Stefanie Carranza

Professor Suk
Education Field Experience EDUC 230-01
Fall 2014
Rationale Statement
Statement of Standard 4: Content Knowledge.
The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the
discipline(s) he or she teaches, particularly as they relate to the Common Core Standards
and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and creates learning experiences
that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure
mastery of the content. (NJPTSB, 2014, pp. 22)
Name of Artifact: Demo Lesson
Date of Artifact: Fall 2014
Course: Education Field Experience EDUC 230-01
Rationale Statement:
The assignment for this artifact was rather simple; we were instructed to come to
class and be prepared to teach a lesson, including a demonstration on any subject matter.
Since, I have spent the past several years of my life working for Starbucks and I learned
so much from them in terms of coffee history, how caffeine affects your brain, and the
technique to tasting coffee I decided to do a lesson on the history of coffee and how our
senses perceive. The history of coffee is full of mystery, thievery, and invention; the
science behind it is easy enough to remember; the technique is the mastery behind all
good coffee shops, all topics that are dear to my heart. In order to keep my classmates
attention I decided to have them do a coffee tasting at the end but hand out the coffee and
dessert first in order to grab and maintain their attention throughout my presentation.
This artifact demonstrates the qualities of standard 4 in several ways. Standard
4.1.3 states the teacher engages learners in applying methods of inquiry and standards of
evidence used in the discipline, my demonstration engaged my audience through a
coffee tasting and the steps we took to complete it the right way. Although, coffee is not a
usual subject matter, the ideas behind coffee, its producing companies and the places
where it is being sold are always changing. Thus, I would argue that personally learning
and being aware in this way adheres to standard 4.3.1, which reads, The teacher realizes
that content knowledge is not a fixed body of facts but is complex, culturally situated,
and ever evolving. He or she keeps abreast of new ideas and understandings in the field.
Furthermore, the way I delivered my lesson full of enthusiasm and personal interest in the
subject matter speaks to standard 4.3.5 that states The teacher shows enthusiasm for the
discipline(s) they teach and is committed to making connections to everyday life.
In conclusion, I believe this artifact will be a great tool to use in my future. I can
use the ideas behind creating this demo lesson to help demonstrate my understanding of
the Professional Standards for Teachers and the possibility to create unique lessons that
can reach several types of students in interviews. Once I am a teacher, I will be able to

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use the same enthusiasm in lesson presentations to help maintain my students attention
and engage them different ways.
References
Professional Development in New Jersey. (2014, August 4). Retrieved from New Jersey State
Department of Education: http://www.state.nj.us/education/code/current/title6a/chap9c.pdf