Jennifer McQueen ELED 3221 Science lesson observation reflection March 10, 2014

I observed a fifth grade class at an elementary school in Gaston County, NC. The science lesson that was taught was about the different types of clouds. The lesson began with the teacher reading aloud the first half of an informational article describing the different types of clouds. She would stop after each section and elaborate on what the article had discussed and to ask the students questions. The day this lesson was taught was a cloudy, rainy day. After the teacher read the section about stratus clouds, she drew the students attention to the window. She asked them what kind of clouds were outside on that day. This then led to a discussion about how stratus clouds often bring rain and are usually the type of clouds that are present on gloomy, overcast days. I liked how she made this part of the lesson practical for the students and showed them how to apply it to their everyday lives. She then had the students read the remainder of the article silently. After they were finished reading, she led a group discussion about the remaining cloud types they had just read about. After reading the article, she had the students take out their science journals. She wrote the names of the cloud types studied on the white board and then had the students brainstorm definitions for each type to write in their journals. She even had the class draw illustrations for some of the cloud types to go with their journal entry. After this, the teacher did a very interesting science experiment with the class. She took the class to the teachers lounge and told them that we were going to make a cloud. The students thought she was joking, at first, but she convinced them it is possible to make a cloud. She then heated a mug of water in the microwave for two minutes until it was boiling. She poured the water into a mason jar and

heaped ice cubes into the upside down lid of the mason jar, setting it upside down on the jar. She then waited until a cloud started to form in the jar. She reminded the students that clouds need some sort of particulate matter to cling to, so she sprayed a small spray of hairspray into the mason jar and then set the lid with the ice cubes back on it. Within seconds, a cloud filled the entire mason jar. The students begged for the teacher to take the lid off and let the cloud escape, which she did. For just a few seconds, the cloud hovered above the mason jar before dissipating. The students were enthralled, and so was I. They begged her to do it again, which she did. I really enjoyed observing this science lesson and it made me even more excited to teach science in my own classroom. I felt like a kid again when I watched the experiment. It showed me the importance of science experiments in engaging the students in the subject matter.