LESSON PLAN

Name: Shelby Astin

WGU Task Objective Number: 602.4.17-07
GENERAL INFORMATION

Lesson Title & Subject(s): Sundial Days - Earth & Space Science
Topic or Unit of Study: Embedded Inquiry
Grade/Level: 4
Instructional Setting:
Lesson will take place partially in the standard classroom and partially outdoors, in front of the school
along the sidewalk; Students will have already created Sundials in a previous lesson. This lesson will
take place throughout the day, from the morning until the afternoon - going out in planned increments
so that students will have at least 3 separate times to check the sundials and record data

STANDARDS AND OBJECTIVES

Your State Core Curriculum/Student Achievement Standard(s):

Region: TN- Tennessee Curriculum Frameworks
Subject: Science
Level: Grade 4
Standard: Embedded Inquiry
Learning Expectation & Objective
GLE 0407.Inq.1 Explore different scientific phenomena by asking questions, making logical
predictions, planning investigations, and recording data.
GLE 0407.Inq.2 Select and use appropriate tools and simple equipment to conduct an
investigation.
GLE 0407.Inq.3 Organize data into appropriate tables, graphs, drawings, or diagrams.
GLE 0407.Inq.4 Identify and interpret simple patterns of evidence to communicate the findings
of multiple investigations.
GLE 0407.Inq.5 Recognize that people may interpret the same results in different ways.

Lesson Goals:
The lesson will provide students hands-on experience with scientific inquiry, use of scientific tools,
and data collection. The students will be able to correctly identify the time of day with the sundial, as
well as correctly record and graph the data they receive from their sundials. Students will be able to
identify any errors made, as well as understand why their answers were accurate.

Lesson Objective(s): The student will use the previously constructed sundial to observe the
movement of the sun through the sky over the course of a day, gather and record the collected data, and
will be able to correctly estimate the time of day twice.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Instructional Materials:
Materials needed for the lesson (e.g., textbook, construction paper, scissors, PowerPoint, guided note
templates)
Each students previously made sundial
Science notebooks
Sundial data collection worksheet for each student
Pencils
Sharpies
Index card (1 for each student)
2 rectangle card tables
DuctTape
Projector/Computer for YouTube video

Resources:
Projector to play this following YouTube video:
Science Online (2007, April 16). Set up a sundial [Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/
9UGV8vzMLDA

INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN

Sequence of Instructional Procedures/Activities/Events (provide description and

indicate approximate time for each):
1. Identification of Student Prerequisite Skills Needed for Lesson:
(e.g., anticipatory set, schema, purpose of lesson for students, connections to previous
learning, definitions of terms reviewed)
Teacher will begin with reviewing the previous lesson (Creating Sundials)
-What is the purpose of a Sundial?
-Why are specific scientific tools important?
-Why is measuring time important?

Prerequisite Skills:
Students will understand how to independently record data on a data collection worksheet
Students will understand how to tell & interpret time
Students will understand the purpose and use of a Sundial
Students will understand the rules & procedures for conducting experiments (In particular outside of the traditional classroom)

2. Presentation of New Information or Modeling:

(e.g., term definitions, concepts, processes and/or approaches)
Once the purpose of the Sundial and the previous lesson is reviewed, the teacher will introduce
the current lesson by introducing data collection in nature with the use of a scientific tool.
The teacher will write on the board:
Investigation
Observation
Suns Shadow
Data
Collection of Data
These are the key science vocabulary words that relate to the Sundial experiment
These will be defined and discussed as to how they relate to the activity.
The teacher will then signify to the students that before they go outside to set up the sundials,
they will first view a short video on setting up and recording data from a Sundial
Teacher will play YouTube video on projector
Teacher will discuss what was seen in the video and what steps each student will take once they
get outside to the activity area. (Teacher will do this first via direct instruction, then allow for
question/answer & group discussion to check for classroom-wide understanding of the
procedures and activity)
Teachers will pass out index cards & sharpies to students and have them write their name on the
index cards.

3. Guided Practice:
Teacher will have students get their sundials, index cards, pencils, and science notebooks.
The teacher will lead the classroom outside to the activity area to set up the sundials.
The teacher will direct students where to place their sundials, having students remember to the
video about how to secure them on the table. Teacher will pass out tape as needed, having
students secure their Sundials as well as tape their named index cards above their sundial for
easy/quick identification.
The teacher will then guide students through each process of correctly setting up their sundials
(teacher will know the direction the sundials need to face, without telling students so that they
can record the time they observe), observing the suns shadow in relation to the Sundial, and
recording the data in their science notebook. The teacher will ask students how they think data
collection errors in this scenario are possible and how can they prevent errors from occurring?
Once students have all observed the sundials and written down their own time estimations,
teacher will guide students back into the classroom for students to record their first observation
on the sundial worksheet.
The teacher will then let students know that this portion of the lesson is over, and that the
lesson will continue throughout the day, with 2 to 3 more trips (depending on what time allows)
out to the sundials for observations and data collection.
-Lesson will stop here until teacher is ready to pick back up with Independent Practice-

4. Independent Student Practice:

(e.g., teacher monitored, check for student understanding including any questions to ask or
anticipate from students)
The teacher will prompt students to gather their necessary activity materials (pencils and
science notebooks) and will guide students outside again to the activity area where the
sundials have been set out.
The teacher will have students observe and gather the time data independently, collecting the
data in their science notebooks and discussing with each other their findings. The teacher will
intermittently ask questions to check for understanding and review the process, as well as be
available to answer any questions or assist students as needed.
This step will be repeated one to two more times, throughout the day into the afternoon
After the last data collection has taken place (in the afternoon), teachers will bring students
back to classrooms and have them sit at their desks, to review the data they had collected
through the day. The teacher will review error and accuracy issues, having students discuss
their data with their neighbors to check for any errors. The teacher will oversee this process,
jumping in where needed. If errors are found, the teacher will discuss the error and what
possibly happened with the collection of data.

5. Culminating or Closing Procedure/Activity/Event:

(e.g., review terms, concepts, and/or learning process; establish connections to the next
lesson; check for student understanding including any questions to ask or anticipate from
students)
After the students do a peer review to do a last check for errors and accuracy, the teacher will
then have students independently fill out their Sundial Data Collection Worksheet from the data
collected in their science notebooks. This worksheet should have either 3 or 4 sections filled
out, depending on how many times the class was able to record data outside.
Teacher will review the process of collecting & recording data, as well as the use of Sundials.
Teacher will answer questions if there are any.
Students will turn in the worksheet.

Pedagogical Strategy (or Strategies):

Direct Instruction - Showing students how to properly place and read the data via sundial; Instruction
on avoiding errors
Experience based environmental project - Using a scientific tool (sundial) that student created to use
in a real world situation (telling time with the use of the sun)
Field Lab - The experiment/activity was conducted in the field i.e. a non-traditional outdoor setting so
that the students can explore the real-life use of the scientific tool and data collection

Differentiated Instruction:
Learning disabled: For any students that may have a specific learning disability that affects their ability to
participate in the activity will be paired with another student (of equal or higher ability level) so that they
can be peer-guided in their activity. The learning disabled student may also have direct assistance from
the teacher.
Accelerated learners: For any students that may be accelerated in their abilities, the teacher may have
the student assist other learners as a guide once the gifted learner has completed the activity, or allow
the student to walk around and compile data from other students to help check for accuracy and errors.

Student Assessment/Rubrics:
Describe how you will know if students have met the objective(s) for this lesson (include pre- and
post-assessment plansformal and/or informal, summative and/or formative, etc.).
Informal assessment: The teacher will intermittently check for understanding throughout the lesson,
asking questions and engaging in group discussion, as well as one-on-one spot checks

Form assessment: Teacher will take up students data collection worksheets and grade them for
accuracy in data collection, error correction, and formation of the graph itself
Post-assessment: Teacher will quiz students on error/accuracy with data collection & reading in a post
lesson quiz on a following day