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VERSION B

Lesson Plan

KR 2011

Grade/Subject: Grade 3 Science Unit: Building with a Variety of Materials Lesson Duration: 46 minutes
OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA
PROGRAM OF STUDIES

Students will select

appropriate materials for use
in construction tasks, and
explain the choice of
materials. Students should
demonstrate familiarity with
a variety of materials such
as paper, wood, plastic, clay
and metal.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

ASSESSMENTS

(Observations, Key Questions,

Products/Performances)

Students will list five types

of materials used in
construction.

What are the key points that

made your decision?

Students will identify key

characteristics of each
material
Students will create their
own paper tower.

Positives vs. Negatives

How will you stabilize your

structure? Discuss ideas
with multiple people.
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED
Resource #1: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/lab/materials.html
Resource #2:
Resource #3:

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

* script cards
*printer paper
*scotch tape
*meter stick

PROCEDURE
Introduction (10 min.):
Attention Grabber: Play Charades: 5 students will be assigned roles (metal, plastic, paper, clay, or wood). They will
be given a little script to read, and the class will have to guess what material they are
Assessment of Prior Knowledge: Students will have to use their prior knowledge and combine it with the hints
provided by the students.
Expectations for Learning and Behaviour: Students are sitting in their desks, with exception of those 5 assigned roles.
They must stand at the front of the room holding their piece of papers quietly on their stomach
Transition to Body: I will tape each piece of paper up on the white board and each student will sit down after their
turn is over. As a class, we will go over characteristics of each material.
Body (30 min.):
Learning Activity #1: Characteristics of each material. I will ask the helper of the day to hand out the worksheets
and I will go over each material with the class. I will ask what the students can recall from what the other students
had just read about their material.
Assessments/Differentiation: I will write these characteristics on the board and explain them in further detail, as we go through
each one.

Learning Activity #2: Paper Tower Activity. Have students work in pairs for this activity. Students must build the
tallest free standing structure they can, with only paper and 20 cm of scotch tape. They are allowed to plan out
what they think would work. They only get one piece of paper. They can use scissors to cut the paper, but the
structure must only be held up with paper.
Assessments/Differentiation:

Learning Activity #3: Class discussion. How did you make your free- standing structure? What kind of techniques

ED 3601

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KR 2011

did you use?

Assessments/Differentiation: Have students verbally answer questions and we will discuss why certain changes were made

Closure (6 min.):
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning: If you could make your paper tower again, what would you do differently?
What were you thinking about as your made your structure?
Feedback From Students: Their ideas and suggestions
Feedback To Students:
Transition To Next Lesson: