write How Many Sides A 4.) Draw A Parallelogram. Write How Many Sides A
Rectangle Has. Parallelogram Has.

5.) Draw A Trapezoid. Write How Many Sides A 6.) Draw A Pentagon. Write How Many Sides A
Trapezoid Has. Pentagon Has.

7.) Draw A Hexagon. Write How Many Sides A 8.) Draw An Octagon. Write How Many Sides An
Hexagon Has. Octagon Has.
Name: _______________________________ Class: __________________________
Subject: _____________________________ Date: __________________________

Shape-Up: Assembling Larger Shapes

1.) Draw A Square Using Two Shapes. 2.) Draw A Rectangle Using Two Shapes.

3.) Draw A Triangle Using Four Shapes. 4.) Draw A Trapezoid Using Three Shapes.

5.) Draw A Trapezoid Using Three Shapes. 6.) Draw A Trapezoid Using Four Shapes.
Name: _______________________________ Class: __________________________
Subject: _____________________________ Date: __________________________

Shape-Up: Review

1.) List four shapes with four sides. 2.) Which of the following shapes does not have
1.) parallel lines?
2.) a.) parallelogram
3.) b.) trapezoid
4.) c.) square
d.) octagon

3.) Which three shapes can be used to make a 4.) How many squares can you use to make a larger
trapezoid? square?

5.) Which of the following shapes has parallel 6.) Which of the following shapes has the least
lines? amount of sides?
a.) hexagon a.) hexagon
b.) rhombus b.) octagon
c.) triangle c.) pentagon
d.) circle d.) parallelogram

7.) Draw a parallelogram. 8.) Draw a trapezoid using six shapes.

Name: _______________________________ Class: __________________________
Subject: _____________________________ Date: __________________________

Shape-Up: Problem Solving Equations

1.) Draw A Square Using Shapes That Add Up 2.) Draw A Rectangle Using Shapes That Add Up To
To Two. Three.

3.) Draw A Triangle Using Shapes That Add Up 4.) Draw A Rectangle Using Shapes That Add Up To
To Four. Thirteen.

5.) Draw A Trapezoid Using Shapes That Add 6.) Use The Shape Constructed In Question 5 To
Up To Seven. Create A Trapezoid Using Shapes That Add Up To
Five.
Standard 3: “Learner Environments”

· The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and
collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active
engagement in learning, and self motivation.

Name of Artifact Three: Vertebrates & Invertebrates: Life Cycles & Adaptations
Date: Spring 2009
Course: EDI 614: Science Methods: Grades 1 to 6

Rationale: The artifact I have chosen to demonstrate my knowledge of Standard 3 is

a unit plan I wrote during the Spring 2009 semester while I was taking the course, “EDI 614:
Science Methods: Grades 1 to 6” at LIU Post in Brookville, NY.

This unit is designed to show students the differences among animals by displaying to them
that animals are grouped in various ways. First, students will be shown that animals can be
grouped as vertebrates or invertebrates and within those categories, they can be grouped
further. The lesson on vertebrates has the children breaking into groups to categorize
pictures based on similarities. This part of the lesson encourages positive social interaction,
as does the lesson on amphibian life cycles, which also has the students doing group work. In
addition, these lessons promote an engaging environment where learners have a positive
climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.

The lesson on the fish life cycle assesses the students by asking them to brainstorm dangers
that fish encounter at each stage of their life cycle following a video they watch in the
classroom. During the lesson on the frog life cycle, students are shown a video that displays
the metamorphosis of a frog, starting with an egg, followed by a discussion with a word sort.
Both of these activities allow me to promote responsible learner use of a form of technology
that is made to be interactive.

The lesson on animal adaptations has the students venturing outside of the classroom to
observe various animals in their habitats. By doing so, I use an additional method to engage
learners in evaluating the learning environment.
Vertebrates & Invertebrates: Life Cycles & Adaptations

Table of Contents

I. Concept Map …………………………………………....………………….………………….........….................................................................................... 02

II. Vertebrates …………………………………………....………………….………………….........….................................................................................... 03

a. Fish Life Cycle …………………………………………....………………….………………….........…..................................................................... 04
b. Amphibian Life Cycle…………………………………………....………………….………………….........…...................................................... 05
c. Bird Life Cycle …………………………………………....………………….………………….........…..................................................................... 06
d. Reptile Life Cycle …………………………………………....………………….………………….........…........................................................... 07
e. Mammal Life Cycle ………………………………….………………….........…................................................................................... 08

III. Invertebrates …………………………………………....………………….………………….........…............................................................................... 09

a. Butterfly Life Cycle …………………………………………....………………….………………….........…....................................................... 10

IV. Animal Adaptations

a. How Animals Adapt To Their Surroundings …………………………………………........................................ 11
b. Adaptation Visuals …………………………………………....………………….………………......................................................................... 12

V. Migration/Hibernation
a. How Animals Adapt To Climate Changes ………………………………………….................................................. 13

VII. Learning Center …………………………………………....………………….………………….........…........................................................................... 14

VIII. Multiple-Choice Test …………………………………………....………………….………………….........…................................................................. 15

Concept Map
Lesson Plan
Topic: Vertebrates

Grade Level: Second

Duration: 40 Minutes

Title: Animals With Backbones

New York State Learning Standards: Standard 4 (Science): Students will understand and apply scientific
concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the
historical development of ideas in science.

Objectives: Students will learn about vertebrates. Students will be able to place vertebrates into specific
groups based on similarities and differences.

Materials/Resources: Bag containing pictures of various vertebrates (i.e. fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds,
mammals), video of the life cycle of a frog.

Procedure/Activities: Students are shown a video that displays the metamorphosis of a frog, starting with an
egg. The teacher will lecture to the class about the similarities and differences between different types of
vertebrates (i.e. some live exclusively in water, some fly, some have live births, etc.). Following the lecture,
the students will break into groups and they will be given the bag of animal pictures and asked to group them
based on similarities. After 5-10 minutes, the teacher will make a chart on the blackboard and group the
animals based on what the groups suggest. Then, the teacher will lead a discussion based on the grouping of
these vertebrates.

Assessment: Following the group activity, the students will be asked why the animals were grouped in the
categories they were grouped and why they cannot be placed into another category (i.e. birds cannot be
placed into the same category as a snake, because, while both lay eggs, birds can fly).
Lesson Plan
Topic: Fish Life Cycle

Grade Level: Second

Duration: 50 Minutes

Title: Life Cycle of A Salmon

New York State Learning Standards: Standard 2 (Science): Students will access, generate, process, and
transfer information using appropriate technologies. Standard 4 (Science): Students will understand and apply
scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and
recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Objectives: Students will understand that salmon are a type of fish and that they only survive in water.
Students will be able to list the salmon life cycle stages in order. Students will be able to list three threats that
salmon face throughout their lives. Students will understand the important role native fish play in aquatic food
chains throughout their life cycles. The students will learn that these vertebrates live their entire lives in
water and that most fish have scales and breathe through gills.

Materials/Resources: Video showing life cycle of salmon, SMARTBoard, worksheet, construction paper,
crayons.

Procedure/Activities: Watch the selected video (from KidsTube.com) showing the life cycle of a salmon. After
watching the video, the students will receive a worksheet showing the life cycle of a salmon. The teacher will
discuss, with the class, each life cycle stage. As each life cycle stage is discussed, the students will be shown a
picture to reinforce that image.

List of Threats
Egg Stage: Flooding that dislodges eggs from the redd; silt from bank development that crushes or suffocates
eggs; crushing eggs by driving or walking through the redd; vulnerability to oil, gas spills, or other stream
pollution; eggs are consumed by birds, insects, and other fish.
Alevin: Similar dangers and predators to the egg stage.
Fry: Eaten by many animals including pike, other salmon, kingfishers, mergansers, and terns.
Smolt: Eaten by ocean fish, seals and sea lions when they reach the sea; they can become trapped behind
beaver dams or flood debris during migration.
Adults: Eaten by humans, whales, sharks, sea lions; vulnerable to oil spills and other ocean pollution.
Spawners: Eaten by humans, bears, eagles, wolves, etc. They decompose, and release nutrients when they die.

Assessment: The teacher will ask the students to remember the video and to brainstorm a list of the dangers
the fish encounter at each stage. The teacher will also give the students a blank worksheet and construction
paper, and they will be asked to cut out pictures symbolizing each part of the life cycle and they will then
paste and color the parts of the salmon’s life cycle onto the construction paper, in order.

Extension/Follow-Up Activities: As part of a performance-based assessment, the students will act out the life
cycle stages of a salmon’s life. Also, the students may write a story from the viewpoint of a salmon describing
its life.
Lesson Plan
Topic: Amphibian Life Cycles

Grade Level: Second

Duration: 50 Minutes

Title: Life Cycle of A Frog

New York State Learning Standards: Standard 4 (Science): Students will understand and apply scientific
concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the
historical development of ideas in science.

Objectives: Students will learn that frogs are amphibians and that amphibians live in water and on land.
Students will understand how frogs are born, grow, and live. They will also be told about other types of
amphibians, such as toads and salamanders. They get oxygen through their gills and through their moist skin, as
youngsters, but as older animals, they begin to develop lungs and breathe through their mouths.

Materials/Resources: Pictures of different stages of a frog’s life cycle, book (Growing Frogs by Alison Bartlett),
crayons, large paper.

Procedure/Activities: Students will be broken into groups of four and each group will be given a picture of a
different stage of a frog’s life. Each group will discuss its picture within the group. Each group will draw on
large paper the stage their group has and some adjectives to describe that stage. Then, as part of an
interdisciplinary lesson with children’s literature, the teacher will read Growing Frogs by Alison Bartlett,
pausing briefly to show the pictures in the book and discuss what tadpoles are, why they grow legs, and how a
frog’s body is formed.

Assessment: The teacher will provide pictures of the various stages and ask the students to order the pictures
(on the classroom wall), so that they will understand what order the stages are supposed to be based on the
book that was read. The stages will remain on the wall for the students to see each day.

Extension/Follow-Up Activities: Students can be asked to draw the stages of another animal, with
accompanying adjectives. This will reinforce the concept being taught.
Lesson Plan
Topic: Reptile Life Cycles

Grade Level: Second

Duration: 45 Minutes

Title: Life Cycle of A Komodo Dragon

New York State Learning Standards: Standard 4 (Science): Students will understand and apply scientific
concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the
historical development of ideas in science.

Objectives: Students will understand that a Komodo Dragon is a type of reptile and that lizards, snakes, and
other cold-blooded animals with backbones are reptiles. Students will understand what a reptile is and how
reptiles are grow and live. They will learn that snakes, crocodiles, and alligators are other types of reptiles and
that they mostly have dry, scaly skin and breathe air through lungs.

Materials/Resources: Book (Endangered Komodo Dragon by Bobby Kalman), photos, paper, crayons.

Procedure/Activities: As part of an interdisciplinary lesson with children’s literature, the teacher will read
Endangered Komodo Dragon by Bobby Kalman to the class and as the story is being read, the teacher will show
photos that coincide with the stages being read about. As the story is being read, the students will be asked to
write down any terms that they do not understand. After the story is read, as part of the inquiry-based lesson,
the students will be asked to draw pictures of each stage of a Komodo Dragon’s life. The students will then
break into small groups and converse on the words that they didn’t know. Through group help, they should be
able to get the definitions of most of the words and the words that they cannot get the definitions, they will
look up and write down the definitions. The teacher will go over the stages and new terms learned, with the
rest of the class.

Assessment: As part of an interdisciplinary lesson with English, students will be given a paragraph with missing
words and the students will be asked to fill-in the blanks. In addition, the students will be given four pictures,
signifying the stages of a Komodo Dragon’s life, and they will be asked to order them.
Lesson Plan
Topic: Bird Life Cycles

Grade Level: Second

Duration: 45 Minutes

Title: Life Cycle of A Bird

New York State Learning Standards: Standard 2 (Science): Students will access, generate, process, and
transfer information using appropriate technologies. Standard 4 (Science): Students will understand and apply
scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and
recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Objectives: Students will understand the life cycle of a bird. (Spring: Mating; Hatching; Summer: Growing,
Fall: Migration). They will learn that birds are vertebrates with feathers and bills and they do not have teeth.
They breathe air through lungs. They will learn that their wings are made of light bones with help most birds to
fly and that their feathers also help to keep them warm.

