Student: Tessa VanderStel School: Frances Slocum Elementary School

IWU Supervisor: Dr. Leffler Co-op Teacher: Mrs. Sloan

Lesson Title: Our Creation Takes Collaboration Grade Level: 1st Grade

Indiana Wesleyan University

Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
CAEP 2018 K-6 Elementary Teacher Preparation Standards

LESSON RATIONALE
Students are learning the skill of collaboration by working together to mesh one another’s ideas into one project.
Because students have already discussed buoyancy in previous lessons, this lesson will allow them to put those ideas
into practice.
READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal(s): Students will be able to describe the shape and materials that allow objects to float.
B. Objective(s): After designing, constructing, and testing a boat, students will be able to articulate, through a
drawing and written words, what shape and materials best keep a boat afloat.
C. Standard(s): K-2.E.2 Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate and investigate
how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve an identified problem.
K-2.E.3 Analyze data from the investigation of two objects constructed to solve the same problem to
compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs

II. Management Plan

 Time – 55 minutes

 Space – Students will first begin at the carpet, then they will move throughout the room with their
groups to design and construct their boats, then they will return to the carpet to test their boats, they
will then move back throughout the room to discuss together as groups, and they will end in their seats
to work on the end assessment.

 Materials – plastic gingerbread game piece from candy land, example boat that I have built, a tub of
water, 6 bundles of 20 popsicle sticks, 6 bundles of 20 drinking straws, 6 spools of string, 6 squares of
bubble wrap, 6 bundles of 50 toothpicks, 6 squares of tin foil, 6 plastic Solo cup, 6 squares of
cardboard, 6 plastic bags, 6 pairs of scissors, 6 bottles of glue, blank pieces of paper, online timer

 Expectations and procedures

Trammy Jamar Cobain Remyia Shantell T’Sean
Harlee Kallie Sophia Jazmin Kellen Tazra
Jonathan Caleb Josiah Paxton Toby Filomena

