Brittany Brown EDEL 441 Activity Reflections

Reflection 1: Newtons 2nd & 3rd Laws of Motion Teacher: Martha Rendon This activity used balls with various masses to teach students about Newtons Second and Third Laws of Motion. This lesson was designed for first grade and I personally think this lesson might be too difficult for first graders. The background knowledge section of the lesson says that students will have already been introduced to Newtons First Law of Motion and they also know the definition of mass. I cant see how this would be true in a first grade classroom. I would change the lesson to maybe 3rd or even 4th grade if you want students to really comprehend this subject. These are just my reflections and opinions of the lesson. With that being said I thought the activity itself was well executed. It was a simple yet effective way to demonstrate the Second and Third Laws of Motion. The activity of having students roll the balls with different masses back and forth to each other, increasing force when instructed, is a great way to demonstrate to students that the greater the mass of the object, the greater amount of force needed to accelerate the object.

Reflection 2: Newtons Third Law: Balloon Rocket Teacher: Jennifer Carney For this activity students got to investigate Newtons Third Law by experimenting with balloon rockets. This was definitely one of my favorite activities. I thought that the video was a great introduction to the lesson and was the perfect way to hook students attention. I especially liked how the video led right into a class discussion about Newtons Third Law. I thought this was important to do first so that students had some background knowledge before beginning the activity. I thought this activity was very practical for a classroom setting and I think students will

Brittany Brown EDEL 441 Activity Reflections

certainly be engaged throughout the entire lesson, I know I was! I like how we used a bit of our own experimenting by trying to send the balloon back by tilting the string. I think students would would want to do the same.

Reflection 3: Determining Liquid Density Teacher: Alyce Mack This activity was about introducing students to density by using pickling salt water. It was designed for third grade but I feel this activity may be a little difficult for third graders to do on their own. The reason I say this is because there are a lot of components involved with the lesson and I feel it may be better understood by students if the teacher were the one demonstrating the activity to students. I know I was confused on the instructions for this lesson. There were a lot of materials involved and I did not feel it was very organized which was part of the reason I had trouble doing this activity. The objective of the activity was for students to be able to observe which of the solutions was less dense. Students are the continue experimenting with each solution, and ask students to establish the order of density. This sentence threw me off because I didnt know how we were supposed to establish the order of density. Students may be able to complete this activity but more clear directions and better organization would make this activity more successful.

Reflection 4: Energy in a Jar Teacher: Denise Crosby

Brittany Brown EDEL 441 Activity Reflections

The purpose of this activity was to show students that heat, like light, sound and electricity, is a form of energy. This objective was clear and was successfully demonstrated with this lesson. The activity was organized, materials were all ready to go before the lesson began and was simple yet very effective. This activity would be enjoyable at any age, but the 1st-3rd grade level is the perfect time to introduce the concept of energy to students. Especially because most students have some kind of prior knowledge on this subject. I really like how each student in the group of 4 had the opportunity to participate by taking turns shaking the sand. I think this activity is extremely useful and practical in the classroom. This activity was a great way to show students that shaking something is a form of energy and so is heat. They will understand through this activity that when you shake the sand, the energy of the sands motion was transferred to heat energy when the sand grains struck one another in the container and this is what caused the temperature of the sand to increase.

Reflection 5: Thermal Energy Solar Ovens Teacher: Adrienne Hutchinson This is the activity that I think students would have the most fun with. Students will be amazed to learn that they can cook smores using without using fire or any kitchen appliances. Students will learn by doing this activity that heat can move from one object to another by conduction. I really liked that the teacher was modeling the construction of the thermal energy solar oven for students to see instead of just showing them an already made one. I do think that this activity would have worked a little better leaving the thermal oven outside (given that the sun was out) instead of using a lamp. That might be the only thing I would change if doing this lesson with my class.