Materials/Resources: Video on the life cycle of a bird. Crayons, paper.

Procedure/Activities: The students will first be told about how unique birds are and how they hatch from eggs,
can fly, and need to stay warm. The teacher will show a video describing the life cycle of a bird.

Assessment: As part of an interdisciplinary lesson with art, the students will illustrate the life cycle of a bird
(from egg hatching, to being fed by the mother bird, to growing, to migrating to warmer weather, to laying
eggs of its own).

Extension/Follow-Up Activities: The students can get their own chicken egg in the classroom, monitor it
before it hatches, watch it hatch and donate it to a zoo. Then, they can visit it periodically to see the life
cycle of the chicken, first hand.
Lesson Plan
Topic: Mammal Life Cycles

Grade Level: Second

Duration: 45 Minutes

Title: Life Cycle of A Mammal

New York State Learning Standards: Standard 4 (Science): Students will understand and apply scientific
concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the
historical development of ideas in science.

Objectives: Students will understand how mammals are born, grow, and live. They will learn that mammals
typically have hair or fur for a portion of their lives, the hair helps to keep them warm, they are not hatched
from eggs, they breathe through lungs, and they feed milk to their young.

Materials/Resources: Book: The Bear (Life Cycles) by Sabrina Crewe

Procedure/Activities: The teacher will read The Bear (Life Cycles) by Sabrina Crewe along with the class and
show them the similarities between humans and bears (other mammals). The similarities of being grown in a
mother before being born, of drinking a mother’s milk as a baby, slowly getting bigger, and how bears
hibernate to stay warm throughout the winter.

Assessment: In order to gauge if the students have fully understood the life cycle of a bear (mammals), as part
of the inquiry-based lesson, they will be asked to break into small groups and create a small skit to act out the
different stages of a mammal’s life cycle. They will relate the mammal their group selects, to that of a bear.
Some groups may select elephants, lions, and other mammals.
Lesson Plan
Topic: Invertebrates

Grade Level: Second

Duration: 40 Minutes

Title: Animals Without Backbones

New York State Learning Standards: Standard 4 (Science): Students will understand and apply scientific
concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the
historical development of ideas in science.

Objectives: Students will learn what invertebrates are. Students will be able to place invertebrates into
specific groups based on similarities and differences.

Materials/Resources: Bag containing pictures of various invertebrates (i.e. jelly fish, mollusks, clams, snails,
squid, and insects).

Procedure/Activities: The teacher will lecture to the class about the similarities and differences between
different types of invertebrates (i.e. some live in water, some live on land and fly, etc.). Following the lecture,
the students will break into groups and they will be given the bag of pictures of invertebrates and they will be
asked to group them based on similarities. After 5-10 minutes, the teacher will make a chart on the blackboard
and group the invertebrates based on what the groups suggest. Then, as part of the inquiry-based lesson, the
teacher will lead a discussion based on the groupings of these invertebrates.

Assessment: Following the group activity, the students will be asked why the invertebrates were grouped in
the categories they were grouped and why they cannot be placed into another category (i.e. insects cannot be
placed in the same category as snails, because snails live in water).
Lesson Plan
Topic: Insect Life Cycles

Grade Level: Second

Duration: 40 Minutes

Title: Life Cycle of A Butterfly

New York State Learning Standards: Standard 2 (Science): Students will access, generate, process, and
transfer information using appropriate technologies. Standard 4 (Science): Students will understand and apply
scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and
recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Objectives: Investigate relationships between plants and animals and how living things change during their
lives. Students will learn words such as egg, larva, caterpillar, pupa, chrysalis, cocoon, and metamorphosis.

Materials/Resources: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, video to show metamorphosis of a butterfly,
SMARTBoard.

Procedure/Activities: After observing the stages of the video of the life cycle of the butterfly, as part of an
interdisciplinary lesson with art, students will create their own illustrations of the butterfly life cycle and label
each stage of development. (This could be done on the top half of a folded sheet of paper or on a paper plate
divided into quarters.) Encourage use of the vocabulary terms listed in the “Objectives.”

Assessment: Ask students to compare the life cycle of a butterfly with the life cycle of one of the vertebrates
they have already learned about. How are butterfly life cycles similar to the life cycles of other animals? How
are they different? How many stages are found in the life cycle of a butterfly and other animals?
Lesson Plan
Topic: Animal Adaptations

Grade Level: Second

Duration: 60 Minutes

Title: How Animals Adapt To Their Surroundings

New York State Learning Standards: Standard 4 (Science): Students will understand and apply scientific
concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the
historical development of ideas in science.

Objectives: Students will understand that animals adapt to their surroundings to better survive in their
environments.

Materials/Resources: Paper, crayons, scissors, construction paper.

Procedure/Activities: The teacher will have a lecture/discussion with the class to better understand that all
animals have different ways to adapt to their surroundings.

I. Open Discussion Asking If Students Know Definition of “Adaptation”

a. Relate adaptation to humans, lead discussion in this direction.
b. How do humans adapt to changes?
c. What changes to humans adapt to?
II. Aside From Humans, Who Else Adapts To Things?
a. Animals adapt to their surroundings.
b. What are some kinds of things that animals may adapt to?
c. Discuss climate changes, location of food, predators, etc.
III. What Are Some Examples of Animals Adapting?
a. Examples will be offered, as well as received, in a class discussion.

Students will be told about giraffes having long necks to reach leaves in trees for food, about how chameleons
camouflage their skin color to blend into their surroundings to avoid predators, about camels that can store
water while living in the desert, some animals have venom to protect them from predators, etc. As part of a
discovery-activity, the students will venture outside to look for different animals and observe how they adapt
to their surroundings. They may see squirrels climbing trees, gathering and burying acorns before the winter,
they may find birds eating berries from a tree or building a nest with sticks they have found, they may not find
any birds at all, they may find spiders spinning a web in a particular location, etc.

Assessment: When the students return to the classroom, the students will break into groups to share with their
group what they observed and what animals they found adapting to their surroundings. Then, as part of an
interdisciplinary lesson with art, they will each draw a picture of an animal they observed in its surroundings
and how it has adapted to its surroundings. Each group will share their pictures with the class to show they
understand the concept.

Extension/Follow-Up Activities: The student-created pictures will be hung-up, in the classroom.

Adaptation Visuals
Lesson Plan
Topic: Migration/Hibernation

Grade Level: Second

Duration: 40 Minutes

Title: How Animals Adapt To Climate Changes

New York State Learning Standards: Standard 2 (Science): Students will access, generate, process, and
transfer information using appropriate technologies. Standard 4 (Science): Students will understand and apply
scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and
recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Objectives: Students will learn how animals adapt to climate changes in their habitats. Students will learn the
differences between migration and hibernation.

Materials/Resources: Short videos (from KidsTube.com) displaying migration and hibernation, SMARTBoard.

Procedure/Activities: The teacher will explain to the students that migration is the act of moving from one
place to another, while hibernation is to become inactive during the winter. The teacher will explain that
certain birds in colder climates will instinctively fly to warmer climates when the weather gets colder and
those same birds will fly back when that climate warms up, again. The teacher will explain to the students that
some animals, like bears, sleep throughout the winter and come out of their hibernation when the weather
becomes warm, again. The concepts will be reinforced through the use of technology (short videos from
KidsTube.com).

Assessment: Students will act out each word. Discuss the similarity between these behaviors (both are in
response to changes in the season) and differences (migration involves movement, while hibernation involves a
long rest).
Learning Center
 Multiple-Choice Test
1.) Which of the following animals is an invertebrate?
a. Squid
b. Salmon
c. Shark
d. None of the above

2.) Which kind of animal develops inside its mother?

a. Insect
b. Mammal
c. Amphibian
d. Fish

3.) A chameleon can change its skin color to blend in with its surroundings, to help avoid
predators. This is an example of…
a. Hibernation
b. Chrysalis
c. Venom
d. Camouflage

4.) What is the name of the stage in the life cycle of a butterfly during which it changes into an
adult?
a. Pupa
b. Larva
c. Butterfly
d. Caterpillar

5.) Which of the following animals is a vertebrate?

a. Snail
b. Octopus
c. Shrimp
d. None of the above

6.) What do jelly fish, spiders, and earthworms have in common?

a. They are all animals without backbones
b. The can all sting predators
c. None of them have legs
d. They are all animals with backbones

7.) What do we usually call a butterfly when it is a larva?

a. Egg
b. Caterpillar
c. Chrysalis
d. Pupa

8.) Which of the following animals is not an amphibian?

a. Frog
b. Salamander
c. Toads
d. Alligator
 9.) Which of the following animals hibernate when their climate gets cold?
a. Octopus
b. Butterfly
c. Bear
d. Pigeon

10.) Which of the following animals migrate when their climate gets cold?
a. Jelly Fish
b. Spider
c. Lion
d. Pigeon

11.) Which of the following animals breathe through gills?

a. Tuna
b. Crocodile
c. Butterfly
d. Snake

12.) Which of the following animals is not a vertebrate?

a. Bear
b. Blue Jay
c. Fish
d. Spider

13.) Why do animals camouflage their skin color?

a. In order to being hibernation
b. To blend in with their surroundings and avoid predators
c. They don’t have a backbone
d. So they can fly

14.) Which type of animal breathes through gills in early stages of life, but breathes through lungs
in later stages of life?
a. Reptile
b. Amphibian
c. Mammal
d. Bird

15.) Which animal does not hatch from an egg?

a. Ostrich
b. Fish
c. Frog
d. Squirrel
 Domain II: Content
(INTASC Standards: 4 & 5)

Through INTASC Standards 4 and 5, Domain II discusses content knowledge, as well as

application of content. When discussing a teacher's competency of content, it is imperative

that the teacher be extremely knowledgeable about the curriculum. Curriculum is the

program of study that the federal government, state government, and local school districts

have defined for the teachers in a school district to instruct students.

Domain II demonstrates a teacher's competency to comprehend the content, and to

create proficient lesson plans. Domain II is important to teachers because curriculum is the

structure of lesson plans for a teacher, and having an understanding of the content is

essential. The demographics of one's school district need to be factored into the lesson

plans, as there may be certain sensitivities that may need to be accounted for, and thus

impact the plan's content.

The federal government, as well as state governments are now providing more

detailed guidelines to local school districts about their curriculums. Curriculum in many

states change very quickly; therefore it is imperative that teachers are current with these

changes as they occur. In New York there are many state assessments; thus the entire

curriculum must be covered to prepare students for the assessments they have to take.

Recent educational theory says that students learn best through inquiry-based learning.

Because of intense curriculum guidelines, many school districts now create lesson plans for

the teachers' use.

If teachers don't have a comprehensive competency of the content of each lesson, the

students will not be afforded the best instruction possible. Teachers need to be able to use

multiple teaching methods when teaching their students, and therefore need to possess vast
content knowledge. Teachers must use students' prior content knowledge to link familiar

concepts with new concepts. With a great understanding of content allows teachers to

engage learners in applying content knowledge to real-world problems.

The application of content is essential for successful students. One of the best ways

for teachers to apply content is for them to use varied instruction during lessons. Teachers

should always try to weave together different areas of study while teaching lessons. It is

advantageous for teachers to assist their students by using current tools and resources to

maximize content learning in varied texts. For example, while teaching a reading

comprehension lesson, it would clever to have students improve their comprehension skills

while reading about a science topic and/or about a social studies lesson.

Another approach to having productive content application is for teachers to engage

learners in generating and evaluating new ideas and novel approaches, seeking inventive

solutions to problems, and developing original work. Motivation through classroom

discussions, and through challenging questioning by the teacher is very helpful for students

to spawn new ideas, as well as for finding solutions to problems through group dialogue.