III. Anticipatory Set (5 minutes)

  As students come back from their “specials,” give them a smiley face sticker to put on their shirt – their
color of smiley face will determine what group they are in. Once they receive a sticker, instruct them to sit
down at the carpet, facing the front.
 Today we are going to read a book about a gingerbread boy. Some of you may have heard this story
before, but this one has a different ending. Think about what makes ending different than other endings you
have heard.
 Read the book “The Gingerbread Boy” by Paul Galdone
 What did you think of the story? Allow students to have first responses.
 What was different about the ending of this story in comparison to other stories you might have read?
Allow students to respond – prompt them to think about if the ending was sad or happy.
 Right, this story ended with the gingerbread boy getting eaten. I wonder if we could change the ending of
this story. What could we change about the ending of the story so that the gingerbread boy doesn’t get
eaten? Allow students time to share and brainstorm. Guide students toward the idea of creating something
to help the gingerbread boy get across the river – Yes, what if we could create a boat!
 Purpose: Today you are going to design and build a boat to test the ideas that we have learned about
buoyancy.
PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION
IV. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners
 The majority of this activity is hands-on, which is essential for this class of energetic students
 Students are given opportunities to draw, experiment, discuss, listen, and create. These opportunities apply
to students with different learning styles.
V. Lesson Presentation (45 minutes)
 Pose a Question – You are going to work together with 2 other partners to design a boat.
 Your goal is to make a boat that 1.) will stay afloat, even when some waves come by and 2) will hold your
gingerbread boy.
 Here is an example of a boat I made. Hold up makeshift boat. I want to show you what I mean by “waves.”
Each of you will put your boat in this tub of water. Put tub of water on the ground and ask students to sit in
a semi-circle surrounding it. The tub should be clear and shallow so that students can easily see. Place boat
in the tub. Then you will put your gingerbread boy in your boat. Place plastic game piece in boat. Now I
will make some waves to make sure that you have made your boat very sturdy. I will give it three small
shakes like this. Demonstrate.
 I have the following materials that you can use to build your boat, but you only get three materials.
o Hold up items for students to see as you present them: I have a bundle of 20 popsicle sticks, a
bundle of 20 drinking straws, a spool of string, a square of bubble wrap, a bundle of 50
toothpicks, a square of tin foil, a plastic Solo cup, a square of cardboard, and a plastic bag.
o Everyone will be allowed to have scissors and glue.
 First you are going to draw the shape that you think your boat should be. I want you to ask yourself the
question “what shape will help my boat stay afloat? What materials should I use to create this shape?”
 Hypothesize - At the beginning of class I handed out stickers to everyone to put on your shirt. You will
need to find the people that have the same color sticker as you and work together to create a drawing of
what you think will help your boat to float. You can sit at a table, push desks together, or get a clipboard
and sit together on the floor. You will have 10 minutes to talk with your partners and plan your boat. I will
set this timer on the screen so that you can see how much time you have left. Put timer on screen.
 Remember, you are only going to get three materials of the ones that I showed you, so you have to think
carefully about your design. There are three people in your group, and each of you gets to pick one
material. I have made this rule because we have been talking about how “every voice matters.” I want
everyone in your group to let their voice be heard as you design your boat. At the end of this lesson, you
and your group will present your boat, and I want each of you to share what you contributed to this
project. Make sure that everyone’s voice is heard as you work together.
 Allow students to begin working together – walk around the classroom to answer questions and ask
students what three materials they are considering using and why. Make suggestions if students seem to
need help – remind them of the two questions they are trying to answer, and what they have already learned
about buoyancy. Ensure that each student is contributing ideas.
 Test – Now that you have a plan for what your boat is going to look like, you get to actually create it! You
will have 15 minutes to work together on creating your boat. I will reset the timer so that you can see how
much time you have left.
 I have all of the materials at my desk. Send one person from your group to come get the three materials
that your group has decided on.
 Hand out materials to students. Walk around classroom commenting on students’ structures and asking
questions to help them further develop their boat structure.
 The 15 minutes are up! Bring your boats to the front of the room. Sit in a semi-circle again around the tub
of water.
 Now we are going to test your boats. Trammy, Harlee, and Jonathan, your group gets to go first. Before
you put your boat in the water, I want each of your voices to be heard. Come stand up front and I want
each of you to tell me what material you chose and why. Allow students time to share.
 Now that you have told us how you worked together to create your boat, we are going to test it! Set it in the
tub of water, and set the gingerbread boy in it. I’m going to create a few waves and see if it stays afloat.
 Continue for each group. Set each boat to the side, noting whether or not it stayed afloat.
 Great job working together and listening to one another while you made your boats. Here are the boats
that stayed afloat and the ones that didn’t. Don’t feel bad if yours didn’t stay afloat! We can learn
something from this.
  I want you to get back together with your groups – you can spread around the room again – and talk about
why some boats floated and why other ones didn’t. What was similar about the materials or the shape of
the boats that floated?
 We are going to use numbered heads together. This is a technique that the students have used before. Each
student in the group is given a number (1, 2, or 3), and then they talk together about the question asked. The
teacher calls a number, and that student then has to respond from each group. This ensures that all students
are participating with their group.
 Allow students to discuss.
 Student #2, what material seems to have worked the best? Let students from each group respond.
 Student #3, what shape seems to have worked the best? Let students from each group respond.
 Student #1, does it seem like there was one material that was not very helpful? Let students from each
group respond.
VI. Check for understanding (5 minutes)
 Now I need everyone to go back to their seats. I will hand out sheets of paper and I want you to revise your
boat. This means that you will use the observations that you have seen from our tests to design a new boat.
Draw the shape of the boat and write what three materials you would use to build it.
VII. Review learning outcomes / Closure
 Collect sheets of paper from students.
 Thank you for participating together on building your boats. If it ever becomes your job to build something,
like if you are a construction worker or an engineer, you will have to work well with other people.
Remember, everyone’s voice matters! It is important to listen to one another!
VIII. PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT
Listening to students’ discussions during the design and constructing processes
Listening to students answers during “numbered heads together”
Collecting papers with revised boats (best shape of boat and best materials to use)
REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS
1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
7. Were the materials that I used effective? Should I have had more options or less options?
8. Did students work well together? How could I have further implemented the big idea of “every voice
matters?”
9. Could the “design” stage have been omitted? Or was it helpful to have students draw out their designs and
consider the materials they were going to use?