It is simply essential for teachers to have a knowledge of the content they are

teaching, and it is their duty to know the most effective ways to apply the content they are

teaching to their students.

Standard 4: “Content Knowledge”

· The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the
discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make the
discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.

Name of Artifact Four: Static Electricity

Date: April, 2009
Course: EDI 614: Science Methods: Grades 1 to 6

Rationale: The artifact I have chosen to demonstrate my knowledge of Standard 4 is a lesson

plan I created during the Spring 2009 semester while I was taking the course, “EDI 614:
Science Methods: Grades 1 to 6” at LIU Post in Brookville, NY.

The objective of this lesson is to have students understand the concept of static electricity,
as well as the scientific properties of the static electricity. I effectively use multiple
representations of static electricity through different objects, such as balloons, socks, and
paper-clips. In order to teach students about the effects of positive and negative ions
through static electricity, objects, such as balloons, sweatshirts, blocks of wood, pens,
notebooks, etc., are rubbed on students' hair to see the objects' attraction to other objects,
such as the classroom wall. This hands-on activity is an extraordinary tool for motivation.

I also engage students in learning experiences in the disciplines that encourage learners to
analyze the concept of static electricity through visuals as well as through hands-on
activities.

I also engage learners in applying methods of inquiry by having them see which items
produce static electricity through operations of application. In addition, I effectively use
supplementary resources and technologies, such as the visual presentation, to ensure
accessibility and relevance for all learners.
 EDI 614: Teaching Science In Elementary School

Topic: To show the class the behaviors of static electricity and how certain items attract to
one another, while others do not and to explain why static electricity occurs.

Grade Level: Fourth

Objective: Students will get a better understanding of how positive and negative electrical
charges interact with one another, by using a balloon.

Physical Setting: To be performed in the classroom.

NYS Standards: Standard 4, Key Idea 4: Energy exists in many forms, and when these forms
change energy is conserved.

Motivation: Begin by discussing the following questions:

Have you ever been shocked after walking on a carpet or putting on a sweater? Combing
your hair? Getting out of a car with cloth seats? Can you explain what caused the shock?
Describe your experiences playing with magnets. Have you noticed that sometimes two
magnets will repel each other? What causes them to repel? Why do your clothes stick
together when they come out of the dryer? Why do you sometimes get a shock on a cold day
when you touch metal? What other experiences have you had with static electricity?

Materials: Balloons, chairs, desks, paper-clips, pens, plastic cups, socks, wall, wood.

Procedure:

1. The teacher will begin with a brief presentation explaining static electricity and
negative and positive charges.

2. Students will be put into groups of 4 or 5.

3. Each group will be given their own balloons, socks, pens, shirts, chairs, desks, plastic
cups, and paper-clips.

4. The students will be asked to rub the balloon on their shirts/sweaters, pens (and
other items provided) and observe what happens with the attraction (and lack of
attraction) between the balloon and the other items.

5. The teacher will ask the students to think of any other place they might be able to
create static electricity and the students will see if there is static electricity present
with other items they find in the classroom.
6. Have students perform some simple activities to reintroduce them to the concepts of
static electricity that they may have covered in an earlier grade. Divide students into
cooperative groups of two or three and instruct them to perform the Stuck-Up Balloon
 and Dancing Balloon experiments with their group. After each experiment, call the
groups together to discuss their observations and conclusions.

7. After students have completed the Stuck-Up Balloon activity, say to them:
When you rub the balloon with wool, negatively charged particles called electrons are
transferred from the wool to the balloon, giving the balloon an overall negative
charge. When the charged balloon is brought near the wall, it repels some of the
negatively charged electrons in that part of the wall (negative charges repel other
negative charges, and positive charges repel other positive charges). Therefore, that
part of the wall is left repelled. Then, the negatively charged balloon and the
positively charged section of the wall are attracted to each other, and the balloon
sticks. The charged balloon may be made to stick to a wide variety of objects (even a
person) because of the charge it receives after being rubbed.

Assessment: Assess students' understanding by how they have responded to the last part of
the student sheet. Though answers will vary, students should generally be able
to explain that since electrons and protons have different charges they are
attracted to each other like magnets are attracted to metal objects. However,
protons repel, or push away from other protons, and electrons push away from
other electrons. These forces-attractions and repulsions-make static
electricity. Students might also say that static electricity is created when two
objects are rubbed together, causing an object to give up or gain electrons.
This can happen by putting on a sweater, walking on a carpet, or getting out of
a car. The imbalance of charges on objects results in static electricity.

You can also assess student understanding by having them draw a diagram
illustrating the movement of electrons that occurs during static electricity.

How Does This Lesson Fulfill The NYS Standards (Listed Above)?:

This lesson fulfills the NYS Standards in many ways. Standard 4 states that students will
"observe the way one form of energy can be transformed into another form of energy
present in common situations." In other words, students will get the opportunity to observe
how one type of energy can be remade into another form of energy, forces of energy that
are part of everyday life and energy that exists everywhere. In our lesson, we have the
students make their own observations as they rub a balloon on different objects, to view
whether or not static electricity is present. The NYS Standards also state that students will,
"design and construct devices to transform/transfer energy." Although in our lesson, the
balloons will already have been blown in order to save time. However, blowing balloons is a
simple enough task for most students to complete. Constructing such a device as blowing a
balloon and then rubbing the balloon on certain objects (i.e. wool) will create static
electricity. This shows how energy is transformed into another kind of energy. The electric
charges in the balloon will either become attracted or repelled by the object the balloon is
rubbed on. This is how our lesson fulfills the NYS Standards.
How Do Your Methods and Teaching Strategies Demonstrate Effective Teaching and
Application of Current Learning Theory?:

This lesson fulfills the New York State Standards in many ways. Standard 4 states that
students will "observe the way one form of energy can be transformed into another form of
energy present in common situations." In other words, students will get the opportunity to
observe how one type of energy can be remade into another form of energy, which is energy
that is part of everyday life and energy that exists everywhere. In our lesson, we have the
students make their own observations as they rub a balloon on different objects, to view
whether or not static electricity is present. The New York State Standards also state that
students will, "design and construct devices to transform/transfer energy." Although in our
lesson, the balloons will already have been inflated in order to save time. However, blowing
up balloons is a simple enough task for most students to complete. Constructing such a
device as blowing a balloon and then rubbing the balloon on certain objects (i.e. wool) will
create static electricity. This shows how energy is transformed into another kind of energy.
The electric charges in the balloon will either become attracted or repelled by the object
the balloon is rubbed on.
Standard 5: “Application of Content”

· The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to
engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving
related to authentic local and global issues.

Name of Artifact Five: Native Americans

Date: March, 2008
Course: EDI 643: Education for Cultural Diversity

Rationale: The artifact I have chosen to demonstrate my knowledge of Standard 5 is a

presentation I created and showed during the Spring 2008 semester while I was taking the
course, “EDI 643: Education for Cultural Diversity” at LIU Post in Brookville, NY.

In order to demonstrate my ability to foster critical thinking on the part of my students, I

have included this artifact. This artifact gives a history of theories using perspectives from
varied disciplines of how Native Americans made their way to the United States, and also
talks about their roles throughout American history. It also gives a lot of statistical
information about Native Americans, and it goes on to discuss various forms of stereotypes.

During my presentation, I facilitated learners' use of current tools and resources to maximize
content in varied contexts via the provided population statistics throughout the United
States, individual states, Long Island, and in schools. The presentation also discussed family
structure among Native Americans, as well as those living in poverty, and it discusses math
and science performances in school. This caused the participants to critically think about
Native Americans living in their home area in comparison to Native Americans throughout
the United States.

This artifact discussed many Native American stereotypes using a variety of forms of
communication, as well as some pictures of some stereotypical items. The presentation also
showed stereotypes in famous animated movies, through a video clip from Seinfeld which
described many Native American stereotypes in a comical way, and pictures of famous sports
teams' logos.

This part of the presentation really stimulated critical thinking because it caused people to
think about different stereotypical items that they may not have identified in the past
displayed in television and movies.

This presentation helped to facilitate learners' abilities to develop diverse social and cultural
perspectives that expanded their understanding of local and global issues because it showed
how Native Americans made their way to the United States, and it also showed Native
Americans' impact on our local towns on Long Island.

I also developed and implemented supports for learner literacy development across content
areas by supplying the titles of four books that students may be interested in reading for
further information.
 Domain III: Instructional Practice
(INTASC Standards: 6, 7, & 8)

Through INTASC Standards 6, 7, and 8, Domain III discusses assessment, planning for

instruction, and instructional strategies. This domain is important to master because

teachers need instruction inside their classrooms. A classroom operates more effectively

when there is an outlined procedure to help keep instruction on task. There are various ways

for a teacher to instruct students inside and outside of the classroom.

Domain III’s importance is crucial because the INTASC standards that comprise it

continuously assist teachers in using different strategies to instruct students. It is important

for teachers to realize that every student is unique, and an instructor must remember to

create educational opportunities for each of their students. Teachers must be able to teach

concepts in different ways in order to accommodate all types of learners. It is also important

for teachers to know how each of their students works with different forms of assessment so

that they can make appropriate accommodations for the diverse forms of assessments or

testing conditions.

Domain III also speaks about teachers’ planning for instruction. One of the most

important things that a teacher does for his/her students is to plan. Teachers that do not

take the time to effectively plan lesson goals and concept assessments find themselves with

disorganized students. Teachers need to plan each unit to ensure that everything that needs

to be taught fits within the time constraints of a classroom.

Good communication skills are one of the most important elements a teacher needs to

express himself/herself in the classroom. Teachers need to use different forms of

communication such as verbal, nonverbal, and communication through media in order to

create an active learning environment. Teachers need to have multiple teaching strategies
and various teaching models when teaching a classroom full of diverse learners in order to

encourage learners to develop a deep understanding of content areas and their connections,

and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Standard 6: “Assessment”

· The teacher understands and uses multiple modes of assessment to engage learners in
their growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s
decision making.

Name of Artifact Six: Inference Lesson

Date: Spring 2013
Course: EDI 709: Student Teaching Experience

Rationale: One of the artifacts I have chosen to demonstrate my knowledge of Standard 6 is

a literacy lesson I performed on inference at Powells Lane Elementary School in Westbury,
New York during the Spring 2013 semester while I was taking the course, “EDI 709: Student
Teaching Experience” at LIU Post in Brookville, NY.

During this lesson I gave, I evaluated the students using multiple, appropriate types of
assessments. First, I showed the students a picture of a house destroyed in a major storm. I
asked the students to use what they knew about the picture to infer about what might have
happened in the picture. Then, I gave them a famous drawing with a caption, and I asked
them to sit in pairs and fill out an inference worksheet. This was my way of determining if
they understood the concept of inference through a summative assessment.

After those parts of the lesson, I asked the students to read a story as a class, and I asked
them to come to the SMARTBoard and underline the terms that would be helpful when
determining inferences. Once this part of the lesson was completed, I asked the students to
do the same exercise with another story, on an individual basis, for a formal assessment.
This was my way of modeling and structuring a process to guide learners in examining their
own thinking and learning, as well as the performance of others.

After the lesson was completed, the students were given a worksheet to take home to
evaluate if they understood the relationship between inferences and conclusions.
 Lesson Plan: Inference
Name: Daniel Bod Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Schwartz
Date: February 11th, 2013 Grade: Four
School: Powells Lane Elementary School

Objective of Lesson: Students will learn what an inference is, and they will be able to create their own inferences of
pictures and short stories provided.

Materials: SMARTBoard, Picture of condemned home, Harris Burdick picture with caption, Inference worksheet, The
Wind and the Sun by Anastasia Lambropolous worksheet, Ruby Bridges by Jamal Johnson worksheet, Inferences &
Conclusions worksheet (homework).

Lesson Development

Motivation: "I was taking a walk in a nearby neighborhood, and I came across this house. I think it looks different. I
would like your opinion." At this point, I will use the SMARTBoard to show a condemned home. As the students look
at the picture, they will answer questions regarding its condition, its contents, the debris on the outside, and they will
speculate what happened to the house.

Procedure: A picture of a condemned home will be shown on the SMARTBoard and the students will be asked to
identify what they see in the picture. They will be asked to infer what possibly occurred in the picture.

Application: What questions would you ask the owner of the house?
Analyze: Do you think someone is living in the house or do you think it is empty?
Evaluation: What help could you give to the owner of the house?

The students will then be shown various words that are used when creating inferences. The students will be shown a
second picture by Harris Burdick (with a caption). Broken up into pairs, given an inference worksheet, and asked to fill
out the graphic organizer on the worksheet with columns labeled "I See," "I Would Ask," and "I Think."

The students will be unpaired, and a worksheet will be handed out with the story, The Wind and the Sun by Anastasia
Lambropolous. A few of the students will be asked to read this story aloud. After the reading has been completed, the
students will be asked to read the multiple-choice question at the bottom of the worksheet, and go back to the story
to underline the important parts of the text on the SMARTBoard. After they have underlined the significant
information in the story, they will answer the multiple-choice question on the bottom of the worksheet. The students
will also write down the signal words in the question that tell them that the question is an inference question.

As an assessment of each student, all students will then be given a worksheet with the story Ruby Bridges by Jamal
Johnson. They will read the story to themselves, and they will answer the multiple-choice question at the bottom of
the worksheet, and they will also answer the question that asks them how they know that the multiple-choice
question is an inference question. The students' worksheets will be evaluated to see which students understood the
lesson.

Conclusion: Students will discuss what an inference is, and what words are used when creating inferences. "What is
that special word we use to describe using what you know to find out what you don't know?" "How can inference be
a help to us?"

Extension: For homework, students will be given a worksheet with a series of short statements, and they will be
asked to infer what is being said, and then draw their own conclusions.
Standard 7: “Planning For Instruction”

· The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning
goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary
skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community text.

Name of Artifact Seven: Life Cycle of A Frog

Date: Spring 2013
Course: EDI 709: Student Teaching Experience

Rationale: The artifact that I have included to demonstrate my understanding of Standard 7

is a three-day learning segment that I developed to meet my certification
requirement. I performed the three literacy lessons on the life cycle of a frog at Powells
Lane Elementary School in Westbury, New York during the Spring 2013 semester while I was
taking the course, “EDI 709: Student Teaching Experience” at LIU Post in Brookville, NY.

During the three literacy lessons I gave, I made sure there was an appropriate sequencing of
the learning experiences. At the beginning of the first lesson, there was a "Word Sort" which
was formative assessment to determine the students' prior knowledge of the topic. Following
the "Word Sort" activity, a video was shown to demonstrate what would be read in the book
during the next segment of the lesson. Next, a non-fiction book about the life cycle of a frog
was read to the students. While the book was read, the students were asked to fill out a
graphic organizer using facts from the non-fiction book. This task helped to facilitate the
comprehension of the book. After the book was finished being read, and the graphic
organizer was completed, a "KWL" chart was given to students to complete. After the
graphic organizer and the "KWL" chart were completed, students took part in an activity
called, "Save The Last Word For Me," which had them use their graphic organizers and "KWL"
charts for assistance. All of these items were used to help the students with their
comprehension of the non-fiction book read. Next, the students took their collaborative
knowledge from the "Save The Last Word For Me" activity in order to complete a foldable
book with illustrations and facts from the book. In addition to all of these classroom
activities, summative assessment worksheets were also distributed throughout each lesson
which also afforded the students multiple ways to demonstrate knowledge and skill.

Due to the fact that most of the students in this classroom require some type of
differentiated instruction, I made sure to select appropriate strategies and accommodations,
resources, and materials for the class in order to achieve each student's learning goals.
About The School Where You Are Teaching
1. In what type of school do you teach?

· Powells Lane Elementary School is an ethnically diverse public school catering

to students in third, fourth, and fifth grades.

2. List any special features of your school or classroom setting (e.g., charter, co-
teaching, themed magnet, classroom aide, bilingual, team taught with a special
education teacher) that will affect your teaching in this learning segment.

The classroom in which I student teach is an Intensive Consultant Teacher (ICT)

classroom. The classroom consists of a general education teacher, a special education
teacher, a one on one teaching assistant, and a teacher's aide.

3. Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher requirements or expectations

that might affect your planning or delivery of instruction, such as required curricula,
pacing plan, use of specific instructional strategies, or standardized tests.

In this classroom, there is a need for differentiated instruction due to the students
with designated IEPs and/or 504 Plans. One of the expectations that my cooperating
teacher has for me is to create more visual aids when planning lessons for the
English Language Learner students in the classroom. In addition, when the students
are given a lesson with reading activities, they are broken up into reading groups
based on ability. Students with IEPs and/or 504 Plans require accommodations and/or
modifications during standardized testing.

About The Class Featured In This Assessment

1. How much time is devoted each day to literacy instruction in your classroom?

There are 90 minutes per day devoted to literacy instruction.

2. Is there any ability grouping or tracking in literacy? If so, please describe how it
affects your class.

In this classroom, there is ability grouping for literacy in the form of reading groups.
These reading groups give students an opportunity to utilize vocabulary and story
themes during lessons on reading.

3. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for literacy
instruction. If a textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication.

McGraw-Hill Reading, McGraw-Hill, 2001.

 4. List other resources (e.g., electronic whiteboard, classroom library or other text sets,
online professional resources) you use for literacy in this class.

SMARTBoard, internet, overhead projector, and classroom library.

About The Students In The Class Featured In This Assessment

1. Grade level(s)

Fourth.

2. Number of students in the class: 21

Males: 10
Females: 11

3. Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/supports or accommodations/modifications to instruction or assessment
(e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students needing greater support or challenge).

Supports,
Accommodations,
Learning Needs Category Number of Students
Modifications, and/or
Pertinent IEP Goals
Sitting toward the front
Visual Processing 3 of the classroom,
modified seating.
Supplemental reading
Struggling Readers 2
instruction.
English As A Second
English Language Learners 7 Language supplemental
instruction.
IEPs, additional aid as per
Classified Students 5 individual, counseling,
speech instruction.
Commentary
1. Central Focus

a. Describe the central focus and purpose for the content you will teach in this
learning segment.

The central focus for the content I taught was comprehension of non-fiction
reading material through: vocabulary development, retelling, a graphic
organizer, the creation of a foldable book, and other activities. These lessons
facilitated the understanding of how to read and comprehend a non-fiction
book.

The purpose for the content taught in these learning segments was to aid
students with reading comprehension of non-fiction material through careful
listening, envisioning, and note taking. Students built on the activities
throughout all of the lessons to better understand how to interpret a non-
fiction book.

b. Given the central focus, describe how the standards and learning objectives
within your learning segment address:

· an essential learning strategy

Essential learning strategies for interpreting non-fiction books include
understanding how non-fiction books differ from fiction, how to use
pictures and context to figure out meaning, how non-fiction books are
organized, etc.

The first lesson facilitated the learning of vocabulary for comprehension

skills. Vocabulary techniques were used for the students' greater
understanding of the topic being taught. The middle lesson aided with
the application of the data from the non-fiction book. The graphic
organizer and foldable book were both used so that the students had
visuals to assist them in their learning of the topic. The last lesson was
designed to assess all aspects of what was taught during the three
lessons. The fill-in-the-blank and word search worksheets were used to
solidify the vocabulary and spelling of the words from the non-fiction
book. The creative writing exercise was used to assess the students'
comprehension of the non-fiction book.

· requisite skills
The students were taught to listen to the book being read to them, and
 how to take notes in a graphic organizer. They were also taught how to
participate in a "Word Sort" and "Save The Last Word For Me" activities.
Students were also shown how to create a foldable book, and how to
complete a word search.

· reading/writing connections
Through their newly learned vocabulary, students were asked to
compose text in the form of creative writing based on their
comprehension of the non-fiction book read.

c. Explain how your plans build on each other to help students make connections
between skills and the essential strategy to comprehend OR compose text in
meaningful contexts.

Being that the central focus of these lessons was to help students with their
comprehension of non-fiction writing, the first thing that was necessary for the
students to do was to fill out a graphic organizer while the book was being
read. Next, the students were given a new list of vocabulary words. The
students used these vocabulary words to assist them while filling out their
"KWL" charts. They used these "KWL" charts for their group work, which had
them participating in the "Save The Last Word For Me" group activity. With all
of these activities, students were able to transfer their new knowledge and
skills to complete the fill-in-the-blank worksheet, the vocabulary assessment,
and ultimately, the creative writing assignment.

2. Knowledge of Students To Inform Teaching

a. Prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focus.
What do students know, what can they do, and what are they learning to do?

The students in this classroom know the difference between non-fiction and
fiction material, and they can formulate creative writing paragraphs when
guided accordingly. They are utilizing new material and vocabulary to use
during creative writing. Prior to these lessons, the students did not have skills
to think about what they previously knew to apply during later activities.

b. Personal/cultural/community assets related to the central focus. What do you

know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural backgrounds and
practices, and interests?

The majority of the students do not regularly choose to read non-fiction

 materials, due to their comprehension levels, and due to the fact that English
is not their primary language. These types of students need vocabulary
development as well as skills used for creative writing.

3. Supporting Students’ Literacy Learning

a. Explain how your understanding of your students’ prior academic learning and
personal/cultural/community assets (from prompts 2a-2b above) guided your
choice or adaptation of learning tasks and materials.

Due to the fact that most of the students in this classroom speak English as a
second language, it is very important to teach new literacy topics with
scaffolding.

The theories of Lev Vygotsky were displayed throughout this lesson with regard
to his theory on the Zone of Proximal Development, as well as his theories on
scaffolding. At first, students were asked to independently decide what side of
the room to stand on, with regard to the word they were provided. After this
task was completed, some students were asked to expand on their beliefs in a
classroom setting. This first part of the lesson tested students’ initial
knowledge. Next, students took part in activities that built on the
comprehension of the non-fiction book read, as well as the learning of new
vocabulary words. The students used their new knowledge of the non-fiction
topic read, along with the new vocabulary words learned to participate in
group discussions, and with creating a foldable book. Due to the fact that most
of these students speak English as a second language, the foldable book had
three sections rather than five sections, and the word matching exercise
included words and pictures. I knew that the creation of the foldable book, and
the word match would engage them. The students then used the information
obtained from the group discussions, and from their foldable books to help
them while writing their creative writing assignments.

Also, the cognitive domain of Bloom's Taxonomy was evident throughout these
lessons. First, the students were assessed on their prior knowledge of the topic
during the initial "Word Sort" activity. Next, the students began to use their
comprehension skills during the read of the book, as well as during the portion
in which the students fill out their graphic organizers. The students then
applied this new knowledge while creating their foldable books, following the
analysis and synthesis of the information during their group work, and through
the completion of their "KWL" charts. The students then used their evaluative
 skills to complete the fill-in-the-blank worksheet, as well as during the creative
writing assignment.

b. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned supports are
appropriate for the whole class and students with similar or specific learning
needs.

My instructional strategies for these lessons took into account that most of the
students in this classroom do not speak English as their primary language
because I used Lev Vygotsky's theory of teaching with scaffolding to make sure
that my students were able to comprehend the material from the non-fiction
book. Activities, such as the creation of the foldable book, and the word search
were both designed with all of the students in mind. All of the students in this
classroom read at a very low reading level, and in this particular classroom, all
of the activities were appropriate for students on their reading levels. The
word search assignment has the students matching words with corresponding
pictures, while the word search only asks the students to identify words in a
word search, rather than asking them questions and having them find the word
answers in the word search. The "Save The Last Word For Me" activity was used
to make sure that all students had the same understanding of the book,
regardless of their primary languages.

c. Describe common developmental approximations or common misconceptions

within your literacy central focus and how you will address them.

Due to the fact that the book has illustrations, many of the students did not
initially realize that the book was a non-fiction book. In order to demonstrate
that the book contained factual information, a science video was shown toward
the beginning of the first lesson to express to the students that the topic in the
book was all based on fact.

4. Supporting Literacy Development Through Language

a. Language Demand: Language Function. Identify one language function

essential for students to learn the literacy strategy within your central focus.

The essential language function of interpretation was used during all of my

lessons.

b. Identify a key learning task from your plans that provides students with
opportunities to practice using the language function. In which lesson does the
 learning task occur? (Give lesson/day number.)

Each of my lessons were based on the comprehension of a non-fiction book.

The "Word Sort" activity in the first lesson helped the students in my classroom
to practice their interpretation skills because it assessed their listening skills
along with their preliminary knowledge of the new vocabulary words. The
graphic organizer and the "KWL" chart from the first lesson both helped the
students to promote interpretation by having them write down the facts from
the non-fiction book in structured formats. The students' creation of the
foldable book from the second lesson examined how they interpreted the non-
fiction book by seeing if they could write the chronological events of a frog's
life cycle with corresponding pictures. The creative writing exercise from the
final lesson assessed how well the students interpreted the events of the non-
fiction book and how well they could be written into a story.

c. Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and task

identified above, describe the following associated language demands (written
or oral) students need to understand and/or use.

· Vocabulary or key phrases

In order for students to master the language function of interpretation,
the students were directed to envision the story being read to them.
Throughout the lessons, the students practiced retelling, describing, as
well as elaboration while completing their creative writing assignment.

· Plus at least one of the following:

o Syntax
Graphic organizers were filled out by the students so that they
would have an structured way of taking notes during the reading
of the non-fiction book.

o Discourse
The appropriate language I used during my final lesson consisted
of statements such as, "Envision you are an old frog. Describe
what happened to you during your life. Make sure that you
elaborate."

d. Language Supports. Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as

needed in your response to the prompt.

· Describe the instructional supports (during and/or prior to the learning

task) that help students understand and successfully use the language
 function and additional language identified in prompts 4a-4c.
The SMARTBoard, graphic organizer, "KWL" chart, foldable book, fill-in-
the-blank worksheet, creative writing worksheet, vocabulary
worksheets, and embedded vocabulary instruction were all useful for
students with their interpretation skills of a non-fiction book. The
graphic organizers helped the students to categorically structure the
important facts from the book. The "KWL" chart was very useful in
further explaining the important facts of non-fiction book, and the fill-
in-the-blank worksheet assessed the students' true interpretation of the
book. Most of all, the creative writing assignment displayed a true
feedback of the students' comprehension of the non-fiction book, as well
as their understanding of the vocabulary therein.

5. Monitoring Student Learning

a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct
evidence that students can use the literacy strategy and requisite skills to
comprehend or compose text throughout the learning segment.

Through the graphic organizer, multiple choice worksheet, foldable book, fill-
in-the-blank worksheet, vocabulary worksheet, and creative writing worksheet
formal assessments were performed. I evaluated the graphic organizer to make
sure that the students were taking notes properly and effectively. The multiple
choice worksheet was assessed to see which students were or were not
processing the information from the non-fiction book. The foldable book
exercise was assessed to make sure each student understood the information
that was read to them. The fill-in-the-blank worksheet was evaluated and
graded to see that students understood what was read to them from the book.
The vocabulary sheet was graded to see which students did or did not learn the
taught vocabulary, and the creative writing assignment was read to learn which
students were able to comprehend the non-fiction material and write their own
story using the concepts and vocabulary taught throughout the lessons.

Through the "Word Sort" exercises, observance of the students filling out their
"KWL" charts, and via class discussions, I was able to assess whether students
were comprehending the information being taught to them during each of my
lessons.
b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows
students with specific needs to demonstrate their learning.

Due to the fact that most of the students speak English as a second language,
many of the components of my lessons were adapted for such an obstacle. For
example, the word matching exercise (which would typically have words being
matched with definitions or sentences) had words being matched with pictures.
Because the students in this classroom read at a low reading level and work
slowly, I decided that their foldable book should have three components rather
than five. In addition, because they work slowly, I chose to give my students a
list of vocabulary words with their definitions rather than having them copy
them into their notebooks. Later, they were tested on these vocabulary words
using a worksheet that looked very much like the original vocabulary
worksheet. For the creative writing assessment portion of the final lesson, I
was able to evaluate each student based on his/her own abilities. The freedom
of the creative writing assignment demonstrated which students understood
the non-fiction book based on his/her own level.
 Common Core Learning Standards for
English Language Arts & Literacy
Reading Standards for Literature K-5 (Grade 4)
· Key Ideas and Details
1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
and when drawing inferences from the text.
· Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).

Reading Standards for Informational Text K-5 (Grade 4)

· Key Ideas and Details
1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
and when drawing inferences from the text.
2. Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;
summarize the text.
3. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical
text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
· Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in
a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
5. Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect,
problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a
text.
· Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts,
graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on web pages) and
explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it
appears.

Writing Standards K-5 (Grade 4)

· Text Types and Purposes
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and
sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia
when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or
other information and examples related to the topic.
c. Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g.,
another, for example, also, because).
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or
explain the topic.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator
and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
 Lesson Plan: Life Cycle of A Frog
Name: Daniel Bod Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Schwartz
Date: March 12th, 2013 Grade: Four
School: Powells Lane Elementary School

Subject: English Language Arts

Objective of Lesson: Students will be able to use a note-taking graphic organizer to better
comprehend the non-fiction book read to them, and they will also learn new vocabulary words.

Materials: SMARTBoard, life cycle of a frog animation video, "Word Sort" words, From Tadpole To
Frog by Wendy Pfeffer, note-taking graphic organizer, multiple choice quiz, “KWL” chart, and
vocabulary list, and pencil.

Lesson Development

Motivation: The teacher splits the room into two sides, one for tadpoles, and one for frogs. The
students are each given one term that refers to either a: tadpole, frog, or both. With their
preconceived ideas, the students are asked to go to the side of the room which best describes the
term handed to them. Some students will be asked why they chose to stand on the side of the room
selected.

Procedure: The "Word Sort" exercise is performed. After the "Word Sort," students are shown an
animation of the frog cycle (http://FrogVideo.MrBod.net). Following the "Word Sort" exercise and
the video, the teacher reads and shows From Tadpole To Frog by Wendy Pfeffer to the students.
While the book is being read to the class, the students will take notes for each, different stage of a
frog’s life cycle in a graphic organizer. After the book is read to the class, there will be a class
discussion to review the facts from the non-fiction book. Because many of the students in this class
speak English as a second language, the graphic organizer will also have illustrations of the three
main stages of a frog’s life cycle.

Students will be given a “KWL” worksheet to write down facts they know, facts they want to know,
and facts that they want to learn based on the facts from the book.

Following the reading of the book, the graphic organizer will be collected by the teacher to be
reviewed while the students are completing the multiple choice question worksheet. The multiple
choice question worksheet will be collected from the students to assess their comprehension of the
reading.

Conclusion: Students will be asked if they know what “non-fiction” means. In addition, the teacher
will review with the students the multiple steps of a frog’s life cycle based on the activities
performed in the classroom.

Extension: A list of vocabulary words and definitions from the book will be distributed to the
students to review at home. They will be asked to remember the definitions of these words.
 Lesson Plan: Life Cycle of A Frog
Name: Daniel Bod Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Schwartz
Date: March 13th, 2013 Grade: Four
School: Powells Lane Elementary School

Subject: English Language Arts

Objective of Lesson: Students will be able to gain greater comprehension of the non-fiction book
read to them through group discussions with their peers, and they will also be able to apply their
new knowledge in the form of a foldable book.

Materials: SMARTBoard, word matching worksheet, “Save The Last Word For Me” worksheet, foldable
book paper, sheet with frog life cycle components, scissors, glue sticks, fill-in-the-blank worksheet,
and pencil.

Lesson Development

Motivation: Students will be shown a completed, functional, foldable book to demonstrate what is
expected from their foldable books. There will also be a brief discussion about the components of a
foldable book, along with instructions for making one.

Procedure: Students will be handed a word matching worksheet. The students will be asked to
match words with their picture counterparts. (Due to the make-up of the students in this classroom,
completing a worksheet where students match a vocabulary word to a picture will be very
beneficial.)

Students are organized into small groups consisting of three or four children. Each student will take
the notes from their “KWL” graphic organizer, and they will discuss their graphic organizers with
their fellow group members. In the form of a “Save The Last Word For Me” exercise.

1. For this group activity, a student will be chosen to begin the discussion. The student will
introduce something that he/she knew before the reading of the book to the rest of the
group. The other students will write down this information in their “KWL” charts.
2. After that, the student that began the discussion will tell about one thing that he/she learned
from the non-fiction book. The other students will write down this information in their “KWL”
charts.
3. Then, the initial student will discuss something that the/she still wants to know. This might
be a fact that he/she would like to know, the definition of a word, or something that he/she
didn’t understand. Other members of the group may respond to the inquiry, answer the
question, or provide their own definitions for vocabulary words. The conversation may take
many different directions.
4. After all of the students in the group have offered their thoughts and responses, the student
who introduced the topic has the “last word” and may offer an opinion or summarize the
discussion.
5. Then, the next student in the group will offer another topic from his/her own personal
chart/notes, and the discussion will begin again.
6. Students will be asked to complete their graphic organizers (consisting of the stages of a
tadpole’s metamorphosis to frog) in case there is additional information that can be added
Students will be given a blank piece of paper that will be made into foldable book along with a sheet
containing illustrations of components of a frog’s life cycle. Each student will be asked to first fold
the blank piece of paper in half (width-wise), and then they will be shown how to fold the paper into
thirds (length-wise). They will be shown the proper way to cut the top portion of the paper into
thirds.

Each student will be asked to cut out the illustrations from the sheet of paper. (In this class
environment, the students will be given three frog life cycle components to cut out. In a more
mainstreamed classroom, students will be given five components of a frog’s life cycle to cut out.)

The students will be asked to use a glue stick to paste the components of a frog’s life cycle in the
correct order within the foldable book, and beneath each picture, the students will be asked to
scribe the description of each phase of the life cycle.

The foldable book will be collected by the teacher for an evaluative assessment.

Conclusion: A blank “KWL” chart will be displayed on the SMARTBoard, and a few students will be
asked to write text in the various columns of the chart. A brief discussion will take place after each
entry is added.

Extension: For further practice with the vocabulary words from the non-fiction reading, students will
be given a fill-in-the-blank worksheet to complete for homework.
 Lesson Plan: Life Cycle of A Frog
Name: Daniel Bod Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Schwartz
Date: March 14th, 2013 Grade: Four
School: Powells Lane Elementary School

Subject: English Language Arts

Objective of Lesson: Students will be able to complete a vocabulary worksheet, and they will use
their new knowledge from the non-fiction book for a creative writing exercise. Students will also
become more comfortable with the spelling of the new vocabulary words.

Materials: SMARTBoard, vocabulary worksheet, creative writing worksheet, word search worksheet,
and pencil.

Lesson Development

Motivation: The word “Tadpole” will be posted on the wall of one side of the classroom, and the
word “Frog” will be posted on the wall of the opposite side of the classroom. Students will be asked,
once again, to organize themselves in the classroom in the section of the classroom that most
corresponds to the word they were given at the beginning of the lesson. A chart will be presented on
the SMARTBoard with three columns (one for tadpoles, one for frogs, and one for both). A classroom
discussion will take place to talk about any students that have switched their side of the classroom
from the initial lesson, and why they’ve decided to change sides. The three-columned chart on the
SMARTBoard will be filled with corresponding vocabulary words during this activity.

Procedure: Students will be given a vocabulary worksheet. The definitions will be listed on the
worksheet, and the students need to enter the corresponding vocabulary word adjacent to its
definition. There will also be a word bank of vocabulary words on the bottom of the worksheet. This
worksheet will be graded.

The students will then be given a sheet for their creative writing. They will be told, “Imagine that
you are an old frog. I want you to write a story about what it was like to be an egg, a tadpole, and a
frog. What happened in each part of your life?” Students need to write about at least two actions
they performed during each stage. Furthermore, they need to give a semi-detailed description of
what it was like to be in each stage (physical characteristics, surroundings, etc.) This will also be
collected and evaluated.

The teacher will assess the students by reading their journals to make sure they addressed each
stage in the life cycle, provided actions performed during each stage, and that they showed a basic
understanding of each stage of the life cycle. The teacher will assess the student’s organization,
neatness, handwriting, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation.

For any student that has completed his/her creative writing assignment, a word search will be given
to them to work on while the other students are working on their non-fiction stories. The purpose of
the word search is to help the students to better recognize the vocabulary words and how they are
spelled. This activity is especially important for a classroom with many students whose first language
is not English.
Conclusion: One or two of the students’ creative writings can be read to the rest of the class. Also,
the teacher can teach students songs having frogs as a theme. They can encourage students to write
their own songs about frogs. Some children may want to teach their songs to the class. The purpose
of the music activity is to provide children who find music a helpful way of learning with the
opportunity to use it as a way of learning and knowing more about this theme. It also helps with
students becoming more familiar and comfortable with the terms they have been taught.

Extension: Due to the fact that none of the students will be finished with the provided word search,
they are to take it home to work on for homework.
 Theorist Correlation
I believe that the theories of Lev Vygotsky are displayed throughout this lesson with regard to his

theory on the Zone of Proximal Development, as well as his theories on scaffolding. At first, students are

asked to independently decide what side of the room to stand on, with regard to the word they were

provided. After this task has been completed, some students are asked to expand on their beliefs in a

classroom setting. This first part of the lesson tests students’ initial knowledge.

After this part of the lesson has been completed, the students are then placed into small groups,

where they read the book and write in their journals anything that they thought was important, anything

that they didn’t understand, unfamiliar vocabulary, etc. At this point, the students work together as

skilled helpers, in their groups. They read what they have written in their journals to one another, and

together, they expand on their findings, questions, etc. This is where Vygotsky’s theories of learning from

social interaction comes in to play. This part of the lesson allows students to learn from their peers. This

part of the lesson is designed for the students to help each other out with any of the questions they have

written down in their journals and have read to each other. After the group discusses what that particular

student has written, the initial student gets the last word and can expand on what he/she has just

learned. The next student reads their journal, and the other students then help that student, and so on.

At this point, the students are given the word search and this word search is designed to reinforce

the students’ familiarity of the words involved, and how they are grouped. Following the word search, the

students are given an assignment to write creatively, as if they were an egg just about to hatch into a

tadpole, and the life cycle that follows. This assignment is designed to display what students have learned

from the book, reading, group meeting, word search, and subsequent "Word Sort". The teacher does an

assessment of what the student has learned via the creative writing assignment and final "Word Sort". The

students start the lesson with preconceived ideas. Through group work with their peers, the students will

display new knowledge obtained via working with their peers. This displays the scaffolding of learning

that has occurred with the students, and it is another example of how Vygotsky’s theories are evident in

this lesson.
Standard 8: “Instructional Strategies”

· The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage

learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and
to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Name of Artifact Eight: Science Unit Plans (Fourth Grade)

Date: Spring 2009
Course: EDI 614: Science Methods: Grades 1 to 6

Rationale: The artifact I have chosen to demonstrate my knowledge of Standard 8 is a full

year of science unit plans I created during the Spring 2009 semester while I was taking the
course, “EDI 614: Science Methods: Grades 1 to 6” at LIU Post in Brookville, NY.

This full year of science unit plans provides multiple models and representations of concepts
and skills with opportunities for learners to demonstrate their knowledge through a variety
of products and performances. All of the unit plans contain individual assignments, group
activities, lab work, and assessments, plus they all offer suggested books for students to
read, as well as ideas for contents of a foldable study guide. All of these units engage
learners in developing higher-order questioning skills and metacognitive processes because
they are all designed to make the students more inquisitive about the science lesson being
taught. Through the presentations of all the lessons, as well as through individual and group
study, all students can sharpen their questioning skills.

Every unit is filled with tasks designed to employ a range of learning skills and technology
tools to access, interpret, evaluate, and apply information. Many of the lessons use a variety
of instructional strategies to support and expand learners’ communication skills through
speaking and listening during group work. In addition, students use a variety of
communication skills through reading, writing, and other modes.

Most of all, each lesson of each unit contains stimulating discussions that serve different
purposes, such as probing for learner understanding, stimulating curiosity, and helping
learners to question.
 Domain IV: Professional Responsibility
(INTASC Standards: 9 & 10)

Through INTASC Standards 9 and 10, Domain IV discusses professional learning and

ethical practice, as well as leadership and collaboration. Just as students are assessed on a

continuous basis to make sure they are learning the concepts they are required to learn, it is

also important for teachers to be assessed to make sure that their teaching skills are

optimal.

It is important for teachers to be assessed by fellow, qualified colleagues on a

sporadic basis to ensure the teacher is performing at his/her prime level. Just as students

can learn through working with their peers, so can teachers. In addition, it is also helpful for

teachers to reflect on his/her own lessons in the classroom to self-assess his/her

performances. If a teacher believes that he/she is not performing at level in which he/she is

satisfied, it is that teacher’s obligation to collaborate with other teachers for further

assistance. In addition, teachers can also obtain further knowledge through internet

research by looking for multiple ways to teacher various topics to different kinds of learners.

Teachers need to use all available information sources to help support student learning and

well-being.

There are times when a teacher needs to collaborate with learners, families,

colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth. If

a student seems to be having trouble in school, whether it is an academic issue, a behavioral

issue, or a concern with something going on in the home, the teacher will need to speak

with other school professionals to see if the detrimental situations can be remedied.

Teachers need to use and generate meaningful research on education issues and policies

when dealing with students and their parents. In addition, teachers also have an obligation
to keep in contact with students’ parents in order to make sure their educational

development isn’t being ignored when they are home. Teachers need to work collaboratively

with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication

to support learner development and achievement.

Standard 9: “Professional Learning and Ethical Practice”

· The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually
evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on
others (learners, parents, other professionals, and the community), and adapts
practice to meet the needs of the learner.

Names of Artifact Nine: Observed Inference Lesson Reflective & Observed Shape Up
Lesson Reflective
Date: Spring 2013
Course: EDI 709: Student Teaching Experience

Rationale: The artifacts I have chosen to demonstrate my knowledge of Standard 9 are

reflective responses for observed lessons I performed on inference and geometry/arithmetic.
These reflective responses were for lessons I gave at Powells Lane Elementary School in
Westbury, New York during the Spring 2013 semester while I was taking the course, “EDI
709: Student Teaching Experience” at LIU Post in Brookville, NY.

Just as students are assessed on a constant basis, it is important for teachers to always be
assessed as well. One of the most consistent ways a teacher can be assessed is if he/she
self-assesses. My reflective responses gave me the opportunity to look back and review my
lessons' positive features and the pieces that were less than positive. Following my analyses,
after my lessons, I was able to recall all of the helpful parts of the lessons, as well as things
that can be altered for the future. I was able to recollect (and write down) portions that
were helpful to the students, as well as things that didn’t come across a fluently. In
addition, I was also able to evaluate other parts of my lessons, like my time management,
and how it could be improved in the future.

Aside from self-assessments, teachers can benefit from collaborations with other colleagues.
Teachers should always assist their contemporaries when possible because all teachers can
benefit from having a partnership with other teachers. Because my inference lesson and my
geometry/arithmetic lesson was observed, I was able to receive informative, analytic
assessments from a veteran teacher.
 Observed Lesson #1 Reflective

Under the circumstances that surround my student teaching classroom (inclusion

class), I think that I planned as adequately as possible. Unfortunately for me, my

cooperating teacher was out of the classroom for my lesson on inference, on account of her

illness, so the students were not as well-behaved as they might have been had she’d been

there. I created an online presentation of all the material I wanted to show the children,

and I was able to successfully show them all of the information that I had planned to show

them. In addition, I had also created four separate handouts that I wanted them to work on.

Some were worked on in pairs, some were worked on individually, and one was assigned for

homework. At the beginning of my lesson, a handful of students were removed for private,

ESL instruction. The students all went to the bathroom before my lesson, and that caused

my lesson to begin five minutes later than expected. Because of this, the ESL children all

returned five minutes before I thought they would, and I had to rush the ending of my

lesson. Had I realized this was going to happen, I would have planned differently.

I was a little bit familiar with the lesson for inference, but I did have to brush up on

my strategy for teaching the concept. Because of the initial pictures I used to engage the

students, and because of the pairing of students, they seemed to enjoy participating in the

lesson.

There weren’t any real disciplinary issues during the lesson, however, the students

did get a little rowdy while papers were being handed out and collected. I used my

cooperating teacher’s model of having the students circulate papers; perhaps in my

classroom, I would hand everything out as well as collect everything. It would probably be

less distracting.
 For my lesson, I did successfully meet my goals (from what I could tell), because the

students seemed to understand that inferences are derived from information that we know. I

think that they grasped this concept. I provided for learner differences because I changed a

question from one of the textbooks to ask the students why they thought Ruby Brown was

eventually accepted by the white children in her school. I also changed some of the column

headings on the paired assignment worksheet.

Some of the students worked well in pairs; however, I did find that some students just

chose to work alone, even though they were asked to work with each other. Perhaps, in the

future, I might only give them one handout to share.

I think that my lesson was very good, from the graphics on the SMARTBoard, to the

students’ interactions with the SMARTBoard, to the handouts, to their working in pairs, to

our classroom discussions. If I had to alter something, it would probably be the management

of time, and the management of the students working with one another.
 Observed Lesson #2 Reflective
On February 28th, 2013, I taught a lesson called, “Shape-Up.” It consisted of the

students becoming more familiar with geometric shapes, and how to put them together to

make larger geometric shapes. Each shape also had a corresponding point-value, and

students were also asked to combine the creation of larger shapes with arithmetic.

I believe that my lesson was planned extremely well. I had visuals for the students to

view on the SMARTBoard, as well as some that were functional so that the students could

fill-out a worksheet as a class. I had four worksheets for each student to work on, as well as

eight manipulative shapes for each student to use. If I had to change something, I would

have made the homework assignment an individual assessed worksheet to be completed in

the classroom, and I would have had the individual assessed worksheet that was completed

in the classroom assigned for homework.

I was very familiar with the concepts being taught, and I chose these instructional

strategies because I knew that they it would be exciting and fun for the students. Not only

was it a fun lesson for all of the students, they were all actively engaged. In this inclusion

class, it was great to see every single student participating, and the lesson certainly

challenged each child. During the lesson, one child told me, “This lesson is hard, but it’s

very challenging.”

I thought that my lesson was planned very well, and I think that my time management

was very good. Some students finished the first worksheet a little bit faster than the others,

but since they were working in groups (for the most part), it helped everyone to finish

around the same time. Thankfully, this lesson was so engaging that none of the students had
any disciplinary issues, and therefore, the lesson ran very smoothly. For those students that

have learning differences, there was an ESL teacher in the classroom to assist them.

I find that my lesson was very effective and I am confident that my lesson objectives

were met. The students seemed to work well in groups, and they fed off of each other.

Being that everyone had fun, and everyone seemed to know more by the end of the lesson, I

find that my lesson was a successful one.

Standard 10: “Leadership and Collaboration”

· The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take

responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues,
and other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth,
and to advance the profession.

Name of Artifact Ten: Case Study

Date: Fall 2012
Course: EDS 620: Assessment and Diagnosis of Children with Disabilities

Rationale: The artifact I have chosen to demonstrate my knowledge of Standard 10 is

a case study I wrote during the Fall 2012 semester while I was taking the course, “EDS 620:
Assessment and Diagnosis of Children with Disabilities” at LIU Post in Brookville, NY.

During this case study, professionals and I worked together to help a fictitious student
named, Laura Johnson; I acted as the examiner. As part of this case study, I took on an
active part on the instructional team, delivering and receiving feedback on practice,
observing learner work, examining data from multiple sources, and sharing responsibility for
decision making.

The case study also included many other school professionals that compiled data on Laura
Johnson in order to create an educational plan for the student as a group. This was also
done in order to build ongoing connections to enhance the student’s learning and well-being.
This case study has me working with other school professionals to strategize and collectively
facilitate learning on how to meet diverse needs of the student.

Part of the case study also had me working collaboratively with the student and her mother
by interviewing them to determine the student’s family background, her developmental
history, and her academic history. Through these meetings, all parties were able to establish
mutual expectations to support the student’s development and achievement.
 Educational Evaluation
Mineola Public Schools
Mineola, NY
Privileged and Confidential Information

Name: Laura Johnson Teacher: Mrs. Richman

Address: 31 Apple Tree Road School: Meadow Lane
Mineola, NY Referred by: Teacher CST
Phone: 516.742.1097 Date of Testing: 10.11.2012
Grade: 5 Date of Report: 12.19.2012
Date of Birth: 12.09.2001 Examiner: Daniel Bod
Parents' Name(s): John/Patricia
Chronological Age: 10-3

Reason for Referral

Laura is being referred for a comprehensive evaluation as the result of a suspected disability.

Background History
Family Background: According to Laura's mother, she has an Associate's Degree in Early
Childhood Education. Currently, she works as a cashier at King Kullen. Laura's father has a Bachelor's
Degree in Business Administration, and he currently works as a manager at Sears. Her father isn't home
much. He coaches a softball team, and he also has a great interest in history.
Laura and her family just moved into her grandmother's home, and she lives in the upstairs
portion of the home. Laura has two other siblings (sisters), Janice and Melissa, with whom she shares a
room. Janice is 17 years-old, and Melissa is 13 years-old. According to Mrs. Johnson, Laura has a good
relationship with Janice.
Laura has some responsibilities, one of which is to care for the family's dog, Astro (which has
really become her dog). She feeds, walks, and cares for the dog, while her sisters completely ignore the
dog. The dog absolutely loves Laura. Laura also enjoys cooking; she learned how to cook from her
grandmother.
This year, Laura has also had less absences and less stress than in years past. Laura tends to go to
bed on the later side, and she enjoys reading. Sometimes, she is observed reading in her bed, late at
night. When she was in third grade, there was a possibility that she may need glasses.

Developmental History: Laura was born following a full-term pregnancy by her mother. During
birth, there may have been anoxia. Laura scored well on her APGAR Tests with scores around the 8.5
mark. Her mother had a normal delivery, but there was the presence of jaundice, which kept her in the
hospital a few days longer than normal. Other than that, there were no complications with Laura's birth.
Laura had measles when she was five years-old. She has never had any traumatic injuries. Laura was
lactose intolerant at a young age and has since grown out of it. Laura has a lot on her mind, and as a
result she has odd sleeping patterns and she goes to sleep at a late hour. Laura has glasses but she
frequently forgets to bring them to school.
Laura and her sister, Melissa, don't always see eye-to-eye. They constantly fight with one
another because Laura thinks that Melissa is a slob. Laura gets along better with her other sister, Janice,
however, Janice isn't often home. Laura does have a good relationship with her mother and with her
grandmother.
Laura and her father don't have the greatest relationship. Her father works late hours, and he
coaches her sisters on the weekends. He also gets upset with Laura when she stays up late.

Academic History: According to Laura’s kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Chrisman, Laura was a
very sweet little girl. At first, she seemed to have some anxiety about being in school. She talked about
wanting to go home but after a few weeks the behavior had subsided. Laura seemed to get along with the
other children. However, Laura seemed to be somewhat slower than her peers in cutting, coloring,
writing and other fine and gross motor areas.
When the class started getting into reading sounds and so on, Laura seemed to be more involved.
Mrs. Chrisman noted that Laura’s strengths were in reading, sound recognition, and verbal participation.
On math tasks she seemed to have a short attention span and seemed confused.
Laura seemed to need things repeated when it came to directions. Mrs. Chrisman was concerned
so she had her hearing tested by the school nurse and that seemed to be fine. Laura’s desk was always
filled with papers even though the teacher asked her several times to clean it. Laura always seemed to
misplace things, especially her math work.
Mrs. Chrisman looked back on her kindergarten screening results and noticed several high-risk
issues, which she felt, needed special attention. Mrs. Chrisman thought that Laura had made some
progress and hoped that she would continue the progress the following year.
According to Laura’s second grade teacher, Ms. Ball, Laura has a somewhat inconsistent year.
She seemed to like reading and participated in that activity. She was in the top reading group and
seemed to enjoy the status. However, Laura seemed to avoid written work and math work. She told me
that she just forgot to do her assignments.
Ms. Ball thought about referring her but I thought that her issues were based in maturity and
considering how bright she is she would grow out of them.
Laura was also administered the Stanford Achievement Test and obtained the following national
percentiles:

Reading Vocabulary Math Math Problem Total Total

Comp. Procedures Solving Reading Math
87 85 15 14 86 15

According to Laura’s second grade teacher, Mrs. Bellows, Laura is a likeable child with a great
deal of potential. Laura seemed to shine in reading, which is her favorite area. She was far ahead of the
other children so I had her read to the Kindergarten children, which she loved. Mrs. Bellows also had
her work in the library with Mrs. Carson who enjoyed her company very much. Mrs. Bellows noted
that Laura seemed to often daydream and wander off and I had to bring her back to the reality of the
situation rather often. Mrs. Bellows was going to refer her for testing but it was late in the year.
According to Mrs. Carson, Laura seemed to have a difficult year. Her attendance was a very
serious problem and she seemed overwhelmed by the work. Laura is a stubborn girl who refused to do
her work in school. She was oppositional and defiant in a passive way.
 She needs to learn how to follow rules and finish her assignments even if she doesn’t like the
task. It was felt at the time that her work style interfered with the other children by setting a poor
example. While an avid reader, her skills in writing and spelling held her back from handing in work.
She seemed bright and contributed to class discussions. Laura often did not finish work in class and
had to frequently take it home to finish.
While a very articulate girl with an excellent vocabulary, she did not seem to interact with her
peers even in small groups. She did however participate regularly in reading discussions and social
studies.
Laura was also administered the Stanford Achievement Test and obtained the following national
percentiles:

Reading Vocabulary Math Math Problem Total Total

Comp Procedures Solving Reading Math
87 86 13 15 86 14

Laura was also administered the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test and received the following
percentiles and scores:

Verbal Non Verbal Total

SAI 105 119 96

National PR 60/6 79/7 38/4

According to Laura’s fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Gregory, Laura is a sweet girl with a big heart
but unfortunately had a very inconsistent year. The teacher was very concerned about her lateness’s
and absence patterns.
According to her teacher, Laura's reading is exceptional as is her language and vocabulary. She
had definite problems in math, spelling, and writing. I judge her reading to be above average, spelling
and writing below average and math below average.
She expressed her ideas very nicely but could not seem to place her ideas coherently on paper.
She even took care of all the animals this year and was very responsible.
However, the teacher was concerned about her work and considered referring her but felt she
might grow out of it. Laura's teacher thinks she will grow out of it since she is such a bright girl.
According to Laura’s current teacher, Mrs. Richman, Laura is a sweet girl but lost confidence in
herself. Mrs. Richman works with Laura to find what strategies work best for her academic ability. Mrs.
Richman worked on raising Laura’s confidence and lowering the amount of absences she had from
previous years. Mrs. Richman said that Laura has been doing a lot better this year as well as being a lot
happier. This year Laura has even been getting her book reports done since they can now be done on
tape. Laura has been showing great improvement but still shows some struggles and this is why Mrs.
Richman is referring her.
Laura was also administered the Stanford Achievement Test and obtained the following national
percentiles:

Reading Vocabulary Math Math Total Total

Comprehension Procedures Problem Reading Math
 Solving
88 88 12 14 86 13

Laura was also administered the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test and received the following
percentiles and scores:

Verbal Non Verbal Total

SAI 104 115 93

National PR 55/5 77/7 34/3

According to Mrs. Johnson, Laura has had a better year and is happier but still feels there is a
problem. Mrs. Johnson keeps in constant contact with Mrs. Richman though e-mails about 3 times per
week about Laura’s progress. Mrs. Johnson is very involved with the school and the teachers that Laura
has previously had. She makes sure to keep the education and skills going at home and works with her
one to one. Mrs. Johnson has even taken Laura to get glasses, get testing done, and she keeps on top of
her schooling.

Social History: According to Mrs. Chrisman, Laura’s kindergarten teacher, Laura got along well
with the other children in the class. While not a very active participant, she was well liked by the other
children who reached out to her a great deal. Laura seemed to get Laura with the other children.
However, she seemed to be somewhat slower than her peers in cutting, coloring, writing and other fine
and gross motor areas.
According to Ms. Ball, Laura’s first grade teacher, Laura did not seem to be part of any
particular group although the other children never mistreated her. Also, on the playground she would
sometimes wander off by herself.
According to Mrs. Bellow’s, Laura’s second grade teacher, while on the playground Laura seems
to be a loner. While the other children try to get her involved she seems to prefer being by herself.
According to Mrs. Carson, Laura’s third grade teacher, She was tolerated by her peers but had
very few real friends. She did not seem to even interact with her peers even in small groups.
According to Mrs. Gregory, Laura’s fourth grade teacher, Laura had definite problems and
seemed to be isolated despite attempts by others to engage her. She was not mean to other children, just
withdrawn. She frequently became lost in her readings during recess and free time.
According to Mrs. Richman, Laura’s fifth grade teacher, she is very withdrawn in a group
setting. When she interacts with Mrs. Richman she is great and very appropriate with great vocabulary.
When it comes to classmates she turns her self off.
Mrs. Johnson expressed that Laura dose not seem to interact with friends outside of school. In
the 3rd grade, Laura had a friend named Donna and when Donna came over all Laura wanted to do was
read and not entertain her guest. Therefore her quests did not want to come back.
According to the mother, Laura spends a lot of time with her grandmother. She would tell her
parents all of her friends are to busy and that she would rather read and cook with her grandmother.
 Mrs. Johnson enrolled Laura into brownies and this did not work out because Laura could not
keep up with the projects and got very frustrated and did not want to go anymore. Laura is not very
coordinated when it comes to sports therefore the coaches would yell. The children on the team would
blame Laura for their loss and this caused her to quit the team. Because she is not that coordinated, and
she has trouble with playing sports, she shies away from athletic activities. When school is part of the
picture she is very out going, sweet and everyone loves her at family parties.

Parents' Perception of the Problem: Mr. and Mrs. Johnson hope that something positive comes
from this referral. They want the best for their daughter Laura, and are very angry at the school for not
acting sooner. Mrs. Johnson feels that most of the teachers have said she will grow out of the issues she
is having without looking into it.
For the past five years, Laura has been pushed a long her parents are not hoping this did not
cause major damage. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are willing to work with the school because they just want
answers regarding their daughter.
Behavioral Observations
The examiner asked Laura to come in so that basic, background information could be obtained.
As soon as Laura had entered the room, she began to draw a picture. When Laura was asked what her
picture displayed, she said that it was of her family. Laura seemed at ease during the interview process,
so she was asked about her current school and what she liked about it. Laura spoke a lot about Mrs.
Richman, and spoke about how she really enjoys being in her class. It had been said that Laura was
under the impression that Mrs. Richman liked Laura a great deal. Mrs. Richman allows Laura to read
books to Kindergarten students, complete her book reports on tape; this makes Laura feel comfortable in
her classroom.
During the interview, Laura had said that her third grade teacher had continuously yelled at her,
and that Mrs. Richman did scold her. Laura had said that she didn’t like that her new school was much
larger than her old school, and that she sometimes gets lost when Mrs. Richman sends her to the office
for errand work. While doing this errand work, she has to think about how to get back to her classroom.
Sometimes, she will ask other students to help her get back to her classroom, but she finds that the
students aren’t always nice to her. She didn’t know if the other students came across as not being nice to
her because she was new or because they didn’t know her that well.
Laura’s day begins with her school day, and at dismissal time her mother comes to pick her up.
When Laura gets home, the first thing she does is have a snack with her grandmother; her grandmother
lives in the upper section of Laura’s family’s home. Laura and her grandmother get along very well.
They enjoy cooking and baking together, and sometimes they cook for the entire family. Laura has so
much fun with her grandmother and she considers her grandmother her best friend; she doesn’t miss
spending time with her peers. Laura said that her mother has asked her why her friends don’t call her at
home, and she told her mother that she just prefers to speak to them at school. Laura feels that if she
doesn’t go home right after school, no one will care for her dog, “Astro.”
When asked about her interaction with her friends at school, she stated that a lot of them enjoy
participating in sports. Laura doesn’t think that she is all that good with athletics and she enjoys playing
by herself instead. During recess, Laura spends her time near the school fence interacting with dogs on
the other side of the fence. Laura is a little afraid of the dogs because she thinks they may bite her, but
she still thinks that they are cute nonetheless. Laura also has a rock collection, and she also spends her
recess time collecting rocks. Sometimes, her friends would ask her what she is doing with the rocks
she’s collecting. Laura answers them, but then she continues on her way because she doesn’t want to be
with them.
 Laura spoke about her great interest in reading and that she prefers to read books about history
and adventure. While this interview was being conducted, Laura had been reading, Animal Farm. Laura
had stated that her father, also a fan of history, explained the meaning of the book to her, and he also
explained the book’s origin to her. Laura loves to read, in fact, she can be found reading under her
covers late at night with a flashlight. While reading, she gets lost in the stories and just keeps reading
without any regard for time or her surroundings.
Laura feels that she has a hard time waking up for school, and she indicated that she also had a
lateness and sickness problem during the second and third grades. She even said that the other third
grade children gave her a really hard time, and they teased her frequently.
Laura also has trouble with her spelling tests, and Mrs. Richman accommodates her by allowing
her to circle the words that are misspelled. Laura also mentioned that she also has trouble with math.
Mrs. Richman had told Laura to do her best with the spelling and the math, and that made Laura feel a
little bit better in the classroom.
On weekends, Laura works at her town’s library. She takes the books that are placed in a cart and
she puts them back to the shelves that they belong. At times, she is found reading the books that she is
putting away. Both Mrs. Richman and Laura’s mother feel that Laura is responsible. Laura has
explained that she would like to be a writer one day even though her writings are sometimes unreadable.
Laura feels that her new technique of speaking into a microphone is beneficial to her because it allows
her printer to type and print the words she speaks.
Laura entered the testing situation in a relatively relaxed and calm manner. She interacted well
with the examiner, and she appeared involved and animated. She asked several questions which may
have resulted from some anxiety, but that soon subsided. Laura was very involved and responsive to the
sections dealing with reading which were administered first to allow her a foundation of success.
However, her attitude and demeanor changed completely when she was asked to do spelling,
math, and writing. She seemed visually upset and struggled throughout all the tasks. She kept getting
angry with herself, calling herself an idiot and stupid when she did not understand a math problem. As
the frustration increased the test was paused to speak with her in an effort to offer her some support. She
responded well, but she tried to explain that the questions were very hard, and all she does is fail. She
was encouraged to do her best and when the test concluded, she seemed to change back to a more
relaxed state.
Tests and Procedures Administered:
1. Review of Records
2. Parent Intake Interview
3. Interview With Student
4. Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (Third Edition)
Test Results
Laura was administered the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - 3rd ed. which resulted in
the following results:
Name of Subtest Standard Score Classification/Range Nat. Percentile Rank
Listening Comp. 114 82 Average
Reading Comp. 118 88 Above Average
Math Prob. Solving 76 14 Below Average
Sentence Composition 77 11 Below Average
Word Reading 118 83 Above Average
Essay Composition 70 10 Below Average
Pseudoword Decoding 113 81 Average
Numerical Operations 77 13 Below Average
Oral Expression 111 77 Average
Oral Reading Fluency 118 82 Above Average
Spelling 80 12 Below Average
Math Fluency-Add. 77 13 Below Average
Math Fluency-Sub. 76 12 Below Average
Math Fluency-Multip. 77 13 Below Average

The Listening Comprehension subtest of the WIAT-III measures the student’s ability to listen for
details. On this subtest Laura performed in the Average range, earning her a standard score of 114. As
indicated by her percentile rank of 82, Laura performed as well or better than 82 percent of all students
when compared to the norms for her age.
On the Reading Comprehension subtest of the WIAT-IIII students must read a sentence or
passage and then answer questions orally to measure their comprehension. On this subtest Laura’s
performance was in the Above Average range, earning her a standard score of 118. As indicated by her
percentile rank of 88, Laura performed as well or better than 88 percent of all students when compared
to the norms for her age.
The Math Problem Solving asks students to solve math word problems, involving areas such as
the basic operations of time, money, and interpreting graphs. On this subtest Laura’s performance was in
the Below Average range, earning her a standard score of 76. As indicated by her percentile rank of 14,
Laura performed as well or better than 14 percent of all students when compared to the norms for her
age. Her scores represent a significant deficit.
On the Sentence Composition subtest the student is asked to take two or more separate sentences
and write one good sentence that means the same thing. On this subtest Laura performed in the Below
Average range earning her a standard score of 77. As indicated by her percentile rank of 11, Laura
performed as well or better than 11 percent of all students when compared to the norms for her age.
The Word Reading subtest of the WIAT-III assesses the student’s ability to read familiar words
aloud from a list. Both accuracy and speed of response are measured. On this subtest Laura performed in
the Above Average range, earning her a standard score of 118. As indicated by her percentile rank of 83,
Laura performed as well or better than 83 percent of all students when compared to the norms of her
age.
On the Essay Composition subtest the student is asked to write an essay about his or her favorite
game, including 3 reasons why. On this subtest Laura performed in the Below Average range earning
her a standard score of 70. As indicated by her percentile rank of 10, Laura performed as well or better
than 10 percent of all students when compared to the norms for her age.
The Pseudoword Decoding subtest of the WIAT-III assesses the student’s ability to apply
phonetic decoding skills. On this subtest Laura performed in the Average range, earning her a standard
score of 113. As indicated by her percentile rank of 81, Laura performed as well or better than 81
percent of all students when compared to the norms for her age.
The Numerical Operations subtest of the WIAT-III evaluates the student’s ability to identify and
write dictated numerals and solve written calculation problems and equations involving all basic
operations. On this subtest Laura performed in the Below Average range earning her a standard score of
77. As indicated by her percentile rank of 13, Laura performed as well or better than 13 percent of all
students when compared to the norms for her age.
The Oral Expression of the WIAT-III subtest measures the student’s ability to repeat sentences,
generate lists of specific kinds of words, describe pictured scenes, and describe pictured
activities. Content of answers is scored, but quality of spoken language is not. On this subtest Laura
performed in the Average range earning her a standard score of 111. As indicated by her percentile rank
of 77, Laura performed as well or better than 77 percent of all students when compared to the norms for
her age.
The Oral Reading Fluency subtest measures the accuracy, rate, ease, and rhythm with which a
person reads. On this subtest Laura performed in the Above Average range earning her a standard score
of 118. As indicated by her percentile rank of 82, Laura performed as well or better than 82 percent of
all students when compared to the norms for her age.
The Spelling subtest of the WIAT-III measures the student’s ability to spell by a word by its
meaning in a sentence. On this subtest Laura performed in the Below Average range earning her a
standard score of 80. As indicated by her percentile rank of 12, Laura performed as well or better than
12 percent of all students when compared to the norms for her age.
On the Math Fluency-Addition subtest, the student solves as many simple addition problems as
he/she can in one minute. On this subtest Laura performed in the Below Average range earning her a
standard score of 77. As indicated by her percentile rank of 13, Laura performed as well or better than
13 percent of all students when compared to the norms for her age.
On the Math Fluency-Subtraction subtest, the student solves as many simple subtraction
problems as he/she can in one minute. On this subtest Laura performed in the Below Average range
earning her a standard score of 76. As indicated by her percentile rank of 12, Laura performed as well or
better than 12 percent of all students when compared to the norms for her age.
On the Math Fluency-Multiplication subtest, the student solves as many simple multiplication
problems as he/she can in one minute. On this subtest Laura performed in the Below Average range
earning her a standard score of 77. As indicated by her percentile rank of 13, Laura performed as well or
better than 13 percent of all students when compared to the norms for her age.

Conclusions
As a result of academic assessment, Laura obtained scores within in the above average range on
tests of Reading Comprehension, Word Reading, and Oral Reading Fluency. Further scores fell within
the average range on tests of Pseudoword Decoding, Word Reading, and Oral Expression.
Further testing revealed Laura obtained below average scores on tests of Math Problem Solving,
Sentence Composition, Sentence Composition, Essay Composition, Numerical Operations, Spelling,
Math Fluency-Addition, Math Fluency-Subtraction, and Math Fluency-Multiplication.
As a result of history, observation, and comprehensive assessment, Laura's profile seems to
indicate a student with learning disabilities.
Recommendations
To the school
1. As a result of testing, observation, and history, Laura’s profile indicates a student with a documented
disability. As a result, Laura’s case should be reviewed by the committee on special education for
possible classifications.
To the teacher
1. As a result of Laura’s difficulty in writing, but her exceptional reading skills, it would be beneficial
for Laura to receive a copy of another student's notes in order for her to best pay attention during class
time.
2. It would be beneficial for Mrs. Richman to have Laura use different colored folders for different
subject contents in order to assist with Laura's lack of organization.
3. As a result of consistent teacher comments over the years, reinforced by low math scores on the Math
Problem Solving on the WIAT-III, it is suggested that Mrs. Richman explore the possibility of using
math manipulative tools in the classroom.
4. Laura scored below average on the mathematics section for fluency in addition, subtraction and
multiplication on the WAIT-III. It is suggested that Mrs. Richman break down the math into smaller
units.

5. As a result of Laura not being able to complete assignments it is suggested that Mrs. Richman may
want to shorten her assignments (for example, offering two questions instead of four questions).
To the parent(s)
1. It is suggested that Mrs. Johnson also use the voice recognition software provided by Mrs. Richman.
This will allow Laura to finish her homework more quickly, and she will feel more successful.
2. As a result of low math scores, Laura would probably do better using math manipulative tools when
working with math problems at home. For example, she can us popsicle sticks at home to explore
fractions by cutting up popsicle sticks into pieces.
3. If it is evident while working on an assignment that Laura is struggling, it is recommended that Mr.
and Mrs. Johnson write a note to Mrs. Richman describing Laura's troubles so that Mrs. Richman can
offer support the following day.
4. As a result of Laura’s struggles with math, it is suggested that Laura’s grandmother help her with
math, such as fractions, since it has been mentioned a variety of times that Laura often works with her
grandmother in the kitchen. Working in the kitchen and cooking can help Laura understand difficult
math concepts while in a comfortable environment.
5. It is strongly suggested that Mr. and Mrs. Johnson oversee the completion of all assignments given to
Laura, such as with the use of a daily log.

Diagnostic Disorders
Level I - Learning Disabilities LD
Level II - Auditory Processing Disorders LD 1.00
Level III - Auditory Association Processing Disorder LD 1.01
Level IV - N/A
Level V - Moderate Impact

Level I - Learning Disabilities LD

Level II - Dyscalculia LD 2.00
Level III - Abstract Concepts Dyscalculia LD 2.01
Level IV - N/A
Level V - Severe Impact

Level I - Learning Disabilities LD

Level II - Dysorthographia LD 5.00
Level III - N/A
Level IV - N/A
Level V - Moderate Impact

Level I - Learning Disabilities LD

Level II - Organization Learning Disorder LD 9.00
Level III - Catastrophic Response Organizational Disorder LD 9.01
Level IV - N/A
Level V - Moderate Impact

Level I - Learning Disabilities LD

Level II - Organizational Learning Disorder LD 9.00
Level III - Temporal Disorganization Disorder LD 9.05
Level IV - N/A
Level V - Moderate Impact

Respectfully submitted,

Daniel Bod